Are you offended? ~ Repost from 7/7/2011

Yesterday at Church I was a mess. I did the ugly cry {I'm talking hyperventilating ugly cry} on my Pastor/friend's shoulder. I'm a little embarrassed today but I think he's pretty used to it by now. I was greatly offended by what's happening in my family right now. Angered that healing for my grandpa isn't taking place, in shock that this thing is actually happening....so so angry, God reminded me of this post this morning so I felt I should post it again. Today I'm better, I was honest with God (He already knew my feelings anyway) and we had a long talk and I did the ugly cry on God's shoulder this morning and I choose to think on the good things now, the praise worthy things.

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Repost from 7/7/2011

The other night I read a book. It was a small book, not a lot of chapters or pages. Nothing extraordinary, just a book. But it wasn't just a book to me. In it's pages it held something that God has been trying to tell me probably for a long long time.

Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me. Luke 7:23

If you read this passage, it's Jesus answering John's question on whether or not Jesus is the Messiah. He doesn't give a direct answer to John He just says many are healed, and if you don't get offended with me you are blessed.

This book, The Prisoner in the Third Cell, was centered around this passage. Have you ever wondered why a loving and just God would put you in the positions that He does? A family member dies, friends desert you for no apparent reason. Maybe the bills are piling up, you've lost your job, you don't have food to put on the table and no one will hire you because you're "over-qualified".

Have you ever asked God why? But received no answer.

Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me.

This book is all about that. God wants to answer our why's..He wants to answer our cries, He wants to answer our questions, He HATES HATES HATES when His children are hurting, but He is soveriegn. He is Just, He is God.

Be still and know I'm God. All things work for the good for those that love Me.

John the Baptist died without ever knowing that Jesus was the Messiah, he got his head chopped off and served on a platter without knowing that his life was not a waste, that Jesus the true Messiah was the one he had spent his life preparing for. He died without answers but he was faithful to the end.

When we are facing a trial, when we are locked in a jail cell with no way out, remain faithful. There is good that will come from your trial. God loves you and He will hold you through your test.

Remain faithful, and read the book.

Pure Joy

Sometimes I get in the way. I start focusing on my circumstances. I start thinking "What can God do for me today". He has been faithful every step of the way to provide for my family but what if one day He didn't? What if for one day we were left helpless, flailing. What if. Would I still say thank you Lord? Would I still praise His Holy Name? Would I still run after Him full force until He turns around with arms open wide for me? What if?

My husband showed me a devotional in Our Daily Bread tonight and it really got me thinking. Job had his whole life taken from him. His family, his home, his possessions, his well being. Everything, but he never once cursed God. Never once said forget it, I'm done I'll provide for myself. Not once. Instead he got down right angry when his wife told him to curse God.

The devotional my husband showed me really got me thinking about my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Do I love Him because of what He can do for me, because of His provision or do I love Him because of WHO He is. Do I follow Him because I think I will get something out of it or do I follow Him because of who He is.

Even if You slay me, yet will I praise You. Job 13:15

That's how I want to be. Even if He kills me, even if He never provides for one more bill, one more need. Even if He turns His back on me forever I will still praise Him. Shall we accept the good from God but fuss when trials are in sight? Not if our love is focused on The One who always does what's right. ~ Our Daily Bread

Praise God for the trials you are facing today...they are being used to grow your faith.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

He's in the whisper

Continuing in my reading about Elijah. I also read 1st Kings 19:9-18. This passage was so good to me. Elijah finds rest in a cave and God starts talking to him and instructs him to go out and stand on the mountain in God's prescence because God is about to come pass by him. Winds tore all around Elijah, but God wasn't in the wind, after the wind came an earthquake but God wasn't in the earthquake either then came a great fire but he wasn't in the fire either.

"After a fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, What are  you doing here, Elijah?" 1st Kings 19:12-13

Did you see that? God was in the whisper. Not just a whisper but a gentle whisper. God is gentle.

Don't you wish sometimes God would send down huge bright neon lights and yell at the top of His holy lungs His plans for us. Don't you wish there were flashing arrows at every turn and a road map for us just for that extra protection? Well there is a road map ~ His Word the Bible but God doesn't have to yell. He shouldn't have to, we should have our ear turned to Him at all times, praying and listening for instruction.

Strength and power are not always found in the dramatic and sensational. There's great power in the whisper. We're supposed to imitate God and be gentle in spirit, quiet and humble so we can hear Him and His instruction. I'm not quiet or gentle but I want to learn how to be, I will do whatever it takes to become gentle like my Father.

Lord help me quiet my spirit, help me be gentle

so that I may always hear your whisper. I love you Daddy.

Fire fall down

I've been reading 1st Kings in my quiet time latley and I've heard some people talk about the story of Elijah but have never actually read it for myself...until today.

Elijah goes to Isreal and confronts their king about all the trouble he's been causing God's people. He decides to organize a little bbq (smiles) in which all hte people gather two cows they are going to sacrifice to God and their gods. They cut the cows up and Elijah tells them to call on their god to set the alter on fire. Isreal does everything they can think of to call on their god. They dance around, yell and even cut themselves and still nothing happens. Then Elijah sets up his alter, he has to rebuild it because it's in shambles from trying to call on Isreal's god. He then instructs the people to start pouring water over the whole thing so that only the One true God can set fire to this thing. After it's soaked to the brim he prays a simple but heartfelt prayer. "God please let it be known, show them Lord, open their eyes that You are real and their One and only God" all of a sudden God rains down fire and everything burns into flame, not just the alter but the wood, stone, soil and the water. 1st Kings 18:16-39

I have idols in my life. Things that turn my attention away from God. Things that I don't really need, distractions. Things of my past that I wish would just go away. Anger issues, the desire to have a house. Wanting a house in itself isn't wrong but the fact that sometimes it's all I can think about, the want consumes me if I'm not careful. The boulders I can't move on my own, the shyness, the weight issue...there are tons of idols. Lots of "gods" that we don't realize are in our lives until it's too late.

I find myself wishing that God would just get rid of them, just open my eyes and help me clean everything up. Then I start thinking well maybe He won't, maybe I'm stuck with this struggle for ever...I wonder if you have something like this in your life? Do you think He won't help you?

The point is, what makes you think He won't? What makes me think He won't? We were made for victory and the truth is He is very capable and very willing to rain down His all consuming fire on the idols and gods in our lives so HE is the only thing we can see.

Do you have something that needs to burst into flames? Let Him have it today.

Two voices

If your ears are open there are two voices influencing you right now. The cross and the crowd. The cross says "Come to Me those who are weary and I will give you rest". "Anything is possible if you just believe."

The crowd says you will fail, you are on your own and no one will help you.

If I had listened to the crowd I wouldn't be a stay at home mom. I wouldn't have quit my job and I would be clawing my way through the muck of this life alone. There would be no hope.

I'm listening to the Cross. I'm listening to Jesus. There is hope in Him, I'm not alone and He is carrying me through the muck of life in His arms.

Which voice are you listening to today?