Busy, Busy, Busy

““Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!””

Psalm 46:10 ESV

http://bible.com/59/psa.46.10.esv

Be still?!?!?!?

Is that even a possibility this time of year? 

Still is a strange concept. It can mean so may things. Some might call it laziness, some may call it Godliness, some might call it...Impossible!  

When I think of Jesus and His time here on earth I think of peacefulness. He never seemed caught off guard or rushed or perplexed. He always seemed peaceful. The opposite of stressful. He was busy though. Preaching to 100s of people, healing, teaching...no laziness there. 

What was his secret?  Well other than He was God in human flesh of course. 

Jesus trusted God's plan. He trusted that God would complete the plan He had for His life. And He trusted that the plan was good. Maybe not always comfortable, but always good. He wasn't running around trying to figure out the plan, He wasn't panicking about the plan. He just trusted. 

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might...

Ecclesiastes 9:10 ESV

http://bible.com/59/ecc.9.10.esv

God has not called us to laziness either. He has plans for us. He will make them happen. Let's be willing participants and spend less time complaining, worrying, fussing and fretting. Do what God has placed in front of you today with joy as if serving the Lord and give him you worries and concerns about tomorrow. Trust in His path, pray, read His word and allow God to do great things through you today. 

Blessings

Praises to God

“Then King David went in, sat in the Lord’s presence, and said, Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?”

2 Samuel 7:18 HCSB

David was amazed at the LORDS goodness in his life. He was overwhelmed by the blessings bestowed upon him by God. He sang praises to the LORD and we get to hear it all these years later.

Have you ever looked back on your own life and all the ways you have been blessed by God?  Take the time to do that today. See all the times He has His mighty hand on your life. The times He has spared you from choices in front of you. The times He has protected you from injury. The times He has helped you make the right choice. Praise Him today for all His mighty works in your life today and rejoice in His goodness just like king David. Read his song of praise below. 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+7%3A18-29&version=NIV

Blessings

Continue On

“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”

I Samuel 30:6 NKJV

Yesterday was a long day. A lot of my days are long right now. It is, as I like to call it, my busy season. Sometimes I am not sure God has really called me to all the things I have going on but either way here I am. Busy. 

I love all the things I get to do. They all involve serving people that I really care about. But sometimes I get tired. And then I get distressed. So I love this verse I read this morning. 'David strengthened himself in the Lord'!  

We have the same opportunity as David to get our strength for the things God has given us to do. He will refresh us, encourage us, give us the Hope to continue on. He will give us the direction we need to continue on. He will give us the desire to continue on in the things He has layed before us. 

I encourage you to find His strength today. Read His word and quietly spend time talking to Him. Let Him fill you with all that you need to continue on. 

Blessings. 

Quiet in the fight.

"But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.””

Exodus 14:13-14 HCSB

Summer is over. School begins Monday. Sports, homework, lesson planning, activities, choir, band....

Don't get me wrong. I love all the opportunities we have. I love our school. I love where I work. I love all the people in my life. I am blessed. I am a homebody though. I am. I admit it. I love the stillness. I love the quietness. I love not driving over the bridge at least 4 times a day. 😉. 

God reminded me today about one of my favorite verses. The Lord is with me. I must be quiet. I can be quiet. Even in my business. In this verse the Isrealites were fighting a great battle!  God tells them to be quiet!  

I can be quiet in the morning and read His word. I can be quiet and not complain (even inside myself where most of my complaining happens). I can be quiet and look for those times of blessings instead of focusing on all I have to do. I can be quiet. Even in my busyness. God says I can. If the Isrealites could be quiet in battle well so can I!!!

What is your battle today?  Can you quietly trust that God is fighting for you too?  He is. Trust Him. He's got this. 

And summer is right around the corner again. 😀

Blessings.  

Love one another.

““For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 HCSB

“Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us.”

1 John 4:11-12 HCSB

““I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

John 13:34-35 HCSB

God tells us to love one another as He has loved us. Let's do that today and see if we can make a difference. 

Blessings. 

Courage like A young shepherd boy.

“David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? ””

1 Samuel 17:26 HCSB

All the Isrealite armies where terrified of this bold Philistine named Goliath. He was big. He was loud. He kept insulting the Isrealite army. It seemed a lost hope. 

Then came David. A young Shepherd who had courage only given by God. He was after all a man after Gods own heart. He was shocked that these Isrealites were fearful of this man. After all hadn't God rescued them all time after time?  But fear had set in.

Fear is a tricky little visitor. Often he sneaks in when things are just rolling along smoothly then Wham! Comes some news, or something that throws us off our normal. Our brains start thinking...'this could be bad..' Our friends get in on the action and we all start talking about it...'I don't know if we are going to get out of this one this time...it's bad...'  The enemy seems pretty undefeatable.  

Then comes David. He hasn't been around all the chatter. He has been with God in the fields. David has been singing praises and trusting God to keep him and his sheep from the wild beasts. He remembers all the great things God has done. 

That gives him courage. 

So, you know the rest. David uses his sling shot and takes out this enemy with one try! 

Don't we have a great God!!!

Instead of listening to the chatter today, if it's with others or yourself, let's focus on God and all He has done. Read the Psalms, David wrote a lot of them, and rejoice with him about all the great things our God has done. THAT will give you courage. 

Blessings

Peace

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4:4-9 HCSB

Peace. It is a treasure. What good can come from anything without peace. God gives us perfect peace. Not peace from an addiction. Not peace from a sinful desire but pure, perfect peace. 

I have experienced this peace in trials and difficulty. That is how I know it is possible. I am no more special than any other who has trials so I know this peace is for anyone who wants it. Gods gift. So take this peace today. 

'whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things'

Let your mind praise the Lord. Sing hymns. Hum Psalms. Pray and praise the God who offers this gift. It's yours for the taking. 

Blessings. 

A future and a hope.

1 Samuel 15:24

.."I have sinned. I violated the Lords command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people so I gave in to them."  

Saul was once a humble new king, for a very short time. When Samuel first anointed Saul king he was hiding behind the luggage. God gave Saul the courage to lead His people. It wasn't long before Saul forgot to trust God and started listening to his own reasoning and apparently others. Maybe someone close to him said "You're the king!  Why do you have to keep waiting on that Samuel fellow?"  Saul began to believe his own hype. 

It's easy to listen to all the chatter around us. It's easy to think we need to keep up with everyone around us. Go all the places they go. Do all the things they do. Have all the stuff they do. But, God has a plan too. 

A better plan. 

Sometimes we might be anxious and not want to wait on whatever our 'Samuel' is. We can think, 'I am the king of my life'. We can give in to others ideas, or even our own. 

God often says 'wait'. So let's wait and see what wonderful things He has in store for us. It might take a while. God never seems to be in a hurry.   He already knows the plans He has for us. No need to rush. Let us just focus on the things He has told us to do, read Gods word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, share Gods message of Grace. I know He will take care of the rest. 

“For I know the plans I have for you” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Blessings

Waiting

1 Samuel 12 & 13

1Samuel 13:13

"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Isreal for all time."

Waiting on the Lord can really frusterate our human flesh. We are people of instant gratification. We think it, we want it, we make it happen. We have all the good reasons for not waiting, just like Saul, but we lack wisdom and patience, and ultimately trust. Will God come through?  

God always comes through. 

It's just usually not how and when we think it needs to be done. So why is that?  God is capable, God loves me, God wants what is good for me....

That must be it!  God wants what is BEST for me. He alone knows what is best. We can't see it with our "I want it now' flesh, only when we rest in the Lord can we truly see what Gods best is for us. 

God has never let me down And I  have realized that usually it is me that God is changing, it is me He is working on. It is me He is growing so that I can become closer to Him. 

We can face anything in our lives if we just stay close to the Lord, our comforter, our wisdom, our strength. He will guide us. He will lead us. 

Let us be wise and not act on our own foolishness so that God will establish His kingdom through us for all time. 

Blessings 

Wisdom

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6 HCSB)

I love this story I read today at 'she reads truth' ( you can like and follow on Facebook) it is a great view on the story of Esther and how God works all things out for His (and thankfully our) purpose. 

Gods wisdom far exceeds ours. Trust in Him today. 

http://shereadstruth.com/2015/07/03/vashti/

God's presence is enough.

Genesis 28:15

I am with you wherever you go,and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. 

Sometimes all we can rely on are God's promises and His presence. We can feel alone in the great bigness of our lives. We may not understand our circumstances. It may scare us or confuse us. God may ask us to only trust and believe Him and just to rest in the promise of His presence. 

There are things in our lives we are powerless to fix. We must at that time pray and lean on the Lord. 

Thank you Lord that I am not God and that I don't have to figure out my tough circumstances in my own. 

Blessings

The truth about boasting

John 2:15-17

"...for everything in the world, the cravings of sinful man, the lust in his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. 

This is a great reminder and confession point for me. We should only boast of what God has done for us. Period. No grey area here. 

But why?

I believe it keeps us humbled before the one whom all good blessings flow. If we are a child of God (or really even if we are not) every good and perfect gift comes from God. It is all a gift from Him. No matter how hard we worked to get here it is still all a gift from God. No matter how much time, energy, effort we put into it all that time, energy and effort was from God as well. 

It is really simple. It ALL comes from God

It all belongs to God. We only persevere through it all by the help of the Lord. Truly boasting about anything is foolishness. Let's praise Him from whom all blessings flow. Boast on all His mighty works. That is the truth and the truth will set you free from your chains. 

Blessings

Connected to God

1Samuel 2:13

For I told him that I would judge his family forever because if the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible and he failed to restrain them. 

My child is beginning to enter those wonderful teen years. I love watching him turn into his own individual, becoming independent, growing in courage. I desperately want him to grow in the Lord. I know what is ahead of him; decisions, temptations, struggles and opportunity. I want him to know that only by following God, reading His Word and prayer will he be able to navigate this season of His life successfully. 

This verse reminds me that it is also important that I stay connected to God-in His Word and prayer-to help him navigate and be his boundaries for this season of his life. Only God can help me do this. I can only see this tiny picture of our lives, however I know a great God who can see the whole big picture why not trust in Him to guide us both?

I think this is a good reminder for any season of our lives. 

Blessings

Tell your story

Tell your story. 

God has put in you a story. You have many ups, you have many downs. God has chosen you to reside in so that the world might know Him. We don't have to be perfect or really even pleasant, pleasing or anything!  God made us all to tell our story-several stories-many stories!  Stories of tradegy. Stories of struggles. Stories of great victory. Tell your story. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit your story will point back to Gods amazing Grace. No need to rehearse it. God has got this!  Trust Him who pulled you from the pit and placed you beside the streams of cool water. He wants to shine through you!  Just tell your story. 

God is always the victor. The Lord deserves all the Glory!!!

Let us share our stories

Paslams 107:1-9

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— 

those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,  

3 those he gathered from the lands, 

from east and west, from north and south.  

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, 

finding no way to a city where they could settle.  

5 They were hungry and thirsty, 

and their lives ebbed away.  

6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, 

and he delivered them from their distress.  

7 He led them by a straight way 

to a city where they could settle.  

8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love 

and his wonderful deeds for mankind,  

9 for he satisfies the thirsty 

and fills the hungry with good things.

Let us tell our stories. We all have them. Stories of salvation. Stories of rescue. Stories of comfort. Let us tell our stories. That is all God asks us to do. He has done so much for us. He has saved us from the sin that snared us and lead us to a place of rest and peace. Let us thank Him today and share our good news with someone else. 

Blessings

Chasing the wind

I have seen everything done in this world, and I tell you, it is all useless. It is like chasing the wind. (Ecclesiastes 1:14 GNT)

We spend so much time and energy chasing after the wind. You know those things we think are so important and later we realize what a waste of time and energy they actually were. 

I don't have a lot of free time at this stage of my life. We are busy. I call it our busy season. There is always something that needs to be done. Someplace we need to go. Not a lot of time to just sit and rest our brains.  But, I often wonder if I am chasing the wind. Is this all necessary?  It is in the moment, but when I look back later in my life what will I think about this time in my life?  My busy season?  Will it all seem like the chasing of the wind or will I be glad I persevered through it and am reaping the rewards of all that hard work?  

I guess time will only tell. 

I believe this is a good thing to reflect on. A very good thing to bring to God in prayer. Only God already knows our futures and those things that are important and those pursuits that are not. Only He can lead us into those things that are worthwhile. 

Blessings.  

Be at peace

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Romans 12:18

We live in a world that is not peaceful. People are rushing and busy and angry. We are quick to get our feathers ruffled and unhappy when our 'rights' are violated or we are discomforted in some way.  We expect others around us to make us feel loved and happy. 

The problem is we are all imperfect people.  Only God can give us the happiness and contentment we are yearning for. Only God can rescue us from our selfishness and discontentment. When we look to people for that instead of God we will be disappointed everytime. Which will only lead us to more discontentment, more unhappiness and anger. 

Look to God for your happiness. Look to God for your comfort and you will never be disappointed. Only then can we truly live at peace with those all around us. 

Blessings.