For all the times I've been in Boston I've never ventured out to the beach where the ocean meets the land. I've only seen the Atlantic from a distance as I fly over it either coming or going from this city. Today, however, I rode the T (that's Boston talk for the subway system) out to Revere Beach and took in the wonder of the vast sea.
I definitely have a thing about the ocean - I don't necessarily like to swim in it but I love to walk beside it. I guess the reason behind that is because it reminds me of just how very big God is. The ocean goes on forever and God knows everything that's going on within it. There's no building to fence it in and no barrier to keep it out - it just flows on throughout the days.
I think my temptation is sometimes to think that God is just not capable of doing the things that I hope for when I stretch my hopes out from the safe little place I like to stand. I believe with all my heart that God can do anything in the lives of others but I struggle sometimes in believing the same of my life. A walk by the ocean reminds me every time that this God I serve is bigger than I can even begin to imagine and that the things that are important to me remain important to Him.
I'll never begin to understand how a God who made the ocean can look upon me and find me worthwhile but even as I hear the waves crash and look out all the way to an unmarred horizon, I know with all of my heart that He does. This God who made the vast sea cares about me enough to know the number of hairs on my head. This God is one who can exceed my wildest dreams and fulfill my greatest hopes. This God is the one who I gladly serve through all my days knowing that even as one small person, He gives me the ability to make a difference for Him. And that's why I love the ocean - it shows me how great my God is!
"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." - Psalm 57:9-11
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Steps of the Saints
I spent the first part of Sunday morning standing in the cold, wet day handing out granola bars to some very surprised folks. I found more people willing to read the card and show appreciation for us being there today than I ever have before. Something about standing in the cold Boston wind makes people think twice about the reason behind you being there.
The second part of the morning was spent in the church service at Hope Fellowship. It was an amazing service with awesome worship and a great message from Curtis. However, the thing that really made me think was the reality that I was standing in the same spot where people have stood for almost 100 years worshipping the same God that they've worshipped over time. Through thick and thin this church on the corner has stayed strong, continuing to preach the Truth, and drawing worshippers to its pews. There is something about walking the path that you know others have travelled before that makes me stop and take notice. It greatly reminds me of the verse at the top of my blog which tells me of all those who witness what we do as we run this race. There are times when I'm just overwhelmed by the fact that my feet are able to grace the same wooden floors that the saints of the past have walked. It's such an encouragement to me to know that I'm running the race that so many others have run in the past and that as I press on I will be able to finish strong for the glory of God.
For those of you who have been to Boston, you know that the sanctuary here isn't spectacular; there are no stained glass windows or shiny wooden pews. The paint is peeling in places that it shouldn't and the floor is worn. However, in this little place, the spirit of God is felt as week after week, year after year, saints new and old gather to worship the one true God and seek His face.
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14
The second part of the morning was spent in the church service at Hope Fellowship. It was an amazing service with awesome worship and a great message from Curtis. However, the thing that really made me think was the reality that I was standing in the same spot where people have stood for almost 100 years worshipping the same God that they've worshipped over time. Through thick and thin this church on the corner has stayed strong, continuing to preach the Truth, and drawing worshippers to its pews. There is something about walking the path that you know others have travelled before that makes me stop and take notice. It greatly reminds me of the verse at the top of my blog which tells me of all those who witness what we do as we run this race. There are times when I'm just overwhelmed by the fact that my feet are able to grace the same wooden floors that the saints of the past have walked. It's such an encouragement to me to know that I'm running the race that so many others have run in the past and that as I press on I will be able to finish strong for the glory of God.
For those of you who have been to Boston, you know that the sanctuary here isn't spectacular; there are no stained glass windows or shiny wooden pews. The paint is peeling in places that it shouldn't and the floor is worn. However, in this little place, the spirit of God is felt as week after week, year after year, saints new and old gather to worship the one true God and seek His face.
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Boston Tales
For those of you who might like to know more of what's happening on the Boston trip, you can check our web journal at:
http://www.prestonwoodyoungsingles.org/index.cfm/pageid/977/index.html
Have a wonderfully blessed day!
http://www.prestonwoodyoungsingles.org/index.cfm/pageid/977/index.html
Have a wonderfully blessed day!
Gift of Grace
I'm stealing a couple of minutes to let my loyal readers (those couple of you that there are :) ) know what's going on in Boston.
First, let me say that we sat on our plane on the ground for almost as long as we were in the air! However, God was awesome and let the bad weather that was plaguing the Northeast ease up enough for us to arrive safely. Since then things have been the typical whirlwind of activity with servant evangelism in the morning to Boston tours in the afternoons to game night this evening. It's been a wonderful trek to meet up with old friends and meet new people!
One story that I'd like to share with you occured while we were handing out granola bars to the rush hour crowd yesterday morning. Most people that you approach with a bar will accept it and carry on with their lives. However, one person's reaction stuck in my head more than most. I went to hand her a granola bar and she asked me to repeat what I'd told her. I said again that it was a free granola bar and then she grabbed it. It was her statement though that stuck with me and that was when she said, "There's not much in life that's free anymore."
I guess the reason that it made an impact is because she is absolutely right, there isn't a whole lot that you get for free. Almost everything in the world has a cost associated with it, whether its financial or physical or mental. This made me remember that what we're doing here in Boston by reaching out to people with nothing more than a kind word and a token granola bar makes an impact. We may not all be called to occupy a pulpit or serve as missionaries in Africa but we can make a huge difference to a world that doesn't see free things very often.
Of course, the other reason that I have mulled over her statement for the last day is because there is a free gift and it's free to everyone who might ask for it. That gift is the salvation that we can find when we place our trust in the Lord and begin to seek after Him. The gift of salvation is just that, a gift. One that we can do nothing to deserve and there's nothing that we can repay. We only have the choice to accept it for what it is and move on with our lives going in a different direction or we can leave it as it is and continue on in the same old paths. It's my prayer for all of you today that you'll remember the free gift that's available to you and those you know and seek after it with all your hearts!
Thank you for your prayers for Boston - they are appreciated more than you'll ever know!
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9
First, let me say that we sat on our plane on the ground for almost as long as we were in the air! However, God was awesome and let the bad weather that was plaguing the Northeast ease up enough for us to arrive safely. Since then things have been the typical whirlwind of activity with servant evangelism in the morning to Boston tours in the afternoons to game night this evening. It's been a wonderful trek to meet up with old friends and meet new people!
One story that I'd like to share with you occured while we were handing out granola bars to the rush hour crowd yesterday morning. Most people that you approach with a bar will accept it and carry on with their lives. However, one person's reaction stuck in my head more than most. I went to hand her a granola bar and she asked me to repeat what I'd told her. I said again that it was a free granola bar and then she grabbed it. It was her statement though that stuck with me and that was when she said, "There's not much in life that's free anymore."
I guess the reason that it made an impact is because she is absolutely right, there isn't a whole lot that you get for free. Almost everything in the world has a cost associated with it, whether its financial or physical or mental. This made me remember that what we're doing here in Boston by reaching out to people with nothing more than a kind word and a token granola bar makes an impact. We may not all be called to occupy a pulpit or serve as missionaries in Africa but we can make a huge difference to a world that doesn't see free things very often.
Of course, the other reason that I have mulled over her statement for the last day is because there is a free gift and it's free to everyone who might ask for it. That gift is the salvation that we can find when we place our trust in the Lord and begin to seek after Him. The gift of salvation is just that, a gift. One that we can do nothing to deserve and there's nothing that we can repay. We only have the choice to accept it for what it is and move on with our lives going in a different direction or we can leave it as it is and continue on in the same old paths. It's my prayer for all of you today that you'll remember the free gift that's available to you and those you know and seek after it with all your hearts!
Thank you for your prayers for Boston - they are appreciated more than you'll ever know!
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Boston Bound
Tomorrow I set off to spend a bit of time in wonderful Boston, Massachusetts! This will be the third time I've traveled there and it gets under my skin a bit more each time. The reason I've gone each time is to partner with a small church up there, Hope Fellowship, and help them out with whatever ministry they have going on at the moment.
This time we'll be working on reaching out to the community through handing out granola bars during rush hour, spending time with the college students, helping somehow with the Boston Marathon, and scoping out possible sites for the church to move to in the future. The thing about this trip though is that one can never know exactly how everything is going to happen - we have a tentative plan but I love the fact that everything is kind of free-flowing. We might switch things around or skip over things or do something completely different than we've ever done before. The whole trip just reminds me that in my life things are best experienced just by going with the flow and not fighting the direction things are moving. It's led to some great experiences in Boston in the past and I have no reason to expect this trip to be any different.
So, as I finish packing everything into my subway-friendly suitcase and get ready to fly four hours to the east, I'll just ask that you pray for our team as we go. Pray that we would have open hearts for the people of Boston, that we would meet them where they are and truly share the love of God with them in any way that we can. Pray for safety and guidance and health. Pray for unity and that God would work in mighty ways among our team and those that we come in contact with. Finally, pray for Hope Fellowship and the powerful work that they're doing up there as they seek to reach out and truly be God's hands and feet in a world where the Gospel is not popular and the people often feel that they don't need the Lord.
Above all else, our team covets your prayers as we go only to serve the Lord and seek to make His name known and we know that prayer is the requirement for success there. Thanks for joining us in prayer! All glory to God for what He will do!
"[I]f my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14
This time we'll be working on reaching out to the community through handing out granola bars during rush hour, spending time with the college students, helping somehow with the Boston Marathon, and scoping out possible sites for the church to move to in the future. The thing about this trip though is that one can never know exactly how everything is going to happen - we have a tentative plan but I love the fact that everything is kind of free-flowing. We might switch things around or skip over things or do something completely different than we've ever done before. The whole trip just reminds me that in my life things are best experienced just by going with the flow and not fighting the direction things are moving. It's led to some great experiences in Boston in the past and I have no reason to expect this trip to be any different.
So, as I finish packing everything into my subway-friendly suitcase and get ready to fly four hours to the east, I'll just ask that you pray for our team as we go. Pray that we would have open hearts for the people of Boston, that we would meet them where they are and truly share the love of God with them in any way that we can. Pray for safety and guidance and health. Pray for unity and that God would work in mighty ways among our team and those that we come in contact with. Finally, pray for Hope Fellowship and the powerful work that they're doing up there as they seek to reach out and truly be God's hands and feet in a world where the Gospel is not popular and the people often feel that they don't need the Lord.
Above all else, our team covets your prayers as we go only to serve the Lord and seek to make His name known and we know that prayer is the requirement for success there. Thanks for joining us in prayer! All glory to God for what He will do!
"[I]f my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14
Monday, April 9, 2007
Faith to Stand
Today I find myself fighting for the joy that I know comes from knowing the Lord and walking through my days with Him. It doesn't seem that it should be so hard and yet, some days it just is. This is one of those times. However, as those of you who know me are already aware, music is one of my greatest sources of inspiration and today is no exception. I heard two songs today, both of which just helped me to stand strong knowing that no matter how I might feel or what circumstances I might find myself in, God is always faithful and true. So, here's what I've been listening to today (and I highly recommend picking up these albums as they are both AWESOME)!
First, from one of my all-time favorite artists, is "Believe Me Now" by Stephen Curtis Chapman. This whole song reminds me that God never ceases to be present and giving us strength but this section in particular struck me this morning:
"You hear the enemy
That's closing in around you
And I know that you don't have the strength to fight
But do you have the faith to stand and...
[Chorus:]
Believe Me now, believe Me here
Remember all the times I've told you loud and clear
I am with you and I am for you
So believe Me now, believe Me now "
Second, a relatively new song from another favorite artist is "How Can I Keep from Singing" by Chris Tomlin. This song just reminds me that no matter what I'm going through today or how down I'm feeling at this moment, someday it will all be gone in the reality that is heaven and because of that, I just can't stop talking about and rejoicing in the goodness of God. Great song!!!
"I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And I fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne
How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough?
How amazing is Your love?
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing"
I hope these encourage your heart today as they encouraged mine!
First, from one of my all-time favorite artists, is "Believe Me Now" by Stephen Curtis Chapman. This whole song reminds me that God never ceases to be present and giving us strength but this section in particular struck me this morning:
"You hear the enemy
That's closing in around you
And I know that you don't have the strength to fight
But do you have the faith to stand and...
[Chorus:]
Believe Me now, believe Me here
Remember all the times I've told you loud and clear
I am with you and I am for you
So believe Me now, believe Me now "
Second, a relatively new song from another favorite artist is "How Can I Keep from Singing" by Chris Tomlin. This song just reminds me that no matter what I'm going through today or how down I'm feeling at this moment, someday it will all be gone in the reality that is heaven and because of that, I just can't stop talking about and rejoicing in the goodness of God. Great song!!!
"I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And I fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne
How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough?
How amazing is Your love?
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing"
I hope these encourage your heart today as they encouraged mine!
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Easter Sunday
"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " - Luke 24:1-7
Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus; the miracle that proved that death did not win, that evil was not the victor, and that the God of the universe holds the power of life in His hands! Praise the Lord for His sacrifice and the promise that's reflected in our celebration this day!
A very happy Easter to all!
Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus; the miracle that proved that death did not win, that evil was not the victor, and that the God of the universe holds the power of life in His hands! Praise the Lord for His sacrifice and the promise that's reflected in our celebration this day!
A very happy Easter to all!
Wacky Weather
Today, April 7th, I sat in Starbucks in Irving drinking my coffee, talking with my sister, and watching some snow flakes fall from the sky. Must be global warming! :)
Thursday, April 5, 2007
This Kind of Love
As we grow closer to Good Friday I am yet again bowled over by the love God has for us that was demonstrated so powerfully in every step that led Jesus to the cross. Think with me for just a moment about the reality of this scene.
Jesus set aside the joys of heaven to come to earth as a man, at once both fully human and fully God. He submitted Himself to the physical limitations of a human body, experiencing pain, joy, love, and heartbreak. God Himself, walking this earth with one primary goal in mind - to rescue those who were perishing here on this planet. Perishing because ages ago, sin had entered the world and affected every life that was to come after the garden - every man, woman, boy, and girl was bound by sin and subject to its deadly sentence. Yet God never stopped loving all the people who walked upon the earth - He saw what sin did to them in their lives, in their relationships, in the world at large and He never turned away and just started over somewhere else. Instead, He had a plan, a plan that He'd thought of before the world was created. A plan that would enable Him to once again have communion with those that He loved ever so much.
Yet that plan was unlike anything we would have come up with - it involved God sending His only son, Jesus, to pay the price for every human that was ever to live. You might then ask what that plan really looked like and I'll tell you, it was a plan that involved intense suffering, physical anguish, and finally death in the most awful way that the people could come up with doing it. However, the Lord in His ultimate goodness was willing to make the biggest sacrifice because He loved us enough to say that we're worth it.
I hope that you are able to find time to think on what God really did when you celebrate Easter this year. Know that the cross is the place where Jesus made the choice to put everything on the line to give you the ability to know God and that His resurrection on Sunday is the proof that He accomplished that which He came for. Be blessed and know that He truly is the Lord!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
Jesus set aside the joys of heaven to come to earth as a man, at once both fully human and fully God. He submitted Himself to the physical limitations of a human body, experiencing pain, joy, love, and heartbreak. God Himself, walking this earth with one primary goal in mind - to rescue those who were perishing here on this planet. Perishing because ages ago, sin had entered the world and affected every life that was to come after the garden - every man, woman, boy, and girl was bound by sin and subject to its deadly sentence. Yet God never stopped loving all the people who walked upon the earth - He saw what sin did to them in their lives, in their relationships, in the world at large and He never turned away and just started over somewhere else. Instead, He had a plan, a plan that He'd thought of before the world was created. A plan that would enable Him to once again have communion with those that He loved ever so much.
Yet that plan was unlike anything we would have come up with - it involved God sending His only son, Jesus, to pay the price for every human that was ever to live. You might then ask what that plan really looked like and I'll tell you, it was a plan that involved intense suffering, physical anguish, and finally death in the most awful way that the people could come up with doing it. However, the Lord in His ultimate goodness was willing to make the biggest sacrifice because He loved us enough to say that we're worth it.
I hope that you are able to find time to think on what God really did when you celebrate Easter this year. Know that the cross is the place where Jesus made the choice to put everything on the line to give you the ability to know God and that His resurrection on Sunday is the proof that He accomplished that which He came for. Be blessed and know that He truly is the Lord!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Ancient Perspective
As Easter Sunday approaches I've spent time reviewing the last days Jesus lived prior to His death and resurrection and for some reason as I read over the accounts, my attention was captured by a different group of characters than one might expect. This time I was caught up with the people who came to praise Jesus on Palm Sunday and yet less than a week later those people (or others similar to them) were calling for His crucifixion. Let's take a closer look.
"The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!" - John 12:12-13
For a moment, let's put ourselves into the picture. Feel the thrill in the air, the excitement to get close to the man you've heard so much about. Hear the voices on the wind, proclaiming his greatness to the world and celebrating his arrival as the new king of Israel. Imagine how it feels to think that someone has arrived to free you from the governmental oppression you've experienced for years - the hope, the wonder, the excitement of seeing the plan you've dreamed about coming true at last!
Ok, fast forward five days and let's see what's happening now:
"'Here is your king,' Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, 'Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!'" - John 19:14-15
What has happened!? Within five days the people's opinion has done a complete turn and we see them attacking the one they heralded. Well, here's what I started thinking: This group had decided that Jesus was the one they'd been waiting for and that He would rescue them, but from their government, not their sins. As they thought about how it would feel to be free they decided that they knew how it would happen - they believed that Jesus would claim an earthly throne and then they could just live out their days in a better situation.
Then Jesus came and He did come to bring freedom but not in the way they thought. Jesus was revolutionary - He brought freedom that lasted through their lives on earth and into eternity and it wasn't just for those who heard the message while He walked the earth, it was for everyone who would follow! This wasn't what they wanted at all - it wasn't going according to their plans! So the public opinion turned against this man they declared a troublemaker, this one who they thought held such promise but who wasn't going about things as they wanted.
Of course this is but a small piece in a very large course of events but it's what got me thinking this week. So, now let's bring this up to the 21st century and look into our lives.
How often do we start to believe that there is a change right around the corner - that something we've struggled with is about to be changed or that something we've prayed for is about to be answered? As we think about whatever situation we find ourselves in, do we not sometimes begin to think that we know how it's going to work out, that we know how God will choose to resolve things in our lives? Then, God acts in a different way than we expect and it may not be a way that we like - perhaps a loved one dies or a job is lost or a relationship severed. In that time, don't we sometimes act as the crowd did on that fateful day - railing against God for not performing as we had planned? One day we find ourselves praising Him and the next we find ourselves yelling at Him because He just didn't meet our expectations.
However, at those times, I challenge you to think on this: Did God not do the very best thing 2,000 years ago? Did His solution not meet the deepest need of every person's heart, even the ones who were angry for not getting their way?
When we face trials or heartbreak, remember this crowd and know that just because God does not act in the ways that we expect or plan for, He never ever fails to have a plan that is better in the long run. Let's not be content with placing Him in a box and only allowing Him to act as we dictate or cursing Him when He doesn't. Let's trust that the Lord has a plan that we may not understand but a plan that works the very best in our lives that we might be made more like Him and that He would be glorified!
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
"The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!" - John 12:12-13
For a moment, let's put ourselves into the picture. Feel the thrill in the air, the excitement to get close to the man you've heard so much about. Hear the voices on the wind, proclaiming his greatness to the world and celebrating his arrival as the new king of Israel. Imagine how it feels to think that someone has arrived to free you from the governmental oppression you've experienced for years - the hope, the wonder, the excitement of seeing the plan you've dreamed about coming true at last!
Ok, fast forward five days and let's see what's happening now:
"'Here is your king,' Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, 'Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!'" - John 19:14-15
What has happened!? Within five days the people's opinion has done a complete turn and we see them attacking the one they heralded. Well, here's what I started thinking: This group had decided that Jesus was the one they'd been waiting for and that He would rescue them, but from their government, not their sins. As they thought about how it would feel to be free they decided that they knew how it would happen - they believed that Jesus would claim an earthly throne and then they could just live out their days in a better situation.
Then Jesus came and He did come to bring freedom but not in the way they thought. Jesus was revolutionary - He brought freedom that lasted through their lives on earth and into eternity and it wasn't just for those who heard the message while He walked the earth, it was for everyone who would follow! This wasn't what they wanted at all - it wasn't going according to their plans! So the public opinion turned against this man they declared a troublemaker, this one who they thought held such promise but who wasn't going about things as they wanted.
Of course this is but a small piece in a very large course of events but it's what got me thinking this week. So, now let's bring this up to the 21st century and look into our lives.
How often do we start to believe that there is a change right around the corner - that something we've struggled with is about to be changed or that something we've prayed for is about to be answered? As we think about whatever situation we find ourselves in, do we not sometimes begin to think that we know how it's going to work out, that we know how God will choose to resolve things in our lives? Then, God acts in a different way than we expect and it may not be a way that we like - perhaps a loved one dies or a job is lost or a relationship severed. In that time, don't we sometimes act as the crowd did on that fateful day - railing against God for not performing as we had planned? One day we find ourselves praising Him and the next we find ourselves yelling at Him because He just didn't meet our expectations.
However, at those times, I challenge you to think on this: Did God not do the very best thing 2,000 years ago? Did His solution not meet the deepest need of every person's heart, even the ones who were angry for not getting their way?
When we face trials or heartbreak, remember this crowd and know that just because God does not act in the ways that we expect or plan for, He never ever fails to have a plan that is better in the long run. Let's not be content with placing Him in a box and only allowing Him to act as we dictate or cursing Him when He doesn't. Let's trust that the Lord has a plan that we may not understand but a plan that works the very best in our lives that we might be made more like Him and that He would be glorified!
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
'Fraidy Cat
Fear is a funny creature - it tends to be something that can sneak up in the most unexpected ways and commandeer your mind completely. Perhaps it's from something that you've watched on TV or a scary story you've read in the news or a book. Maybe it's doing something that challenges you or sometimes it's just finding yourself caught in the clutches of second-guessing decisions you've made or things that you've done.
Today, fear seems to be my companion and while I'm trying to convince it to pursue a different journey, it seems to be content to remain by my side for the moment. It's a funny thing to me that I would give in to feeling afraid when I know that the God of the universe knows me by name and cares about everything I'm facing. Yet, at times I still become overwhelmed by the fear of the unknown. Most often it's when I start to question whether I took a wrong turn or stepped out of line somewhere or crossed over some unseen boundary.
The worst part about fear in my world is that it brings along its buddy, worry. That's where I really have to watch that I don't get tied up for when I start to be afraid it's not long before I also start to worry about it. I find myself retracing my steps and thinking through what has happened and what it making me feel afraid and then, if it's something I feel I should have had control over, I worry - worry that I said the wrong thing, that I acted the wrong way, that I didn't do something I should have (or did something I shouldn't). In the long run, I've found that 90% of the time (or more) my worrying has never been legitimately backed up by the thing I really fear coming true. However, it continues to be something that I have to guard against in order to keep my heart and mind focussed on what God has set before me.
So, while I battle through some fear, eventually to be vanquished by the truth of the Word, I'll leave you with the following thought: God knows and loves us more than we can imagine and He desires that our trust would be so firmly placed on Him that we find no need to fear the things that are to come because we know that where He leads us is that place where He calls us and that He goes out before us to prepare the way.
"The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27:1
Today, fear seems to be my companion and while I'm trying to convince it to pursue a different journey, it seems to be content to remain by my side for the moment. It's a funny thing to me that I would give in to feeling afraid when I know that the God of the universe knows me by name and cares about everything I'm facing. Yet, at times I still become overwhelmed by the fear of the unknown. Most often it's when I start to question whether I took a wrong turn or stepped out of line somewhere or crossed over some unseen boundary.
The worst part about fear in my world is that it brings along its buddy, worry. That's where I really have to watch that I don't get tied up for when I start to be afraid it's not long before I also start to worry about it. I find myself retracing my steps and thinking through what has happened and what it making me feel afraid and then, if it's something I feel I should have had control over, I worry - worry that I said the wrong thing, that I acted the wrong way, that I didn't do something I should have (or did something I shouldn't). In the long run, I've found that 90% of the time (or more) my worrying has never been legitimately backed up by the thing I really fear coming true. However, it continues to be something that I have to guard against in order to keep my heart and mind focussed on what God has set before me.
So, while I battle through some fear, eventually to be vanquished by the truth of the Word, I'll leave you with the following thought: God knows and loves us more than we can imagine and He desires that our trust would be so firmly placed on Him that we find no need to fear the things that are to come because we know that where He leads us is that place where He calls us and that He goes out before us to prepare the way.
"The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27:1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
