Are You Listening?

When I am seeking God for an answer.... Well no that is not quite right.
 

When I should be seeking God for an answer.... I am often seeking an answer, not God. I am often trying to solve a problem and hope God will barge through my thoughts. I am thinking , pondering, analyzing from every angle. The thoughts fast, furious, and stressed.

Last week I slowed down and realized He was speaking, I just wasn't paying attention. His still small voice will not drown out the barrage of my thinking. I have to do that.

I was out in the field where I help my friend garden. Thoughts were racing through about schedules, friends with cancer, relationships, finances - life. In the midst I kept signing the words to the chorus of a country song. "That's my job, that's what I do. Everything I do is because of you, to keep you safe with me. That's my job you see." I was getting pretty annoyed. I wanted answers, solutions.

Back to pondering and trying to figure things out. After a couple of hours my thoughts had run out -part of why I so enjoy working over there.

Then I heard the still small voice. "That's my job, that's what I do. Everything I do is because of you, to keep you safe with me. That's my job you see. I have been signing this to you. I will take care of you, it's my job. Everything will be okay. Better than okay."

I thanked Him for continuing to speak until I finally listened. I thanked Him for taking care of me and all that concerns me.

The song was no longer running through my head. A new song was there, Kentucky Rain. I guess you can tell I grew up on country music! I was singing it wrong I learned, but I believe I was singing it right from the Father.

The words I sang the rest of the day were "Love keeps pourin' down like the ol' Kentucky rain." My husband found it on YouTube later. The song is about a lost love. The singer is pursing their love even out in the dark, cold rain, vowing not to stop until they are found.
 

I bask in the knowledge that God did and still does pursue me the same way.

How do you hear from God?
Are you willing to listen for Him to speak in new ways?
I would love to hear from you about how He encourages and directs you.

Everything Is Going My Way

And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,...No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! Romans 8:28, 37 NET

 As I watched Brian drive away this morning I looked around. The words to a song came "Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feeling every thing's going my way."

While it is a beautiful morning, overcast, but the sun shining through, green, growing, peaceful- beautiful, I do not have that wonderful feeling of everything going my way. Quite the contrary if I look at things. However, I have something better.

I have the promises of God. Romans 8:28 was the first to come to mind.  "And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose," (NET) We really should read on. All things working for our good is a wonderful promise, but there is more. Verse 29 tells us we are predestined, planned out ahead of time, to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Meditate on that for a wonderful feeling! To be assured of being conformed to the image of Jesus! Verse 30 says we are called, justified and glorified. That is quite a package. God is doing it all.

  What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NET

Who indeed? Not that we won't have opposition, we will. The more favor God shows us the more opposition will rise against us. It won't do any good though. God Himself is for us! I don't know about you but I need this verse burned on my heart.

 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Romans 8:33 NET

Do you avoid God because He must be so tired of you messing up? I do. I get lost in focusing on my mistakes and don't love or accept myself so how could a perfect God? I don't have to know how. I must take it by faith. I can explain it to you, but I need it real- where I live from- to be changed.

Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. Romans 8:34 NET

I often feel I disappoint Jesus. I don't walk in the freedom and authority He died to provide. Verse 34 clearly tells me He is not condemning me. He is praying for me. Jesus Christ the perfect Son of God is praying for me. Praying for you, too. Once I get through the weight of that- what a beautiful feeling!

As I said, with all this favor here comes the opposition.

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” The opposition will come and it will come to nought. 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! Romans 8:35-37 NET

Complete victory! Complete victory over any opposition because Jesus who loves us took care of everything.

 Jesus is praying for me. God is conforming me to the image of Jesus. I have complete victory through Jesus who loves me.

Have a beautiful day! 

Asking the Wrong Question

I have spent much time over the past months- no years, wondering what God’s dream for me was. There have been times I knew, times I thought I knew, and times I had no clue beyond the most basic “I exist to bring God glory.” While it is true I exist to bring God glory it isn’t overly helpful in trying to determine what to do with my time, which ministry to pursue, where to focus my energy.

 

It was that realization that showed me once again I was asking the wrong question. Knowing God’s plan for me in all it’s glory and minute details appeals to the planner within me. Thinking if I knew the end I could make all the right choices along the way. That’s probably not true. Seeing God’s plan for me might make me run and hide. In myself I cannot do what He has planned for me. It also would remove the need for faith. Faith is trusting what we do not see. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, so bringing Him glory would be out then, too.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 NLT

If it is beyond our ability to think it, it’s likely not a good idea to show it to us. How likely would I be to pull an Abraham and Sarah trick? Deciding God forgot what the plan was and needed my help to get it done. (Read their story beginning in Genesis 16) Way too likely! 

I can think of more than one project I had charged off into and made a mess of because He gave me a glimpse of my purpose. I set out to work on it right away. I’m enthusiastic about new projects. I work hard. Too often I work on my own, missing God’s provision and grace for the task at hand. I think often He is showing me a glimpse so I can pray and prepare, not so I can get busy. I don’t listen well when I’m busy. Do you?

Rather than ask "What is the dream?", or "What life will look like when I 'arrive'?" I need to ask questions like: “What do I do now? Right now?” “How can I love you today, Lord?”

I know God is big enough to have everything I do be part of preparing me for my future. I do not have to understand or see how it fits into the big picture. I do not have to see the specific dream, the detailed plan. If my purpose is to bring Him glory, obeying today will do that. So will obeying tomorrow and the day after that. Each day of obedience will bring me closer to the dreams and purposes He has for me.

Is there an area He has been asking you to obey? Have you taken a new step of obedience?

Trust Him with today and all your tomorrows.