Now is the Time

Hosea 6:3  Oh, that we might know the Lord!  Let us press on to know Him!  Then He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.

Isaiah 55:1  Seek the Lord while He may be found.  Call upon Him while He is near.

Hosea 10:12  I said, "Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love.  Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you. 

The days are getting darker here on earth.  It feels like we are hurtling towards the book of Revelation at record speed.  Will we see those prophecies fulfulled in our lifetime?  I don't know.  God's times are not human times.  Jesus told us in Matthew 24:36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows."   I do know that now is the time to seek the Lord, to prepare, to draw closer to Him then ever before and keep the lamp lit in our hearts.  

For a while not too long ago, the Lord kept bringing up the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids in my studying.  

Matthew 25:1-13  “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.  6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’  7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’  9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’  10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’  12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’  13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

The idea here is to be prepared for the Lord's return.  Keep your accounts with Him short...repent often, study much, spend time in His Presence, make sure your salvation.  Seek Him.  Constantly, consistently, urgently.  

I am sixty years old.  I have maybe 20-30 more years here?  Will I see the book of Revelation come alive before my eyes before I leave for Heaven?  I don't know.  I just know I want to be prepared and I firmly believe that the Lord is telling His children, "Now is the time to seek Me."  The return of Christ draws closer every day.  It's exciting, it's terrifying.  I look forward to it, life on earth before...those will be dark days indeed.  But we have the promises of our Lord to sustain us.  He will  never leave us nor forsake us.  We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  If we endure til the end we will receive the crown of life.  

Lord, I pray for each of Your children reading this.  I pray that we will take seriously the command to Seek You while You may be found.  Lord, give us hearts of urgency.  Not just for ourselves but for the unsaved.  Give us hearts to share the Gospel, to be about Your business while it is day.  Let us study to show ourselves approved, soaking in Your Presence and Your Word daily so that we will be filled with Your Holy Spirit and shine brighter the darker it gets.  Help us to desire the pure mile of the Word, let us not be lukewarm, complacent or compromising.  Strengthen Your servants.  Make us strong and make us fruitful for Your Kingdom, both now and in the days to come.  Lord, we make so many excuses as to why we can'tt spend time with You.  Forgive us.  This needs to stop.  We need Your Word, Your Presence.  Fill us and prepare us.  It's in Jesus mighty Name I pray.  Amen.

Make spending time with God your first priority.  

My Grace is Made Perfect In Weakness

We are starting a new ministry at church.  We feel the Lord is leading us to start a Sunday night children's outreach, which would have a light meal, games and the Gospel message.  We've knocked on doors, handed out flyers and prayed.  We are willing and we are waiting, but the kids have not come....yet. 

Now, the whole thing about a children's ministry, for me anyway, is that it is way outside my comfort zone.  And even though I will only have a peripheral part in this ministry, I'm quite anxious about working in it.  

Last night, as we had the meeting to discuss our plans, and how we were awaiting God's lead...the panic started filling my chest.  I find relating to children hard never having had any of my own.  I try, but it does not feel natural to me.  I relate to animals.  LOL  Children are scarry!  

Well, today's reading in "The Power of Praying Through the Bible" by Stormie Omartian spoke a word in due season to that panic that tightened my lungs and sent shivers through my mind.  The reading took me to Jeremiah 1:1-10.  Jeremiah was called by the Lord to speak His Words to Judah's kings.  In verse 6 Jeremiah stated, O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”  I can just hear and feel the anxiety and panic.  I get it!

And today's reading spoke to my heart.  Stormie Omartian writes, "When we think up excuses for not doing God's will, what we are really saying is that we understand things better than God does. We are also saying that we think it's up to us and our abilities, rather than up to God's power and enablement.  Feeling inadequate is good when it drives us to depend on God.  But it's not good when that insecurity and fear cause us to say no to what God wants."   Wow!  God is speaking directly to me.  There is no doubt in my mind that He is addressing the fears and anxieties that I can easily let roll over my desire to do His will.  

2 Corinthians 12:9  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Paul felt inadequate to overcome his "thorn in the flesh."  Yet Jesus reminded Him it was His own strength that would enable Paul to do whatever God gave him to do.  

We are never to accomplish anything in our own strength.  It is God who works in us to do His work.  I am to be relying on the Holy Spirit to do whatever the Lord leads me to do.  If God tells me to do something, then I can be sure He will give me the power to do it.  I need to remember, Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.   Once again, a timely and much needed God visit.  

Thank You Lord for Your encouragement in today's reading.  Keep our focus on You as we set out to obey Your voice when You call us to ministry, good works, sharing the Gospel or any other task You desire.  Remind us often, of Paul's words in Philippians 2:13, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."  Keep us dependent, submitted and following You.  You are so gracious and tender in Your care and encouragement.  Thank You again.  In Jesus' precious Name.  Amen.

When you feel inadequate run to the throne! 

Your Will Be Done

Mark 14:36 “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.”

A familiar verse, right?  We've all heard it plenty of times.  Maybe even prayed it, spoke it.  I know I have.  My biggest issue comes with trying to live as if this is true.  I was given the song "Your Will Be Done"  by a friend and as I listened to it after writing the "Counting on God" entry.  And that song was another God visit that dovetailed with that entry entry.   I included it on the previous "Counting on God" entry.

If I am counting on God's love, then I will heartfully say, "I want Your will to be done, not mine."  And in my heart, I can say that.  But then my flesh.....oh boy, my flesh!  "NOOOO!!  I want my way!  I'm right. My needs and wants matter more."  Yup, that old selfish flesh gets in the way of the "Your will not mine be done" part.  

When my husband doesn't understand me.  When he doesn't pick up after himself and God tells me to be adaptable, be a servant.  My flesh screams, "NOOOO!" and then my heart hears the Holy Spirit whisper, follow me.  

When someone at church says something that hurts my feelings.  When a friend doesn't consider my needs.  When the Bible study group doesn't want to study what I think we should.  The Holy Spirit gently reminds me, "4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)  "Your will not mine be done."

Harder words have never been spoken.  LOL  Do I believe these words Jesus spoke in the Garden of Gethsemane?  Do I believe I am to follow my Savior's example.  Do I believe He He meant it when He said in Luke 9:23  “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me."?   Yes to all those.  But boy is it hard to do sometimes.  

Lord, help us!  Let us truly say, mean and live out these words.  Let Your will totally be done in our lives and let us follow Your ways and not our own.  Help us to lay down our own thoughts, needs, desires, and selfishness and follow Your Holy Spirit in all things.  In the Name of our precious Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Examine your heart.  Examine your responses to every day living.  Where do you need to lay down your will to follow the Father's?
   

Counting on God

1 Peter5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

A well known, oft quoted, much loved Scripture.  Cares, concerns, worries...all of this we are to bring to the Lord, casting them into His hands and letting Him carry the burdens we are laden with.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28 "Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."  So we know God wants us to come.  We know God wants to handle our problems, directing us, comforting us and leading us in His ways of wisdom and overcoming.  We know He is able.  We are told in Luke 18:27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”  And again in Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27, Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

So do we believe this?  Do we believe that God wants and can handle our deepest valleys and biggest mountains?  I would say yes.  Yes I do believe.  But then I doubt His ways.  I doubt when He doesn't work in my timing.  I doubt when He doesn't follow my plan.  I doubt His love.  There is part of the equation I have been leaving out that causes the doubts to rise in my heart.  And that is God's love.  His eternal, everlasting, all consuming, love.  I forget to rely on His love.  

This is something God has shown me lately.  I wait on Him to answer my prayers and when it doesn't happen when I want it to, or how I want it to I get angry.  I get frustrated.  I accuse Him of not caring.  I go into the "I'm not worthy and God is mad at me." cycle, putting myself above God's love.  I know He is all wise.  I know He is all powerful.  I know He can do anything.  But I forget that everything He does or doesn't do is based first and foremost on His love.  I leave trusting His love out of the asking and believing.  

And this is my God visit lately.  God has let me know He wants me to count on His love.  I saw a meme lately that stated, "DON'T WORRY.  GOD IS NEVER BLIND TO YOUR TEARS, NEVER DEAF TO YOUR PRAYERS AND NEVER SILENT TO YOUR PAINS.  HE SEES, HE HEARS, AND HE WILL DELIVER."  God loves me, and you, so He is not ignoring us, He is not turning away from us, He is doing what is best for us out of a heart filled with love.  Even in His discipline He is loving us.  Deuteronomy 8:5  Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.  Hebrews 12:6  For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

From Stormie Omartain, "God loves us, so our times of waiting on Him must be ultimately beneficial to our emotional and spiritual growth."  

So now I say,  "I remember Your love Lord."  That is my New Year's "resolution."  Remembering God's love.  Psalm 147:11 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Lord, thank You so much for this word in due season.  You are an awesome God who loves His children.  Everything in our lives is designed with Your love in mind, to work out for our good and for Your glory and the blessing of others.  Lord, let us not forget how much You love us.  When things go wrong, don't go our way, when life hurts and feels impossible...help us to remember Your love.  It never changes, never leaves us.  Lord, let us not lose faith, but just remember that You love us.  It's in Jesus Name I pray these things.  Amen.

Look up verses on God's love.  Count on them.