It's In You

It's in you.  Whatever you are meant to do, your purpose....it's already in you.  You don't need to create a purpose for yourself, you just need to connect with it.  You have gifts and abilities that you have already been putting to use in one way or another.  You may have been using them and not even realize that they are gifts and abilities that not every one has.  Think about the things that you do that cause time and circumstance to melt away.  You get lost in doing this thing.  You are drawn to it and you are drawn to others who enjoy it as well.  It is likely that this thing will point you towards your purpose.

In the Bible, God directed Moses to build a tabernacle for him.  God already chose who would help and God had already given them the ability to get the job done:

Exodus 31: 1-6

Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you"

Two things to note in this scripture:

1. God chooses  specific people for specific purposes.

2. God provides his Spirit, wisdom, understanding and knowledge with the skills/abilities he gives us.

 

So then, God provides purpose and ability.  Seek him concerning yours.  2014 is approaching.  There is something that God would have you to do in this upcoming year.  Ask for his guidance concerning what it is that he wants from you.  Also be mindful that God provides his Spirit, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge along with the skill.  Don't use the skill in isolation.  If God provides these elements as a package, then it would suit you best to use them as intended (together).  You'll find that using your God given ability without the wisdom and knowledge of God may get you to a certain point, but it will certainly leave you hanging sooner or later.  Ask Michael Jackson.  No one can deny that he had a God given ability to entertain.  His ability served him well.  Eventually, though, Jackson left off from the wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and Spirit of God.  Then the gift that served him severed him.

 

Lord help us all.  It's so easy to get caught up in the gift and forget about the Gift Giver.  Especially, when God's word says that he doesn't take back a gift that he has given.  We can be at our worst behavior and the gift will remain.  

 

Since God doesn't take back his gifts...that also means that when we neglect our gift and begin to feel like we don't even have the talent/ability anymore....that's not so.  We just need to revive the skill. It's still in you.

 

Scripture:

Psalm 57:2

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

Psalm 138:8

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.  Do not forsake the work of your hands.

 

 

Prayer:

Lord, help us to cling to your Spirit, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge while we work the talents you have given us.  Lord may you bless the work of our hands and may the work of our hands bless others. Amen.

 

Don't You Want To Go Into The Deep

Don't you want to go into the deep?  Sometimes I think about God and I consider his pristinely systematic creations and all I can do is be in awe of the infinite depths of his genius.  I know that my mind can't even wrap around all the dots God daily connects in the world that we live in.  Then to think that there are things that are greater.  The Bible says that our minds haven't even begun to conceive the things that God has prepared for those who love him.  It also says that God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit.  This is an awesome scripture, but most people get caught up in the things.  Think beyond things.  Think beyond material or tangible.  This scripture is saying so much more than that.  What's important about this scripture is that God is allowing us to tap in to HIM.  It says that no man knows himself, like himself.  Also, no one knows God, like the Spirit of God.  So when we receive the Spirit, we receive access to flawless instruction, limitless knowledge and wisdom, infinite revelation, and gifts beyond our natural capabilities.  We receive God opened up to us.  Don't you want that? Imagine the possibilities. Imagine the relationship.  Don't you want as much of God as you can have?  Don't you want go into the deep?

If so, pray this prayer:

Prayer:
God I believe in you.  I believe in our Savior, Jesus.  I believe in your Holy Spirit.  Lord, prepare me to receive you in me. I want as much of you as is possible for me to receive. Bless me to be filled with your Spirit.  Amen.

Scripture:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.
But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him: even so the things of God no man knows, except the Spirit of god.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
I Corinthians 2: 9-15

The Why Factor

Everything has been put in place perfectly.  Nothing has been forgotten.  Prayer, check. Good works, check. Faith, check.  You're an on-the-ball Christian and the Lord has got to be smiling on you from Heaven.  Then just when your sun is shining most bright.....boom....the rain comes.  Oh not just any rain, a monsoon.  Problems come pouring into your life with a vengeance and you wonder....."WHY is this happening to me?".   You evaluate yourself and everything seems to be in tact, so you chalk it up to a test of your faith.  You keep moving with your head high and even manage to walk away with a stronger Christian resolve..  The waters dry up and the sun dances back in....and then dances right back out again.  If you thought you had it bad before, bad is looking pretty good now.  The little problems you were having before are now monstrous and they seem unbearable. 

Why now? Why here? Why This? Why Me?  There it is......the WHY factor.  The why factor loves to manhandle our peace and sanity.  Don't allow the WHY factor to bully you.  Give it the boot.   As Christians we need to understand that there are some things that are not meant for us to know or understand.   In much the same way we deal with our children, God deals with us.  Our wide-eyed eager child may come to us with a question that has an answer we know would be a bit much for them to handle at this stage of their lives.  So what do we tell them? "I'll explain it when you get older...."  And rightfully so.  They would only be more confused and frustrated if we tried to explain further.  Why complicate life for them now?  Later they will be mature enough and/or wise enough to really wrap their mind around the knowledge they are asking for prematurely.   The same applies to us.  There will be certain things that, as long as we are here on earth, we just will not be ready for.  God knows that.  So we have to wait until we mature as much as He deems necessary.  Furthermore, there are some things that are only for God to know, things that we couldn't possibly understand.  In the Bible Jesus said that even he didn't know everything that God knows.  Now Jesus and the Father are one.  So if God doesn't share everything with the Lord, who are we to expect that God should reveal everything to us. 

That's not to say that we should never ask God questions.  There will be circumstances and situations that God is more than willing to clarify for us.  There are also situations in which people have opted to go against God's will and do something that has no reasonable explanation.  We must also understand that there are other situations as well in which God knows the whys and has decided its best that we not know why.  In those cases, we are going to have to just let go and let God....

Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding...

 

Prayer:

Lord, we are greatful that it is you who knows it all, because if we knew it all we wouldn't know what to do with it.  We trust you. You are God. Amen.

Warning: Do Not Enter

It wasn't right. You knew it. You did it anyway. Let's break it down further. First: It was wrong.  What makes it wrong is that it goes against God's commandment and you are aware that it goes against his commandments.  We are God's children and He is our Father.   So like any good father who has his childrens' best interest at heart, he established guidelines to safeguard us from hurting ourselves or hurting others.  Secondly: You knew it.  You felt a sense of hesitation because you knew that what you were about to do would go against God's will for you.  You felt convicted.  Conviction is a good thing.  We cannot feel convicted unless we have an understanding and concern for what's right and wrong.  Conviction means God still believes there is hope for you getting it right, so he is attempting to steer you in the right direction.  Last of all: you did it anyway.  This is where things went wrong.  Part of you had a desire to do the right thing, but a greater part of you wanted to have it your way no matter what could result from it.  You made a conscious decision to choose this thing, whatever it is, over God. 

 

Warning! Do not enter into sin. It will cost you.  It may cost you a little.  It may cost you a lot.  It may cost you more than you ever expected to pay. 

Don't chance it.  It is not worth it.  Stay on the right path.

Psalms 19:8-11 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  Moreover by them is they servant warned: and in the keeping of them there is great reward.

Prayer:  Lord help us to overcome our weaknesses. Help us to follow your commandments. We love you.

Reach In and Recover

Somebody, somewhere is ready to give up.  Trouble is on the rise in their life and it's gotten too hard for them to stay afloat.  You may have been next to that person today.  They may have been abnormally quiet.  They may have been irritable and fussy.  They might have been open and candid about feeling overwhelmed or depressed.   Maybe something inside of you noticed that it seemed like that person was in need of...... something.  If you are like me, you would have hesitated to get involved because you have been conditioned to mind your own business.  Well, that's fine at times, but events from today have shown me that there are times when we need to get in one another's lives - with or without an open invitation.  Often people who need us the most push us away.  In those situations we have to reach in and recover our brother/sister.

 

How do we reach in and recover?  We can sit and listen.  The person may be feeling frustrated because they have kept everything bottled up.  They may just need someone to talk to who will not criticize, judge, or gossip.  We can reach in and recover by meeting needs.  We may not be able to solve all the person's problem, but we may be able to do something to help lighten the load.  We can visit and take time out with them.  Loneliness always makes hard times feel harder.  Having someone around every now and then can prevent someone from being lonely.  There are other ways to reach in and recover.  Prayer is always good.  We have to make sure, though, that when we pray we've done our part while we are asking God to do his. 

Scripture:
I Thessalonians 5:11, 14
¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Prayer:
Lord, we all have moments of weakness.  Give us the wisdom to always return to you as the source of our strength.  Give us an awareness of one another and may we always willingly reach in and recover our brothers/sisters when they need us. Amen.