His plans are better, and His ways are higher.
As a young girl, I dreamed about life. I created a time line. I had it all planned and figured out. I was going to be married by age 20, have three children by 24, live in a huge house with land, and own a Jeep Wrangler with four wheel drive. Here I am, at the ripe old age of 27. I married at 26, and we have zero children. We don't even have a dog... not even a fish, and I drive a sedan. And I'm as happy as I ever could be. I love this life God has so graciously given me! Before the school year starts and life gets incredibly busy, I decided to wipe down ceiling fans and baseboards. These two jobs are pretty tedious. Getting up and down from a stool and letting dust fly in my face isn't my favorite. I'm not incredibly thrilled about traveling the house on my knees either, but I DO thoroughly enjoy a clean home. So there I am, cleaning baseboards and thanking God for our cute little home. I remembered how the baseboards were an attractive feature to me, and at that moment I didn't find them terribly attractive. I was, however, finding myself thanking God that it didn't really take me long. Why? Because we don't have the ridiculous house I dreamed of. (When I say ridiculous, what I dreamed of was essentially a castle, but there was a butler and maid involved. Clearly I watched too many fairy tales as a child.) There are so many moments in life I can look back and see how God worked. So many times things didn't turn out the way I wanted, and in that moment, I wasn't happy, but praise God He makes all things beautiful. I'm so thankful for His timeline. I'm so thankful for His desires. I'm so thankful for His sovereignty. I'm so thankful for a joy filled home. I'm so thankful for a thoughtful God Who knows me better than I know myself. Thank You Lord for a beautiful life, the husband I never even knew could exist, our darling home, everything between, and all that is to come! Thank You God for laying Your plan out and gently guiding me through it. I'm so thankful for life on earth with You, and I can't wait for the day I get to praise You for all eternity. Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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I remember people asking Momma to be their "interior designer" when I was little. I didn't understand much about that stuff then, but oh how I appreciate her talent now.
She always had this amazing ability to move things an inch or two, and suddenly it was made for that spot. She could throw things together, and instantly there was a beautiful room. Days like today are hardest. With all my heart I want to show you this home we've been so graciously blessed with. I want your advice and opinions. I would love to hear you laugh over the fact I still have the giraffe you bought me when animal print was in even though it doesn't go with my decor now. I would love so much to celebrate this part of life with you. If I've learned anything from your life, I've learned to make all things pretty, and I'm not talking about furniture. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Our weaknesses tend to be uglier than our strengths. When we focus on the weaknesses of others, we find flaws and not so beautiful things. These can become distractions that often lead to dislike and sometimes unforgiveness, and unforgiveness ends with poisonous bitterness. When we find the pretty strengths and focus on those, we're able to look beyond the weaknesses, and maybe just maybe lift edify someone into strengthening those beautiful qualities they already possess. Thank you, Momma, for making things pretty. Why is it connecting with someone on something negative is easier than connecting with something positive? We've all done it. We find a common misery and all of a sudden we have (what appears to be) a blossoming conversation.
I have discovered friendships that were linked on negative conversation. I started realizing every time we talked it was on something we both disagreed with, and that was our friendship. We had a common dislike, and that would end up being the topic of conversation. I would leave those conversations with guilt and remorse. I never left feeling uplifted, like I had uplifted someone, or like anything had been accomplished. (Now I think it's fine to discuss issues of the heart! I know for me, I explode if I don't. I'm just realizing, though, there is an uplifting way to go about doing that.) As I read Ephesians 4:29, three words stuck out to me- corrupt, good, and edifying. Corrupt This is the adjective God used to describe the communication we should not have. Corrupt means rotten, worthless, bad. Who likes rotten anything? Not me! Bad is well clearly bad. But then to think about the fact it is worthless. It has no worth. It's not valuable. Which leads me to good. Good The greek word agathos means, well, good, but the Stongs Concordance also throws in the word benefit. Ok so let's go back to corrupt communication- it's worthless. But we should communicate in a way that is good, beneficial. Edifying The Strongs explains this to be a structure(figuratively), confirmation. So our conversation should lift others up. It should provide assurance for those who hear. The end of this verse finishes with "...that it may minister grace unto the hearers." The verses that follow speak of letting bitterness, wrath, anger, clamouring, and evil speech go and to be kind and tender hearted to one another. I just wonder if we let all that bitterness go and were tender hearted to each other how our conversation would change? God, You know very well how I struggle with this. It's so easy to jump on the negative Nancy bandwagon. God help me to have conversations that lift others up in You. God help me to let all bitterness and negativity go. Help me please to turn my eyes, ears, and mouth to You. God I pray people will see and hear You in me. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
"...whatever is esteemed or loved, feared or served, delighted in or depended on, more than God, that (whatever it is) we do in effect make a god of. This prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that we take the Lord for our God, acknowledge that He is God, accept Him for ours, adore Him with admiration and humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon Him." - Matthew Henry We live in an incredibly blessed country. "To be among the wealthiest half of the world last year, an adult needed to own only $3,210 in net assets (minus debts), according to the data. To be in the top 10 percent, a person needed to have only $68,800 in wealth.To be in the top percentile, the threshold climbed to $760,000, according to Credit Suisse. Consider that, according to the Federal Reserve, the median American family had $81,000 in net worth in 2013, and the average family had $535,000 in net worth." (http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-richest-people-in-the-world-20160121-story.html) I know there is poverty and needs- don't get me wrong. There are many suffering, so clearly I'm not referring to those in that situation. We're so blessed, I am fearful we have lost sight of our need for God. We have clean, running water. We have grocery stores where we can instantly get food (with or without rain). Those stores are relatively nearby. We can drive, bike, walk, or catch a ride to them. So many things in our world are so instant that we don't realize how instant they are. We have colleges with multi million dollar coaches and stadiums. We have fans who spend their Thursday through Sunday in a tailgate spot rain or shine. We have closets full of clothes (ouch). Some of those closets have hefty price tags. We have an abundance of food. Often my day is planned around meals and what or where we will eat. We are so blessed. Unfortunately though, we're also in a place where we will miss church for rain but not that football game. We will buy, buy, buy things with open hands, but when it comes to tithing and helping others we suddenly have tight fists. Our dependence is often in our careers or aid from someone or something else. Our contentment comes from finances, things, relationships, etc., In this, many have lost sight of our need for God and have created a whole lot of gods. Social Media has forever changed our world. How often many hop on there, check our feed find a notification or twenty, and find ourselves a little (maybe a lot) giddy? We are seeking joy in all the wrong places. We have found "joy" that is temporary and failing. (As I'm typing, I'm having a really hard time placing all of these thoughts together, so forgive me.) Our admiration and reverence has shifted from God to all of these other things. We didn't go carve a golden calf, but we've made gods of these things by adoring them more than God. We've made idols by worshiping things more than God. We put more time into hobbies, TV, friends, etc. than we do our relationship with Jesus Christ. If we look at the Ten Commandments, we see the first four deal with God's holiness. Overall, we see that they are all applicable to relationships, as we must love God and have a relationship with Him first before our neighbor. The remaining six will, clearly, help you to maintain positive relationships as murder and adultery aren't to keenly viewed in the realm of friendship. So today I challenge you.... I challenge myself... to find joy, peace, comfort in the eternal Creator of the universe instead of these temporary things. "The Egyptians, and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, the creatures of their own fancy, strange gods, new gods; this law was prefixed because of that transgression, and, Jehovah being the God of Israel, they must entirely cleave to him, and not be for any other, either of their own invention or borrowed from their neighbours. This was the sin they were most in danger of now that the world was so overspread with polytheism, which yet could not be rooted out effectually but by the gospel of Christ. The sin against this commandment which we are most in danger of is giving the glory and honour to any creature which are due to God only. Pride makes a god of self, covetousness makes a god of money, sensuality makes a god of the belly; whatever is esteemed or loved, feared or served, delighted in or depended on, more than God, that (whatever it is) we do in effect make a god of. This prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that we take the Lord for our God, acknowledge that he is God, accept him for ours, adore him with admiration and humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon him." -Matthew Henry The first four commandments deal with honoring God's holiness. No other gods, no graven images, don't use the Lord's Name in vain, and keep the Sabbath Day holy. The following commandments deal with loving others and relationships with people while honoring God. As I began this study and just read the Ten Commandments, I wondered what the world would be like if we did in fact obey them. As I studied, I wondered how some of the commandments were applicable today, and I was inspired to dig a little deeper and divide this precious Word God has given us. And thus begins a series of posts. We are not a perfect people, but our Creator is a perfect God. The Ten Commandments are a reminder of our sinful nature and our need for Him as our Savior. Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. And He gave us even higher standards. Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Sidenote: Isn't it interesting how we allow other people to dictate our thoughts and actions when God's standards are higher than any of ours, and He is the eternal Judge? #guilty I am not in my glorified body, therefore my flesh gets in the way- a lot. I, in my own strength cannot withhold these commandments. And whenever I lean on myself or someone or anything besides God, I quickly find myself failing. Praise God though, I serve a risen Savior Who graciously clothes me in His righteousness and helps me through each day. I am weak, but He is strong. I am flesh, but He is God. I am small, but He is big. So I guess the ultimate answer is no. No, I cannot keep the Ten Commandments. But my Heavenly Father, He can move mountains (and create them), so praise God I get to call on His Name. Today I flipped through my Facebook memories, and I saw this page from when I participated in the Timothy Ministry, a discipleship plan. Last night I watched War Room, and all I could think about was prayer.
I know God created the entire universe. I know God is all powerful and all knowing, but how very often I pray, and lack faith in what I pray about. How very often I pray, but instead of letting God have my request, I hold on to it and try to bear the burden of fix whatever is at hand. Sadly, I very rarely let go and let God. Clearly God's Word expresses the power and importance of prayer, but War Room was such a beautiful reminder. What if all Christians prayed like Ms. Clara? Instead, I often find myself being the person who is too busy or with any other excuse. .Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Here, Jeremiah is writing to the captives. A false prophet has given them false hope of being a speedy release, and Jeremiah is assuring them that God will restore them to their own land. They could've found hope in this false prophet. It's often easier to believe what you want to hear. Instead God reminds them to 1) call on Him 2) GO and pray 3) He will hearken when they search for Him with ALL their heart. Call on Him To think about the fact that God is never too busy to answer your call is mind baffling to me. There is no call waiting, busy tone, or voice mail box that hasn't been set up at the end of His line. All we have to do, how very simple, is call upon Him. However, I find this being a difficult step at times. When a problem arises, my first reaction is to fix it. I've always been pretty independent (until marriage, and now I'm like a lost puppy without Yellow Car Boy). I was taught to handle things yourself, and if you don't know how you find a way. Unfortunately, I often translate this to my relationship with God. I want to find the solution. Sometimes it's because I don't want to be a burden. That excuse is pretty silly because God clearly tells us He wants to carry our burdens in His strength. It's also silly because I am His child, and He cares for me. Sometimes it's because I have a timeline established, and I don't know if God's timeline quite matches up with mine. And sometimes it's because I lack a great deal of faith, and I would rather know what I'm going to do and the end result than trust in what God can do. All of these excuses are quite silly. After all, God is the creator of the earth. Oh, and He's still in control. Oh, and clearly He knows way better than me because I haven't created a human body or entire ecosystem that self sufficiently functions. He's extremely thoughtful and knows what's best because He is eternal. Nothing that comes up in our lives is ever a surprise to Him. He knows the end result because He is already there with us. (Some may read this and wonder why God "allows" heartache. He doesn't want us to hurt. Bad things happen because there is sin in this world.) Go and Pray In War Room, I was just amazed at the designated spot for prayer. heir reward. Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. That is exactly what God proposes here. I don't know about y'all, you be more spiritual than me, but I get SO distracted. Yellow Car Boy and I have recently purchased a home, and there is plenty to distract me. There are lots of things to make pretty. My phone distracts me. The fact that dinner needs to be cooked distracts me. The floor needing to be swept distracts me. The beautiful weather distracts me. My classroom distracts me. (I'm very easily distracted- clearly.) How wonderful to have a spot with no distraction and just a place for you and God to meet. How beautifully intimate a time that would be with my Heavenly Father. In the movie, I really loved how she sacrificed closet space and in the end how the whole family joined together. What a wonderful, wonderful example to set for a child. Can you imagine watching someone "battle" life's issues in prayer as a young child? I would hope that experience would lead a child to know how to pray as a first action in times of rejoicing and sorrow. I love the action verb, GO. Go and pray. It's more than babbling a thoughtless prayer. He Will Hearken Ms. Clara had a framed paper of answered prayer requests. Y'all! What a glorious thing to have in the center of your home as a beautiful reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness. How very often I pray for something and God responds, and I just rejoice maybe once, and then I move on to the next issue at hand. He is faithful, and He deserves our praise. Heartache and Sorrow Some people may read this and think God let them down. They may think prayer didn't work. They may have experienced some type of heartache that I cannot wrap my brain around. (And heartache, by the way, is very individual. People may experience the exact same situations, but we're all different and respond differently. While it helps to have someone who can relate. We never truly understand what someone else is experiencing.) I don't have the answer. I can tell that person this, and I hope it's encouraging. God is not human. He is slow to anger and filled with love. His ways are not our ways (and praise God because if I were God, I would not be as gracious as Him). He truly does desire the very best for us as His children, and we may never know or understand a lot until those Who know Him as Savior are called home to Heaven. 2Co 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Maybe He'll use you to comfort someone else. Maybe He'll use you to lead someone to Him. Maybe someone will watch at a distance at how you respond. Maybe you'll be the couple in the movie. He was so surprised at how his wife responded with grace and patience. He saw something different. Maybe someone needs to see that in you today. Maybe God wants you to hit rock bottom because you won't look up until you do. Ms. Clara took what God did for her and shared with others. She evenly specifically prayed He would send someone. When we have lemons, and God makes lemonade out of those lemons, we should share that sweetness with those around us. |
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Saved by God's amazing grace and living this divinely put together puzzle of a beautiful life He so graciously blessed. Archives
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