Month: October 2023

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Isn’t it good to know that God knows all that we can be before we are ever born and also all the mistakes we are going to make but he still very patiently keeps drawing us to himself. He will not push us but will continue to let us do things our way. He has all the time in the world to woo us and he knows exactly what will work for our unique life experiences. He begins wooing us from our first day of life because he loves us so. Different people have different challenges and different blessings so the time it takes to draw us to himself will be different with everyone. Generational curses and blessings effect that. Personally my grandfather was a Baptist minister so our family was in church every time the church was open. I’m sure my grandparents and my mother prayed for me often. But my father liked to go out drinking with the buddies and that’s where he was while my mother was having me, all alone. He didn’t really want to give up everything for his faith. It wasn’t bad drinking but that can be a strong generational curse which can lead to drunkenness and violence and irresponsibility. This can pass down through generations. Luckily he gave that all up when I was still very young and recommitted his life to the Lord and I had a very strong Christian upbringing. I didn’t have the problems that so many of my friends had. But as is normal we all go through some rebellious times in our teens and early adulthood and God can send us through different divine encounters to get us through this period. I accepted the Lord early in life and knew the Bible stories by heart but I didn’t know Jesus. Just about him. So when I was in my 30’s I had my rebellious period where I wanted what I wanted. Which led to my stroke where several divine encounters drew me to seek that relationship with Jesus I had never had. Once I found that I wouldn’t let go and just kept seeking more. The peace I found would not let me go and was so amazing. I found what I was meant to do which was write and encourage others and now God is using me as someone else’s divine encounter. To further their wooing. But one day he will not be able to woo you any longer because your time on earth will be up so don’t resist to long or it may be too late.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Phillipians 4:4

Rejoice! Yes it is a choice but God is trying to tell us that it is very important. Not once but he repeated it and added an exclamation mark. In the home where I live they have a piece hanging on the dining room wall that says, ‘Thankful Grateful. Blessed’. It really does say it all. If you are just thankful and grateful you will be blessed. That’s Gods way. To truly be thankful just start thinking of things you are thankful for. First is salvation and what Jesus went through just for people who didn’t know or care about him. We can be very selfish and messed up but he loves us so much and couldn’t imagine a future without us. For the sun rising every morning with a brand new chance to have a good day. Who doesn’t like a do over when they have messed up. With God we can have a fresh start anytime. Delicious food, beautiful artwork, family love, friends, puppies, kitties, babies: you get the idea, you could think of things forever. Are you grateful when someone does something nice for you? Or even when they just show respect and are helpful now days that is a plus. That is why God has called us to take care of widows and orphans or anyone who is marginalized and needs help. Helping others to be grateful is such a blessing. One that keeps giving. When you are thankful and grateful you can’t help but be truly blessed. The peace that Jesus promised comes into your life and you can’t help but rejoice. Singing praises also blesses you and makes you want to rejoice. Rejoicing just fills your soul with contentment. There is no better feeling than peace and contentment in your soul. When you are struggling or hurting just start praising and you will feel the peace that comes with joy.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastics 3:1

This world keeps spinning around and there is nothing new under the sun. Everything has a purpose. Everyone is born at just the perfect time for them. There purpose is for that exact period of time. This morning I welcomed my tenth grandchild into the world. It never gets old. But one day that child will grow up and God will call him home. Nobody enjoys saying goodbye to a loved one. But if they know the Lord it is a big promotion. Their very best days are ahead and if we truly love them we’ll realize all that’s ahead and be excited for them. There is a time to plant and uproot. We are told to sow what we wish to reap but if we sow anger and struggles we may need God to help us rip them out. So we can move forward with a good life. A time to kill and heal. We should pray when we need healing and believe that God is more than able. But sometimes the best healing comes through death and that can be a blessing also. A time to build and a time to tear down. I’m sure you have seen a building implosion torn down when it was no longer able to be patched. Well are lives can get to that point as well but God can and will rebuild what is broken. That’s his specialty. A time to weep and a time to laugh. We all enjoy laughter and good times. Times with family and a great vacation but we also have hurts in this world and it’s ok to be sad. A time to mourn and a time to dance. David danced before the Lord with all his might and sometimes when we a mourning we need to realize that God is so good to us and to start dancing and you will see a breakthrough. There is a time to search and a time to give up. Sometimes we can be so stuck in fixing a problem that we are only seeing what we ourselves can do to make it better and we need to give it up to the God who is in control and is so good. He knows the answer but sometimes he needs us to get out of the way. A time to be silent and a time to speak. This is a very important one. Have you ever felt God say, just keep quiet. Usually before we put our foot in our mouth. He can also have something we need to say to someone that they really need to hear. A time for war and a time for peace. Just as when the Assyrians came against the Israelites God had said it would happen because they wouldn’t repent from evil. He has also told us that in the last days there would be many wars. But he keeps his word and this is a time for us to be excited about. Because Jesus we be returning soon. We need to be praying for those who don’t know him. Now more than ever.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

This is a multiple layered dessert that really needs to be broken down in small bites to be appreciated. Each bite has so much deliciousness in it. God has done so much for us and given us so much. He deserves all of our praise and adoration every day. Not only did he give us his very own son to move out of heaven and all the way to earth just so he could experience everything that we experience and so he could better relate to us and have greater compassion for us. He then could see people just like God does and care for them and teach them how to live God’s way and the very best way for them. He then allowed himself to be beaten and scourged and humiliated to the point of death paying our debt for our sins. So we wouldn’t have to. Buying for us that perfect mercy and grace as well as healing of Almighty God. Now we can become his very own children so he can lavish affection on us. He does not want us doing things that will harm us and ultimately can’t satisfy us. Do you desire to please yourself and those around you more than what is really good for you. I know I did at one time and it brought a lot of hurt and pain to me and my whole family. It almost destroyed everything I had worked so hard for. A you know what it all seams stupid and ridiculous to me now. How empty and shallow my life was. Now that my eyes are focused on my prize, Jesus, I can have so much more. The world holds nothing for me anymore just my friends and family and the people in my life matter to me. Yes, God made some really great things and I will enjoy them but I only live for Jesus now. His kingdom has so much to offer right here on earth that I could never explain. You have to taste it yourself to love it. Until you understand the real truth of God’s words and their transforming power and they come alive in your life you will honestly never understand. But just as we are his branches and he is our vine, or our true power source, we were never meant to be apart from his power. We can not really do anything good without him. Whether it’s good for us or those around us it all comes from him because he is the source of all goodness.