Then She Spoke

“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Psalms 27:4

What is the greatest desire of your heart? This will tell you a lot about yourself. What is really important to you? We should occasionally ask ourselves this question. To know what God sees when he looks at our hearts. Are we still trying to have our wants fulfilled first. Where is our focus? Are we seeking things to make us happy? Like possessions, family and friends? This world is always trying to shift our focus. The enemy try’s to get us to focus on our problems because as we do we are often defeated by them and we can be consumed by them. If you are a thankful and optimistic person you are happier because you keep your eyes on the good around you. God has told us to put him and his ways first and then he will give us the desires of our hearts. When you do that, do you notice how your desires change. His desires become our desires. When we really focus on him first our eyes are opened to him more and more. We see his glory all around us. Miracles really are all around us. Just the perfection of the human body is a miracle. It can heal itself. When you cut yourself, do you bleed to death? No, God created us that way. When we break a bone it will heal itself but Doctors have learned how to set a bone to heal properly and probably more quickly. Creation itself is amazing. So elaborate like the galaxies. Intricate like beautiful flowers that are only alive for a short time. God has taken care of our every need. Like food, shelter, and clothing which he has promised to take care of. But he has given us an ability to make a living. Maybe you are an accountant, or a doctor or a chef. Whatever he has made you good at benefits all those around you. Even if you are a mortician or a janitor your job is important. He has given us things we can do to help the poor and less fortunate. When we are truly loving others we will seek to meet their needs. Bottom line is for us to love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength and to love others and that is what makes the world go around and his plans are fulfilled.

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breached into his nostrils the breath of life, the man became a living being.” Genesis 1:7

Because of the sinfulness and selfishness of man their eyes have been blinded. Because as I see it dust can not breathe or have blood pumping through it’s veins to support that life. The human body itself is a very miraculous thing. Everything to keep us alive, healthy and happily ever after is inside of us. We also have the ability to think and reason. To understand good and evil. Now I am no rocket scientist but could all that just happen? Bang! No I know that it couldn’t. But people have believed that for thousands of years. They don’t want to be responsible for anyone but themselves. They believe they helped it happen. Now is that ludicrous? I can look around me at any hour of the day and see miracles everywhere. Granted I have lived on this earth for 63 years and I have been a Christian for 58 of those years. I have seen Gods faithfulness and seen his hand at work in my life. I have also gotten involved in sins that have blinded me to what is going on around me. Most of my life I spent my life enjoying my family, my job and my things and living my life. But when you nearly die, as I did you begin to think more clearly. What if I had died? Would I cease to exist? Would I go to heaven? Would I suffer in hell? What did I want? Well I wanted to be happy and to go to heaven. But how could I make sure that happened. I began to read everything I could about God, heaven, and about disciplining your life. I bought second hand books by the armfuls. My room looked like a library. I committed to doing whatever it took. Ten years later I am not the same person and some very special people helped me to move forward. The only one I can thank for that is God and his faithfulness. The Holy Spirit has been so good to teach, council, and give me great wisdom. He held my hand through everything. Now everywhere I look I see the hands of God at work giving me peace and contentment. Right in the midst of troubles I’ve never been happier. Thank you God!

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

This says it is done, check mate, game-set-match, the end. Could he have been any clearer. There are so many defeated and worried people in this world and so many of them are Christians. Do they not believe God? Those words tell me that death is no more. The devil lost. No, he will still try to defeat humanity and destroy lives but the game is still over and he has lost. God says no-one that has been chosen will be lost for they are his. You can do things in this life to give Satan control but he has no control unless you allow it. God has given us authority over Satan because only he has control of our lives. Sickness, addiction, depression, fear, lack, anger and so much more. Jesus paid the ultimate price on that cross and God allowed it because we mean so very much to them. Not just our souls for salvation but so that we have an abundant and full life. God is very much the God of details. Everything is taken care of. He has every circumstance in his hands and he is in control of everything. Not once has he ever been taken by surprise. He can keep track of billions of people every minute and even know their very thoughts and intentions. God is awesome! There is nothing that comes near to that. It takes courage to live a life of conviction. You sometimes have to give up things that you might want, but God knows what is best for you. Following his commands is not always easy and you may lose a job or a friend because of your convictions because doing what God asks of you is not always popular. People may say you are weak, crazy, or strange. But do you know what? I have it so much more with peace and strength and an army on my side. An army that will win every time. The freedoms and peace are so worth any temporary inconveniences in this life. I am going to make sure I take advantage of everything that God has for me. Because I am worth it, God said so.

“I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

This morning I just had to write. I’ve been thinking of writing about unanswered prayers for a while now, but I just wasn’t sure, then this morning I woke up with a Garth Brooks song running through my head and God showing me everything I needed to write. God is good. I usually wake up singing praise songs or even other songs. He is always the first thing on my mind. I have really been growing the last few years. But growing takes strength and we need to exercise are muscles. Prayer muscles, faith muscles, and perseverance muscles.We don’t grow much in times of abundance and plenty but during trials. It will bring us to our knees in prayer and that’s a good place to be. I have pain sometimes at night in my legs, and sometimes it can be bad and if adjusting my bed doesn’t help I’ve learned to sing praises or pray if I can’t go to sleep. It will either go away or I will fall asleep. God is definitely listening to our prayers and he knows what’s best. After Covid let up we had a time where different new people we’re getting me up every day. This can be hard because I need things done certain ways so that I feel safe or I can panic. Especially when they don’t understand me. That isn’t good. I prayed about it a lot but God just kept telling me to trust him. I finally decided trust was all I could do because my freaking out didn’t help. I would pray for strength the whole time they were in my room. I kept saying God you’ve got this. Eventually I was at ease with new people and it didn’t bother me anymore. Job trusted God even more after everything he went through. I know that people will get sick and die. But God can heal anything when it’s his will. But sometimes he is ready for someone to come home to be with him. It may not be our choice but he knows best. Crying out to God is right where some people need to be so they stop relying on themselves and let God be God. Trials and pain will draw you to God. You don’t realize all God can and will do for those he loves until he’s your only hope. So trust God today, he does have it in control.

I was reading the other day about how God sees things so clearly because he can see the whole picture. The beginning from the end. It is like a beautiful tapestry. On the bottom we see all of the knots and problems. We can’t see ahead to the finished piece that he sees. You have to remember that he has been working on it for thousands of years. He’s not in a hurry though. Figuring just how and when to send Jesus to earth took a few thousand years. He is always working behind the scenes in so many different lives. God is the creator of so many beautiful things. Landscape scenery is so full of vibrant colors. People have been posting some awesome sunsets and sunrises. With pink, purple, blue, and white with yellow and orange mixed in. There are so many shades of color just like there are so many different people God created. All different and unique. Let’s say one man might be dark and brooding so let’s say he’s a grey thread. Mary might be bubbly and cheerful, a yellow thread. But when woven together they are quite a striking pattern. Same as God using evil for good. Remember how Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. But God placed him right where he would be able to save many people from starvation. I have done some really beautiful puzzles and you really have to focus on patterns and shading to put them together.God knows just the right person to put into your life at just the right time. People can come together and change each other for good or bad. But we learn and grow by these experiences. Challenges and trials may come through others but it can strengthen us. God is using everything and one day we will see clearly and it will be awesome. Right now it’s a jumbled up mess but I know the one in control and one day it will be a masterpiece.