Well the weekend is about over and we are about to start another week. Oh Mr. Monday how you are hated by many! You know what though we have the choice to dread it, grumble about it, moan and complain and sigh and stomp our feet and have our hissy fit OR we can choose to have a good attitude about it and be obedient to our sweet God and do as Philippians 2:14 says: Do everything without grumbling and complaining. HA!
Maybe this song will encourage you: http://youtu.be/AnmWwudeqfM (Mandisa- Good Morning feat. Toby Mac)
Storytime~
Towards the end of the Made To Crave bible study until recently I have been struggling to really find that closeness with God again. I felt His presence when He lifted me from my pit and when He spoke to my heart about leading the bible study. He gave me strength through the weight loss and it has been so amazing but then suddenly I felt NOTHING! I was in a rut with losing weight and slipping from God and it almost felt like God abandoned me in a way~ silly I know~ but I was so scared that I would allow myself to go back to old ways but then He brought me INSANITY at just the right time and yup it has been INSANE!! I have been taught even more discipline and learning a lot about myself and my strengths... it's been the best thing ever! However yet again I feel that slip away from God like maybe I've taken control back again but the thing is God is so good and so faithful and so very much there. It's like each time He brings me to a new level but it is up to me to do my part as well and to absolutely let God have control!!
Ok so every year my mother- in- law and I go to the Joyce Meyer conference and it's always awesome awesome awesome but deep down I just knew there would be something different about this year for me. I knew God had something to tell me this year and I needed to feel His presence in a big way infact I was believing hard for Him to speak to my heart. One thing Joyce said hit me hard you see her teaching was on obedience and on Friday evenings session she asked a question that knocked me over. You ready? She asked this: Are you waiting on God or is God waiting on you? OUCH OUCH OUCH! Friends this entire time I've been on this journey knowing I'm in "the waiting period" HOWEVER I'm looking at it very much in a different way now. God has big plans ready for my life however I'm not being obedient there is a lot I have to learn and grow with and I know without a doubt that He is absolutely waiting on me. He is waiting on me to take a step of faith, He is waiting on me to clean up my act. Friends it ain't gonna be easy I can tell you that but the awesome thing is if I just take time to be with God and just come into His presence and ask him to Empower me to Obey. Yes, we can ask Him to help us obey Him. Crazy? I don't care! I need help I'm not afraid to admit it!! I am a sinner and I mess up tons! God help me! I want the life of peace and joy and happiness and I will continue to be miserable if I continue to be rebellious and disobedient and (cough cough) bratty! Just like I workout when I don't feel like it I have got to be nice when I don't feel like it, be sweet, stop the snarky comments, stop the judging the gossiping, be the Christian God has called me to be. You say it's too hard what's the point? Ummm being miserable is hard! Being miserable sucks! I would rather my flesh have a temporary time of hissy fits and learn some discipline in order to live a great life. Plus I want to take my loved ones home to heaven with me and how do I do that when I'm a bratty hypocrite of a Jesus girl?
Character is developed when we do what God tells us to do whether we want to or not. (Life point from Joyce Meyer)
The world wants tolerance but God wants holy. -Joyce Meyer
Christians we have got to step up our game. We have got to shake off the hypocrite reputation. Start each morning asking God for help! Start each morning reciting 1 Corinthians 13 if we have to. Get on your knees and pray! Find a quiet place~ there are times I just sit in my car after pulling into the garage. I just sit there and talk to God. Whatever works just do it!! Dust off your bible & read it!! It is such a beautiful thing being close to God. Friends if you have never received God as your savior please please I ask you to do it. Repent of your sins and ask Him into your heart and into your life. He is the best thing that will ever happen to you!! No, life won't instantly be rainbows and puppies but you will have someone to walk through life with. Someone to pick you up when you fall, someone to cry with when people let you down. Life is so so short we have got to take it seriously! We need to enjoy it and want God's best for us! He wants us to be obedient for a reason.....to help us!
Have an awesome week! Dig deep! Don't give up!
♥
Here is today's devotion from 'Hearing from God each Morning'
God Sees Your Heart
-Joyce Meyer
Thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. Romans 6:17
When we receive Christ as our Savior, God gives us a new heart- one that wants to do what is right. However, it takes a while for our behavior to catch up with our new heart and that is often very frustrating. One part of us wants to do right, yet another part of us fights against it. That is the war between the flesh and the spirit that Paul discusses in Galations 5:17.
At the new birth, God equips us inwardly with all we need to live holy, obedient lives. We are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17) I like to say we are made new spiritual clay and we spend our lives letting the Holy Spirit mold us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). We need to thank God that we have a new heart, one that wants to be obedient.
Celebrate your progress and don't be discouraged because God sees your heart. If we let go of what lies behind and keep pressing toward the place of total obedience, God is pleased. We are learning to walk with God and walking is the slowest mode of travel that exists. You may not be where you want to be, but thank God you have an obedient heart.
God's Word For You Today: Focus on Jesus today, not on your failures.
No comments:
Post a Comment