Let God be God

One night my kids were antagonizing each other. Lol, yeap, they're normal! 

Anyway, my daughter kept coming to me with, "Mom, he's doing it again. Please make him stop!" The only problem is, each time she came and told me something as I would begin to say something, she would cut me off and attempt to correct her little brother herself. 

After several times, I stopped my daughter and said, "If you want me to correct him, let me be the Mom." After a bewildered stare I told her, "it doesn't do any good to come to me if you were going to keep trying to handle it on your own."

Bam! As I though about this a lil while ago, The Lord brought this scene to my memory again. Kinda like a condensed mental replay of last night. He gently whispered to me, "When you take things into your own hands, you are saying "I can do better than you" only to repeat and repeat. When you're ready to let Me step in, simply let go and trust Me."

Ok, how often are we all guilty of this SAME thing!?! Eventually my daughter let me be the Mom without her added two-cents and there was peace once again. If you've been acting like this, and taking things into your own hands, will you let God be God and the Loving Father He is by taking a step back and granting Him full control? 

He's able where we are not and sees not just one side but the whole situation. Will you let go and let God? 

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Incredible Love

An amazing love story...

"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3

"And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies." Hosea 2:19

"Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee." Song of Solomon 1:4

Isn't that beautiful!?

"We love him, because he first loved us."

1 John 4:19

Changes

Life is full of changes...

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Through all life's seasons, the Creator of it all remains the same! He is faithful and true in all He says and does. If you're going through a heap of change are you clinging to the One who never does?

Backsliding & Beyond Deliverance

Have you ever known anyone beyond the Lord's deliverance? Scary thought!

"O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee." (7) 

Here the prophet is pleading with the LORD for the backslidden state of the people. *Notice*, he included himself in this plea using "us", "we" and "our". He knew they were in desperate need of deliverance! He asked that the Lord do it for no other reason than for His own name's sake. Oh but here's the Lord's response... He was fed up! 

"Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good." Jeremiah 14:7,10-11

The Lord didn't even want to hear it. His people had stomped on His heart so long in backsliding rebellion that He told Jeremiah, "Pray not for this people..." 

That's serious stuff! Wow! Woe to those whom the Lord has turned over to their own ways and granted a reprobate mind! Indeed, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31 Has the Lord ever stopped you from praying for good for anyone?

Watered in the Word

Photo credit: picture captured from my garden

One day while standing outside with my husband and a friend, my husband noticed a plant in dire need of water. So, I went and grabbed the hose. 

Common sense right, Lol! Plants need water to not only grow but to survive. As I'm watering our plants in need, the Lord spoke immensely to my heart. 

He reminded me of those around us (born again believers). People notice when we are dry and parched too. Though they likely can't put a finger on why we are changing, they take note. Others around us are watching! 

If we aren't being watered daily, our hearts can become hardened which makes a prime breeding ground for weeds (i.e. bitterness, anger, resentment, etc.) to set in. Sounds crazy, but it's true. The Word is the Living waters we need daily! 

If we don't allow the Word to saturate us from the inside out, there's no way we can live what we believe is true about God, much less share those wonderful testimonies that belong to the Lord! Even if we tried sharing, who would believe a crabby, complaining & contentious Christian?

If we've allowed ourselves to become dry and dusty, it only takes a few moments to get back on track. Turn back to those living waters and allow the ground of your heart to heed His call!

"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 2 Corinthians 4:1-2

Question is, are we willing to look at the state of our hearts conditions? Are we watered daily, regularly consuming the Word resulting in a reflection of Christ? Or, have we grown dry, dusty, crabby and contentious? 

Sky Watchers

Photo taken from my backyard. 

Calling all sky watchers!!! One of my favorite pass times is watching the sky. Although I enjoy watching the clouds form and pass, there's much more beauty beyond that. 

"The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory." Psalm 97:6

Think of His righteousness, none other can be as holy as He, nor every act, thought and so on be as perfect and pure. Look past the clouds to the heavens; see the constellations and know He knows each by name... See the vast array of stars, planets, black holes plus much more that we haven't even begun to learn of! 

This is all His handiwork by His Divine design. Can you see His glory?

Corrupt Character in the Church

Photo credit: wiirocku.tumblr.com

"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person."

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

To the average person and even to some believers this can sound like a harsh un-christ-like directive. Truth is, yes we are to minister to these, Jesus ate with the like after all. Yet there's a difference between having encounters and embracing such in close friendship. We are warned that the company we keep can be contagiously dangerous for our character and morals or manners which impacts our walk with Christ immensely!

Notice within the first sentence he says, "if any man be a brother"? This is someone within the church. Discernment is key. Don't dismiss it by a so-called commonality. 

"Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." 1 Corinthians 15:33

Are we heeding these warnings? Carefully listening to the Holy Spirit's leading?