One of the difficult things about having more than one child is trying to spend quality time with each one of them. I was blessed to have all four of my children and two grandsons with me a couple of weeks ago but I was struggling with trying to give each one individual attention. The most challenging is my third child Nathanael. Not that it’s difficult to be with him it’s just that he’s a teenager so he likes to stay up late and sleep most of the day. I on the other hand fall asleep early and wake up early. We decided to go to the movies for our mommy son time (don‘t tell him I said mommy.)This too is a task as he likes action packed movies and I’m a wimp. We settled on one we both could watch and off we went. Our first clue that we were in trouble was when we entered the theater and there were only eight people in it. The movie was so bad/weird that 2 of those people left during it. It was one of those times when you couldn't leave because you thought any minute the movie was going to get better. We kept looking at each other wondering how in the world they would even end this movie. When it was finally over the remaining people including me and Nathanael just sat there, no one spoke or moved for a moment. I think we were all asking ourselves the same thing. What the heck just happened here? I saw a woman in the bathroom after wards and asked her what she thought of the movie and she said “I’m not sure” that about summed it up. My son apologized because he had the final answer on which movie we saw. The other choice was Avatar which I’m sure was awesome. I told him not to worry but we were to speak of this to no one :) We had a good laugh and great conversation all the way home.
The next day while driving to work I was talking to Jesus about it, I felt bad that we didn't see Avatar so my son could have had more fun. Do you know what the Holy Spirit said to me? Glad you asked.
He said “the other movie no doubt would have been the more entertaining one but in the end your son would have looked back on the night and remembered the great movie, now he will look back and remember the great night he had with his mom.” How beautiful is that. And it’s so true, Nathanael would have shared with his friends all about the awesome movie and later may not even remember he saw it with me. God is so good.
I started thinking about other examples, like the time I was helping friends get ready for a fund raising event. We were all working in the auditorium of the church setting up and in the end it all looked great. The event was wonderful but when I think back on that time I realize the day before, getting ready with all the volunteers was the best part. Relationships were made and we had lots of laughs. The funny thing is I only have pictures of the day we were working and none of the actual night.
I think in our lives we tend to get so focused on the “where” we are going that we lose the joy of the getting there. Here is a quote I think sums up what I’m trying to say.
“After a time, you may find that "having" is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often
true.” Spock, “Amok Time", stardate 3372.7
There is so much that happens during the wanting time. You imagine how it will be when you get there. You make decisions and sacrifices that will get you closer to the destination. God puts people in your path to help you along the way. Most times you find yourself coming up short and you know it can only happen if God steps in. Your faith is made stronger, the Lord says in your weakness I am your strength. I truly believe God loves to show off and He loves for us to give him the opportunity to shine in our lives. Don’t be so anxious for the journey to be over that you miss all the attractions on the way.
When Nathanael and Jess were younger and I had very little money we would walk down town after the shops were closed and play a game called I see. We would look in the windows of the shops and take turns giving clues to what we were looking at and the other 2 had to guess what it was. The cool thing is even though we were outside looking in, the stores were empty so we saw so many things. One night Nathanael was so anxious to go to the next shop he was rushing us and I remember telling him “take your time, the next store will be there and we don’t want to miss something great in this one.”
I could look back on these nights and think, it really sucked we had no money to go buy stuff but I remember long walks with my children using our imaginations and seeing all kinds of cool stuff.
When Anthony and Amanda were young we lived in Virginia and we were really broke. It was so cold there and I couldn't afford to heat the house so we slept in the family room near the wood burning stove. I finally had someone lend me a kerosene heater and Anthony ended up falling on it and getting second and third degree burns on his arm. We had little food and most nights we ate popcorn for dinner.
I decided to make the best of it because I didn't want my kids to feel bad so I told them we were Indians and the popcorn was trail food. I had them help me gather wood from the “Indian fields” to keep the fire lit over night. We told stories snuggled up on the family room floor and were never far apart.
I could remember this time as a depressing one and rightfully so. I had no food to feed my kids and I worried they would be to cold but I remember us huddled in sleeping bags next to a wood fire eating Indian food and they were so excited to be playing this fun game with their mommy. If you were to ask them if we were poor during that time they would have no idea what you were talking about. Today I have such a strong bond with my oldest children because of what we went through on that part of our journey. We saw God provide for us in amazing ways.
When Paul was getting ready to leave this world he said.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
I can only imagine what transpired during that race and the memories he took with him.
The Lord has a plan for each one of us and sometimes we are on a part of the journey that we don’t like much. Sometimes we are single longer than we want to be or sick longer or financially struggling longer than we want to be. I believe it’s during these times that we learn the most things, not only about God, but more importantly about our relationship with Him.
When John had the most profound vision which today we know as the book of Revelation he was a prisoner living on a remote island and He was 90 something years old! I’m sure when he told his family about that time he wasn't mentioning the lack of food or the unfairness of being a prisoner, John was talking about what God did.
God is never late and His timing is perfect. He has everything worked out for you.
So Gems I would encourage you to not put all your focus on the end result but each day look for the blessing God has for you. Or better yet the blessing you are made to be for someone else. Seek Him out daily and at the end of the day thank Him for it and for knowing you are one day closer to your next destination. The truth is until you get to Heaven it will be one destination after another but Oh what a final destination it will be!
Gena’s Jewels
Gena's Jewels Keeper of The Testimony available on Amazon
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Jesus Born In 2009
I started out my day stopping by to see some friends. They wanted to show me a website they found and liked reading. Of course since we are so close to Christmas there were a few articles on the subject. Thus began my thoughts of what might have happened if Jesus were coming today for the first time, ya know as a baby.
My first thought was about the shepherds. We read about them like it’s a happy little story with angels and shepherds, my kids have even been cute little shepherds in Christmas plays. Although my grandsons have portrayed camels, not sure if it’s a step up or not. What was the social status of a shepherd? You may or may not be surprised to find out they were considered the lowest most despised of the social groups.
There’s a story of another Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers and is taken to Egypt and is later reunited with his family, who were all shepherds. Joseph tells his family not to tell anyone what they do for a living. He tells them to say they are in the live stock business. Kinda like today if you are a prostitute you might say you’re in the entertainment business, ya with me. Ok, so it’s the shepherds that the angels tell about Jesus birth.
Luke 2:8 - 11 and there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you He is Christ, the Lord.”
Have you thought about this, if the shepherds spend all their time outside hanging out with smelly sheep, they were probably smelly too?
If we made the story today it could very well be men who clean sewers or garbage men that the angles appeared to. Aren’t these groups considered the lower social groups by the fine upstanding citizens of our communities?
And where was Jesus born? We all know, in a stable. I don’t know if you have ever been in a stable but let me tell you about an experience I had with a barn. I have to first tell you I am not a big pet person. I was at a very dear friend’s house and they built a new barn. Needless to say they had animals, dogs, chickens, horses, cows you get the picture. Any way my friend wants me and my youngest daughter to come out and see the barn and the horses. I walk out stepping carefully, if you get my meaning…. We were about 10 feet or so from the barn and I can smell the barn. I stopped in my tracks and was like, no way am I going any closer, it stinks!!! I did what any good friend and mother would do, I sacrificed my daughter and sent her into the barn and I went back into the house.
So Jesus was not only born in a stable/barn, it was no doubt a smelly barn. So let’s recap, Jesus is born in a smelly place and the angles tell the dregs of society about his birth. They, the dregs of society, hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger (smelly barn). When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what the angel told them and everyone who heard it was amazed. But it doesn’t say everyone ran to the scene to witness it for themselves. They were just amazed at what the low lives told them. Were they amazed that the Messiah was born or were they amazed that the angels spoke to shepherds about something so important?
How often do we know someone and their smelly past and they meet Jesus and their life changes. They start sharing about how great God is and what He’s done in their life and we think, I know this person, did God really speak to them and did they really change?
The next thing that was brought to my attention was what most of these animals the shepherds hung out with were used for. Before Jesus died for us the sacrifices had to be made by man. It was a very sacred ritual done by the high priest in the temples, very holy and very respected. They would kill an animal for this sacrifice to receive forgiveness for their sins. Where did they get the animal? They bought them from the smelly, low life shepherds! The same people, who weren’t even allowed to hang out in the city streets with the rest of the Israelites because they weren’t good enough, were the very people they got the sacred sacrifice from. Isn’t it just like God to do something like that?
Where am I going with this? How do we apply it to today? I believe the story of Christmas would be written the same way today as it was all those years ago. Jesus would still be born amongst people like me with smelly lives. People who want to believe in a future in spite of their lot in life. People that are desperate for hope. Angels would talk to us just like those shepherds. Jesus would be born among common people so he could grow with them and understand all their struggles, and that’s just what He did. Nothing against clean decent people but sometimes it’s the ones who are the stinkiest that appreciate a good bubble bath.
So this Christmas as people get caught up in all the, what I call smelly aspects of Christmas, I pray you will take time to take a long hot bath in the love of Jesus and know He chose to come here and bring hope to all of us. If you haven’t asked Him to be your shepherd I pray you will do that today and then tell everyone you know That Jesus Christ was born!!
My first thought was about the shepherds. We read about them like it’s a happy little story with angels and shepherds, my kids have even been cute little shepherds in Christmas plays. Although my grandsons have portrayed camels, not sure if it’s a step up or not. What was the social status of a shepherd? You may or may not be surprised to find out they were considered the lowest most despised of the social groups.
There’s a story of another Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers and is taken to Egypt and is later reunited with his family, who were all shepherds. Joseph tells his family not to tell anyone what they do for a living. He tells them to say they are in the live stock business. Kinda like today if you are a prostitute you might say you’re in the entertainment business, ya with me. Ok, so it’s the shepherds that the angels tell about Jesus birth.
Luke 2:8 - 11 and there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you He is Christ, the Lord.”
Have you thought about this, if the shepherds spend all their time outside hanging out with smelly sheep, they were probably smelly too?
If we made the story today it could very well be men who clean sewers or garbage men that the angles appeared to. Aren’t these groups considered the lower social groups by the fine upstanding citizens of our communities?
And where was Jesus born? We all know, in a stable. I don’t know if you have ever been in a stable but let me tell you about an experience I had with a barn. I have to first tell you I am not a big pet person. I was at a very dear friend’s house and they built a new barn. Needless to say they had animals, dogs, chickens, horses, cows you get the picture. Any way my friend wants me and my youngest daughter to come out and see the barn and the horses. I walk out stepping carefully, if you get my meaning…. We were about 10 feet or so from the barn and I can smell the barn. I stopped in my tracks and was like, no way am I going any closer, it stinks!!! I did what any good friend and mother would do, I sacrificed my daughter and sent her into the barn and I went back into the house.
So Jesus was not only born in a stable/barn, it was no doubt a smelly barn. So let’s recap, Jesus is born in a smelly place and the angles tell the dregs of society about his birth. They, the dregs of society, hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger (smelly barn). When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what the angel told them and everyone who heard it was amazed. But it doesn’t say everyone ran to the scene to witness it for themselves. They were just amazed at what the low lives told them. Were they amazed that the Messiah was born or were they amazed that the angels spoke to shepherds about something so important?
How often do we know someone and their smelly past and they meet Jesus and their life changes. They start sharing about how great God is and what He’s done in their life and we think, I know this person, did God really speak to them and did they really change?
The next thing that was brought to my attention was what most of these animals the shepherds hung out with were used for. Before Jesus died for us the sacrifices had to be made by man. It was a very sacred ritual done by the high priest in the temples, very holy and very respected. They would kill an animal for this sacrifice to receive forgiveness for their sins. Where did they get the animal? They bought them from the smelly, low life shepherds! The same people, who weren’t even allowed to hang out in the city streets with the rest of the Israelites because they weren’t good enough, were the very people they got the sacred sacrifice from. Isn’t it just like God to do something like that?
Where am I going with this? How do we apply it to today? I believe the story of Christmas would be written the same way today as it was all those years ago. Jesus would still be born amongst people like me with smelly lives. People who want to believe in a future in spite of their lot in life. People that are desperate for hope. Angels would talk to us just like those shepherds. Jesus would be born among common people so he could grow with them and understand all their struggles, and that’s just what He did. Nothing against clean decent people but sometimes it’s the ones who are the stinkiest that appreciate a good bubble bath.
So this Christmas as people get caught up in all the, what I call smelly aspects of Christmas, I pray you will take time to take a long hot bath in the love of Jesus and know He chose to come here and bring hope to all of us. If you haven’t asked Him to be your shepherd I pray you will do that today and then tell everyone you know That Jesus Christ was born!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Jesus Hold'em
In 2004 we were one of the lucky ones that got hit with 3 hurricanes in a row. We were without power for a few days and had a “grace period” between showers if you know what I mean. It was hot and sticky and our house was also one of the new homes that had poor construction and the rain just came right through the walls so we had to use all our towels to soak up the water. The house smelled musty and it was really dark at night. In spite of all of this my youngest daughter will tell you it was one of the happiest times in her life. We were introduced to Texas Hold’em during this time by a neighbor so when we weren’t playing board games we were playing this card game. I’m not much of a game person but I must say I had fun with it. Jessica loved that her family was together playing games and having fun. My youngest son totally got into this game and after we were back to normal life, as normal as ours is, he was still playing Texas Hold’em when ever he got the chance. Jessica was 10 at the time and call it beginners luck but she was really good. She had no fear of calling “all in” which meant she was betting all she had that she would win the hand. This of course drove my son, her big brother, crazy because he wanted the betting to go on for more than one round.
Jessica didn’t remember all the bad stuff. She just remembers getting to play Texas Hold’em with her family.
I got to thinking about our lives and how it would be if we stopped holding out for a better hand and just went all in with Jesus. I mean just totally relied on Him for everything and lived a life where He had to show up because we had no plan B. It sounds risky but the truth is it’s the safest hand.
When I was out of work and we had zero income I had to trust the Lord for everything because I had nothing to bring to the table. The thing about God is He will provide for you it just may not be the way you thought it would be or even want it to be. For instance, for months I got left over food from a restaurant and divided it up between my family and a couple of others and even brought some to the Women’s Shelter where I volunteered. God is a God of more than enough. When my house foreclosed and I finally had to move out I asked the Lord where I was going to go and He said the next house will be provided for you and you won’t need anything.
It’s funny the first time the Lord asked me what I had to have I had a list of things I wanted to bring when I moved. Over time He asked me again and my list was a lot smaller. Later He asked again and I said “I don’t have to have anything but I would like my tiffany lamp and the cedar hope chest that belonged to my mother and the lamp comes apart and can fit in the hope chest. Was I bargaining with God?
Right before I moved out of the house I told the Lord I didn’t have to have anything as long as I was where He wanted me.
I remembered His word that the next house would be provided for me and I trusted Him on it. I thought He was going to give me another house fully furnished. The Realtor in me had all sorts of ideas of the location, amount of bedrooms, bathrooms, you know the drill. Well we ended up moving into a friend’s house. A beautiful house I might add and we didn’t need anything. We had our own bedrooms and bathroom. God did what He said, everything we needed was provided. Did I see that coming? No, did God do it the way I thought He would? NO, but he did exactly what He said He would do.
So now time has passed and I have an apartment that I really love. God is so good because I love trees and there are lots of trees here. We got a lake view without asking for it or paying the higher price. I have a job and things are going well. So why was I not feeling it? Why did I have this restless feeling inside?
I realized I wasn’t waking up every morning wondering what the day was going to bring. Where was I going to be that day, who was I going to minister to and most of all how was God going to provide?
I wasn’t remembering the days of fear when I wasn’t resting in God’s promises or the anxiety of what was going to happen next I just remembered being taken care of miraculously by my sweet Jesus.
I have a job now with a paycheck that covers my expenses. Don’t get me wrong I’m totally grateful for that and I know a lot of people are still looking for work but I don’t “feel” the daily dependency on God and I missed it.
I don’t want to go back to status quo or become complacent. I don’t want to live safe, I want to go all in so I prayed about it and decided to make a change. I told my boss I can only work for him 4 days a week. I want to give God another day to do what He wants with it. I wasn’t sure how my boss would react and I had to prepare myself for him to tell me it was full time or nothing but I was willing to take that chance, I was going all in.
The conversation went well and although I know he doesn’t totally understand he has agreed. I can’t wait to see what God will do next.
I want to live a life where I have an unexpected hand everyday, where I have to take a gamble between worldly things and spirit things.
I want to take those words from Isaiah 6:8 seriously.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me”
I don’t know where you are in your relationship with the Lord. Maybe you’re not ready to say I’m all in, we are all at different places in our walk. I just want you to remember that the best hand is God’s hands. That’s why I’m playing Jesus Hold’em.!
Jessica didn’t remember all the bad stuff. She just remembers getting to play Texas Hold’em with her family.
I got to thinking about our lives and how it would be if we stopped holding out for a better hand and just went all in with Jesus. I mean just totally relied on Him for everything and lived a life where He had to show up because we had no plan B. It sounds risky but the truth is it’s the safest hand.
When I was out of work and we had zero income I had to trust the Lord for everything because I had nothing to bring to the table. The thing about God is He will provide for you it just may not be the way you thought it would be or even want it to be. For instance, for months I got left over food from a restaurant and divided it up between my family and a couple of others and even brought some to the Women’s Shelter where I volunteered. God is a God of more than enough. When my house foreclosed and I finally had to move out I asked the Lord where I was going to go and He said the next house will be provided for you and you won’t need anything.
It’s funny the first time the Lord asked me what I had to have I had a list of things I wanted to bring when I moved. Over time He asked me again and my list was a lot smaller. Later He asked again and I said “I don’t have to have anything but I would like my tiffany lamp and the cedar hope chest that belonged to my mother and the lamp comes apart and can fit in the hope chest. Was I bargaining with God?
Right before I moved out of the house I told the Lord I didn’t have to have anything as long as I was where He wanted me.
I remembered His word that the next house would be provided for me and I trusted Him on it. I thought He was going to give me another house fully furnished. The Realtor in me had all sorts of ideas of the location, amount of bedrooms, bathrooms, you know the drill. Well we ended up moving into a friend’s house. A beautiful house I might add and we didn’t need anything. We had our own bedrooms and bathroom. God did what He said, everything we needed was provided. Did I see that coming? No, did God do it the way I thought He would? NO, but he did exactly what He said He would do.
So now time has passed and I have an apartment that I really love. God is so good because I love trees and there are lots of trees here. We got a lake view without asking for it or paying the higher price. I have a job and things are going well. So why was I not feeling it? Why did I have this restless feeling inside?
I realized I wasn’t waking up every morning wondering what the day was going to bring. Where was I going to be that day, who was I going to minister to and most of all how was God going to provide?
I wasn’t remembering the days of fear when I wasn’t resting in God’s promises or the anxiety of what was going to happen next I just remembered being taken care of miraculously by my sweet Jesus.
I have a job now with a paycheck that covers my expenses. Don’t get me wrong I’m totally grateful for that and I know a lot of people are still looking for work but I don’t “feel” the daily dependency on God and I missed it.
I don’t want to go back to status quo or become complacent. I don’t want to live safe, I want to go all in so I prayed about it and decided to make a change. I told my boss I can only work for him 4 days a week. I want to give God another day to do what He wants with it. I wasn’t sure how my boss would react and I had to prepare myself for him to tell me it was full time or nothing but I was willing to take that chance, I was going all in.
The conversation went well and although I know he doesn’t totally understand he has agreed. I can’t wait to see what God will do next.
I want to live a life where I have an unexpected hand everyday, where I have to take a gamble between worldly things and spirit things.
I want to take those words from Isaiah 6:8 seriously.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me”
I don’t know where you are in your relationship with the Lord. Maybe you’re not ready to say I’m all in, we are all at different places in our walk. I just want you to remember that the best hand is God’s hands. That’s why I’m playing Jesus Hold’em.!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
HURRY UP AND WAIT
My daughter Jessica and I were hanging out on our porch the other night and when we came in a moth flew in with us. I was trying to shoo it back outside but it kept flying into the closed part of the sliding glass door, bouncing off it and flying back into it. I guess because he could see the outside he figured he should be able to get through not realizing it was glass. I was trying to get it to come to the other side, when Jess and I weren’t screaming because it was flying near us. I finally took the rod off the blinds to try and get the moth to land on it or coax it to the opened end of the door. I started talking to the silly moth saying “if you would just listen to me I can get you out.” I figured each time it hit the window so hard it had to be doing some kind of injury to it’s small body. I was getting frustrated that it kept flying around like a crazy moth and not allow me to lead him to the other side where he could fly right out.
I wondered how many times the Lord felt this way about me. Trying to get me somewhere but I wasn’t listening. Instead I was trying to figure it out on my own and bumping into closed doors. I would imagine every hit we make does some damage to us as well, our spirit, our mind and our confidence. Maybe some of these injuries could be avoided if we waited until we knew we heard God’s instructions. Many times things appear to be right but we can’t seem to get to our destination.
I remember when the Lord told me to leave the work place for a season. During this time I met a man that owned a Christian Café. There were no prices on the menu; it was all donations so if you had no money you could still eat. There was a box on the middle of the table you could put your donation in.
Since this was in my budget at the time I would stop in when I was in the area and usually prayed with or for someone that I met there. The owner asked if I wanted to waitress a few days a week and I could pray with people that came in. I figured it was a good idea since it was a Christian place and I could pray for people and make a few dollars. I was sure God would want me to do it so I said yes.
The first day I worked I saw quite a few people I knew and I had an opportunity to pray with them for healing, family issues, whatever they had a need for. When they left they told me they put my money in the box. I didn’t take any of the money and figured I would get paid the end of the week. The next day the same thing happened and again I went home with no money. The third day I walked in already to start playing the “praying waitress” but the owner met me at the door and said “the Health Department came by early this morning and shut us down.” He didn’t understand why as they had been there a few days earlier and everything was OK. As soon as He said it the Holy Spirit said “I never told you to work here.” He reminded me that the last thing the Lord told me was to not take a job.
I thought that since it was a Christian place and I was praying it had to be OK with God but the truth is I never asked God if I was supposed to take the job.
Needless to say I told the owner I would not be able to come back and needless to say he reopened the next day and I never did get paid.
We have to be careful not to help God along with His plan even if it looks like it’s a good idea.
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
I don’t always understand but I have learned without a shadow of a doubt God does not need my help, even if I think His idea is taking too long.
Most people are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
We like that verse but we have to remember sometimes we have to wait on those plans. It’s easy to trust God when you have clear direction or it appears you have control the test is when we have no control, no plan, no idea what to do next. This is when the rubber meets the road, following God even if it doesn’t seem to make sense to you. It’s in the waiting that character is built and your relationship is strengthened. I think of these times now as boot camp for my next God assignment.
If you find yourself frantically flying into what looks like open doors and people are giving you directions you can’t seem to take you may need to stop trying to help God. His plan will come in His timing.
Habakkuk 2:3 The vision is for a future time. It describes the end and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
These are times we need to hurry up and wait on God. Like the Bible says,
Be still and know I am God. Psalm 46:10
I wondered how many times the Lord felt this way about me. Trying to get me somewhere but I wasn’t listening. Instead I was trying to figure it out on my own and bumping into closed doors. I would imagine every hit we make does some damage to us as well, our spirit, our mind and our confidence. Maybe some of these injuries could be avoided if we waited until we knew we heard God’s instructions. Many times things appear to be right but we can’t seem to get to our destination.
I remember when the Lord told me to leave the work place for a season. During this time I met a man that owned a Christian Café. There were no prices on the menu; it was all donations so if you had no money you could still eat. There was a box on the middle of the table you could put your donation in.
Since this was in my budget at the time I would stop in when I was in the area and usually prayed with or for someone that I met there. The owner asked if I wanted to waitress a few days a week and I could pray with people that came in. I figured it was a good idea since it was a Christian place and I could pray for people and make a few dollars. I was sure God would want me to do it so I said yes.
The first day I worked I saw quite a few people I knew and I had an opportunity to pray with them for healing, family issues, whatever they had a need for. When they left they told me they put my money in the box. I didn’t take any of the money and figured I would get paid the end of the week. The next day the same thing happened and again I went home with no money. The third day I walked in already to start playing the “praying waitress” but the owner met me at the door and said “the Health Department came by early this morning and shut us down.” He didn’t understand why as they had been there a few days earlier and everything was OK. As soon as He said it the Holy Spirit said “I never told you to work here.” He reminded me that the last thing the Lord told me was to not take a job.
I thought that since it was a Christian place and I was praying it had to be OK with God but the truth is I never asked God if I was supposed to take the job.
Needless to say I told the owner I would not be able to come back and needless to say he reopened the next day and I never did get paid.
We have to be careful not to help God along with His plan even if it looks like it’s a good idea.
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
I don’t always understand but I have learned without a shadow of a doubt God does not need my help, even if I think His idea is taking too long.
Most people are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
We like that verse but we have to remember sometimes we have to wait on those plans. It’s easy to trust God when you have clear direction or it appears you have control the test is when we have no control, no plan, no idea what to do next. This is when the rubber meets the road, following God even if it doesn’t seem to make sense to you. It’s in the waiting that character is built and your relationship is strengthened. I think of these times now as boot camp for my next God assignment.
If you find yourself frantically flying into what looks like open doors and people are giving you directions you can’t seem to take you may need to stop trying to help God. His plan will come in His timing.
Habakkuk 2:3 The vision is for a future time. It describes the end and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
These are times we need to hurry up and wait on God. Like the Bible says,
Be still and know I am God. Psalm 46:10
Thursday, December 3, 2009
FAST FOOD
I don’t know if everyone is familiar with fasting so I‘ll give you the Gena definition. It means to make a commitment to go without food or drink or both for a designated amount of time. During this time you pray for a specific thing you are seeking the Lord for. For me it’s usually a decision that needs to be made.
When the Lord told me to home school my youngest daughter I thought I heard him wrong because I thought home schooling was for “weird” people. Being the queen of weird I should have known better. Anyway, my daughter and I decided to pray about it while she was on a youth group trip and because this was a big decision I decided to fast too. I knew for sure at the end of the fast that I was supposed to home school and when my daughter got home from camp she told me she felt the same way. I don’t think I would have had the guts to make that decision if I didn’t believe it was what God was telling me to do. It was an amazing year and the Lord taught us both many lessons.
In the Bible the people would fast when they were seeking the Lord for something serious. Esther had all the Jews fast when there was a plan to have the people killed. Daniel fasted probably right before he was thrown in the lions den.
Daniel 9:3
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
In Joel the Lord tells the people to return to Him with all their heart with fasting.
Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights, no food or water in the wilderness with satan tempting Him the whole time.
There are many scriptures in the New Testament telling about the times the disciples fasted.
Jesus even gave the do’s and don’ts on fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full but when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
I guess what I’m trying to say here is fasting was and is important to God.
A friend of mine asked me and a few other ladies to fast and pray for a situation she’s dealing with so we did. I was really praying about it before hand and I asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to know about fasting from the Bible.
I want to tell you something about God, if you ask Him a sincere question He will answer you. Saturday night He put on my heart to read Isaiah. I thought to myself there are 66 chapters in Isaiah can you narrow it down. The next morning I woke up and turned on the TV. I don’t usually watch TV especially in the morning; guess what was written on the TV screen? Isaiah 58! I turned off the TV and got out my Bible. Guess what the heading for that Chapter is? Observances of Fasts!! I can’t make this stuff up. I’ll give you the gist of it but I would encourage you to read the whole chapter.
Message Bible Isaiah 58:6-8
This is the kind of fast day I am after to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the work place, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will be turned around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You will call out for help and I’ll say, “Here I am.”
Wow, that blew me away!
Obviously God isn’t just interested in what we eat or don’t eat or how long we go without food or water, what He’s really interested in is how we treat each other.
If you have never fasted I would encourage you to try it, there is something special about sharing this time with the Lord. It’s a personal time between the two of you. If you are a regular faster (is that a word?) I would encourage you to check your heart and make sure you are following the guidelines God gives us in Isaiah.
Next time you fast food have it God’s way!
When the Lord told me to home school my youngest daughter I thought I heard him wrong because I thought home schooling was for “weird” people. Being the queen of weird I should have known better. Anyway, my daughter and I decided to pray about it while she was on a youth group trip and because this was a big decision I decided to fast too. I knew for sure at the end of the fast that I was supposed to home school and when my daughter got home from camp she told me she felt the same way. I don’t think I would have had the guts to make that decision if I didn’t believe it was what God was telling me to do. It was an amazing year and the Lord taught us both many lessons.
In the Bible the people would fast when they were seeking the Lord for something serious. Esther had all the Jews fast when there was a plan to have the people killed. Daniel fasted probably right before he was thrown in the lions den.
Daniel 9:3
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
In Joel the Lord tells the people to return to Him with all their heart with fasting.
Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights, no food or water in the wilderness with satan tempting Him the whole time.
There are many scriptures in the New Testament telling about the times the disciples fasted.
Jesus even gave the do’s and don’ts on fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full but when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
I guess what I’m trying to say here is fasting was and is important to God.
A friend of mine asked me and a few other ladies to fast and pray for a situation she’s dealing with so we did. I was really praying about it before hand and I asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to know about fasting from the Bible.
I want to tell you something about God, if you ask Him a sincere question He will answer you. Saturday night He put on my heart to read Isaiah. I thought to myself there are 66 chapters in Isaiah can you narrow it down. The next morning I woke up and turned on the TV. I don’t usually watch TV especially in the morning; guess what was written on the TV screen? Isaiah 58! I turned off the TV and got out my Bible. Guess what the heading for that Chapter is? Observances of Fasts!! I can’t make this stuff up. I’ll give you the gist of it but I would encourage you to read the whole chapter.
Message Bible Isaiah 58:6-8
This is the kind of fast day I am after to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the work place, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will be turned around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You will call out for help and I’ll say, “Here I am.”
Wow, that blew me away!
Obviously God isn’t just interested in what we eat or don’t eat or how long we go without food or water, what He’s really interested in is how we treat each other.
If you have never fasted I would encourage you to try it, there is something special about sharing this time with the Lord. It’s a personal time between the two of you. If you are a regular faster (is that a word?) I would encourage you to check your heart and make sure you are following the guidelines God gives us in Isaiah.
Next time you fast food have it God’s way!