Just Wait!!

Just Wait!!

We pray, asking God to step into our circumstances, to lead us in the way we should go, and to do the miraculous when it seems impossible.

But after we've prayed, what do we do?

If you're like me, you tend to try to figure things out while you wait for God to step in.  But I have realized lately that when the answer we expect doesn't come about right away, or it is not what we were hoping for...trying to figure it out while we wait for God's plan and timing only hinders things.   If God is asking you to wait...then just wait!  There is no requirement that you know exactly how things are going to go...or that you figure out the answer and then present it to God.  God already has the answer, and when we try to help we are like a three year old who spilled milk and tried to clean it up with the whole basket of clean towels, making more work than is necessary, instead of going to mommy to let mommy take care of it with just a couple paper towels.  

I read a scripture this week in Joshua that just hit me. 

Joshua 3:5

"Joshua told the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"

When we've prayed and asked God for His guidance, protection, miraculous hand, a healing or whatever we may need...we need to follow Joshua's instructions.  Instead of trying to do it on our own, we need to make sure we are right with God, confessing our sins, our disbelief, our temptations to try to figure it out on our own, and we need to prepare ourselves to receive what God has in store...because God will do amazing things among us!! 

Blown Away!!

Blown Away!

Have you ever just been blown away with how God orchestrates things?  Here is my latest mind blowing experience with the goodness of God...

• I started the Chronological Bible reading plan from www.youversion.com at the beginning of the year. 
•  Approximately 8 weeks ago I joined a small group ladies Bible study, working through the Beth Moore Bible Study entitled, "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place".  
• And just 17 days ago, I decided to start another Bible reading plan from www.youversion.com called "Psalms and Proverbs in 31 days".  

So to sum it up...

A year long bible reading plan, a 31 day bible reading plan, and a 10 week workbook bible study...all started at different times and all focused on different goals.

Here is the awesome part...today the ladies bible study referenced at least 3 scriptures that I just read in my other bible reading plans!  God orchestrated all these Bible studies to all work hand in hand, there is no way I could have planned it out any better! 

It is incredible to me that God would desire to, or even take the time to, orchestrate and coordinate the timing of three different studies, so that I could see His goodness in just one more way?    

So humbled and blessed by God's continual goodness...I am totally in awe right now!! 

Sweet Dreams!

Sweet Dreams!

There are times when my dear hubby has to travel for work.  I do not, DO NOT do well when he is gone.  Last time he was gone for just one night, I ended up sleeping in the recliner, with a couple lights on throughout the house.  I've always struggled with fear, and it seems to quadruple when JC is gone.  I have many stories of times when JC was gone (I'll save them for another post!), and how God settled my fears and showed me that my protection and shelter is in Him and Him alone.  Every time, God has been faithful, but in my human weakness, I tend to fear over and over again.  Here in the next couple months my hubby will be traveling once again for just a few nights, and once again God has shown Himself to be so faithful!!  As I've been spending time in my daily devotions, over last few days, reading the Word and praying...God has lead me to read many different scriptures that all speak of our safety and shelter being in God and God alone, but more than that, He has lead me to scriptures that specifically speak of sleeping in peace and protection, without fear.  

I wrote down a list of these scriptures for me to reference when those fears try to come in...and I thought I'd share it with you. I am so thankful for these scriptures, that give us promises of peace, protection, and safety.

Psalm 3:5

I lay down and slept,

yet I woke up in safety,

for the Lord was watching over me.

Psalm 4:8

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 34:7

For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Proverbs 3:24

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; 

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

God is sooooo good!! 

Watchmen

Watchmen

Ezekiel 33:1-7

This passage of scripture jumped off the page to me when I read it this morning.  God says some pretty strong words to Ezekiel, words that, I believe, apply to us as Christians today...

God tells Ezekiel that God has placed Ezekiel as the "watchman" over Israel.  It was Ezekiel's responsibility to hear from God and take the Lord's message to the Israelites.  In Ezekiel's case, the message was one of repentance and warning of things to come if they didn't repent.  If Ezekiel shared that message with the people, and the people didn't listen, then they made their decision and it is on them.  But here is the catch...If Ezekiel decided he didn't want to share the message, when the people continued in their sins (because they hadn't heard the message), Ezekiel was the one who took the blame.  

So how does this apply to us?? 

We are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to share the good news, to proclaim the good things God has done. Acts 1:8 says,

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

*Witness means to bear witness; testify; give or afford evidence.*  

We are to be witnesses, we are to share, testify and give evidence of the Gospel.

As believers, we know the truth, we know that Jesus is the only way to be saved...the only way to eternal life in Heaven. (John 3:16, Romans 3:23)   We know that without a personal relationship with Jesus, the only option is eternal torment in hell.  

So, since we have a very important message that is a matter of life and death; we also have a responsibility to share that message.  If we choose to keep quiet, if we keep the good news to ourselves, then we become responsible, just as Ezekiel was responsible!  

My goal is not to cause you to feel like you've failed if you haven't shared.  But I do believe that it is an important job that we all have, and I don't want to be the one responsible because I chose to keep quiet when God asked me to speak!  I am sure there have been times when I could have shared, but I chose not to. I think it is safe to say that we all have kept silent at some point!  So, when we fail to obey, we need to remember, that God is gracious and forgiving.  

We are "watchmen", let's not keep silent, let's share the truth of the gospel whenever we have opportunity! 

We know and serve such a gracious, compassionate, merciful, and awesome God...

Let's not keep Him to ourselves!!! 

Our Pastor shared some thoughts on sharing the gospel last Sunday and what he said made so much sense! I encourage you to listen to the full message Here!

Jesus Wept.

Jesus Wept.

In the story of Lazarus (John 11:28-44), the women are all gathered together, moaning and weeping and mourning the loss of Lazarus.  And when Jesus arrives on the scene, and sees Mary  and the Jews with her weeping, "He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled" (vs 33)  Then Jesus asked to see where Lazarus was laid, and they replied, "Lord, come and see." (vs 34) and  "Jesus wept."(vs 35)  

There is something special to me about this verse.  "Jesus wept!"   Can you picture that?  Can you imagine Jesus weeping?  His dear friend is dead.  His other dear friends are suffering because of the loss of their brother. And Jesus wept!  

Jesus knew that in just a short time, He would call Lazarus forth from the grave, and Lazarus would come back to life.  Jesus knew how the story would end, the good things coming soon.  But when His friends were mourning, Jesus wept with them.  Why? Why would He weep when He knew that Lazarus would come back to life?  Jesus wept for His friends, the ones living, the ones grieving, Jesus wept for Mary and Martha.  Because Jesus loved them and had compassion on them.  

I believe that just as Jesus wept for Mary and Martha, Jesus weeps for us too.  Jesus knows the future, the good things coming...but when we go through hard times and we find ourselves weeping, Jesus weeps with us! Why? Because Jesus loves us.  Because Jesus has compassion on us.  In our time of loss, in our struggles, in our brokenness, Jesus comes on the scene, and He weeps with us.  

In verse 38 it says, "Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb."  After weeping with Mary and Martha, Jesus went to the place of their sadness.  The source of their pain and He did something incredible!! 

In vs 39, He asked for the stone to be removed and Mary speaks up and says, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Many times we do the same thing...Jesus comes to the place of our pain, our suffering, and He ask us to "remove the stone" or open the door so He can have access to that area in our life, and we are quick to come up with a reason not to remove that stone..."But Lord, there will be a stench!"   "But Lord, it hurts too much!"   But Lord, it's too bad" "But Lord, _________!"fill in the blank with whatever excuse we can find.

Jesus' response to us is very similar to what He said to Mary..."Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  In other words, If you just have faith, if you just believe, you will see the glory of God! 

   

Once the stone was removed, Jesus prays, and then cried in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!  and Lazarus came out of the tomb bound with grave clothes...and Jesus said "Loose him, and let him go!"  When we remove the stone, open the door and allow Christ access to those dark, hurting places of our lives, He calls out to us and brings us back to life.  The areas where we struggle with losses, hurts, sins, or failures, become new with just the sound of His voice.  Then as we struggle with the baggage left over, our "grave clothes" wrapped about us...Jesus says, "Loose him and let him go!"  and Jesus does what He does so well, He sets us free!! 

I don't know what your situation is, what area in your life you find yourself weeping, or hurting, or struggling...but Jesus knows, and Jesus is weeping with you, loving you, and asking you to remove the stone, open the door, and allow Him to bring new life to those dark corners of your heart and life.  Will you remove the stone today??  Will you give Him access?? 

Let's Pray!

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You love us! Even though we fail and fall, though we are broken and scarred, though we make mistakes and mess things up so quickly...You still love us!  You weep with us, You see our mess, our pain and our failure, and You are moved with compassion. We are so thankful!
Today we choose to open the door, to roll the stone away and give You full access to those areas of our lives that are so hurt, broken, sinful and just plain stinky!  No more excuses, no more holding back, today, Lord we give those areas to You, and ask You to bring about new life and set us free from the "grave clothes" that entangle us.  Thank You Jesus for your love and forgiveness.  We love you, Lord! 

In Jesus Name, AMEN

Keep The Faith!!

Habakkuk 3:17-19

A Hymn of Faith

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls-

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

As we go through life we all go through rough places or times...Habakkuk was going through one of those rough times, when he wrote these verses.  Israel was under attack...and when he cried out to the Lord for help, God informed him that the Chaldeans, "A bitter and hasty nation" would come and overtake Israel.  As you might imagine, this was not what Habakkuk was wanting to hear...but the Lord told him to write out the vision and wait for it's fulfillment, for "the just shall live by his faith".  In other words, God is saying, though it may be a long time before you see these things come about, keep watching, keep believing, keep your faith, because "the just shall live by his faith" - If you lose your faith, you surely won't make it!!    

Habakkuk's was afraid when he heard all that God was telling him.  Chapter 3:2 "O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;"  But in the following verses Habakkuk reminds himself of the glory and power of God.  After 15 verses of remembering the greatness and fullness of God...Habakkuk suddenly is filled with "A Hymn of Faith" And wrote out verses 17-19.   

What can we learn from this? 

God always has a plan, and though we may not always like it, God will get us through the rough places if we keep our faith!!

When the circumstances around us cause fear to rise in our hearts, we need to remind ourselves, of the God we serve, and turn fear into faith.

When we turn fear into faith...we will find the Joy of the Lord, and God will be our strength to get us through the rough spots in life.  

I am so glad we serve a living, powerful, merciful and loving God!!

God is good!! 

Standing In The Threshold!

Standing In The Threshold

Over the past month I've been trying to not only read my daily portion of scripture, but to adjust my schedule, and truly spend time with the Lord...waiting on Him, praising Him, and allowing Him to speak to me.  I've found that life gets crazy.  We all tend to be way too busy!! And all too often, we let the stuff on the to do list crowd out our time with God.  It easily becomes just another thing on the list, something we mark off and feel good about.  

As I've taken more time to spend with the Lord, I've come to realize that every minute spent with Him is so precious. Even just a few moments in God's presence will have a huge impact on your life.   The sons of Korah, wrote a Psalm that says it so well!!

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness.

Psalm 84:10

Time with God, is time well spent!  You may feel like it isn't making a huge difference at the moment.  However, when you take time to get into His presence (into His courts), The power and glory of the Lord will make a huge difference in your life.  Your life will be changed even with the smallest touch of God's presence...the glory and all encompassing power of God, is still so amazing even if you're only standing in the threshold.

Part of my inspiration to start placing more of a priority on spending time with the Lord, is from a great book called, "Secrets of The Secret Place", written by Bob Sorge.  Bob makes a statement about our time with the Lord, that I find so inspiring and true: 

"I never consider time invested in the secret place to be wasteful;

and even if it is, I gladly waste it upon my Lord!"  -Bob Sorge

Even when there seems to be a thousand other things pulling at us, needing our attention...spending time with the Lord is always a great investment, with huge rewards!! 

Today I encourage you to find time, make time, do whatever you have to do...to spend time with Jesus!

When God Shows Up

When God Shows Up

2 Chronicles 5:11-14

Amplified Bible (AMP)

11 And when the priests had come out of the Holy Place—for all the priests present had sanctified themselves, separating themselves from everything that defiles, without regard to their divisions;

12 And all the Levites who were singers—all of those of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, with their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, having cymbals, harps, and lyres—stood at the east end of the altar, and with them 120 priests blowing trumpets;

13 And when the trumpeters and singers were joined in unison, making one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for song and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever, then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud,

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

 Here is the story leading up to these verses.. After years of working to build the temple, it was finally finished.  The temple was made of the finest craftsmanship, hand carved, and covered in gold. Everything was finally ready, so they brought in all of the articles made of gold, silver and bronze and the Levites took up the Ark of the Covenant to place it in the inner sanctuary, the most Holy Place.   

Then we come to verse 11 -14  and we find the Levite singers, musicians, and 120 trumpeters, all praising God in unity, singing, "

For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever" 

and then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud of God's presence, so strong that the singers and musicians could not continue to stand and praise God...they were literally knocked off their feet, by the presence of God.

Sounds quite a bit like Acts chapter 2:1-4 - the day of Pentecost, when the 120 disciples in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit.  They were all praising God in unity, and then the presence of God comes in, in a powerful way, changing lives, and empowering the disciples to go out and spread the gospel with a new boldness. 

What an amazing experience, both the Israelites in the days of King Solomon and the Disciples in the New Testament had.  

Here are a few things I see as I look at these stories:

1. The people were in Unity - They were all of one mind, all praising God together without any divisions.

2. Their hearts were set to Praise God...they weren't concerned with their appearances, how others viewed them or how others thought about them.  They were just there to give glory and honor and praise to God. 

3. God loves it when we come together in unity, praising and loving on Him.  When we do this, God shows up. He comes in and knocks us off our feet with His outrageous love and power. It is here, in His glorious presence, that we find ourselves resting and leaning on Him.  When His power and glory are so real and present in our lives, it becomes easy to trust and rely on Him as He works out His great and mighty plan in our lives.  

Life is not always easy, and we don't always have all the answers, or understand all the reasons for everything that happens.  Storms blow in and try to knock us down, and that is when we must dig our roots down into the flow of God's love and mercy, and allow Him to be our source and strength.  

Stop in the middle of your circumstances, whatever they are, and praise God... For the Lord is good, and His love endures forever!!

Which Way Do We Go???

Which Way Do We Go???

My husband and I have been walking through a time of planning and preparing, only to stop at the wait and see.  We have seen door after door closed and are hoping one will open soon for our dreams to become a reality.  As we've walked through this journey together God has taught/reminded us of many things.  

1. He is in control of all things.

2. Everything has a season and a purpose

3. God's timing is always better than ours.

4. No matter what the situation, we can, and should, always trust that God is at work for our good.

5. If you ask Him, He will answer!!

Over and over again we find ourselves praying for God to give us direction, guidance, and wisdom. Especially of late, we find ourselves praying this more and more...and this morning God answered...

As I read my daily Bible reading for today, this scripture just popped off the page, and I knew God was
speaking it to us!

"I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you."  Psalm 32:8

If you are walking through a situation and you just need some help, guidance, direction, or wisdom, go to God!  He is so faithful, and His goodness is beyond words!! 

Fire Drill!

Fire Drill!

This morning a few minutes after arriving home from taking my daughter to school...I heard the familiar sound of  the schools fire alarm...I watched out the back window of our home, as all the teachers and students filed out of the school to their predetermined locations in the field behind our house.  I could recognize the teachers from my daughter's kindergarten class, and knew that among all the kids dressed in bright colors, my daughter was there...learning what to do in the event of a true emergency.  

As I stood there and watched, until they all gradually went back inside...I thought about a couple things.  

1. I was thankful that today's alarm was just a drill, a practice, there was no fire, no true emergency...my kiddo is safe! 

2. I felt gratitude to all the teachers and staff who work so hard to prepare our young children for a true emergency if/when they have one. 

3. I thought about life.  Every thing we do, everywhere we go, the good times and the bad, and how we even as adults could learn much from these kids who are practicing how they will react when the emergency comes.  

We never know what today holds, or how tomorrow will go.  We can however work today, to be prepared and ready for whatever life may bring.  

How? How do we prepare and get ready for something that is unknown?  

By getting to know the One who holds all of our tomorrows. By learning to trust, and lean on God, even in the good times. We must make sure our source of strength, and our source of hope is God and God alone. 

We cannot place our trust and hope in this world, in money, in our job, in the roof above our heads, in the food we've packed into our pantry, or friends and family we love and depend on daily. All of these things are great, and wonderful...but we must realize that all of these things can fail...they can run out, wear out, disappear, or leave us wanting...Only God, the creator of Heaven and Earth...the one who formed the stars, and knows the number of hairs on our head...He and He alone can be our everything. 

 When we come to the place of trusting Him completely, of making Him the source for all we need...the things of this life, the good and the bad, the known and the unknown, past, present and future, will not shake us, will not wear us down, or knock us out. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in it's season, our leaves will not wither, and whatever we do will prosper. (Psalm 1:3) We will mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) 

Today, right now, this is the time to get ready, to be prepared...to start working on a growing, and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.   Let's dig our roots down deep into God's Word, so that when the storms of life come, we will be planted  so deeply in Him, nothing can move or shake us! 

Psalms 91

Psalms 91

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

I love this chapter! God is mighty to save us, protect us, and provide for us.  Not only is He more than able, He wants to do all of this for us.  

Today, I am so thankful that when we place our trust, and hope in God, choosing to take refuge in Him and Him alone, dwelling daily in His presence...all of the promises in this chapter become ours!  

God is so good!! 

If God Is For Us, Who Can Stand Against???

If God Is For Us, Who Can Stand Against???

Exodus 14

The Red Sea Crossing

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 

So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, 

and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. 

So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 

11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

13 And 

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.

For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the 

Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 Now it came to pass,

in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty;

and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 

Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh 

that came into the sea after them. 

Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

I absolutely love this chapter!! I have read this story of the great exodus out of Egypt many times, but as I've read through it this last week or so, I could not help but focus on this chapter!  

I can't get past how God lead them to a place where they couldn't continue without His help. And then God used the situation to not only show the Israelites His might, power, and authority...but He also brought down the Egyptian armies and all their chariots and horses in one fell swoop.  

Most of the time when you hear this story the focus in on the parting waters and walking across on dry ground...but there is a lot more that God did, than just part the waters...He shielded the Israelites from the Egyptians with the pillar of fire and the cloud...so that the Israelites had light, and the Egyptians had only darkness.  God cause confusion in the armies of the Egyptians, and He took the wheels off of their chariots.

God in His great goodness, worked such an amazing miracle here, I just can't even comprehend what it must have been like for the Israelites.  It is clear in this passage that they were fearful, and not sure that God would come through.  But that didn't stop God from working on their behalf.  I believe the same is true for us today...God will guide us in the path that is best for us, even when we question why, and don't see how it could work out for good.  God has a plan, and when we can't continue on our own, when we are stuck with no way to go back and  no way forward...The Lord says that same thing to us today as He did to the Israelites, through Moses,  "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today....Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."  

God will make a way, and I believe with my whole heart, when He does, His power and glory, His mighty hand in our lives will be so clearly evident, no one will be able to deny it!! 

So thankful to be a child of God!

What a joy and a privilege to be counted among the sons and daughters of the Most High God!

The Hedge Around Job

The Hedge Around Job

Job 1:6-12

6 "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.  
7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord."

When I read this portion of scripture I notice a couple things...

1. God pointed out Job to Satan.

2. Satan then had to request God's permission to do anything to Job, because of God's protection.

3. God allowed Satan to bring hardship and trials into Job's life.

4. God drew a line..."12 And the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.'”

I can't say that I completely understand the exact reason behind God pointing out Job to Satan...but this is what I do know.   God knew Satan's nature, and God also knew Job; as well as the fact that Satan could do nothing to Job without God's approval.  From the beginning of the story to the end of the story...God watched all that took place, and God allowed only so much to happen to Job.  Not once did God say, "Hey Satan, Did you notice my man Job? Oh, you think he won't trust and serve me if I remove my protection?!?! Oh, okay then, have at him. he's all yours!"  No way, God always set boundaries, and when all was said and done, not only did Job and all of his friends learn a valuable lesson that was then passed on to all of us through the written Word, but God also restored all Job had lost, plus some. Because God won't ever just replace what was lost...God always goes above and beyond to bless us beyond what we could ever ask for or think of. 

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," 
Ephesians 3:20

Job may have had to deal with a lot of trials and hardships, but when everything was said and done...God's plans to give Job a future and a hope all came to pass.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

God has this same plan for all of us...we all will face different trials and we will all have hard times...But we can always know that God is in control...God will work everything out for good

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

I am so thankful for God's hedge of protection around my life.  I would not be where I am today without it.  God has been faithful to lead and guide, protect and provide.  

God is good! God is faithful! God is more than enough!! 

Happy 2013!!

Happy 2013!!

As I think about the year 2012, there were so many good times, I am so thankful for all the great memories and fun times with family and friends.  And also, for the way I've seen God work in all of our hearts and lives.  Though 2012 was overall a good year, we had those hard times that come unexpectedly.  Heart breaking, cry like a baby, and lean on God's strength, type of times...the times where you can't get through on your own.  Yeah, we had some of those times too.  But through it all God was faithful.  

God is so good!! 

So, now here we are at the start of a new year...2013...and I can't help but wonder what God has in store for us this year!  I am sure that if we continue to trust in Him and follow His leading, our lives will be full and over flowing with so many blessings, we won't be able to contain it.  There will be times of joy, and maybe some filled with sorrow...but I am so thankful to know that no matter what, God will work everything out for our good!  We can trust Him with every area of our lives, our hearts, our relationships, our needs, and our desires...the good and the bad...because God is faithful, He'll make a way, even if there seems to be no way!  

Hallelujah!