Running Ahead of God

The story of Moses is a facinating one.  Moses, a Hebrew, was raised in Pharaoh’s household and given all the best in education, training, culture, and wealth.  As a young man, Moses saw one of his own people being mistreated by an Egyptian and slew the Egyptian believing that God was wanting to use him to free His people.  Moses found out that this was not the time, nor the way, that God had planned for delivering His people from bondage in Egypt.  The problem was that Moses had devised his own plan as to how the Hebrew people should be delivered.  The method that Moses devised failed miserably!  Here we have a picture of Moses running ahead of God and trying to do things in his own strength and with his own wisdom.

Have you ever run ahead of God?  Have you ever found yourself trying to accomplish God’s will your way, instead of waiting for God?  Impatience is probably one of the greatest sins that we fall prey to as believers.  We all get impatient with God’s timing, or God’s way of accomplishing His ways, and we run on ahead of God trying to do things in our own strength.  When God delays, it is to stretch our faith so that we learn to depend upon Him completely.  God doesn’t want us to run ahead of Him, but to run with Him.

Why not trust Him today with all that is going on in your life?  Why not tell Him everything that is bothering you and ask for His help and wisdom to show you how to deal with it?  He has a great plan for your life!  He wants to guide you every step of the way.  Ask Him right now for His patience.  Ask Him to show you what He wants to do through your life!  His ways are always perfect….so is His timing!

“Timing is the Father’s business.”     Acts 1:7 (MSG)

Relaxing Day

Today was a really nice relaxing day for me.  I’ve been off work for two weeks nursing a leg infection again, and my leg is much better now.  I went to the bank this morning and filled the car with gas.  Then I went shopping for a new pair of jeans since I return to work tonight.  I called a couple of churches this afternoon asking if they would prayerfully consider partnering with us in our new church plant.  This afternoon I went over to Mary Lou’s school and helped her enter test scores into her class computer.  After about an hour and a half of that, we left and went to Fazoli’s for dinner.  It was good to hang out together. 

This evening I laid down for a short nap and am up now getting ready to go to work.  I pray that I will be a good witness for Jesus to those at work and may help someone come to know Him.  It’s great to be a believer!

“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and have appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”      John 15:16

Inscribed

As I was reading in Isaiah this morning I came across 49:16 which says, “Behold I have inscribed you on the palm of My hands.”  What a blessing it was to read that!  What powerful words these are!  How special each of us are to God.  Our lives are constantly before Him.  He knows every thought we have, every word that comes into our mouths, everything that is going on in our lives.  He cares for us with the tender compassion of a mother, and the enduring strength of a father.  He does not easily give up on us, or turn away from us if we mess up.  He is there to guide our steps every moment and help us choose the right paths in life.  The Bible tells us that He is a God of grace and mercy, a God of lovingkindness and forgiveness.  This verse points out to me very graphically how committed God is to me!  He calls me to love Him with all of my heart, and in return He loves me “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).   

The word, “inscribed”, carries the thought of permanancy for me.  My life is not just a “passsing thought” to God…my life is constantly before Him.  In Psalm 139:17-18 we read, “How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.”  Amazing, isn’t it!  God is thinking about me all of the time, and planning the best for me!  What is any better than that?  I can take confidence today, no matter what I face, or what comes my way, I can know that God loves me and has the best in mind for me! 

“…the great riches of His grace which He has lavished upon us…”    Ephesians 1:7-8

Encouraging One Another

The writer of Hebrews tells us in 10:26, “encourage one another.”  What a wonderful word!  Encouragement is something that all of us need!  We all have those times when we are struggling and need the love, understanding and support of others.  I am so thankful that I have a circle of friends around me who care for me, love me, and are there to lift me up when they sense that my spirit is sagging.  We must remember that the Christian life is not a “sprint”, but a “marathon.”  Therefore, it is important for each of us to have a loving support group around us who can encourage us to stay faithful to Jesus Christ, and remember that we each need to be “encouragers” to our friends, too.

Who can you give a word of encouragement to today?