As I was reading my Bible today I was reading in the book of Numbers chapter 9 I came to the verses in this chapter that read "17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out."
I went to continue reading and my eyes kept going back to this passage....In verse 18 it says "At the Lord's command the Israelites set out and at His command they encamped." God spoke to me through this verse..."Where would my people be if they moved when I told them to move and stayed when I told them to stay?" I was like "I don't know God. He said to my spirit "They would be right where I need them to be when I needed them to be there to make the biggest impact for my Kingdom!" Wow! How many of us (myself included) have missed being where God needed us to be because we didn't move when He told us too or we moved too soon?
In the verses that follow we see that God chose to keep them encamped for a few days, a few months, or even a year! How many of us are willing to be obedient and wait even a few hours in His presence for an answer to prayer, let alone a year or more? In this microwave society, we want it our way right away! The problem with that is we do not serve a microwave God or a genie that we can snap our fingers at and expect Him to move! God is not moved by our commands or our demands, He is moved by our love and obedience to Him and to His will.
God's challenging His people to begin again to seek Him, listen to Him, allow Him to direct our paths, and be obedient to what He is telling us to do and to where He is telling us to go. If we simply hear what He says but are disobedient, He cannot use us. We have free will and if we walk in rebellion and disobedience, He can and will find someone else to fulfill what was intended for us to do. We will have missed God's timing and His call.
We need to take the time to get to know Him so that when He speaks we know that it is Him we are hearing. Take time each day to quiet yourself before Him, take time to LISTEN and not always ask. When we are doing all the talking how can we hear what He is trying to say? Our conversations with Him cannot be one sided if we are going to be in the right place at the right time.
I challenge you to make time for God and He will bless you! It is SO easy in this life to get so busy that we don't take the time to spend with Him. But I am telling you that in this day it is ESSENTIAL to your spiritual survival as a Christian to spend time with HIM!!! God is done with the mediocre, He is looking for a Bride without spot or wrinkle, a Bride whose lamp is not empty, a Bride that is ready for their Groom!!!! Are you ready?
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Lean not on your own understanding...
Have you ever gone through a situation or time in your life where you knew that God was up to something but you couldn't grasp in your own mind what exactly it was? The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5 "5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" (NIV). There are times that God is moving, changing, shaping, molding, and creating to be what He wants us to be. In some of those times we may not quite be able to see the Big Picture that He sees.
A few weeks ago my Pastor - Pastor Daniel Parker- made a profound statement. He said this pertaining to our walk with God "trust is requested, but faith is REQUIRED!". This is SO true. We have to have faith in Our God that He knows what is best for us. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says "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." (NIV). God has our best interest in mind and He is on our side!!!!
What other religion or faith can say that they have a living God that sent His Son to die and RISE AGAIN for them???? None! Jesus Christ is the One and Only True and LIVING GOD!!!! John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God made the ultimate sacrifice for US! John 15:13 "13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." God considers us His friends! That blows my mind...the Creator of the Universe...My Creator....considers ME His friend!
I think of that and just sit in awe of what an Awesome God we serve!!! How merciful and gracious is He that He would even consider my life, consider me as His friend, His child, His precious one!!!
God this morning, I stop to say "Thank you Papa God for your grace over my life! I should be dead, BUT You saw fit to be merciful and gracious to me!!! Thank you Lord for Loving me like no person ever could! Thank you for Being my Everything....without You I am NOTHING!!! I am Yours Father, no matter what others think or say, I am YOURS! I owe you my life and I will go where you send me. I love Papa God!!!!"
I encourage you all to remember all that He has done for you!!! Take the time today to thank the Mighty and Awesome God we serve for all He has done and all He is doing!!!! He is worthy of our praise NO MATTER WHAT we are going through!!!
Blessings to each of you today in Jesus Name!!!
A few weeks ago my Pastor - Pastor Daniel Parker- made a profound statement. He said this pertaining to our walk with God "trust is requested, but faith is REQUIRED!". This is SO true. We have to have faith in Our God that He knows what is best for us. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says "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." (NIV). God has our best interest in mind and He is on our side!!!!
What other religion or faith can say that they have a living God that sent His Son to die and RISE AGAIN for them???? None! Jesus Christ is the One and Only True and LIVING GOD!!!! John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God made the ultimate sacrifice for US! John 15:13 "13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." God considers us His friends! That blows my mind...the Creator of the Universe...My Creator....considers ME His friend!
I think of that and just sit in awe of what an Awesome God we serve!!! How merciful and gracious is He that He would even consider my life, consider me as His friend, His child, His precious one!!!
God this morning, I stop to say "Thank you Papa God for your grace over my life! I should be dead, BUT You saw fit to be merciful and gracious to me!!! Thank you Lord for Loving me like no person ever could! Thank you for Being my Everything....without You I am NOTHING!!! I am Yours Father, no matter what others think or say, I am YOURS! I owe you my life and I will go where you send me. I love Papa God!!!!"
I encourage you all to remember all that He has done for you!!! Take the time today to thank the Mighty and Awesome God we serve for all He has done and all He is doing!!!! He is worthy of our praise NO MATTER WHAT we are going through!!!
Blessings to each of you today in Jesus Name!!!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Total Health
On the road to weight loss over the last few years God has convicted me that I need total health, not just weight loss. If I am seeking to be truly healthy that should include my mental and spiritual health as well.
I think of 1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" Our bodies consist of not just the physical but also the spiritual.
When do not eat and feed our physical bodies, bad things happen. We get weak, sick, fatigued, and have a hard time functioning. The same is true if we do not feed our spiritual bodies with the Word of God, prayer and meditation, and time with God. We will begin to get weak in our faith, weary in the battle, and have a hard time being used of God. The devil loves it when we spiritually starve ourselves, it makes his job a whole lot easier!
When we do not get rest for our physical body, we can lose time with God because we are too tired to take time for God. We need to learn to set healthy boundaries for ourselves. We cannot be so busy doing the work of God that we forget the God we are doing the work for! Rest is a necessity...God rested (took a Sabbath), He set the example for us from the beginning.
So I challange you as God has challanged me, take time to take care of yourself - mind, body, soul, and spirit. Make time for you and God, and make time for you...if you are rested and well, both physically and spiritually, you will be more prepared to move when God tells you to move.
I think of 1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" Our bodies consist of not just the physical but also the spiritual.
When do not eat and feed our physical bodies, bad things happen. We get weak, sick, fatigued, and have a hard time functioning. The same is true if we do not feed our spiritual bodies with the Word of God, prayer and meditation, and time with God. We will begin to get weak in our faith, weary in the battle, and have a hard time being used of God. The devil loves it when we spiritually starve ourselves, it makes his job a whole lot easier!
When we do not get rest for our physical body, we can lose time with God because we are too tired to take time for God. We need to learn to set healthy boundaries for ourselves. We cannot be so busy doing the work of God that we forget the God we are doing the work for! Rest is a necessity...God rested (took a Sabbath), He set the example for us from the beginning.
So I challange you as God has challanged me, take time to take care of yourself - mind, body, soul, and spirit. Make time for you and God, and make time for you...if you are rested and well, both physically and spiritually, you will be more prepared to move when God tells you to move.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Testimony....
Today I have been thinking about where God has brought me from, who I used to be, and where God is taking me....
Many of you that may read this may remember the Sue I used to be - an insecure, fearful, young girl desperate for "love" and attention from anyone I could get it from. So desperate that I did some crazy and stupid things to get the "love" I so desperately longed for....as so many young girls do.
Many of you may know me for the Sue that I am currently - a sinner redeemed by grace, that is not who she used to be, who knows who she is in Christ Jesus, and where real love comes from, with a passion for God and for what He is calling me to....
God sees the Sue that I will become, the Sue He wants and needs me to be, and He sees me as His beloved daughter.
Looking back, not to go back but to remember where He has brought me from, I would not want to go through alot of what I went through again. But I know that the things that I went through (whether because of life or because of choices that I made), made me who I am today. I am a fighter and I will not let anyone or anything stop me from moving forward into what God has for me and my family.
This is my declaration...Philippians 3:14 says "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Where has God brought you from? What has he done in your life? Where does He want to take you? I challange you to think and pray about these questions...share your testimony and God goodness and grace in your life with others, and seek Him for direction in your life.
Many of you that may read this may remember the Sue I used to be - an insecure, fearful, young girl desperate for "love" and attention from anyone I could get it from. So desperate that I did some crazy and stupid things to get the "love" I so desperately longed for....as so many young girls do.
Many of you may know me for the Sue that I am currently - a sinner redeemed by grace, that is not who she used to be, who knows who she is in Christ Jesus, and where real love comes from, with a passion for God and for what He is calling me to....
God sees the Sue that I will become, the Sue He wants and needs me to be, and He sees me as His beloved daughter.
Looking back, not to go back but to remember where He has brought me from, I would not want to go through alot of what I went through again. But I know that the things that I went through (whether because of life or because of choices that I made), made me who I am today. I am a fighter and I will not let anyone or anything stop me from moving forward into what God has for me and my family.
This is my declaration...Philippians 3:14 says "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Where has God brought you from? What has he done in your life? Where does He want to take you? I challange you to think and pray about these questions...share your testimony and God goodness and grace in your life with others, and seek Him for direction in your life.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Hungry for more of Him....
As I sit here on my couch this morning reading His Word and listening to worship music I am amazed at how He is so present. I don't know about you all but as I read over the stories of those like Saul (Paul), David, Luke, and many more who were less than perfect, I am amazed at God!
Looking at how God chose to use those that were less than perfect to minister His Word and His Love brings great hope to my heart. Because I am definitely one of those "less than perfect" people! So many things in my life that God is still sifting and changing but yet He chooses to use me, despite me....What an awesome God. We don't have to be perfect or have it all together to be used of Him. Our goal is to be more like Him in all that we do, but we are human and will never be perfect.
My prayer to Him is MORE!!! More of Him and less of me...my very soul longs for more. I know that there is more for my life, more for my family, more for my friends....He says in His word in John 14:14 "14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." God I am asking for more of you and less of me so that I can be who You have called me to be for Your Honor and Glory!!!
We are believing God for Bigger....but what is our motiviation for Bigger? Is it to give God the honor and the glory or is it for our selfish gain? Are we willing to pay the price for Bigger? In Luke 12:48 it says "48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." We like the "to whom much is given" part but we kind of skip over the "much will be required" part. We want to be in ministry but we don't see all the turmoil, attacks, hard work, and pain it takes to get to where God can use us...You want Bigger but are you willing to pay the price for it?
Bigger means warfare...it means going after God like you never have before! You can't have and handle the Bigger God has for you without staying in shape (spiritually) to carry the load. The devil will knock you out if you are not in God's word, if you are not spending time with God, and if you have not put on the full armor of God. Be careful what you ask God for, you may not like the price it comes with.
If you are truly hungry for more of God and for the Bigger He has for you...get ready. Don't take it for granted and just assume you can handle it. Seek Him with all you are! He longs to spend time with you, He loves you SO much!!! He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for you...His desire is YOU!!! He created you for Himself...Seek Him and you WILL find HIM!!!!
God I pray that as we go after you with all we have that you begin to move in and through us...give us Your Heart and Your Love for those around us. Help us to speak, act, and move only when and what you want us to. God we give You control. Have Your way God!!! In Jesus Name!!!! AMEN!!!!
Looking at how God chose to use those that were less than perfect to minister His Word and His Love brings great hope to my heart. Because I am definitely one of those "less than perfect" people! So many things in my life that God is still sifting and changing but yet He chooses to use me, despite me....What an awesome God. We don't have to be perfect or have it all together to be used of Him. Our goal is to be more like Him in all that we do, but we are human and will never be perfect.
My prayer to Him is MORE!!! More of Him and less of me...my very soul longs for more. I know that there is more for my life, more for my family, more for my friends....He says in His word in John 14:14 "14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." God I am asking for more of you and less of me so that I can be who You have called me to be for Your Honor and Glory!!!
We are believing God for Bigger....but what is our motiviation for Bigger? Is it to give God the honor and the glory or is it for our selfish gain? Are we willing to pay the price for Bigger? In Luke 12:48 it says "48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." We like the "to whom much is given" part but we kind of skip over the "much will be required" part. We want to be in ministry but we don't see all the turmoil, attacks, hard work, and pain it takes to get to where God can use us...You want Bigger but are you willing to pay the price for it?
Bigger means warfare...it means going after God like you never have before! You can't have and handle the Bigger God has for you without staying in shape (spiritually) to carry the load. The devil will knock you out if you are not in God's word, if you are not spending time with God, and if you have not put on the full armor of God. Be careful what you ask God for, you may not like the price it comes with.
If you are truly hungry for more of God and for the Bigger He has for you...get ready. Don't take it for granted and just assume you can handle it. Seek Him with all you are! He longs to spend time with you, He loves you SO much!!! He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for you...His desire is YOU!!! He created you for Himself...Seek Him and you WILL find HIM!!!!
God I pray that as we go after you with all we have that you begin to move in and through us...give us Your Heart and Your Love for those around us. Help us to speak, act, and move only when and what you want us to. God we give You control. Have Your way God!!! In Jesus Name!!!! AMEN!!!!
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