Trusting in the Lord

I received this from a co-worker and had been looking for a subject to do my devotional for our Ladies Meeting later this month. God made sure that she sent this to me just when I needed it. This is what my co-worker sent me later after I told her that I knew that He had her send that just for me.

It must have been meant for you. I received that email from my sister-in-law about the middle of last week and I was too busy to read it. I skimmed my email again first thing this morning and I still said, I’ll read it later. Well, around lunch time I got a pop up message from Kohl’s which led me to go into my email and I decided I would read that email now, and it was awesome I had to send it on.

TRUST GOD'S PLAN FOR YOUR DAY:

Me: (in a tizzy): God, can I ask you something?
GOD: Sure.
Me: Promise you won't get mad?
GOD: I promise.
Me (frustrated): Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
GOD: What do you mean?
Me: Well I woke up late,
GOD: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start,
GOD: Okay....
Me (growling): At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait
GOD: Hmmmm..
Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call
GOD: All right
Me (loudly): And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work.  Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
GOD: Well let me see..... The death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life.  I let you sleep through that.
Me (humbled): Oh...
GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that might have hit you if you were on the road
Me (ashamed): ............
GOD: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work
Me (embarrassed): Oh.....
GOD: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered
Me (softly): I see God
GOD: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm sorry God.
GOD: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me.........in all things, the good and the bad
Me: I WILL trust you God
GOD: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.
GOD: You're welcome child. It was just another day keeping my promises; I just love looking after my children.

Scriptural References: II Samuel 22:31, Proverbs 3:5, Hebrews 2:13

II Samuel 22:31

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Hebrews 2:13

And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

As you can see from the dialogue, it is really hard for us to trust Him. We get so caught up in our selfishness and day to day routines that we don’t stop to think that there might just be a reason that our pattern/routine was interrupted for that day. I am a HUGE grumbler when things do not go as I want them to. Notice I said, AS I WANT THEM TO. I am getting better at trusting that He is all knowing, all seeing and already there to make sure that I am safe and well taken care of. Let’s think about that for a minute. I’m imagining a large hand ever ready to shoot out and deflect all of the bad stuff of the world. Kind of like when our kid’s were little and us mothers were right there trying to shield them from all of that terrible stuff in the world. My Father is right there for me every second of every day.

I say to my husband all the time, we must not have been meant to do that and it has caught on with him too because he says it as well. It is hard to put that much trust in something and someone. You know though, when you accept Jesus, that’s what happens. It all gets taken care of. We may not think so at the time, but He is always in control and He always has a handle on everything in our lives. As I am writing this, I am thinking, how awesome it is that I have such a wonderful and loving Savior to be there for me every second of every day and how warm and cozy it feels in his loving arms.

This personal relationship with Jesus is what was behind this email being shared with the right person and then provided to me at just the right time. He is always on time, always.

Merry Christmas

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  Luke 2:11.

What a joyous day!!!  My savior, your savior, the savior of the whole world came down to earth to claim our sins and free us from eternal death.  Wowzers!!  Think of how much He lives us to do that for us.  I am awestruck by it. 

May you and yours have a wonderful holiday together.  I am very much looking forward to spending time with my close and extended family and friends. 

The Little Drummer Boy

I loved this photo.  I thought it was just adorable.

On the way to work this morning, I heard the new version of The Little Drummer Boy.  This has always been my favorite song.  I ALWAYS cry when I hear this song.  It chokes me up to think about being able to be there to honor our King with something as simple as a drum.  It would have been awesome to have been one of the privileged ones to be there and bring him a gift.  I totally relate to the line, "I am a poor boy too, I have not gift to bring, to lay before the king.  Shall I play for you, on my drum".  Jesus loves the small gifts much better than any gold, frankincense or myrrh.  He wants us to gift Him with our obedience, our praise and glorifying Him in everything we do.  Each one of the songs that I hear this morning after The Little Drummer Boy told me exactly that.  It was amazing how it all played together for me.  I know that I am not the only one that message was for, but I sure got it!  Yep I did!

I've been struggling a little with our church situation, not as much with my faith per se, but I have felt quite disjointed lately because we are a bit in limbo about going to church.  It seemed like this message was meant for me to tell me that I just need to keep my eyes on the "prize" and focus more on my Lord and Savior and less on where I am going to go to church.  We need to go yes, but I truly believe He is telling me to sit back and wait.  Focus on Him for now and just wait.  Wow, that will be so hard!! 

My family and I wish you the Merriest of Christmases and hope that you get to spend quality time with your family. Cherish them.  You never know when they won't be there for you to love and hug.  Blessings!!

More on Christ's Love

I did my study today in John 15. What an awesome book. I thought I would share some of my thought processes with you. It's funny, our Pastor did a message in John last night, so this had me in the book of John quite a bit today. If you want to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ, this is the book to do it in! All of my studies are in the King James Version bible.

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it my bring forth more fruit.
Meaning, we are the branch and if we do not serve as He would like for us to serve, we are not going to be receiving the blessings that He has in store for us.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
The blood is offered to clean us of the sin that plagues our lives. If you are saved you are white as snow. Glory to God!
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Well, that's pretty clear. We have to look to Him for assistance in all aspects of our lives. If we try to take care of it ourselves, we will mess it up good.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Isn't that the truth! AMEN!!
6 If a man abide not in me,he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
What an analogy. Here's what I believe that means: if you aren't saved, you will not go to heaven, but you will spend eternity in hell (the fire). That sure isn't where I want to be when the Lord returns!
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
As His disciples we are called to share His word and show others how to be saved. If you want to know how to be saved go here or just leave me a comment. I would be happy to show you.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
In short, He (Jesus) laid down His life for us that day at Calvary. ♫Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe...Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.♫
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
I am so proud to have Jesus as my friend!
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Here is the commandment to share His word again. You know, you don't have to seek Him out, He will find out. Maybe He has found you through my blog...hmmm
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
What greater love is there for your fellow man but to share His word with them.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
As Christians, we are going to be scorned, ridiculed, misunderstood, hated, and reviled. Be prepared for it!
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
In this verse, the world is Satan. Satan can't stand it when a sinner is saved and covered by the blood. It just infuriates him, thus the world will take it out on you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
Cloak = the blood of Jesus Christ
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus and the Father are of each other. They are the same.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
They (the Jewish people) condemned Him to die instead of a murderer.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Here again we are commanded to share His word. He wants us to save as many as we can before He comes back. Who knows when that will be, so you better get busy!!

Well, I don't have any photos yet. We didn't have any kids this last Sunday, so I did some preparing for the coming weeks.

I have decided that we are going to do the love (charity) chapter of 1 Corinthians for Valentine's Day. I am going to gear it toward the Preschool kids, but I know that the Lord will help me.

1 Corinthians 13
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
If we don't speak to each other with charity (love) all that anyone will hear from us is an annoying racket. Uck!
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Nothing that we do matters if we don't do it to glorify God. Plain and simple!
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Sounds like Jesus doesn't it. Here is another example of the bible telling us that we need to be Christlike in our living and how we treat each other. What Would Jesus Do...this phrase sure applies to this chapter.
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Jesus (charity, love) never ails us, where all others do.9 For we know in part, and we prophecy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
HO HO! Won't that be a glorious day when our Savior returns! Watch out Satan!!
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
When we are saved and born again, we are babies again, we still only understand mostly worldly things, but as we grow in Christ, read his word and serve him, we begin to put away those worldly things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
We don't see things as clearly now, but when we see the face of Jesus, everything will all become wonderfully clear. The greatest gift we ever have gotten is our salvation by believing in our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN and AMEN!!