Jeremiah 29:1-11 (Click on reference to read text)
My husband and I are in the process of praying for the Lord's direction for our family. We desire His will and long to follow His leading. There are definite seasons in all believer's lives where we really are seeking out the heart of God and His will for our life.
However, often during these times of great seeking, waiting for the answer is almost debilitating. We may find ourselves no longer living in the present and being faithful where He has us now, because we are so wrapped up in where He wants us to be! I truly believe this is not of the Lord.
Although we are all familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, it is important to read and know the verses that precede it. The Israelites were in exile and they were definitely waiting for the Lord to give them a "go"! They were living for the promise that the Lord would bring them back to their home and prosper them, giving them a future and a hope! However, the Lord commands them to build houses (where they were), to live in them, to plant gardens, to marry and have children, to actually seek out the welfare of the city they were living in NOW (notice not their future city, but where they found themselves today), to pray to the Lord for that city they were living in NOW (vs. 4-7).
For lack of a better word, God wanted them to "bloom where they were planted." Where has God planted you? Is it in your ideal place? Are you waiting for God to fulfill His promise to you, "I have a plan to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope" (vs. 11)? Then start planting. Don't get so wrapped up in His potential future plans for you that you miss out on all the opportunity He has for you now. His promises always come to fruition. In His timing! We must not squander the time we have today, longing for tomorrow's promise.
So as I wait on His voice and leading for my family, I am going to spend my day going to the grocery store, taking my children on a walk with my neighbor, hosting events at my house to reach my community for the Lord, and if and when He opens that next door, I will be obedient and ready to walk through it.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Seeing but Not Looking...
Luke 24:13-31 (Click on reference to read text)
My three year old loves riding her bike. One day as she was riding, she began to pick up speed and I could tell she was starting to panic a little. She did not know how to slow her self down and she cried out. I was not worried because I knew something she didn't know. First, that she has training wheels and it is SO hard to fall with training wheels, and secondly that I was jogging along right behind her with my hand ready to slow her down if she teetered. You see my daughter did not see my stabling hand, because she was not looking for it. She just saw how fast she was riding and she was scared.
In the same way, these followers of Christ did not see Jesus, because they were not even looking for Him. He was standing right in front of them, and all they could see were their fears and confusion. Max Lucado, writing on this account, says, "Rather than consult Scripture, they listened to their fears. Jesus corrects this by appearing to them and conducting a Bible Study" (vs. 21-27).
We so often do the same thing. We find ourselves in circumstances we never dreamed we would be in, life starts flying by really fast, and we get scared. Instead of looking to Jesus, the WORD (John 1:1-14), we begin to look at everything around us and miss out on the steadying hand of Christ in our life.
Are you lonely and afraid? The Bible says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you" (Joshua 1:9). Are you confused? The Bible says that "your ear will hear a word behind you, This is the way, walk in it, whether you turn to the right or to the left" (Is 30:21). Do you need wisdom? The Bible says, "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).
Jesus is right there with you, even when you aren't looking for Him. Don't miss out on His presence! Instead of looking at your fears and your circumstances, look for Him! He had promised, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt 28:20).
My three year old loves riding her bike. One day as she was riding, she began to pick up speed and I could tell she was starting to panic a little. She did not know how to slow her self down and she cried out. I was not worried because I knew something she didn't know. First, that she has training wheels and it is SO hard to fall with training wheels, and secondly that I was jogging along right behind her with my hand ready to slow her down if she teetered. You see my daughter did not see my stabling hand, because she was not looking for it. She just saw how fast she was riding and she was scared.
In the same way, these followers of Christ did not see Jesus, because they were not even looking for Him. He was standing right in front of them, and all they could see were their fears and confusion. Max Lucado, writing on this account, says, "Rather than consult Scripture, they listened to their fears. Jesus corrects this by appearing to them and conducting a Bible Study" (vs. 21-27).
We so often do the same thing. We find ourselves in circumstances we never dreamed we would be in, life starts flying by really fast, and we get scared. Instead of looking to Jesus, the WORD (John 1:1-14), we begin to look at everything around us and miss out on the steadying hand of Christ in our life.
Are you lonely and afraid? The Bible says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you" (Joshua 1:9). Are you confused? The Bible says that "your ear will hear a word behind you, This is the way, walk in it, whether you turn to the right or to the left" (Is 30:21). Do you need wisdom? The Bible says, "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).
Jesus is right there with you, even when you aren't looking for Him. Don't miss out on His presence! Instead of looking at your fears and your circumstances, look for Him! He had promised, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt 28:20).
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