Well, today’s the day…a very large, iconic stone in my path. I’ve been married to my wonderful husband now for 13 years…and have been without my Daddy now for 2. What a journey!
I’ve struggled so much on this journey, to be honest. Of course there have been fabulous times; but the pain has been there, too. So many times I have begged and pleaded with God to “grant me MY blessings” and give me what I have wanted. Now I don’t mean small, superficial “things.” I’m speaking of the major stuff—health, life and big miracles.
Sometimes He’s said “Yes” and intervened to alter reality. And so many other times I’ve gotten a big fat “No”…my Basset Hound was lost forever…my business struggled to survive…tragedy struck and took away all my grandparents, Daddy and uncle in a very short 18 months…my body struggled with severe health problems…I didn’t get the job I thought I wanted…
So why has God not said “Yes” to those things that would have meant so much to me? Why has He not spared my Daddy, at least!?!? This is the question I struggled with for so long. But not too long ago I was blessed with a “refresher course” that provided a new perspective.
The message:
God promises His blessings. All of His blessings are “stamped with a ‘Yes.’” He has not become a “Yes” and “No” God! He puts His “Yes” in us so that when we seek Him fully we also seek His full blessings—His full “Yes’s.” He is always a “Yes.”
Derived from 2 Corinthians 1:19-20
So while I truly thought, for example, that the best blessing I could receive would have been to have my Daddy spared for a longer time on this earth with me and his wife and other daughters and family…it wasn’t (as hard as this is to admit) a blessing that would have ultimately been the best for me, for us, for others in this world, and for the events in Heaven.
I don’t know what larger purpose my Daddy’s death has served. But I believe in God. I believe in God. I trust what He says to me. I trust what He says about me. I trust Him…and what He says is that His answer “for what is best”—the ultimate “better off for everyone in the long run” scenarios—is His “Yes.”
So I have to believe that somehow, somewhere, some way my Daddy had fulfilled all of His blessings here on earth and was called to serve a greater purpose elsewhere. His death and physical departure from me WAS His “Yes” because it needed to be for me and others to receive our intended Godly blessings. Wow.
(I see Daddy up there surrounded by a crowd of angels, mostly women, and he's entertaining them with his silly jokes, dramatic and intriguing stories and jovial charm and wit! I guess it's possible that "the greater blessing" could have been that Heaven was in desperate need of amusement! Ha.)
Food for thought…
Have you ever reaped an incredible and unexpected harvest following a “no” you thought you’d never survive?
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I’m NOT His Sous-Chef!!!
The message:
Always speak with gracefulness, with words that are seasoned to perfection and delivered with the best outcome possible for those who hear them.
Derived from Colossians 4:6
“Think before you speak.” We’ve all heard that directive a zillion times from our parents. Our Divine parent is basically saying the same thing to us here—but where are we to receive our thought (or grace and seasoning) in this? From Him, obviously! So let’s rephrase: “Listen before you speak.” Find out what special seasoning He’d like to grace your words with—before you open YOUR mouth.
So what seasoning do I put on my words? Unfortunately, I know that all too often I season my own words with my own concoction. I like to play “Sous-Chef” way too much, I suppose….even without realizing it. Really, I’m not supposed to be in the kitchen at all! I’m only supposed to be a servant—a conduit of delivery between the Chef and the Guest.
I wonder…how many times have I delivered the wrong “meal” to the wrong person because I was too busy playing chef instead of focusing on delivering the Food as the Chef intended? Hmm…that could be dangerous.
My prayer:
Oh, my God!! Please see that I want to allow You to season me—to Your perfection! Please help me to always set aside my control and human thoughts to allow Your perfect Grace to flow through my words and surround them with Your Divine Flavor! Help me to better deliver my speech, Your words, to reflect You so that it “tastes” just as it was intended by You and only You!
Always speak with gracefulness, with words that are seasoned to perfection and delivered with the best outcome possible for those who hear them.
Derived from Colossians 4:6
“Think before you speak.” We’ve all heard that directive a zillion times from our parents. Our Divine parent is basically saying the same thing to us here—but where are we to receive our thought (or grace and seasoning) in this? From Him, obviously! So let’s rephrase: “Listen before you speak.” Find out what special seasoning He’d like to grace your words with—before you open YOUR mouth.
So what seasoning do I put on my words? Unfortunately, I know that all too often I season my own words with my own concoction. I like to play “Sous-Chef” way too much, I suppose….even without realizing it. Really, I’m not supposed to be in the kitchen at all! I’m only supposed to be a servant—a conduit of delivery between the Chef and the Guest.
I wonder…how many times have I delivered the wrong “meal” to the wrong person because I was too busy playing chef instead of focusing on delivering the Food as the Chef intended? Hmm…that could be dangerous.
My prayer:
Oh, my God!! Please see that I want to allow You to season me—to Your perfection! Please help me to always set aside my control and human thoughts to allow Your perfect Grace to flow through my words and surround them with Your Divine Flavor! Help me to better deliver my speech, Your words, to reflect You so that it “tastes” just as it was intended by You and only You!
All aboard for Heaven on Earth!
Is it possible? “Heaven on Earth”, that is. Can it be? Can we possibly have God’s blessings surrounding us always right here in the middle of the World?
The message:
All Believers can hear and speak the same spiritual messages, but that doesn’t mean that God will be pleased with all of them.
Derived from 1 Corinthians 10:3-5
Why not? If we are all being fed the same and regurgitate the same shouldn’t we be treated equally by God?? Hmmm…that one can get you thinking. It did for me.
I’m thinking that what God may intend for us in this message is that “Spiritual food” is just that—food. Just like what we eat each day, it’s intended for our bodies to use for performance. Therefore, our spiritual food is intended for our spirits to use for performance.
So how do I perform? How does my spirit use the nourishment it receives to function in this world?
The message:
The point is not just to get by in this life. Our objective is to live to receive God’s intended and full blessings here on earth—and more importantly to help others to receive theirs.
Derived from 1 Corinthians 10:23-24
God’s promise to us is that He has blessings in store for us. He feeds us with spiritual food in order to fuel our actions that will propel us towards His blessings, too. But if we aren’t conditioning ourselves to efficiently run on the nutrition that is provided then some of us will reach Blessing—and some of us may not.
His Blessings to us ARE our Heaven on Earth. It’s His Divine Favor—His nod of Grace on us. They may come in all sizes—but it’s the sense of peace, joy and happiness that surrounds us in His Blessings that is the ultimate miracle. To have those things always in this world is, indeed, Heaven on Earth!
My prayer:
Lord please allow me to train my spirit to utilize Your nourishment in the most efficient and intended ways so that I may be able to receive, accept, recognize and enjoy the fullness of your blessings here on this earth. And moreover, God, please show me every moment how I can help others to reach your Blessings for them.
The message:
All Believers can hear and speak the same spiritual messages, but that doesn’t mean that God will be pleased with all of them.
Derived from 1 Corinthians 10:3-5
Why not? If we are all being fed the same and regurgitate the same shouldn’t we be treated equally by God?? Hmmm…that one can get you thinking. It did for me.
I’m thinking that what God may intend for us in this message is that “Spiritual food” is just that—food. Just like what we eat each day, it’s intended for our bodies to use for performance. Therefore, our spiritual food is intended for our spirits to use for performance.
So how do I perform? How does my spirit use the nourishment it receives to function in this world?
The message:
The point is not just to get by in this life. Our objective is to live to receive God’s intended and full blessings here on earth—and more importantly to help others to receive theirs.
Derived from 1 Corinthians 10:23-24
God’s promise to us is that He has blessings in store for us. He feeds us with spiritual food in order to fuel our actions that will propel us towards His blessings, too. But if we aren’t conditioning ourselves to efficiently run on the nutrition that is provided then some of us will reach Blessing—and some of us may not.
His Blessings to us ARE our Heaven on Earth. It’s His Divine Favor—His nod of Grace on us. They may come in all sizes—but it’s the sense of peace, joy and happiness that surrounds us in His Blessings that is the ultimate miracle. To have those things always in this world is, indeed, Heaven on Earth!
My prayer:
Lord please allow me to train my spirit to utilize Your nourishment in the most efficient and intended ways so that I may be able to receive, accept, recognize and enjoy the fullness of your blessings here on this earth. And moreover, God, please show me every moment how I can help others to reach your Blessings for them.
Love, Love, Love!!!
So in all of this studying, soul searching, praying and blogging I keep being fed the same thing over and over. It’s so apparent that the spiritual nourishment being placed in front of me to devour time and time again is this: Love is His Answer.
The message:
Most importantly, keep your Love for everyone running at full throttle, because Love can overcome in the roughest of waters.
Derived from 1 Peter 4:8
Love is “The Greatest.” Love “Conquers All.” Love “Never Fails.” It’s a message we are fed over and over. It’s so clear…so why is it that we continue to look for more? Maybe because Love is a challenge.
Love—the kind of Love that God created—is truly challenging. Think about it. We’re directed to Love the person who cut us off in traffic. Love the one who hurt our spouse. Love the drunk driver who killed our baby. Love the extremist who took the life of our soldier. Love the boss who makes our life miserable. Love the neighbor who parties all night. Love the teacher who grades unfairly. Love the man who preys on children.
It doesn’t seem “right”, does it? But He tells us that Love “covers a multitude of sins.” And Love “doesn’t judge.” And Love “never fails.” Oh! But how hard it is to truly Love EVERYONE! I love to make excuses about why there are some I refuse to love. But then I only perpetuate the problems of this world. I feed the monster. I nourish evil.
My best weapon of defense in this life is Love. It’s heavy. It’s cumbersome. It’s so hard to keep upright. But it will conquer all. It’s my lifeline. It’s my only hope of defeating the enemy and reaching the “Promised Land” of life’s blessings that God intends for me.
My prayer:
Lord, please help me to grow my heart to encompass all of those who I should Love as you Love. Please wake me up when I begin to judge, hate, and lose Love for others so that I may correct myself.
The message:
Most importantly, keep your Love for everyone running at full throttle, because Love can overcome in the roughest of waters.
Derived from 1 Peter 4:8
Love is “The Greatest.” Love “Conquers All.” Love “Never Fails.” It’s a message we are fed over and over. It’s so clear…so why is it that we continue to look for more? Maybe because Love is a challenge.
Love—the kind of Love that God created—is truly challenging. Think about it. We’re directed to Love the person who cut us off in traffic. Love the one who hurt our spouse. Love the drunk driver who killed our baby. Love the extremist who took the life of our soldier. Love the boss who makes our life miserable. Love the neighbor who parties all night. Love the teacher who grades unfairly. Love the man who preys on children.
It doesn’t seem “right”, does it? But He tells us that Love “covers a multitude of sins.” And Love “doesn’t judge.” And Love “never fails.” Oh! But how hard it is to truly Love EVERYONE! I love to make excuses about why there are some I refuse to love. But then I only perpetuate the problems of this world. I feed the monster. I nourish evil.
My best weapon of defense in this life is Love. It’s heavy. It’s cumbersome. It’s so hard to keep upright. But it will conquer all. It’s my lifeline. It’s my only hope of defeating the enemy and reaching the “Promised Land” of life’s blessings that God intends for me.
My prayer:
Lord, please help me to grow my heart to encompass all of those who I should Love as you Love. Please wake me up when I begin to judge, hate, and lose Love for others so that I may correct myself.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
"Spin Success"...100% GUARANTEED!
God gave me something incredible today…a guarantee. He dropped a nice message in my lap that is almost too amazing to wrap my brain around.
The message…
God is performing miracles right here—in my time—and right before my eyes. His works are happening all around me but I can’t possibly understand them even if anyone were to explain them to me.
Derived from Acts 13:41
Very cool. What He just told me is that He guarantees that His works are present; but it requires my faith and belief to accept. Because even if I tried to use my own logic and reasoning to figure out “why things happen” and “how God could possibly spin ‘this mess’” I can’t! I’ll never know, according to Him! Boy, that takes some pressure off!
I don’t have to try to figure it all out in order to believe…I mean, faith isn’t really blind if you can see, right? It’s a daily exercise against our norm…a stretch of our souls to believe without understanding, just because “He says so.”
So I shouldn’t doubt. I shouldn’t question. I shouldn’t be cynical. It sounds so easy; but it sure isn’t easy for me! Basically he’s just saying, “No, no—keep your seat—allow me to clean up the mess and take care of everything!” When my husband says that it’s sure much easier for me to accept! (haha.)
So why the fight? Why the emotional turmoil? Why the struggle of thought? Someone (my buddy “Hunter”, in fact) once described God to me as “the Master of Plan B.” Wow—I love that. He’s the ultimate Spin Doctor! And He’s very clearly just told me to sit back, relax, believe, and allow him to spin my messes for me—guaranteed.
Thoughts to ponder…
How many times do you think that your own attempts at “spin doctoring” a mess have interfered with God’s work? Of course, He can just keep working because we certainly can’t prevent Him from anything…but do we get in the way sometimes by trying to “fix it” ourselves?
My personal challenge…
Oh, God, please help me! Please let me retrain my human mind to let go of the reigns and believe in your guarantees!
The message…
God is performing miracles right here—in my time—and right before my eyes. His works are happening all around me but I can’t possibly understand them even if anyone were to explain them to me.
Derived from Acts 13:41
Very cool. What He just told me is that He guarantees that His works are present; but it requires my faith and belief to accept. Because even if I tried to use my own logic and reasoning to figure out “why things happen” and “how God could possibly spin ‘this mess’” I can’t! I’ll never know, according to Him! Boy, that takes some pressure off!
I don’t have to try to figure it all out in order to believe…I mean, faith isn’t really blind if you can see, right? It’s a daily exercise against our norm…a stretch of our souls to believe without understanding, just because “He says so.”
So I shouldn’t doubt. I shouldn’t question. I shouldn’t be cynical. It sounds so easy; but it sure isn’t easy for me! Basically he’s just saying, “No, no—keep your seat—allow me to clean up the mess and take care of everything!” When my husband says that it’s sure much easier for me to accept! (haha.)
So why the fight? Why the emotional turmoil? Why the struggle of thought? Someone (my buddy “Hunter”, in fact) once described God to me as “the Master of Plan B.” Wow—I love that. He’s the ultimate Spin Doctor! And He’s very clearly just told me to sit back, relax, believe, and allow him to spin my messes for me—guaranteed.
Thoughts to ponder…
How many times do you think that your own attempts at “spin doctoring” a mess have interfered with God’s work? Of course, He can just keep working because we certainly can’t prevent Him from anything…but do we get in the way sometimes by trying to “fix it” ourselves?
My personal challenge…
Oh, God, please help me! Please let me retrain my human mind to let go of the reigns and believe in your guarantees!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
So close, yet so far?
The message…
Let God work his will in you. Fight evil (using your full Armor) and watch it run away! Set ‘self’ aside and let God in…let him come close. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your mind and your life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master (the one who exerts authority); it's the only way you'll get back on your feet.
Derived from James 4:7-10
So I considered something yesterday…the thought followed a statement I made: “I feel closer to God now than ever!” Well that’s great and all…but what stood out profoundly in my mind and lingered there all day was this: Does feeling God’s closeness necessarily mean that I am in His will?
When I was younger I can remember the times that I stayed home from school because I was sick with fever, the flu or an injury. I so vividly remember those times…but why? Why did those moments in my life embed themselves in my brain? What I specifically remember is the feeling and emotion that accompanied the situation. I remember the extra TLC that Mom and Dad gave me. You remember those times…
The closeness I felt was so invigorating. I felt warmth, love, affection, security, concern. Mom would consistently check on me, nourish me with special snacks, ensure my absolute comfort, keep me company, offer me her undivided attention….oh, those days were so nice! I felt ‘fed’ emotionally…and that’s a great feeling!
But just because I was incredibly close to Mom in those moments didn’t mean that I was well. She drew so near to me— and me to her—because she knew I was sick. She was trying to make me better and support me through the rough moments of illness. Does God do the same thing?
Of course I believe that we feel a closeness to God—a special bond—when we are following his plans and receiving his blessings; but I would guess we would feel just as close to him during our times of sorrow and pain; during moments of struggle and stray. Maybe He’s drawing near to us in an attempt to grab our attention, speak gravely in our ear and grab us by the shoulders to spin us around and point us in the right direction! “Look—over there—go THAT way!”
The message…
It is impossible to please God without conviction and loyalty to Him and His desires. The person who draws near to Him must also believe that He is there and that He will reward His followers with blessings.
Derived from Hebrews 11:6
Well that sums it up pretty plainly for me! It is IMPOSSIBLE to be pleasing to Him and to receive His blessings if I am outside his will, lacking conviction and faith…but yet “the person who draws near to Him must believe that He is there.” So I can be close to him; but not necessarily fulfilling the rest of this message until I am convicted and ready to drop my own objectives to follow Him, believing with absolute trust that His way will bring me the best outcome. And I would think that if I am “close to God” and not feeling “settled emotionally” then I am probably not quite fulfilling my end of the deal…because His blessings certainly don’t come with turmoil.
Faith requires action—stepping off the cliff because He’s leading us there, regardless of our own desires, questions, or fears. And the rest of James 4 discusses that, too—basically saying that we are so spoiled and arrogant to be willing to fight even God to carry out our own plans. But that’s not faith. That’s not peace. That’s not blessing…although, it may mean closeness. After all, we would have to be darn close to struggle.
Let God work his will in you. Fight evil (using your full Armor) and watch it run away! Set ‘self’ aside and let God in…let him come close. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your mind and your life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master (the one who exerts authority); it's the only way you'll get back on your feet.
Derived from James 4:7-10
So I considered something yesterday…the thought followed a statement I made: “I feel closer to God now than ever!” Well that’s great and all…but what stood out profoundly in my mind and lingered there all day was this: Does feeling God’s closeness necessarily mean that I am in His will?
When I was younger I can remember the times that I stayed home from school because I was sick with fever, the flu or an injury. I so vividly remember those times…but why? Why did those moments in my life embed themselves in my brain? What I specifically remember is the feeling and emotion that accompanied the situation. I remember the extra TLC that Mom and Dad gave me. You remember those times…
The closeness I felt was so invigorating. I felt warmth, love, affection, security, concern. Mom would consistently check on me, nourish me with special snacks, ensure my absolute comfort, keep me company, offer me her undivided attention….oh, those days were so nice! I felt ‘fed’ emotionally…and that’s a great feeling!
But just because I was incredibly close to Mom in those moments didn’t mean that I was well. She drew so near to me— and me to her—because she knew I was sick. She was trying to make me better and support me through the rough moments of illness. Does God do the same thing?
Of course I believe that we feel a closeness to God—a special bond—when we are following his plans and receiving his blessings; but I would guess we would feel just as close to him during our times of sorrow and pain; during moments of struggle and stray. Maybe He’s drawing near to us in an attempt to grab our attention, speak gravely in our ear and grab us by the shoulders to spin us around and point us in the right direction! “Look—over there—go THAT way!”
The message…
It is impossible to please God without conviction and loyalty to Him and His desires. The person who draws near to Him must also believe that He is there and that He will reward His followers with blessings.
Derived from Hebrews 11:6
Well that sums it up pretty plainly for me! It is IMPOSSIBLE to be pleasing to Him and to receive His blessings if I am outside his will, lacking conviction and faith…but yet “the person who draws near to Him must believe that He is there.” So I can be close to him; but not necessarily fulfilling the rest of this message until I am convicted and ready to drop my own objectives to follow Him, believing with absolute trust that His way will bring me the best outcome. And I would think that if I am “close to God” and not feeling “settled emotionally” then I am probably not quite fulfilling my end of the deal…because His blessings certainly don’t come with turmoil.
Faith requires action—stepping off the cliff because He’s leading us there, regardless of our own desires, questions, or fears. And the rest of James 4 discusses that, too—basically saying that we are so spoiled and arrogant to be willing to fight even God to carry out our own plans. But that’s not faith. That’s not peace. That’s not blessing…although, it may mean closeness. After all, we would have to be darn close to struggle.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Pocket full of kryptonite...
The message:
“Life requires that we put on the full ‘armor of God’ at all times so that we can be able to fight against the daily evil that is put upon us.”
Derived from Ephesians 6:13
“Daily evil”… “the evil day” (per the scripture). Wow. Sounds scary. But let’s face it—evil is out there, surrounding us each day. We live among it; breathe the same air; share the same land. Sometimes it is so close that if we aren’t fully protected we can’t even notice its differences.
So what is it exactly that I’m supposed to do to protect myself from getting swept into situations in life that are not part of God’s plan for me? And wouldn’t God sound an alarm or something to alert me of evil? “No, No! Not that way! Look over here—OVER HERE!” ….or does He already do that for me?
That’s the crazy thing about evil, I’ve learned. It doesn’t always look, sound or feel evil right off the bat. Evil is tricky—and likes to be a chameleon… “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”, if you will. So how CAN I always be keen enough to notice the differences between God’s path for me and the path of evil that only looks like God’s path?? I mean, why doesn’t God just stop Evil from trying to trick us all the time??
So after much thought…here’s what I am chewing on:
- While I believe God has the power to do anything; I also believe that when He set the world into motion He decided then to allow Fate to play a role. Things just happen. It’s life. We make our own decisions, chose our own paths…just as Adam and Eve did.
- But I don’t believe that just because Fate plays a role that we’re out here all alone destined to flounder in whatever fate brings. I believe that as things happen—the fateful ‘good’ and ‘bad’—that we are to turn to God and use our “tool-kit” to allow those situations to work for us as blessings.
- I believe that when we are utilizing all of the tools He’s given us then we can see, hear and feel more clearly. Like putting on a superhero’s power suit, we can suddenly see with x-ray vision, hear through the thickest walls and sense out danger from miles away! It’s our “armor.”
- I believe that one of the tools we have in our kit is prayer. So, yes—I believe in the awesome power of prayer. I believe that through prayer God can work miracles. Do I mean parting water or zapping cancer?? Maybe. But more so I think He works miracles all the time that we don’t recognize as miracles. A child is sick and dying. People everywhere are praying. The child dies and some think “Why didn’t God perform a miracle??” Maybe He did! Ask Him to show them to you….how many lives did that child touch, the parents survived and are healing, a group of friends was formed that may change the world with their mission…all through this situation. So was it the miracle you wanted? Maybe not. But He works miracles all the time in so many situations and because we are incapable of seeing the entirety of Him we don’t recognize them as miracles. And that’s where Faith comes in….we have to Believe Him and what He has promised: that when we come to Him and look to Him and follow Him we will receive His blessings. So just because what WE wanted to be blessed with didn’t happen does not mean that He isn’t blessing us.
And what exactly is our Armor? What’s the superhero power suit He’s provided us??
- Shield of Faith….check.
- Sword of Spirit…check. (Do I understand His messages from scripture enough to be fully armed? Can I hear His Spirit when He speaks…am I listening?)
- Bodysuit of Truth…check. (Do I function in HIS reality with HIS accuracy and precision? Because not all ‘good’ things are really HIS truth.)
- Vest of Morality & Integrity…check. (Do I live life with honor and integrity in Him?)
- Boots of Peace & Hope…check.
- Helmet of Salvation…check. (I BELIEVE that He will deliver me from evil on a daily basis.)
- Voice of Constant Prayer…check. (Do I pray ALWAYS? Do I pray to the Spirit?)
- Vision of Determination and Petition for Earthly Angels…check. (Do I purposefully seek direction and signs of His will through divine interventions? Do I believe in divine intervention and involvement? OH, YES!! Am I looking for his "alarms" and "signals of 'DANGER'"?)
Thoughts to ponder…What can happen to me if my armor becomes weak, old, unpolished or damaged? What can happen if I forget or choose to dress myself without one of these pieces? Can evil ways then breach my superhero powers? What is my kryptonite??? (You can bet that Evil has a pocket full of it!)
“Life requires that we put on the full ‘armor of God’ at all times so that we can be able to fight against the daily evil that is put upon us.”
Derived from Ephesians 6:13
“Daily evil”… “the evil day” (per the scripture). Wow. Sounds scary. But let’s face it—evil is out there, surrounding us each day. We live among it; breathe the same air; share the same land. Sometimes it is so close that if we aren’t fully protected we can’t even notice its differences.
So what is it exactly that I’m supposed to do to protect myself from getting swept into situations in life that are not part of God’s plan for me? And wouldn’t God sound an alarm or something to alert me of evil? “No, No! Not that way! Look over here—OVER HERE!” ….or does He already do that for me?
That’s the crazy thing about evil, I’ve learned. It doesn’t always look, sound or feel evil right off the bat. Evil is tricky—and likes to be a chameleon… “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”, if you will. So how CAN I always be keen enough to notice the differences between God’s path for me and the path of evil that only looks like God’s path?? I mean, why doesn’t God just stop Evil from trying to trick us all the time??
So after much thought…here’s what I am chewing on:
- While I believe God has the power to do anything; I also believe that when He set the world into motion He decided then to allow Fate to play a role. Things just happen. It’s life. We make our own decisions, chose our own paths…just as Adam and Eve did.
- But I don’t believe that just because Fate plays a role that we’re out here all alone destined to flounder in whatever fate brings. I believe that as things happen—the fateful ‘good’ and ‘bad’—that we are to turn to God and use our “tool-kit” to allow those situations to work for us as blessings.
- I believe that when we are utilizing all of the tools He’s given us then we can see, hear and feel more clearly. Like putting on a superhero’s power suit, we can suddenly see with x-ray vision, hear through the thickest walls and sense out danger from miles away! It’s our “armor.”
- I believe that one of the tools we have in our kit is prayer. So, yes—I believe in the awesome power of prayer. I believe that through prayer God can work miracles. Do I mean parting water or zapping cancer?? Maybe. But more so I think He works miracles all the time that we don’t recognize as miracles. A child is sick and dying. People everywhere are praying. The child dies and some think “Why didn’t God perform a miracle??” Maybe He did! Ask Him to show them to you….how many lives did that child touch, the parents survived and are healing, a group of friends was formed that may change the world with their mission…all through this situation. So was it the miracle you wanted? Maybe not. But He works miracles all the time in so many situations and because we are incapable of seeing the entirety of Him we don’t recognize them as miracles. And that’s where Faith comes in….we have to Believe Him and what He has promised: that when we come to Him and look to Him and follow Him we will receive His blessings. So just because what WE wanted to be blessed with didn’t happen does not mean that He isn’t blessing us.
And what exactly is our Armor? What’s the superhero power suit He’s provided us??
- Shield of Faith….check.
- Sword of Spirit…check. (Do I understand His messages from scripture enough to be fully armed? Can I hear His Spirit when He speaks…am I listening?)
- Bodysuit of Truth…check. (Do I function in HIS reality with HIS accuracy and precision? Because not all ‘good’ things are really HIS truth.)
- Vest of Morality & Integrity…check. (Do I live life with honor and integrity in Him?)
- Boots of Peace & Hope…check.
- Helmet of Salvation…check. (I BELIEVE that He will deliver me from evil on a daily basis.)
- Voice of Constant Prayer…check. (Do I pray ALWAYS? Do I pray to the Spirit?)
- Vision of Determination and Petition for Earthly Angels…check. (Do I purposefully seek direction and signs of His will through divine interventions? Do I believe in divine intervention and involvement? OH, YES!! Am I looking for his "alarms" and "signals of 'DANGER'"?)
Thoughts to ponder…What can happen to me if my armor becomes weak, old, unpolished or damaged? What can happen if I forget or choose to dress myself without one of these pieces? Can evil ways then breach my superhero powers? What is my kryptonite??? (You can bet that Evil has a pocket full of it!)
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