~ "Okay God, I'm listening..."

(photo by Celia Darrigo)

The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever--do not abandon the works of your hands. (Ps 138:8)

God loves us! He has made us perfect through salvation. Only a true believer can boast of that perfection. We are not perfect on earth, but will be perfect in heaven. No matter how hard something appears, God is right there with you! We are not alone!

We cannot sit on the fence when it comes to our belief in Jesus! We either believe it all or we are doomed to suffer the fate of the unbeliever. Much of what we see and know of the miracles of Jesus are quite unbelievable (in a human sense). How could one man feed so many, heal so many and know so many? How could he walk on water? How could he change water into wine? Why does he want me to follow him?

My heart knows the love of Christ! My spirit cries out for his comfort in times of heartache. His word tells me I will be rewarded for my undying love for him. I do what I do because God asks me to! He reaches out to each of us in different ways. Some are asked to build homes for homeless, some volunteer their time giving comfort to the elderly, some shelter animals, some spend time helping children, some preach, some write. 

Whatever it is that the Lord calls you to do, do it with joy in your heart. Don't grumble and complain. Go at it with the understanding that what you are doing is for him, not the praises of those around you. Be humble in your work. Your praise will come from him in his time. God's given each of us a gift. Use it to better the world around you, not for your own reward, but for his! He needs us to be his completely - not just on Sunday mornings! 

Read his word - the Bible is where we find that! Listen to what he's telling you! Do what it is he's asking you! Find a routine that suits you - morning, afternoon or evening. Give him your undivided attention (after all, he gives you his). If you don't have a Bible, you have an internet (the fact that you are reading this tells me so) - google an on-line Bible. Whether you use a reading plan or just open and read is up to you. We cannot be in the word if we are in the world. There is an answer for everything in there (trust me, I've read it cover to cover several times - it's all in there). 

Don't abandon your work for him because you don't have the time - there is always time for Jesus! Let his love wash over you, just as the waves wash over the shoreline. You will not be disappointed!

~ "Shoulda, coulda, woulda..."

(photo by Christina White)

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? (Ps 130:3)

I am grateful that God does not keep a record of our sins! If only we could be the same. When we are wronged, we tend to put that iniquity in a pile and save it for another time. The next time, we add to it, and continue and continue. We tell ourselves "I'm gonna give him one more chance" and then when we are hurt again - we cut the ties. 

Imagine if God cut our ties. Where would we be? We can sin (and we do, over and over again), and he will continue to forgive us. We all make many mistakes in our lives. We hurt the people we love and they hurt us. It seems to be a way of life for some. The statement we make is "they'll never change". Not true. If someone comes to know the Lord, all things are possible. Change is an event that does not happen in an instant. It takes time - a four-letter word none of us likes to hear. We want everything to happen now! We sit and we pray and we wait! God teaches us patience through others. Our growth comes by waiting on him. 

In the years since my divorce, I have grown. I have become someone that is pleasing to God. Sure, I stumble and struggle, but my soul has been spoken for. I'm never far from his grace or his love. I know what it is he wants from me and I comply. It's not always the easiest thing to do, but I try.

Giving myself completely to God's work has been the single most important thing I've ever done. Allowing him to work through me gives me joy that is immeasurable. Not everyone is tasked with walking away from everything they have to follow him, but those who are, know that it may not always be sunny, but it is always worth it. What I've given up for Jesus will be returned to me a hundred times over. But with that chosen path, comes temptation, anger and guilt. Each day I ask the Lord to remove these obstacles. Fortunately, God's love is stronger than Satan's desires! God may not mark our sins, but he certainly marks his children. We are the few. 

Reaching our goal is as simple as waking up after a long, healthy sleep. We are rested and refreshed in the Lord every day we walk with him. And that is our goal - to walk with him, to be his, without complaint, without hesitation. Give him the chance to make the changes in your life that need to be made and you will see the changes in those around you!