Life Interrupted

God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.  Hebrews 6:10

Hello Friends.  I pray you had a wonderful week and saw the presence of the LORD at work in your life.  I want us today to think about interruptions that occur in our lives.  How do we respond to interruptions? Usually we don’t respond well because we have a plan and a schedule we feel like we must adhere to.  Could these interruptions be preordained by our Heavenly Father because He has something of kingdom importance for us to do?  Search your heart today and think about past interruptions.  Ask your Savior and LORD, did I miss an opportunity to be obedient to Your call of service?  Then be prepared to watch for interruptions (God’s call to kingdom service) and allow yourself to follow Christ wherever He may lead. 

As Christian women it is important for us to strive to live our lives with purpose, perspective, and persistence.  Where do we get our purpose and perspective?  Where do we get the ability to be persistent?  Only from our precious Savior and LORD.  Lysa Terkeurst reveals in her book What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, “A sign of spiritual maturity is looking to God for our purpose and our perspective.”  I encourage you today to prayerfully seek out the purpose that God has for your life.  Ask your Heavenly Father to give you godly perspective concerning interruptions in your life.  Prayerfully ask God to reveal Himself to you as these interruptions occur.  Choose to look at the interruptions as a glorious adventure with your Savior and LORD.  The lives that will be touched and the blessings received will never be fully recognized until we enter into glory. 

Our love for our Savior and LORD should compel us to look for God’s purpose, even in the interruptions which occur in our life.  Even when the interruptions are difficult, we can trust God.  God tells us in Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.  When we come to the place in our spiritual walk with our Heavenly Father, where we truly trust Him, our perspective changes.  We will begin to view things with eternity in mind. 

As we travel on this journey through life, we can be comforted to know that our Savior and LORD is our provision and our protection.  There will be times when interruptions occur and  you will feel weary and weak.  Cry out to God and ask Him to be your portion.  Lysa Terkeurst states in her book, “How can God be our Ultimate Provider if we aren’t ever lacking and in need?”  God tells us in 1 Timothy 6:17 – Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Lamentations 3:22-24 – Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The LORD  is my portion ; therefore I will wait for him.” 

Sweet friend, view interruptions from this time forward with a new perspective, a godly perspective.  Look at interruption in YOUR plans and YOUR goals as opportunities to grow spiritually.  Whatever the interruption may be, if it is purposed and planned by God, the outcome is in His hands.  Isaiah 14:24 – The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.”

Dear Heavenly Father….I pray today that we will begin to serve you out of delight, not duty.  I pray LORD that you will reveal to us Your purpose, and place in us Your perspective.  LORD as we serve, help us to serve with persistence.  You alone are our strength.  Help us Father to look to you for our provision and protection.  You are our ultimate provider.  Help us to recognize this and give You the honor, glory, and praise.  Sweet LORD lead us to accept the interruptions, You have placed before us.  Thank You LORD for allowing me to serve.  In Jesus Precious Holy Name I Pray….AMEN.

 

 

 

 

 

Surrendering in the Small Things

Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  John 15:4

Hello friend.  I pray you are doing well.  Today I want us to reflect on what it means to surrender to God in the small things.  Often we think about how we can surrender to God in big ways, radical ways, but today let’s think about how we can surrender to God in small things.  Every time we surrender to our Savior and LORD, whether we consider it big or small, He is pleased.  Examine your heart today dear friend and ask yourself these questions. Is God LORD of ALL in my life?  Do I truly desire to surrender everything I am and everything I do to my Savior and LORD?  What is it that compels us to surrender all things to God? 

If we are to become women who surrender to our Savior and LORD, we have to realize where it starts.  Our surrender starts with JESUS.  We must allow Jesus to truly be the LORD over ALL in our lives.  1 Peter 3:15 tells us – But in your hearts set apart Christ as LORD.  Lysa Terkeurst tells us in her book What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, “Jesus must be Lord of ALL if He is our Lord at all.”  I encourage you to examine your heart to determine, if Jesus truly is the LORD of your life.

Are you willing to allow your life to be interrupted, to be used by God?  Do you truly desire to see God, hear God, and follow God?  We demonstrate our love for Christ in our obedience to Him.  John 8:31-32 – If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.  Allow your love for Christ to compel you today to choose obedience in the small things.  Christ will enable you to do what He is leading you to do. He alone provides the power and the strength we will need as we serve Him. Christ may be asking you today to offer someone a smile or a kind word.  A small offering of encouragement to someone may be a wonderful blessing that refreshes their soul.  We may never know this side of eternity how our small acts of obedience and surrender, minster to others. I believe when we cross over into eternity, we will get a glimpse of how our kind words or our smile offered someone hope and comfort.  I encourage you to notice the people around you and in acts of kindness toward them, provide them with a glimpse of eternal hope. 

Satan will do his best to keep us from choosing to be obedient to our Heavenly Father.  Satan will use physical, emotional, and psychological pleasures that fall outside the will of God to pull our hearts away from God.  God tells us in 1 Johns 2:15-16 – Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the father but from the world.  Do not allow Satan to convince you that what the world has to offer is better than what God has in store for you.  Choose not to chase after the world’s emptiness. 

We have no control over circumstances and events in our lives.  Nothing is certain.  As we journey through life, we can’t stop or control the circumstances and events we encounter.  We can make the decision to trust God’s plan and let our souls rest in Him.  Surrender it ALL to God, everything we are and everything we have.  Settle in your heart today, no matter what happens in this life, you will choose to love and trust your Savior and LORD. 

Dear Precious Heavenly Father, I bow before you today asking you to help us to surrender all we are and all we have to You.  Help us Lord to offer those we come in contact with each day, a glimpse of You.  Lord you are our strength.  Place in us a desire to remain in You.  Reveal to us when Satan is tempting us Father so we can turn to You for strength to resist his schemes.  In Jesus Precious Holy Name…AMEN…

Radical Obedience

If you love me, you will obey what I command.  John 14:15

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”  Luke 11:28

Good morning friends.  I pray this past week was pleasant and you recognized the hand of God at work in your life.  Today I would like to touch on the subject of radical obedience.  Many authors have written on radical obedience and have their own views regarding what radical obedience to God involves.  I ask today for you to examine your heart and ask yourself these questions.  Am I obedient to my Savior and LORD?  Is there something in my life that God is asking me to release so that I can walk with Him in obedience? 

My friends, our Savior and LORD desires to use us in an extraordinary way for His Kingdom.  We miss many blessings and divine opportunities when we choose not to walk in obedience.  Will you make the choice to walk in obedience?  Our LORD is with us to provide the mercy, grace, strength, and courage which we will need as we walk in obedience to His calling.  We can take comfort in knowing that God tells us in His Word in Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

So I ask you today, is God asking you to decide between your will and His will?  Lysa Terkerust makes this statement in her book titled What Happens When Women Say Yes to God.  “We need not fear what our obedience will cause to happen in our life.  We should only fear what our disobedience will cause us to miss.”  Dear friends I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss any blessing that my Heavenly Father has in store for me upon this earth. 

What is God asking of you today?  God does not want our halfhearted response.  He desires complete surrender.  Is there something you are holding on to that is coming between you and your complete surrender to your Savior?  Hold loosely to the things of this world.  They are passing.  God has given us what we have as a blessing.  It is not to become a stumbling block that keeps us from our surrender and our obedience to Him. 

Corrie Ten Boom said, “We must hold everything loosely, because when we grip it tightly, it hurts when our Father pries our fingers loose and takes it from us.”  God tells us in Matthew 6:19-21 – Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Say YES to God today.  Release your grip on what is keeping you from complete surrender. 

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray today for my friends that you will place in their hearts a desire to be obedient to You.  LORD provide grace, mercy, courage, and strength as they walk in Your ways.  I pray that their desire to surrender and be obedient to you will be the delight of their lives.  In Jesus Precious Holy Name…AMEN

With All My Heart

Love the LORD your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  Deuteronomy 6:5

Good Morning Dear Friends.  I am currently participating in a book study at Proverbs 31 Ministries.  The title of the book is What Happens When Women Say Yes to God.  I can assure you, if you decide to read this book, you will be convicted.  You will be convicted to examine your life and see how you may have missed possible “divine appointments.” 

My question to you today dear friend is, do you desire to say YES to God?  Do you desire to obedient to your Savior and LORD?  God tells us in His Word we are to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength.  How do we love our LORD with all our heart, soul, and strength?  What does it look like to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength? 

One way we demonstrate our love for our Savior and LORD is by spending time with Him.  How much time do you spend with your Savior and LORD each day?  Reading His Word, praying, meditating on His Word.  God speaks to us through His Word.  If we are to hear a message from our Savior and LORD we must spend time reading God’s Word.  If we do not spend time with our Heavenly Father each day, we are not hearing His will and purpose for our life.  Pray and ask God to place a desire for His Word in your heart. 

Another way we demonstrate our love for our Savior and LORD is by applying what He reveals to us in His Word.  God’s Word is wonderful for receiving clear direction when we are confused over circumstances and situations.  God reveals to us in His Word how to live a lifestyle that is pleasing to Him.  A lifestyle pleasing to our Heavenly Father is demonstrating our love for Him.  Our lifestyle should bring glory and honor to the LORD of our life. 

We demonstrate our love for our Savior and LORD by releasing things (possessions, a job, a home, a family member) He has asked us to release.  We will not walk in obedient fellowship with our Savior and LORD without being called to release something to our Heavenly Father.  Our Savior and LORD desires our complete surrender to Him.  Releasing our goals, our dreams, and our desires will be  difficult, but the blessings that will abound will be well worth it.  We must keep eternity in mind. 

Let us surrender today to our Savior and LORD.  Relinquish control to God.  Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Dear Heavenly Father, I humbly bow before you asking you to help us to love you with our heart, soul, and strength.  Help us Father to truly trust you in every area of our life.  Father I pray that you will place in my heart, and my friends’ hearts, a hunger for Your Word.  If you are calling us to release something into your hands Lord, give us the grace and strength to be obedient to you.  In Jesus Precious, Holy Name….AMEN….