Tag Archives: Mistakes

God’s Ways

26 Aug

In today’s society it is hard to hear God above all the noises that surround us.  My biggest heart’s desire is to please God, and to do the right thing – meaning – the thing God wants me to do.

As part of the older generation I find it difficult to keep up with all the social media. There are so many good things about it – I love being connected all the time.  It’s kind of like getting out of the house without getting out of the house, or having company without having to clean the house.

Obviously, there are many “words” flying around us all the time – videos, text messages, emails, Hangout messages, Twitter, Instagram, and so on, and so on. It is easy to take our focus off God’s voice or His Word, with all the other “voices” coming at us – almost impossible to avoid all the “chatter”. Some people even need to have constant music, gaming, entertainment, streaming videos and constant text messages to be at peace.

Hearing God over all that isn’t easy. It can be done, but we have to remember to listen for His still small voice coming from among all the other voices. I suppose it’s kind of natural that as I age I rather like things a little slower, but whether we like things slow or fast we need to reserve a place for God, not leaving Him out.

If we’re too slow we can miss what He has for  us – if we’re too fast, we tend to get lost in all the noise around us. God’s ways are amazing, perfect for us, but we can either be too tired and weary or in too big a hurry to hear what He has to say about an issue. If that happens we can find ourselves in a precarious position. God IS our security. We need to hear Him before we jump off the cliff of indecision – not call out to Him on our way down to bless our jump, or to save us from hitting the ground!

Let’s get it right the first time. The way we do that is to do  it God’s way. Of course, it will probably mean we don’t get to jump in (or off) and then cry out for help. It means we take our petitions to Him first and wait for the answer. We don’t like that word – wait – not in today’s world. Yet, if we walk in God’s ways, we can actually save wasted time by doing it right the first time.

Walking with God is a choice, and being consistent about it isn’t always easy. Sometimes our adrenalin is just rushing and the last thing we want to do  is take a few minutes of our time to talk to God.  We decide to talk to Him on the way off the cliff. The thing is, that few minutes with God could save us so much unnecessary anguish.

Take time to get before God, tune into His frequency even if  it’s just for a minute or so – especially if you have a “red flag” in the pit of your stomach or feel uneasy in any way. The Wi-Fi connection you have with Him is better than any of the others. Just stop a moment and call out to Him – He will reply. He may tell you to be still – to wait. If He does, it is for a very good reason. Listen for Him. Trust Him. Obey God’s ways.

 

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So, You Think You Are Not Good Enough!

4 Jun

After we read the story of Ruth and Boaz, none of us can say we are not good enough to be a child of God. Or, that we are not good enough to serve Him in some way. We look at our past – our history – where we came from. We look at all the mistakes we made and we are aware that all our friends and family know just what a mess we made out of our lives. So, we let our enemy, satan, convince us that we are not good enough to serve God in any special way.

Ruth was born into a pagan world, serving and worshiping idols. God presented Himself to her and to her sister-in-law, Orpah, by way of Naomi and her son. Ruth chose to follow God, Orpah did not.

Boaz was the son of Rahab, the harlot. God used Rahab to help His men at Jericho. She recognized that God was at work there and helped His people. As a result, God saved her and her family. Boaz, came from that family.

If you have asked Him to forgive you and invited Him into your heart, He has heard you and you are His. Scripture tells us that He scatters our sins as far from Him as the East is from the West! God remembers our sins no more. When you try to bring them up to Him, He doesn’t know what you are talking about.

Even if your friends and family remember every mistake you have made. God doesn’t. Just keep walking the walk. Listen to what God says about you. Keep reading His Word and let Him show you what He thinks about you. If you have invited Him into your life, you are born again. You are a new person in Christ. He sees you as whole and complete, through the blood of Jesus.

Jesus was persecuted, too. He did not defend Himself. As a matter of fact, the Scriptures tell us that “He spoke not a word” when people mocked Him and spat on Him. He knew who He was. He knew whom He belonged to. Let Him be your example.

Walking with God takes courage – He will provide that courage. You will find your strength in Him. Be constant. Keep walking with God and listening to Him. Be obedient, no matter how hard. In time, God will prove Himself to you and you will know that you know that you know, He is real. No one will ever be able to take that from you.

Ephesians tells us to stay away from silly arguments. A non-believer does not understand and will never understand until they give their lives to God. You be their example. You be their light. They are watching – no matter what they say, they will see God at work in your life.

Be encouraged. God loves you. He is not like us. We cannot come close to understanding His love. Let Him love you. Accept His forgiveness and forgive yourself. Trust God and let Him make you whole again.

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It’s Never Too Late

1 Jun

OK, I just couldn’t wait to point out some more interesting things about the story of Ruth.

The main thing is that this story should definitely let everyone know that no matter what our situation – no matter how much we may have messed up – it is NEVER too late for us to turn to God. We may not know we need to – Ruth didn’t. He will lead us out of our sin and into His amazing promised life. No, it won’t be a life without problems or bumps in the road – but if we will not get in such a hurry, He will show us how to straighten out those curves in the road.

We may not know how to get out of our mess! God knows. He doesn’t expect us to jump from one frying pan on the fire to another. He just wants us to recognize where we are and look to Him for answers. Remember, God isn’t a “microwave” God. It’s okay with Him that things don’t change in an instant. When His word tells us that “All things work together for good for those called according to His purpose” – nobody knows better than He does that it takes precious time for things to work out. Otherwise, we may jump from one mess to a bigger mess!

I also think that some of us believe that when we finally decide to “follow God” we have to “do something” – like some sort of event must take place. Not so. God just wants us to live our lives, acknowledging Him. That means we turn to Him with every decision and ask Him about it. That may involve searching His Scriptures, or seeking wise (Christian) counsel. When God knows our desire is to please Him, He will move mountains in our behalf. But, it is usually not in a big, attention drawing way. It is our daily step by step walking – in our daily choices. The hardest part is to move with focus, keeping our emotions under control.

Consider Ruth. She left all she knew. That was very drastic but she knew in her heart that with her new family she had witnessed the love of the living God. Oh, I’m sure she didn’t realize that at the time. She just knew that in the midst of her new family, things were different. She felt the love and compassion – the fruit of the Spirit. She knew she wanted more of it. It was different enough to cause her to leave all she was familiar with.

When you read and meditate on this story of Ruth, you see that her way was not easy. She didn’t take charge. She followed Naomi, meekly. She was first of all, a servant, which is what Scripture tells us that all followers of Christ must be. She respected the position of the older Naomi. She wasn’t afraid to work – to humble herself. Ruth died to her emotions – her fear and anxiety. She listened to her wise mother-in-law and followed her instructions. Ruth didn’t pretend that she knew more and that she had better ways to do things.

Well, guess I have to stop for now. I just see so much in this story that will encourage those who feel that they are in too deep – that there is no way out. God has an answer for that. Stay tuned.

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