I was posed with these questions 3 weeks ago. "Jessica, Do you really believe that God is in everything? Do you believe that He is in every single area of your life and things happen for a reason? Do you really trust God in every circumstance?" WOW! What questions! I couldn't answer right away...I mean I could say "Of course I do!" I can say I do until I am blue in the face! but.....do I really believe it! Am I really convinced and trust that God knows what He is doing?
I know sometimes as a Christian I know how to walk the walk! I know how to talk the christian talk! I know exactly the right things to say in almost every area.....but...when it comes down to it do I really LIVE what I believe? If I really lived what I believe why do I walk past a person in need? If I really lived by the spirit why do I fail to listen to God and reach out? If I really believed what the Bible says then why am I not praying for people in the grocery store or at the mall when they need healing? Am I in tune with what I see my father doing in heaven? Jesus said that I am in the father and He is in me! Jesus lives within me! Shouldn't it be the same! We have the very presence of GOD on the inside of us! We are the very example set out by Jesus himself..... but because I get so wrapped up in "CHURCH" in "MINISTRY" in "MYSELF and my own selfish desires" I fail to really hear what God is telling me to do. I fail to see the bigger picture of what God is wanting from my life. Church is not a place where we come and get fed from God and filled until the next week and then do nothing about it.......We ARE the church!!!!!! Every day we are the church! We are all one body...and yet we sometimes fail to realize that. Every denomination, every race, every color....we are all one body!!!! We are all so divided and it breaks my heart! The body can not work to its full function if one of it's parts is hurting, broken, in need of nourishment etc.. That's why Paul tells us to encourage one another! God is slowly changing me! Here in Iron River....God is working. He is purging me in a way that I never thought He would purge me! and He is posing those questions to me and I am ever thinking about them. Do I really believe that the Living God...Lives inside of ME?....and is in every area of my life and when I am in tune to the Holy Spirit who sees what the Father does in heaven then that Holy Spirit living within me speaks to me. It blows my mind that God chooses his dwelling place as me! He could have chosen any building, any majestic thing as his dwelling place but HE in all his Glory chose me! Solomon made the most glorious temple to house the presence of God in. His Glory would fill the temple like a cloud. His Glory went in front of Israel like fire and a cloud. Moses couldn't even look upon the face of God or He would surely die...and now His glory fills His temple and that temple is me!! Do you even know how amazing that is????? I am so in awe and cannot begin to even comprehend those things in my finite mind! BUT....God in his infinite wisdom chooses ME! Wow....it is something to think about! So....Do you really believe what you say you believe? Can you put that into action somehow? I am trying...slowly...
I am just amazed at God! Tell me about how you are amazed right now. What has God done for you?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Jehovah Jireh
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There are way too many things that have happened in my life to write how faithful God has been in revealing himself to me. Over the past few years God has continued to shape my heart, my attitude, and my actions. Although I don't think I've had "surpassingly great revelations" like Paul and need a thorn in my flesh to help me from becoming conceited, I have a much better understanding of what was spoken to Paul in 2 Cor. 12:9 "...My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I've felt that weakness like never before the past few years and hope that God will keep humbling me so that his power in my life can become more evident. I need to be weak so that I will always be ready and willing to do whatever God wants me to do. I need to be weak so that I can listen. Listening ALL of the time. Sometimes I rely on my human ears too much. God has been really helping me to open my spiritual ears as well. But not just listening, taking action (if needed) is one thing that I've been working on lately. This verse has been on my heart for a while. "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17) The hard part is trying to figure out how to put what is in my heart into action. God has been so gracious in teaching me how to do this. There are several little things that I have done and I think "that's no big deal." Doing it was not a big deal, but obeying was. By obeying I become less selfish. I am in the same boat with you Jessica in that I cannot fully comprehend that the God of all creation would decide to choose such an intimate relationship with us. Each day I cannot help but sing and dance because God is worthy of all of our praise. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." God is the desire of my heart. God has given himself. Because of that I can experience his presence every day. I pray that God will show me ways to share his amazing love with others.
p.s. I hate when I look back at a situation and think "I should have..." I think that is why God is really working on listening (to him) with me right now so that I can look back at situations and say "I did..."
part 3...Forgiveness. Because while I try to do what is right, I fail so many times. I need a reminder. I love giving to people/organizations in need. I find so much joy in helping others, but sometimes I get so busy at what I'm doing that I pass right by a chance to bless someone. My friend Merideth lives in San Diego and volunteers at the Salvation Army. Every once in a while she will write on her myspace that they need socks, and if you're in the area to drop some by and she'll take them with her. The other day I was grocery shopping and I saw a package of socks. Immediately I thought of Merideth and the Salvation Army...and I walked past the socks and continued getting groceries...that's what I was there for, right? A few days later Merideth wrote about going back down to the Salvation Army and asked if anyone had any socks they could send with her. I was so convicted that I had not listened to the Spirit's prompting. I was so focused on what I was doing that I didn't even take the time to respond to the Spirit's guidance. Obviously I couldn't take the socks to her, but I could send them in the mail. As my heart sank, "please forgive me" was all I could say. Then I needed to get some socks. Like I said before I love giving, but I don't just want to give 90% of the time, I want to give every time I feel God wants me to.
Amber, I know exactly what you mean and how you feel! God allows us sometimes to be weak because when we are strong we don't fully rely on his strength like we should. He has really been teaching me to praise Him in every circumstance no matter the outcome! I was bawling in my room the other day not understanding...and I told the Lord "Even though my heart is broken....yet I will Praise you because you deserve it and it is all that I know to do!" God's gentle leading from his Holy Spirit in my life is now just begining to flourish in my life because I am allowing it. Paul says to stir up the gifts within you! I am beginning to listen and learn God's leading in my life more than I ever have before! It is so great to be in a place of learning and growth! I am soaking it up like a sponge! Thank you so much for sharing what God is doing in your life!!!! Any one else???
I sent you a message on myspace, but I don't know if you got it. I was just seeing how your family is doing.
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