I got this devotion in my email today and it speaks to my current situation SOO much. I wanted to share it. It really encouraged me. :)
His Plans Are Better
Daily Devotional by Raul Ries
Calvary Chapel Golden Springs
“And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you.”Deuteronomy 7:13
God is in full control of my life, the lives of my children and the lives of my grandbabies. I am not in control. I can make plans, but my plans are maybe not God’s plans. I have to submit to the will of God. Why? He loves me and He blesses me. God knows what I need. What my family needs.
Many times, when things do not go according to our plans, we become angry with God. That is when people become disillusioned; they become oppressed; they become depressed; they lose heart, and they get bitter.
But look at the verse. God loves us; He blesses us; He provides for us, and he fulfills His promises. Why should we get bitter or disillusioned? Does God wish us harm? Does He want to destroy us? No! His plans for us are better than we could ever imagine.
Remember, if God really has called me, if God really is my Lord and my Savior, and He is in full control of my life, then what do I have to fear? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Seriously, who can be against me?
I know not the way He leads me, but well do I know my Guide. What have I to fear?—Martin Luther—
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
One of God’s Great "Don’ts"
Anthony sent this to me and this is really good, especially with all the financial insecurity we are facing right now!
One of God’s Great "Don’ts"
Do not fret— it only causes harm —Psalm 37:8
Fretting means getting ourselves “out of joint” mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say, “Do not fret,” but something very different to have such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. It’s easy to say, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” ( Psalm 37:7 ) until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to “rest in the Lord” then? If this “Do not” doesn’t work there, then it will not work anywhere. This “Do not” must work during our days of difficulty and uncertainty, as well as our peaceful days, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself.
Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans. Fretting is wickedness for a child of God.
Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” ( Psalm 91:1 ). Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about whatever concerns you. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God.
One of God’s Great "Don’ts"
Do not fret— it only causes harm —Psalm 37:8
Fretting means getting ourselves “out of joint” mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say, “Do not fret,” but something very different to have such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. It’s easy to say, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” ( Psalm 37:7 ) until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to “rest in the Lord” then? If this “Do not” doesn’t work there, then it will not work anywhere. This “Do not” must work during our days of difficulty and uncertainty, as well as our peaceful days, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself.
Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans. Fretting is wickedness for a child of God.
Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” ( Psalm 91:1 ). Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about whatever concerns you. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God.
Friday, January 1, 2010
"Forget the New 'Year'!"
This is from "The Berean Call" newsletter that Anthony & I receive. This really spoke to me & I wanted to share. Happy New Year! :)
There's something that gets into our heads about beginning a new year with an activity or discipline that will improve our present condition. I don't know what it is, because the same thinking can be applied to a new month, or a new week, day, hour, or minute. I can certainly start exercising tomorrow, or in the next hour or so, rather than wait to start a personal program January 1. Perhaps there's more significance in at least thinking that I'm going to do something worthwhile for an entire year. My own New Year's resolutions rarely make it through the winter thaw, yet I persevere in these attempts because a few have actually become wonderful disciplines in my life.
After years of hopeful attempts, which soon dissipated or got displaced by "more pressing activities," prayer (especially for family members) and reading God's Word are now a very consistent part of my life. What was the "secret to my success"? Very simply, by God's grace & encouragement, I kept after it, often times like a beaten-down boxer who keeps getting up off the canvas to have another go at his opponent (in my case, my undisciplined self). When the year's goal failed, I shifted to the month's goal, then to the week's goal, and from time-to-time I applied myself one day at a time. One of my favorite things about being a Christian is that I can repent in a moment and instantly start afresh with the Lord. While my somewhat sporadic efforts may spoil my year's end achievement record, I'll settle for the grace to persevere after missing the mark of my own making.
~T.A. McMahon~
Executive Director
The Berean Call
There's something that gets into our heads about beginning a new year with an activity or discipline that will improve our present condition. I don't know what it is, because the same thinking can be applied to a new month, or a new week, day, hour, or minute. I can certainly start exercising tomorrow, or in the next hour or so, rather than wait to start a personal program January 1. Perhaps there's more significance in at least thinking that I'm going to do something worthwhile for an entire year. My own New Year's resolutions rarely make it through the winter thaw, yet I persevere in these attempts because a few have actually become wonderful disciplines in my life.
After years of hopeful attempts, which soon dissipated or got displaced by "more pressing activities," prayer (especially for family members) and reading God's Word are now a very consistent part of my life. What was the "secret to my success"? Very simply, by God's grace & encouragement, I kept after it, often times like a beaten-down boxer who keeps getting up off the canvas to have another go at his opponent (in my case, my undisciplined self). When the year's goal failed, I shifted to the month's goal, then to the week's goal, and from time-to-time I applied myself one day at a time. One of my favorite things about being a Christian is that I can repent in a moment and instantly start afresh with the Lord. While my somewhat sporadic efforts may spoil my year's end achievement record, I'll settle for the grace to persevere after missing the mark of my own making.
~T.A. McMahon~
Executive Director
The Berean Call
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