Tuesday, December 30, 2008
"Seek Me"
I believe God spoke some words of Truth over me this evening while spending time with Him. I was sitting reading His Word and listening to the remainder of a worship song on my new Hillsong London CD, and as always, I had a lot on my mind. I stared into the sky while listening to the words of this particular song, filled with the message of "God's peace," and I began asking Him some questions that have been frequenting my mind lately. He quietly yet profoundly spoke the words "Seek Me" over my wandering mind. Immediately, everything fell into perspective. I remembered why I am on this earth in the first place. My circumstances no longer looked and seemed so bleak - They were completely replaced with the vision of the Cross of Christ. Right then, I felt completely fulfilled and satisfied ... motivated to serve the One True Living God, Jesus Christ. My life again had substance, and I thought to myself ... "Yes, you know what? I think I may just be able to face another day after all. But, Lord ... Please don't let go of me. "
Do you ever have those days?
"And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His Kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." (Luke 12:29-31)
Having a heart that is focused on Christ, does not simply nullify every single human desire we have. In fact, God knits each of us together with specific desires and purposes, which I do believe He intends to fulfill. Why do I believe that? Because our God is an intimate God who wants good things for His children. He "satisfies our desires with good things" (Psalm 103:5). Notice the Scripture does not say that He may satisfy our desires. It also does not say that He will satisfy our desires with mediocre things. And then there's the fact that "He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him" (Psalm 145:19), and "satisfies the desires of every living thing" (Psalm 145:16). Yes, my dears ... He most definitely wants to bring good to our lives.I love thinking about the fact that we as children of God, have holy hearts. I do believe that God fills our holy hearts with holy desires, which our Holy God then calls into action and fulfills. And let me assure you - When God has raised a desire, especially in spiritual things, He will gratify it. Oh, I get so excited about this! Mainly because I have seen God transform the desires of my heart from a spiritual standpoint so many times. Every time more re-shaping occurs, my desires are made more like His. My holy heart is fashioned more and more to match His. Spurgeon says, "A holy heart only desires what a holy God can give." I don't know about you, but that takes some pressure off for me.
The next time you are overwhelmed with a desire of your heart, one that will ultimately bring honor and glory to the Lord - Confidently take that as a holy desire, as the Lord's desire. And believe that He will satisfy it. Oh, I just love this!
And praise God that He knows what we need, as Luke 12:29-31 (noted above) reminds us. Just seek Him .... It is then that you will truly be in tune with your holy heart, with the holy desires He has put there, and with the faith to believe Him to bring these things to pass.
I love you dearly. Thank you for believing and seeking God with me. May you find great purpose in the Cross of Christ today. In fact, may it overshadow everything else on your precious little mind.
I LOVE YOU 1:09 PM
Friday, December 19, 2008
Excitement and Cookies.
Today was our Christmas party at work. And as ghetto as it was, it was actually really fun. Plus, we had a half day, which just makes it better. We had these cookies though, and I don't know where they're from, but I have to find out. They were seriously THE BEST cookies I've ever put in my mouth.
Yesterday I had my job interview for the magazine. And I got it! I start out as an intern, by choice, for a month, and then they're gonna give me the full time position. I don't think I could possibly be any more excited! This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. It became less and less important to me over the years, especially this past one. But like I said, my priorities were wrong. God has such great plans for our lives, but we always try to put our hands in the mix and end up settling for something less. I've settled for jobs I didn't want, I've settled for friends I didn't need, I've settled for guys I shouldn't have. And why? All because I had to try to do things myself. If we would just let God do His thing, our lives would be better than what we had even wanted in the first place.
Tomorrow is Meghans wedding. I'm excited, and sad. I don't want to see her go. I'm not sure why, but weddings are always really emotional to me. Maybe it's because I've dreamt of mine for years. Maybe it's because I know everything is about to completely change. Or maybe it's because a wedding signifies something greater. A unifying of two people for the rest of their lives. And saying it like that actually freaks me out. How and when do you really know that this is it for you? I thought I knew. For almost two years. And I was wrong. I was ready too. I would have changed my name and my life. And I would have been happy with that. But what happens in your head or in your heart that you just know, this is "the one"? This whole relationship stuff, makes me sick to my stomache. That will change, I hope, when I meet "the one." I just think for me right now, it's best left on the backburner. I have greater things to focus on. That will happen in God's timing. But, back to Meghan's wedding. I'm giving the toast. I've probably written and re-written it a million times already. And more than likely, knowing me, I'll be in the bathroom ten minutes before the reception crossing stuff out and changing it again. I'm nervous, because I look at things on a greater scale than most people do. A toast at a reception is what they walk off into their honeymoon, and into the rest of their lives together taking advice and encouragement from. Thats a big deal, to me anyways. So I need it to be perfect. For them, and for my subconscious. I'll let you know how it goes.
It's been a long week, and one without alot of sleep. Things need to start slowing down.
This year has been a year of lessons for me. I wish I could do it all over again. I would be wiser with my decisions. Alot wiser. But thats what mistakes are for, to learn from. And that just means next year, I will be sure to not make the same decisions again.
I LOVE YOU 1:46 PM
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Chase
"When my life was ebbing away,I remembered You, LORD,and my prayer rose to You,to Your holy temple.Those who cling to worthless idolsforfeit the grace that could be theirs.But I, with a song of thanksgiving,will sacrifice to You.What I have vowed I will make good.Salvation comes from the LORD."(Jonah 2:7-9)
I read the book of Jonah today. It's amazing to me how the Lord uses times in our lives, times of blatant disobedience, to set us straight and to turn our eyes toward Him. When God calls Jonah to Nineveh, Jonah instead runs away from the Lord and heads to Tarshish (Jonah 1:2-3).
Get this: Jonah knowingly disobeyed. Like, God actually said: "Go to the great city of Nineveh ..." (Jonah 1:2), and Jonah ran the other direction. And not only did Jonah know in his heart of hearts that he was clearly disobeying the Lord - He actually told the other sailors on the boat to Tarshish he was running from God (Jonah 1:10).
Personally, I can relate to this. I felt God's call on my life at a very young age, in my freshman year of highschool. I clearly felt Him tell me, with a prodding in my spirit, "You're gonna be an instrument for my kingdom. I've called you to be a youth pastor." And do you know what I did? Turned around and looked in both directions over my shoulder to see who He was talking about. I thought, "Not me Lord. You must have me confused with someone else." And short periods of disobedience followed. In my heart, during those short times, I think I always knew I was running away from the Lord's call on my life. But why? Cause I opened a door to the devil and let fear make my decision for me. Like Jonah, I still very much had a relationship with my God - I was just ignoring His direction and taking my own road, which I thought was much more sensible. Sensible it was not; Sovereign however, it was.
God's plan is always sovereign. Just as he used Jonah's disobedience to win the hearts of unbelievers (Jonah 1:16), God can use our mistakes to bring glory to Himself. Is this an excuse to mess up? Absolutely not. The pain of disobedience is excruciating to our spirits. It is however proof that our God has plans - plans of His own, to bring attention and glory to Himself, so that the world may know the Saving Power of Christ.
After those short period were over and I was done running, my God caught up with me. He gently pulled me unto Himself and asked me: "What were you running from?" "I was afraid," I responded. "Afraid of what?" He asked. "Afraid I would fail You, Lord. I am unworthy of Your calling." "Yes, indeed you are unworthy. But I, my child, I Am Worthy. And that's all that matters."
The chase was over. He won. Praise the Lord for that.
Do not forfeit the grace that God has set aside just for you, based on previous mistakes. Instead, be overflowed with thanksgiving and sacrifice to Your God for His sovereign plan. Vow to follow His direction from this point on, not looking back, except to recall all the great things He has done on your behalf, even amidst your frailties.
Thank You Jesus - for Your grace, Your Sovereignty, Your Salvation.
I LOVE YOU 1:14 PM
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Glitter in the Air
Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face And said I just don’t care?
It’s only half past the point of no return
The tip of the ice burg
The sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning
The breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?
Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
You’re whole life waiting on the ring to prove you’re not alone.
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?
It’s only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table
The walk before the run
The breath before the kiss
And the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?
There you are, sitting in the garden,
Clutching my coffee,
Calling me sugar.
You called me sugar.
Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight.
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself, "Will it ever get better than tonight?"
I LOVE YOU 9:52 AM
A little something different.
I apologize about all of the spacing errors in the last post, my spacebar key is obviously malfunctioning. It must be sticky or something.
It's been a great week so far, and it's only tuesday! I've been going through alot lately. Alot of decisions to make, alot of moving on to do, alot of pain, alot of hurt, alot of emotions and thoughts running wild through my head. And throw in there that it's a week before Christmas and I've barely got any of my Christmas shopping done, and it doesn't make for a nice recipe. It's been stressful to say the least. But I'm continually learning to cast my cares upon Him, and He will take care of me.
I've relied on a few people in the last year, maybe more than I should have. I trusted a few people in the last year, definitely whom I shouldn't have. And I've been let down by all parties mentioned prior. I'm starting to realize that the only consistancy in my life, is my God. Nothing else. I think I know and have figured out God's plan for my life sometimes, and I try to take things into my own hands. I try to make decisions without consulting the Holy Spirit, and it always ends in a way I would have perferred it not to.
But, like I always say, I'm a work in progress. I'm not perfect. I don't have it all figured out. I haven't arrived. I'm still trying to figure out today, so how can I possibly think I have tomorrow figured out? I've always been a fan of the little, special things in life. I've never really been a "big deal" kind of girl. But I think in the past year, I lost sight of the little things that mean so much to me. I lost sight of what was important and I got my priorities wrong. And in the end, I got my heart broken. I refuse to do it again. I refuse to feel this heartache and pain anymore. Never again. So from this day forward, it's first things first. Once I'm completely lined up with the Word, priorities and all, that's when things are going to start happening. My circumstances will change. And my blessing will come in abundance.
So, with all of that being said, I want to apologize to everyone who became a part of my life within this past year. I'm sorry. I never really gave you a chance to meet the "real" Alaina. You may have met some of her, but you have yet to see her completely, as a whole, in her most natural and perfect state. I want to give you that chance. Don't confuse that with trust, but hopefully through it there can be a foundation of trust started. I've got alot of great and wonderful things starting in my life right now, and I still want you all to be a part of it. To walk with me and be there for me and stand by me. More than I want it, I need it. I need the accountability. I need the friendship. And I need the encouragement. I love you all very much. Thank you for understanding.
I LOVE YOU 9:12 AM
Faith&Prosperity
Have you ever noticed that nothing is spoken against more than propserity and health, yet no need is greater among people?
I talked about faith&healing yesterday. I used the scripture from 3 John 1:2 to show how it's God's will for us to be in good health. Well the scripture in it's entirety says "Beloved above ALL things I wish that you would prosper and be in good health. It'sGod's will for us to be prosperous too!
*When people are poor, God is robbed of pleasure.Psalm 35:27- And let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified,Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.
When people do not have enough to give, God is denied of pleasure.
Phillipians 4:18
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received the thingswhich were sent from you, a sweet smelling aroma, and acceptablesacrifice, well pleasing to God.
2 Corinthians 9:7
So let each one gives as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly orout of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
*Jesus paid the ultimate price for our prosperity.
Isaiah 53:5
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for outiniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by Hisstripes we were healed.
2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he wasrich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that YOU through His povertymight become rich.
Jesus didn't become poor to set an example. He did it so that you canbe rich! Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we COULD haveprosperity. He is pleased when we ARE prosperous. He's not denying usof prosperity. We deny ourselves of it when we don't have faith thatwe have it.
*We must believe prosperity is God's will or we will never receive it.We receive from God only by faith.
Matthew 9:29
Then He touched their eyes saying, "According to your faith, let it be to you."
Galatians 3:9
So then those who are of faith are blessed...
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are you saved, THROUGH FAITH, and that not of yourselves,it is a gift of God.
God set it up this way. Not to hold out on us, but to insure Hisblessing is available to all. We already learned that faith comes byhearing God's word. Without being proclaimed, people cannot believeit. Scripture throughout the Bible tell us that God is interested inour prosperity. If we don't feed those scriptures to ourselves, howcan we believe that God's will for our lives is to be prosperous? Whatwould happen to people if no one ever preached Jesus as our Savior, orhow He died to pay the penalty for our sins? Would people just getsaved anyways,without ever hearing about Him from the Word? No. Thesame thing with prosperity. People don't know it's God's will fortheir needs to be met, over and above, if they're never taught it. Godis not a God of less than enough, or just enough. He is a God of MOREthan enough. And He wants you to have MORE than enough. But you canonly have as much faith that you will prosper as you are taught of the Word of God.
*God's word is a seed that will produce fruit if planted.Luke 8:11....
The seed is the word of God.
How many sunflowers will you get from your garden if you never plant any sunflower seeds? How much wheat will you harvest if you never plant any wheat seed. None. Jesus made it very clear that God's word is a seed. So can you expect it to produce in your life without ever being planted there? No. If prosperity is never preached to you, or you do not study and meditate on it yourself, it is
not being planted. So do not be surprised when there is no harvest of abundance in your life. Without hearing it or studying it, you can't expect to have faith on the subject. That's the situation of prosperity too. How many times have you been to a church that teaches that to please God and be spiritual you must be poor? No wonder so many Christians do not believe the will of God is their prosperity. No wonder so many Christians don't speak the words of prosperity over their life.
They haven't had the prosperity seed planted. The more we proclaim it, the more the body of Christ will believe it. The more we believe it, the more we will receive God's blessing. The more we prosper, the more we can help people, and the more God will be pleased!
I LOVE YOU 9:04 AM
Monday, December 15, 2008
Faith&Healing
Take this in for a little while.God is love, (1 John 4:16), full of compassion and mercy, (Psalm 86:15), no respecter of persons, (Acts 10:34), and does ONLY good, (Luke 18:19)!
God did not put sickness on you! It is His will for you to be healed. If you'll just let Him. (3 John 1:2) Beloved, I wish above ALL things that you may prosper and be in good health.
As believers, we all have some faith.
Rom. 12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
So, even if our measure of faith is tiny, we still have enough. You at least have as much as a mustard seed, and look what you can do with that!
*There are many instances of healing because of faith in the Bible.
Matthew 9:27
The blind man asked Jesus to have mercy on him. Jesus asked him, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes Lord," he said. Jesus replied, "According to your faith it will be done unto you."
Acts 14:9
Paul saw that the man had the faith to be healed. So he said, "Stand up on your feet", and the man jumped up and walked.
Acts 3:16
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man was made whole. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through Him, that has given this man complete healing.
Luke 8:50
Jesus was telling the man: Don't be afraid; just believe and your daughter will be healed.
Regardless of how sick they were or what they were sick with, Jesus told them to have faith and he would heal them. Our healing comes by faith. Jesus completed His part, He died for us, He has forgiven our sins and by His stripes we were healed. Jesus has given us the authority to use His name in authority over "all things". He gave us the power to use His name to do everything He did. The name of Jesus is above ALL other names. (Philipians 2:9) Everything has a name, whether the name is cancer, sickness, depression, or whatever it may be, the name of Jesus has authority over it. The authority that the name of Jesus holds, gives our words power.
When we say we can't get healed, our words are already talking for us. Saying things like, "I hope I'll get better," "Maybe I'll get better," or "I'm not worthy of healing", is not walking in faith. Those are all negative things. We need to thank Him for our healing, speak positive words, rebuke satan, and stand firm until the manifestation comes. Don't let lingering symptoms discourage you. Your healing may be instant, but if not, don't let doubts arise just because you do not see immediate results. It may take time for you to feel completely healed.
*Want to know what to do in the mean time?Receive that your healing has already taken place, and praise God for it! Refuse doubt and unbelief, God's word is the final authority. Refuse to believe what you see or feel. Meditate on God's word. Submerge yourself in the truth of His Word so that it fills you up and overflows out of your mouth. (Luke 6:45) ...for, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Don't fear. Fear is an open door for the devil to come in and try to steal your healing and your faith. You have no reason to fear anyways. (1 John 4:18) ...perfect love casts out fear...
God wants His best for us NOW. Receive your healing NOW and stand firm until the manifestation comes. Give God His own timing, not yours, to do something with your circumstance. Don't let Satan talk you out of your healing. He has no right. Rebuke him, and tell him to take his hand off of you. By using our faith and Jesus' name we CAN win over Satan.
I LOVE YOU 8:23 AM
Sunday, December 14, 2008
faith IS
Hebrews 11:1 Now Faith IS the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
While faith requires being convinced that everything we believe in is true, just knowing the truth is only half of faith. God's word must be hoped for, embraced, and seized!
In Luke 17:5 it reads:The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied to them, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea.' and it will obey you."
When the apostles asked the Lord for more faith, he didn't just say, "Okay." He told them what they could do with just the littlest bit of faith. If you can move a mulberry tree just by having faith the size of the smallest seed, think of what you're capable of doing with even more faith.
Believing and Faith aren't exactly the same thing. For belief to be faith, it must light on what is certainly true. Scripture does, however, give examples of times where belief alone is required. Sometimes you don't have time to wait for certainty. You have to just believe. Like Peter walking on the water. He didn't have time to think about it, he just had to believe and trust God. God even requires us to believe in Him when everything around us says otherwise. He requires belief and trust in moments of human weakness, but faith is what makes us strong. Faith is the state of being convinced about what we hope for.
*How can I get more faith?
Faith is not a mental delusion. It's not a presumption or self-deception. It's a work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Romans 10:17
Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.
Another versions says,
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Faith comes by hearing and from reading and studying God's Word, the Bible. A person's faith cannot exceed the knowledge and understanding he has of God's Word. Faith is built upon God's Word. It is built upon the actual amount of God's word he has heard or studied, combined with the correct understanding he has of that word.
*Why should we live a life of faith?
Hebrews 11:6Without faith, it is impossible to please God.....
1 Peter 1:6-7This means tremendous joy to you, even though presently you may be temporarily harrassed by all kinds of trials. This is no accident--it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold...
Hebrews 10:38My righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.
Ephesians 6:16Above all be sure to take up the shield of faith, by which you can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Psalm 37:4Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Without faith, we have nothing. Without faith we can't even please the Lord. But look at what we
CAN do with faith. We can speak to mountains and trees and tell them to move. We can stop the fiery darts the enemy throws at us. And with faith we can have what we say we have. Every spirit filled believer has the power to claim God's best for themselves. If we are living beneath our privilages, it is not because of lack of power that we don't have what we say, but because of a failure to release that power through faith. God's Word is very simple, straightforward, and powerful. His word says to have faith in Him. If we are obeying His Word then we are told we can ask anything in His name and He will give it to us. Faith IS the substace of things hoped for. God has given all of us that are born again, a certain measure of faith. When we begin to use that faith like we are supposed to, that's when we will really see Him working in our lives!
I LOVE YOU 2:08 PM
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Consistancy&Casting your cares upon Him
Just about everyone loves Autumn. It's beautiful outside when the leaves change color and fall off the trees. Something about it is very special. Maybe it's being able to watch the leaves' color change from a brilliant green to a gold, an orange, and a red. Or maybe it's knowing that winter is just around the corner. Fall is just one of the things that shows us that nothing ever stays the same in this world. It's constantly changing. Political leaders change, governments change, Clothing styles change, hair styles change, friends change, relationships change. Things come and go. But isn't it a comfort to know that in the midst of our ever-changing world, we have one thing that NEVER changes. We have a never-changing God.
Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the Lord, I do not change." Isn't that neat? Even though everything around us seems to change, even the very earth itself shifts in different places at times, but God says, "I never change."
In the New Testament we find another example of our never-changing God.Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." That should be extemely exciting to you! His love never changes. His mercy never changes. His goodness never changes. His ability to provide and meet our needs never changes. His holiness never changes. His justice never changes. I could go on and on.
So if we know He never changes and none of the things about Him ever changes, then how come we find it so hard to let Him take care of our problems for us? How come we complain about not having a friend that we can share everything with? How can we say we have nobody that truly cares about us? Jesus is the ultimate best friend. He's the only one who can say, "I understand" and really mean it. He's the only one who is always there for you when you need Him, and He wants you to cast all your cares upon Him.
In Hebrews 4:15-16 we read, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldy to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." The first verse is telling us that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is a feeling person. He can feel our pain and our infirmities. He was tempted like we are, and He knows what it's like. He knows what we're going through. The next verse goes on to tell us to come boldly before the throne so that we can have grace and mercy that will help us in our time of need.
There are times when we pray, and we long to pour out our heart to God, but for whatever reason, we can't. I encourage you to talk to God just like you would talk to one of your good, close friends- the one with whom you can pour out your heart and be completely unafraid. Go boldly before the throne of God. Tell Him the things that are on your heart. Tell Him your hurts and your pains. Your dissapointments. Your struggles. The things you are tempted by. Don't think, "Ohh I can't tell God this." Please. He already knows. It says in 1 Peter 5:7 to "Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." God gives us permission to come boldy before Him and give Him all of our problems. He wants to take care of them for us, so we don't have to.
Next time you get discouraged, stop and think for a moment. No matter what else changes around you, God in all of His greatness, and might, and majesty, will never change. In an ever-changing world, He is a never-changing God. Come boldly before Him and tell Him what's up. Tell Him what's going on, and how you're feeling. And then enjoy the release, and rest assured that He cares, and that He's the one that can actually do something about it.
I LOVE YOU 2:54 PM
Friday, December 12, 2008
a HE WILL attitude
In lieu of yet another cold/rainy day, I struggled to get out from underneath the covers this morning. The alarm clock rang about 15 times before I thought Rye was going to break it. And once I was out and getting ready to leave for work, I realized it was one of those days when all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed or snuggle up somehwere with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book. Perferably one by Nicholas Sparks or Kenneth Hagin. Rainy days just aren’t ambitious, motivating days for me. I interpret them as nature’s way of saying: "Rest, relax, stay warm and dry." So, as I sat down to read my Bible and spend time in fellowship with my God, I was extremely excited. I could feel that what He had for me this morning, was going to change my circumstances. And ironically it started in the Old Testament. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet Habakkuk is seeking God regarding the spiritual decline of the nation of Judah. He is troubled over the sin that is ruling over the nation. Out of his burden for his people stems a deep sense of urgency within him - He desperately wants to state his case before the Most High, and surrender his attention to hearing from the Lord. Habakkuk declares his passion and commitment regarding this particular matter, as he states: "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint" (Habakkuk 2:1). I love Habakkuk's choice of words in the above verse. "I will stand at my watch ... I will look to see what He will say to me." There is no wavering, no doubt. He is certain that God will speak ... and not only that, but also that he will clearly know when God has spoken. Psalm 85:8 says, "I will listen to what God the LORD will say; He promises peace to His people -His saints ..." Again, we see the author of this psalms' unwavering belief that God will speak. Sometimes when we are praying for something specific, we can easily become discouraged, frustrated, disheartened. We want the answer, and we want it NOW. As Mrs Kimmy says, we are a fast food society. We may not always understand God's timing. This particular psalmist is so good to remind us that as we listen, as we wait to see what God will say or do on our behalf, He promises peace to us. Peace in the midst of the waiting.I have found such peace in the above passages of Scripture. Just knowing that God will answer my prayers, and that I will know when He has done so, is so comforting and reassuring. We serve a God who is attentive to our needs, to our prayers. Why would we ever get caught up in the trap that we could miss His plan for our lives? As long as we are not treasuring sin in our hearts, God is listening to us. And when we are overwhelmed by sins, we simply ask God to forgive us, and make an intentional decision to turn from those things that so easily entangle us.May we adopt a sense of urgency in our prayer lives. May we approach our God with a confidence and a boldness knowing that He will answer our prayers. When we start having a HE WILL attitude, that's when we're going to begin to see our circumstances changing. Knowing and believing HE WILL requires faith. It also requires a sense of expectancy. The two go hand in hand, and they're all you need. State Psalm 85:8 aloud today, many times throughout your day: "I will listen to what God the LORD will say ..." Then, surrender your attention to hearing from Him.Let's go be the Habbakuk's of our generation: Standing at our watch ... Looking to see what He will say to us. "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; In the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation." (Psalm 5:3)
I LOVE YOU 8:23 AM