Put God’s needs first
“So... he began, leaning forward in his chair, eyes fixed on hers, How are you doing?”
She had to stop and think; His unconditional love sometimes made it hard to recognize and remember her faults, but when she did stop and take inventory it gave her reason to blush. His love was wonderful! To think that he loved her no matter what she did... she was ever so thankful for that! But... if she truly loved him, why could she not take herself more in hand? Why was she constantly tripping up? The question plagued her and she felt tears welling in her eyes. She brushed them away angrily. Why was she always crying? And for him to see her falling apart – it was embarrassing. Her father moved closer and took her hands in his own. She felt the warmth and strength of his grasp and looked up to meet his gaze. A warm shock spread through her body at seeing that his own eyes were filled with tears as well. “Oh Papa!” She breathed, the floodgates opened and she knelt in front of him and wept on his knee. He didn’t chide her or attempt to stem the flow of emotion, he only whispered soothing words of comfort, gently stroking her hair and her back. He lifted his own tear-stained face toward heaven, silently asking the Giver of wisdom to endue him with words by which to comfort and instruct his beloved daughter. As he settled back in his chair a quiet peacefulness stole over him and he was reminded of a devotional he had read just days before. It had been based on the text found in Hebrews 10, verse 9, which states, “ Behold, I have come to do Thy will O God.”
The writer had went on to elaborate that Jesus’ obedience was to do the will of His Father, Almighty God. Everyone has a list of things that they feel must be done, or changed, or accomplished. But we cannot do anything in our own strength...it must be God at work in us. (Matthew 19:26 and Philippians 2:13) “Darling, he spoke quietly, after her sobbing had subsided, May I ask you something?” She raised her face to him and nodded her assent.
“Have you been careful lately to see to it that God’s needs are met before all else in your life?” A look of perplexity crossed her face, and he could see that she was considering the question deeply. Her voice was very quiet as she murmered the question, half to herself,
“God.... has needs?!”
He went on, “We all do have things that we want to accomplish in order for His kingdom to come in our lives and in the lives of others, but sometimes we can get so caught up in doing the work of God that we neglect the one thing that He desires most in each of us, the thing that we need most, in fact that which is absolutely essential to His work being carried out through us. Time with Him. He wants a relationship with us. With me. With you. He wants us first of all to fall in love with Him. To desire Him above all others, people, interests, even duties. Seek ye first..the kingdom of God..and it all begins with Him.
When something or someone is foremost in your mind, don’t you find that other cares and interests don’t matter as much? As he spoke, he saw her countenance begin to brighten and he could tell she was beginning to understand what he was talking about. There was a warm flood of joy in his heart at being able to instruct his daughter toward God’s purpose in her life and he sent up a prayer of silent thanksgiving for this now. She rose and seated herself on his knee, leaning on his chest she embraced him and spoke softly, “Thank you dear Papa, for teaching me.. it is just what I needed to hear this morning.” He returned her embrace and as they arose together he added, “Jesus said, “Tarry...until ye are endued with power from on high..” (Luke 24:49) Why don’t you go out into the garden now and spend some time alone with Him. He is longing for you...don’t keep Him waiting. Her face was joyful as she kissed her father. With eyes shining with renewed hope she hurried from the room, collected her wraps and her little Bible and went out.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Lost and Found!
9:30 a.m. I’ve lost some very important papers – the file with the kid’s birth certificates and social security cards. I was looking for them in the file drawer where I thought they were and I can’t find them in ANY of the drawers! I felt so overwhelmed I just started to cry. I felt like God told me to just come away from that for awhile and spend my quiet time with Him to start with, then go back and I may have to go through EACH file drawer, piece by piece, but they have needed cleaning out for a LONG time.. so I’m headed to the park with my Bible to have my time with God...
10:55 a.m. God is SO GOOD!!! Well, that goes without saying, and He would still be good even if this hadn’t happened, but I went and had my time alone with Him, (putting Him first, after nearly rushing headlong into my day without doing that) so I came back to the house, not feeling that much better at the thought of the daunting task ahead of me –cleaning out the entire filing cabinet one drawer at a time, looking for the lost papers, but I steeled myself to the task and I’m just about to get started looking through the first drawer when the thought comes: “why not just check in the lock box first?” Now, I was almost certain the papers weren’t in there, although Robert had chided me this morning that that is where they should have been in the first place, but who am I to put things where they should go?!? Well, I had to pray (and call hubby) to be able to even find the key to the lock box (I sure hope at least one other person out there can relate!) but I finally found it, (getting one of my “catch-all” drawers cleaned out in the process!) opened the lock box, moved aside house title and car titles, and Nathan’s coin collection, and there it was! The envelope containing all the papers I was looking for!!! Thank You God!!! I don't know how it got there, -pretty sure it wasn't me, but what a load off my mind and I am filled with a new determination to 1. Always put God first in my day, and 2. Get more organized already!!!
10:55 a.m. God is SO GOOD!!! Well, that goes without saying, and He would still be good even if this hadn’t happened, but I went and had my time alone with Him, (putting Him first, after nearly rushing headlong into my day without doing that) so I came back to the house, not feeling that much better at the thought of the daunting task ahead of me –cleaning out the entire filing cabinet one drawer at a time, looking for the lost papers, but I steeled myself to the task and I’m just about to get started looking through the first drawer when the thought comes: “why not just check in the lock box first?” Now, I was almost certain the papers weren’t in there, although Robert had chided me this morning that that is where they should have been in the first place, but who am I to put things where they should go?!? Well, I had to pray (and call hubby) to be able to even find the key to the lock box (I sure hope at least one other person out there can relate!) but I finally found it, (getting one of my “catch-all” drawers cleaned out in the process!) opened the lock box, moved aside house title and car titles, and Nathan’s coin collection, and there it was! The envelope containing all the papers I was looking for!!! Thank You God!!! I don't know how it got there, -pretty sure it wasn't me, but what a load off my mind and I am filled with a new determination to 1. Always put God first in my day, and 2. Get more organized already!!!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Praying God's Word over our children
Sunday, February 27, 2011 “Awake Oh sleeper!”
As I was having my morning devotions, and praying for the kids, but mainly Joyce has been on my heart lately, God suddenly gave me this word from the Bible to pray over Joyce:
First, as I was praying and thumbing through my Bible, I asked God to give me a verse of scripture that I could pray over Joyce. The words “Arise, Oh sleeper!” fell into my spirit. Then I noticed that I was in Mark 5, -the story of Jairus’ daughter. So I scanned the chapter, and the words of Jesus leapt out at me: “The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” (verse 39) I suddenly knew that I am to pray this over her in order for God to work in her to “awaken” her spiritually. Philippians 2:13 says that it is God Himself that works in us, to both give us the desire to obey Him, and give us the power to do so. I feel like I have not done the best job I could have in “training up my children in the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6) but this morning God also graciously showed me the scripture in 1 Corinthians 2, where Paul says that if his preaching had had any good affect on them, it wasn’t because of himself, because he came to them “without excellency of speech or wisdom,” but with much fear, weakness, and trembling. His speech, he says, was not with “enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of The Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2: 1-5) In addition to the verse in Mark 5, I also looked up Ephesians 5:14, which says, Wherefore, He saith, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” And continuing through verse 20: See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Holy Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Thank You Father God that You are working in Joyce to awaken her spiritually, and thank You for the comfort You have given me this morning, that it all rests in You... and that I may rest in that sweet knowledge... Thank You God!” Thank you that in addition to the the scriptures above, You also gave me more – the scripture in John 11:43, that tells about Jesus commanding Lazurus in a loud voice to “COME FORTH!” It thrills my soul the way You have spoken to me this morning concerning my daughter... Thank You so much for Your wonderful Word, in which You have caused me to hope!
He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. –Isaiah 40:11
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. –Isaiah 54:13
As I was having my morning devotions, and praying for the kids, but mainly Joyce has been on my heart lately, God suddenly gave me this word from the Bible to pray over Joyce:
First, as I was praying and thumbing through my Bible, I asked God to give me a verse of scripture that I could pray over Joyce. The words “Arise, Oh sleeper!” fell into my spirit. Then I noticed that I was in Mark 5, -the story of Jairus’ daughter. So I scanned the chapter, and the words of Jesus leapt out at me: “The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” (verse 39) I suddenly knew that I am to pray this over her in order for God to work in her to “awaken” her spiritually. Philippians 2:13 says that it is God Himself that works in us, to both give us the desire to obey Him, and give us the power to do so. I feel like I have not done the best job I could have in “training up my children in the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6) but this morning God also graciously showed me the scripture in 1 Corinthians 2, where Paul says that if his preaching had had any good affect on them, it wasn’t because of himself, because he came to them “without excellency of speech or wisdom,” but with much fear, weakness, and trembling. His speech, he says, was not with “enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of The Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2: 1-5) In addition to the verse in Mark 5, I also looked up Ephesians 5:14, which says, Wherefore, He saith, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” And continuing through verse 20: See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Holy Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Thank You Father God that You are working in Joyce to awaken her spiritually, and thank You for the comfort You have given me this morning, that it all rests in You... and that I may rest in that sweet knowledge... Thank You God!” Thank you that in addition to the the scriptures above, You also gave me more – the scripture in John 11:43, that tells about Jesus commanding Lazurus in a loud voice to “COME FORTH!” It thrills my soul the way You have spoken to me this morning concerning my daughter... Thank You so much for Your wonderful Word, in which You have caused me to hope!
He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. –Isaiah 40:11
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. –Isaiah 54:13
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