Lately as I read through the Old Testament God has been revealing to me His great power, His faithfulness in fulfulling His covenants, and His plan.
Did you ever wonder why God does certain things the way He does?
I do.
I wonder particularly when He does things, or allows things that hurt, things that take time, things that are confusing...
Like why would God harden pharaoh's heart? It would seem it was hard enough as it was.
As I spend time studying God's Word, though, I find that His Spirit speaks to my heart individually and personally on questions I have. I also find that many of the answers I am seeking are right there in front of me if i will simply take the time to immerse myself, to dive in, to develop positive habits, to press in to His truths, and into Him.
Do you think you've been waiting a long time to see God answer your prayers? They are NOT prayed in vain! Did you know that the Isrealites were in bondage, chains, slavery for 430 YEARS, FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS? Wow, and I felt likeMY prayers take a long time to answer...
Prayer has got to be done with the heart and attitude of Christ Jesus. This is a daily, sometimes moment to moment, surrender for me, and probably for most of us. I ask God for big BIG things. And I believe He can do them! Yet, I surrender MY time-frame, MY hopes, MY desires, MY will, MY very life if He ask it of me, to take up and walk out HIS PLAN and HIS PURPOSE.
When have I seen this most in my own life? When I was faced with the uncertainty of what was happening in our second pregnancy. As the Doctors told us they could not find a heartbeat at five months pregnant, neither my husband nor I wanted to believe this could be true. I sat in that cold dark delivery room, even after they confirmed to us the reality that our baby had died and I cried out in loud prayer and I begged God for a miracle. I told Him I KNEW His hand could resurrect her if He so chose. I told Him I knew she would be raised to love and serve Him. I told Him I would praise His name and tell others of His resurrection power. But God had different plans.
God had different plans!
His plan was not that.
I also finished my prayer by submitting myself to His plan, and I tried my best, through my humanity and mothers heart, to trust that He had a plan and would indeed bless us and give us a hope for our future still. And I trusted in HIS resurrection of Christ and His power over life and death and ULTIMATELY, I trusted His plan and purpose for the life, no matter how short, of our daughter.
He has not shown me His exact plans, yet He has revealed to me in glimpses His great purpose for our beautiful little Joeli Grace's life. He continues to bless my heart through opportunities to minister, to encourage and to walk alongside other families suffering this great tragic loss. And He continues to use the testimony of His great love and resurrection power through the life and what I truly believe was part of Joeli's purpose to embolden me to have grace and strength to share about the great love of Christ. I know I am by far not a worthy "example" of His gospel of love and faithfulness because i am utterly failed and flawed as an individual and still make mistakes I wish I did not to this day in my thought-life in my daily life and in my heart...but may I be an example of His deep and abiding grace, I pray so!
God, give us each a boldness, a faith and a hope that is unwavering as we learn to pray in faith and believe in faith and walk in faith!
Give us an insatiable desire for more of your Words! Help our hearts to long for spending individual and personal time hearing Your voice!
In JESUS Name,
Amen
Get in that little Old Testament today :)
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