Past, Present, Future

Past Present FutureWhat He has done, what He is doing, what He will do.                          That about covers it.

 What has He done?

He bore our grief, carried our sorrows, was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. (Isaiah 53:4–5) He paid for our sin before we asked him to. He took our place and gave us a place in Eternity with Him.

What is He doing?

He is interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25) He hears our prayers (1 John 5:14) He is working out His perfect plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11)

What will He do?

He will come again (John 14:3) He will answer your every prayer (Jeremiah 33:3) He will, once and for all, destroy the works of Satan ( 1John3:8)

What more could we want? What more could we ask?

Jesus keeps His promises. All of them.

 

The Big Picture

Christians often encourage one another with the phrase “God sees the big picture.” While it’s true – God does have a panoramic view of our lives; it isn’t always a comfort to hear those words. Imagine yourself in a large stadium full of thousands of people. If you were on the other side of the stadium from a friend, you would see the larger picture, the huge crowd, but could you pick out your friend? Could you see whether your friend was standing or sitting? Of course not – not without binoculars at the very least.

Sometimes we feel lost in the crowd. Sometimes the fact that God is looking at this huge all-encompassing view makes us feel small and unnoticed. But the scriptures point out that God has another perspective. He not only sees the Big Picture, He also sees all the tiny, seemingly unimportant details of each of our lives. He isn’t just seeing us from a distance. He knows the color of our eyes, He knows what our first thought is each morning when we open those eyes to face a new day. He is interested and concerned about everything that we feel and think. He knows our fears and our joys and He wants us to share them with Him every day.

Psalm 139:1-2 says “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you understand my thought from afar.”

You may not see your friend stand up in that crowded stadium, but God does. He also knows what each person in that place is thinking even before they think it. The Lord cares about the Big Picture because it’s His ultimate plan. But He knows that the big picture is made up of the details. God is interested in the little things as well as the big ones.

Invite the Lord into the details of your life and trust Him to fit you into His big picture.

God Has a Plan

I love the story of Esther. It’s a great reminder that God has a plan for every life. There are no coincidences, no chance meetings.                 Esther didn’t just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Sometimes I think we take for granted the way our lives move forward. We see changes in our direction, we see our lives heading away from the course we expected but we focus so much on being disappointed in the changes or trying to adapt to what we don’t want, that we forget to seek God on what His plan is. We might be positioned like Esther, in a unique place for an important, life-changing purpose but we may not have a Mordecai to point it out to us and we miss it. When we moved to Iowa from Ohio it was the last thing I ever expected but now, almost ten years later, I can see that it was exactly the right decision. What if I had resisted, or tried to figure out a different path on my own? What would my life look like today?

Now, when life sends me into unexpected paths I try to remember to ask God to show me His plan and then cooperate with Him. The world would say” go with the flow.” I would rather go with the Holy Spirit, thank you!

Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?

Mighty to Save

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.   Zephaniah 3:17

Our God is a mighty God. He tells us in this verse that He is mighty to save. Some versions of this verse say He is a strong warrior. Think about that for a moment. He is stronger than any human or angel. He is mightier than any foe. Yet in the same verse we are told he delights in us, and will quiet us with His love and will sing over us. Can you picture a mighty warrior singing? It’s a powerful picture to be sure.

We know that God will save us from death and will take us to Heaven to live with Him forever. But I think it’s also worth a moment to consider what else He saves us from. The Israelites, no doubt, were thinking of armies and dangers that they faced. But what enemies do we face in the 21st century? We in America don’t spend a lot of time thinking about being saved from physical enemies, though perhaps we should. The threats we face are more subtle but are just as capable of defeating us as an armed soldier.

There are things from which we need saving on a daily basis. God is able to save us from despair, unforgiveness, disappointment, and regret. He is able to save us from ourselves. He is able to save us from making bad choices, saying the wrong thing, and so much more. All that’s required is that we remember He is with us. He says He is, in the verse we just read. He is waiting to rescue us from every threat we face be it big or small. He will fight for us! He delights in us! He loves us! And even more amazing, He sings!

Can you hear Him?

Don’t Forget

It’s a scientific fact. Stress causes memory loss. Researchers have determined that there is a chemical reaction in our brains when we are stressed that causes all kinds of problems, one being loss of memory. We can’t think straight when we’re under stress.

I doubt we needed a scientific study to come to that conclusion. All of us have experienced what stress can do, we forget what we were saying, we forget where we put things, or we forget why we went into a room. And as we get older it just seems to get worse. But we’ll talk about that another time!

We don’t function at our best when we’re under stress. Isn’t it nice when science confirms what God already told us? It should remind us that He has been in control all along and knows exactly how he designed us to function. He created us to handle a little bit of stress at a time.

Did you know that your body needs some stress? Your muscles need stress to get stronger and your brain needs some stress to trigger the release of chemicals that keep everything working smoothly. You also were given a special stress mechanism that allows you to escape dangerous situations quickly. But all those good forms of stress are sabotaged when we allow stress to control our lives.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We were not designed to carry around stress and anxiety all the time. Instead, we need to heed the words of the Psalmist “I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”(Ps. 16:8)

When we get so tangled up in our worries and concerns, we do forget. We forget what’s important. Today, allow David’s psalm to remind you what’s important.

Psalm 103:2-5 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

In Your Own Strength

What can you really do in your own strength? What can you accomplish all by yourself?

At first glance, it may seem like you are capable of many things. One of the world’s most common messages is that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. The bookstores are full of self-help books that promise you can succeed in ten easy steps at anything you want to as long as you follow the plan. Weight loss, business, relationships, parenting, you name it and there’s a book to help you reach your goals.

The Bible tells us we can do all things too, if we just follow the plan. But the Bible plan is much different. It says in Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. That’s the strength we can depend on, not our own.

Have you ever seen a domino toppling demonstration? The “artist” spends hours positioning dominos and other props in a design that is laid out in very precise detail. Have you ever tried it yourself? One little bump and the entire display can be ruined in a matter of seconds. All your work gone before you can appreciate any of it. And even if you do manage to complete your design and execute it perfectly, when it’s done all you have left is the pile of rubble that you need to clean up. You have had a few moments of pleasure as you see your creation fulfill its purpose and then there is nothing.

I think we can be tempted to spend much of our time here on earth trying to build elaborate domino displays. We can plan and build and feel satisfied with ourselves for our successes but in the end, if we have been doing all of it in our own strength we will have nothing to show for it. The Bible says in First Corinthians 3 that God will test our works with fire. If what we have done doesn’t pass the test we have nothing to show for all our efforts but a pile of rubble.

God is not stingy with His strength. He tells us over and over that His strength is available to us at the moment we ask. He will provide all we need to succeed at the things He has called us to do. And in the end we will have accomplished something with eternal value and not just a momentary satisfaction that leaves us with a mess to clean up.

1 Corinthians 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

 

 

It Could be Just Beyond the Horizon

When I was a little girl my parents took me to see the Rocky Mountains. We left Ohio and drove for what seemed like weeks to a five year old girl. Would we ever get there? Had my parents promised something that they would not be able to accomplish? I had never seen mountains except in books so I kept my eyes on the horizon ahead, waiting to get my first glimpse of the promise that I was going to see huge snowcapped mountains. Finally after days of driving and waiting for the promise, the mountains appeared. But we continued to drive without much evidence that we were getting any closer to them. We kept driving, we stopped for gas, we stopped to eat, and we stopped at parks to stretch our legs. Still the mountains loomed in the distance appearing no closer. Of course we eventually arrived in Colorado and I was able to experience the Rocky Mountains for the first time but at times during that trip I doubted the promise my parents had given me. Have you been in a similar situation? Have you received a promise from the Lord that you’ve been waiting to have fulfilled? Abraham and Sarah could tell you a story about waiting on a promise. I imagine they could tell you all about struggling to continue trusting when it didn’t seem like they were getting any closer to the fulfillment of the promise they had received. What they waited for was somewhere on the horizon but they never seemed to make any progress toward attaining it. Sometimes the journey is longer than we anticipate. Sometimes God leads us along paths that seem to go nowhere but all the time, He has a plan. He is working in our lives whether we see progress or not. He asks us to trust Him to fulfill what He as promised. Each day we cover more ground even though we may not see it. God will take us safely to the end of the journey where we will rejoice with Him.

Psalm 25:9-10  He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

God’s Promises

IMG_71901God’s provision is not based on our productivity.

God’s love is not based on our loyalty.

God’s protection is not based on our performance.

God’s compassion is not based on our commitment.

God’s mercy is not based on our merits.

God’s peace is not based on our position.

God’s promises are not earned by our behavior. Some promises require our obedience but that’s not the same thing as performance or merit. God sees our potential and not our failures. We cannot be disqualified from receiving God’s promises if our hearts are truly His. We don’t have to earn His love, compassion or peace by measuring up to some standard. He loved us first, before we had a single opportunity to prove our loyalty or commitment and His peace can be received anywhere, anytime. There is nothing we can do to make God love us any more than He already does.

Walking with God

IMG_9746If you have ever taken a walk with a small child you will recognize this scenario. You are walking down the sidewalk and the child is jumping and skipping along ahead of you. Ideally, you’d rather she stays close, even walking along side you, holding your hand. But as long as she doesn’t venture too far ahead you are willing to let her explore a little. She skips along, jumping over the cracks in the sidewalk, stopping to squat down and watch a bug crawling along the edge.

All is well until you look ahead and see that you are approaching a busy intersection. Your first action is to call to the child. “Stop! Don’t cross by yourself, wait for me.” If she has been trained to be obedient she will stop and wait. When you catch up to her you take her hand, check your surroundings and then lead her safely to the other side.

Your Heavenly Father does this for you every day. He walks along with you, watching for danger, keeping you safe. He is willing to allow you to explore a bit, to check out your options in life. But as soon as He sees a critical intersection up ahead he calls to your heart. “Stop, listen, wait for me. I will guide you. Wait for me.”

Are you an obedient child who will wait or are you a bit rebellious? Do you say, “Yes, Father, I will wait.” Or do you say “I can do it myself?”

Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 

Proverbs 2:6-9 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright; he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path.

 

 

I Will

How many times have you said the phrase, “I will” only to get distracted and forget what you promised to do? For me it seems to be an occurrence that is becoming more common every day. My life is busy, I get distracted. I don’t mean to forget, I really mean to follow through when I say “I will.”

I have to say I’m not alone in this. There are plenty of times when I ask one of my children or my husband to please do something and the answer I get is “I will.” They mean to take care of it. They just get busy and forget. What they promised doesn’t happen.

It doesn’t make us bad people to forget. It doesn’t mean that we have no regard for the promises we make. It just means we are imperfect human beings in an imperfect world. We forget, we get distracted, we don’t follow through.

I think sometimes our own shortcomings in this regard make us tempted to be less trusting of God’s promises. The scriptures are full of verses where God says “I will.” But we’ve heard that phrase before and the follow through was lacking. Not so with God. When He says “I will.” You can be absolutely assured that He will. He never gets distracted and never forgets a promise. He will always keep His promises. He will always follow through. You can count on it.

Psalm 91:15 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.