Going a Little Farther

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christian journey, how to love the journey, loving the journey, trust, walk with Christ, walking with Jesus

A friend of mine on Facebook posted this beautiful picture with this caption: “Sometimes you have to walk a little farther to get a better view.”

Isn’t that so true? We can be in a place of discouragement, but as we keep hanging on to our Savior’s hand, we eventually end up in a place of beauty.

Why are we surprised? After all, it’s exactly what God says will happen. Isaiah 61:1-3 says, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD to glorify Him.”

When we go a little farther, our God exchanges a bad view for a great view, a muddled outlook for clarity, mourning for festive oil, captivity for freedom…the list goes on and on. All we have to do is just go a little farther.

As many of you know, my husband and I love to hike. Put some dirt under our feet and we are happy people. I especially love when our destination includes a waterfall.

This past summer, my man and I decided to take a 9 1/2 mile hike that included a massive waterfall. Trekking in, all became worthwhile when we started to hear the roar and then see the utterly spectacular view of this incredible creation. Trekking back out? Well, that didn’t hold the same appeal. Going in, we could say, “Just a little farther and we get to see the Falls.” Going out, all we would see was the parking lot…which eventually began to have its own appeal.

On life’s journey, we don’t know what’s around the bend. We don’t know what the year, or even next month will bring, but when we are abiding in Christ, we know sometimes we have to walk a little farther to get a better view. We know when we hold the hand of Jesus, whether it’s a waterfall, or a parking lot, an even better view is coming.

Romans 8:28 says, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”

Psalm 27:13 says, “I am certain that I will see the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living.”

How could the Psalmist be so sure? He was sure because he had walked just a little farther. He was certain he would see the Lord’s goodness on this earth because he simply kept taking the next step of faith. He was hand in hand with His Savior, straining to see the better view that he knew was coming. He had faith that God had come to him to set him free and change all his despair into realized hope. He just had to walk a little farther.

So, if your year is starting out great, or not so great, you can know that when you go a little farther with Jesus the view will always get better.

 Keep hanging on to Him, dear one, strain to see the better view, knowing that you “will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.”

** Thank you Cindy Osborne for the picture and caption.

Seeking Hearts Ministries

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Am I Kind?

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A few years ago, my youngest son had surgery. As we were waiting to be called back, we met a man in the waiting area who obviously loved to talk. My youngest loves to talk to people who seem to need it, and let me tell you it was some conversation. The gentleman was very nice, but obviously very lonely. He talked… and talked… and talked…so much so that when he (we’ll call him Mr. S) was called back to get prepped for his surgery, he still talked to my youngest a minute while the nurse waited for him to finish.

Several hours later, my son’s surgery was finished. I was in recovery with him as he was waking up from anesthesia. Still groggy and being acclimated to his surroundings these were his words: “I wonder if Mr. S is okay.”

My heart melted a little. Who wakes up from surgery concerned about a stranger? I have never been a prouder momma.

I pondered that question for the rest of the day: “Who wakes up from surgery concerned about a stranger”?

I tried to come up with the word to describe the person who thinks of others, who talks to people in a waiting room they’ve never met as they are facing their own fears, a person who wakes up from anesthesia concerned about someone else.

The word I finally was satisfied with was kind.

I had forgotten what kindness looked like.

Proverbs 3:3 says, “Let not kindness and truth forsake thee: Bind them about thy neck; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:”

Kindness takes so little effort, but it can literally change a person’s entire day.

Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith.”

Kindness wasn’t something my youngest had to work at. It was natural because He had the Holy Spirit living in him.

Kindness isn’t something we have to work up to. We have it when we have the Holy Spirit living in us. It’s just a matter of whether we use what we already have.

I may have a hammer in my garage, but unless I pick it up and use it, it’s worthless.

So it is with kindness. We must utilize what God has placed inside of us.

As I remember the sweet words of my youngest waking up from surgery that day, I am reminded that kindness comes from within. It’s a choice whether I use the tool God has already placed in me.

So today, instead of swinging the hammer of hate, apathy, and selfishness, I’m choosing to be kind. I’m choosing to remember what kindness looks like.

Perfect Peace in Difficult Times

Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee: for he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.”

I love these verses. In fact, if you have ever received a card, or an e-mail from me, most likely these verses were below my name. I don’t know if it’s what I would consider my life verse, but it’s a seasonal verse for sure. After all, how can you resist the only formula known to man for peace that actually works? It’s not only true because it’s the Word of God, but I also know from experience how true it really is.

Think about it. When you are upset about a situation, or something that is on the horizon, or even an emergency that hits, are you more peaceful when you keep replaying the event over and over in your mind, or when you speak the name of Jesus? Are you more peaceful in an emergency room thinking about what all the doctor may choose to do, or when you are focusing on the fact that God is your ultimate Healer?

I was just sitting in a doctor’s office yesterday and let me tell you I was letting my mind run away with me. What if she thinks I’m nuts? What if she takes a biopsy? What if she wants a biopsy and makes me come back? What if she draws my blood? How much will all this cost? Then, the Holy Spirit reminded me to focus on Him. My mind was in such a dither that all I could do was whisper the name of Jesus. Eventually, I was able to go through some ABC’s of who God is… “God, you are amazing. I trust You. God, you are bold. I trust You. God, you are compassionate. I trust You…” I was even able to remember a few Scriptures and say those as well. Which helped me more? You know it! Focusing on the Lord.

Let’s open these verses a little more and see how the Amplified Bible translates them. It says: “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character],
Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].
Trust [confidently] in the Lord forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner], for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].”

These verses tell us that not only is perfect peace possible, but constant peace as well! Constant peace! How do we get it? With a steadfast mind. What is a steadfast mind? It says that a steadfast mind is committed and focused on the Lord.

I can be committed to something without being focused on it at all times. I am committed to my husband, but I am not focused on him continually (Sorry, honey.). That’s why we have to commit to date nights, hikes in the woods together and conversations where we are looking each other in the eye without distractions. Our commitment stays strong when we focus on each other.

When we commit ourselves to God, no doubt we are all in, but our focus can shift at times. Life can crowd in on us. So, these verses remind us to not only commit, but focus like a laser beam on who He is. Then, the peace we all crave reigns in our life.

The next part of these verses say, “Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].”

We have peace because we are focused on Him and who He is. When we are focused on Him, we are pressed in to Him as close as we can get. We are trusting and taking refuge in Him and this gives us hope which leads to confidence in what He is going to do in our lives.

Think about a hunter who has been sitting in his deer stand for hours when all of a sudden his target pops over the horizon. Do you think he is looking anywhere but at his target? His confident hope has been focused on this objective all morning. He is laser focused on his commitment to feed his family with this deer. That’s how we need to be with God. We need to remember that He provides for us in every way, so our commitment to Him keeps us focused on who He is. God is our prey and our minds are the gun. And, the strength to stay on target? The Holy Spirit.

So, when I am sitting in the doctor’s office and remember (focus in on the fact) that my God is good and that there is no darkness in Him at all (I John 1:5) I have a confident hope that even if the doctor tells me bad news, God is not a mean God. He is good and has good in it for me. When I am sitting in the doctor’s office and I am remembering that God is my Provider, I start to rehearse what miracles of provision has already taken place and I then look with confident hope at how God will provide for these expenses as well. We are able to confidently hope when our minds are focused on Him. When we have hope, we are strong because He is our strength and His strength is everlasting. It never runs out.

Jesus says in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” He’s left His peace for us to take hold of, so let’s grab it and shine like the stars we are meant to be, (Philippians 2:16).

My Story to Peace

Seeking Hearts Ministries

The Magic Key

As I was reading this morning, I came across I Kings 3:3. It says, “Solomon loved the LORD by walking in in the statutes of his father David, but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.”

This was such a relief to me. Knowing that Solomon loved God, walked in the ways of God, was blessed mightily by God, but still had hang-ups.

I often find myself trying to be so perfectionistic in my daily walk with Christ, that I lose the joy of it. I’m so busy trying to find the “magic key” to unlock a certain blessing, I lose the remembrance of His love, His mercy and His grace.

I Kings reminds me that Solomon wasn’t perfect, but he still received the blessing of God over His life. He was “walking the walk”, but still wasn’t without sin.

At times, I assume that a blessing, a promise from God’s Word, will happen in a certain time frame. When it doesn’t, I question everything. I question how I pray, how I’m studying the Word, my actions, my family’s actions, my church, etc., etc. etc. Trying to find some elusive “magic key” that must be the reason why God’s timeline doesn’t match mine.

Instead of trusting, praising, and enjoying the journey, I find myself adding a certain phrase I read in a book to my prayers, claiming a new verse, holding myself to a stricter standard to unlock this special blessing.

Are there times where I need to change something in my life? Remove a sin? Forgive a brother? Absolutely! Most of the time though… it’s a matter of trust.

It’s a matter of waiting.

It’s a matter of “not my will, but Yours be done.”

God still blessed Solomon, even with his imperfections, because it was time to bless Solomon.

God will bless me, even with my imperfections, when it is time to bless me.

Not because I am good enough, but because He is good. He never changes. His promises endure and He always keeps His promises.

What if the blessing I’m so focused on isn’t the end result, but the journey instead?

What if the blessing is the lesson that comes with the journey?

What if the blessing is the waiting?

What if there is no “magic key”?

What if my relationship with God looks completely different than that best-selling author?

What if the “magic key” is just about me pressing in as close as possible to my loving God as He douses me with His love?

What if it really is all about Him and not about me?

What if?

Instead of trying to find the “magic key” of blessing, I’m choosing to enjoy the journey. Walk in the statutes I know to be true? Yes. Love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength? Yes. Read every new book hoping to find the clue to God’s favor? No. Done with that.

Instead, I’m choosing to trust and leave whatever “magic key” there is in the hands of the God of the universe who knows just when to unlock the door of promise and when to keep me in the waiting room.

Seeking Hearts Ministries

 

The God Who Does Not Fail

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In a hymn by William Fullerton we see these words:

“I cannot tell how silently He suffered, as with His peace He graced the place of tears, or how His heart upon the cross was broken, the crown of pain to three and thirty years. BUT THIS I KNOW, He heals the broken hearted, and stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear, and lifts the burden from the heavy laden, for yet the Savior, Savior of the world is here.”

This beautiful hymn reminded me that even if life is intense and confusing, even if things around me are murky and unclear, there are many things that I do know. Many things that I can still trust. Many things to be encouraged by. Here are just a few:

God is love.

1 John 4:16 – “And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.”

Jeremiah 31:3 – “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.”

God is good.

Psalm 136:1 – “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love is eternal.”

God is light. No darkness dwells in Him.

I John 1:5 – “Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.”

God is my protection.

Psalm 36:7 – “God, Your faithful love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.”

God is my sanctuary.

Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”

Psalm 71:3 – “Be a rock of refuge for me, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and fortress.”

God is my portion.

Psalm 16:5 – “LORD, You are my portion and my cup ⌊of blessing⌋; You hold my future.”

Psalm 119:57 – “The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.”

God is faithful.

Psalm 36:5 – “LORD, Your faithful love ⌊reaches⌋ to heaven, Your faithfulness to the clouds.”

Deuteronomy 7:9 – “Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.”

God is present.

Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

God is glorious and righteous.

Psalm 97:6 – “The heavens proclaim His righteousness; all the peoples see His glory.”

God is sovereign.

Psalm 138:8 – “The LORD will fulfill ⌊His purpose⌋ for me. LORD, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands.”

God is kind.

Romans 2:4 – “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

God is peace.

John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.”

John 16:33 – “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

Philippians 4:9 – “Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

God is Healer.

Psalm 103:3 – “He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases.”

Luke 6:17-19 –“After coming down with them, He stood on a level place with a large crowd of His disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well. The whole crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming out from Him and healing them all.”

God is trustworthy.

Romans 4:20, 21 –  “He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

God is incomparable.

Psalm 40:5 – “LORD my God, You have done many things— Your wonderful works and Your plans for us; none can compare with You. If I were to report and speak ⌊of them⌋, they are more than can be told.”

God is greater.

1 John 4:4 – “You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

God is FOR me.

Psalm 56:9 – “Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call. This I know: God is for me.”

God is worth it.

2 Samuel 22:4 – “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies.”

Revelation 4:11 – “Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created.”

So, be encouraged. Even when life is bombarding you with situations out of your control and you are struggling to keep your head afloat, cling to what you know. Cling to the God you know. He will not fail.

Fullerton went on to write in his hymn:“I cannot tell how He will win the nations, how He will claim His earthly heritage, how satisfy the needs and aspirations of East and West, of sinner and of sage, BUT THIS I KNOW, all flesh shall see His glory, and He shall reap the harvest He has sown, and some glad day His sun will shine in splendor when He the Savior, Savior of the world is known.”

Trust that today. Trust what you know. Trust in the One you know. God has never failed anyone throughout all eternity and He will not fail you!

Seeking Hearts Ministries      My Story

A Needed Reminder

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I Thessalonians 5:24 says, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

I really need this reminder today.

My guy is a visionary. He gets an idea, knows a certain path and that’s it…he’s ready to take the plunge.

I, on the other hand, am a detail girl.

I love the big ideas, but my mind automatically goes to the how.

If we are my moving, I remember every detail that needs to happen to get us there.

If we are remodeling a space, even though I am not a construction person, I seem to be the one to remember to buy the nails.

If we are going on a mission trip, I think of every little detail…over and over again.

That’s what kept me from sleeping some last night…a mission trip we are going on this summer. Details, details, details. Even though details are good, they can also drive me insane.

During my mental list making in the night, the Holy Spirit reminded me of I Thessalonians 5:24. He reminded me that I am called to go and He will accomplish what is supposed to be accomplished. Yes, I need to remember to bring my toothpaste, but He will take care of the details of loving on the people, teaching what needs to be taught, the team’s health and so much more because “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

Rest in that this week. Write your lists and use the gift of details that God has given you, but then set the pen aside and trust Him to accomplish the call on your life. Depend on Him for every detail knowing that He is always faithful.

Seeking Hearts Ministries

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No Petting the Snake (Dealing with Fear)

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As I was reading Joshua 24 this morning, I found Joshua reminding the children of Israel of all the times the Lord had delivered them on their journey to the Promised Land. Over and over and over again the Lord provided, encouraged and conquered nations on their behalf.

It made me realize that seeing victory required seeing mountains and enemies and scarcity of resources. I realized that the Israelites were human beings just like us, so just as many times as God provided for them, just as many times as God defeated their enemies, they had to have had fear to some degree. I only have the proof from Judges 7 where part of Gideon’s original army was afraid and (as stated earlier) they were human. I also have the knowledge of how many times God tells us to “fear not” in the Bible, so obviously it was as big of an issue then as it is now.

Normally, I would be fearful of how many times I’m fearful. You know, freaking out at how many times I’ve disappointed God with my lack of faith when He has cleared obstacles before. But this morning, I took courage from the fact that even though God’s people must have had some fear every time they were asked to clear the way, God still gave them the victory. As long as they were dependent on God alone and His guidance, they continued to gain ground. That’s really encouraging to me!

So, what can we learn from the Israelites? Should we just huddle in our fear and do nothing? Should we stay behind and let the brave few march forward? I think not! We should hand our fear over to God every single time it pops up. Sometimes, fear is so much a part of us that we don’t even recognize it, but we can pray for eyes to see fear for what it really is and then stop playing with it and allow our Savior to stomp it into the ground while we march over it into our Promised Land.

Think of fear as a rattlesnake. Do I know that rattlesnakes will pop up in certain territories? Yes, but that will not keep me from hiking through anyway. So, we simply take precautions and kill that sucker when he blocks our path.

Just like with fear. Do I know that fear will pop up when I am trying anything new, or having a breakthrough with my Lord? Yes, but that will not block my path. I’ll come prepared with my Bible verses and in the name of Jesus allow Him to crush the head of the serpent as only He can (Genesis 3:15).

Fear will come, but let’s not allow it stop us and for heaven’s sake let’s not play with it either. I know with me personally when I allow fear in one area of my life, it breeds into every area. So, it must be destroyed completely. We can’t keep fear as a pet. It will always grow too big to control. Always.

So, be encouraged today. Know that fear does come with conquering new territory, but allow God to destroy it and give you the victory anyway.

I’m leaving you with some verses to read through, meditate on and help to prepare you for those steps into great, new territories that God has for you. He has a Promised Land for you this year. Don’t allow fear to keep you from it. Some of these verses will resonate more than others. That’s the Holy Spirit working in you and letting you know how to prepare for the coming days. Take hold of those, memorize them, write them down and cling to them instead of fear.

Here you go …

Psalm 27:1-3,”The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom should I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. Though an army deploys against me, my heart is not afraid; though a war breaks out against me, still I am confident.”

Psalm 46:1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil.Selah”

Psalm 118:6,“The LORD is for me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Psalm 118:8, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”

Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Psalm 91:5, “You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day…”

Psalm 112:7-8, “He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the LORD. His heart is assured; he will not fear. In the end he will look in triumph on his foes.”

Isaiah 35:4, “Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; He will save you.”

Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” — How beautiful is that? Put your hand in His as a trusting child.

Isaiah 41:13, “For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you.”

Isaiah 43:2, “I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and ⌊when you pass⌋ through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.”

Isaiah 44:8, “Do not be startled or afraid. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are my witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no ⌊other⌋ Rock; I do not know any.”

Isaiah 8:12, “Do not call everything an alliance these people say is an alliance. Do not fear what they fear; do not be terrified.” — I love this one because it reminds us that we are not to be terrified like those who do not have the hope of Jesus. I can’t even imagine trying to deal with fear without Jesus!

Jeremiah 17:7-8, “The man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.”

Matthew 10:29-31, “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  

Luke 12:31-32, “Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Romans 8:15, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”

Hebrews 13:6, “Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.”

Be blessed this week, dear ones and know that our God does not want us be smothered by our fear, but He wants us to acknowledge it and bring it to Him so that He can destroy it completely as only He can.

Seeking Hearts Ministries

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Getting Mud Between My Toes

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Song of Solomon 5:3-5 says, “I have taken off my dress. How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet. How can I dirty them again? My Beloved extended His hand through the opening, and my feelings were aroused for Him. I arose to open to my Beloved…”

Lately, I’ve been pretty discouraged with what I will call the “established” church. Not the doctrine, but the implementation of that doctrine through tradition and opinion. I’ve really questioned my place in ministry on a local level and I’ve been anxious about God calling me to another area of service before I’m “ready”…whatever that means. (Imagine the kid on the team who doesn’t think he’s ready to play, white knuckling the bench every time the coach needs another player, cringing in case he hears his name called? Yep, that’s been me.)

As I was reading through Song of Solomon, I came across this beautiful passage in chapter 5 and realized that even though I feel as if I have washed my feet and taken off the old garments and do not want to get dirtied up again, when my Beloved reaches for me, I’ll be ready. Why? Because my feelings for Him will once again allow me to willingly say, “Yes” to whatever He has for me. I won’t be excited because of the assignment. I will be ecstatic because I get to run away with my Beloved. So what if I get a little dirt on my clothes and feel mud oozing through my toes? So what if life gets messy once again? As long as my Beloved is guiding me, as long as I am open to His guidance, it will always be worth it. I’m finally remembering that it’s always better to be a little dirty with Jesus than sitting in a room scared that I’ll ruin my shoes.

Life is messy. Ministry is messy. Family life is messy. You name it and it’s messy, but God has called us to minister, to love and to bless others, not to stay in the chamber of our life too scared of a little dirt to follow Him when He reaches for us.

Right now, God has me in a place of encouragement and excitement and I am able to enjoy simply being in His presence. It’s fun, but I know that there may come a time when He reaches for me to enter the fray once again. Whatever that may look like, however things may play out, whenever He reaches for me to come out of my pristine chamber I will run after Him knowing that He loves me more than I could ever imagine and knowing that when I get dirtied up again He is faithful to cleanse, restore and renew. How could I not run with a God like that?

So, if you’re like me and a little nervous about the next step, (maybe you feel like the kid on the bench not quite ready to be in the game), know that when your Beloved extends His hand towards you to come away with Him, it’s always the right time and even if you don’t know you’re ready, He does. Be confident in who He sees, take His hand and run with Him as you have never run before.

My Story

Seeking Hearts Ministries

(image by seat of my soul)

 

Does God Create Serial Killers?

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all things for good, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, control, devotional, freewill, freewill of man, God, God creating bad, God's creation, serial killers, sovereignty, sovereignty of God, trust

What a question, “Does God create serial killers?” The short answer is, “No”, but if you believe in the sovereignty of God, the answer must also be, “Yes”. What do I mean? The sovereignty of God says that everything is ultimately under the control of God. It says that nothing is allowed in a believer’s life that is not for their good and anything allowed will always allow them to draw closer to their Creator. When we believe in the sovereignty of God, we acknowledge that there is evil, but we also know that God has evil on a leash.

So, again, the question can be raised, “Does God create serial killers?”

While I do not believe that God creates anyone for a sinful purpose, I also believe that God allows us to choose who we become. It’s that whole freewill thing. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with freewill. We like it when it suits us, but when others make a choice that affects us in a negative way, we wonder why God didn’t stop it.

The free will of man is a complicated thing for me. I like it when I’m making the choices, but when others are…not so much. When someone is going to make a decision that will hurt my family, I catch myself wondering why God allowed it? I can’t see the good immediately, so I assume there is no good. I often think God should step in right before something terrible happens to my family, or friends. Do you admit being the same way?

If we really had control over freewill, would it be better utilized? If we could stop and start it, what would we do? When would we rein freewill in? Would it be before someone was born who would make a poor decision? Would you choose to simply not let them be born? What about their parents? Didn’t their parents have something to do with an innocent child growing up to become a serial killer, or a rapist, or a suicide bomber? So, would you not allow the parents to be born as well? What about the grandparents of a serial killer? Didn’t they have some part in rearing a set of parents that would then rear a serial killer? Do you see the cycle? Where would it end?

If we stopped allowing children to be born who would make wrong choices, what would be considered acceptable? If you were going to be a rapist, a serial killer, or a gang banger you’re out? What about a drunk driver, or a drug dealer? What about a gossip, or a thief? Again, I ask, “When would it end?”

Why doesn’t God just stop someone from being born who will make a decision that will hurt others, especially someone who will become a serial killer? Did God not realize they would make that decision? Was He surprised? Of course He wasn’t surprised, so why did He create them? Why were they allowed to be born if He knew they would choose to kill others?

I don’t even pretend to have all the answers to these questions, but this I know, my God is sovereign and He is a good God who has my back. Does that mean I will always like what comes my way? No, but it does mean that I can rest in Him knowing that He is working to produce good in everything that He allows in my life. I may not see it, but I trust that it is there. Romans 8:28 assures me that my trust is not wasted.

After all, who is to say what one life given in sacrifice at the altar of a serial killer wouldn’t end with hundreds coming to receive Christ if it gave the family a platform to proclaim the forgiveness of Christ? Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Can this hold true even in the face of evil? Of course it can and it does.

I think it’s good to think and ask questions that can sometimes shake our faith if we aren’t careful. When the hard stuff comes up, we sometimes sweep it under the rug and choose to think about it “tomorrow”, but tomorrow never comes and then that rug gets swept out from under us when crisis hits. Let’s remember that God can handle our questions. Let’s ask Him to teach us even the hard things. Let’s ask Him to blow our minds with the wonder of who He is so that our faith can grow stronger and not weaker in the face of adversity.

So, now I’ll ask you. Why do you think God allows serial killers to be born? Maybe you don’t even think He has control over any of it, or just part of it. Let me know what you think, so we can learn together.

As I end my musings of this crazy question, I want to leave you with a few things I know for sure: One, God’s ways are not my ways and His thoughts are so much greater than my thoughts. Two, I am so glad I am not God. I would make a mess of it. Three, my God is sovereign and I trust Him. And four, I am safe in the arms of my Savior.

I am so glad our God is always willing for us to ask Him the hard questions. He is the best Teacher of all. Let’s praise Him today!

My Story

Seeking Hearts Ministries

 

Soar

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Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, devotional, encouragement, family devotions, gifts, smothering, soaring, spiritual gifts

Several weeks ago, I had the honor of singing at our local Association’s annual meeting. Afterwards, we were eating with a gentleman and in our conversation he said, “Wow. You have a really high voice.” It made me smile, because he didn’t know it, but I used to sing alto, not soprano. For many years I thought a soprano was a certain kind of voice with a certain kind of power and so, I covered up my “high voice” and simply sang alto. I had to really work at being an alto. I didn’t hear the alto part readily (that should have been my first clue that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be), so I would take the music home and bang it out on the piano until I could sing it well. I noticed other altos around me could just start singing the part without practice and so I thought, “Well, I’m just not as good as they are. I hope they don’t notice I’m struggling.” I sang, but was quite intimidated. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it just felt like work.

Years later, and I mean years later, I finally started to sing soprano. My husband had several job relocations and the babies were little so I was out of choir for a while. When we got comfortable in our next church, I can’t even tell you why, but when I joined the choir, I just decided to sing soprano. It was so odd. I felt such joy at just letting go. I still have to work at the notes, but nothing like I did being an alto. I thought I loved to sing before, but now…wow…I LOVE to sing!

When that dear gentleman told me that I had a “high voice”, he couldn’t imagine the memories that it evoked. He couldn’t imagine the feelings of thankfulness to God that welled up in me for guiding me to where I wasn’t smothered His gift in me, but soaring. Not to get attention, but to bring Him glory.

So, I encourage you today to stop smothering your God-given gift. We all have gifts (I Corinthians 12 ), so let them soar. Don’t compare your teaching, your writing, your singing, your cleaning, your giving, or whatever gifts you have with others. Just use your gift to bring God glory and who knows, some day in the future a gentleman may help you to remember what you were, so you can give God praise for who you are.

Seeking Hearts Ministries

My Story