iShineInMinistry

Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

 

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

 

 

 

I love making to-do lists, organizing and basically putting things in their rightful place. This love was forced upon me once I moved to New York and realized how much space I did not have in my home. This new “forced love” has also trickled into many parts of my life, such as planning, events, scheduling my life and my workouts. It helps me stay on track and have a spirit of diligence; however, sometimes I just need to calm the heck down and let god do what He is planning to do.

 

Oftentimes, we go into control-freak mode and think we can change the course of very specific elements of our lives. While we can redirect the color of our hair with the help of dye or a hairdresser, making other things fall into place is not so easy. In our efforts to get God on our program we may also manipulate what look like well-meaning plans to try to get an ideal outcome for ourselves.

 

 

 

I don’t know about you, but when I’ve done that, many times my final thought is, “Well that didn’t go as planned.” I may try to work out more to train for a big race, only to get injured and not be able to participate at all. Or, I could work and study and strive until I have sleepless nights and live at work or school…then get demoted or not get accepted into the grad-school program that I worked so hard to get to. Perhaps I have been making a new set of friends with the intention of catching the eye of a specific guy, only to find out that he has a long distance girlfriend in Sweden. Fill in your blank as needed; but the point is, we need to stay on god’s course and want His will if we’d like things to go as planned.

 

 

 

I hope so very much that we will place our full, undivided, complete and sincere trust in the Lord and let Him establish our steps rather than come up with a course on our own that either leads to trouble, getting lost or a dead end. Let’s truly trust Jesus with our lives the way we say we do when we sing songs to Him, we will be much better off if He’s really in control!

 

 

 

Jeremiah 32:27 (NET)

 

“I am the Lord, the God of all humankind. There is, indeed, nothing too difficult for me.

Isaiah 6:8(KJV)

 

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

 

 

 

Day in and day out we find ourselves in the same routine with no visible signs of change coming our way. We stay in this funk, whether or not we like it, because at least we know how it's going to pan out at the end of the day. While life may not feel grand, it's stable, predicable and doable in this uncertain world we live in. This sounds okay at best, but when you look at life through the lens of faith...this seems like a pathetic existence. Our lives are supposed to be lived out in faith, belief, the joy of the Lord and in the blessed hope of His promises as He equips us. Why don't we do this?

 

 

 

I truly think that each of us needs to take some time each day and pray through a new, exciting and even outlandish thing that the Lord may call us to do. Maybe He will have us do a small, kind gesture...or perhaps He may send us over to the other end of the earth to serve Him. He may just tell us to make a new friend or pray for someone that is "not our favorite". No matter the charge He gives, let's be faithful and obedient to do what He shows us to do.

 

 

 

I pray that we will not be so mundane in our lives and just exist rather than live. I pray that we will all allow the Lord to give us faith and strength to do EVERYTHING that He is calling us to do. I pray that we will answer the call and not just pretend that we are hearing things or maybe the word we heard was for someone else. I pray that we will go where God sends us...even if it means we have to clean up, get up, give up something, quit our normal routine and truly live surrendered, stepping out in faith and seeing what the Lord can and will do. Enjoy the day and get ready for amazing adventures with the Lord as He sends you!

 

 

 

2 Chronicles 16:9(NKJV)

 

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

 

 

 

Psalm 138:8 NASB

 

The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

James 1:6 (NASB)

 

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

 

 

We are some of the most double-minded people ever. I frequently have conversations with my friends about topics where we are completed indecisive. For most of us ladies, it's thinking through the possibility of getting married. Some girls want to pray about it, but then decide they don't want to get their feelings hurt (lack of faith much?). Then there are girls like me...I don't even know if I want what I thought I wanted a year ago. My preferences have changed and now I'd like something else for my life. Maybe you want a new job, a new baby or a new city to live in...whatever your heart has a desire for now, please keep in mind the following:

 

 

What you (and I) should actually want first and foremost is God's will. If that is always our desire and prayer, we will never be double-minded. We will be joyful and fulfilled with whatever and wherever our life takes us as He leads. Whatever He plans for our lives will be what we want and it will bring us contentment even if it doesn't bring that man, house, baby, job or new handbag. Or, we will be joyful when it does bring those things. And most importantly, we will have joy and blessings if those things come in a completely different form/package than what (or who) we imagined them to look.

 

 

Being firm in your decision to want God's will shows that you truly do have faith. You can't say that you are going to be ho-hum miserable and then let God come through as He always does to make you happy. That's not faith at all. You had to see before you even believed. Remember the scripture, blessed are those who believed without seeing (yes that's a paraphrase, I know). Also, the other verse that says without faith it's impossible to please God...what kind of woman of God are you if you don't trust or believe God and your outlook on life doesn't even please Him? Let's do a little realignment here ladies!

 

 

I do hope that we will all come to a place where we can say, "Thy will be done," and truly mean it. I pray that we will not treat our Lord and Savior like a genie in a lamp or Santa Clause and just trust in His plan. If you need a little prayer in this area...I'd love to come together in agreement with you! Just use the link on the site and shoot me an email!

 

 

John 20:29 (ESV)

 

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

 

 

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

 

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Are you feeling disappointed today? Do you have this unsettling feeling in your heart and mind that something is putting a cloud over your joy? Is life as you know it feeling more like a routine set on auto-pilot than a beautiful picture of God’s plan for you? Are you waiting and starting to lose hope in letting patience have its perfect work? If any (some or all) of these statements is true for you, let me remind you to meditate on this area of scripture and also let’s remember how much the Lord loves us.

 

 

 

Romans 5:1-5

 

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

 

 

 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to grow in endurance, character and hope as you start to get disheartened by how much longer this season is lasting. Jumping the gun and forcing your own way may seem like a good idea for the here and now, but think of the better option God has for you, think of all the unsaved people around you that are watching how you respond to life. Think of the amazing way the Lord is using you right now in whatever situation you find yourself in. Don’t lose heart!

 

 

 

We may not understand why things end up the way they do or how it all seems to work out, but we do know that the same God that willingly sent His only begotten Son to the cross for us always has our best interests in mind as He orchestrates each moment of our lives. Let’s trust what He is doing and let Him have His way in our lives…we will be much better off and an amazing testimony of His truth and faithfulness!

Heart check time – are you doing all to the glory of God right now? As you sit at work, in your volunteer position, in class or in a meeting...are you truly focused on the Lord and bringing Him glory in all you do? I know for a fact that I am not right now. I have a severe case of "short-timers" as I am in the process of transitioning from one position to the next big thing that God has for me. However, I need to finish strong so that I can do the last fantastic thing that God gave me to do in this season. Might you be encountering the same problem?

 

 

 

Let's encourage one another today. We need to keep going in the right direction and let our work ethic be a testimony of our devotion to the Lord. Let's get our tasks complete, bless those around us and keep doing the work that the Lord has called us to do. Let's be extra-sparkly as we worship the Lord in spirit and truth through our actions and everything the Lord allows us to do in this life.

 

 

 

I will keep you in prayer in this endeavor...and please also pray for me!!