I Wonder!

What if we all knew how many days we had here on earth?  I wonder how we'd live differently?  Would we treat our loved ones differently?  Would we be less busy?  Would we take the time to pray for others?  Would we look at serving God as a privilege rather than a duty?  I wonder.

Life's journey can be tough.  So many prayer requests for others.  Not to mention the many I have for myself.  At times it's all so very overwhelming.  It causes me to wonder.... what if everyone loved and encouraged one another along the way?   What if letting go of all the striving for more, bigger, and better was replaced with striving to be all God calls us to be?   What if we let go of the striving to be better than others and replaced that striving with a desire to love and care for others?   What if God gave us our "end" date?  Would our hearts desire be to know Him better and would contentment become reality?  I wonder.

A prayer on my heart today is this .. Lord, "teach us to number our days so we may get a heart of wisdom."  Psalm 90:12.  All of "this" .... all the striving .... it's here today and gone tomorrow.  This journey is a stepping stone to our life to come.  Often I feel I waste so many days in striving for what isn't important.  As I pray for many hurting people and people pray for me, I see better that caring for one another in the Name of Jesus is all I should be striving for.

Oh, my heart often wonders, "what if?"  I suppose this too is a waste of time.  "All the days ordained for me were written in His book before one came to be."  Psalm 139:16.  Quite simply, "being still" and resting in His Grace is the only place I need to be today.  The steps on this journey are all "determined by Him" so all the wondering can cease. 

Oh Lord, teach me to number my days.  Help me see today as a stepping stone and give me a heart that is wise in living a life of service to You.

Truly, nothing else matters. 

A New Thing

Out with the old and in with the new.  Is it that easy?  The "old!"  Days gone bye.  The "new?"  Nobody knows...only God.  All those "old" bygone days hold important lessons.  Not all the days, but many.  Some of those days hold our best memories to date.  Some of those days brought about some of our best blessings yet.  And, some of those days hold some of our deepest regrets, to date.  Some of those days are days where "blessing" seems the furthest thing from it.  Yet, through it all, do we truly know what is considered best?  We think we know, but do we? 

Often times in my life, some of what I thought were the worst days ever, turned out to be just what God knew I needed to "grow me up" in Him.  Definitely NOT what I thought I needed at the time, but where in time (notice I said "in time") I saw that which I thought was the worst of times, truly turned out to be what I would now consider a great blessing.

God was never surprised by that.  He knows exactly what we need.  Always!  He is a good God who only has our best interest at heart. We wonder....then why am I hurting?  Why did this have to happen to me?  What good could possibly come from this or that?  Oh, how it must grieve God's heart as well.  He is a God of love and we live in a sinful world.  Because of that sin bad things happen to each of us.   Some of the bad is caused by our own choices and some of the bad just comes because sin is a part of the world.  It's not that God doesn't know.  Oh, He knows.  But, for His reasons sometimes He allows "bad" to touch us.  We "see" it as "bad" but only God knows exactly what will come from each of our situations.  Imagine all those "things" that God has not allowed to "touch" us in our lives.  We don't think about those things because we probably never knew about them.  He has a plan for each of our lives and that plan and purpose will be fulfilled in each of us.  Ultimately, our God wants for us to follow close after Him.  He wants us to be in His Word and to abide in that Word....the "Word" - the "place" where He speaks to us.  He wants our trust.  He wants our love.  He wants to be our FIRST love. He wants to bring us to that 'Place" we are always longing for.....that perfect "Place".....that "Place" where there is no more death or sadness....that "Place" where we will be loved perfectly and we will be able to love perfectly.....the ONLY "Place" we will ever be truly satisfied.....HEAVEN. 

As we journey into 2016 I have no doubt many of us will enjoy many happy blessings.  I also have no doubt many of us will experience many sad days.  It's what life is made up of.  One of the promises from God's Word that really rings in me this new year is from Isaiah 43:19 ... it says, "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."  Yes, our loving God will make a way.  He will bring us through wilderness times....those dry desert times.  Even when we don't "see" it, our God is walking with us through it.  He is teaching us and wanting us to walk closely with Him.  God also tells us in, Genesis 50:20...."You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  You see, His love wants one thing....to bring us all to Him.  What we see as "bad" God can and does use for good.  It may take many years to "see" it and quite possibly this side of Heaven we may never see the "why,"  but one day we will see all that was meant to be.  One of my favorite promises in scripture is this verse from Romans 8:28.  It says "for we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and were called according to His purpose."  Our God is loving and He will work for our good.  We are His children.  What seems to be hurting us, God can and does use for His good.  It may bring someone else to God.  It may bring us closer to Him.  It may teach us what is most important.  We may never see why or what, BUT, God doesn't lie so we know it is true.

As I enter into this new year I am confident of this one thing.  My God walks with me.  He walks with you too.  That all by itself lets me confidently say that this will be a HAPPY new year.  Whatever the year holds, I can rejoice and be HAPPY because my God walks with me.  No one can take that from me.

IMMANUEL - GOD WITH US.