OH SNAP!

“In HIM, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were STAMPED with the seal of the PROMISED Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as OWNED and PROTECTED [by God]. The Spirit is the GUARANTEE [the first INSTALLMENT, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.”

‭‭EPHESIANS‬ ‭1:13-14‬ ‭AMP‬‬

We have been marked with God’s seal, as his purchased (with Christ’s death) possession. Who does the devil think he is to mess with God’s possession?! We are owned and protected BY GOD! Start acting like it! We know this is true by the fact that we have Holy Spirit living and acting in our lives as the FIRST installment of what’s to come in Christ, in being His possession! Praise God!

As true Christians, living life apart from God’s will or doing our own thing should grieve us. If we can do a thing contrary to God’s Word and have no conviction, no grief within us about our actions, then we have to question our closeness to Him. We have to come to terms with that. Are we acting as enemies of God or are we submitted to Him, humble before Him and applying His grace (His power at work within us to do what we could not do on our own) to our lives?

The verses below give a clear directive for how to fix the enmity with God problem that we could so easily stumble into if we are not vigilant with the intentions of our hearts and lives. It establishes the problem then says that by the grace of God we are to submit ourselves to God, to let go of our own plans and purposes and selfish desires and simply follow Him in whatever He is doing, to answer His call, whatever it may be. Then, the devil, the true enemy of God will have to flee from us, losing his sway in our lives. We are to come near to God, to make that step of faith so that He can come near to us to show us how big and capable He truly is. We are to wash our hands of our whole sin situation, laying it at the alter of His grace and then purify our double-minded hearts becoming single and God-minded and focused, caring for what He cares about instead of what the world cares about. We should be grieved at our sin against Him. It is at this point we will know that we are truly humble before Him and at this point that He can lift us back up to where we should have been to begin with, to a place higher and better, of much greater fulfillment than we could get to on our own (GRACE!!!). We truly have nothing to lose and more than the world to gain when we encounter the choice to be near or not to our God and lover of our souls.

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? BUT HE GIVES US MORE GRACE. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

James 4:4-10 NIV

1 Kings 17:8-15 Elijah is looking for provision. God sends him to a widow. The widow is gathering sticks to build a fire to make her last meal for herself and her son from the minuscule amount of oil and flour she had left.

Seriously?! He is looking for provision and God sends him to a widow? A woman with no man had no standing in society and no chance of having any kind of provision for herself, let alone to supply for someone else. Furthermore, when Elijah gets there, she proves just that. She says that she is making this last meal and then expects to die!

God’s ways are not ours and so much of the time they don’t make sense. However, if we are looking and anticipating Him and listening to Him and in true relationship with Him, He continues to work in our lives whether we understand what He is doing or not… AND He uses us! In the end, the widow was miraculously supplied with all the food she needed until the draught was up because she supplied the needs of Elijah and listened to what God told her through Elijah and acted on it.

Don’t try to understand His ways, just listen and do what He says!

A lot of times we go through something and don’t see God in it because our finite minds can’t comprehend how He could be working in that particular situation, we can’t comprehend His plan and way. (Isaiah 55:8-9). Other times we don’t see Him in it because we aren’t paying attention. How many times do we miss an opportunity to give God the glory and recognize Him in a situation and grow from it simply because we had our head in the sand or because we are focused on all the wrong things? (1 Kings 19:11-12) He is constantly working in our lives for our good and His glory. (Romans 8:28)

A friend of mine got laid off but will be able to collect unemployment. Their family will have enough for their bills to be paid and He gets to spend a great deal of time with his family over the next few months until he is called back or hired elsewhere. What a blessing! God provided time AND money, things we need more of all the time! How many people would graze past this or get mad at the situation and not see God in it? So glad they see Him!

I plan to look for and anticipate God more in this next year. I will be listening for Him and acting on what I hear Him tell me. I can’t wait to see how He chooses to work this year in my life!

It’s such an amazing thing to know my God in such an intimate way, to know that no matter what I face in life, how difficult and not “well” my physical situation may be, it IS well with my soul. His perfect love casts out every fear and question and leaves me so full and sure and “well” where it really matters. I may encounter impossible situations but His love will sustain me until the very end because He makes the impossible possible.

I had a realization the other day… For me and for many, the holidays are bittersweet. They hold lots of memories and expectations. They are a joyous time of celebrating the birth of a Savior through time spent with family and friends. Traditions are made around this celebration. Those traditions are broken and change over time as people pass on to celebrate with that Savior in Heaven. This can be a tough transition for those left to celebrate here on earth. My realization is that we are not alone as we feel we are! Heaven and earth have always and will always celebrate in unity and oneness! As we are connected to our Savior and each other here on earth, we remain as we, one by one, transition to our Heavenly home from our earthly home. If we connect in this way on earth, we NEVER have to permanently part! Amen!

“As Christians, we are built FOR the storm.” -Bill Scheer of Guts Church

Remember that! Part of our purpose, our way of witnessing and showing who God really is, is to weather the storm and withstand. God knew that when He designed His body and made it such that it could do just that!

When something is built FOR a particular purpose, you don’t question whether it can accomplish that purpose. You KNOW it can and count on it to! You were built FOR the storm. You WILL NOT be demolished by the storm. You WILL be the last thing standing and standing STRONG!

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:8-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There is so much logic in the Word and way of God and who God is. WE make Him “mysterious” by questioning who He already showed himself to be.

Is God a man that He is capable of lying? No.

Do you realize that there is a promise by God to cover absolutely every need you can encounter?

Do you realize that His promises are Yes and Amen (so be it!)?!

Why then, do we look at His promise as a “maybe” or for this person or that person rather than the only qualifier being that the person (you) is a follower of Christ, a Christian and that it is HE who promised it?

If God CANNOT lie and He said He would do/is capable of this or that, why do we question Him? Why do we not take Him at His word and run with that promise? Disbelief is illogical! The only logical thing to do is TO believe!