Wednesday, August 31, 2011
The Secret of Contentment
In my last blog we left Joseph in prison placed there due to a false testimony against him. Chapter 39 : 20b - 21, “(20b)But while Joseph was in the prison, (21) the Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” So many times we think that when we are going through hard times that the Lord has left us. In Joshua 1:5 God tells Joshua, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” This is also for us as well when as we read in Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Joseph knew this and had confidence that God was in control. Joseph’s confidence and attitude resulted in God working through the warden to grant favor to Joseph. Did you notice that God granted him favor in the eyes of the warden? God was at work in both Joseph and the warden.
Genesis 40 tells us the story of the cupbearer and the baker with whom Joseph was put in charge of by the warden. I would urge you to read this story in your Bible. I am going to give you a little synopsis of it but if you read it, something different that you might need to know may stand out to you.
First of all I would like for you to notice that it begins with “Some time later,” which tells us that Joseph had spent quite a bit of time in prison prior to these men coming into prison and into his service. The warden had assigned these me to Joseph who cared for them. If you notice in the last part of verse 4, it states, “After they had been in custody for some time,” we don’t know how long that is but we do know that they spent a considerable amount of time in prison. This means that Joseph spent even more time than they did in prison. Do you think Joseph was having to wait for the Lord’s plan to be fulfilled? Do you ever feel that it is not fair that you are having to wait for that plan? Do you ever ask the Lord to please hurry and fulfill His plan because you just don’t think you can take much more? I know the answer to all of the above is “yes” for me. Joseph though continues to serve the Lord while in this prison.
One night the cupbearer and the baker both had dreams. The next morning they were downcast because they did not know what the dreams meant and they had no one to interpret the dreams for them. When Joseph came to take care of their needs, Joseph noticed that they were downcast and ask them why. They explained to him that they had both had dreams and no one to interpret the dreams. Now, Joseph was quick to let them know that only God could interpret the dreams and asked what they had dreamed. Remember, the Lord was with Joseph and he was able to tell both the cupbearer and the baker their fate. The cupbearer would be restored into his service to the king and the baker would be hanged. Joseph asked that the cupbearer remember him when he found favor with the king,. In verse 15 Joseph shares of his trials to the cupbearer, “For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve to be put in a dungeon.” How often do you think Joseph thought about all the trials that he had gone through. His brothers turned against him and sold him but he made the best of the situation and then he is falsely accused and thrown into prison, even so, he made the best of the situation. Now he has hopes to get out of prison but the Lord has him wait another two years before he is finally released from prison. In verse 23 it tells us, “The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him”.
Have you ever waited for something, thinking it was the Lord’s will only to be disappointed? I have several times and it is very frustrating. I began to wonder if I really understood what the Lord wanted for my life. When this happens I become anxious, frustrated, and yes even angry. Not always do I become angry with the Lord but I become angry with those around me who the Lord is working through. Remember the Lord allowed the warden to find favor. The Lord will allow the one that He chooses to find favor with each of us in order for His will to be complete. Joseph knew of the secret of contentment even in the midst of his trials, in Hebrews 13:6 we are reminded again of what that secret is, “So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
As you seek Him and you find Him may you have the peace and contentment that your life is in His hands in all circumstances.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Attitude - Blessing or Curse?
In my last blog we looked at how Joseph responded to his temptation by saying no. You would think that he would be blessed because his response wouldn’t you? You would think that Potiphar’s wife would be impressed that he gave her an excellent reason as to why he could not sleep with her and that she would leave him alone but that is not how temptation works.
I remember a joke that an evangelist told one time when I was a child that gives a perfect example of how temptation works. He said that his wife came home with a new dress. She explained that she had tried it on and really liked it and was tempted to buy it. He then asked her why she didn’t tell satan to get behind her and she said, “I did, and he it told me, ‘It looks good from this back here too,’ so I bought it.” Now that is temptation and yielding to temptation. I am sure we have all been there sometime in our lives. It was no different for Joseph.
If you read Genesis 39:11-20 we read how Potiphar’s wife did not stop with Joseph telling her no. One day he came into the house and grabbed his cloak and enticed him to sleep with her. He did not reason with her this time but simply ran out of the house leaving his cloak behind. She was so disgusted with the response that she accused him of trying to “make sport of her”. She told Potiphar a lie when he arrived home and he was so angry that he had Joseph thrown in the king’s prison.
So many times we think that if we do everything right that God will bless us and then when it doesn’t appear that He is blessing us we begin to question Him and doubt that He ever will. We doubt that our dreams were really from God and we find ourselves questioning our own actions. This is how I would have felt if I would have been in Joseph’s shoes. He had done everything right but he was falsely accused of doing what was wrong which would make anyone upset. I would have pouted for days. Joseph though was not like me and his reward can be found in Genesis 39:20b-21, “But while Joseph was there in prison, the Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” Even in prison Joseph honored God. It goes on to say in verses 22-23, “So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”
Often I get so focused on the problem that I don’t allow God to work through me. I dwell too much on the place that I am rather than the place that I am going. Do you ever do that? Do you ever feel that God has forgotten you? Well, He hasn’t, in fact sometime I believe it is more that we have forgotten God or at least we have doubted Him. Although He could do great things through us we choose to mope because we didn’t get our way and as a result, we miss a blessing.
I remember as a child being upset one day when we were on vacation. I had been laughed at twice that day and I didn’t take it well. In fact, I pouted the rest of the day. I remember my dad telling me that I better straighten up or he would give me something to pout about. I thought I had a good enough reason to pout be he didn’t think so. I had to pretend to be in better sprits but I really wasn’t and my entire day was ruined. I still remember that experience and look back on it in regret. I even remember where we were, Salem, Massachusetts and the House of Seven Gables. I could have laughed with those that laughed at me rather than being embarrassed about it. It was my attitude that ruined the day and caused me to remember the horrible vacation day. How many times do I do this against my heavenly Father? I pout, grumble, and/or complain rather than enjoying the blessings around me. What about you? Are you enjoying the blessing or are you pouting?
Joseph enjoyed blessings in his less than desirable situations because of His attitude.. He knew that God was in control and that His plan would someday be fulfilled. Today as you go about your day, I hope you will look at your situation as the perfect plan that God has for you. It goes back to trusting Him in ALL situations and knowing that He is in control. As you seek Him and find Him may you have peace, contentment, and much joy,
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Monday, August 29, 2011
When Temptations Come
As we begin seeking God today, I would recommend that you read about Joseph in Genesis 39: 6 - 23. As we saw in the first part of this chapter, Potiphar bought Joseph as a slave and Joseph showed Potiphar through his attitude and work ethic that he was a favored man of God. We have learned that we need to be content in whatever God has called us to because He has us there for a reason and we need to work as if we are working for the Lord.
It seemed like everything was going in Joseph’s favor. Although he was taken to a land that was not his own and was taken there by force, he found a way to be content and God blessed him for it. It looks like everything is going to be just fine and life will be okay for Joseph and then . . . Have you ever been there? I know I have, I am content and then boom, a bombshell hits and life seems unfair and unjust. Let’s take a look at the bombshell that was dropped on Joseph.
Genesis 39: 6b - 7 “Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ I want you to take special note of what Joseph’s answer to this request was. Genesis 39: 8 “Be he refused. ’With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’.
How did Joseph respond to temptation? As I reflect on this question, I see that Joseph recognized it, he confronted it, and he rejected it. 1) Recognized - Joseph recognized first what was entrusted into his care. He recognized God’s provisions that were given to him through Potiphar. He recognized his authority and he recognized his boundaries. Furthermore, he recognized who the sin would be against. 2) He confronted the sin directly, he didn’t ignore the temptation but tried to explain why it was so important t to refuse that temptation. He gave his testimony to the temptation, shared of God’s provisions in his life. 3) He rejected the temptation. I believe it is important to note who he said that he would be sinning against. He didn’t say he would be sinning against Potiphar and that he could lose his position of power because of it, he said that he would be sinning against God.
We can get caught up in this world in trying to please people. People in power will help us climb the ladder. That is what we thing anyway. By looking at Joseph’s response he was not concerned with the reaction of Potiphar’s wife, he was concerned to the response that would come from God. He recognized that the only reason he had what he had was because of God. The one he wanted to please more than anyone was God. Today I must reflect on who I am trying to please, man or God? Who are you trying to please, man or God?
Jesus talks about serving two masters in Matthew 6:24 - 26 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important that clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Jesus spoke about one master being money and for me that money would equal pleasing those who hold that money. Just as I mentioned in my last blog, whatever we do in life, it need to bring glory to God, not to man as all that we have is from God. Joseph recognized this, he didn’t respond by saying he would sin against his earthly master and God, he simply said he would be sinning against God. When we put sin in perceptive and realize that every time we sin we are sinning against the one who sacrificed Himself for us then it is much easier to say “no!” to that temptation. There is a song, “He Grew the Tree” that speaks of the one who sacrificed for us. Below I have copied a link to that song, for you to listen and reflect on: Years ago a friend of ours introduced it to us and it was a blessing then as it was today as I listened to it..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jsLzkXnp_E
As temptations of life come your way in the workplace, on the streets, in your school, in your church, take a moment and think about who you would really be sinning against. Joseph realized he would be hurting an earthly man but he would be sinning against his God. As you seek Him and you find Him, may the temptations of this world may you recognize that the temptations of this world do not compare to the love of your Heavenly Father.
Tomorrow we will look at the result of Joseph running from his temptation.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
It seemed like everything was going in Joseph’s favor. Although he was taken to a land that was not his own and was taken there by force, he found a way to be content and God blessed him for it. It looks like everything is going to be just fine and life will be okay for Joseph and then . . . Have you ever been there? I know I have, I am content and then boom, a bombshell hits and life seems unfair and unjust. Let’s take a look at the bombshell that was dropped on Joseph.
Genesis 39: 6b - 7 “Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ I want you to take special note of what Joseph’s answer to this request was. Genesis 39: 8 “Be he refused. ’With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’.
How did Joseph respond to temptation? As I reflect on this question, I see that Joseph recognized it, he confronted it, and he rejected it. 1) Recognized - Joseph recognized first what was entrusted into his care. He recognized God’s provisions that were given to him through Potiphar. He recognized his authority and he recognized his boundaries. Furthermore, he recognized who the sin would be against. 2) He confronted the sin directly, he didn’t ignore the temptation but tried to explain why it was so important t to refuse that temptation. He gave his testimony to the temptation, shared of God’s provisions in his life. 3) He rejected the temptation. I believe it is important to note who he said that he would be sinning against. He didn’t say he would be sinning against Potiphar and that he could lose his position of power because of it, he said that he would be sinning against God.
We can get caught up in this world in trying to please people. People in power will help us climb the ladder. That is what we thing anyway. By looking at Joseph’s response he was not concerned with the reaction of Potiphar’s wife, he was concerned to the response that would come from God. He recognized that the only reason he had what he had was because of God. The one he wanted to please more than anyone was God. Today I must reflect on who I am trying to please, man or God? Who are you trying to please, man or God?
Jesus talks about serving two masters in Matthew 6:24 - 26 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important that clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Jesus spoke about one master being money and for me that money would equal pleasing those who hold that money. Just as I mentioned in my last blog, whatever we do in life, it need to bring glory to God, not to man as all that we have is from God. Joseph recognized this, he didn’t respond by saying he would sin against his earthly master and God, he simply said he would be sinning against God. When we put sin in perceptive and realize that every time we sin we are sinning against the one who sacrificed Himself for us then it is much easier to say “no!” to that temptation. There is a song, “He Grew the Tree” that speaks of the one who sacrificed for us. Below I have copied a link to that song, for you to listen and reflect on: Years ago a friend of ours introduced it to us and it was a blessing then as it was today as I listened to it..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jsLzkXnp_E
As temptations of life come your way in the workplace, on the streets, in your school, in your church, take a moment and think about who you would really be sinning against. Joseph realized he would be hurting an earthly man but he would be sinning against his God. As you seek Him and you find Him, may the temptations of this world may you recognize that the temptations of this world do not compare to the love of your Heavenly Father.
Tomorrow we will look at the result of Joseph running from his temptation.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Do We Give God All the Glory?
Yesterday in my blog we looked at simply trusting. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have your own flesh and blood turn on you. But, we know God was at work in Joseph’s life so let’s see what happened next.
Those merchants who bought Joseph did so in order to gain a profit. I would imagine they ripped off the brothers of Joseph because they took him to Egypt where Potiphar, an official of Phararoh bought him. I would imagine he had plenty of money and Joseph was a strong, nice looking young man that would be an excellent investment. In Genesis 39:3 &4 states, “When the master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in the his eyes and became his attendant.”
We don’t know what Joseph had to do as a slave for Potiphar prior to him becoming his attendant but it is worth noting that he did do something prior to being put in charge of Potiphar’s household. Let’s focus on those two short verses today and apply it to our lives.
How many of you are happy with the position you are currently in? If you are, how many of you have always been happy in every position you have held? Those are pretty easy to answer. For me, I am currently not extremely happy with my position or lack thereof. Of course, parts of being at home are fabulous. I can get up when I want, spend time with the Lord, and write this blog. That is the best time of the day for me. I can also be at home with my husband when he is not at work, spending time with him that I haven’t had for several years because I have always been working so hard. There is a part of me that feels lost and alone because, a part that feels I have lost my belonging in this world, a part that aches so much I can’t describe it. Then I get messages from people I never thought I had influenced but tell me of the difference I made for them in their lives. Those words encouragement that all those years were not in vain but served a purpose, that brings joy to my spirit.
I can’t imagine Joseph not having some of those moments and I found one scripture that gave ma a little hint of that but I am going to save that one for another day,. Today I want us to focus on how Joseph responded to his feelings. Joseph took the situation he was in and found a way to bring glory to God. Because of his faithfulness to God, Joseph was blessed. When Potiphar saw how blessed Joseph was he promoted him. When Potiphar took care of the child of God then Potiphar was blessed as well. You can read of that account in Genesis 39: 1-6.
What lesson is in that story for us? For me, I need to take every situation I am in and give it to the Lord. Do you feel like you are in slavery? Maybe you hate your job and want out. Maybe it is time to have a talk with God and listen to why He has you where He does. Maybe you love your job but you have no time for God. Maybe you are being blessed but have forgotten to turn the glory back over to God. All of the success of Joseph came from God and somehow Potiphar realized this. How do you think Postiphar recognized this? Do others recognize the work that is done through you as being from God? Maybe it was in Joseph’s attitude, maybe Joseph always gave God the recognition for it, the word does not really say. I know for myself, I am going to keep reminding myself that I am in this position or lack there of for a reason and I need to make sure that all that I do at this point is to bring glory to God. If you are dissatisfied with your position, I hope you will take these words into consideration, pray for Gods’s guidance and then put your full trust in Him to see you through. If you are happy and blessed with your position I would urge you to always remember that it is God who gave you this blessing and it is up to you to make sure others know that your blessings come from God. Even when we do this, sometimes God changes the path for us and we need to always remember He is in control and sees the big picture.
Remember to work at your job as if you are employed by the Lord and not by man. In doing so, you will find joy in servicing Him. Don’t forget to continually to seek Him and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart!
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Those merchants who bought Joseph did so in order to gain a profit. I would imagine they ripped off the brothers of Joseph because they took him to Egypt where Potiphar, an official of Phararoh bought him. I would imagine he had plenty of money and Joseph was a strong, nice looking young man that would be an excellent investment. In Genesis 39:3 &4 states, “When the master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in the his eyes and became his attendant.”
We don’t know what Joseph had to do as a slave for Potiphar prior to him becoming his attendant but it is worth noting that he did do something prior to being put in charge of Potiphar’s household. Let’s focus on those two short verses today and apply it to our lives.
How many of you are happy with the position you are currently in? If you are, how many of you have always been happy in every position you have held? Those are pretty easy to answer. For me, I am currently not extremely happy with my position or lack thereof. Of course, parts of being at home are fabulous. I can get up when I want, spend time with the Lord, and write this blog. That is the best time of the day for me. I can also be at home with my husband when he is not at work, spending time with him that I haven’t had for several years because I have always been working so hard. There is a part of me that feels lost and alone because, a part that feels I have lost my belonging in this world, a part that aches so much I can’t describe it. Then I get messages from people I never thought I had influenced but tell me of the difference I made for them in their lives. Those words encouragement that all those years were not in vain but served a purpose, that brings joy to my spirit.
I can’t imagine Joseph not having some of those moments and I found one scripture that gave ma a little hint of that but I am going to save that one for another day,. Today I want us to focus on how Joseph responded to his feelings. Joseph took the situation he was in and found a way to bring glory to God. Because of his faithfulness to God, Joseph was blessed. When Potiphar saw how blessed Joseph was he promoted him. When Potiphar took care of the child of God then Potiphar was blessed as well. You can read of that account in Genesis 39: 1-6.
What lesson is in that story for us? For me, I need to take every situation I am in and give it to the Lord. Do you feel like you are in slavery? Maybe you hate your job and want out. Maybe it is time to have a talk with God and listen to why He has you where He does. Maybe you love your job but you have no time for God. Maybe you are being blessed but have forgotten to turn the glory back over to God. All of the success of Joseph came from God and somehow Potiphar realized this. How do you think Postiphar recognized this? Do others recognize the work that is done through you as being from God? Maybe it was in Joseph’s attitude, maybe Joseph always gave God the recognition for it, the word does not really say. I know for myself, I am going to keep reminding myself that I am in this position or lack there of for a reason and I need to make sure that all that I do at this point is to bring glory to God. If you are dissatisfied with your position, I hope you will take these words into consideration, pray for Gods’s guidance and then put your full trust in Him to see you through. If you are happy and blessed with your position I would urge you to always remember that it is God who gave you this blessing and it is up to you to make sure others know that your blessings come from God. Even when we do this, sometimes God changes the path for us and we need to always remember He is in control and sees the big picture.
Remember to work at your job as if you are employed by the Lord and not by man. In doing so, you will find joy in servicing Him. Don’t forget to continually to seek Him and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart!
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Friday, August 26, 2011
Trust, Simply Amazing!
If there were ever a true optimist in this world, it was Joseph. He was an optimist because he put his full trust in God. Yesterday I left you in Genesis 37. If you read it or are familiar with the story Joseph was pulled out of the cistern by his brothers, not Reuben who had planned to rescue him. Reuben tore his clothes when he found out that Joseph was missing which is a sign of mourning. The brothers did spare his life though, thanks to Judah, one of the brothers. He suggested that they make some money off of him by selling him as a slave to some Midianite merchants for twenty shekels of silver, a little less than what was paid to Judas to betray Jesus which was 30 pieces of silver but this was a long time before that happened! The Ishmaelites who bought him took him to Egypt where they sold him into slavery to an official of Pharaoh’s, Potiphar. In chapter 39 of Genesis you can read of this account.
Genesis 39:2 - 4 “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.”This is what I have been pondering. Joseph was a young man that many would say was maybe a little conceited. He seemed to be a little stuck on himself but I don’t think he really was as stuck on himself as everyone thought. I believe he just trusted God, plain and simply trusted God. I have been amazed by this story because when I am stuck in the cistern I feel sorry for myself. I cry to the Lord and ask “why?” and I generally make others around me miserable too. You know the saying, misery loves company.
I remember the time that I was told I would have to go to the high school and teach full time. I was frustrated that my passion was being taken away from me and frustrated that I was not really qualified to do what they were asking of me. I had to realized that this job was where God had placed me and that I should work as if I were working for Him not for man. Once I did that, I became more committed to my work and prospered in it. I still cared about those ones I had to leave but I entrusted them into His care and He provided. One child that I had to leave was a sweet little girl who had many medical problems and had severe multiple disabilities. She was in the school system and we were working on getting her to communicate and walk. I had worked with her even before she entered school and she and her family were very dear to me. It broke my heart to leave her. During that year she went to be with Lord. I attended her funeral and found out that day that a dear lady who I did not know had been her caretaker. She was mentioned at the funeral as one those who provided such good care to this precious little girl. At that funeral I learned that God will take care of those we pray for as He cared for her. At that point I turned again to my faith and realized I was where I needed to be whether it hurt or not and that God was in control.
The story doesn’t end there, when an opening came available for a paraprofessional, I ended up hiring the caretaker that had been with this precious little girl. She continues her work in the classroom that I left when I was called to be the principal of the charter school. She has carried out the work that I assigned to her and what’s even more fantastic, I call her friend! She is a dear friend with a huge heart and I love her as a Christian sister.
Another amazing fact is that I had the privilege of serving this little girl’s big brother in advisory class at the high school his freshman year and got to shake his hand as he crossed the stage to graduate. God works in such amazing ways!
So what is so amazing to me about Joseph is that you never hear of him complaining, crying out “why?” or being bitter. You think that he must have thought it but I am not sure he did. My thinking in that is that there are many examples of great God fearing people who questioned God. Abraham, Moses, Job, Jonah, the list goes on . . .but not in this case. I believe that he truly believed wholeheartedly that God was in control and if he were being treated this way by his brothers, there was a reason and God would see him through. The other thing that amazes me is that God did not speak directly to him but rather spoke to him through dreams. Some of those He spoke directly to even doubted but Joseph, pegged “a dreamer” was confident that God was in control and trusted him fully. Simply amazing!
Tomorrow we will look at yet another challenge that came about with Joseph and how he responded to it. In the meantime, think about your challenges of life both past and present and consider how you have responded and are responding to your situation now. Are you crying out or are you simply trusting or maybe a mixture both? Put your faith in God and He will supply your needs as you seek Him and find Him when you seek Him with all your heart.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Genesis 39:2 - 4 “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.”This is what I have been pondering. Joseph was a young man that many would say was maybe a little conceited. He seemed to be a little stuck on himself but I don’t think he really was as stuck on himself as everyone thought. I believe he just trusted God, plain and simply trusted God. I have been amazed by this story because when I am stuck in the cistern I feel sorry for myself. I cry to the Lord and ask “why?” and I generally make others around me miserable too. You know the saying, misery loves company.
I remember the time that I was told I would have to go to the high school and teach full time. I was frustrated that my passion was being taken away from me and frustrated that I was not really qualified to do what they were asking of me. I had to realized that this job was where God had placed me and that I should work as if I were working for Him not for man. Once I did that, I became more committed to my work and prospered in it. I still cared about those ones I had to leave but I entrusted them into His care and He provided. One child that I had to leave was a sweet little girl who had many medical problems and had severe multiple disabilities. She was in the school system and we were working on getting her to communicate and walk. I had worked with her even before she entered school and she and her family were very dear to me. It broke my heart to leave her. During that year she went to be with Lord. I attended her funeral and found out that day that a dear lady who I did not know had been her caretaker. She was mentioned at the funeral as one those who provided such good care to this precious little girl. At that funeral I learned that God will take care of those we pray for as He cared for her. At that point I turned again to my faith and realized I was where I needed to be whether it hurt or not and that God was in control.
The story doesn’t end there, when an opening came available for a paraprofessional, I ended up hiring the caretaker that had been with this precious little girl. She continues her work in the classroom that I left when I was called to be the principal of the charter school. She has carried out the work that I assigned to her and what’s even more fantastic, I call her friend! She is a dear friend with a huge heart and I love her as a Christian sister.
Another amazing fact is that I had the privilege of serving this little girl’s big brother in advisory class at the high school his freshman year and got to shake his hand as he crossed the stage to graduate. God works in such amazing ways!
So what is so amazing to me about Joseph is that you never hear of him complaining, crying out “why?” or being bitter. You think that he must have thought it but I am not sure he did. My thinking in that is that there are many examples of great God fearing people who questioned God. Abraham, Moses, Job, Jonah, the list goes on . . .but not in this case. I believe that he truly believed wholeheartedly that God was in control and if he were being treated this way by his brothers, there was a reason and God would see him through. The other thing that amazes me is that God did not speak directly to him but rather spoke to him through dreams. Some of those He spoke directly to even doubted but Joseph, pegged “a dreamer” was confident that God was in control and trusted him fully. Simply amazing!
Tomorrow we will look at yet another challenge that came about with Joseph and how he responded to it. In the meantime, think about your challenges of life both past and present and consider how you have responded and are responding to your situation now. Are you crying out or are you simply trusting or maybe a mixture both? Put your faith in God and He will supply your needs as you seek Him and find Him when you seek Him with all your heart.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Is There A Way Out?
Here we are again today and I hope that I finally get to write about Joseph. Each day I sit down to write about him and God has me put something else down on the paper! I love reading God’s word because every time I do, my eyes are opened to something I did not ever see or think about before. One time I had a very dear person tell me that her mother was amazed because I knew all of the Bible. Her mother did not know or understand any of the Bible at that time so my little knowledge seemed so much to her. I explained that there is a vast amount to learn in the Bible and that I by far did not know everything that was in it but it is a journey we go on as we learn and grow through the word. Much like the suitcase of Mary Poppins, she kept pulling things out of it , when you thought everything had to be out, she pulls out a lamp stand! God’s word is so much more amazing than that but it was the best illustration could come up with!
First of all I want to review who Joseph is. He is the son of Jacob who God has renamed Israel. Remember, Jacob is the son of Isaac who was the son of Abraham. God promised Abraham many descendents, more than the stars in the sky and he also promised him that they would dwell in the land that He had given to them. That land is now called, Israel. If you read my post earlier this week, you will know that Jacob was deceived and married the sister Leah his true love Rachel. He then had to work an extended time for their father in order to have the hand of Rachel, his true love. So now, two sisters are married to the same guy. I don’t think that would go over very well these days! Leah had several sons but it took Rachel some time and then she had a son and his name was Joseph. She later died while birthing another son, whom she named Ben-Oni before she died. Israel name him Benjamin. Now if you are reading this and think you have come from or are in a dysfunctional family, you will be amazed how God works in this family. This had to be the most dysfunctional family that ever existed yet it was a family that God chose to carry on His work. There are no acceptable excuses when God ask you to carry on His work. We saw that with Moses and the burning bush!
As you might imagine Israel (Jacob) had a favorite son, after all, we know he had a favorite wife. Remember, he would have been happy with only one wife but was tricked into marrying her sister instead, you can read about that in Genesis 29. At least he was faithful to his promise once it was made even if he was deceived.. Joseph was his favored son, the first born of his favored wife. The Bible says he was his favorite because he was born in his later years. This is much the same as his father who was born in the later years to his grandparents. Rachel even made the mistake that Sarai did in giving her husband her maidservant to bear him a child from her (Genesis 30: 1 - 6). But back to Joseph. Israel (Jacob) gave Joseph a coat nothing like any of his other sons coats. It must have been beautiful and very special because this coat brought about jealousy and strife and was used to hurt their father very deeply. The Bible tells us that it was greatly ornamented and you may have heard it called, “the coat of many colors.”
Looking in Genesis 37:2 we find that Joseph was not afraid to let his father know what his brothers had been doing while tending flock with them. It tells us that he was 17 when he gave a bad report to his father concerning his brothers but it does not mention any other details. Then it goes on to say in verse 3 that his father loved him more than any of the others. Combine tattle tale with favorite child and that equals jealousy, then add into that the next few verses where Joseph precedes to tell his brothers of his dreams where he would rule over all of them and that equals disaster. The brothers had enough of this kid who was their father’s favorite and now says he will rule over them. He even described a dream where he was ruler of his own parents. They wanted to prove to him that he wasn’t who or what he thought he was and they waited for the opportunity.
One day Israel (Jacob) sent Joseph out to check on his other sons in the field and the opportunity for his brothers to finally teach him a lesson had arrived. The brothers, who were not where they were supposed to be (Genesis 37: 15-16) saw him coming from a distance and plotted to kill him.. Now his oldest ½ brother Reuben heard their plot he convinced them to throw him into the cistern and he planned to come back and rescue him later. The brothers took his robe off and threw him in a dry cistern. Now I am going to end right there for today because I want you to do some thinking.
Have you ever had family or friends strip you of what was rightfully yours and basically throw you away? Maybe it was a job, like it was for me. I thought I could trust people and I thought they liked me as much as I liked them but when push came to shove, I was the one shoved. How does or would that feel when or if it happens to you? For me it hurt tremendously and I felt and still do at times, that I am in the cistern right along with Joseph. The walls are high and I see no way out. How do you think Joseph felt at this time? What was he thinking? Does God provide a way out?
If you haven’t already, I would urge you to read Genesis 37. I have retold a portion of the story above but hope you will read the account of it on your own. If something jumps out at you in the portion that I wrote about today be sure to post it on the blog! Until tomorrow, seek Him and find Him when you seek Him with all your hearts.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
First of all I want to review who Joseph is. He is the son of Jacob who God has renamed Israel. Remember, Jacob is the son of Isaac who was the son of Abraham. God promised Abraham many descendents, more than the stars in the sky and he also promised him that they would dwell in the land that He had given to them. That land is now called, Israel. If you read my post earlier this week, you will know that Jacob was deceived and married the sister Leah his true love Rachel. He then had to work an extended time for their father in order to have the hand of Rachel, his true love. So now, two sisters are married to the same guy. I don’t think that would go over very well these days! Leah had several sons but it took Rachel some time and then she had a son and his name was Joseph. She later died while birthing another son, whom she named Ben-Oni before she died. Israel name him Benjamin. Now if you are reading this and think you have come from or are in a dysfunctional family, you will be amazed how God works in this family. This had to be the most dysfunctional family that ever existed yet it was a family that God chose to carry on His work. There are no acceptable excuses when God ask you to carry on His work. We saw that with Moses and the burning bush!
As you might imagine Israel (Jacob) had a favorite son, after all, we know he had a favorite wife. Remember, he would have been happy with only one wife but was tricked into marrying her sister instead, you can read about that in Genesis 29. At least he was faithful to his promise once it was made even if he was deceived.. Joseph was his favored son, the first born of his favored wife. The Bible says he was his favorite because he was born in his later years. This is much the same as his father who was born in the later years to his grandparents. Rachel even made the mistake that Sarai did in giving her husband her maidservant to bear him a child from her (Genesis 30: 1 - 6). But back to Joseph. Israel (Jacob) gave Joseph a coat nothing like any of his other sons coats. It must have been beautiful and very special because this coat brought about jealousy and strife and was used to hurt their father very deeply. The Bible tells us that it was greatly ornamented and you may have heard it called, “the coat of many colors.”
Looking in Genesis 37:2 we find that Joseph was not afraid to let his father know what his brothers had been doing while tending flock with them. It tells us that he was 17 when he gave a bad report to his father concerning his brothers but it does not mention any other details. Then it goes on to say in verse 3 that his father loved him more than any of the others. Combine tattle tale with favorite child and that equals jealousy, then add into that the next few verses where Joseph precedes to tell his brothers of his dreams where he would rule over all of them and that equals disaster. The brothers had enough of this kid who was their father’s favorite and now says he will rule over them. He even described a dream where he was ruler of his own parents. They wanted to prove to him that he wasn’t who or what he thought he was and they waited for the opportunity.
One day Israel (Jacob) sent Joseph out to check on his other sons in the field and the opportunity for his brothers to finally teach him a lesson had arrived. The brothers, who were not where they were supposed to be (Genesis 37: 15-16) saw him coming from a distance and plotted to kill him.. Now his oldest ½ brother Reuben heard their plot he convinced them to throw him into the cistern and he planned to come back and rescue him later. The brothers took his robe off and threw him in a dry cistern. Now I am going to end right there for today because I want you to do some thinking.
Have you ever had family or friends strip you of what was rightfully yours and basically throw you away? Maybe it was a job, like it was for me. I thought I could trust people and I thought they liked me as much as I liked them but when push came to shove, I was the one shoved. How does or would that feel when or if it happens to you? For me it hurt tremendously and I felt and still do at times, that I am in the cistern right along with Joseph. The walls are high and I see no way out. How do you think Joseph felt at this time? What was he thinking? Does God provide a way out?
If you haven’t already, I would urge you to read Genesis 37. I have retold a portion of the story above but hope you will read the account of it on your own. If something jumps out at you in the portion that I wrote about today be sure to post it on the blog! Until tomorrow, seek Him and find Him when you seek Him with all your hearts.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
My Journey
Do you ever play the “what if” game? I do even though I realize that no one is a winner and it is a pointless game. Sometimes though we go through life and ask that haunting question, “what if?”. Have you ever had dreams and felt that God was leading you in a direction and then came to a roadblock? If so, did you begin playing the “what if” game again? That is kind of where I am in life and the only thing that pulls me out of that are these times when I read scripture, pray and begin to write my blog. Today I want to share a little with you about the journey I am currently on and then we are going to look at Joseph and see if he has ever had anything similar or possibly worse!
Several years ago I was a happy employee of an organization where I worked with students with severe disabilities serving 17 school districts in southwest Kansas. I loved my job, as I consulted with teachers, helped teams become effective, and was able to work with students who were dear to my heart. It was an ideal job for me and I thrived it. My job title changed from consultant for severe multiple disabilities to a support facilitator which required many of the same things as a consultant but I also was able to present and train both paraprofessionals and professionals in effective practices. I was also on an advisory board for the State of Kansas where we designed an assessment for students with severe disabilities to make sure they were actually learning and school was not just a babysitting service for them. I loved this position and was good at it. When we were told that we had done a good enough job and that everyone was trained and knew what they were doing, and that we would now go into the classrooms and teach, I was terrified. My Master degree was in severe multiple disabilities and my bachelor degree was in psychology. I did not take classes to teach a student with a learning disability. My students read pictures, no words. They communicated using pictures, signs, eye movement, not generally verbal communication. I was not trained for this and it would take years for me to get the training. At that time I began to look at other options, I could go back to school to be a school counselor or I could go to school to be a building administrator. As I researched, I found that it would take me longer to be a school counselor but I could complete requirements to be a building administrator in one year. Building administrators also got paid more than a counselor, a counselor would still be at teacher’s salary which isn’t bad as some may have you believe but for advancement and time constraints the building administrator looked more feasible. As well, if I were to ever get out of education maybe other administrative jobs would be available whereas a school counselor would pretty much always be in education. I visited with people I had worked with and had encounters with, principals, a superintendent, an assistant superintendent, a school counselor, my supervisory and teachers who overwhelmingly supported my efforts to become a building administrator. The school counselor thought I should go that route of a counselor and the assistant superintendent thought I should go the route of curriculum development but all others encouraged me to go into building administrtion. My family was also on board with this plan so I went to enroll for summer classes at Fort Hays. When I got there it wasn’t as easy as I had thought, I had to be accepted to either program before enrolling. Miraculously I was accepted in a very timely fashion, that very day to be a part of the building administration program. This rarely happened but I got in. I took classes that summer, in 1998. I lived in the dorm and came home on weekends. It was really hard being away from my family but when classes started I was always excited and happy to be there. There were two sessions of classes and when it came time for me to go into the second session a problem arose. I wanted to be in a class that had a limited number of students and the class was full. I was told that I could go to the class and if anyone dropped out of it on the first day I could be a part of the class. So, I went to class and the professor counted, the class was full so he told me that I would have to leave. As I was walking down the hall, disappointed but ready to go home, he called me back and told me that he miscounted and that I was in the class. I was very excited to have this opportunity. I was working to complete this work within a year because that is when my position as a support facilitator would be over and there would be an opening in our school district the next year. It seemed as though God was working it out where I would become a building principal of a school that I once attended and I was very excited.
I told you my family was supportive of this move. That included my mother who was suffering with Parkinson’s Disease. I spent a lot of time with her and our youngest daughter went to their home everyday after school so I saw her everyday. I worked with her on communication and used the skills I had in working with severe disabilities as much as I could. She was a big supporter of me and when I asked her if I should go back to school she eagerly nodded her approval. This was the last summer I had with her as she passed away August 8,
I was half-way done by now when I was told by my administrator that there would always be a position for me as a consultant for students with severe disabilities and that I would not be going into the classroom but my mother was a supporter and would want me to continue and there was a job coming open that I would apply for. I completed that program in the Spring of 1999 with a 4.0. I had been very successful and was eager to apply for a position within our school district and felt very good about it. My husband and I practiced questions that might be asked and discussed my best responses. I will never forget taking a walk with him and going by the school as he drilled me with questions the night before the interview. The day of the interview came and all of those who had applied were interviewed on the same day at the same time. We rotated through several teams of interviewers. I was pleased with my interviews. The questions my husband and I had discussed were asked and I answered them with confidence. I had great letters of recommendations and the timing was just perfect. . . But, they hired someone else.
At this point I began to question if I really could hear God or if he really ever did speak to me. Was it all my own selfish desires that overshadowed what God wanted for me in this life? What if I would have just spent the summer with my mother, I was never going to enjoy her on this earth again? What if I had not left my girls and my husband for the summer? What if and if only were common words and thoughts in my vocabulary. I continued to apply for employment in other districts in southwest Kansas and continually was turned down. Meanwhile the administration changed in the place of my employment as did the attitude that I would always be needed as a consultant for students with severe disabilities and I was placed in a high school classroom. There is much more to that story but will only share if you ask.
A few years aog I was given the opportunity to work as a building administrator of a charter school. A place where those who did not feel comfortable in the traditional high school could come and be encouraged and challenged to complete their high school diploma. I was excited for the challenge but knew that some would not be as appreciative of such a school as others but found the community to be very supportive. To make a long story short, the school closed due to State budget cuts and I am without a job. Ironically the job that I wanted in the beginning of this journey opened up again and I thought with all my great evaluations and my work ethic and the proven success of my students that I would just go into that position, but no, they hired outside of our district and didn‘t consider me. . I looked outside of the district as well but they hired within their district. Once again I find myself asking the question, what if? I know God is at work but why does it have to happen this way? Why do I have to hurt so? Then I think of the story of Joseph and that is where we will start tomorrow. Read Genesis 37 and I will write more tomorrow. As you read, seek Him with all your hearts and erst assured that He is in control.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Several years ago I was a happy employee of an organization where I worked with students with severe disabilities serving 17 school districts in southwest Kansas. I loved my job, as I consulted with teachers, helped teams become effective, and was able to work with students who were dear to my heart. It was an ideal job for me and I thrived it. My job title changed from consultant for severe multiple disabilities to a support facilitator which required many of the same things as a consultant but I also was able to present and train both paraprofessionals and professionals in effective practices. I was also on an advisory board for the State of Kansas where we designed an assessment for students with severe disabilities to make sure they were actually learning and school was not just a babysitting service for them. I loved this position and was good at it. When we were told that we had done a good enough job and that everyone was trained and knew what they were doing, and that we would now go into the classrooms and teach, I was terrified. My Master degree was in severe multiple disabilities and my bachelor degree was in psychology. I did not take classes to teach a student with a learning disability. My students read pictures, no words. They communicated using pictures, signs, eye movement, not generally verbal communication. I was not trained for this and it would take years for me to get the training. At that time I began to look at other options, I could go back to school to be a school counselor or I could go to school to be a building administrator. As I researched, I found that it would take me longer to be a school counselor but I could complete requirements to be a building administrator in one year. Building administrators also got paid more than a counselor, a counselor would still be at teacher’s salary which isn’t bad as some may have you believe but for advancement and time constraints the building administrator looked more feasible. As well, if I were to ever get out of education maybe other administrative jobs would be available whereas a school counselor would pretty much always be in education. I visited with people I had worked with and had encounters with, principals, a superintendent, an assistant superintendent, a school counselor, my supervisory and teachers who overwhelmingly supported my efforts to become a building administrator. The school counselor thought I should go that route of a counselor and the assistant superintendent thought I should go the route of curriculum development but all others encouraged me to go into building administrtion. My family was also on board with this plan so I went to enroll for summer classes at Fort Hays. When I got there it wasn’t as easy as I had thought, I had to be accepted to either program before enrolling. Miraculously I was accepted in a very timely fashion, that very day to be a part of the building administration program. This rarely happened but I got in. I took classes that summer, in 1998. I lived in the dorm and came home on weekends. It was really hard being away from my family but when classes started I was always excited and happy to be there. There were two sessions of classes and when it came time for me to go into the second session a problem arose. I wanted to be in a class that had a limited number of students and the class was full. I was told that I could go to the class and if anyone dropped out of it on the first day I could be a part of the class. So, I went to class and the professor counted, the class was full so he told me that I would have to leave. As I was walking down the hall, disappointed but ready to go home, he called me back and told me that he miscounted and that I was in the class. I was very excited to have this opportunity. I was working to complete this work within a year because that is when my position as a support facilitator would be over and there would be an opening in our school district the next year. It seemed as though God was working it out where I would become a building principal of a school that I once attended and I was very excited.
I told you my family was supportive of this move. That included my mother who was suffering with Parkinson’s Disease. I spent a lot of time with her and our youngest daughter went to their home everyday after school so I saw her everyday. I worked with her on communication and used the skills I had in working with severe disabilities as much as I could. She was a big supporter of me and when I asked her if I should go back to school she eagerly nodded her approval. This was the last summer I had with her as she passed away August 8,
I was half-way done by now when I was told by my administrator that there would always be a position for me as a consultant for students with severe disabilities and that I would not be going into the classroom but my mother was a supporter and would want me to continue and there was a job coming open that I would apply for. I completed that program in the Spring of 1999 with a 4.0. I had been very successful and was eager to apply for a position within our school district and felt very good about it. My husband and I practiced questions that might be asked and discussed my best responses. I will never forget taking a walk with him and going by the school as he drilled me with questions the night before the interview. The day of the interview came and all of those who had applied were interviewed on the same day at the same time. We rotated through several teams of interviewers. I was pleased with my interviews. The questions my husband and I had discussed were asked and I answered them with confidence. I had great letters of recommendations and the timing was just perfect. . . But, they hired someone else.
At this point I began to question if I really could hear God or if he really ever did speak to me. Was it all my own selfish desires that overshadowed what God wanted for me in this life? What if I would have just spent the summer with my mother, I was never going to enjoy her on this earth again? What if I had not left my girls and my husband for the summer? What if and if only were common words and thoughts in my vocabulary. I continued to apply for employment in other districts in southwest Kansas and continually was turned down. Meanwhile the administration changed in the place of my employment as did the attitude that I would always be needed as a consultant for students with severe disabilities and I was placed in a high school classroom. There is much more to that story but will only share if you ask.
A few years aog I was given the opportunity to work as a building administrator of a charter school. A place where those who did not feel comfortable in the traditional high school could come and be encouraged and challenged to complete their high school diploma. I was excited for the challenge but knew that some would not be as appreciative of such a school as others but found the community to be very supportive. To make a long story short, the school closed due to State budget cuts and I am without a job. Ironically the job that I wanted in the beginning of this journey opened up again and I thought with all my great evaluations and my work ethic and the proven success of my students that I would just go into that position, but no, they hired outside of our district and didn‘t consider me. . I looked outside of the district as well but they hired within their district. Once again I find myself asking the question, what if? I know God is at work but why does it have to happen this way? Why do I have to hurt so? Then I think of the story of Joseph and that is where we will start tomorrow. Read Genesis 37 and I will write more tomorrow. As you read, seek Him with all your hearts and erst assured that He is in control.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
God is At Work
Yesterday we looked at the results of God’s anger on the Israelites because they did not trust Him and we examined ourselves and where our trust level is with Him. Sometimes I believe we talk so much about God’s love that we think that He could never become angry with us because He loves us so much. That may have been how the Israelites felt too but He did become angry and they suffered the consequences but He still fulfilled His promise. Today I am finally going to start the story of Joseph but we have to first look back at where he came from.
Our story begins in Genesis with Jacob, Joseph’s father, another fascinating story. To make a long story short, Jacob was a twin, his brother Esau was born first and when his father, Isaac was about to give him the blessing of the firstborn, Jacob, with his mother’s help, deceived his father and received the blessing rather than his brother. Jacob had to flee because his brother was so angry with him. Then Jacob was deceived when he married a sister to the one he loved and had to work longer to get his true love Rachel. All of this can be found in Genesis beginning with chapter 25 verse 19. I would urge you to take some time and begin reading the story. When you get to chapter 35 verse 3 you find that Jacob, after all his trials, returns to Bethel and builds an altar, “Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”
Jacob had been on a journey and God had not left him the entire way. At this point Jacobs name changes. Have you ever noticed that when a name changes in the Bible it is for a significant reason. This time it is recorded that God blessed him and said, verse 10, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. So He named him Israel.” Do you know who Jacob’s father was? Isaac. And who was Isaac’s father? Abraham. And what did God promise Abraham? Genesis 15:5, “He took him outside and said, ’Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘so shall your offspring be.’ He also said to him, ’I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.’
Years after the days of that promise, a descendant, Jacob, is given the name of Israel by God Himself. So many times I ask God to reveal to me my future. I like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob need to depend on God and know, whether I see it in my life time or not, that He is doing a work in my life and I must trust, obey, and believe that His will is being worked out in my life. Are you trusting today? Has He fully revealed to you what you are doing here on this earth? Just as in the times of old, our God is there, He never changes, His love never fails. As you seek Him, may you know and trust Him, when you seek Him with all your hearts.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Our story begins in Genesis with Jacob, Joseph’s father, another fascinating story. To make a long story short, Jacob was a twin, his brother Esau was born first and when his father, Isaac was about to give him the blessing of the firstborn, Jacob, with his mother’s help, deceived his father and received the blessing rather than his brother. Jacob had to flee because his brother was so angry with him. Then Jacob was deceived when he married a sister to the one he loved and had to work longer to get his true love Rachel. All of this can be found in Genesis beginning with chapter 25 verse 19. I would urge you to take some time and begin reading the story. When you get to chapter 35 verse 3 you find that Jacob, after all his trials, returns to Bethel and builds an altar, “Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”
Jacob had been on a journey and God had not left him the entire way. At this point Jacobs name changes. Have you ever noticed that when a name changes in the Bible it is for a significant reason. This time it is recorded that God blessed him and said, verse 10, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. So He named him Israel.” Do you know who Jacob’s father was? Isaac. And who was Isaac’s father? Abraham. And what did God promise Abraham? Genesis 15:5, “He took him outside and said, ’Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘so shall your offspring be.’ He also said to him, ’I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.’
Years after the days of that promise, a descendant, Jacob, is given the name of Israel by God Himself. So many times I ask God to reveal to me my future. I like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob need to depend on God and know, whether I see it in my life time or not, that He is doing a work in my life and I must trust, obey, and believe that His will is being worked out in my life. Are you trusting today? Has He fully revealed to you what you are doing here on this earth? Just as in the times of old, our God is there, He never changes, His love never fails. As you seek Him, may you know and trust Him, when you seek Him with all your hearts.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Monday, August 22, 2011
Are you trusting God?
I have so much I want to write about today as the scriptures have, as always, spoken to my heart. Last time I wrote I mentioned that I wanted to talk about Joseph, and I do but the scriptures the Lord led me to today are so true to my life and I need to share them. Joseph will show up before the end of the week but not yet today.
The Israelites wandering in the desert is so fascinating to me. I used to think they were really ignorant but have realized they were not any more ignorant than I am. I thought this because God was obviously guiding them yet they continually strayed from His presence and put their trust in other gods and worshipped a golden calf . But today I want to share some scriptures with you that I hope will help you examine your life the way that it has helped me examine mine.
I would like for you to look at the scriptures in Deuteronomy today. Let’s start with 1:30 where Moses is speaking to the Israelites. “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Is that not the most wonderful word picture? God carried His people like a father carries His son! Then it gets really sad when you look at verse 32, “In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God.”
Okay, right here I need to interject a story about our family. A few years ago one of our daughters had to have knee surgery. She had just gotten home from the hospital when storms began to brew. As the night progressed we were placed in a tornado warning. A tornado was headed very close to our home. Now generally when the sirens go off everyone in my family, except me, wants to go outside and see the tornado but this night was a little different. My husband, rather than me, was insisting we get to the basement. Now here we have our daughter with a huge bandage around her knee that has just been operated on and is very wobbly on crutches. How are we going to get her down the stairs? My husband tells her to get on his back and she refuses. Kind of scary having your dad carry you down the stairs when you are now a grown woman. It would have been fun about 10 years earlier but this night, her response was, “I am more scared of you carrying me downstairs than I am of the tornado.” My husband got firm with her and insisted she get on his back. She finally gave in when she saw that he was entirely serious, she had to trust him even though the outcome seemed a little scary. I am sure we were all a sight that night and I am glad there was no one else there taking our picture, even so, we all made it to the basement safely. As we prayed for the protection of our city the storm veered to the east and we were all protected. The trip up the stairs was a little easier but still a bit scary and we were all glad when we were tucked safely back in bed.
I tell you that story as an illustration of our heavenly Father who carried the Israelites in the desert, even though He carried them safely they still had trouble with trust.
As we go further in verse 34 -37 we find out what the result of not trusting is, “When the Lord heard what you said, He was angry and solemnly swore; ‘Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good I swore to give your forefathers, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ Because of you the Lord became angry with me also and said, “You shall not enter it, either.”
I think I will end there for today. I have so much more to write about but I think this is a good place to end. But you are not going to get off that easy. I want you to think about your own life today. Are there things that you are finding hard to let God carry you through? Are you having difficulty trusting in Him wholeheartedly? Are you more scared of the outcome than just trusting God to carry you? We have a very good example of what happened when the Israelites did not trust. I hope you will reflect on the times in which God has carried you through and remember that He will carry you through again and again as you put your trust in Him and seek Him with all your hearts.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
The Israelites wandering in the desert is so fascinating to me. I used to think they were really ignorant but have realized they were not any more ignorant than I am. I thought this because God was obviously guiding them yet they continually strayed from His presence and put their trust in other gods and worshipped a golden calf . But today I want to share some scriptures with you that I hope will help you examine your life the way that it has helped me examine mine.
I would like for you to look at the scriptures in Deuteronomy today. Let’s start with 1:30 where Moses is speaking to the Israelites. “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Is that not the most wonderful word picture? God carried His people like a father carries His son! Then it gets really sad when you look at verse 32, “In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God.”
Okay, right here I need to interject a story about our family. A few years ago one of our daughters had to have knee surgery. She had just gotten home from the hospital when storms began to brew. As the night progressed we were placed in a tornado warning. A tornado was headed very close to our home. Now generally when the sirens go off everyone in my family, except me, wants to go outside and see the tornado but this night was a little different. My husband, rather than me, was insisting we get to the basement. Now here we have our daughter with a huge bandage around her knee that has just been operated on and is very wobbly on crutches. How are we going to get her down the stairs? My husband tells her to get on his back and she refuses. Kind of scary having your dad carry you down the stairs when you are now a grown woman. It would have been fun about 10 years earlier but this night, her response was, “I am more scared of you carrying me downstairs than I am of the tornado.” My husband got firm with her and insisted she get on his back. She finally gave in when she saw that he was entirely serious, she had to trust him even though the outcome seemed a little scary. I am sure we were all a sight that night and I am glad there was no one else there taking our picture, even so, we all made it to the basement safely. As we prayed for the protection of our city the storm veered to the east and we were all protected. The trip up the stairs was a little easier but still a bit scary and we were all glad when we were tucked safely back in bed.
I tell you that story as an illustration of our heavenly Father who carried the Israelites in the desert, even though He carried them safely they still had trouble with trust.
As we go further in verse 34 -37 we find out what the result of not trusting is, “When the Lord heard what you said, He was angry and solemnly swore; ‘Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good I swore to give your forefathers, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ Because of you the Lord became angry with me also and said, “You shall not enter it, either.”
I think I will end there for today. I have so much more to write about but I think this is a good place to end. But you are not going to get off that easy. I want you to think about your own life today. Are there things that you are finding hard to let God carry you through? Are you having difficulty trusting in Him wholeheartedly? Are you more scared of the outcome than just trusting God to carry you? We have a very good example of what happened when the Israelites did not trust. I hope you will reflect on the times in which God has carried you through and remember that He will carry you through again and again as you put your trust in Him and seek Him with all your hearts.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Rules
Rules, rules were made for a reason. Have you ever heard that? Have you always liked hearing that? Maybe you have said it a time or two yourself. Have you ever broken those rules? Have you always agreed with the rule maker? When was the last time you complained about rules? Maybe when you were driving down the highway and wanting to get somewhere a little faster than the rules said you could get there? Maybe when someone changed the rules mid-stream and caught you off guard? Have you ever been accused of bending the rules? What exactly does that mean? Driving 66 in a 65 would that be bending the rules?
When was the first rule broken? If you said in Genesis, you are correct. Adam was instructed by God to not eat of the tree in the middle of the Garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9 and 16-17). The scripture goes on to say that God then decided to make a helper for Adam which He did and her name was Eve. Now I am sure that Adam must have instructed her not to even touch the tree as you see she is talking with the serpent who is tempting her in Genesis 3:3b “and you must not touch it, or you will die.” I figure that Adam had probably decided that he should tell her not to touch it because if she did touch it she would want to eat it. Back to children, have you ever told one not to even go near the cookie jar? Don’t touch it or you will be tempted to eat? Maybe you have told yourself that. Anyway, she touched and noting happened so she took it to Adam and served it to him and he, knowing what God had told him ate it anyway. Even in a perfect world, the Garden of Eden, there was a rule, and even in that setting, the one and only rule was broken and so mankind was broken.
Since the beginning of time there were rules. Rules help us maintain order, they are there for a reason and sometimes the reason is very good and other times the reasons are selfish and unrighteous but what does God say about the rulers placed before us. Looking in Nehemiah 9:37 - 38 we discover that God placed rulers over the Israelites and that these Kings gathered an abundant harvest due to the sins of the Israelites. In verse 34 it says “Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the warnings you gave them. Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.” All of this while the Israelites are enslaved. Why do you think God blessed those who were against Him? It is rather simple but complex. Verse 37 says it was because of the sins of the Israelites. God wanted to draw them back to Himself but He first had do show them where they were wrong. It doesn’t seem fair that others are reaping the goodness of God when His chosen people are suffering but that is exactly what was happening. All of this in order to bring them back to Him and it did change their hearts. Their sin was revealed and they made an oath to follow the Laws of God (verse 29) which didn’t last as long as it should have. Have you made a promise to God that didn’t last long? They did have a leader though in Nehemiah who called them on their shortcomings, you can read about that in Nehemiah 13.
At this time our country is struggling. Everyone is blaming the other person, we all seem to think we have the right answer and know just what we need to do. God’s word tells us exactly what we should do, it can be found in II Chronicles 7:14 “if My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.” Although this was originally written for the Israelites we need to remember that we are His people now too. If you are called by His Name you are His. Our country is going rapidly downhill because we are not humbling ourselves, we are not seeking His face, we, not as a country but as followers of Christ. If we can’t even humble ourselves within our churches how do we expect that God will heal our land? If we don’t take the time to seek His face why do we expect Him to take care of our country? What are our sins that are causing our county to go in a spiral downhill? I trust you will seek Him and find Him and will humble yourselves and pray because He will forgive our sins and heal our land.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
When was the first rule broken? If you said in Genesis, you are correct. Adam was instructed by God to not eat of the tree in the middle of the Garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9 and 16-17). The scripture goes on to say that God then decided to make a helper for Adam which He did and her name was Eve. Now I am sure that Adam must have instructed her not to even touch the tree as you see she is talking with the serpent who is tempting her in Genesis 3:3b “and you must not touch it, or you will die.” I figure that Adam had probably decided that he should tell her not to touch it because if she did touch it she would want to eat it. Back to children, have you ever told one not to even go near the cookie jar? Don’t touch it or you will be tempted to eat? Maybe you have told yourself that. Anyway, she touched and noting happened so she took it to Adam and served it to him and he, knowing what God had told him ate it anyway. Even in a perfect world, the Garden of Eden, there was a rule, and even in that setting, the one and only rule was broken and so mankind was broken.
Since the beginning of time there were rules. Rules help us maintain order, they are there for a reason and sometimes the reason is very good and other times the reasons are selfish and unrighteous but what does God say about the rulers placed before us. Looking in Nehemiah 9:37 - 38 we discover that God placed rulers over the Israelites and that these Kings gathered an abundant harvest due to the sins of the Israelites. In verse 34 it says “Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the warnings you gave them. Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.” All of this while the Israelites are enslaved. Why do you think God blessed those who were against Him? It is rather simple but complex. Verse 37 says it was because of the sins of the Israelites. God wanted to draw them back to Himself but He first had do show them where they were wrong. It doesn’t seem fair that others are reaping the goodness of God when His chosen people are suffering but that is exactly what was happening. All of this in order to bring them back to Him and it did change their hearts. Their sin was revealed and they made an oath to follow the Laws of God (verse 29) which didn’t last as long as it should have. Have you made a promise to God that didn’t last long? They did have a leader though in Nehemiah who called them on their shortcomings, you can read about that in Nehemiah 13.
At this time our country is struggling. Everyone is blaming the other person, we all seem to think we have the right answer and know just what we need to do. God’s word tells us exactly what we should do, it can be found in II Chronicles 7:14 “if My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.” Although this was originally written for the Israelites we need to remember that we are His people now too. If you are called by His Name you are His. Our country is going rapidly downhill because we are not humbling ourselves, we are not seeking His face, we, not as a country but as followers of Christ. If we can’t even humble ourselves within our churches how do we expect that God will heal our land? If we don’t take the time to seek His face why do we expect Him to take care of our country? What are our sins that are causing our county to go in a spiral downhill? I trust you will seek Him and find Him and will humble yourselves and pray because He will forgive our sins and heal our land.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Friday, August 19, 2011
God's Abounding Love
I am a little perplexed today as I begin to write. I am writing on God’s amazing love but as I read I find it interesting to see the faith that others displayed in the Old Testament, especially Joseph. Maybe I will write about him some other day.
God, abounding in love, yes, we can see that throughout scripture. Take for example the very thought of creation. Why do you think He created this world and all that is in it, including you? I believe He wanted a relationship with someone other than Himself. He wanted to share with others, which is a result of love. There are times in the Bible that He doubted that He had done the right thing by creating this world. He was so angry that He wanted to wipe it off the face of this earth but He has always found someone who was faithful and wanted that relationship with Him as much as He did. People who have prayed and ask Him to spare the people.
One example of this can be found in Genesis 19 where Abraham pleads with the Lord to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. This is another story where I see God’s patience with Abraham as he questions God. Another vision of a 2 year old talking! I have to think of myself talking to God, What if?, What if?. What if? . . . . The point being that God was patient and He responded to Abraham in a remarkable way, He answered his questions! Abraham wanted to know if there were only 10 righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah would God save the cities. What was God’s answer? It was yes. If only 10 righteous would be found, God would save it. Why do you think that is so? My thoughts are, if there were 10 righteous in the city there were 10 who could witness and possibly bring others to the Lord but they did not find 10, they found Lot, his wife, and two daughters. As they fled, Lot’s wife turned back and became a pillar of salt. As Abraham looked over the land the next day, “he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace” (Genesis 19:28b).
You ask what that has to do with God’s abounding love? Look at Genesis 18:20 “Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me.” God loved and cared so much about the outcry that He heard and investigated it. The outcry was so great that He had to destroy the disease that infected the cities, the disease of evil men. Look further in Genesis 19:29 “So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.”
First of all, God heard the outcry. He heard the cries of those whose lives were being destroyed, secondly He responded. He is not a God that is going to love us just because we are His creation. Have you ever been around children who have not been disciplined by their parents? It is not fun, the children run like wild animals and their actions towards others is horrible! Some parents think they can love their children into obedience but that only works with grandparents. Oh, no, I believe that really doesn’t work at all. You see there needs to be a love in return and in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah there was not a love in return so God was forced to destroy it. We see the same thing in a larger scale in Genesis 6 where God destroyed all the land after He saw the evilness of man. God did not create us to become evil but to have a relationship with Him. When He hears our outcry and He sees the destruction that man has caused He has to react in a way that will get rid of the infection much like a doctor will do when he cares for you. You can’t fight infection by ignoring it, you have to get to the source and take care of it and that is what God did with Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities that were evil. That is how much He loves you.
I have to think back to the time that I had to take by beautiful babies to the health department to get vaccinations. I hated holding them down for those shots. There was no way that I could explain to them why it had to take place but they had to trust me that it was for their own good. ‘Do you think that is how God feels sometimes when He hears our cries? Do things happen in this life that we don’t understand? Yes, but we can be assured that God hears the cries, that He is in control, and that He loves us. He doesn’t love the evilness of this world and rest assured He sees it.
Life check:
Are you loving God in the manner that you should? John 14:15, 21, 23-24
Do you trust Him for who He is, not for what He can do? John 14:6
Do you love others? John 15:17
Have you forgiven others? Matthew 6:14-15
As you seek Him and find Him may your hearts be filled with the love that comes from our Father in Heaven, may you in return have peace, joy, and happiness.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
God, abounding in love, yes, we can see that throughout scripture. Take for example the very thought of creation. Why do you think He created this world and all that is in it, including you? I believe He wanted a relationship with someone other than Himself. He wanted to share with others, which is a result of love. There are times in the Bible that He doubted that He had done the right thing by creating this world. He was so angry that He wanted to wipe it off the face of this earth but He has always found someone who was faithful and wanted that relationship with Him as much as He did. People who have prayed and ask Him to spare the people.
One example of this can be found in Genesis 19 where Abraham pleads with the Lord to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. This is another story where I see God’s patience with Abraham as he questions God. Another vision of a 2 year old talking! I have to think of myself talking to God, What if?, What if?. What if? . . . . The point being that God was patient and He responded to Abraham in a remarkable way, He answered his questions! Abraham wanted to know if there were only 10 righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah would God save the cities. What was God’s answer? It was yes. If only 10 righteous would be found, God would save it. Why do you think that is so? My thoughts are, if there were 10 righteous in the city there were 10 who could witness and possibly bring others to the Lord but they did not find 10, they found Lot, his wife, and two daughters. As they fled, Lot’s wife turned back and became a pillar of salt. As Abraham looked over the land the next day, “he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace” (Genesis 19:28b).
You ask what that has to do with God’s abounding love? Look at Genesis 18:20 “Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me.” God loved and cared so much about the outcry that He heard and investigated it. The outcry was so great that He had to destroy the disease that infected the cities, the disease of evil men. Look further in Genesis 19:29 “So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.”
First of all, God heard the outcry. He heard the cries of those whose lives were being destroyed, secondly He responded. He is not a God that is going to love us just because we are His creation. Have you ever been around children who have not been disciplined by their parents? It is not fun, the children run like wild animals and their actions towards others is horrible! Some parents think they can love their children into obedience but that only works with grandparents. Oh, no, I believe that really doesn’t work at all. You see there needs to be a love in return and in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah there was not a love in return so God was forced to destroy it. We see the same thing in a larger scale in Genesis 6 where God destroyed all the land after He saw the evilness of man. God did not create us to become evil but to have a relationship with Him. When He hears our outcry and He sees the destruction that man has caused He has to react in a way that will get rid of the infection much like a doctor will do when he cares for you. You can’t fight infection by ignoring it, you have to get to the source and take care of it and that is what God did with Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities that were evil. That is how much He loves you.
I have to think back to the time that I had to take by beautiful babies to the health department to get vaccinations. I hated holding them down for those shots. There was no way that I could explain to them why it had to take place but they had to trust me that it was for their own good. ‘Do you think that is how God feels sometimes when He hears our cries? Do things happen in this life that we don’t understand? Yes, but we can be assured that God hears the cries, that He is in control, and that He loves us. He doesn’t love the evilness of this world and rest assured He sees it.
Life check:
Are you loving God in the manner that you should? John 14:15, 21, 23-24
Do you trust Him for who He is, not for what He can do? John 14:6
Do you love others? John 15:17
Have you forgiven others? Matthew 6:14-15
As you seek Him and find Him may your hearts be filled with the love that comes from our Father in Heaven, may you in return have peace, joy, and happiness.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Patience vs. Anger
I believe this scripture shows us just how patient God can be but He can also become angry. Look in chapter 4 verse 14, “Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses . . .”. Now if I were Moses I wouldn’t want to be standing to close to that burning bush! Looking back at what made God angry, Exodus 4:13 Moses says to the Lord, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”
God had provided all avenues for Moses, assured him that He would be there with him and was speaking directly to him through a bush that was burning but not consumed by the flames. Moses responds with asking the Lord to send someone else. Have you ever asked someone to do something, given them all the help they needed and reassured them you would be there with them in case they needed more help and still received a “no” answer? If so, how did that make you feel? Have you ever been on the side of being asked and given a “no” answer? Has God asked you to do something and you have asked Him to send someone else?
Remember, God is patient with us and forgiving but we need to be willing because He has made us able. Seek Him with all your hearts today, be willing, and be blessed.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Are you stiff-necked or grateful?
Nehemiah 9:15
"In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock: you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them."
Last time I wrote I talked of God's provisions. Now, let's look at how the Israelites responded to those provisions.
Nehemiah 9:16-17a
“But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.”
Wow, God had provided all those years for them but they still had a tough time in the trust department. Have you ever had difficulty with the trust? Last time I wrote I asked readers to respond to God’s provisions. Although I didn’t get any comments back, I hope that you at least thought about God’s provisions in your life. If not, take a moment to write them down or at least think about them. Now, think about your response to those provisions. Do you take them for granted? Are you thankful each day for them? Have you gone so far to step out of your comfort zone and see what God has planned for you? Or, are you being stiff-necked because you aren’t getting your way, in your time, and how you had it planned? I for one find myself more like the Israelites, complaining, moping, and even being a little stiff-necked. I forget about the past provisions and only think about what I don’t or won’t have rather than what I do have. If you are like me, there is hope for both of us as we look at the next characteristics God.
Nehemiah 9:17b -18
“But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, “This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies. “
God displayed His patience with these people beyond measure and He will do the same for you and me. Remember to thank Him today for the provisions He has given you and let Him know that you trust Him to continue to provide for your future. If you have become stiff-necked or doubtful, ask Him to forgive you as He is a forgiving God.
I am so grateful to know a God who is patient with me and forgives me each and every time that I fail Him. Next time we will look at the patience God displayed to Moses. If you have some time today, read Exodus 3 and we will discuss it later. Seek Him with all your hearts as you read through this passage and be blessed.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Our Provider part 2
I was going to wait and write about God's provisions after I heard from others but I realize that people are busy and not everyone wants to write on a blog or may have difficulty with the process so I decided to go ahead and write. I am excited about what the Bible tells us about God's provisions! If any of you want to add your own story please do so. We need to share how God has worked in our lives through His provisions.
As I think about God's provisions from the biblical perspective I immediately think about what Jesus said about worry in Matthew 6:19-34. Take a few minutes and read that passage.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and man.”
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I once read a billboard that reminded me that worry is the evidence of the lack of faith. That hit home! I always thought I had faith but I tend to be a worrier, especially when it comes to my family. I continue to learn how to let go of those worries but they still creep up once in awhile. I love the verses in Mark 9 where it speaks of the man who brought Jesus his son who was demon possessed. He had asked Jesus disciples to drive out the demon but they could not do it. In the last part of verse 22 the father says to Jesus “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Did you notice that he said “if”? Do you think that might have indicated a little bit of doubt? Jesus reply in verse 23 “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” The father’s response in verse 24 is one of those favorite verses for me because I can identify with this man. “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Are you ever like that man, you believe but there is a part of you, called worry, that does not allow you to let go and let God. I am very much like that and I continue to ask God to help me with my unbelief. Life struggles can get us down but we need to remember that God wants us to seek His kingdom first. We aren’t to seek it when we get finished with everything else in our busy lives, we aren’t to seek it when we have a little extra time on our hands, we aren’t to seek it when troubles come our way and we have exhausted all other avenues. We are to seek His kingdom first! Are you having trouble with worry? Remember, it is a sign that we are lacking in our faith. The remedy, Seek Him first and He will take care of all those worries of this old world.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
Monday, August 1, 2011
Our Provider
Today I am not going to write much but I hope you will! Nehemiah 9:15, "In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them." Nehemiah 9:15
I would like to read how God has provided for you. Please share your comments. I will share more about His provisions in my life but first let us hear some of your experiences.
I would like to read how God has provided for you. Please share your comments. I will share more about His provisions in my life but first let us hear some of your experiences.
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