God's Will

This devotional was sent to me yesterday and was very timely...

I will joyfully submit to God's will for my life. I will gladly be obedient to his commands and directions. God has a perfect plan for my life and I will follow this plan to the best of my ability. I am at peace with God when I am walking in His plan and according to His will. Because I am obedient to God's directions and purposes for me, I know that I will always walk in prosperity.

Chinese Bamboo Tree

Someone sent this to me sometime ago and I really liked it.
......

The Chinese Bamboo Tree


One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me..."Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo." He said.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. ..but just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle." He said to me.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?"

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. He will never give up on you.

Application:
Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

This Too Shall Pass..

This song, as sung by Yolanda Adams, is one of my favorites and one of those songs on which I lean when things seem the darkest.
In the middle of the turbulence surrounding you
These trying times that are so hard to endure
In the middle of what seems to be your darkest hour
Hold fast your heart and be assured

[CHORUS]
This too shall pass
Like every night that's come before it
He'll never give you more than you can bear
This too shall pass
So in this thought be comforted
It's in His Hands
This too shall pass

The Father knows the tears you cry before they fall
He feels your pain, His heart and yours are one
The Father knows that sorrow's heavy chains are strong
But with His strength, you'll overcome
[REPEAT CHORUS]

So set your eyes upon the mountain
And lift your hands up to the sky
And let His arms of love surround you
And take you to the other side

[REPEAT CHORUS]

Why?

In a recent Personal Evangelism class, the professor was talking about the importance of living ours lives in such a way, i.e. as Jesus commanded, that invite questions from the unsaved. Of course everyone agreed, but a classmate pointed out some of the laziest people in his place of work were Christians. It got me thinking:

- Why is it that some of the most miserable and stressed out people are Christians?
- Why is it that some of the most sarcastic and rudest people are Christians?
- Why is it that some of the people who worry the most are Christians?
- Why is it that some Christians are some of the unfriendliest people?
- Why is it that some Christians are among those most insecure?
- Why is it that some Christians are among those most unforgiving?
- Why is it that some Christians are among the most arrogant?
- Why is it that some Christians have the worst work ethic?
- Why is it that some of the people most likely to make excuses for what they do are Christians?

Why?

Have you ever been cut-off on the roadways by someone with a "Smile, Jesus Loves U" bumper-sticker on their car? Makes you wonder, huh?

Just maybe that is a part of the reason the world seem so indifferent, and in some ways hostile, to those who say they are Christians? My professor says that whenever someone asks him if he is a Christian, he replies, "I'm a follower of Jesus Christ". Quite the commentary, huh?

The Alabaster Box: Reflections

For the past couple of weeks, I have been periodically listening intently to the words of this song. I must admit I have heard the song many times before, and appreciated the artistry of Cece Winans and the way she sung it. However, it wasn't until I started listening to the words that I came to realize the awesome "testimony" put to music. Jesus was certainly not kidding when he told the group of frustrated onlookers: "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." (Mark 14:9)

It is interesting to note that the crowd around Jesus saw the exercise as a colossal waste; "it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her" (v.5). Yet, isn't it typical that others would try to tell you how much praise, worship, adoration, and so on, to give to God, when you are the one who knows just how much He has done for you? As a part of the chorus to the song has her saying:

You weren't there-the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped His loving arms around me
And you don't know the costOf the oil in my alabaster box

and that is exactly the point. When we come to the point where we realize just how much God has done for us, and we give Him our all, sometimes through tears of joy and shouts of praise, who is to say it doesn't take all of that?

I like what Matthew Henry, noted Bible Commentator had to say, in part, on this text:"Let us anoint Christ as our Beloved, kiss him with a kiss of affection; and anoint him as our Sovereign, kiss him with a kiss of allegiance. Did he pour out his soul unto death for us, and shall we think any box of ointment too precious to pour out upon him? It is observable that she took care to pour it all out upon Christ's head; she broke the box (so we read it); but because it was an alabaster box, not easily broken, nor was it necessary that it should be broken, to get out the ointment, some read it, she shook the box, or knocked it to the ground, to loosen what was in it, that it might be got out the better; or, she rubbed and scraped out all that stuck tot he sides of it. Christ must have been honoured with all we have, and we must not think to keep back any part of the price. Do we give him the precious ointment of our best affections? Let him have them all; love him with all the heart."

Don't let anyone stop your praise, and if they try to, praise right over and through them. They weren't there when He did what He did in your life that cause you to love Him as much as you do! Christ deserves our all; all our worship, all our praise, and just as important, all of ourselves.

The Alabaster Box (Lyrics)

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbled through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Every tear she she shed was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of Alabaster

Chorus:
And I've come to pour
My praise on Him-like oil
From Mary's alabasterbox
Don't be angry if I wash His feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair
You weren't there-the night
He found meYou did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped His loving arms around me
And you don't know the cost
Of the oil in my alabaster box

I can't forget
The way life used to be
I was a prisoner
To the sins that had me bound
I spent my days
Poured my life-without measure
Into a little treasure box
I thought I had found
Until the day-when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonders of-His love
So now I'm giving back to Him
All the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven
And that's whyI love Him so much--

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19dODYayec8

Always on Display

I learned, more like reaffirmed, something very important today. On my drive in to work, I returned a call to a friend, using my transit pass to access the subway's parking lot while on the phone. I was inside the trainstation and at the turnstile when I realized I had forgotten my pass in the car. I mentioned this to the person I was speaking with, and casually mentioned I would have to go get it and proceeded to do so. As I retrieved the pass, the phone conversation went something like this:

Friend: I really do admire you.
Me: Why?
Friend: If I had forgotten my pass and had to go back to my car to get it, I would be flustered and complaining. You, on the other hand, are so calm about it. You just walked back to get it without a word of complaint. But I guess complaining wouldn't help, right?
Me: No, it wouldn't. There is no point in my allowing myself to be put off by the fact that I had to go back and get the pass. Regardless of what I did, I would have to still go get it. Thank you for noticing. It is not always easy, but I have learnt how not to give in to initial reactions, and so maintain some control over the way I respond to certain things.

What did I reaffirm? That even when we think no one is noticing, we are constantly reflecting who we really are by how we respond to things. For Christians this is even more significant because of what we are supposed to represent. It is said that adversity do not make or break a person, but simply reveal who they are. There is a lot of truth to that statement. Being angry, frustrated, upset, or saying things that one should not say, are simply reflections of what is in one's heart. OK, I can hear the chorus of voices: "I'm only human", but while that may be true, when did being human become an excuse for such behavior? God still demand, and expect, the best of who we are and are capable of being through Christ. It is only though Him that we will find the strength to rise above the seemingly little things that would cause us to stumble.

We are supposed to be living examples. Not always easy, but a part of what it means to be a believer. After all, while we may never know who is observing the things we say and/or do, we should be mindful that others are looking on. What they think about Christ, and the message of the gospel, may be influenced in part by your behavior. Think about it the next time something happens that has the potential to provoke a negative reaction from you.

God Loves you

Can you recall the first time you heard the words "I love you"? I was fourteen years old then, and had "fallen in love" with a wonderful teenage girl who lived across the road from us. As our little relationship developed, my sister served as the go-between, taking notes back and forth between the lovely young lady and myself. Some would call it puppy love, but if that was what it was, it was real to this puppy. Ah, the joys and the thrills of young love, not to mention hearing those three magical words!

Yet as wonderful as that time was, it does not compare to the first time I heard God whisper, "I love you". Right there in John 3:16 it reminds us, "For God so loved the world...", and if He loved the world and I was in it, that meant He loved me! But that generalization became a more intimate reality when I came into a personal relationship with Him. The awe and wonder I felt at the realization that the God of the Universe, the Almighty, the Ancient of Days, loved me surpassed anything I ever experienced.

You too can experience that kind of intimacy and that assurance. God not only loves the world, He loves YOU in a way that no one else could. I encourage you to give Him the opportunity to prove to you how much. I guarantee, it is an experience you will never forget.

Return to Sender..

Have you ever felt like some of your prayers were intercepted somewhere between earth and heaven, and got stamped "Return to Sender"? Recently I was thinking about that, and it occurred to me that the devil is in the business of intercepting our prayers, or the answers to them, and carting them off into his camp while leaving us to doubt or blame God when we do not see the expected results of those prayers. Of course, that is assuming that we are praying in the will of God as guided by the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). I like the fact though, that despite the enemy's best efforts, we can go into his camp and take back what he has stolen from us! I think if we could ever see his backyard, it would be filled with stuff, and within that stuff are things that belong to us; our health, our finances, our relationships, our family members, our careers, and all the other things we committed to our Heavenly Father.

So, let us put on the whole armor of God and wage war with the one who would dare take what is not his. A closer look at the armor shows how marvelous an arsenal God has given us!

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." (Eph. 6:11-18a, KJV)

That really excites me. As long as we have on the whole armor of God, we have nothing to fear. We can stare the enemy down, knowing fully well that with the Lord on our side, we will have the victory. The devil is no match for us who are on God's side. What he has stolen, he has to give it back. Those prayers prayed in the will of God marked "Return to Sender" are bogus. With sword in hand, and praise on our lips, we will march into the enemy's camp and we will not leave until we take back all of that which is rightfully ours. Halleujah!

It's a Great Day to Be Alive!

I take the view that if God allows us to wake up in the mornings, everything else is a bonus! After all, if we do not wake up ever again, nothing really matters. Therefore, no matter how challenging our days might be, we have a responsibility, like the Psalmist, to declare: "This is the day which the LORD hath made; (I) will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24). The brand new day is like being given a clean sheet of paper on which to write. We determine what will be written based on our response to the things that happen around us. What an exciting opportunity! Yesterday's mistakes do not have to be rewritten today, or anytime in the future, because God's mercies are new every morning, and great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22, 23).

Today is a GREAT day to be alive; go out and make the most of it!-