Month: June 2013

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you” [-God]

| Karen

God works in mysterious ways.  About one year ago, my husband and I were going through one of the hardest transitions in our lives between churches.  At the time, my mom had given me this devotional called “One in a Million” by Priscilla Shirer.  It seemed to say exactly what I needed to hear each day through that hard season.  However, after a point, I stopped the devotional while only about 2/3 of the way to the end.  This is common for me – I want to fully apply the things God teaches me before moving on to the next lesson, so at times I just need to stop and “absorb” all that God is teaching me.

I eventually forgot about the study until blogging last weekend about this journey of life.  It reminded me of the Israelites wandering in the desert, which reminded me of this study.  Then, I happened to “find” this study halfway fallen out of my nightstand shortly afterwards.  I picked it up and thought I would start reading it again.  I was astounded.

Each lesson has again been exactly what I need to hear each day.  In the book, though I did not realize it a year ago, I left off where the Israelites were going to camp for one year at the “mountain of God.”  Yet now, as I resumed the study, God was prompting the Israelites to move on towards the Promised Land.  The road would not be easy, but it was time to move on.  And this was exactly what I needed to hear!

Today, in my Quiet Time, I read Isaiah 42:10 which says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you.  I will help you.  I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Reading this verse, God reminds me how big He is.  He created the entire universe yet is omnipotent enough to have me leave off of a devotion for a year then pick it up on the day I needed the next lesson the most.  And I felt like God wanted me to write this verse in a blog today because someone needs to hear it.  Sometimes we are afraid in this life.  Sometimes we are dismayed.  This verse is more than just saying “don’t worry, be happy” – God gives us a reason to not fear, a reason to not be dismayed.  Because He is with me.  He is my God.  He is bigger than my mind can comprehend, yet He knows me individually, cares for me down to the finest detail, and will walk with me through this life.  He will strengthen me, help me, uphold me through scary and discouraging times.

And He will do the same for you.  We both may feel that God forgets us at times, that we are only one in the midst a million people around us, but God loves you and me individually – completely – and is bigger than our minds can comprehend.

Jesus, thank You that You are so big yet care about us as individuals with such depth.  Thank You for speaking to me through a devotional I had put down for an entire year.  Thank You for being with me, being my God, strengthening me, helping me, and upholding me.  I pray that you will do the same now for all those reading this blog, so they will not be afraid or dismayed – for You are with them.

Treating God Like an iPhone Map

| Karen

I realized lately that I sometimes I treat God like a the map feature on my phone.    I enter a destination, and it gives three options of routes.  I can make an informed choice based on how quickly I want to get there, whether I want to take the interstate or the scenic route, and whether I want to stop at a certain store or restaurant along the way.  Typically, I memorize the route and put away my phone for the journey.

However, God doesn’t work like an iPhone map.  Several months ago, I feel like God impressed on my heart a certain goal He has for my family. So I eagerly went to work, trying to pick the best ‘route’ for my family to take to reach this God-inspired ‘destination.’  After a few months of a lot of work and no fruit, I felt burnt out.  “Why, God?” I prayed.  I realized that I was listening to God only for the destination while trying to choose my own route to get there.  But God may not choose the quickest or the easiest route for my family; the end-goal may not occur immediately but may take years of ‘traveling’ for God to bring us to the ‘destination’ He has in mind.

So why did God even tell me about His plan for my family?  Apparently NOT so that I could get there myself.  Instead, I think it was to learn this lesson – that just because God says it will happen, doesn’t mean I can depend on myself to get there.  I don’t need to take His plan and run with it myself.  I still need to trust in God daily.

God told Abraham that his wife Sarah would have a baby in her old age.  Did you ever wonder why God bothered to give Abraham advance notice?  Why not just be shocked one day that she was already pregnant?  Perhaps to see whether both Abraham and Sarah would still trust God daily or take this ‘destination’ and find their own route to get there.  In fact, they came up with a plan for a child that left Sarah completely out of the equation.

I read an Oswald Chambers devotion lately that opened my eyes in this area.  He talked about how Jesus, during his earthly ministry, did not worry about tomorrow, did not fret over whether He would come across the right people or go to the right place or be able to do all that God called Him to do.  Instead, He just lived each day constantly listening to His Father.  As God said to do something, He obeyed.  “Think of the wonderful leisure of our Lord,” is how Oswald Chambers described it.  His calling on earth was more important than all of ours, yet we often live life in anxiety, worry, or fretting over the best “routes” to get where we feel God wants us to be.  As much as we want to control our own circumstances, we just cannot control them all.  In fact, much of life is outside of our control.  Should we worry about tomorrow then?  Or just live with an attitude of listening, all day every day – and move as God directs us?  God often takes us along unexpected routes.  The purpose is not to frustrate or confuse us, but to make us more like Christ as use us along to way to help others.

Jesus, forgive us for trying to bring about Your will through our own plans and routes.  Help us all today to stop worrying about tomorrow and just live with an attitude of constant listening to Your voice.  Give us spirits of obedience to follow where You lead each moment of today.  Thank You that You have good plans for each of us – not just the destination, but each day of the journey.