What quality?

Genesis 25, 26 and Matthew 18: 1-20

This morning I that keeps going through my mind is write about prayer.  It was as if the Spirit kept saying tell them to talk to me and then I read the passage from Matthew 18 and what grasp my attention was the story of the lost sheep.

Do you remember when you were little and questions just constantly flowed out of your mind to your parents, to your teacher, to anyone that would listen?  How?  Why? When? I mean it was constant.  You were learning and you were growing and you wanted more and more.

What happened?  Do you want more?  When you read the Word does it come alive with I want to know more about that story?  The Word tells us we must become like little children to enter the Kingdom of God.  Well, what quality have you lost from your childhood?  Are you still curious?  Are you still filled with questions?  Do you wander off looking around?  Do you watch your friends that seem to not worry about time schedules and wish it was you?  

The Lord will find you wherever you wander off to and I love the words found in Matthew 18:13 ~

And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about the one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that nay of these little ones should be lost.

What do you need to recapture?  Is it awe and wonder?  Is it wow, did you see that?  Is it the time spot to wander off?  Well, carve out a moment  and let your mind flow...Talk to God about what's on your mind and allow the questions and the discussion to flow and wait with awe and wonder about what He will give you in return for pursuing this special time with Him!

Today, become like a little one and be curious!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

I will go

Genesis 23, 24, and Matthew 17

Well, I guess some of you realized that I wrote yesterday on part of what I was suppose to and part on today's...oh well!  I guess I was suppose to do what I did and truthfully I've shared I'm not worrying about the little things anymore...so if you come here one day and it's on a totally different subject - GO WITH IT!  If I feel lead to write about something else I will, if I don't write at all know there is a reason and I'll be back. (just thought I would share how this going with the flow thing is working so far)

Back to ...I Will Go

Today, the words that just jumped off the page at me were about Rebekah.  A strange man comes looking for a wife for the son of his master.  She meets him at the well and  she takes him to stay with her family.  He explains that his master sent him looking for a wife and they agree to this offer.  The next morning he wants to head back home.  The family wants a few more days, but they ask the girl and her reply is found in 24:58

I will go...

Now that is the Lord.  No other way around it than the Lord.  Otherwise, do you think this young girl is going to get on her camel travel with this older man about 85 years old across the desert to a foreign land  around 450 miles without God being involved?  I don't think so!  Only the Lord would have her reply with I will go!  What about her family?  Again, only the Lord would allow this mother to let her daughter go now this brother is another topic...we will learn more about him in a few days.  He would sell his own kids much less his sister for a dollar!

What about you?  Have you ever replied to something and you then wonder where did that come from?  or a little while later you think what did I just do?  Well, perhaps the Lord had you respond with yes!  Yes, I will step out in faith and do whatever it is...

When they arrived Isaac accepted her as his wife without seeing her beauty and we learn that he did love her.  Indeed, the story of Isaac and Rebekah is a love story.  Isaac loved Rebekah a lot!  We will be looking closer at this love story over the next few days as well.  

So, where will you be willing to go?

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Humbled

Job 41, 42 and Matthew 17

Imagine, hearing God saying things such as He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud.?  After God reminding Job and his friends exactly who He is and was...

Job is humbled and immediately confesses and repents.  He doesn't know why he had such terrible things happen to him, but he quit his complaining.  Perhaps if we remember exactly who God is we would quite complaining too!

After all God knows all and He does have a plan!  It may not be our plan, but He has got one and we may all be assured that it is way better than any plan we would come up with anyway.  God is sovereign and often times we forget this fact.  How because we are too busy with the focus being on ourselves rather than our Savior! 

Last night in Bible study, Job 42:5 was brought up for us to think about by Priscilla Shirer My eyes had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.  Is it perhaps that we not only want to hear with our ears, but we want to see?  Well, He is everywhere!  I know myself this week without a doubt that God gave me an answer and I am awed beyond words.  I know that God saw me and their is no other feeling like knowing in your heart that God sees you and feels your pains.  Take heart that indeed God feels every feeling with you!  He feels your pain, He feels your joy, He feels your tears, He feels your sadness, He feels your relieve, He feels everything.  I just read a posting on facebook of one of my friends saying she felt her daughters pain and how it hurt not be able to make her feel better.  Well, that is exactly how the LORD feels and look how many children He has ~ and we complain?

I love in Job 42 where we are told that the LORD blessed Job more in the latter part of his life and the daughters are named.  I learned this morning that the daughters names are names of restoration that Job gave them.  Look at the meaning of each of the names:  Jemimah means "daylight", Keziah means "sweet smelling," and Keren-Happuch describes a beautiful color that women used to paint on their eyelids.  Don't you love Job?  Job is so full of life again after the awful things that happened to him and the only way this could happen is with the LORD showing the way!

Job had it all, lost it all, and God restored it all!  God forgave the questions that Job ask, God forgave the rantings that Job shouted because the LORD is so filled with compassion and mercy!  Give thanks!

The Matthew 17 reading today was awesome as well with the 3 closest disciples getting to witness the glory of God!  Yes, the glory!

Place yourself in Peter's shoes for a moment.  Yes Peter, because I think he represents each of us so well at times.  So full of himself, so honest, so say without thinking sometimes...Anyway, just place yourself at the scene to witness Christ undergo this miraculous change into glory.  You are in awe of this and then all of the sudden two more men show up that you have heard about all your life the stories of Moses and Elijah.  The two men that represented so much to your history, your people's history and now they are here before you talking to Jesus.  Peter gets so excited that he wants to do something special so once again he shouts out let's build tabernacles for all three of these men.  Well...Peter once again should have waited to speak...but he was human and knew this was special, but he forgot or had not yet realized that Jesus was even more special than the other two men!  God reminds him immediately even before he got all the words out exactly who Jesus is...they all 3 immediately fell to their down on their face to honor the presence of God!

Wow, is all I am able to say when I imagine witnessing God's glory!  I still love Peter because he fumbles with words, he even fumbles a lot with his actions, but in the end he receives victory!  It gives all of us hope or at least I can tell you it gives me hope, because I fumble daily, I fumble in actions and words as well and it is my prayer that I learn daily like Peter did and I know that Jesus died for me so I will receive victory as well!

Be blessed today and everyday!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Will you forgive me?

The Lord has placed me on a path that truly isn't easy right now, but it is amazing about the things He is showing me through His Word and other people.  I give thanks that even in the times that I feel the Lord is teaching me through a little discipline that it still gives me chills that I know without a doubt it is Our Amazing Lord!

I need to ask forgiveness from many people today...Let me explain

When the Lord placed me on the present path with Journey of Sisters it was amazing, but at the same time very heartbreaking.  I was being called to step away from all that was familiar into a wilderness in which I was afraid and felt very alone.  In my heart I knew that God was going before me, but being human I wanted everyone to go with me!  Yes, I know life doesn't work that way, but that is what I wanted.  So, I didn't like it when that is not what happened and some didn't like it when I stepped into this path either.  I know I am exactly where I am suppose to be, but it wasn't without many tears, and a broken heart, but still with much love!  I felt God's love and I felt Him leading me, but I was holding on to my past.

I have realized over the past several months studying about the wilderness times of our life that God doesn't call each of us to the same path.  Now I know many of you are saying well - "duh Debbie".  No listen for a moment when someone steps into such an unfamiliar territory they want everyone they love surrounding them and helping them, but what I forgot to take into account and the LORD has been showing me is just because He called me to this path did not mean He called all my friends right along with me.  I've been reading about the Israelites and how they longed for the fish and cucumbers back in Egypt.  It blew me away I'm like what???  Seriously, you long for the fish and cucumbers you ate while the slave masters cracked the whip over you?  God has been amazing showing me the growth of standing on my own two feet taking the steps He desires for my journey and yet I was holding on to days gone by.

So I stand before you saying that I asked God to forgive me for not stepping with a pep in my step and almost with a run to see what would happen next, but I also ask forgiveness for those that I wanted to drag along with me on my journey.  We each have our own journey and I realize that, but it was purely out of love and trust of each of you that I wanted you to come with me.  I know God's plan is better, but I loved my fish and cucumbers...and I still do!  I just know in my heart now that God's ways are definitely not my ways, but His way is so much better!  Easy?  No.  But better for me.  I have a peace finally in my heart and it has been so long coming with Journey of Sisters.  Oh I love it, but to figure out exactly what it was that God wanted us to do was so difficult at times.  I wish and I'm hesitant to say it, but that He would have been very direct like with Jonah.  Jonah knew exactly where to go and he still ran the opposite direction.  I took a step and two back longing for days gone by, but finally I get it.  It was about me clinging to people here and not to God.  

Thank you Lord for being patient with me and helping me to grasp your plan for my journey!  Thank you Lord for the people you have placed on path all through my journey that have helped to teach me lessons that You desired that I learn and for the love that I always felt, but never totally get because it is such a huge love that I don't know if I ever will totally get how much you love each of us.  I thank you for the hard days that taught me valuable lessons, I thank you for the good days that taught me the "Light" will see me through and most of all I thank you for the Son that you sent for me that I never will deserve, but by your grace I accept.  I love you.  Amen

Sweet blessings,

Debbie