Weighing the Good vs. the Bad

“When I look around and I think things over, all of my good days outweigh my bad days and I won’t complain.” These are words to a song that I used to hear a lot in the church I grew up in. I thought about this as I read a Facebook post of a mom who is watching her precious young son battle for his life as a result of a terrible accident. I became overwhelmed as I read her post yesterday morning because at that moment I was having a pity party for myself. I felt so convicted after reading her status update as she described the roller coaster ride they had been on over the past 24 hours due to the onset of infection and other complications. I thought to myself “What do I have to complain about?

I know that we live in a world where there are so many things that we all face. Sometimes those things are quite devastating.  And our tendency is to become self-focused so much so that we can’t really see beyond our current situation. But that is a trick of the enemy! If we focus on our deficits, our frustrations, our issues, we can’t really see the “good things” in our lives. There are always good things no matter how bad the situation is. My life, though not perfect is definitely not as bad as I can paint it sometimes. I get in those self-pity modes where I just want to wallow in my own woes of life. I can hear God saying to me “Liz, get up and quit your belly-aching.” Paul gives us a great perspective on this matter in Phillipians 4:12 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

In this season I am in, I am learning what this means more than ever. I am grateful for every experience I have had. When I assess my life, I know that the good I have experienced always outweighs the bad. I am content. Be encouraged today!

Is My Sacrifice Acceptable?

I have been doing my daily Bible reading. I have been intrigued with how in the Old Testament they made sacrifices to God.  These sacrifices were not presented haphazardly. They went through great lengths to prepare a sacrifice that God would be pleased with. Of course they knew that God would not accept just anything. Their sacrifice had to be just so.  There were cases where sacrifices were made to God, but were found unacceptable. Thankfully because of Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice, we don’t have to present the types of sacrifices they did back then. The sacrifice that is required of us today is actually much more personal, it is our very own life. In Romans 12:1 we find these words “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” 

I think about what kind of sacrifice I bring. A few questions come to my mind as I evaluate my sacrifice:

• Is my life an acceptable sacrifice to Him?
• Am I giving Him the very best I have to give or am I giving Him what’s left?
• Am I preparing myself daily as I lay my life before Him to be used for His purposes?

Just as they went through great lengths in the Bible days to prepare their sacrifices, we too should do our part to prepare our sacrifice (our lives) by studying His Word, spending time in prayer and offering Him heartfelt worship. When we do these things, He completes the preparation process making what was once unacceptable, acceptable. Be encouraged today!

Who is REALLY In Charge?

As I put the car in park and walked to the other side of the car, I wanted to changed my mind, but I had already spoken the words to my teenage son “Yes, I will let you drive.” We made the switch and there he sat in the seat with the look of anticipation on his face. I talked him through moving the car out of park and into drive and slowly we were off. I yelled out so many commands during his short time driving, it is a wonder he kept it all together. Even with him in the drivers seat, I still wanted to control everything. I coached and strongly suggested what to do and NOT to do. The distance was only a mile or so, but it seemed like an eternity. I was so nervous. I hated relinquishing my control especially to an inexperienced driver, but I had to do that in order for him to learn, didn’t I? Truth be told, I really didn’t do a good job with the letting go part. I didn’t realize that I had such a control issue until that very moment. In my mind I said I would let him do it, but when it came down to it I didn't really move myself out of the way so he could actually do it.

God reminded me that I am also like that with him. I tell him He is in control, but I often try to take the situation from him. I often have my own plans and I want God to fit what He wants me to do into MY plans. I can hear God sitting in front of me asking me “Who’s in charge here?” I could say with my mouth that God is control, but the reality is that I hadn’t completely given up control to God. I sit there in the “passenger seat” just like I did with my son and I want to tell God which direction to go, but I must grasp the fact that God does NOT need my help in running my life. I must remind myself daily “He’s got this!”

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~ The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. Psalms 37:23

~ In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

One Word...

A familiar math symbol that means greater than.

As I meditated today desperate for a Word from God, I was listening to a song and a word caught my attention. The word was “Greater”. This word is a simple one, yet powerful in meaning. I thought about it for a while and tried to dismiss it. I have to be honest, I wanted and felt I needed more than just one word from God, but that was it. So I began to meditate on it and study it to see what was I supposed to get from this simple word. I started by looking it up in the dictionary. One of the definitions I found was: unusual or considerable in degree, power, intensity, etc. (dictionary.com) I then went to the scripture to find out what He was saying to me with this one word. I found three scriptures that I believe sum it all up. Perhaps it is for you too.

•             The first scripture I found is 1 John 4:4 it says Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. I believe that God wants me to understand and be confident in this fact He is GREATER than my circumstances, GREATER than my problems and most of all GREATER than the enemy!
•       The second scripture is found in John 5:20 . It says “Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.” I further believe that because of who He is and what He has done, I have been “set-up” to do great things, GREATER than I can imagine!
•       The last scripture that spoke to me is found in Job 8:7 and it reads “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase (some translations say “thy latter end will be GREATER). Lastly, I believe that God wants me to know that no matter what my beginning looked like, no matter what my current status is, He is preparing me for GREATER!!!

 And to think, I almost dismissed this word because I  thought it wasn't enough. Thank you Lord for speaking that word to me. I receive it! 

No Words...

I don’t have an interesting or cute story to start off today’s Blog or even to end with. I am literally speechless it seems. I am in a place where all I can do is trust God (not a bad thing). I struggled with even posting a Blog today, but I remembered that even in our low places we are still called to do His work. I can’t speak (or write) about trusting Him to others and yet in my trials, I don’t trust him. I can’t talk (or write) about weathering the storms and yet when I face them, I am overtaken by them. So today I have no words and I know that it’s ok. I find my solace in His Word “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:25-26. Today I am depleted of strength, but I know that His Word says “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9. Today I am silent, but it’s a time for me to “Be still and know that He is God.” Psalms 46:10.

I don’t know if this is just for me or if someone else needed to be reminded that our weakness is just an opportunity for God to prove Himself on our behalf  (2 Chronicles 16:9). May we draw from His strength today and know that He is for you and for me even when we have no words.  Be encouraged today.