Know your role- You're not level with God.

Job 9:32-35 "He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot."

Fear, obey, and trust GOD. Sometimes he answers our questions (the why's), and sometimes he doesn't. We've all been in positions that seem unfair and cause us to question the purpose of our position. But- God does not owe us an explanation that meets our standards. There us no mediator, no arbitrator between us and God. We cannot make him treat us the way we see fair. It is our job to fear him. It is his responsibility to lead and provide.

Wait Before the Lord

A Psalm for those who constantly find themselves in waiting:

Psalm 62:5-6 (Amp)"My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to him; for my hope and expectation are from him. He is my rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved."

The above is just a reminder to wait patiently before the Lord. Submit to him and do not be moved by your surroundings. Our hope and expectation are from him- this means that the wonderful wish list you've whipped up for whatever you're waiting on was inspired by God. God placed those desires in our hearts. He is the rock on which we should stand, he is our fortress in times of distress and confusion. He desires to bless us, but first we must silently submit to him. That means letting him take complete control instead of finding a way ourselves, or for that matter even trying to mentally figure out how we can make it work. That is all on God. Always remember that he is in control.

Purpose by Design

I was recently tagged in this picture by a friend on Facebook. I'm sure it's not hard to find me ;-) This had to be around 1988. It's funny to look at my facial expression and wonder what I was thinking. It just proves how much time can change things, but also keep them the same. 22 years ago I had a purpose, and was being led, guided, and protected by the holy spirit. Unbeknownst to me, God was preparing me for this moment. The moment in time where my harvest was going to make it's debut. I am thankful for all of the sunshine, all of the rain. The joy, the pain, the blood, sweat, and tears (oh so many tears) that allowed me to make it to this moment. God is awesome and his creative power is MATCHLESS!

"So now I serve him who brought me and is able to keep me together in the presence of his glory. I find that for my life his good and perfect purpose was designed to bring me to the place where he has need for me." -Fred Hammond, Purpose by Design

David and Goliath

I Just read the entire story of David and Goliath in the bible. This story has touched me in ways I could not imagine. Goliath, a champion Philistine giant, challenged all of the Israelites in an effort to subject them to servitude. Out of all of the Israelites, David, a young boy who looked after his father's sheep, volunteered to battle him. David had encountered bears and lions while watching sheep herds, and was confident that the hand of the Lord had saved him from them all. This was enough to assure David that the Lord would deliver him from ANYONE who challenged his people. I would encourage you to read the entire chapter of I Samuel 17 and get into the mind frame of David. The mind that has all confidence and trust that the Lord will fight every one of your battles, and provide victory for his chosen people. Pay attention to how David spoke his enemy's defeat into existence, detailing what his plan of defeat <--- all to the Glory of God. Sometimes you have to SPEAK to your challenges and let them know that you are victorious, that you claim victory and triumph over everything that sets itself up against you.

I Samuel 17:41-47 41 "Meanwhile, the Philistine (Goliath), with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

My heart is heavy.

Psalm 27 (of David)

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.

Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Beginning = Completion

Philippians 1:6 (NIV) "Being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
If you have/had a good start...it will be completed. God does not half way do anything. If he has planted seeds and desires in you, he will carry them out to completion! Look around and realize how blessed you are. How much worse could your circumstances have been. You could have been born into a life leading to death and destruction. If God kept you from that, preserving your mind and body...he began a good work in you. Allow him to carry it out by being diligent, obedient, and faithful. Trust that God has not brought you this far only to leave his work within you undone.

Sleepy? Wisdom is better than strength...

Ecclesiastes 9:11-18 (NIV) I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.

I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

If God is for you, who could be against you???

Romans 8:28-31 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

God purposely intended for the lives of those who love him to be conformed to the life of Jesus, as we are leaders. There are certain life situations that will stretch you and cause you to question who really cares about you in life. God has already worked out every thing that ever happens to you with a positive outcome. You shouldn't worry about your enemies- those who accuse you. Instead know that all things work together for the good of those who love him. Who would want to question or bring harm to one of God's chosen? No one, for God will deal with them. Real talk.