God Likes Being a Parent

"The Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself" (1 Samuel 12:22, NASB).

     While we are parents, do we realize that we also get to be children? God will always call us his children. He enjoys being our dad, and we can enjoy being his child. That means we can still ask him our questions the way a child would. It means we can still tell him that we don't have it all figured out. It means that we don't have to bear the weight of providing for all our children's needs. We can simply ask our Father in heaven to take care of them in the same way he takes care of us.

     Children aren't afraid to say when they are frightened, confused, or worried. They are expected to take these needs to their parents and get direction and comfort. We can do the same with God.

     Parents, you have an invitation to go to God as a child. He delights in this because he loves being your Dad. Can you relate to God fearlessly as a child would? 

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Wednesday, August 22

  James 2:17 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 

 
Read James 2

Heart Center

Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected (Philippians 4:8, NCV).

     We've said it to our kids on a number of occasions. "You have two choices." Then we proceed to give them their options. Probably one of the choices would be better, but we give them two options to ensure we have a back-up. God also gives us choices. Because of free will, we choose how we spend our time, what we invest our energy in, and what we fill our hearts and minds with.

     His desire for us is that we choose him. He wants us to stay in communication with him as we are faced with daily choices. We keep God as our focal point and continually meet him back at our center, so we don't ever steer too far off course.

     Where do you choose to spend the majority of your time? What choices could you eliminate to stay centered on Jesus? In a busy life of choices, it is important to know your back-up is also your best option--seeking God and choosing life with him. 

Corporate Gathering

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25, NKJV).

     Sometimes getting to church is hard. The idea of spending a Sunday morning at home on the couch in our pajamas is tempting--especially when it has been a long week. The work it would take to get ourselves and others ready to go and out the door is maybe more energy than we have at the moment. Perhaps we feel like going to church is a waste of time when there is so much catching up to do at home: the lawn needs to be mowed or the kitchen needs a deep clean.

     Is church worth the effort and the time? Always. Worshiping with fellow believers is refreshing. There is strength that comes from being surrounded by the body of Christ. At church we can receive prayer, encouragement, and comfort in knowing that we are not alone. Church is a place we can find rest and feel at home. We are united with family,receiving a greater understanding of who God is.

     Do you find it hard to make it to church consistently? Even when your body is tired, your soul will feel renewed. When your schedule is hectic, you can experience peace. It is definitely worth the effort. 

Faith on an Island

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit.The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing. 

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island.The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a booming voice from heaven, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the Voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

The Seasons of Life

The Seasons of Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no – it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfilment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but one season in the tree’s life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are – and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life – can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfilment of your fall.

Don’t judge a life by one difficult season. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Limitless

     Do you struggle with where you fit? Are you on a hunt to find your purpose? Do you feel like you've changed, and the purpose you thought God had for you seems vastly different now? It can be so confusing, can't it? When we think our purpose is unclear, we can easily become blind to God's capacity.
     Friends, God has no capacity. We serve a God without limits. He tells us that, in him, anything is possible. You don't need to have confidence in what you can do--only in what he can accomplish through you. He is capable of absolutely anything, and his plans for you run deep.
     Again and again they limited God, preventing him from blessing them. Continually they turned back from him and wounded the Holy One! They forgot his great love, how he took them by his hand and with redemption's kiss he delivered them from their enemies (Psalm 78:41-42, TPT).
     God, I open my heart and mind to the fullness of your love. Thank you for my purpose in life. Help me walk in a way that will fulfill that purpose.