Archive for September, 2007
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14
Sep
2007
Opportunities to Grow
If your a Christian you will I’m sure have a deep longing in your heart to Grow in your knowledge and relationship in God. But when it comes to growing for some reason there is this thing in our head that to Grow in God means to read your bible, pray and spend time in Gods presence in an attitude of praise and worship, while all these things are essential for every Christian to grow, I’ve realised in life its not just as easy as the formula (Word + Worship & Prayer = Growth)
In life unless I’m the only case of this each day I face problems, some days they are small, other days that are massive, while Gods word, worship and prayer create a feel good factor and create a positive energy they somehow just don’t seem to take the problems away, in fact dare I say, the closer I try to get to God the bigger the problems become? (Sorry for being honest)
Sometimes when I have been faced with problems - hands held high, I have totally messed up, the feelings of failure, rejection and despair then try to throw me to the ground, but then a few facts come to my memory:
1. If I’m faced with the same problem again , I’ve learned what doesn’t work
2. These negative voices when I get it wrong are not Godly voices
3. God is Love, and will always have his arms of Love and Grace open for me
Your maybe thinking, ask God and you will get through it – I live a life of asking God questions, but I’m not always right, I hear things that I believe God is saying, but sometimes what Gods saying and what I’m hearing are two different things.
I’m slowly coming round to the idea that Problems are Gods way of taking all the rotten things from us, so we can be drawn closer to Him, Problems are Gods ways of creating opportunities for us to Grow. Its not always about getting it right, its not about the number of verses we know off by heart, or how long we spend on our quiet times in the morning, because then your eyes would be focused on yourself and you will become very prideful – which is ungodly! God wants us to Live out Love in our lives, to conquer problems with Love.
I guess all this points back to one thing, to get through this life we need to live a life of prayer and fasting as Jesus instructed his disciples, we need to absorb Gods word into our minds and hearts, we need to know who we are in God, to know in our hearts that God is Love and to apply everything we read in Gods word to our lives, a good living person now gets away with the term ‘Christian, To be honest I hate the term sometimes because its so general of society,
David was given a name by God as a ‘man after Gods Heart’ – that’s where I want to be in God, while David had so many hard days in life, He Knew God right through his struggles, He never let go of God, he never went alone, he always clung on to God.
Today when you face a problem or crisis, look at it, and say to yourself, this is God wanting me to Grow!
‘God Help me to know your will this day, keep me from evil and direct my paths that I may survive this storm and grow closer to You!’
4
Sep
2007
Isaiah 40
Isaiah 40 is one of those crown Jewel passages in the Bible, full of the greatness, strength and imprinted with a little flavour of Gods Power and Awesomeness. When I read from verse 28-31 it starts the engine inside me, its like getting ready to take off on a plane journey, a journey of new things, new discoveries in God.
September has hit us with a bang this year, this time thing is scary, weeks pass like days now, I always remember my parents and grandparents used to say how time seems to go faster as you get older – How true!, the pressures in life seem to apply to much pressure to the accelerator of life. Here are those verses taken from my NIV Devotional Bible…
The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He Gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint!
I pray this morning that You and I place all our Hope in the Lord, our Creator, Redeemer, Encourager and Friend!
