SNEAK PEEK #3....into Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Divine Appointment

Ever get the sense of being at the wrong place at the wrong time? Circumstances go from bad to worse. Or maybe you’ve experienced the opposite: good fortune comes when you least expected it. When this happens, it reminds us how little control we truly have over our lives.

We don’t plan to bump into an old acquaintance and renew that long lost friendship. We drove carefully only to hit black ice and end up in a ditch precariously perched atop a six foot culvert the opposite direction we originally were headed. Whether planned or not, our days are filled with Divine appointments, and it requires trust in the Lord when life takes an unexpected curve.

The Scriptures tell us the story of a woman who approached Jacob’s well outside of Samaria. She collected water at a different time of day than the other women in town because of her unacceptable reputation.

“Give me a drink,” the man sitting near the well said to her.

His request immediately caught her off guard because he broke customary Jewish laws. He was a Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman. In her conversation with Jesus she discovered he knew her past and present living situation. By the time the disciples returned to the well, she had discovered Jesus to be a prophet.

The woman returned to town to retrieve others to investigate this man who knew all about her. Many believed in Jesus that day. Their interest began with the woman sharing her story and ended with what He did for them personally. 

Second Peek at book...

Jesus says faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith believes in something that cannot be seen. Exactly how does faith work? When I examined the Scriptures, this is what stood out to me:

By faith, Noah built an ark for when the rain brought the flood.

Whatever rain is …

But he obeyed anyway. (Genesis 7-9)

By faith, Abraham packed up his family to go to the promise land.

Whatever that land might be …

But he obeyed anyway. (Genesis 12:1-4)

By faith, Isaac went to find a wife among his own people.

Whoever she is …

But he obeyed anyway. (Genesis 24)

By faith, Moses lifted his staff above the Red Sea.

Whatever a lifted rod would do …

But he obeyed anyway.  (Exodus 14:12-31)

By faith, Joshua marched his army in silence around Jericho.

Whatever that odd command might accomplish …

But he obeyed anyway. (Joshua 6)

By faith, Daniel still prayed three times a day against the king's decree.

Whatever difference prayer would make …

But he obeyed anyway. (Daniel 6)

     We never know what faith may ask of us, but it stirs us to obey like those we read about in the Scriptures. Their courage and the faithfulness remind us of what the Lord can do.

My Book....Sneak Preview#1

My book is weeks away from going to the publisher.  I need help promoting it.  Will you, my dear Readers, post links to your Facebook and any websites you may have to let others know.  In the meantime, I plan on giving sneak previews.

Here is the first:
 

     The first time I viewed the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” it left a deep impression upon me. Before George Bailey made a suicidal jump off a bridge into the cold river waters, Clarence the angel pretended to be drowning in them. After George rescued him, Clarence offered George the chance to see the impact his life had on others. George sees that all those seemingly insignificant moments of his life actually changed the entire course of not only his life, but of those he knew. Would our outlook on our lives change if we were given the same opportunity George had?

     For decades I lived in the world of depression, despair, and hopelessness. My battle with the prevailing desire to die started at age seven. As an adult, looking back over my life, I’ve often wondered how I even learned the full meaning of the word “suicide”. I’m not sure how I entered that prison cell, but I’m confident I never ended my life because of my belief in God, the fear of not going to heaven, and the significant people the Lord had cross my path.

      My inner conflicts over my life stirred from a desire to have a family similar to those on my favorite TV shows and in the homes of my friends. Instead my life read more like Mother Goose’s “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme,

     “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

      Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

     All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

     Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”

Thought for Dec. 7th

"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."~~Matthew 10:31

If the Lord cares for the birds and even knows the number of hairs on our heads, we never have any reason to question our value to Him.  Yet, we do.  We allow our circumstances to determine the way we think the Lord feels about us.  We believe the lie that since life is difficult, He must not care about us.  The enemy of our soul revels when we fall into this trap.

We continue in the enemies deception when we say, "I can't help the way we feel."  The truth is, we can.  Our feelings are determined by our thought patterns and what we choose to dwell on there.  It's the reason we're told to capture all our thoughts and bring them into obedience to the Lord.

When we line our thoughts up to God's truth, then we actually change the way we feel.  We gain His view on what is happening in our lives.  The truth is:  the Lord values us and proved it.  Of all His creation, we're the only one He created in His image and sent His one and only Son to die for our salvation.  We have no reason to fear, so may we live in this truth!

Thought for Dec. 6th

"You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever."~~Psalm 16:11

In this short verse three promises have been bestowed to us.  It's the Lord's desire for us to see them, to want them, and to seek after them.

1)  The path of Life
2)  Fullness of Joy
3)  Pleasures Forever

Here they are made known to us, but they become our reality when we seek to be in the presence of the Lord.  He wants us to pursue Him.  He yearns for a relationship with us but will not force us to want one with Him.

The truth is, whatever depth we seek to have with Him, He freely gives it to us.  If we seek a shallow relationship with Him, we will get it.  However, if we desire one that is filled with knowing and being known, we will get it too.  The deepness and richness of our relationship with the Lord is entirely up to us.

He promises so much when we seek Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, but we only receive that which we seek after.

What are you seeking with Him today?

Jesus, may I?

Ever play the game, "Mother, May I?"  It's usually played during recess and when I was little tended to be the favorite game for the girls.  One girl stood a distance away being "mother" and gave the instructions to the others. You responded by asking, "Mother, may I?" The object of the game was to be the first one to reach "mother".

It never occurred to me at that time in my life that "mother" actually controlled who reached her first and won the game.  I just remember the sense of pain and disappointment stirring within me every time I lost.

I see now that it was another situation in my life when I anticipated the possibility of a happy ending that only turned out to be just another time of being kept at arms length from others.  I had no clue that each time I lost it reenforced a deep root of rejection within my soul.

Oftentimes we buy into lies that we believe apply to the Lord's view of us, too.  However, Scriptures make it abundantly clear that His ultimate goal is to bring us into a close and intimate relationship with Himself.  Lies block us from seeing the truth about how the Lord really feels about us.  

Jesus invites us to come to Him, so that He can provide us with the rest we need (Matthew 11:28). When we draw near to Him, He instantly draws near to us (James 4:8). If we seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, we will find Him (Matthew 22:37). A confession of our sins guarantees His faithful forgiveness (1 John 1:9).  We receive peace when we sleep in the safety of His protection (Psalm 4:8).  

Jesus' instructions always bring us toward Him. Will we respond with, "Jesus, may I?"

Get What's Planted

We bought a farm.  An acre of land surrounded by fields.  Last year the other farmers around us planted soybean, and this year it's corn.  When it's time for them to harvest this year, they will reap corn.

The other day, we went out to our garden to pull what we planted.  We have produced an abundance of zucchini, squash, and tomatoes.  Though a smaller crop, we also have watermelons and pumpkins, too.

The fact that we reaped the fruits and vegetables we planted months ago reminded me of Paul's encouraging words in Galatians 6:9 when he said, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control harvest these characteristics in our life and heart.  They come because of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.  When we extend grace, mercy, and forgiveness toward others, our returns will be the same.  

Maybe not always from the same people, but good seeds produces healthy fruit. So as we plant these seeds into the lives of others, we can definitely expect this kind of harvest when the timing is just right.  We do reap what we sow, because God promises that He is not mocked.