Tag Archives: Purpose

God Leads by Example

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IMG_1373“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” II Corinthians‬ ‭1:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I am thankful God is a God of mercy and compassion, but what really stands out to me in this verse is how God leads by example. There is a lesson to be learned in everything He does. His leadership skills surpass all others.

I doubt God would approve of the old parental saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” God is not an abusive Father. He is not an authoritative tyrant. He is LOVE. Sometimes that’s difficult for people to understand in light of all the evil in the world. How many times have you heard someone ask, “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” The simple answer is free will. God created us to be His children. A good parent leads and directs their child but ultimately the child must choose to accept or reject the guidance they are given. Many times the suffering in the world is the consequence of someone’s bad choice. But, that’s a lesson for another blog. The point here is, God teaches and leads through action. He doesn’t ask us to do what He is unwilling to do Himself.

I have met many people who discovered their life passion through hardship. Instead of using their pain as an excuse they turned it into a purpose.

When God comforts us, He is teaching us to comfort others. Allow God to use the life lessons you have learned to help others in their time of need.

PRAY: Father, thank You for teaching me to be merciful and compassionate by showing me mercy and comfort. I am so thankful You lead by example. Teach me Your ways Oh, Lord. Help me to always model what I have learned through You. 

Triumph in Tragedy

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IMG_1362“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28
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When my circumstances look anything but good, I have a choice. I can choose to complain, worry and doubt, or I can trust God’s Word. God sees the BIG picture. He isn’t limited by time or space. He knows the purpose in my pain. 

This scripture reminds me of another  … “Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6

There are situations in life where it seems impossible that anything good could come from them; yet how many non-profit organizations have been started because of horrific circumstances. How many people have gone from tragedy to triumph and literally found their calling in life in response to a situation Satan intended to destroy them.

PRAY: 
Lord, forgive me for being “short sighted”. Help me to always remember, YOU are bigger than anything that happens in my life. Help me to trust Your Word and to know that You will cause ALL things to work together for my good … BECAUSE I love You, and You have called me. Fulfill Your purpose in me. Thank you for your never ending faithfulness.

Speak Lord, I’m Listening – Day Four

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“(Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.) And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. – 1 Samuel 3:7-8 (NKJV)

img_0951As we continue our study in Samuel, chapter 3 we see that the Lord persisted in pursuing Samuel, calling on him a third time. This is a beautiful example of God’s patience toward those who don’t know him. If you have been praying for someone who hasn’t given their life to the Lord, don’t give up, and don’t get discouraged. God loves them even more than you do and He will continue to reach out to them. 

I Corinthians 1:18 tells us, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” It takes the Spirit of God to open the eyes of the blind to the truth of the gospel. Continue to plant seeds of faith and trust that God will send others to water and harvest those seeds.

This should also be an encouragement to believers who have concerns about their inability to hear God clearly. He will continue to pursue you as well. I feel like I go through seasons of time where I hear God more distinctly than others. At times I feel He is silent. I have learned that I cannot trust my feelings. Instead I must trust His Word. He doesn’t punish us by giving us the silent treatment. He is constanting wooing us and calling us to come away with Him.

“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom” Isaiah 40:11 NKJV

The third thing to note in this passage is that it wasn’t until the third time Samuel came to Eli that he realized the Lord was speaking to Samuel. This could be a message in and of itself, but here are a few tidbits to take from this:

  • Don’t rely on someone else to tell you when God is speaking to you.
  • Your pastor (or priest) is a messenger of God to you, but they cannot replace the voice of God in you.
  • God will speak to anyone who is willing to listen. You don’t have to be prophet or an ordained minister to hear from God.
  • God will often use the leaders in your life to ‘confirm’ the voice of God.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You pursue me with passion. I praise You because You are worthy of my praise, and it is such an honor to be Your child. Lord, thank You that you feed me like a shepherd, gather me with Your arm and carry me in Your bosom. I am safe and secure in Your loving embrace. 

Thank you Lord, for leaders who speak into my life. I ask You to bless them for their service to You and to the sheep You have given them. Give them wisdom and most importantly Your anointing. Help me Father to be a support and encouragement to them as well. 

Thank You Lord for Your love and desire for relationship. Forgive me for the times I have neglected You or allowed the cares and distractions of the World to steal away time I should have been spending with You. 

Lead, guide and direct my life, Father. Speak Lord – I’m listening.

 

Speak Lord, I’m Listening-Day One

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img_0276“For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. – Job 33:14 NKJV

If we do not hear God the problem is not God. He is always speaking, always pursuing a relationship with us. If God is always speaking, why can’t we always hear Him?

According to Pastor Blake Bennett, of TheCity.church, if we want to hear God we must remove the obstacles of distraction and distance from our relationship with God.

We will talk more about this tomorrow. For today let’s focus on why it is important that we hear and recognize the voice of God.

▪️We have a role to play in what God is doing in our City as well as our church. If our connection with God is broken we will not know where we fit into God’s plan. We must move from a me mentality to a we mentality. We are called to be light and salt in our community. In order to accomplish this we must be plugged in to Jesus, the source of our strength.

▪️Our vision for the year should be based on God’s plans for our life, not ours. We may have the best of intentions, but if our plans do not line up with God’s purpose we labor in vain. God’s purpose for our lives will be far more fulfilling than our own. Proverbs 29:18 tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

▪️ The driving fuel of our lives is the voice of God. If you want your car to run efficiently you must use the appropriate fuel. If you want your body to function properly, you must feed it the nutrients it was designed to consume. If you want to live a Spirit-led life you must allow the voice of God to be the driving force (fuel) of your life.

▪️You might be one word away from your destiny. One word from God can change your life! There have been times in my life where I knew without a doubt I was hearing God. These have been pivotal times in my life, times that are engraved on my heart. We will talk more about this in the days to come as well.

Prayer:   Father, speak … Your servant is listening. Help me Lord as I begin this time of prayer and fasting to hear You clearly. Teach me Lord, to be still and listen. Help me to fulfill Your call and purpose for my life in the coming year. Help my focus to be on Your plans, not mine. Here am I, Lord … send me. Have Your will and Your WAY in every area of my life. Be the driving force in my life, Lord. Speak Your destiny over me. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. AMEN

Seek Godly Counsel

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image“Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come. Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.” Proverbs 19:20-21 AMP

I can only imagine how different things might have been if I had been willing to seek godly counsel and receive correction when I was younger. You see, God has a purpose for your life, but Satan will do everything he can to distract you from that purpose.

There is no shame in seeking godly counsel. In fact today’s scripture affirms this as a path to wisdom. Often times we are afraid to ask for advice because we know in our heart that our plans are not rooted in God’s purpose.

Prayer: Father, thank You for creating me with a purpose. Help me to be willing to put my plans aside to follow You. Bring spiritual mentors into my life to counsel, instruct and correct me when I am getting off course.