Purpose and Promise

There is a lot of trials, sickness, confusion, and change happening in the lives around me. My 7 year old cousin found out he has leukemia over a month ago. And now his only hope is God and a bone marrow transplant. On top of that his family has to move out of their house in a few weeks. And they need a new van to get them back and forth to the hospital. Our head pastor at our church has had to resign after 25 years at the same church, 10 of them as the pastor. There is change coming, and we don't know what it will look like. 

And yet through all these things, through all the prayer, I hear God say, "Trust me, I have promises to fulfill in your (and their) earthly life (lives). That's why I put you here on this Earth. This is for my glory." Sometimes Christians are so focused on the Lord's returning and going to heaven that they forget there is purpose for their lives here on Earth. Why else would God put you here?! In Beth Moore's book, Believe God, she writes, 

"God has made us promises. Real ones. Numerous ones. Promises of things like all-surpassing power, productivity, peace, and joy… while still occupying these jars of clay."

No matter what you may be going through now, or what you may go through in the future, there is purpose to it. And God has promises for you. The Word of God tells us that He knows the plans He has for us - they are plans to prosper us, to protect us - to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Whatever we go through, God has purpose for. Whether it's to show us a better way, to teach us how to become more like Him, to break down our walls, or to allow our story to affect others for Him. It's all for His glory.

Open your Bible. Read how much God loves us and what He has for your life. Cling to the Word of God. There is TRUTH and POWER in the Word. There is comfort, peace, promises, and solid ground in Jesus' words.

"Nothing keeps the mind sane in adversity like the Word of God.

If you know it, then you know peace. If you've read it, then you know hope. And it you love it, then you know love. You would know that love can heal.

When the waters have breached and flooded the walls of your heart, it's the Word of God that rescues you. 

And when the rhythm of life is out of beat, it's the Word of God that becomes your conductor. And when the earthquake comes to shake you, the Word of God is the pillar you can hang on to.

Our mismanagements, brokenness, and sins are all subject to the Word of God.

They are all subject to love because LOVE CAN HEAL."

Pastor Steve Reynolds

Hope City Church

You Are NEVER Alone!

Happy Friday girls (and guys too, heck why not!)!

This last Sunday as we were singing a song in church I had a most wonderful "lightbulb moment".  Some of you may know the words... 

I look ahead, believing you are able, I will look back and see that you are faithful...

I had a picture in my mind of my God walking before me, clearing a path for me, making sure there is nothing for me to stumble on, defeating my enemies before I ever reach them.  I also looked back and there he was, bringing up the rear, making sure nothing could surprise me from behind.  I thought about where I would want to be if I was walking through something unknown and possibly scary… I wouldn't want to be in the front of the pack or the back of the pack - too vulnerable!  I'd want to be right in the middle of the pack, the safest and most secure spot.  This is how I walk through life when I have the Lord!  

Maybe you've heard this song…

I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind, the God of angel armies is always by my side. (Amen, hallelujah) 

I began searching for scriptures to support this idea.  Do you know what I found?!  He also walks beside me, spreads his wings over top of me and bears up under me!  He surrounds every part of me as I make my way through this life of unknowns.  Wow!  What wonders this does for my confidence and security.  Take a look at what the Bible says about this:

He goes before me:

Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.

Psalm 18:30 As for God his way is perfect; the word of God is proven; he is a shield to all who trust in him.

He bears up under me:

Psalm 54:4 Surely God is my help, the Lord is the one who sustains (bears up under) me.

Deuteronomy 33:12 Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure on him for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.

He covers us with his wings:

Psalm 36:7 How precious is your loving kindness oh God!  Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 57:1 Be merciful to me, o God, be merciful to me!  For my soul trusts in you; and in the shadow of your wings I will make my refuge until these calamities have passed by.

The Lord stands by our side:

Psalm 121:4-8 Indeed he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.  the Lord himself watches over you!  The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.  the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.  The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.  The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go both now and forever.

He is all around me!

Job 1:10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?

Psalm 139:5, 7-10 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me… Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Friends are you grabbing onto this?  He surrounds us with his presence and NEVER sleeps.  Ahhhhh… I can rest and let him fight for me.  My challenge to you is to take at least one of these verses, if not all, and post it somewhere where you will see it.  Next to your bed would be perfect if you tend to worry instead of sleep!  On the bathroom mirror, refrigerator, car, wherever, just make sure that you meditate on the truth that your God goes before you, stands behind you, walks beside you and covers you from above and below.  You are never alone!

I Am His

YOU are the beloved of the Lord!

Your promise for today:

Deuteronomy 33:12

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”

Hold Onto His Promises

Ever have one of those moments when you're husband calls and asks if you're sitting down? What runs through your mind? Did he get in a car accident? Get a promotion? Cheat on me? Yes, all those things ran through my mind in about 3 seconds when my husband called me last week on Monday morning and said, "are you sitting down?" Well no I wasn't, I had just gotten out of the shower, still in a towel, and definitely needed to sit down after what he told me.

For those of you who don't know my family or how we got to where we are, let me briefly share. My husband and I grew up in northern Indiana - and got married there in 2008. We moved from our hometowns, families, and friends in Indiana to the Phoenix area in Arizona in May 2010. We had just experienced a long, painful miscarriage and knew that God was calling us to a fresh start. Arizona had been on our heart for a while and when we decided to move, God put the pieces into place quickly. Within a week, my husband was granted a transfer with his job, our house was on the market, we knew where we were going to live, and I had put in my 2 week notice at work. We felt God's promise to move us to AZ was being fulfilled by the open doors He had placed before us. And we took a huge leap of faith, leaving behind everything we'd ever known.

Fast forward to June 2013... we've lived in Arizona for 3 years, had another miscarriage, made great friends, been a part of an amazing church, and finally had a beautiful son, Miles. We love the mountains, the constant sunshine, and active lifestyle. I had traveled home to Indiana in June with Miles to watch my little brother graduate high school. When I left to come back to AZ, something in my heart tugged at me - it was a little harder to leave home that time. I had said something to my husband briefly, but no nagging involved. See... I have always been open to moving back home to Indiana. But I was also okay living in Arizona too. My husband, however, was completely adamant that we were never leaving. He never wanted to go back to snow, rain, gloomy skies, old towns, or boring places. And no family members could ever change his mind about it.

Well last week as I stood listening my husband on the other end of the phone, I heard I never thought I would hear. He said for weeks he had felt God speaking to him about moving our family home to Indiana. Although he wanted to be very selfish and stay in the bright sun of Phoenix where there are a lot of opportunities, he knew that God was telling him it wasn't right for the future of our family. And he had to act on the command that was given to him. I listened to a man whose heart was open to God. And as I stood there shocked and full of questions, my husband said, "I know if God's putting this promise on my heart to bring us back home, he will make a way."

As I'm reading through Romans, I went back to chapter 4 and decided to read it in the Message Bible. I read this chapter before my husband shared what was on his heart. It's amazing how God prepares you for things you don't know will happen! The Message Bible says about God's promises (in context, his promise to Abraham),

"That famous promise that God gave Abraham - that he and his children would possess the earth - was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when we believed. If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms, properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract. That's not a holy promise; that's a business deal. A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise - and God's promise at that - you can't break it. This is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, then simply embracing him and what he does. God's promise arrives as a pure gift."

God does not say, "Here is my promise..how should be neigotiate this?" He says, "Here is my promise." Period. No ifs, ands, or buts... no asking "God: if I do this, will you do this?" God's promises are not business deals. They are gifts! When God put it on our heart to move us as a family home to Indiana, we could have said, "God here's exactly where we want to be, and what job he wants to have.. oh and here's when we'd like to actually move." Nope... we chose to say, "If God's made us a promise to bring us home to our family, then he will open and close doors according to his plan." Let me tell you, it's not an easy prayer to pray. If we're gonna move, my selfish desires want to move at this time, to this place, with my husband at this job. But it's my privilege as God's child, not to negotiate, but to stand firm in my trust in Him and then just watch God work! God will make a way, he will show us his plan, and all he asks is that I trust him and follow him.

I'm holding onto his promises.

Isaiah 41:10

Find your courage, strength and encouragement in our Creator… it's his promise to you!