Monday, December 19, 2011

Inspirational Thoughts for Today

Rounding the Curb
 
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9 ESV
 
I remember it like it was yesterday.  It was sometime in July of 2004, maybe the last weekend or so.  I was in the UC Davis Physics Dept's summer research program and one of our field trips was to the Lick Observatory outside of San Jose, CA.  I particularly remember the drive up to the observatory.  I must say it was one of the worst experiences in my life.  Don't get me wrong, my professor could drive very well, I was just petrified.  I tried going to sleep but I thought to myself if I was gonna die I wanted to see it coming smh.  Imagine making hairpin turns on the side of a mountain with no guard rails.  The link is below that shows the road and you can zoom in if you like.  Nothing but dirt, trees, grass and God knows what else would be on the roll down the hill.  I mean, think about this now, the turns on this gravel road up the mountain looked like hairpins.  We would go around the curves at only 20-30 mph.  Of course, when we finally got through to the top, we had beautiful sights of the moon and stars and other planets awaiting us.  (This within itself is another devotion, lol.)  Then we also had the drive back down the mountain...yeesh.
 
I realized today that sometimes its the hairpin turns, when we are slowly rounding the curb, that get us to where God wants us.  I know that I had digressed in the past months to a place of simply living life, progressing slowly.  I had to endure a few more trials but it still seemed like I was moving slowly around the bend.  But now that I am almost on the straightway, its time to complete that 180 and get to where God wants me.  And maybe its like that for you.  You have been turtling (I made this word up lol) along, whether by choice or the impositions of life's struggles, and ignoring the obvious signs from God to hurry up and get on with it.  But being the great Father that He is, He is not going to rush you.  God is a gentleman; He is patient with us, as long as we are yielding to His voice.  I know for me it is time to get on with it because I have been slowly climbing the mountain for a while now. 
 
This calls you to action in the following ways:
1-identifying strongholds and ways you have that oppose your progress.  When God opens your eyes and shows you an area you need to submit to him, you need to pray for the strength to overcome it and for deliverance.
2-seek God's will for yourself.  This is something you must do on a daily basis.  It is easy to get off track and to want to do things your own way.  Its not usually a major detour that gets you way off course.  Instead its the side roads that you accidentally or sometimes intentionally turn down that lead you off track and away from God.
3-submit to God's leading on the journey.  The only way you'll get there is to let Him lead you.  You have to realize that God has already empowered and equipped you with everything you need to get to your destination.  You are already strong enough--you will experience situations that show you just how strong you really are when you are operating in the power of God (through faith).  You already have enough faith (Romans 12:3). 
 
Now you all may not have experienced the road I experienced physically, but God will call you to make that 180 and turn around and away from where you were going.  He will tell you to turn towards Him so that He can use your life as He desires ONLY if you are listening and willing to be used.  Is it time for you to round the curb and get on your straightway?
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10 ESV
 

Satellite image of the ride lol:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=san+jose+to+lick+observatory&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=851&wrapid=tljp1324332733362026&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=x7bvTvT1Morf0QG8nKT0CQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg
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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com/