Keep a Smile on Your Face
"If you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face." Romans 12:8(The Message)
I have really been slacking and I apologize. I have let my own personal struggles consume my thoughts and I have also been sowing into another person's life. I have gotten two other books that have helped me lately: a mini book from Bob Gass "Guidance for Today: How to be Led by God" and ..I'll have to get the other title later. (I've already packed my car) I just wanted you to go into the work-week with an encouraging word tonight and that you are covered. I know that times get hard and sometimes we all need a little encouragement. Just do like that scripture says and keep a smile on your face. Smiling back at the devil's attempts to discourage you angers him and propels you forward. Hey your smile may give someone else what they need to go on.... So regardless of how I'm feeling, I always try to smile at everyone. I'll be back on it tomorrow so....Until then be blessed!
"When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times." 2 Corinthians 1:6 (The Message)
Love you!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Daily Devotion
Aligning Your Thoughts with God and the Word
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it. Proverbs 11:27
Its easy to become discouraged when you are in a world surrounded by negativity. But as in Eph 6:10-20, we fight against principalities, wickedness, and spiritual hosts and one of our tools in the battle is the Word of God. We must surround ourselves with positive, faith-filled scriptures and confess them daily to renew our minds in the fight. If you lack strength or the energy to complete something, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" gives you that strength or that energy to complete your task.(Phi 4:13) This is not an overnight process or something that can be done in the blink of an eye. Oftentimes your own faith will be tested several times in the midst but you must continue to align your thoughts and keep them in line. Satan uses suggestion to turn you off track with one thought.
Love you!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Daily Devotion
Trusting God When It Hurts
The devil just does not stop! Fortunately I trust in God! He promises to make our paths straight (Pro 3:5-6). If anybody knows me, I like to understand EVERYTHING. I love to learn and gain knowledge, but this crazy journey of life is not always so kind in that process.
Most times, we as humans, and especially as Christians, only go to God when we are in tight situations. We humble ourselves and cry at His feet, we pray and beg for forgiveness and mercy. Yet it almost seems like we don't trust Him to get us through the situation. I didn't trust Him while I was in the hospital and nearly lost faith when on my 23rd birthday I began to get sick again. But in praying for peace I learned to trust Him and Him alone. Family may fail you, friends may fail you, anybody! But God is always trustworthy! "It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8 God taught me this lesson many many times. But He truly engrained it in my mind right before I left work for my surgery. I still didn't have any donated leave, hadn't really received many donations. I did not know how I was going to survive. But in the blink of an eye (well a weekend lol), I went from 0 hours of leave to 316 hours (nearly enough for 8 weeks out) and several donations. I was already battered and bruised because of the nearness of the surgery itself and that I dreaded going into it, but really because I had prayed and prayed for a miracle. Trusting Him meant I had to embrace His plan for me because for some reason He wanted me to go through it.
So when you reach that lowest of low point like I did, force yourself to LISTEN to what God is saying. Hopefully you take heed beforehand and just trust that He will work it all out for you. He will hear your cry and will answer you! Love ya and my prayers are with you!
Rest in these:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. John 14:1
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD'S unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him. Psalm 32:10
"I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD." Psalm 40:1-3
Monday, September 21, 2009
Daily Devotion
Running From It Will Not Save You
I have to give thanks to two of the most wonderful people ever for inadvertently inspiring today's devotion. My friend Shardae L. and my sister from another mother Monique--Shardae our "convo" lol has been in my head all day! And Mo---you broke this poem down to me nearly four years ago and my life has never been the same--although it had a different application. I'm gonna take a different approach today and break it down biblically stanza by stanza. Reading this the last week along with another poem and the entire Serenity Prayer have truly helped me to see the things I have gone through for what they are. It has also helped me "to stop running from my problems," and instead embrace them for the trials that they are and praise God in the midst. I realize that they are only temporary and just preparation for what's ahead.
See It Through by Edgar Albert Guest
When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace
When it's vain to try and dodge it
Do the best that you can do
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it Through!
Black may be the clouds about you,
And your future may seem grim;
Don't let your nerve desert you,
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it Through!
Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you may do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish,
See It Through!
See It Through by Edgar Albert Guest
Stanza 1:
"Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9(NASB)
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:37
Psalm 55:22 says "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." (NIV)
In layman's terms: Be strong and face your mountain, trouble, or problem. Have faith because your hope is in God! He guarantees to never put more on you than you can bear, without giving you a window of escape(1 Cor 10:13). Several times throughout the Bible God gave instructions to be strong because He is with us! Think about the Footprints in the Sand poem--God truly is there with us! And if it gets too hard we can lean on Him in our weakness because God's power is perfected in our weakness(2 Cor 12:9). Failure is not bad--ONLY IF YOU REFUSE TO GET UP AND STAY KNOCKED DOWN--then failure becomes quitting.
Stanza 2:
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6:11(NKJV)
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph 6:13(NKJV)
"Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 1:8(NASB)
Have no fear, for I am with you; do not be looking about in trouble, for I am your God; I will give you strength, yes, I will be your helper; yes, my true right hand will be your support. Isaiah 41:10(BBE)
"'No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,' declares the LORD." Isaiah 54:17(NASB)
"So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'" 2 Kings 6:16(NASB)
Boy oh boy I love this stanza! We all face dark clouds or periods in our lives. But rest assured, God equipped us with all the tools we need: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield faith, the helmet of salvation...but one of the most powerful is the Word--the sword of the Spirit! Use scriptures and confession to cut through the doubt that the devil sends your way. (Eph 6:14-20) Putting on the whole armor of God protects and helps us to stay focused in the midst of the daily attacks of Satan! Remember Isaiah 54:17 that No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper!!! But I especially like the fact that God wants us to NOT fear because those that are for us--the angels that are encamped around us, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, and other true members of the Body of Christ outnumber any amount that Satan can attack us with! (Romans 8:31, 2 Kings 6:16--above)
Stanza 3:
We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up. 9In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 2 Cor 4:7-9
"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim 2:1
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58
"He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power." Isaiah 40:29
"Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:31
"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalms 18:2
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?" Psalm 27:1(one of my personal favorites, its in my tattoo)
Sometimes, we are all at our last hoorah, and have little energy to draw strength from. We are hoping and leaning on a prayer. But God promises to renew our strength. He promises to carry our heavy burdens. He promises hold us up with His right hand--through Jesus who sits at God's right hand (Mark 16:19, Apostle's Creed, Acts 2:33). He promises to reward us for all we have gone through--"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matt 5:12 This same scripture lets us know that we face things (not specifically all the time) that other people have gone through. Giving up when things get hard is easy initially because it seems like it will rid you of the problem. The fact is, its not going anywhere! So why not just accept it for what it is, address it and give it to God in prayer, then alleviate and eliminate it. Patenting this right now lol! Be blessed!
http://enterthemindofmarquita.blogspot.com/
I have to give thanks to two of the most wonderful people ever for inadvertently inspiring today's devotion. My friend Shardae L. and my sister from another mother Monique--Shardae our "convo" lol has been in my head all day! And Mo---you broke this poem down to me nearly four years ago and my life has never been the same--although it had a different application. I'm gonna take a different approach today and break it down biblically stanza by stanza. Reading this the last week along with another poem and the entire Serenity Prayer have truly helped me to see the things I have gone through for what they are. It has also helped me "to stop running from my problems," and instead embrace them for the trials that they are and praise God in the midst. I realize that they are only temporary and just preparation for what's ahead.
See It Through by Edgar Albert Guest
When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace
When it's vain to try and dodge it
Do the best that you can do
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it Through!
Black may be the clouds about you,
And your future may seem grim;
Don't let your nerve desert you,
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it Through!
Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you may do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish,
See It Through!
See It Through by Edgar Albert Guest
Stanza 1:
"Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9(NASB)
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:37
Psalm 55:22 says "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." (NIV)
In layman's terms: Be strong and face your mountain, trouble, or problem. Have faith because your hope is in God! He guarantees to never put more on you than you can bear, without giving you a window of escape(1 Cor 10:13). Several times throughout the Bible God gave instructions to be strong because He is with us! Think about the Footprints in the Sand poem--God truly is there with us! And if it gets too hard we can lean on Him in our weakness because God's power is perfected in our weakness(2 Cor 12:9). Failure is not bad--ONLY IF YOU REFUSE TO GET UP AND STAY KNOCKED DOWN--then failure becomes quitting.
Stanza 2:
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6:11(NKJV)
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph 6:13(NKJV)
"Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 1:8(NASB)
Have no fear, for I am with you; do not be looking about in trouble, for I am your God; I will give you strength, yes, I will be your helper; yes, my true right hand will be your support. Isaiah 41:10(BBE)
"'No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,' declares the LORD." Isaiah 54:17(NASB)
"So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'" 2 Kings 6:16(NASB)
Boy oh boy I love this stanza! We all face dark clouds or periods in our lives. But rest assured, God equipped us with all the tools we need: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield faith, the helmet of salvation...but one of the most powerful is the Word--the sword of the Spirit! Use scriptures and confession to cut through the doubt that the devil sends your way. (Eph 6:14-20) Putting on the whole armor of God protects and helps us to stay focused in the midst of the daily attacks of Satan! Remember Isaiah 54:17 that No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper!!! But I especially like the fact that God wants us to NOT fear because those that are for us--the angels that are encamped around us, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, and other true members of the Body of Christ outnumber any amount that Satan can attack us with! (Romans 8:31, 2 Kings 6:16--above)
Stanza 3:
We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up. 9In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 2 Cor 4:7-9
"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim 2:1
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58
"He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power." Isaiah 40:29
"Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:31
"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalms 18:2
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?" Psalm 27:1(one of my personal favorites, its in my tattoo)
Sometimes, we are all at our last hoorah, and have little energy to draw strength from. We are hoping and leaning on a prayer. But God promises to renew our strength. He promises to carry our heavy burdens. He promises hold us up with His right hand--through Jesus who sits at God's right hand (Mark 16:19, Apostle's Creed, Acts 2:33). He promises to reward us for all we have gone through--"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matt 5:12 This same scripture lets us know that we face things (not specifically all the time) that other people have gone through. Giving up when things get hard is easy initially because it seems like it will rid you of the problem. The fact is, its not going anywhere! So why not just accept it for what it is, address it and give it to God in prayer, then alleviate and eliminate it. Patenting this right now lol! Be blessed!
http://enterthemindofmarquita.blogspot.com/
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Daily Devotion
Press On!
O.M.G.!!!!! Church was amazing! It was the lemon buttercream icing to my lemon cake that I needed to kick my mini-depression to wherever it wants to go! By the way if anybody wants to bake me one, I would love it!!! Confession is good for the soul, and I would like to confess my apologies to God and you. 1: I'm weak and I allowed my sadness to rule over my responsibility to God and you by not writing my devotions like I should. I allowed circumstances and troubles to overwhelm me and get me off track. Yet in 2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." So I can't let that stop me! But alas, today is a new day and my wonderful and glorious Savior saw fit to keep me here!
So as I listened in church to the sermon, several truths stuck out in my mind. One, we must stop allowing our troubles to distract us from the real reason that we are here. God has placed us here to minister to others and to glorify Him. 1 Corinthians 7:35 says "This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord." For example, in ministering to others, stop being afraid that what you have to say may hurt people--because if what you have to say hurts someone AND its from God, most likely its just something they needed to hear anyway. I suffer from that a lot, but I try to address it with my blog and what God lays on my heart.
Two, just like everyone of us has a purpose, the devil does too! We fight against him spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.(Eph 6:12) In my case--okay I was disobedient today and I pray God forgives me. He was nudging me to go up and give my testimony. Since I didn't do what I was supposed to do, I will give it here. I am 24 years old--actually 24 years, 2 months, 22-23 days (depending on how you count it lol). I have been trampled with troubles ever since my elementary days, yet I'm here. I've been abused by family, lied to and on by those that are supposed to be my friends, attacked mentally through doubt and depression, attacked physically through kidney disease and other health issues, and attacked spiritually through fear, bitterness and anger. Even in obeying God's will I have received discouragement from Children of God, some people very near and dear to my heart! The devil has tried to steal my joy, my health, and my life but I'm here. He has even used those nearest and dearest to me to attack me, yet I still stand! I have stood in the face of death, despair, depression, and disillusionment but God still has me here.(2 Corinthians 4)
In fighting the devil, we gain a strength--fortitude--that allows us to withstand any obstacle. No one on this earth is like you, so that means you will ultimately face somethings that no one else has specifically faced. But the real truth(double positive lol so I know this is true right? lol) of this is that God saw fit for you to go into this situation you must trust that you have everything you need to get through it! The real promise that I rest on is that someday, I will go on into a glorious eternal life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, free from every human thing that has sought to keep me down.(Heb 5:9, see below) From that I draw strength to press forward, and to see these things through, because God promises us to take care of us!(2 Cor 12:10) So I leave you with this today, God is with you!
I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 1 Corinthians 2:3
And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, Hebrews 5:9
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
Love you and I will not stop praying for you! I hope you do the same for me!! Colossians 1:3-14
O.M.G.!!!!! Church was amazing! It was the lemon buttercream icing to my lemon cake that I needed to kick my mini-depression to wherever it wants to go! By the way if anybody wants to bake me one, I would love it!!! Confession is good for the soul, and I would like to confess my apologies to God and you. 1: I'm weak and I allowed my sadness to rule over my responsibility to God and you by not writing my devotions like I should. I allowed circumstances and troubles to overwhelm me and get me off track. Yet in 2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." So I can't let that stop me! But alas, today is a new day and my wonderful and glorious Savior saw fit to keep me here!
So as I listened in church to the sermon, several truths stuck out in my mind. One, we must stop allowing our troubles to distract us from the real reason that we are here. God has placed us here to minister to others and to glorify Him. 1 Corinthians 7:35 says "This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord." For example, in ministering to others, stop being afraid that what you have to say may hurt people--because if what you have to say hurts someone AND its from God, most likely its just something they needed to hear anyway. I suffer from that a lot, but I try to address it with my blog and what God lays on my heart.
Two, just like everyone of us has a purpose, the devil does too! We fight against him spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.(Eph 6:12) In my case--okay I was disobedient today and I pray God forgives me. He was nudging me to go up and give my testimony. Since I didn't do what I was supposed to do, I will give it here. I am 24 years old--actually 24 years, 2 months, 22-23 days (depending on how you count it lol). I have been trampled with troubles ever since my elementary days, yet I'm here. I've been abused by family, lied to and on by those that are supposed to be my friends, attacked mentally through doubt and depression, attacked physically through kidney disease and other health issues, and attacked spiritually through fear, bitterness and anger. Even in obeying God's will I have received discouragement from Children of God, some people very near and dear to my heart! The devil has tried to steal my joy, my health, and my life but I'm here. He has even used those nearest and dearest to me to attack me, yet I still stand! I have stood in the face of death, despair, depression, and disillusionment but God still has me here.(2 Corinthians 4)
In fighting the devil, we gain a strength--fortitude--that allows us to withstand any obstacle. No one on this earth is like you, so that means you will ultimately face somethings that no one else has specifically faced. But the real truth(double positive lol so I know this is true right? lol) of this is that God saw fit for you to go into this situation you must trust that you have everything you need to get through it! The real promise that I rest on is that someday, I will go on into a glorious eternal life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, free from every human thing that has sought to keep me down.(Heb 5:9, see below) From that I draw strength to press forward, and to see these things through, because God promises us to take care of us!(2 Cor 12:10) So I leave you with this today, God is with you!
I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 1 Corinthians 2:3
And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, Hebrews 5:9
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
Love you and I will not stop praying for you! I hope you do the same for me!! Colossians 1:3-14
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Daily Devotion
Stepping out of "Me"
Philippians 2:3-4
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.(NKJV)
Whoo...A tough few weeks makes for a hardened and extra-sensitive me...but I'm making it. I hope you are blessed. I had recruiting today at SC State and was very impressed with the turn out of students and their professionality. Yes this is a tad bit unrelated but it kind of made me think. In following God's will and "recruiting" others for service to God, we have to look beyond our own problems. We have to step out of "Marquita-the individual" and into "Christ-the body". That is hard to do when you have this situation and that trouble, those problems, and daily struggles. Life does not encourage us to think of others first. I have had this ongoing battle for many years. I have always been the kind of person to do for others with little regard for what pain or kind of bind it may put me in. However, after I got sick, I began to think of Marquita first then everyone else. And when I evaluate myself, I was never truly happy either way. I think the solution is not to be wholly one way or another, but have a balance of both. I got tired of being hurt and feared(see how the devil comes in and makes a situation look bad right?) that if I continued to be that way, people would take advantage. But in having divine balance, you can recognize when a situation is ordained by God for your intervention.
Don't be so wrapped up in yourself that you miss out on an opportunity to be a blessing to someone else but yet don't be so focused on everyone else that you don't give yourself time to reflect. I think its at those points of truly putting God first that you find a happy medium and a pinnacle of balance. As the saying goes (loose interpretation of course), when you step out of your problem and into someone else's, God steps into yours and cleans it up!
James 3:16
For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. (NKJV)
Marquita
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Daily Devotion
Living Outside of God's Will
We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (Colossians 1:9)
I know people that hate to hear the saying "everything happens for a reason." I have come to create my own interpretation of that saying, with expansion and real life application. Marquita's phrase: "There are things in life that happen with no explanation, with no possible way for you to understand them when they happen. But as a Christian, we can rest assured that God will use them for our good--our good meaning strengthening, sculpting, defining, and sometimes pruning. But your faith should reinforce the fact that it will all be understood at Jesus' coming and that it will ultimately prepare you for some situation that you could not have otherwise gotten through without it."---MBP everyday lol.
But sometimes when we want to make our own way and forget about God's way, we push ourselves outside of God's will. When that happens, we often get much more than we bargained for, ending up disappointed and disheartened. We have self-inflicted crises of faith and want to run away from God. Or we become "conditional Christians"--bowing and praying to God for deliverance from these difficult times and cursing Him when we don't get what we want. Listening to what God wants from you sometimes hurts because it may mean that your wants and desires have to align themselves with that will--sometimes it cannot be done. At this very moment in my life, I want to move, go back to school, win the lottery (lol), get married and have children, and live happily ever after. But clearly life isn't a fairy tale! Who's to say that will happen in that order or even at all??? I have a mentee that needs me which means sacrificing my desire to move at the present moment; I have student loans and medical bills which means going to school full-time is out of the question; only God knows whether and when the other things will happen. But I'm okay with that because I know that God will work it all out! He's no respecter of persons so everything entitled to me is entitled to you.
Check out these scriptures on the Will of God...good stuff! http://www.psalm40.org/verses.html
And this one:
http://counseling4christians.com/Scriptures/will%20of%20God.htm
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