I choose to believe, I choose to trust, I choose to love and so many others. Life is all about making choices. Are you familiar with the typewriter and the noise it generates when in use? On Monday of last week, my thoughts were sounding exactly that way, the pace of negative thoughts was so fast that I had to take a deep breathe and make a decision not to allow free rein to such thoughts. Taking that decision led me to start declaring the things I choose.
I choose to be content with all that I have even when the pantry is empty and there is no money in the bank account. I choose to believe that am God's masterpiece even when my body is being ravaged by sicknesses and diseases. I choose to be patient as God is working everything out for my good. I choose to believe that even when things are not going my way, God is on my way. I choose to trust that God's plan for my life is taking me to a very good end. I choose life, the life abundant that the Lord Jesus Christ has given me. Furthermore, I choose peace, to be happy, to rejoice in the midst of trials and sorrows. I choose to sing aloud when doubts crowd my mind and dance stamping the enemy under my feet. I choose Jesus.
Song of the week:
There are few musicians that I have really connected to and also connect to their music. Don Moen has been a favorite for many years and recently can't stop listening to songs written and sang by Sinach Joseph. One of those is below titled "Rejoice"
This is a recent story about something that may seem mundane and ordinary to some people but it was an answer to a heartfelt prayer and that which showed the faithfulness of God.
Am not a gym buff and not a fan of exercises but I do love taking walks because I get to see and observe things like nature, take pictures and have quiet moments in my spirit with God. One of such days was Thursday, November 17th., I was on a walk, listening to music via my phone and was about 35mins away from my house when I observed a changing skyline. It was a generally cloudy day, not too cold but with brisk winds. The change in the skyline was one that signified rain and then I remembered there was a forecast of 5% chance of rain. Here I was, a long way from home without rain coat or umbrella, I had initial thoughts of turning back but knew that will not help me so I made a decision to pray and I prayed as follows:
"Lord, I pray that all the elements in the heavens and earth that brings about rain should hold still and let it not rain until I have gotten back home I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen "
Then, as an afterthought I added "and let the sun shine amen".
I continued to my mid point, which I had previously determined to turn back and head home. On getting there, I made a step to turn back and my eyes saw something it has never seen before. It was a moment of awe for me and could not resist taking a picture of it.
Ray of Hope
It was the sun shining out of the dark heavy clouds, with it's rays visible to the naked eyes shining down to the earth. What was more awe inspiring for me was that, the rays of the sun was right around the place I was when I prayed my simple prayer. I was 40 minutes away from my house and God showed his love towards me, He is ever faithful, never failing. On my walk back, I thought to my self ' This is a GOD moment ', when He shows that his ears are ever attentive to our prayers even on the mundane issues of our lives. As that thought was passing, another came and that was ' every moment is God's moment because His presence is always with us, by our side and in us. Whether we are able to feel it or not, or see the physical manifestation of His presence, He is always with us.
My heart was filled with joy and I was skipping and swinging my hands till I got back home. The dark heavy clouds rolled away, the sun eventually came out and I was able to experience a minute portion of what God is able to do when we pray. All praise and glory be to his name. I titled my picture 'Ray of Hope' because no matter the darkness around us, God's light shines through. Hallelujah
Last week's blog post
After publishing my post of last week, I decided to catch up on my emails before getting ready for church service. One of the emails was daily devotional from faith gateway and it was on the theme of what you see. I have learned that there are no coincidences, when God wants to reiterate a point, He brings it to one's notice more than once. If you desire to read more go to: http://www.faithgateway.com/surprised-god-everywhere/#.WDIpOZXrvIU
My Father, the Great and Mighty One, the Almighty, the I Am who is everything to me, my Maker, Molder and Lover of my soul. I see His greatness, His mighty hand and outstretched arms. He is the one who sees all, knows all and create ways in impossible locations like in the desert and seas. I see His glory in the rising sun, His majesty in rainbows and the brilliance of His countenance in the moon and stars. His faithfulness and unfailingly love drizzles down like constant rain.
I see Him who out of His fullness gave me grace after grace, spiritual blessings upon spiritual blessings, favor upon favor and gift upon gift. He is my redeemer, my advocate and comforter. The one who reveals to me who my Father is, and He who requires faith like a grain of mustard seed. He gives a lot on a little from me, though that little is my all.
Because I see Him, like Paul can say: " pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." 1
And like Habakkuk, say: "Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places." 2
And I stand and declare that nothing can separate me from the love of Christ.
Quote: "To see the glory of God is to know his Goodness" 3
All I see is You: By Sinach Joseph
God's Love Story:
The Prodigal Daughter
By: Christina Martin
In the book ‘Vanishing Acts’ by Jodi Picoult, one of my favorite authors, the protagonist says, “Whether it is conscious or not, you eventually make the decision to divide your life in half – before and after – with loss being that tight bubble in the middle.” Four years ago, my world came crashing down on me. A “family crisis”, if you will. Or a “trial”, if you want to put a Christian tag on it. It was a horrible experience all the same. Now due to the personal nature of the issue, I am afraid I cannot reveal details about that storm. Why write about it then, you ask? Well, because the story isn’t about the storm, it is about the aftermath – the drowning and the survival. For about the first two months, even though I felt very hurt, upset and angry, I held on to God. I couldn’t understand how God could possibly bring any good out of it but I forced myself to believe Romans 8:28. Gradually, however, I lost hope. I was angry because God was silent. The questions that some classmates/friends threw at me when we debated religion became my questions. “How can a God who is all good allow evil?”, “How can He just sit up there and silently watch His people suffer?”, and the most pressing one: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Obviously I didn’t get answers to my questions; God was still silent; and I drifted from my faith. I stopped reading the Bible, and I stopped praying as well. I only went to church because my family went. And at church, although I loved hymns, I forced myself to keep silent. It wasn’t arrogance, it was just all the hurt talking. I even thought of God as a sadist because I did not understand His silence while I was hurting. At the time I was 18 and still in college. I enjoyed sharing Christ with others but now during my final year things were different. I avoided religion talk as much as possible. I remember when at a college fest a friend and I were casually talking about life, the topic slid to God and he asked me a question and I conveniently skirted around it. And as months passed by, I concluded that God did not exist, or at least forced myself to believe so, because surely if God existed, He would not allow horrible things to happen to His people, especially people who did not deserve it. A handful of people tried to help me at different points in this journey but none of their words really comforted me. In hindsight, I don’t blame them because it wasn’t a regular problem off the shelf, and they didn’t really know what to say. Sometimes I didn’t even want ‘help’; I wanted to keep myself busy in an attempt to become numb to reality. After about two and a half years, my parents felt led by God to switch churches. Things needed to start afresh, they thought, and I agreed with them on this one. This in fact remains one of the best decisions we’ve made as a family. But I’m getting ahead of myself now. In November 2014, we began a new journey. At the age of 21, for the first time, I saw what true and genuine Christianity looked like. It intrigued me and made me think. I eventually conceded that God exists. He always did and I knew that; I was just angry with Him. But I still could not get myself to believe that He was good all the time so I made a deal with God. I decided that the day I realize why He allowed that experience in my life or the moment I see the ‘good’ from it, I would get back to Him. My parents told me that the deal wouldn’t work because God doesn’t work that way but I was stubborn and unwilling to let go. Then one Sunday the congregation sang a song about how we need God every hour, how we cannot live life without Him, and that broke me. Realization struck me like never before: I was terribly stupid to run away from God, the Creator of this universe. After church, I walked up to my pastor and confessed that I was struggling to believe in God’s goodness. No, he did not sit me down and drown me in scripture. All he said was that I should get back to reading the Bible and praying. “Concentrate on what you believe, and God will slowly answer your doubts in His time,” he said. Now you may not agree with this advice but I think it was brilliant. I didn’t need to put off God until I understood Him completely. Who understands Him completely anyway? Our finite minds will never be able to do that. In August 2015, I rededicated my life to God. No, everything didn’t turn beautiful (or normal) in one magical moment. It was a process. I firstly acknowledged that He did exist, even though I forced myself to deny it before. Then one particular night, I just wrote pages after pages to Him because my thoughts work better on paper (you’d understand if you’re an introvert yourself). Guilt overwhelmed me and I wondered if God would ever take me back. I had made so many spiteful remarks about God and Christians, I had caused hurt to my family (when they had their own measure of pain to deal with), I had put the Lord’s testimony at stake when I avoided religion talk, I had… I had done so much more. Long story short, I was a hopeless sinner far from God. And now here I was, overridden with guilt, wanting to get my act together, and get back to Him. You know how the father in the parable of the prodigal son takes him back? While the son was still at a distance, the father saw him, had compassion upon him, ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him. Still at a distance. This shows us God’s reaction when we return from being lost in sin. He doesn’t belittle us by reminding us of what we have done. He doesn’t take us back reluctantly; in fact, I was going back reluctantly. But like the father in the parable, He takes us back joyously and eagerly while we are still at a distance – unsure and ashamed. It took me a while to understand that God had forgiven me the moment I had confessed. I just hadn’t forgiven myself. After I finally did, I had to make a conscious effort to turn a deaf ear to the devil each time he reminded me of my past. Even as I write this, I have to do that, and remind myself that even if a reader is going to judge me, it doesn’t matter because the God of this universe has justified me. Now this is my ‘after’… Even though I was pretty well-versed with parts of the Bible and certain doctrines, I came to God as a new Christian. Sometimes I think you just have to turn over a new leaf, start anew. I wanted to fall in love with Him all over again. I wanted to understand Him from scratch, like a child in a beginners class at Sunday school. From November 2015, I set aside time for God every day. Regular quiet time/devotion after nearly three years! I started with the book of Hosea because just like the nation of Israel, I also was unfaithful to God. I also committed spiritual adultery and I wanted to learn how God took Israel back. This book helped me understand that God is such a perfect, holy, patient, and jealous God, and that He will do whatever it takes to bring His straying children back to Him. Hosea 11:8 says, “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel?” That’s the kind of love He had for Israel; a love beyond measure. He is the same God today and He loves us too.
Story credit:http://2praisegod.com/the-prodigal-daughter/
" Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!"
Still not Stagnant
God has spoken before and he is still speaking today "Stand Still or Be Still!, you don't have to be afraid or fret yourself because your victory is at hand. You may need to ask yourself ' how do I stand still? ', or 'what does standing still involve?' Before saying what I think it involves, I want to bring to light that the word 'still' ' is a synonym for 'stagnant'.
Stagnant is a word that refers to (of a body of water or the atmosphere of a confined space) having no current or flow and often having an unpleasant smell as a consequence: oxford dictionary.
So if you are standing still, care must be taken not to become stagnant. We can become stagnant when we:
- Stop believing that God has good plans and everything will work out for our good. Jeremiah 29:11
- Stop looking to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith Hebrews 12:2
- Start murmuring and grumbling, never seeing the blessings inherent in our trials 1 Corinthians 10:10
- Start seeking our own ways and solutions because we are impatient to see God at work Jeremiah 18:12
- Start comparing ourselves to others in similar situations. Galatians 6:4-5
On the other hand to be still is to:
- Believe God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. Romans 4:17
- Against all hope, believe in hope Romans 4:18
- Be fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able to perform Romans 4:21
- Allow the current of thanksgiving and joy be part of our being 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- To know and believe God is with you Isaiah 41:10
The first time I heard the song 'Soar' by Meredith Andrews, I could literally feel myself fly in the air, faith rose up within me and I was able to pray like I should pray.
Testimony:
PASSING THROUGH TROUBLED WATERS
By: Josephine Fitzgerald
It
is truly overwhelming what the Lord has done for me. On one occasion the
children were playing in the yard. It was way past suppertime, but I let them
continue playing. All I had in the house was a box of corn flakes. I was
ironing and talking to the Lord. I remember saying, "Lord, even if you
send in food, I am too tired to cook it." After awhile my neighbor, Wilma,
came over. Her children were playing with mine. She said, "I made some ice
cream. If you come over, I will give you some." I told her I was so tired
and just did not know if I could walk over there. She told me, "Well, I am
not bringing it over to you, because the last time I gave you some, you gave
yours away." We talked and after awhile I said, "Well, I believe I
will walk over for a few minutes; maybe I'll feel better." So, I gathered
the children and went over.
When
we arrived, her supper was still on the table. She said, "Oh, have you all
eaten supper yet?" I replied, "No." So she put clean plates out
and we sat down to one of the nicest meals I had eaten in a long time. We had
ham, green beans, potatoes, sliced tomatoes, tall glasses of ice tea, and
dessert of ice cream and cake. Afterwards, we sat on the porch and talked. I
went home really renewed. Twenty years later, I shared with her how much that
meal meant to us. She had no idea that we had no groceries at that time. The
Lord is precious and He looks after His own. Praise His name!
Another
day when I was working in the garden I became very discouraged. It was our
twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. My husband had said nothing, which was not
unusual, because he always said that was one day he wanted to forget. I was
having a pity-party, feeling sorry for myself, when one of the children ran
down with a package for me. When I opened it, there was a lovely set of
silverware, the prettiest set I had ever owned. Betty, my daughter, and her
husband, Norbert, had gotten it for me even though they did not have a set for
themselves and were still in college on a tight budget.
When I'm at my lowest
point
It
seems that when I am at my lowest point, the Lord moves someone to do something
like that. We have a wonderful Lord! It is true that accepting Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior means a new birth. As the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us,
we are born anew. By God's grace we are given a new spiritual life, an eternal
life to be lived in fellowship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ,
His Son. But the new birth is just the beginning. It is God's intention that we
grow as Christians.
It
is God's desire that we yield our lives to Him. Service to God is not a burden
-- but a glorious privilege. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says:
Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding; in
all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
We
are to trust the Lord with ALL our heart, and we are to acknowledge Him in ALL
our ways. When we do this, God promises that He will direct our paths.
Shortly
after I joined Immanuel Baptist Church, my Sunday school teacher asked me if I
would give my testimony. I told her I would. Already, I was forming in my mind
that I would use this verse:
I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians
4:13)
However,
in the middle of the night, the Lord woke me and said:
"That
is not your testimony. Your testimony is: "God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." (Psalms 46:1)
As
I shared my testimony, I told them how the Lord had led to that church. He
placed me in that church because He knew what I needed for my spiritual growth.
When there was something I could not understand, I would pray to the Lord.
Wonderfully, the next Sunday, the preacher would say, "The Lord won't let
me preach the sermon I prepared, but I must preach on this, so pray for
me." The Lord then used the sermon to open my eyes and answer my
questions. As I shared my testimony, the preacher was listening. I was
perfectly calm while I was talking, but when I got back to my seat, I was
shaking all over. I think it is important for a Christian to share his
testimony. Satan is the one who puts fear in our heart, and if we give in to
that fear it becomes harder and harder to speak openly of our faith.
One
day, I heard a missionary tell about the time that they were taking the gospel
to some people. As they spoke, the people began to stone them and run them out
of the village. A lady in the congregation spoke up and asked her if the
stoning hurt her very much. She said, "You know, it should have, because
we were bleeding, but it was just like the Lord held a pillow between me and
the hurt." In my heart was the desire to experience the same protection
from the Lord.
Years
later ... when I had a car accident, I really experienced that same kind of
protection. God was with me all through the 14 hours I was pinned in the car
and in the hospital. I am so thankful for His comfort in the midst of pain.
We
have a wonderful Lord! He does not take away the hard things but He goes
through them with us. Just like the quiet in the eye of a hurricane, things can
be all wrong all around us, but He keeps us in perfect peace.
As
Christians we need have no fear of death. We can be sure of our salvation in
Jesus Christ. What a wonderful miracle God works within us. Because of our
faith in Christ we can be sure.
God's
Word says:
And
this is the record that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath
not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the
Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe
on the name of the Son of God. (I John 5:11-13).
I
cannot tell all of the times that the Lord has answered my prayers, but I can
tell you that the Lord cares about all of our needs. There is nothing too
little, nor too big, for the Lord. There are no limits to God's love and care.
He tells us to commit all of our cares to Him:
Be careful for nothing; but
in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests
be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ.
