TRUST THE DRIVER!

Have you ever visited a place where you were unfamiliar with the surroundings? Maybe you were visiting someone in another city or state and decided to go out for dinner or some other activity.  I can think of a time when I took a weekend getaway to visit my sister in a different city.  We had various plans for our girls’ weekend, so I immediately parked my car so that I could ride with her. Why? Because she was familiar with the area and knew how to get us to all the places we wanted to go.  I thought about that as it relates to our relationship with the Lord.  Many times, we find ourselves striving to reach a destination on our own instead of trusting the One who mapped out where we are headed and knows how to get us there.  I love the Scripture in Isaiah 46:10 which says that God declares the end from the beginning.  Our view is always limited, but God has the full perspective.  If we would simply trust Him, He will direct us in every situation we face.  It is very easy to relax when you know the person who is driving knows where he or she is going.  God is our all-knowing Father, and He has promised to lead us, but it requires us to relinquish control. In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are admonished to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” This means we must give Him permission because He will not take the wheel from us. I often declare these verses as it relates to direction for my life, “God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.” (Job 28:23-24, NIV) In other words, God knows where I’m going, and He knows how to get me there. If you need direction in your life for any reason, I encourage you to move out of the driver’s seat and trust the One who already knows the way!

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SURRENDER

Next week we will host a Women’s Conference at our church with the theme, “Surrender.” I have been prayerfully focusing on what this truly means in my own life. The first thing that comes to my mind is that surrender must be done willingly. Some of the definitions for surrender are as follows:  to relinquish, to give in, give (oneself) up, yield, submit, to abandon oneself entirely to.  The last definition is the one that caught my attention. I believe that God is calling for TOTAL surrender and not just the parts that are easy for us to give up.  Jesus is our greatest example of surrender.  Let’s take a look at the prayer he prayed in Luke 22:41-42: And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not my will, but Yours, be done.”  Despite the agony he was experiencing, he was willing to surrender to the will of his Father undeterred by the discomfort of the flesh. There are things that God is calling for many of us to do that will not be comfortable for us. That is when we have to decide if we trust God enough to fully surrender to his plan for our life. Trust is key because it is not easy to surrender to someone you do not trust. We have to reach a place where we know without hesitation that God loves us and that he always has our best interest at heart.  When that happens, trust comes easily. I believe that God is going to show us places in our lives that are not fully surrendered or submitted to him.  In James 4:7, it says, “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Maybe you have been doing the second part of this verse and wondering why the devil is not fleeing.  Don’t skip past the first part! Many times, surrender is viewed in a negative context as if you are losing or giving up.  Surrender is about giving up to a purpose higher than your own so that his perfect will can be done. When we truly surrender to God, we put our own desires, plans, ideas, opinions, etc., aside and allow God to replace these things with what He wants to be there instead.

One of the things that makes it hard for me to surrender at times is when I don’t know all the details!  However, I am learning to say, “Lord, I don’t know what you’re doing, and I don’t understand what’s happening or why, but I trust you.”  When the angel appeared to Mary to announce God’s plan for her to carry the Savior, she questioned how the plan would happen. Though the angel explained that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her, that was all the explanation she received.  I love Mary’s response in Luke 1:38, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”  That is what surrender is all about. It is determining that whatever God is saying is what we want. I recall a time a few years ago when I felt that there were some things God wanted to do in my life, yet I had no idea what they were/are.  However, there was a yearning in my heart for whatever God wants for me, so I said, “God, I’m giving you an unconditional yes.”  That was scary because I did not know what that meant then, (and still don’t fully know everything that will entail), but I know I can trust him.  What I was telling God was I trust him enough to say yes even before I know what he will ask. Occasionally, something will come up and I have to decide if it’s something I should do, and I will hear the gentle reminder in my spirit, “This is one of those things you said yes to!” 

Surrender is a choice and not something that is imposed on us. It has to be a heart thing and not just an act.  Isaiah 1:19 talks about being willing and obedient. I’m sure we can all recall times when we have been obedient to do something when we really didn’t want to do it. When we surrender, it is about changing our “want to” because we can go through the motions of obedience and not be fully surrendered. True surrender is about releasing control and letting God be fully in charge.

Before I end, I want to point out that surrender is not a one-time thing.  There are times when there are major things that God may be requiring us to surrender, and other times when surrender can happen in the seemingly small things or simply in our daily routine. There is always purpose in surrender, so be sensitive to what he is leading you to do, large or small.

Take some time to quiet your spirit to hear what God is speaking to you personally. Is there something he needs you to let go? Is there something he wants you to do?  Remember, surrendering to God is not about what you lose, it’s what you gain by allowing him to do in and through you what he wills.  Trust him with the details and watch what is birthed through your willingness to totally surrender. 

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BE DETERMINED

I have not blogged in a while, but I wanted to share a lesson that I prepared for a women’s bible study. Determination is defined as a fixed purpose or intention; firmness of purpose, or perseverance.  There are many people in the Bible who exhibited this important quality, and I would like to take a look at three of them.

The first one is the lady with the issue of blood.  Her story is found in Mark 5:25-32.  This no-named lady was in a desperate situation, and oftentimes, desperation breeds determination.  She had an issue of blood for twelve years, she had spent all of her money on doctors, and instead of being healed, she had gotten worse. She made up her mind that she would touch the hem of Jesus’ robe and receive her healing. However, in order to accomplish this, she had a couple of very real hindrances to face. She had to break the law that was forbidding her from touching another person because she was considered unclean (Leviticus 15:25-27).  In addition to that, she had to press her way through a crowd.  It would have been easy for her to give up after so many years of disappointment, but she was determined that she would not give up until she touched Jesus!

What can we learn about determination from her story? First, don’t let what happened in the past stop you.  Just because it didn’t work before doesn’t mean it won’t work now.  That reminds me of the story in I Kings 18:41-45 when Elijah spoke to his servant to go up and look because he had declared to Ahab that there was a sound of an abundance of rain.  The servant looked six times and kept returning and saying, “there is nothing.”  But on the seventh time, he came back and said he saw a cloud like a man’s hand and then the rain came.  The servant could have gotten frustrated with going up doing the same thing with no change, but he was persistent.  That’s the way we must be even when it seems like there is no breakthrough on the horizon.  The second thing we can learn from this lady is not to let present conditions hold us back. 

The next person I want to look at who demonstrated determination is blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52.  Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, and he began to cry out.  Even though the crowd told him to be quiet, he cried out even more.  He didn’t let them hinder what he was determined to receive.  When Jesus called him, the act of throwing aside his beggar’s garment showed how determined he was to be healed.  That act showed that he confidently believed he would no longer need to sit on it and be dependent on others as a blind man.  What can we learn from his story? Number one, don’t let what people say stop you.  It may not make sense to them what God is telling you to do, but that doesn’t matter when you’ve heard from God.  Secondly, when you are determined, you prepare to accommodate what you are believing for. Just like Bartimaeus made preparation for what he was believing for, what do you need to cast off (or take) on to prepare for what you are believing God to do?

The last person we will look at is the paralytic in Mark 2:1-5. I actually want to focus on the actions of his friends. They were so determined to get him to Jesus that they didn’t let the fact that they couldn’t get near Jesus stop them. They uncovered the roof and let him down where Jesus was.  I want people with this kind of determination around my life who won’t take no for an answer and won’t give up when the answer doesn’t come easily. What can we learn about determination from this story? Don’t let limitations stop you, and don’t let what appears to be an impossibility cause you to give up.

I hope that these examples from the Bible encourage you to press in and be determined to receive all that God has for you!

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Embracing 50!

This time 50 years ago, my mom was nearing the end of 48 hours of labor.  Her water broke on a Friday, and I was not born until Sunday!  When I reminded her today of my grand entrance, she said, “It was pain, but once it was over, it was a blessing!  Love my mom.  As I reflect on turning the big 5-0 tomorrow, I thought of how blessed my life has been. Of course, having lived half a century, I have had my share of bad days and disappointments.  However, I choose to focus on the good because it far outweighs the bad.

The number 50 symbolizes deliverance or freedom from a burden.  God commanded Israel that every 50^th year should be declared a year of Jubilee.  During the Jubilee year, all debts were settled in favor of the debtor, and inheritances were returned to their rightful owners.  With that in mind, I am proclaiming my Jubilee year and believing God that the latter half of my life will be even better than the first.

It may seem a bit strange for me to share my age. I will admit that the welcome packet from AARP was quite annoying! Many women choose to reach an age and hold steady every year after that.  You might hear, “I’m 39 and holding” or something similar!  I just made the decision to embrace where God has blessed me to be.  Many don’t live to see it. I am counting the many blessings in my life including a wonderful husband and family and so much more.  This blog would be too long to read if I start naming it all. I’m most thankful for that moment nearly 30 years ago when I made the best decision of all to surrender my life to the Lord.

So, as I prepare to celebrate turning 50, I do so with a thankful heart for all that God has done for me.  I also do so with great expectation for what God has in store.

BETWEEN GOOD FRIDAY AND RESURRECTION SUNDAY!

As I sit here on the day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, I think about what must have been going through the mind of Jesus’ executioners. They no doubt thought they had accomplished their goal to kill him. When the stone was placed over the tomb, they knew his fate was finally sealed. But that was not how the story would end! When the ground began to shake and the stone was rolled away, it was clear that Jesus was not where they left him. 

 It dawned on me that this is how things sometime appear in our life.  It looks like the enemy has got the best of us, and God’s plan will not come forth. However, we have to remember what God said and trust him that no matter what happens that looks contrary to God’s destiny for our life, the story does not end there. Never forget in the dark times what God told you when the sun was shining. When things seem to be at a stand-still and all around is quiet, remind yourself of that period between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday when defeat seemed obvious and hope appeared to be lost. God’s plan was still in motion even though there was no evidence that anything was happening. Even when you can’t see or hear what God is doing, let him finish your story.  He always wins.  Sunday is coming!

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DON'T VOID THE WARRANTY!

When you have a manufacturer’s warranty, the condition usually applies that if you try to fix a problem yourself instead of sending it to the manufacturer, it voids the warranty.  For example, I have a diamond bond on my wedding ring that requires me to take it back in April and October to the jewelry store where it was originally purchased so that it can be inspected.  If I fail to do that or take it to another jewelry store to have a repair or other service done, it voids the warranty for the ring, and they will no longer cover the diamond.

As Christians, our manufacturer (God) has put His “warranty” in the Word of God. Don’t void the warranty by taking matters into your own hands.  Give every problem and concern to Him immediately and let Him fix it. If we choose to do things in our own strength, God will allow it, but He desires that we come to Him and trust Him to move on our behalf. Don’t take actions on your own and then say, “I’ve tried everything else, so all I can do is trust God now.” Save yourself the stress, worry, etc., and look to Him first, not after working your plan and coming up empty. We must remind ourselves that no matter how much we think we know as it relates to our problems, God always knows best!

What makes our “warranty” even better than a manufacturer is that there is no expiration date. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever! (Isaiah 40:8)

USER-FRIENDLY

I heard these words in my spirit this morning, "Be user-friendly." When something is user-friendly, it is easy to use and understand. God wants us to be people who are easy for HIM to use without bad attitudes, wrong motives, stubbornness, rebellion, etc.  We have to be pliable in his hands. He is the potter; we are the clay. Even as it relates to working with and for others, we have to keep in mind who we are working for. Colossians 3:23-24 states, “Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve.” (AMP)

Allow the potter to have his way in your life. Be user-friendly!

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