Has the devil interfered with the plans God has placed on your heart to pursue?If so, I’d like to give you a word of encouragement to keep going no matter what is trying to come against accomplishing your vision.
When you are praying for God to help in following your dreams, the enemy is going to do everything he can to stop it from coming to pass.I once heard a prominent pastor say that every goal he has achieved over the years of his ministry, came with a battle and a huge fight with the enemy.He also said that just when he felt he would give up God prevented the schemes of the devil from prevailing over his work and efforts.His part was to keep going and not quit.
The devil isn’t about to give up on his plans to steal, kill and destroy anyone who has a desire to follow after God.He will do whatever it takes to get you to quit and walk away from living out your dreams and vision.I’m encouraging you to stay in faith, believe what God put in your heart and keep going anyway – especially when things look impossible!
God knows that there will be obstacles along the way to prevent us from achieving our vision, and that’s why we need to consult Him in moving forward to accomplish everything that He has for us.He is the One who inspires the dreams of His children and has promised to help throughout the entire process of what He placed on your heart.
The Lord wants to help, but cannot do that if we don’t include Him on a regular basis.I know things may seem impossible right now, but with God all things are possible to those who believe.
Sometimes living the Christian life can be hard and we’re not always at our spiritual best. God knows and understands our weaknesses.He wants us to lean on Him when we’re not strong. He will be our strength and friend to help us carry on, not humans as mentioned in the song written by the late singer Bill Withers. Nice concept, but only the Holy Spirit can give us everything we need, every time.
It’s during our weakest moments that God’s power is revealed through His unmerited favor and grace.
“But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you (all you need; sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully); for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in (your) weakness.
Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 AMPC)
Use the weapon of prayer against the enemy to continually live by faith.Ask the Lord for the strength you need to KEEP GOING ANYWAY and finish the vision.Hang in there.Live with the peace of mind that your vision will come to pass in His timing, and it will be better than you could ever imagine.
“The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11 NKJV)
Until next time, pray for favored strength to endure!
“I will favor you with My strength and peace.” Jesus Christ
Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.
Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified. Image 1 Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Labels Believe in God, Favored1, Faith, Daily Favor Blog, Wisdom, Patience, Favor, Strength, Endurance, Frustration, Testing, Promises of God, Prayer, Vision, Christian Living
“Dear Lord, I haven’t been a really good sheep today, let alone a
shepherd. I’m tired, feeling a bit out
of my league in knowing what to do. I
need your help. Strengthen my hands for
this task; give me wisdom so I cause no harm …”
That’s the prayer I spoke first thing one morning as I tried dragging
myself out of bed after a little sleep.How can I do all that has to be done, with so many things being #1 on
the list?
Will I ever accomplish the
vision that is in my heart when it keeps being lost in the daily grind of life?
I’m pretty sure a prayer similar to mine has come out of the mouths of many
people, especially this year.Have you
said something along those lines over the past months in dealing with frustrating
changes and uncertainty in life?
Just when things were starting to calm down something unexpected happened.For the past two months we’ve been dealing
with a virus epidemic among the pet population in the community that’s similar
to COVID-19, but it’s not.It’s been
round the clock care in syringe feeding, IV and medication treatments with not
enough hands to meet the needs of all the animals.
As soon as it looked like an animal was getting better, the cycle
repeated itself and spread to other pets.We’ve never dealt with so many seriously sick animals at one time who
needed such intensive care.
It didn’t take much to recognize that this is the work of the enemy and
was pushing us to the limits of our knowledge and abilities.My early morning prayer was a plea for
literal physical and emotional strength, not just to care for animals, but
carry on with the vision in my heart and manage regular living (which seemed
impossible at the time).
Ministering medically to domestic or untamed animals can be exhausting. However, when it comes to cats … they’re in a category all by themselves and I think they know
it!They instantly turn into an octopus
and you almost need full body armor to handle them.I’ve been pounced, kicked, scratched,
punched, bitten and knocked down, but not beaten!
Parts of me may look like I was in a battle with an abnormal amount of
scratches or bruises, but glory to God I’m getting a good upper body workout!Plus, I’ve gotten pretty quick on my feet in chasing
critters that escape off the examination table or IV cart!
There’s no other way to put it than to say, we’d been living off prayer
– ours and from others as spiritual food to build us up to keep going.It wasn’t solely because of the strange unidentified
spreading virus, but all the other things everyone needed to do in their daily
lives that warranted just as much attention.
The Weapon of Fervent Prayer
Our faith was stretched and tested through this new learning
experience with me stepping out to do things I’ve never done totally on my own before like syringe feed.In the past I’ve always been the second set
of hands that held an animal during feeding, cleaned or bathed them, prepared
the special diets … you get the idea.This time I was the one who needed the extra set of helping hands.
If it wasn’t for the weapon of fervent prayer against the enemy, we
wouldn’t have a prayer of winning, yet we did!God gave insight to new methods and treatments so that everything that
needed to be accomplished was.In the
end, more tears and prayers of thanksgiving filled the heavens than prayers of
petition.
Animals that were not supposed to make it did, surprising the doubters
with how they literally came back to life!Things got done for everyone, and I can’t really figure out when they
did, but I certainly know how – through prayer!God was faithful in answering prayers that had much more than finding
solutions in caring for dozens of furry critters.
“A righteous, godly man (person)
regards (cares for and tends to) the life of his animal, but the tender mercies
of the wicked are cruel.” (Proverbs 12:10 NKJV)
Throughout the weeks I noticed favor came into individual lives because of
the care given in honoring God’s creation of animals.It wasn’t what anyone planned, but we changed
our plans when God allowed the situation to come into our lives.He used the circumstance to bring people
together that wouldn’t have ordinarily even known one another, in order to open
doors for other areas in our lives. That
is so, so cool!
Keep Going Anyway
Has the devil interfered with the plans God has placed on your heart to
pursue?If so, I’d like to give you a
word of encouragement to keep going no matter what is trying to come against
accomplishing your vision.
When you are praying for God to help in following your dreams, the enemy is
going to do everything he can to stop it from coming to pass.I once heard a prominent pastor say that
every goal he has achieved over the years of his ministry, came with a battle
and a huge fight with the enemy.He also
said that just when he felt he would give up God prevented the schemes of the
devil from prevailing over his work and efforts.His part was to keep going and not quit.
The devil isn’t about to give up on his plans to steal, kill and destroy
anyone who has a desire to follow after God.He will do whatever it takes to get you to quit and walk away from
living out your dreams and vision.I’m
encouraging you to stay in faith, believe what God put in your heart and keep
going anyway – especially when things look impossible!
God knows that there will be obstacles along the way to prevent us from
achieving our vision, and that’s why we need to consult Him in moving forward
to accomplish everything that He has for us.He is the One who inspires the dreams of His children and has promised
to help throughout the entire process of what He placed on your heart.
The Lord wants to help, but cannot do that if we don’t include Him on a
regular basis.I know things may seem impossible
right now, but with God all things are possible to those who believe.
Sometimes living the Christian life can be hard and we’re not always at
our spiritual best. God knows and understands our weaknesses.He wants us to lean on Him when we’re not
strong. He will be our strength and friend to help us carry on, not humans as mentioned in the song written by the late singer Bill Withers. Nice concept, but only the Holy Spirit can give us everything we need, every time.
It’s during our weakest moments that God’s power
is revealed through His unmerited favor and grace.
“But He said to me, My grace (My
favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you (all you need; sufficient
against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble
manfully); for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and
completed) and show themselves most effective in (your) weakness.
Therefore, I will all the more
gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of
Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 AMPC)
Use the weapon of prayer against the enemy to continually live by
faith.Ask the Lord for the strength you
need to keep going and finish the vision.Hang in there.Live with the
peace of mind that your vision will come to pass in His timing, and it will be better
than you could ever imagine.
“The LORD will give strength to
His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.”
(Psalm 29:11 NKJV)
Until next time, pray for favored strength to endure!
“I will favor you with My strength and peace.” Jesus
Christ
Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized
deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.
Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as
treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual
awareness.
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to
have this kind of favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell
Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming
a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not
copy. Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible
Version provided by Bible Gateway.
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if
not specified. Image 1Image 2
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Labels Believe in God, Favored1, Faith, Daily Favor Blog, Wisdom,
Patience, Favor, Strength, Endurance, Frustration, Testing, Promises of God,
Prayer, Vision, Christian Living
It’s
late in the week and hubby is out running errands for a few hours.This would be a good opportunity for me to
catch up on some writing.
About
ten minutes after he was gone the phone rang. Trying to pick up
the phone, it slipped through my fingers and dropped to the
floor. Of course, it was out of reach, why wouldn’t it be!
Seeing
it was my husband I needed to get to it quickly, so I stretched out my leg
trying to answer it with my big toe. Remembering that this has
happened before, scrolling through past conversations in my head, I could hear
him say, “Swipe it, swipe it.”
I
mashed it with my foot trying to get it to answer, but couldn’t because of a
twisted knee injury that happened earlier in the week. Having
difficulty getting my phone to pick-up is normal, but using my big toe … that’s
a first for me I assure you. (By the way, it didn’t work.)
Thanks
for joining us on Daily Favor Blog.
Subscribe,
read, visit
the Q & A and other sections.
Testing Anxious Thoughts (in Progress)
I didn’t know if there was a
problem. Anxiously trying to retrieve it by sliding the phone with
my foot (remember I still can’t move my leg), I was able to get it within
reach. By the time I picked it up it had already gone to voice mail,
only to notify me that there was no service.
Playing
phone tag, we finally got through to one another. Sharing my dilemma
with my husband, this time he was laughing and calling to inform me that his
plans changed in which now he was going to the library.
These
things seem silly, don’t they? Sometimes it’s not the big things,
but all the little ones adding up that get us frustrated. They try
our patience and cause us to get anxious, so that when a big problem happens,
we get thrown for a loop.
Another
thing we were dealing with was waiting to hear from the doctor, which made us
impatient especially when we were told it would take only one day (which never
happened). I wish I had as many hours in my “day” as they do, maybe I’d
get more done.
Being
immobilized from the leg injury, the internet kept going out all week, no phone
service, praying the doctor’s results were good and several more unsettling
issues, certainly challenged our faith. In trying to keep a good
attitude, no one knew the struggles that we’d been experiencing except for one
person – Jesus.
Psalm
139:23 declares that the Lord surely knows about our anxious thoughts,
even when we try to keep them quenched.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
“Search
me, test me.” Really Lord? How many times have you asked God to test
your faith? Frankly, I can’t say that is on my prayer request
list.
Be
Anxious for Nothing
Throughout
scriptures we are told over and over not to let the cares of this world cause
our faith and testimony to be compromised in how we react to
situations. The way we respond shows the depth of our trust in the One we
call Lord and Savior.
If
we act like the unbelieving world does in handling problems, they will have no
reason to trust God for anything. Basically, without words we’re
really saying He isn’t a powerful loving God Who can do squat.
Philippians
4:6-7 reminds us not to be anxious, fret or worry over anything and to let
the peace of God rule over our thoughts. We do this by going to the
Lord in prayer and believing He will handle each request in a manner that best
fits our need(s).
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
I
would expect that means the little things as well, don’t you? So,
casting our cares would be right in the middle of that mix I’d say.
“Casting all your cares (all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your
concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares about you (with deepest
affection, and watches over you very carefully).” (1 Peter 5:7 AMP)
Knowing
that God’s got things under control, His peace (not ours) surrounds and guards
our emotions. We can rest (comfort) in His ability to work things
out for the good of those who love Him.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 KJV)
The Plan of Life
God
wants to be a part of our life, and always has a better plan that will see us
through any situation. He doesn’t want us to experience life’s
circumstances all by ourselves. The choice is up to the individual.
If
we refer to the scriptures, God reveals through the Apostle James that
there is a way to go about the tests and struggles we encounter each
day. Whether they are large or small, each trial is an opportunity
to grow in faith and favor from the Lord.
“… when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for
great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your
endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your
endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing
nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NLT)
I
truly want to get to that point where I am complete and lack nothing, what
about you? In order for that to happen, just how much endurance
do we really need to experience? Apparently, a lot if we want
God to step in with His plan book of favor.
Believe You Have What You Need
By
faith we have to believe that when we ask God for assistance and wisdom to get
through the trials we encounter, He will give us what we
need. After we have prayed, we must believe that help is
on the way to see us to the next step in life.
If
we pray and don’t truly believe God will do anything, then we will get exactly
what we expected – and that is squat, nada, zilch, nothing from the Lord.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally
and without getting angry at you for asking, and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith believing God will help, not doubting, for he who
doubts is unstable in their faith and will not receive anything from the
Lord.” (from James 1:5-7 NKJV emphasis mine)
This
Week’s Challenge:Plan on Believing
When
it comes to winning in life (over the obstacles that are thrown along our
path), believers in Christ have an upper hand on strategy – the power of the
Holy Spirit. Faith in the Word of God and prayer are the most
powerful weapons we have to help us overcome any situation. The
devil knows that, do you?
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.
How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding
out! (Romans 11:33)
God
declared that the victory is already ours. That means we’re already
winners. Now we need to act like it.
As
you enter the throne room of God in prayer make sure your heart is
right. Ask in faith believing that He will help
you. Don’t let your mind wander causing you to doubt in any
way. Instead of believing in your plans, plan on believing God’s
Word.
Lots
of interference was thrown our way this week, but through our disappointments
we smiled, laughed and didn’t let it get us down.We’re patiently believing God for a good
outcome over every situation and have received favor in doing so.Twice my husband has had a stranger pay for
his beverage at a drive-thru restaurant and even more things have happened
where we have been blessed.
What’s
happening in your life that’s throwing your plans out of whack? No
matter what you’re going through, God’s grace and mercy will see you through if
you remain steadfast in your belief.
“You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my
spirit.” (Job 10:12 NKJV)
Let
God into your heart to guide you through the good and bad
times. Trust Him and His plans. He promises to grant
favor on your life and care for you, giving renewed hope to your spirit, soul
and body.
Maybe
you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of
favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming a
child of the Savior.
Content
and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. Scripture reference
was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.
Image
credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified. Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Labels
Believe in God, Favored1, Faith, LG Cell Phones, Andrew Murray, Daily Favor
Blog, Wisdom, Patience, Favor, Trials and Tribulation, God's Favor, Endurance,
Frustration, Testing, Promises of God, Prayer
Subscribe, read and visit the Q & A or other sections.
Born to Receive Grace
Did you know that the word “grace” is mentioned in the
Bible almost 150 times in several aspects or contexts of the phrase or act? That’s
a fact, and so is this … Every person ever born will have received the grace of
God in their lives whether they realize it or not.
During my Bible reading I thought about all the people
who received the grace of God during the life work of Jesus while here on earth. This
doesn’t even count those who walked in the favor of God recorded in the Old
Testament.
The time period I want to talk about is around the end of
Jesus’ earthly ministry when He fulfilled His calling by the Heavenly Father.If you compared it to our times, to look at
what was happening you would think Jesus had won a world title with all the praise
He was receiving from “fans”.
“Christ
became human flesh and lived among us. We saw His shining greatness. This
greatness is given only to a much-loved Son, from His Father. He was full of
loving favor and truth.” (John 1:14 NLT)
The Passover Story
It seems almost poignant that the world would be
experiencing such harsh times as plagues, earthquakes, fires, tornadoes and devastation
that the Easter holiday is upon us.
Picture Jesus slowly entering Jerusalem riding a borrowed
donkey.The streets overflowed with
people anticipating the week long Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) feasts, parties
and gathering whatever they needed for the events at hand.
It’s a time where the Jews celebrated spring, birth and
the forty-year long Israelite journey from slavery out of Egypt to freedom as told
(mostly) in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Then there were the Jesus followers of that period – they
were filled with joy due to the grace that was shown them in healing, restoring
finances, relationships and so much more that isn’t even recorded!
“For
out of His fullness (the superabundance of His grace and truth)
we
have all received
grace upon grace (spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor,
and gift heaped upon gift).”
(John 1:16 AMP)
The Forgotten Passover Story
Sadly, most of those people forgot about the grace of God
as noted in the Bible. I can give you an
example right up to the time of Christ’s death.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, followers of the Lord laid palm
branches on the ground crying out,
“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in
the name of the Lord!
The
King of Israel!”
Literally they were
shouting (when saying hosanna that is) save us now, I pray O LORD and send
prosperity. (Psalm 118:25)
Tracing back from the time spanning between the triumphal entry to the crucifixion of Jesus it was only a few days,
but boy did mankind have a change of heart!
It didn’t take long for them to trade in their loyalty
coats of what Jesus did for them.Whew …
one wonders if they really understood the grace they received, forgetting what the
Messiah did for them and witnessing all those miracles day after day too.
Although it’s easy to judge, let’s step into the present Jesus
followers. Have we truly grasped the
concept of God’s unmerited favor and grace?
Okay, what if I was to ask you this -How long does it take for you to forget when
someone has shown you grace or mercy? One week … one day … one hour?
Scary I know, it doesn’t seem like the first “Jesus followers” were that different
than us.
When we fail to demonstrate the grace of God that has
been given us, we have forgotten the New Testament Passover story also.It’s as if Christ’s dying on the cross to
redeem us from sin was of no effect and really wasn’t that big of a deal.
Thankfully by faith, when we repent of our sins, God’s gift
of grace is available and still in effect.Whether we receive it or not won’t change what Christ did and why He did
it.
“For by grace you (we) have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV)
This Week’s Challenge:
Practice Grace
For those who believe in Jesus Christ as the risen Son of
God, the next seven days starting with Palm Sunday, are referred to as Holy
Week.
As we prepare for Resurrection Sunday celebrations no matter where they will be, I’d like
for us to remember the grace of God that is ours because of the work of Jesus
on the cross.
Our
challenge this week is to be a vessel of grace in which God can use.First, we have to identify if there is any
recognizable sign of it before we can actually act on practicing grace
(unmerited favor) on anyone.
Next,
do a spiritual heart check-up on yourself.Is there evidence that you’ve been changed by saving grace (the favor of
God through salvation)?
Grace
can change a heart if we live like God’s love is for real. Believe you are forgiven by grace, then live like that (like you are
forgiven!) and it will be easier to show grace (give favor) to others.
In
these difficult times we especially want to live like, and show, Jesus to
the “least of these” the way scriptures teach in Matthew 25:31-45.Ask the Holy Spirit for help in living out
God’s grace so that everything points to the redemptive cross of Jesus.
With feeling a bit crowed from having everyone home due
to the pandemic, we reach our boiling points in frustration levels much quicker.So, let’s put these few guidelines into action
starting now.
When your children (or spouse for that matter) get into
mischief, don’t blow it out of proportion, but show them grace (cut them some slack). That may
even mean you have to leave the room for a few minutes to get a deep breath and
rethink the situation.
If your neighbor, co-worker, boss, friend or
spouse seems unruly or unfair, remember grace … they’re going through this
too, but may not be handling it the same!
While standing in line at the bank, check-out or deli (social
distancing acceptable at six feet or more), administer grace while being
patient. No one wants to wait, especially if someone next to them
may be harboring a disease.
You are the “experienced” example … remember, the Christ
follower others want to see!Be that
person Jesus trusted His favor to in forgiving you.
The world has never experienced anything of this epic
nature. We truly are in this together, and I’m not referring to the “high
school” kind of thing!This is real,
this has touched all of us on some scale and it isn’t over – yet!
No one needs to be pinned to the cross ever again for a
sin they’ve committed. Jesus already took care of it, so we can (must) live
by and through the eyes of His grace,giving favor to all
even if it’s undeserving.
The world is hurting and is desperately seeking help, begging
for someone to come save them from all that is happening. People are looking to believers for answers
and help that isn’t like what they can get on their own.
They want rest for a weary soul, and we can show them how
to receive it through Jesus by the way we act during any crisis.As in the days of Noah, the door for coming
to Christ is open, but for how long before God closes it?
We
can show the world that grace through love can be theirs too. Let this Holy Week be the start of your remembering the grace (unmerited
favor) of God for whatever sins you’ve committed in the past.
Remembering that we have been given the gift of
grace through salvation by believing in Jesus Christ, living examples of
God’s grace is what we want others see and receive from us.
In celebration of the love of Jesus who died for us on
the cross, and as followers of the Messiah, may our prayerful words reflect
those who first came to believe – “Hosanna, Jesus I pray, save us now and send
prosperity!”
Maybe
you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of
favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information
on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content
and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Disclaimer
Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Scripture
reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible
Gateway
Image
credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified.
“Could you open this. I
just put on hand cream. It seems that I
always need you to open something right after I’ve put on hand cream. Why is
that?”
Turning
around from loading the washer, laughing in agreement hubby took the peanut jar
from me and twisted the top.Handing it
back he said, “Mine are gone.”
Picking
a few out of the container looking directly in his eyes I smiled smugly while
crunching down on them … “I know.”Right away he realized I wasn’t about to
offer him any from my stash.
“You wouldn’t be eating
them if I didn’t open the jar.” He said and snatched the peanuts out of my
hand.Retrieving my jar, I put them back
into the cupboard and he returned to what he was doing.
That’s
the way it’s been all week.One of us is
in the middle of doing something and we’re abruptly interrupted by practically
anything.How in the world are we to
ever get work done around here?
Enough
is Enough
Nothing
seemed to be going on schedule this week (as if having one was the solution).My time with God was squeezed into a few
minutes here and there when I could stay awake.
When
praying together we kept one eye open because of all the activity that was
going on around us.Even God had to wait
as we stopped to do something in a middle of a sentence.Both of us apologized to the Lord, but it
happened over and over.
It
was close to another feeding time for the cat rescues, but I simply didn’t have
the energy to do it.Neither my husband
or I had breakfast or lunch and were barely functioning due to practically no
sleep.
As
many of you know from your own experiences, ministering to elderly, sick or special
needs animals round the clock takes a lot of energy and practical management.Since October 2017 our hands have been full –
literally.Sadly, two cats have passed
over to Heaven after extended illnesses and old age.One on December 1st and another on
January 1st.
When
four-week old Angel kitten came into our care (on October 2nd, 2017)
even though she wasn’t weened and had to be bottle/syringe fed, we welcomed the
quiet quality time with her.I can
happily report that with some encouraging Angel kitty usually eats on her own,
which we hoped would free up some time.
Along
with other issues there is another animal who has to be cautiously hand fed
due to an inoperable tumor in her mouth that prevents her from eating or
drinking on her own. In January she had
a feeding tube put in her neck at a University Veterinary Hospital, which exposed
another world of problems we frankly never handled before with rescues.
After
a few weeks of feeding her every four hours an incident with vomiting caused the
feeding tube to come out resulting in us now mouth feeding around the
growth.Her feeding schedule varies but
is every few hours, so it is round the clock feeding, cleaning and medicating
which takes a toll on the body, hers and ours.
Lately
we’ve been working trying to piece “this and that” into what we needed to do,
but it wasn’t happening.I knew why and
was about to change it.
Our
tasks, sleep, study time, eating and normal functioning structure had become so
fractured that we were spent emotionally, physically and socially.I finally said enough is enough!
Fractured
Living
No
matter what I’m doing in life, the first thing I do when I wake is talk to the
Lord.I thank Him for the new mercy
(favor) He has in store for me on that day in allowing me to wake, and I ask
what He wants me to do as His servant.
“It is because of the Lord’s mercy (new, endless
favor) and
loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because
His (tender) compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and
abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.”
(Lamentations 3:22 Amp)
The
problem lately isn’t that I haven’t talked to God, but that I haven’t hung
around long enough for His answer.I
know not to do this, but have done it anyway, because “my needs are fierce” and
I have to get going.God can catch up
with me as I move throughout my day, right?
I
recently read an article that made a statement that I have a hard time wrapping
my belief around.It went on to report
that smartphones have now outnumbered people on earth.When I talked about it with my husband he
also didn’t believe it but added that it may be true since some people have
several phones for home or business use.
Their
declaration was that these “so called” devices along with other technology is
keeping us from living a “normal” life and is fracturing our thinking into tiny
pieces to the point that we never give our full attention to one thing anymore.(Hold on while I take the clothes out of the
dryer.)
Since
we don’t have kids, and neither of us have smartphones, television or play
video games (Bubbletown doesn’t count. It’s therapeutic.) something else must
be dividing up our attention.Yep, I
figured it out … just life, regular stuff that has us hopping off on bunny
trails leaving no time to hear from God.
This
kind of living is only allowing God to give pieces of His Daily Favor in dribs
and drabs.There’s no room for peace or
His abundance. There’s only one little flaw with this … me.
The
Lord revealed to me that it’s not typical life kinds of things; I’ve been doing
okay with those.However, He’s been
really dealing with me on the subject of patience or should I say – the lack of
it which is why some things haven’t gone the way they could have.
Shedding
Light
Recently
my husband and I began a new project (which we prayerfully received a green
light to from the Lord) that has practically torn up or rearranged the entire
back yard.I don’t’ want to say that
it’s a mess, but … it’s a MESS!
Along
with cutting down trees and branches which are positioned almost anywhere you
have to walk, we had to dig up some bushes over a week ago and they’re still
stuck in a large bucket waiting to be replanted.The problem is that I have no idea where they
should go, because the previous location was so perfect.
None
of this will change eternity and compared to “real” problems going on in this
world I’m rather taken back at my emotions and behavior.In my own reality though, with things in such
disarray (inside as well as outside) I’m not getting to spend the time I need
with the Lord to focus on what He would have me do to keep everything moving in
the direction He wants.The only way
that would change is if I stopped everything else to spend time with Him.
By
now it was almost 3:00 in the afternoon and we still hadn’t eaten. I made
sandwiches for the two of us, packed some BBQ chips (hubby loves his barbecue
stuff) along with beverages and we headed out to eat in the shed!That’s right … our practically empty shed.
The
current project I’ve been hinting about revolves around this “shed” which was
moved in order to be repurposed.At this
point the only thing in it are a few chairs and a folding table.It’s clean, quiet, free of animals and
people, with no electric or technology – perfect for “shedding light” on the
entire situation.
Daddy
and Me Time
With
so many things pulling at us in our lives it can be hard to hear the voice of
God for direction.That is why it’s so
important that we spend time in fellowship with the Lord.
So
often we forget that God longs for a relationship with each of His
children. The other day I was moved by something a father did just to spend time with his child.
Trying to catch up on some of
my social media I saw a video post of a father who was having “Daddy Time” with
his daughter at the nail salon.Attempting
to get her to respond was like pulling teeth, but he was excited and loved
sharing what they were doing together.
The
first thing I thought was how ungrateful she was.Here her Dad was being so patient in words
and action, intentionally taking time to be with his daughter.He was willing to foot the bill by lavishing
her with additional favor, but all she wanted to do was focus on what she
wanted.
Then
I took a step back as it reminded me of how I sometimes get when God is trying
to shower affection and favor on me.I
want the favor, but don’t want to relax and hear anything else God has to say.An attitude like that will actually stop
favor instead of releasing it on my situation.
The
very thing I ultimately want is to spend time with God and learn more about His
desires. If I fail to seek Him because
my schedule is overwhelming it will prevent me from hearing His voice to receive
what He has already prepared for me.
“Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and
seek His face and
to be in His presence continually.” (1 Chronicles
16:11 Amp)
That
90 minutes in the shed allowed my husband and I to hear from the Lord.We actually ate without interruption, he was
able to get some estimates done and I heard from the Lord regarding some
written work.Our strength was renewed
as well as our faith in what God was revealing to us about the project and
situation regarding the animals.
While
There is Time
The
Bible tells us that there will come a time when this world will be so
fragmented in chaos that no one will be able to hear or discern the voice of
God.Don’t think that
as a believer you won’t get caught up in the frenzy, because it can happen
easier than you think.
“Seek, inquire for, and require the Lord while He
may be found
(claiming Him by necessity and by right); call
upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)
In
studying scripture I’ve learned that King David’s life was full of distress,
but he knew it was vital that in order for him to win in any situation he
needed to spend time with God.
Whether it was for victory over enemies, failing health or broken relationships with his family David, the servant of the Most High God, sought the Lord's presence daily and knew the Word of God was the final authority over his problem. Repeatedly we read the same prayer he makes during his time spent with the Lord.
“You have said, Seek My face (inquire for and
require My presence
as your vital need). My heart says to You, Your
face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for and require and on the
authority of Your Word.) (Psalm 27:9 Amp)
If
God is to continue to favor us with His goodness, we have to be in the Throne
room seeking His face more and more in order to receive these blessings.We cannot rely on the favor of man; the
wisdom of God will always point in the direction right for us.
“Many crave and seek the ruler’s favor, but the
wise man (waits)
for justice from the Lord.” (Proverbs 29:26 Amp)
God
never stops extending His hand of favor, but sometimes He can’t get it to us because we’re too busy to find out where He has it stored in waiting.
Our Action Challenge
Maybe you are facing some difficult challenges right now concerning health, family or financial issues. The key to your victory is knowing that the authority of God in each situation has been given to you through salvation and the blood of Jesus Christ. Spending time with God, speaking His Word and acting on it releases God's mercy, favor and power for whatever you are experiencing.
I
know that in this information age it’s getting harder to get some one-on-one
time with God, but there is nothing more important than hearing from the Lord
if we are to win over the enemy.
“And they who know Your name (who have experience
and acquaintance with Your mercy and favor) will lean on and confidently put
their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of
and for) You (on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their
necessity).” (Psalm 9:10 Amp)
That
gentleman I discussed purposed to set time aside to spend with his teen
daughter despite her open reluctance to respond as he hoped.It didn’t sway him from continuing on with
the outing and eventually her attitude softened.His desire is to have a relationship with his
children, all of them.He’s found a way
to do that with each of them that isn’t always easy, none-the-less he does it.
While
there is still time make room in your life to fellowship with the Lord so you
can hear from God, because fractured favor isn't part His plan!
Maybe
you don’t know the Living God that I know but would like to have this kind of
favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming a
child of the Savior.
Content
and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to
lack of belief.
Unless noted, scripture reference in series was
taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.
