Real life. Real faith.

Impatient On The Way

Posted on November 30, 2020     Leave a Comment

In this world of instant gratification, it is easy to become impatient. We may even give up on a good thing because we are not patient enough to endure and work through things to get to the victory at the end. We see this impatient mentality all around us today. We see it in relationships, careers, faith and so much more. There was a saying I heard growing up that says,”Anything worth having is worth working for.”

Numbers 21:4-5 “From Mount Hor they (the Israelites) set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became inpatient on the way, and the people spoke against God and against Moses.”

The Israelites complained about the food and water God had provided on their journey to the promise land and even said it would have been better if they had stayed in Egypt as slaves. So, God sent serpents that bit them and many died. (vs.6) This shows you how the Lord feels when we complain! Their journey was hard and long, BUT God had provided for them, sustained them and given them victory in the battles they had faced along the way. Does that sound like your life? Have you gone through, or are you going through a difficult time? Has God sustained you and helped you survive? Maybe He hasn’t waved a magic wand and made the journey EASY, but you are still standing.

Numbers 21:7 “The people came to Moses and said, we have sinned, we have spoken against the Lord and against you, “Pray to the Lord that he may take away the serpents from us.“. So Moses prayed for the people.”

In verses 7-9 we learn that God did not remove the serpents, but did offer the opportunity for forgiveness and salvation from them. He told Moses to make a sculpture of a snake and put it on a pole. If they were bitten they could look at the sculpture and be healed.

God didn’t remove the serpents. He just made a way to survive them. By choosing to remember Him and His promise and in obedience with faith, they needed only to look at the sculpture to be saved. How many times have we prayed and asked God to take away our problems instead of asking for the strength and wisdom to survive them?

Sometimes we need the presence of the serpents, to be reminded of the power and faithfulness of the Savior.

Prayer: Lord please help us to keep our eyes on You and our minds on who You are, in the midst of our journey. Please strengthen our faith and encourage our hearts, and help us to not complain or give up, but push through to the end to see the salvation of the Lord. Thank You for Your love and faithfulness. Amen

Isaiah 40:23 “He will bring the enemy to nothing and make them as emptiness.”

Isaiah 41:11-13 “All Who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded. Those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you but you will not find them. Those who war against you shall be nothing at all. For I the Lord your God hold your right hand, it is I who say to you, fear not, I am the one who helps you.“

Isaiah 49:23b-25 “Those Who wait for me shall not be put to shame. Can the prey be taken from the mighty or the captives of a tyrant rescued? For thus says the Lord: even the captives of the mighty will be taken back and the prey of the tyrants rescued. For I will contend with those who contend with you and I will save your children.”

Worship. Pray. Read. Repeat.

Posted on October 13, 2020     Leave a Comment

“Whether it was two days or a month, or even a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out.” Numbers 9:22

How nice to have such clear direction. They of course, still could have ignored it, but it was obvious direction! Sometimes the direction of the Lord doesn’t seem so obvious, or is it that in the lack of direction, we are looking for a sign to affirm our own desires? Could it be that no direction means stay where you are and walk through it with Him?

Another option is that He is speaking to us but we are not paying attention. Maybe we have our lives so full and so noisy that we don’t hear or recognize His voice from all the other voices.

I want to spend enough time with the Lord that when He speaks, I recognize His voice.

It’s a relationship like any other kind. We must spend time together to establish a covenant of hearts. We must pour out our hearts Him, and allow Him to pour out His to us! How do we do that? Worship. Pray. Read. Repeat. The repeat is vital. What kind of relationship do you have with someone you only spend time with occasionally?

A close, intimate relationship with God is what God wants and why He created us. Sure, our sin ruined the perfect plan, but it didn’t stop THE plan. It didn’t stop the opportunity to have that relationship with Him. He made a way through Jesus.

We can’t remove the sin from this world. He will do that at the appointed time. Nevertheless, we can still have the relationship! It is completely up to us. He is there, beside us, waiting to talk, waiting to listen, waiting to help us, waiting to bless us. Let us not ignore him! Let us not have a one-sided relationship, where we do all the talking. That is like sitting in a Ferrari but not starting it, or sitting in it, starting it, but not driving it. There is so much to experience if we will be purposeful in engaging with Him. Let’s pursue a relationship with our God and Savior. Worship him. Pray to him. Read his Word. Then repeat as often as we can. The more time we spend with Him, the better and fuller our life will be, for having Him in it.

Worship. Pray. Read. Repeat.

Making it a Well

Posted on August 10, 2020     1 Comment

“ Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee…. Who passing through the valley of Baca, (sorrow/weeping) make it a well.” Psalm 84:5-6

WELL: A source from which something may be drawn as needed; a deep hole or pit sunk into the earth to reach a supply of water, oil, gas….

Making a well is a choice. We have to choose to seek Him while walking through the valley. He is ready and willing to meet us there and teach us there. He is willing to be our Savior and our strength, our God, and our friend. If we are intentional and lean in to Him, into His Word, into prayer, into worship, we can encounter the presence of God. We can encounter His very present help in trouble.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Ps. 46:1

On the other side of the trial, we will have a deeper relationship with the Lord. We will have a well that we can draw upon in the future.

“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him. He will make known to them his covenant.“ Psalm 25:14

When you walk through a valley, how will you choose to handle it?

A song comes to mind that my mom use to sing. It’s a song written by Dottie Rambo called “Thank You For the Valley”

Verse 1
Thank You For The Valley Writer: Dottie Rambo
THANK YOU FOR THE VALLEY I WALKED THROUGH TODAY
THE DARKER THE VALLEY THE MORE I LEARN TO PRAY
I FOUND YOU WHERE THE LILY’S WERE BLOOMING BY THE WAY
AND I THANK YOU FOR THE VALLEY I WALKED THROUGH TODAY
Chorus
THANK YOU FOR EV’RY HILL I’VE CLIMBED
FOR EV’RY TIME THE SUN DIDN’T SHINE
THANK YOU FOR EV’RY LONELY NIGHT
I PRAYED ‘TIL I KNEW EV’RY THING WAS ALRIGHT
AND I THANK YOU FOR THE VALLEY I WALKED THROUGH TODAY
Verse 2
LIFE CAN’T BE ALL SUNSHINE OR THE FLOWERS WOULD DIE
THE RIVERS WOULD BE DESERT, ALL BARREN AND DRY
LIFE CAN’T BE ALL BLESSINGS OR THERE’D BE NO NEED TO PRAY SO I THANK YOU FOR THE VALLEY I WALKED THROUGH TODAY
Chorus
THANK YOU FOR EV’RY HILL I’VE CLIMBED
FOR EV’RY TIME THE SUN DIDN’T SHINE
THANK YOU FOR EV’RY LONELY NIGHT
I PRAYED ‘TIL I KNEW EV’RY THING WAS ALRIGHT
AND I THANK YOU FOR THE VALLEY I WALKED THROUGH TODAY
© 1966 Bridge Building Music/BMI (Adm. By CapitolCMGPublishing.com) Licensing: http://www.CapitolCMGLicensing.com

Prayer: Father please meet me in the valley and help me to always choose to make it a well.