God Prepares You for Great Things

God puts dreams in our hearts and writes a destiny over our lives. And if we trust Him enough to take Him at His word, we will find ourselves on a journey toward the fulfillment of that dream. 

Unfortunately, the path that takes us to the promise is always wrought with thickets and thorns. Nothing worth having ever comes easy or without opposition. Storms will come, lions will roar, and our fears will be confronted. God allows the path to be difficult because He intends on refining us and preparing us for our place of promise. He is intent on extracting from us, that which our enemy would love to leverage against us. 

God loves us too much to promote us before we are ready.

And so, as we follow His lead, we will at different times, find ourselves in a valley-a valley of decision. Marriages die there. Dreams die there too. The flesh dies hard and unfortunately for many, they've opted to let their dream die before they'd ever allow their flesh to be confronted. 

We all have weak spots and areas of inconsistency in our character. Until we see Jesus face to face, we will need His guidance and correction. He wants to take us from strength to strength; from glory to glory. 

Ephesians 3:20 tells us that He wants to do abundantly above and beyond ALL that we could ever ask or think, but there's a clincher in this verse...it's according to His work within us. To the extent that He's allowed to work in us, will be the extent that He does great things through us. 

After pondering this idea a little more, I envisioned a valley of dry bones. Bones from marriages, relationships, and dreams abandoned because many people refused to die to themselves, to humble themselves, and to let God have His way in our lives. 

Don't let your dream die in the valley!

If you're in a season of refining, lean in. Trust the loving hand of your precious Savior and know that He will lead you to the other side. Refuse a sense of entitlement and don't demand to be understood. 

Instead, humble yourself and seek to understand what the Lord is doing around you. 

He will faithfully lead you and you will be strengthened as you go. 

On the other side of this refining time is a fresh perspective and new mercies. 

Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God; in due time you will be lifted up and honored before a watching world. 

Here's my question to you: Do you have a sense of how God is using your current circumstances to prepare you for a great calling?

Let's pray:

God, 

We come to you today to thank you for all that you have done and are doing for us. We ask that you make us aware of what you are doing in our lives to prepare us for the greatness that is coming. To help us to see that when we give all to you it is for the good. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen. 

With Love, 

"B"

God is Bigger and Stronger

We've all had days (and maybe even years) when life just doesn't seem to be going our way!

I've had long seasons of life where I felt like nothing was working and everything was out of whack, and I've had frustrating days where I just can't seem to get anything accomplished. We all go through these times, but if we recognize that God's power during these troubled times, we learn to that He is much bigger than what is going on!

In the grand scheme of things, a stressful morning doesn't impact life or eternity all that much, but in those longer seasons of joblessness, sickness, financial stress, marriage strain and other ongoing life events, the stress and frustration can seem overwhelming. Below are four things I've learned to remember in those challenging seasons of life that have helped me and I pray that they will help you as well!

1. Your character should always be stronger that your circumstances. 

We can't always control what happens to us, but we can always control how we choose to respond. In those moments when I choose to stop complaining and instead give thanks to God for the good in my life, the parts that seem bad start to seem much less significant. Choose to keep  a positive attitude and thankful heart regardless of what you're going through. 

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. 

2. Your struggles always lead to strength. 

Every difficulty in your life, whether big or small, is something God will use to produce more strength, faith and perseverance in you if you let Him! All your pain has a purpose. 

" And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28.

3. God's timing is always perfect.

God's plans are almost always different from our plans, but His plans are always perfect! Have the patience to wait on His timing instead of forcing your own. 

" For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11.

4. God will never leave your side.

You may feel like you're going through this struggle all alone, but from the moment you ask Jesus to bring you into God's family, He will be by your side to the end so never lose hope!

" Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6.

Let's Pray:

Father God, 

We come to you in prayer of thankfulness for all that you do. We ask that you help us to remember that you are bigger and stronger than anything we will ever face. That you are facing it with us and not having us face it alone. Teach us to stop and lean on you in all situations not just in troubled times. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

With Love, 

"B"

Drawing Closer to God, Bringing Family Back Together

Life is busy. Life is complex. Everyone is always pushing and pulling to get things done, to run errands, to make dinner and basically just accomplish anything at all. Kids have games and recitals and lessons and often times may feel lost in the shuffle. Husbands and wives forget to make time for each other and start drifting apart. And then we lie awake at night asking ourselves the same question over and over, "How can I do better? How can I help my family come back together?"

I know that many times in my life I feel overwhelmed and find myself at a loss as to how I could possibly pull my head back above the surface. At times it seems that my family is going through the motions of life without really feeling the love that exists. Day after day of screaming and fighting children, losing patience and feeling lonely and exhausted leave me empty and devoid of emotion.

And then it strikes me - when is last time I really prayed to God? When is the last time I really studied the Holy Scriptures? And can these things really help to strengthen the love within my family?

*Pray for them. 

Prayer is something that can be either routine or quick, or deep and heartfelt. The routine and quick kind are the ones most of us probably would admit to doing much of the time. But ask yourself this, when was the last time I got down on my knees in a quiet moment and poured out my heart to God?

Prayer is one of the best ways to start getting out of those overwhelming life modes and can bring a struggling family back together. If you take the time to start having sincere prayers on your own and then make a concerted effort to pray together as a family, the Spirit of the Lord will come into your home and your family will feel it. Praying specifically for certain family members helps them know how much you love and care about their own trails. It often takes time, but God does hear your prayers and will answer them in his own time.

* Study his word.

Studying the scriptures is one of the ways that God answers prayers. If you are praying for your family to be closer and more tightly knit together, the answers you need are waiting in the scriptures. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (KJV Luke 11:9)

*Practice obedience.

Other simple acts of obedience are good ways to draw closer to God and subsequently strengthen the love in your family. Attend church services, visit your neighbors and friends, serve others in need. All these small acts of charity and love will demonstrate what kind of person you are to your family. The spirit of God will be in your heart and help you to be more kind and loving at home. And the others around you will feel the love that you have for them. 

These small acts of obedience to God can sometimes be seen as a way to take away time from your family. But God will bless your family as a reward for your service to him. He will help things be a little easier for your family or give others the opportunity to serve your family. Your family will be blessed for your obedient acts. 

You might be thinking, "That all sounds well and good, but if I don't have time for everything that is already on my plate, how can I possibly fit in time for God?" God is always there. It is always a good time for him to hear your prayers. Pray whenever you might have a moment to yourself, even if it's in the shower or driving in the car. Make a habit of reading at least one verse of scripture each day. These small efforts will be rewarded by continually keeping God's spirit with you, to help guide your daily decisions in all things. And your good decisions will help your family to grow and thrive and come together. 

Let's pray:

Father, 

We know that you are in control of everything. We know that you want and need our families to be close and strong in your word. Help us look to you to gain that closeness and strengthen our family through your grace. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

With Love, 

"B"