POSITIONED FOR PURPOSE

I must say that this past month has included some eye opening experiences for me, and it gives me the opportunity to be transparent in ways that brings me discomfort as well as a surprising peace. With that being said, I will open up and share with you some of what has been going on, and it will explain why this post is later than usual.

First of all, I am a procrastinator by nature. I have had to overcome my natural responses by turning them over to God in prayer and asking Him to deliver me from my fleshly shortcomings. I have been doing well my friends, trying to stay ahead of the game with many aspects of this crazy thing called life. Like this blog for instance, it is programmed to publish every Wednesday at 9am and I have it scheduled at least 3 weeks in advance. Yay me! So far so good, right? Wrong!

I have discovered that delivering the Word of God is not at my convenience, but at His and His alone. I was reminded of the manna given to the Israelites during those 40 years in the wilderness (see Exodus 16:4). Ask for God’s provision and He will provide just enough; and I was getting ahead of myself and ahead of what He wanted me to say. 

Be careful when you call upon God to fill you with the Holy Spirit, because you will be prompted to do, say & write things that are beyond your control. But sometimes you will be told to silence yourself, be still, watch and wait. This brings me back to these eye opening experiences…

So, at the beginning of 2012 I diligently prayed the Jabez Prayer (see 1 Chronicles 4:10), seeking God’s Favor in the moves I was trying to make in life. Before I knew it, God had begun to show out as only He can. I was blessed to start work in a facility that caters to young adults and in one that services the mentally ill. In my prayers for something more meaningful and far reaching, God had positioned me for purpose.

When I say that I have never prayed so much on a job EVER! OMG!!! The facility with the young adults has presented me with challenges beyond any I have experienced working with the mentally ill, go figure! Consequently, my prayer life has so vastly improved that I have to shout right now! Hallelujah, Amen! For the past 18 months on this job, God has used me, favored me, protected me, humored me, tested me, angered me, forgiven me, loved me, fulfilled me, but most of all He has purposed me.

I realize that in all that I do and say, that I may be the only Bible that some people will ever read. They will judge all Christians by what they see in me. And I promise that with all the opposition that I face just showing up at work each day sometimes I just want to quit, because in all honestly I can hustle up some work; I do not have to endure the craziness that I have been experiencing. But I am reminded of Calvary, and I endure because they crucified Christ! I endure because I have not been released from this assignment; I endure because He has positioned me for purpose.

The stories I could tell, would fill a volume of novels. The enemy is busy, and spiritual warfare is alive and prevalent. It is sad when the evil that men do is favored by all. But I thank God that I am covered. I thank God that I am His, because at the end of the day all things work together for the good for those called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28). Righteousness shall prevail, and God gets the final say and the last laugh. 

And I guess that is why I am so tickled right now because my post for today was scheduled to be Returning to Your First Love, which was supposed to be last week’s post. I have been having these AHA moments that are purely spiritual in nature. Last week I was in a conversation with someone about their belief system, which was based on the existence of a higher power, and them being a good person. But what of Jesus? Well this person does not do the church or the Bible thing. So I found myself witnessing to this person, telling them that Jesus is The Way, The Truth and the Life. Only to arrive at a job site and meet a lady who was making copies of her bible study for the week and it was about accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. Yep! John 14:6 was one of the first scriptures listed. So of course I had to write about it.

Now here I am today going against my scheduled post, because I was moved to testify about my journey, to be transparent and reveal more of myself in these weekly posts. Well, I met a young lady on the job. She is beautiful, intelligent, articulate, lively, and an atheist.  Her spiritual revelation was surprising because she has more compassion and intuition than any atheist I've ever met, but her reasoning was steeped in anger, resentment, and disappointment in people. She is a stickler for facts and proof, and the Bible is meaningless because you cannot prove to her that any of it is real. She likes tangibility.

I explained to this young lady that I understood where she is, having been there myself. But what I wanted her to take away from me was realizing that not everything in life is tangible, because how can you prove love? That is what God is to me, love; and a relationship with Him is the ultimate love affair. I also shared that the Bible is not about the how, but the Who. The Word of God is not about religion but relationship. My revelations moved her to tears, and once again I praise God for giving me purpose. Oh, and when I returned to the other job site the bible study lady had another packet for me, a focus on Exodus! And our conversation centered around the Creator, not His creations. The Holy Spirit is awesome!

So I have written all this to share with you that God has given each of us a purpose, and that the test you have today will be a testimony for His Glory tomorrow. So as I move forward in my purposes, I pray that I am able to touch and change lives wherever God leads me; and that as He continues to lead me, He covers me and blesses me that I may be a blessing to others.

Enjoy your day in HIM!

Scripture: But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Exodus 9:16

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for answering my prayers. I thank you for the growth that you have initiated in me. I pray that you will forgive me for any sins I have committed and I thank you for covering me and protecting me from those that seek to destroy what you have given me to share. Please continue to bless me that I might be a blessing to others and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that it is your Word heard and not mine. I thank you and praise you for all that you have been, all that you are and all that you will be in my life and in the lives of those that I touch; and it is in the name of Jesus that I pray! Amen!

Read Exodus 16 to learn more about God's provision.  

THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

I am a good person.

I give to charity.

I do not fornicate. 

I do not cheat people.

I live right.

I do not tell lies.

I would never hurt anyone.

These are some of the things that we tell ourselves over and over again, trying to convince ourselves of our goodness. We justify our actions and think that they should be enough to win God’s favor. Since we do not participate in ungodly behavior, we believe that our salvation should be solidified. However, God says otherwise. The Word of God specifically states I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). Jesus is the sacrificial lamb by which we receive salvation, not by our works or our limited ability to resist temptation.

Many of us claim that we believe in God, or a higher power; but is this enough? Absolutely not! You cannot pray to God, revere Him, and expect to hear Him, except through Jesus Christ. God loves us enough to want eternal life for us in His presence, but sin separates us from that relationship (see Romans 3:23). And thank the Lord that He gave His only Son that we may have eternal life (see John 3:16). 
Redemption and reconciliation is why Jesus conquered sin and death, so that we may be delivered into God’s loving presence. But we must go beyond believing this; we must act upon it by establishing a relationship and receiving Him as our Savior. It is wonderful, because God is waiting for us to draw nearer to Him, longing for us to invite Him in (see Revelation 3:20). And it starts with a prayer, asking and inviting Him into our hearts. If there is a struggle within, then try this prayer and wait for God to respond as only He can. 

Scripture: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Prayer: Father God I call upon you acknowledging that I have fallen short of your glory and I am a sinner. I ask for forgiveness of my sins and that you would come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can dwell in your presence and allow your will to be done in my life. I thank you for sacrificing your only Son so that I am saved from death. You are awesome God, and worthy of all the praise and glory due to you. And it is in the name of Jesus, that I pray. Amen!

Read Romans 7:4-6 for more insight on the death of our sinful nature.

AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Many of us have given our hearts to something that we believe in, whether it is our family, our friends, a relationship, our careers or an idea. Often we are still left wanting more and needing more. No matter what we set our hearts on, it is fruitless unless we include God because some things are meant for Him and Him alone. 

The heart is the center of our emotional and spiritual existence; it is considered the core of our being where our dreams, desires, and passions are born. Out of our hearts come thoughts and actions, which sometimes lead us into sinful behavior. The Bible tells us that above all things, the heart is deceitful and often misunderstood (see Jeremiah 17:9), that is why it must be guarded and protected by righteousness and a connection with an all powerful, all knowing Savior.

In researching this topic to write for today I discovered a piece that articulated the message I was hoping to convey. So please take the time to visit the following link and be blessed as I was to read it.

Man of God, Guard Your Heart!

Scripture: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 NIV

Prayer: Thank you Lord for allowing us to be who we are, for giving us a heart in the first place. Our hearts are where we connect with you most intimately. Forgive us for allowing the enemy to take residence in a place that is reserved for you and you alone. Let our hearts be free from deception. Protect us and fill us with the Holy Spirit so that our hearts are pure and feeding on the ways of righteousness. We praise you for the grace and mercy that you continue to shower upon us, because your love for us is heartfelt and sincere. We love you and honor you with all that we are because of all that you are. We pray these and so many other blessings in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Read Jeremiah 17:5-18 for heartfelt instruction from the Lord and a heartfelt plea unto the Lord!

LEARN TO LET IT GO

We all have been hurt at one time or another by the actions or words of someone we love and/or respect. Maybe it was the mate that cheated, the friend that lied, the parent that is unreliable or the sibling that betrayed a confidence. The wounds can cut deep and sometimes we hold on to feelings of resentment, anger and even vengeance. Some of us hold a grudge; we stay angry and remain affected by the actions of someone far longer than what is reasonable. But how is it unreasonable when it hurts like it does? If holding a grudge is affecting other areas in your life, then it is unreasonable and perhaps it is time to embrace some forgiveness.

Forgiving someone is never really easy, especially if the offense was painful and the offender is someone close. It is much easier to be mad than merciful. But forgiveness is essential; it is an expression of the love and sacrifice of Christ (see Colossians 3:13). God has forgiven all of our sins by the Blood of Christ on Calvary; so who are we to hold grudges against each other when God shows such mercy? We are only human, and for many of us forgiveness is easier said than done.

But dwelling on the situation only makes it worse. If being continuously upset with someone is ruining relationships with others, then it is time to forgive, and the Bible is clear about this (see Hebrews 12:15). Harboring ill-will is a killjoy to peace and happiness; and it is hard to enjoy the blessings in the present when all concentration is focused on the bitterness from a situation that has passed. Holding on to these negative feelings does not represent who we are supposed to be in Christ (see James3:14-15). We give the enemy too much room to work in our lives when we refuse to embrace forgiveness.

But do understand that forgiveness can be a process. For some of us it is easy, we forgive and we move on. But some of us have played the victim for so long that it is hard to detach ourselves from the control we have given that person or situation over our lives. But for the sake of our mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being we must learn to let it go! Once we open ourselves up to the power of forgiveness, there is a sense of peace, some understanding and compassion for the pain that others are experiencing. Learning to let go may be the key to blessings that God has been waiting to bestow; so let go and let Him! 

Scripture: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV

Prayer: Father God, please instill in each of us a renewed sense of purpose in regards to those that have wronged us. Please help us to forgive each other just as you have forgiven each of us. Open our hearts to be healed of all the wrongs inflicted upon us so that we can move forward with purpose, with love, and an unwavering faith in you and your word. Thank you for the grace and mercy that you continue to show us each and every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

  

Read Matthew 18:21-35 to see what Jesus said to Peter about forgiveness.