Friends in Faith:
As I sit here this morning and watch the sun come up, the birds tend the babies in their nest on my porch and the fields begin to turn green with new crops I realize just how much of God’s beauty I miss each day.
And how much God does without me, without my help, without my interference, without my conscious thought and that I only occasionally pray for or give thanks for.
Not only do I overlook the beauty in nature, but I also overlook the gifts that I already have. Gifts that I don’t fully appreciate or use in the ways God intended.
I think about the waste of excess food in our refrigerator or money spent on another t-shirt; the times I took someone for granted; criticized Stan for failing to put a dish in the dishwasher even though he was kind enough to prepare and serve me the food that I just ate; or disregarded a friends thanks.
God has gifted me with food on my table, the talent to be able to work through financial problems, and a loving faith community. Most importantly I am gifted with a spouse who leads me in a Christ centered marriage and extended family who place a high value on remaining connected through “thick or thin.”
In this negative world it is so easy to see the injustices, the immoral choices, the sins of self fulfillment and the lack of respect for family—both by individuals and our government.
Sometimes it seems that spending money is more important than working to help others survive; that fulfilling our own needs and getting our own desires is more important than helping others achieve; or that being fair and equal is more important than doing the charitable works as instructed to us by Jesus.
It seems as if the gifts I have are never quite enough. I seek “more” power, “more” stuff, “more” choices, “more” control and “more” glory.
Yet “I pray that I may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.” And he instructed in just one short reading this weekend:
“Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” 1 Jn 3: 18
Do I act it or do I just speak it?
And the passage went on: “Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth…. for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.” 1 Jn 3: 19-23
Am I keeping his commandments, doing what pleases Him, appreciating his gifts and as sister said, “feeding the right wolf within me?”
And the reading concluded: “Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us.” 1 Jn 3:24
Am I overlooking what God is doing for me and around me every day? Am I overlooking HIS truths in my life? Am I overlooking the true gift—His Spirit within me?
Am I so busy searching for more and doing more, that I am missing the opportunities to say thanks? Am I freely sharing His Spirit by serving without expectation of repayment and with the confidence of faith that He will provide for ALL of our earthly needs and the rewards of heaven?
Heavenly Father, my day is for Your glory. May I never overlook the beauty you have placed in this world. Help me to have confidence that the evil that surrounds us because we are being tested as Christians will be overcome by Your grace and through your love, by your will, not mine. Thank you for the health of my family, for granting us our physical needs and for the love which surrounds us through you. Amen
Christ doesn’t promise power, stuff, choice, control or glory—Christ promised and gave us Himself so that we might live in Him, for Him and with Him—for all of eternity.
Instead of overlooking God, learn to expect that God will provide for us when we trust in Him,
Blessings in faith,
Charlotte
Showing posts with label seeking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seeking. Show all posts
Monday, May 7, 2012
Monday, September 19, 2011
Searching
Women of Faith:
This is a reflection of hope; a hope that I am always encouraged within the encounters of those also searching along a similar journey in their marriage vocations.
It is often how I feel after we spend time preparing for and sharing within our Covenant of Love, date night family as we did last night.
The response is overwhelming humbling. It is the knowledge that we are given so much, yet need so very little. It comes from those who are also searching for the truth. Ready to share, willing to give up everything for each other and yet so like ourselves in their struggles in daily life. Trying to balance love for each other with their own needs; trying to balance family needs with life’s worldly pressures.
I find myself searching for just the right words, to reach just one more person. I find myself searching for just the right answers, for some secret that will fix all the brokenness, not just in the small circle of those closest to us, but in the entire world around us.
And as most answers go, the answer is so close we tend to overlook the most obvious. (I had to look no farther than these readings left open on my computer.)
“With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses…."We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us."” 1 NM 21:4B-9
“Hearken, my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth…they inquired after God again, Remembering that God was their rock, … but they lied to him with their tongues, Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him, nor were they faithful to his covenant. But he, being merciful, forgave their sin and destroyed them not; ...Often he turned back his anger and let none of his wrath be roused. Do not forget the works of the Lord!" PS 78:1BC-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
"Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped…., he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death,… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend." 2 PHIL 2:6-11
“So must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life." For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,but that the world might be saved through him." JN 3:13-17
Heavenly Father: With my patience worn thin, help me to remember that You are my rock. Thank you for forgiving all my sins, for not being angry when I search for something or someone other than Your all merciful truth. Let me bend my knee in prayer, so that I may have eternal life. Thank you for Your never ending merciful, healing, forgiveness. Thank you for sending us Your son so that we might all be saved. Amen.
It is through Him we have hope. It is through Him that our searching will be completed. It is through Him that we are saved.
Seek and you shall find! Forgive and be forgiven! Pray and your prayers will be answered!
Blessings,
Charlotte
This is a reflection of hope; a hope that I am always encouraged within the encounters of those also searching along a similar journey in their marriage vocations.
It is often how I feel after we spend time preparing for and sharing within our Covenant of Love, date night family as we did last night.
The response is overwhelming humbling. It is the knowledge that we are given so much, yet need so very little. It comes from those who are also searching for the truth. Ready to share, willing to give up everything for each other and yet so like ourselves in their struggles in daily life. Trying to balance love for each other with their own needs; trying to balance family needs with life’s worldly pressures.
I find myself searching for just the right words, to reach just one more person. I find myself searching for just the right answers, for some secret that will fix all the brokenness, not just in the small circle of those closest to us, but in the entire world around us.
And as most answers go, the answer is so close we tend to overlook the most obvious. (I had to look no farther than these readings left open on my computer.)
“With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses…."We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us."” 1 NM 21:4B-9
“Hearken, my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth…they inquired after God again, Remembering that God was their rock, … but they lied to him with their tongues, Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him, nor were they faithful to his covenant. But he, being merciful, forgave their sin and destroyed them not; ...Often he turned back his anger and let none of his wrath be roused. Do not forget the works of the Lord!" PS 78:1BC-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
"Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped…., he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death,… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend." 2 PHIL 2:6-11
“So must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life." For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,but that the world might be saved through him." JN 3:13-17
Heavenly Father: With my patience worn thin, help me to remember that You are my rock. Thank you for forgiving all my sins, for not being angry when I search for something or someone other than Your all merciful truth. Let me bend my knee in prayer, so that I may have eternal life. Thank you for Your never ending merciful, healing, forgiveness. Thank you for sending us Your son so that we might all be saved. Amen.
It is through Him we have hope. It is through Him that our searching will be completed. It is through Him that we are saved.
Seek and you shall find! Forgive and be forgiven! Pray and your prayers will be answered!
Blessings,
Charlotte
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