Time to come back

I have figured life seems tough without God.  Recently (the last 3 months) I have missed out on church and have not made any effort to have a quiet time each day with God.  Work is very busy, I am constantly tired and have no time for anything apart from sleep and work.  Time is always an issue.  God deserves all of my time and yet I can't find even 10 minutes to sit and be quiet and listen to Him.  I know He has much to say, especially since we haven't talked in 3 months!

God, I'm sorry.

Psalm 81

I hear this most gentle whisper from One

I never guessed would speak to me:

"I took the world off your shoulders,

freed you from a life of hard labor.

You called to me in your pain;

I got you out of a bad place.

I answered you from where the thunder hides."

My minds been all over the place about jobs recently.  Do I apply to bigger centres to help get known, so I have a better chance at applying for the training scheme, or do I stay safe and comfortable in the place I like and not get out the boat.  The boat is warm and comfy, not wet and dangerous.  I figured in the end I would apply, push the doors a little and knock.  Would God open one for me or not, leave it in His hands, and whichever door He opens for me I will walk through with Him accompanying me.

Take every opportunity that God gives us, be persistent and never give up.

I have a job in Waikato from December (doctor changeover time in NZ), it is big and scary but I know He will be there carrying me and supporting me.

Be still and know that I am God.

Destruction

'Out of the depths I cry to you, Oh Lord; Oh Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit.'
Psalm 130:1-4

We don't have to have our lives sorted before we approach God.  He accepts our position, He wants to hear the cry of our heart.

James 5:13-18

Are you hurting?  Pray.  Do you feel great?  Sing.  Are you sick?  Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master.  Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven—healed inside and out.

Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.  The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.  Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't not a drop for three and a half years.  Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did.  The showers came and everything started growing again.

'When things are hidden in the dark they can have a destructive power.  When we bring them to the light, we are set free.'  Something destroying you?  Talk to someone and bring it to the light.

Kicked around by the enemy?

Do you sometimes feel kicked around by the enemy?  Everything seems to be going wrong.  You seem to be losing.  You are experiencing the oppression of the enemy.  But victory rests with the Lord.
Psalm 129:1-4

TRUST GOD TO TURN THINGS AROUND

With trust comes peace and sleep.  'When you have accomplished you daily task, go to sleep in peace; God is awake.'  Victor Hugo.

You Gotta Have Faith!

Hebrews 11:1
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see

Does the mountain move my faith or does my faith move the mountain?!

We are usually one of two ways when it comes to faith in God doing something for us.
1. IF you can do it God please do this.......
2. I KNOW you can God, but WILL you do it for me?

I tend to be the latter.  My head knowledge and past experience of God in my life tells me I know He can, but in this case I'm not sure He will because of this or because of that, I give God an escape route out of the situation so I don't get disappointed when it doesn't happen.  I can just blame it on the fact it wasn't the right time or something.

There is something in my life right now I want God to do.  I believe wholeheartedly God is saying: 'Not just yet, wait, be patient, it WILL happen.'  but there's a constant niggle saying: 'It's not ever going to happen, it could, but it won't'.  I'm trying to listen to God's word and block out the other but it's hard.  The whole world seems to be screaming: 'It's not ever going to happen'  and in the midst is the still small voice: 'Wait, and be still; know I AM God; patience.'

The solution?  How do we get real faith?
1. Immerse ourselves in God's word.  (which I've been missing over the last 3 months!)  immersing ourselves daily builds faith (Romans 10:17)  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
2. Act on God's word.  James 2:26 - Faith without deeds is dead.  Even the Devil believes IN God, he just doesn't act on that belief.

We need faith like Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendigo.  Go ahead and throw us into the fire, Our God WILL save us.

I remember a friend's post a week or so back:

'Maybe you are weary too? This morning I read Jeremiah 17:7 - 8 and rewrote it. 
Blessed are we who know that God won't let us down. Even though we are surrounded by desert wastes, God has planted us beside a stream that never dries out. We are tall and graceful like trees and know we never need to worry, because we are always protected, always fed, always fruitful. 
And may I add ...always loved.'

Take care of yourself and have a good time

'I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'  Jeremiah 29:11

Waiting and trusting go together.  If you don't trust God, it's hard to wait on Him.  But if you trust Him....you'll wait.

Here's what I've decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of what you have for as long as God gives you life...Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty, and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the wok.  It's God's gift!  God deals out joy in the present, the now.  Ecclesiastes 5:18-19

Life is scary sometimes, when you don't know what's round the corner, or something now is happening that isn't great.  I'm moving to Rotorua next week for a new job - to be a registrar.  It's new, really exciting but also scary.  I won't know anyone, the job is not like what I'm doing now - it's a step up so I keep thinking, will I be good enough?  I don't want to leave the comfort of what I've come to know in Blenheim, but also I do - it's new and exciting.

But thinking about it in terms of what God says in the passages above:  Trust me, it's not for harm, it's for good, and for your future, have a good time and make the most of it.  Delight in your work, joy is God given.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.  Colossians 3:23

Tell me what you're thinking!

'God you are my refuge.  I trust in you and I'm safe!  That's right - he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards.  His huge outstretched arms protect you - under them you are perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm.  Fear nothing.'  Psalm 91

I get scared sometimes that at work I'm not clever enough - to remember everything I need to now to treat patients, to have the right words to talk to other doctors, or the patients.  I got very frustrated yesterday because I felt like nobody was talking straight to me.  And I felt like if they just told me straight what they problem was - I could have a chance to fix whatever was wrong.  Instead of dancing around the subject, or being sarcastic (I struggle to pick out sarcasm sometimes and don't realise what the person is saying is actually the opposite).

Paul kept it simple!
'I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy.  I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did - Jesus crucified. I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate - I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it - and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else.  But the Message came through anyway.  God's spirit and God's power did it, which made it clear that you life of faith is a response to God's power, not some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.'  1 Corinthians 2:1-5

What matters is not whether we use 'wise and persuasive words' but the 'demonstration of the Spirit's power.'  We do not need to dress it up with 'eloquence or superior wisdom'.  God 'chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise'.  He 'chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong'.

This is why I love Paul's books - simple and straightforward, no messing around - just like me!

Be who and what God wants you to be

I'm a God-designed, purpose-intended, significant, lavishly-loved, princess-daughter (if you're a bloke read this as prince-son!) of the King of the Universe!

If God did not have need of me, I would not exist.  Someone said this the other day, and it took me a while to actually process what it meant.  It is actually as simple as it seems to be.  I would NOT exist, if God did not NEED me.

'I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom, but I will boast in Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection.'

'We aren't making outrageous claims here.  We're sticking to the limits of what God has set for us.' 2 Corinthians 10:13

'For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master Jesus Christ.  Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns they dictate.  Can't you see the central issue in all this?  It is not what you and I do.  It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life!  All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God - his chosen people.'  Galations 6:14-16

God wants me - who I am, where I am, what I do. Therefore be 'set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns they dictate.'  Do what God wants, not others.

I AM AN ORIGINAL CREATION OF GOD

p.s. Don't you just LOVE Paul's writings?!  I am amazed every time I read his stuff!  He just nails the point every time  =)