God Speaks

It is amazing how God speaks to us. He sends us messages through scripture if we only will listen and commit to meditating on his word.

Throughout the past few years, I have heard the same message in my mind from God. “Be patient. Let him be. He will see.”

I asked God over and over again to take away the wrath that I was going through. In August of 2017, on a plane, flying back from Nashville, I heard and clear and resounding “NO”. It was disconcerting to hear that no from him. I didn’t understand it. I had done everything my parents and asked of me, gotten a good job, left the house and Started my career early. Found a man, got married. I was faithful. I was loyal-gave him everything I had. Money, love, my time, my intellect. Despite that, I was not good enough.

Why, when I had tried to make it work, was God going to let me struggle? It made no sense.

However, God has told me over and over – be patient. Don’t let them change you. Let me be the one to make the way. You don’t understand.

This morning, I read a devotional about Lot’s wife. The woman who turned to a pillar of salt when she looked back at the burning Sodom. God had given specific instructions to not look back. He was rescuing the family from this place and he didn’t want them to have one foot in both places. He wanted them to be completely devoted to him. Sodom was a place Wroght with greed and lust. I can’t resist making comparisons to the world we are living in today.

Lot’s wife looked back-she didn’t want to lose the life she had and then she lost it. But Lot wasn’t innocent. What I find amazing is that the VERY day that I read that devotional in the morning, I received a book, from my church, written by a Catholic Bishop, who talked about the SAME story!

Can you believe it? This cannot be coincidental. God must want me to get a message here. In the book, he talks about how lot offered up his daughters to protect the three angels from being raped by the men of Sodom. Not really a good choice to make.

God’s purpose is completely opposite of this. And the Bible shows this because the angels came and struck those men from Sodom blind.

My point here is this-both of the spots in which I read this message were read in either a book or a devotional by a catholic bishop or Deacon. The very church that I left for almost 15 years due to the very idea of sexual immorality. However, the church is willing to admit it’s wrongdoings and work to fix them.

I ask this question of myself and others: are we willing to admit our own mistakes, repent, turn to God, and never look back?

Heartbroken

Recent events have left me heartbroken. Confused.

The Bible told me certain things that don’t seem to be happening on my timetable. After talks with a very kind man, who died in 2014, I came to believe in the following:

“Trust in The Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways-acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths”-Proverbs 3:5-6

I just don’t understand. Did I not trust enough? Did I not listen enough? Because about 5 years ago, just after he died, just after my life seemed to be fitting into place, it shattered. A final horrible shatter. Causing aftershocks lasting until today.

I tried so hard to get it back on the right path. But it just seemed that the harder I tried, the harder others worked to take me down.

So then why the following statements in the Bible? Are they actually real?

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”

Do NOT WORRY;

Matthew 6:33 “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”

Matthew 10:38 “whoever does not take up there cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it”.

I gotta tell you-I am so confused. I don’t know if I did the right thing or not, but I lost the ability to have two most important things in my life under my roof a significant portion of the time and I feel like a complete and utter failure. Worse yet-I have struggled the last few days feeling like God failed me.

However, I want you to understand that you need to read to the end. This post will be happy. After all-life is full of ups and downs, right? And God never promised that our life would end up exactly how WE wanted. It will end up how HE wants it to end up.

These are the final instructions from Paul in 1 Thessalonians 16:

“Rejoice Always, 17Pray Continuously, 18Give Thanks In ALL CIRCUMSTANCES: for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Paul to the Philippians:

“Rejoice in the Lord Always. I will say it again: Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which trancends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus”

No Longer Controlled

What causes fear?

The threat of loss.

Loss of money.

Loss of children.

Loss of job.

Loss of husband.

Loss of house.

Loss of friends.

Loss of family.

Loss of dignity.

I have a secret to tell you.

You don’t have to fear. There is nothing to lose because God has already written your book. The devil wants you to believe that he hasn’t. However, Colossians 17 says this:

“He is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

I was three years old when my new husband was given this New Testament Bible.

Quite perfect for a blog such as this, don’t you think?