Sunday, March 16, 2008

Food for thought

Here again is another post that I hope will be a blessing to you! :) I was reading yet again out of my devotional and came across these words,



"Behold, I say to you,
This is the way. Walk in it.
I am the Way.
Walk in Me.
I am the Truth. Believe Me(trust in Me.)
I am the Life. Live in Me, and share My life with others.

For you know not what I do now,

but you will know hereafter.

(Now we see in a glass darkly, but then, face-to-face. Now our grasp

of the ways of God is incomplete, but as we move on, we

come to understand what He has been endeavoring to do in our lives.)

Rejoice.

Rejoice not so much in victories as in the fact that I am leading.

Praise Me.

Not so much for My blessings as for My love that prompts them.

Serve Me with gladness,

not for the ultimate nor present reward,

but for the thrill of knowing that we labor together;
that I stand beside you in every enterprise, however trivial."


Reading this today as part of my devotions really challenged my thinking. :) Here it is saying that the Lord desires our praise, service, and calls us to rejoice in ways that would not naturally come easy for us. He calls us to rejoice in Him for His greatness whether we see it or not in our time of tribulation and struggle. He desires praise for more then that of His blessings though He loves to give and desires us to have them. And finally serve Him knowing that He is walking next to you every step of the way rather than focusing on the possibility of the reward to follow your great endeavor or achievement. :)

God is a simple God. It is in our desire of full comprehension of who He is, our expectations, and thoughts of impossibles that He, undesirably, is put in a "box." Sometimes, we feel as though we need to change Him in order that the situation around us can be changed when in actuality, He desires to use the "situation" to change us and draw us closer to Him. He sees the ultimate purpose for trials and tribulations in our life and therefore, desires us to "be" so that He will "do."

God has great plans for each and everyone of us! :) It is until we choose to let go of fear, step aside and let Him work, that He can accomplish His great work and unfold that which is in store!

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" -Hebrews 13:20-21

4 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Feeny Family said...

Hi Elizabeth!
Great thoughts and words of encouragement!:-) What a good reminder to realize that God uses situations in our live to change us for His glory.:-)
(I love that quote that you used at the beginning.:->)
~Meagan

Hanley Family said...

Thank you for the beautiful thoughts and words of encouragement this morning!

Whitney Hall said...

You, my dear, are such an inspiration to me. Thanks for posting such encouraging thoughts.