A Time for Everything

It’s easy to long for something else, to be waiting for something to happen. As you do, the time God has placed you in passes away.

3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Our desires for the future eclipse God’s desire for our now. How many opportunity or moments do we miss out because we’re so focused on our future.

Pray today about what in your life you might be passing over in your focus for the future!

Follow His Lead.

Taking steps is scary. Sometimes change is necessary to be able to be used by Him.

Most of the time I find that the things He is calling me to do happen by chance or suddenly!

My sister convinced me to join this company, and I have watched as it is already changing peoples life within a few weeks!

Pray and be led, allow you’re life to be changed by Him! He provides in mysterious ways.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Matthew 6:25-27

Caution in God’s Presence

We’re taught that we can pray anytime, anywhere, and about anything. Maybe we should rethink this a little bit.

I’m not saying to not pray. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing! However, do we go into prayer half hearted and not paying attention?

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
3 A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.” – Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

Imagine if we wanted to talk to God but had to communicate with him through a priest. What if we didn’t have a direct phone line to him?

Do not take for granted that sacredness of going into his presence. Treat it as holy and reverent. Thank God for the immense gift he gave us through the Holy Spirit and remember that whenever you bow your head!

Are You Trying to Move Forward while Ignoring Your Relationship with God?

Read Haggai, both chapters, now. It’ll take no time, and it is worth it.

As you can tell from my last few posts, I’m getting into investing in a career and finances. These are good things, God wants us to be good stewards of our time and money. As I’ve been doing that though, I’ve let it and life in general get in the way of my relationship with God.

I started reading my bible, for the first time in a long time I’ll admit. This was one of the first things I read:

3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,while this house remains a ruin?”

Haggai 1:3

Now obviously God was talking about a physical house in this verse, but we know that the Lord’s temple resides inside us Christians since the Resurrection.

I was instantly convicted. I thought to myself, “The temple of God inside me is crushed right now, in despair. How dare I ignore that, and then try and build up my career and finance as if it’s more important.”

6 You have planted much, but harvested little.You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

Haggai 1:6

When you are trying to invest and build, do not expect anything to succeed if you are ignoring your relationship with God.

Later in Haggai it says this though:

7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LordAlmighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LordAlmighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LordAlmighty.”

Haggai 2:7-9

While everyone strays and gets distracted, God will call you back. He will make it so you cannot ignore him (even if that means making you fail). When we turn back to him, we are promised an even better and stronger relationship with him.

When we think what we have to offer is better than what God does…

Pride is a dangerous thing; and, as I have said many times, one of my biggest struggles. It doesn’t have to do with looks necessarily (you would probably see a lot more selfies if that was the case).

I overstate my own importance in my head. If I have something to say, it’s probably the greatest comment that could be made (hence why I write).

My dreams have to be fulfilled by me, or they’re not worth doing. It also can’t be easy, or others won’t view it as impressive. Lord forbid people think I’m not working hard enough.

Does this ring a bell to anyone? Most people think that pride is connected to looks, but I think the more concerning pride is deeply rooted in society. The pride that tells us we have to be the best, work until we drop, and care what others think.

I was hit hard by 1st Kings 10, where the Queen of Sheba visits Solomon. It says this:

2 She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, 5 the food at his table, his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.

23 King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom. 24 The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

1st Kings 10: 2-5, 23-24

It took her breath away. This was a woman who had probably been surrounded by beauty and wealth her whole life, but something specifically about Solomon took her breath away.

Not only her, but the whole world became infatuated with him.

Well not him, but him as a vessel of God.

Beauty and wisdom are in each of us when we allow ourselves to become temples of the living God. He can use us in ways we can’t even imagine. Our names should inspire awe only because it should point towards our Lord.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own heads with all the things we see and hear in society. It’s easy to be drawn to wicked things when media twists it to be right. I know I’ve wanted to look or act a certain way that would promote myself or body instead of the creator who made it.

If we focus on what the world views as success/fame, it looks good on the outside. It draws our eyes, but will never fulfill us long term or carry on after this short life.

Anxiety, depression, suicide, bulimia, alcoholism, drug usage, jealousy, low self worth. The list could go on and on. They all stem from an incorrect image of who we should be, portrayed to us by society and media.

The Lord has something planned for you. Something way better than what the world tells you you should want. I have to remind myself of that daily when I scroll through Instagram and Facebook.

Pray that the desires of your heart change to be His desires for your life.

Political Division – It’s Not About Sides.

As someone whose been interested in politics for years, I’ve actually stepped back for the past several months. I haven’t posted anything about everything because it’s been hard to make sense of it all.

The thing I like about politics is the debate and the making sense of the other side. Sure, it feels good to win a debate, but there really isn’t a winner when it comes to politics. Both sides exists because there’s truth to both ways of thinking. We have both sides to balance one another, to shed light on issues and concerns that come out of both sides. The most dangerous things right now is the fact that people feel like there’s only one right side when it comes to politics, but in reality the only truth is the gospel. Instead of growing from each other and seeking truth, we’re (society and the church) are become more separated. It’s sad to see people ignore inequality and suffering (of minority groups and children) because they feel they can’t acknowledge it because of their political affiliation. You don’t have to agree with everything one side says (that’s actually really dangerous because humans are fallible). Instead, have conversations with others who don’t think like you, not in the hopes of proving your side but to have a deeper understanding. God isn’t republican or democrat.

“But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.’”- Matthew 12:25

Are We a Temple Fitting of Our King?

“The Lord said that He would dwell in thick darkness.
13 I have indeed built an exalted temple for You,
a place for Your dwelling forever.” 1st Kings 8: 12-13

Solomon built a glorious temple meeting every standard set by the Lord so that He had a dwelling place on Earth.

Since Jesus died for our sins, we have become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

We are so careless with what that means though. If Solomon had everything meeting the exact measurement and descriptions, why do we not care about the things we allow in our bodies and mind?

To me, there is a lack of reverence and knowledge. A lack of realization that we house a part of our God. So this is my prayer for myself and others:

“27 But will God indeed live on earth?
Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You,
much less this temple I have built.
28 Listen[e] to Your servant’s prayer and his petition,
Lord my God,
so that You may hear the cry and the prayer
that Your servant prays before You today,
29 so that Your eyes may watch over this temple night and day,
toward the place where You said:
My name will be there,
and so that You may hear the prayer
that Your servant prays toward this place.
30 Hear the petition of Your servant
and Your people Israel,
which they pray toward this place.
May You hear in Your dwelling place in heaven.
May You hear and forgive.” 1st Kings 8: 27-30

Boldly I Approach

“Blameless now I’m running home, By your blood I come, Welcomed as your own, Into the arms of majesty.”

As I was driving today, this song really hit home.

I’ve been contemplating decisions and praying for certain things to come to fruition in a very passive manner.

As soon I was start to hope for something, I think why would I deserve that when I do x,y,z.

I don’t dare to be bold because I fear rejection. I fear that the sins I’ve committed and continue to commit might mean the Lord will turn his face away from me.

God doesn’t work like that though. If something is part of his plan for our lives, it will come to be. We can still pray fervently and boldly, especially for forgiveness. We can pray for the desires of our heart, and for them to align to His.

Beauty

God has placed beauty on this earth that reflects himself. By looking at the things that are pleasing to the eye or soul, we see a glimpse of who God is if we look carefully.

“8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8

Storms Come, Be Still

”35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”” – Mark 4:35-41

I’ve been gone for a while now. Although it doesn’t feel like such, it’s been over 2 months. Life goes so fast when we don’t pause and appreciate the moments we’re in.

The reason for my absence is the distraction of life. I’ve had a pretty hard adjustment of starting work and school again at the same time, so it’s been overwhelming to say the least. It hasn’t just been a pause in writing though, but of reading my Bible too. While I’ve missed the time I was spending everyday reading and writing, I couldn’t find the energy to start again.

I find myself acting like the disciples, asking God, “Don’t you care if I drown?” All the things of life pressing in on me feel like they could drown and suffocate me. This comes with me having such little faith that He is control of everything, even the wind and waves. The entire time God is trying to tell me, “Be still.”

So here’s a reminder to myself and those in this busy life, “Be still.” Don’t let the enemy distract you with worldly things for we are only temporarily on this earth.