Thank you so much for all the prayers and get well wishes for my daughter. She is still recovering, but for the most part all went well. I appreciate your calls to heaven on our behalf. May GOD richly bless each of you for your prayers. As the scripture says in James 5: 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
Tonight I am reminded of an old hymn I learned a long time ago called "Just one Step at a Time".
Here are some of the words with my thoughts in blue:
The future veiled before us lies... the path is hidden from our eyes... and JESUS leads, while faith he tries, just one step at a time...
chorus: Just one step at a time... just one step at a time... that's the way He leads to glory... just one step at a time
If we were able to see the entire future, it would probably be so scary to us that we would never get out of bed. GOD is merciful to us in that HE handles us on a need to know basis. Think of it this way... do we tell our children everything when we make a decision concerning them? Do our employers tell us everything about the reasons or results of our work?
We must remember that GOD is our FATHER. HE is Abba and with respect, FATHER knows best. We need to accept this fact and move on in our lives. We must continue to trust HIM and learn to be more like HIM as we go through this life. If HE is our FATHER, we will be in HIS presence forever. Forever HE will be the guardian of all that HE has made us to be. HE desires that we trust HIM in this life and that we obey HIM. In order to do either of these things we must know HIM. We know HIM better when we study. We know HIM better when we fellowship with believers. We know HIM better when we love others. We know HIM better when we try to be like HIM.
The older that I get the more I realize that I've wasted so much richness in time. There was a time that I poured myself so fully into my work that little else mattered. Looking back, it was nothing more than an escape for me. Years ago, I didn't get involved in drugs or alcohol like many of my friends did. When I was a teen, some of my friends lost their lives because of drinking and driving or because of suicide. My path turned out differently. I didn't do drugs or alcohol, but I sought ways to escape just like my friends who used drugs and alcohol.
My work preoccupied me so that I didn't have to think or feel about anything but my work. My work gave me purpose. My work was at that time, my god. My work robbed me of my family in many ways. Don't drugs and alcohol rob those who indulge in them of their families, friends and finances?
My work was even more important than I was to myself. In this I mean that working at all hours is as bad as partying at all hours. Everyone's body needs rest to repair itself. Where was my rest when I was up at all hours? Now, that I'm older I really believe that many of my medical problems today are due to mistreating my body when I was younger. By the way, old habits are very hard to break, if you know what I mean. So if you are young and reading this, don't get caught in this trap! Yes, work is important. But, if all of your waking hours are on the job either mentally or physically then your body will not cooperate with the overload. It is like a car running without oil. You can get a new car, but a new body... think about it...
When I look at scripture I think of its many biblical characters. Their relationship to GOD was on a need to know basis. The only one that fully knew what would happen before it happened was JESUS HIMSELF. The only thing that I find that HE didn't know was the hour that Abba FATHER would send HIM back to earth to redeem HIS own from the destruction to come.
Look at Adam and Eve, GOD gave him dominion over the earth. GOD didn't tell them that satan would come in and trick Eve. GOD didn't tell them that they would be banished from the garden for disobedience. GOD only told them to obey. HE gave them everything but one thing and that one thing got them in this world of trouble! One man's disobedience brought sin into the world for all of us. Sin is the reason that there is death and decay. Sin is the reason for pain and sorrow. Sin was born in disobedience. We need to stop blaming GOD for our own disobedience because many times it is our choices that dictate the next stage of decay, pain and sorrow.
Look at Moses, GOD gave Moses power in the midst of Egypt to rescue HIS people. It was not Moses who was their salvation. It was GOD. How many of us hear that Moses was the reason the Hebrew slaves were set free? No, it was GOD who used Moses and he was a willing participant. Even JESUS has to explain that Moses was an instrument. But did God tell Moses about the forty years in the wilderness? Would Moses have obeyed if he had known? Do you remember that Moses even questioned GOD in using him at first? The story of the exodus shows time and again what happens when disobedience enters GOD's plan. You must read it to find out even more.
We are all on a need to know basis. We can study and understand perhaps the way GOD is leading us, but sometimes HE totally surprises us in the valleys and on the mountain tops. We cannot second guess GOD's plan and purpose. But we can know that all things work together for good to those that love HIM... Romans 8:26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together* for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
So we are not to lose heart and we are to continue to serve HIM to the best of our ability daily. When we recognize we are are weak without HIM, HIS strength makes us strong in HIM. 2 Corinthians 12: 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I cannot change my past, but I can learn from it for myself and try to help others learn from my mistakes. Live your life full and free in JESUS. HE is the only way in this world to the next...
Just one step at a time... just one step at a time... that's the way He leads to glory... just one step at a time
GOD bless you on your journey...
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