GREAT is our GOD

"For great is The Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods."

~1 Chronicles 16:25

There's nothing like the presence of God in your life to make you realize that everything else you put attention to is really worthless.  But how often do we give attention to God and his greatness?  I know for me,  I sometimes go through a whole day and give attention to everything but God.  I realize I am making idols of other things when I make my life about them and not about Him.  Sadly then, I miss out on the most exciting part about living…the greatness of God.

If you're at all like me, then the question is what we do?  I believe the answer is we do what King David did in 1 Chronicles 15 and 16.  He planned, prepared, placed, and worshipped.

1. Plan.  Have a plan of when and how you're going to take time each day for God.  
2. Prepare.  Prepare for that time with God by praying, gathering the things you need such as a bible, a notebook or journal, pens and pencils, etc.; and  prepare by setting up a place whether inside or outside your home to have that quality time with God.
3. Place.  Place yourself in God's presence during that time by acknowledging who He is, what He has done for you, what He expects of you, and who you are in Him.  
4. Praise.  I believe the more we worship God, the more he wants to show us his greatness.  Therefore, worship Him in that time. Great is our God!  He is worthy of praise!

I know I have to work more at making God the center of my life.  I know that I want my life to be about Him .  I pray that beginning with these four steps, idols will be removed and God will be where He belongs in my heart.  I pray, also, for you.

THaNksGiviNG Thursday...It Is Well

"It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night."

Psalm 92:1-2

I am deeply thankful for worship music.  It is what inspires me to be in the right mindset, it motivates me, it uplifts and encourages me, it brings me peace, and it gives me reason to give thanks and praise to God for all He has done and even what He has not done in my life.  If there's something you're in need of right now, turn on some worship music.  Let the Spirit fill you and guide you.  Most importantly, if anything, allow yourself to simply worship the Lord.  He is worthy of it.  

To give you a place to start, here is Kristene DiMarco & Bethel Music with "It is Well"... 

May God keep you always in His perfect peace.

Directed Steps

"A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?"

~Proverbs 20:24

When my friend Amy and I got off the plane and through customs at the San Jose del Cabo airport in Baja California Mexico, we didn't know what to expect.  We just knew we had to find the exit and a ride to our resort.  We had gone through our last checkpoint and started walking only to realize we did not know where we were going.  There weren't any signs.  

We entered a section of the airport that I would name, if given the opportunity, "Beware: White Overload and Vultures."  This was the only way to go.  So signs or not, we were heading in the right direction.  The "vultures" were timeshare salesmen and women.  They were lined up in a row (behind the counters and in front of them) on either side of us from the moment we stepped into this section until the moment we actually exited out of the doors of the airport, and everything was white.  The walls, the floors, the counters were all white, and, again, there were zero signs to give direction or explanation.  It was all overwhelming and intimidating to say the least.

It's so easy to feel lost and confused without direction.  Satan stands by and waits to devour us at our most vulnerable moments.  Meanwhile, God is there already at work directing our steps.  He's just waiting for us to follow Him.  Sometimes we hesitate because we are unsure about where He's taking us.  Sometimes we refuse because we are afraid.  Sometimes we decide to go our own way because then we at least know and understand and have control over the direction we are heading.  But if we were to let go of the need to understand, face our fears, and step out on faith to follow God, then we would discover a life worth living for and many beautiful things we wouldn't have otherwise experienced.  

Amy and I did make out of the airport and safely to our resort.  God put the right people in our path to help us, including one of the "vultures" who set us up for a shuttle ride and who failed to win us over with his sales pitch. We had an amazing time in Cabo, and I know that if I were to fly there again, I would be so much more confident walking through the "White Overload and Vultures" section.  My advice to you is to not let uncertainty, fear, or confusion to keep you from following God's plans for you.  He is good.  All the time.  Trust Him and see where He takes you!

Truth.Love.Hope.

Here’s the truth.  I love deeply.  I’m not ashamed until I’m shamed, and when you love deeply, the wounds are deeper when your love is rejected.  It’s hard to recover from such wounds.  It feels some days like they’ll never heal.  But I don’t lose hope. 

Hope has been my one constant friend.  Hope has wrapped its arms around me in the deepest despairing moments of my life.  Hope has shone its brilliant light in the darkest corners.  Hope hands me the key to unlocking the courage to love once more. 

Thankfully, we all have a God who loves deeply.  Not only that, He is Hope.  He is a healer of wounds.  He binds up the brokenhearted.  He fills in those deep, hidden places with His love where human love cannot reach. He gives us the power, acceptance, and affirmation we need to feel strong, secure, and worthy. 

There’s someone out there who needs my deep love and who will return it just as deeply.  There’s someone who won’t be afraid of this kind of love because it takes only the bravest of souls.  There’s someone who won’t hold back, who will take risks, and who will not be ashamed to love deeply. There is someone.  I know it.  I have Hope.

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

~Romans 5:5

Failure Impossible

 "For no word from God will ever fail." 

~Luke 1:37

It is impossible for God to fail. (Hallelujah!)  What He promises, He gives.  What we fail to do is remember and trust.  We search for ways to make His word work for us.  We use Him like a wish-granting genie.  We fit Him into our lives only when it's convenient.  We fail time and time again to make God "God" over us.  And yet, He waits.  He waits to fulfill His promises to us.  He waits to show us His everlasting love.  He waits to prove to us that while we might fail, He never does.  

What we can do and should do is wait on Him.  He is everything we need.  He is good.  He is love.  He is.  

Therefore, wait.  "For no word from God will ever fail" (Luke 1:37).  So while you wait, read His Word and BELIEVE. TRUST. OBEY. Good things really do come to those who wait.