God doesn't have an expiration date on His plans for you

I bent low to pull out the old food containers.  I rolled up my sleeves and sighed.  One of my most dreaded jobs in the home is to clean the refrigerator.  You just never know what's growing in there.    You know what I'm talking about right?  Why is it that some foods taste better the first time and then others just don't reheat the same?  Believe it or not there were some expired condiments from years ago.  Ahem...I said years.

As I was pulling out some older sandwich meat, I was just thinking about how God doesn't have an expiration date.  I was a bit sad that some food didn't get used as I had planned.  And then my mind drifted how we get stuck in those places where we think we have dropped on God's plan list.

When we don't see God working in our lives, we think His greater plans for us have expired.  We see God doing greater things in others, but fail to recognize His hand in our own.  Do we really think that God is going to run out of blessings for us?  

There is a part of us that wish we could expedite the plans of God.  So how do we dispose of man's way of thinking about His plans for us and not inject our own timelines into God's agenda?

Take a deep breath....we must learn run with patience.  We must wait upon the Lord, instead of crossing our arms and tapping our toes at Him.  God has an appointed time for the plans that He has involved us in.  So many of us just give up on the promises of God because we expect God to move and shuffle circumstances around according to our rush.

God is outside of time.

God appoints time, He created it and has planned seasons for everything and for every purpose.  "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

How often do we think that God is only watching the clock to tick off our birthdays, and has forgotten about our dream list.  When you are tempted to think that He has forgotten you, ignored you, and or is simply disappointed with you, that is a lie.  Don't give into that way of thinking.

Dispose of the lies of what you think God isn't doing and believe that His greater things are something to hope for.  Give into what you know about God over what you don't see happening quickly enough.  Every season takes a preparation.  So it if feels like you are taking a new unplanned direction or you feel marginalized or rejected, it's more likely God's protection that is cleaning out His plans for you.

I'll never forget the time, my son-in-law was applying for several pilot jobs with some smaller airlines.  There was one airline that he preferred.  He didn't hear from them right away and he started to think the worst, that he wouldn't get the job.  He felt rejected by the company in their lack of communication.  As it turns out, he didn't get the job.  But a few months later, he read in the news that the company that he was hoping to get hired by was going bankrupt.  He was immediately grateful that the job he wanted so badly didn't work out.  He now flies with a mainline airline that is much bigger than the one he was hoping for.

If you are waiting on something God has promised, remember:
God is outside of time, and your time is coming.

God is working on ALL the details for His glory.  He does everything with attention to detail.
There is service in waiting.
Encourage yourself in the Lord, read some stories of His faithfulness in the Bible.

Learn to wait patiently.  Not like a spoiled child who just wants their way, but like a loving child who can't wait to see what their Daddy has for them.  Don't give up!

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:9).

Remember God has a due season; His plans for you never expire.  

Silent preparation

There are some of you who are asking some big questions of God right now.  

Maybe you have a lot of unanswered prayers like Zechariah and Elizabeth did.  Check out their story in Luke 1.  It's a beautiful telling of God's answer in the middle of their mess.

When we read the wonderful stories of the Bible, especially the pretty story of Christmas we forget that these people are just ordinary people living their lives, regular Janes and Joes doing life, doing the work that God has called them to.  

We forget.  Until we take another look at their story behind the veil of words.  That's just a fancy way of saying, reading between the lines of the unwritten part of their hearts, the parts that the Holy Spirit teaches to your spirit.

I would be unprepared if I ignored the words that weren't written.

We pick up the story in the middle of those days where priests had it all together, and took their turn at living holy lives in the the middle of their doubts, fears, and tears.

Yes, I said tears.

What does that have to do with preparing for Christmas?  Well, I don't know about where you are in this preparing season of Advent but today in the middle of these days, God has some undoing to do.

I just had one of the biggest emotional confessions before a dear friend and God that I've had in a while.  I realized something in my tears.  

One..that our tears sometimes fill in for the silence of our hearts and no matter what, how many or how long, God understands and catches each and every one.

Two...when God calls you to show up to the calling He has given you, there is some preparing that needs to be undone before He can bring new birth into your doing.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were quite the model couple of strength through all these years of service to God.  On this certain day recorded in Luke 1, Zechariah's ministry was at an all time high.  It was his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to offer sweet incense at the altar, laying before a Holy God the concerns of his people.

Zechariah had prayed for this day.  I would venture to guess that he even dreamed about how this day would go down his own prayer journal.  What an honor to pray for the problems and concerns of the people, and that he would have all the right words flowing from his compassionate heart.  His big break came, at last he was before God, and behind the veil of prayers.  

Elizabeth, his strong-supportive-solid-prayer-warrior-rock, was on the sidelines praying too.  With confidence, he enters the secret place of the temple, prepared with just the right gumption in his heart.

I haven't even addressed the unspoken needs relating to Elizabeth's barren state that might have been on the forefront of Zechariah's heart.  Think about this, if you knew you were going to meet God with your most raw and open prayers, knowing by the public approval that your prayers would be heard by a Holy God, be honest, wouldn't you say a little prayer for your deepest need too?

Or is that just me?

Zechariah was unprepared for what was about to happen.  Something holy occurred as the cloud of incense made way for an angel.  The holy host brought the element of surprise and alarm to his mix of utterances.  Zechariah's response was captured in words of "deep emotions." 

Is it just me or does the suggestion of deep emotions not evoke the presence of tears?  Face to face with a holy messenger would certainly bring a heart felt wave of emotions, including tears.  

Even though Zechariah was a priest, please don't tell me he never cried.  Pastors aren't machines with cold hearts that never cry.  Haven't you ever cried when you were afraid?  Or confused? or bewildered? 

Here the man was going into the Silence to pray some of the most heart felt prayers of his life, and before he could get every request out through his simple words, he was face to face with God, the Giver of all words and emotions.

What could have prepared him for that?

"Fear Not!"  "Why do we fear the worst from God, when he loves us completely and always gives us what is best."  ~Liz Curtis Higgs. 

And...."why are we so eager to pray away the very life circumstances that teach us the most about who God is?" ~ from my unspoken place.

The angel then proceeds to make a holy delivery of good news, the-once-in-a-life-time-prepare-your-world-to-be-rocked-to-the-core good news.  "Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John." ~ Luke 1:13

Blinking, without words, Zechariah gasps, his very breath is stolen before he could get to his request on the list.  His eyes were brimful of tears by this time, with shock and awe in his heart.  Then the angel goes on to describe all the awesome and life impacting ministry that God would soon birth.

"He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  There's that "word" again...prepare....for the Lord's work.

Which brings us back to this ordained time behind the veil.  What is God preparing you to do?  That's the good news of Advent, that God prepares our hearts to receive Him.  Some of you, you need to admit it for the first time, and you know by reading this, that's it's time that you accept Jesus as your Savior.  

Let this preparation time in this Christmas season begin with the gift of salvation.  The rest of you...what is God calling you to now?  And how are you preparing your unspoken parts of your heart for more room for the Savior to work during this Christmas season?

And these are the hard life questions that I am also asking myself, those unspoken parts, the exciting parts of where I need God on a daily basis, to undo what has been done to be all that He wants to do, in me and through me.

The season of preparation looks different for each of us.  But might I write a little hope for you?  When you pray for God's wholeness in this season of preparation, give Him room to work His wholeness in this Christmas season.

God want's to do some incredible preparations through your undoing, your broken relationships, your messes, the whatever need in your life that will speak to the unspoken parts of someone else.  God is a God of His words and He holds our hearts.  

He is the Hope for the broken world we are in the middle of.

God has heard your prayers, He has not tarried in answering them.  In this time of advent, as we prepare for the celebration of the Savior's birth, may we all gather in our prayers, our hearts, our tears, and our belief in the miracle of Christmas.  In the miracle of the birth of Christ as a tiny baby, who came to earth as a gift of God's grace, to bring a hope and healing to our hearts and our hurts, to our lives.

God promises hope in this time of preparation.  Receive it with graceful silence and awestruck wonder.  

Let Heaven and nature sing...

My prayer:  Oh God, helps us see the wonder of your miracle birth, Jesus, in this time of preparation, to bring hope alive in our hearts and hurts, again.  Remind us of the wonderful story of your Words.  And in the silent nights, the lonely hours, the dark times of our problems, God may you meet us here with the hope of Jesus.  Each and every time.  Today.  Tomorrow, and for all eternity. Lord, Jesus come.

Let Heaven and nature sing in our broken and unspoken places.

Cross your fingers

When thinking about adventures in faith, taking next steps without clear direction or guidance seems risky. Am I the only one who likes to have God’s plan marked out in sharpie on a triplicate hard copy for all parties involved?

Hmm…I thought so.

There are no guarantees of a neat tidy journey wrapped up with pink bows and rainbows. Without clear direction from God, I hesitate to plug the next steps of this leg of my journey into the GPS on my phone. It seems risky most days.

There are some days I just can’t put my finger on why my resolve seems weak.

However, there is something I can put my finger on, and that puts strength to my faith in God.

God’s promises.

1 Chronicles 17:23-24 says, “And now, Lord, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you promised, so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever.”

What a completely beautiful proclamation to put your finger on. This gives us something to stand on….the promises of God.

Forever.

God’s promises stand forever. They stand the test of time. They stand strong, relentless, consistent and constant. God promises bind our relationship to His heart.

God’s promises can’t be broken.

God’s promises are worthy of forever, because it’s God’s name is on the line. His Holy Name.

Standing on God’s promises requires no stress, no anxiety, no worry, nor wrestling.

God’s promises are something that you can sink into and plant a deep faith in. God has never broken a single promise to one of His trusting children.

God promises are kept by His Holy character, His righteousness, justice, mercy and goodness.

He is not in the business of passing out rumors or false statements, maybe’s, or conditional possibilities.

If God has promised it you can believe it.

Every time I read the Bible of God’s promises that are promises fulfilled I am encouraged and it puts God’s footprint on the promises that He has given to me. What I know about God so far on this faith journey is that He did not break his word to the faithful when His finger shut the door of the ark or when He wrote His truth on two tablets.

So this present day, I can put my finger on His faithful, abiding and unbreakable promises. Forever.

God doesn’t break His word. No fingers crossed for the future. He promises you.

What God promises are you claiming?

Red Carpet Rest

It's special day to find a hand-written note of any kind in your postal mail box.  When you get an invitation to a party or a celebration that is delightful.  It means someone thought of you and wants to include you in their special celebration.  Your name is on someone's invitation list.

Did you know your name is also on God's invitation list?  In fact, Jesus rolled out the red carpet for you.  

Matthew 11:28  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Will you celebrate this special invitation?....."Come".  Jesus spoke an invitation to His disciples, and to you.

God invites us to come into His presence as He waits and watches our journey toward Home.  Come...with your tired and worn self barely making it over the threshold, all weary and dragging your heavy heart.  

Come to His loving arms and load up on His Rest.

If you come...God promises rest.  I don't know about you but there are some days where I need physical rest.  But daily I need a spiritual rest too.  This life is full of burdens on a hourly basis.  And honestly, it can wear a little soul out.

But Jesus....promises that when I come to Him, He will give me Rest.

In one invitation...His gentle hand is extended.

He softly calls please come...

And in one endearing grip, he exchanges my soul heaviness for His rest.

Jesus rolls out the red carpet to you as He already knows your burdens.  He knows what's on our heavy hearts and He is waiting for us to accept simple His invitation to be honest in our tears, bold in approach and to rest in His lavish love for us.

His rest invitation brings heart change and transformation.

That's Perfect Rest.  Peaceful Rest.  Promised Rest.  Rest.  

The Red Carpet Rest line starts here....what are you waiting for?  Think about how special this is.  We serve a God who not only listens to us our weary worries, but invites us to cry out to Him any time of the day.  He never closes His ears to our need.  He doesn't tune out.  His eyes don't glaze over with our deep needs or problems.  His heart doesn't wear out from our repeated requests.  His love doesn't grow thin.  He is not stingy with His comfort and peace.  

God invites you.  Come.  Celebrate.

Receive His rest.  

I Want to Say No to Change

Anything worth doing is hard.

There are times in life where God calls us to do hard things.  I am not writing to define what your hard things are.  I know that life is full of hard things.

Peter, of Jesus' disciples,  had to do a hard thing just fifty days after he denied Jesus.  

It seemed easy for him that day.

On the day of Pentecost he did a hard thing.  

He stood up.

He raised his voice.

He addressed the crowd.

Where was the timid and fear-filled Peter of fifty days ago?  Did he come out of hiding once the enemy authorities retreated?

Did Peter stand up by himself?  Read Acts 2:14.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said no.  He said, "Not this time!"  Peter took a stand and said no to fear.

When you think about it....fear is what gets in the way of change.  Fear paralyzes.  Fear captures our hearts into thinking we can't change.  Fear binds our minds into longing for easy things.

Every day presents opportunities to do hard things.  And every day brings opportunities to change.  The problem is that we are sold out to comfort, fear, and our failures.

I think I can't change, and fear loves to remind me of my failures.  

Today, I am standing up and telling fear in the face that I will not be devoted to it anymore.

To make changes, you have to do just that.  Do hard things.  We want what comes easy.  

We want comfort, we want things our way.  

We want what is comfortable.  

I want to say "no" to wanting.  I want to change to make the hard things the way things are. 

Will anyone stand up with me?  

I promise I will fail you.  I promise to be devoted to truth.  I promise that fear will come.  But when...

....fear comes, when failures remind me that I am not perfect, when hard things have to be done, I will stand.

Standing up for truth and righteousness is the highest calling.  I want to be like Peter in the hard days, in my weak days.  In my weekdays.  

I want to say "no" to wanting the easy life.  I want to say "no" to doing things the easy way.  

I want to live this life that is brimming with fearful opportunities with boldness.  Like Peter.

On that one day, he stood.  I am standing on the promises of God.

It's a hard thing but may I always say yes to it.  Always.  Even when.... I want to give up on change. 

Five Minute Friday - Promise

Pinky Promise

"I promise."  We casually use this word in our conversations in making a agreement that either we intend to keep or not.  It adds emphasis that we are serious about following through.  Be careful what you promise people.  Promise means to give your word and people will be counting on you.  


Your word is important, that is if you want people to believe you.   God gives us His word chocked full of promises that we can believe.  There should be no doubt when comes to believing that he will do what He said He would do.  


How do I know?  Jesus predicted his death and his resurrection.  Jesus died on the cross for all humanity.  So the reality of his resurrection brings truth and promise that He is a man of his word.  Believe it.  


God's promises are true.  God has given us His son Jesus to prove it!  

Five Minute Friday - Forgive

Please forgive me.  Sometimes I talk too much.  And sometimes I talk with my outside voice inside.    


Forgive me for talking from my heart.  I meet with God often to align mine with His.  


Please forgive me when I my tears are so close to the surface.


Forgive me for making promises I can't keep.  


Please forgive me when I tend over-commit my helping just a bit.  


How about when I failed and disappointed you?  Will you forgive me then?  


And yes....I tend to over-apologize, forgive me for that too.

Please forgive me when I don't have the godly attitude that I should, and it doesn't reflect in all my actions and decisions.  I am just one who needs God's grace and forgiveness on a daily basis. On my best day I need God's grace...on my worst day I need the same measure. 

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ~ Ephesians 4:32

Forgive as you have been forgiven.  Limitless and endless...mercy and grace at it's finest moments....forgiveness.  Jesus demonstrated true love and took our sins to the cross.  His death is the penalty for them all...and when we repent and confess, Jesus forgives.

God I am so thankful God gives forgiveness so freely.


"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." ~ C.S. Lewis

Desert Days

We all have specific seasons that we journey through. Mine seems to be one of dryness... like a desert.  Have you ever felt that way?  


From my prayer journal...


"I yearn for your answers God.  You know my prayers, my hopes, dreams and desires. I long for Your promises to be complete. Sometimes the waiting period seems unbearable.  God your will seems cloudy or unclear. The waiting seems excruciatingly endless."


Perhaps your desire is for your broken marriage to be restored, your rebellious teenager to return or a family member's health to be healed. Maybe you are waiting for the right person to be your soul mate.  You wait. You pray. You wait some more.


The Bible is full of people who waited. Godly people like Abraham and Sarah waited. They had to wait till they were old to have their first child. Joseph was sold as a slave by his own brothers, only to end up in prison for years before his promise of authority became a reality in his life. Why did God make them wait? Why does God allow us to wait?


There can be long periods of waiting for us all in our different situations and circumstances. And in those waiting times our faith is put to the test. I know I get impatient and sometimes doubt. However, I am learning, that in the waiting, there is joy in this journey. Yes, it's possible to be happy in this waiting room we are in.  While waiting I am learning more about who God is.  


Ps. 119:123-124, "My eyes strain to see your deliverance, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled. I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love, and teach me your principles."


One day in frustration I actually cried out loud to God..."I am out of prayers!"  What I really meant was I am out of words.  I have prayed circles around some of my concerns. I know that God has heard me, and as I dried my tears, my course of action was clear.  

I must have blind faith in His time.  

My need to wait overrides my need to understand.

My need to control takes a back seat to His omnipotence.  

My need to understand is overshadowed by His peace.

My next step is illuminated as I surrender to full trust.

My need to feel complete is waived as He weaves a beautiful tapestry.    

As my eyes strain to see His promise, I have hope and joy as I wait to see His plans unfold. My raw dependence on His strength carries me through. 

Dear God... perfect your faith in me no matter...how long it takes.  

Have you had to wait on God for a specific answer to prayer?  What did you learn in your waiting?