October 15, 2012

Good morning all-

I hope you woke up to a beautiful morning and are ready to spend some time with the Lord.  With every day comes a new dawn and with that dawn comes hope.  I can remember days that I didn't believe that, when I woke and thought there should be no tomorrow.  But then, God revealed Himself to  me.  He promised me a bright future full of Him.  He told me that He would walk beside me and that He would never leave me.  He taught me that faith comes from walking one step at a time and that when I'm obedient, I'm blessed.  What a wonderful God I serve!

I'm off to work again today asking God to go before me.  Do you ever do that?  I stole it from my friend who has suffered from losing her hair.  She would say before every doctors visit, "go before me" and although she didn't always get the answers she wanted, Christ did go before her.  There's something about letting go and letting God lead that I so desire.  I'm always making decisions, praying for direction and then implementing that direction.  Often, I do it right and then other times I completely go the wrong direction.  This year has taught me many things but the biggest lesson is in letting go and seeing what God is going to do.

For once, I know that I have no control.  I know that I don't deserve to be in God's presence and yet, He lets me in.  I have found that writing and praying has brought me closer to the Lord.  Maybe that's why I have finally given up a lot of what I believed I had control of.  I know assuredly now that I have no control.  My marriage, my children, my job all depend on God going before me.  I can't see the future but I do know that God can.  So for today, I take life one step at a time.  I put one foot in front of the other and I ask Christ to go before me.  I love to control so this is a very hard thing for me to do.  But there is freedom in walking and having God lead me on my path.  If you haven't tried it, I suggest you do.  Often, I have found that His path is the right path and the path I would have chosen was definitely off course.

My pastor has been on the series of spiritual warfare and yesterday he had a woman talk about her past, none of which she could control.  It was full of abuse both physically and mentally.  A relative had raped her and her parents didn't believe.  She didn't know anything different until she left home and moved.  During her first years away, God was steering her toward forgiveness.  She spoke of how long the journey was and that it began with one step at a time.  Over time, she learned to forgive her parents, her abuser and her situation.  Christ pierced her heart.  He gave her a husband that stuck by her and loved her over many tumultuous years.  She said, "she is not alone."  Many are like her and that God can save.  I listened intently as I found myself thinking about it.  Her path to healing was long but there was victory.  Every step of the way she had to say, "Christ go before me."  She didn't even know how to take a step without Him by her side.

We must come to a place where we realize that Christ died for us.  He took our sins and those of the people around us on His back.  He wore them on His hands and feet.  He died so that we would have life.  Our path is set, will we follow is the question.  As each one is called, will we sit still or ask Christ to go before us?  For me, I continue to take one step at a time.  I don't always do it right but I know that as long as I'm walking, He will lead. Be well my sisters and ask Christ to go before you today, who knows what blessing you will receive.

Isaiah 53: 6 NKJV:

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:10 NKJV:

Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Lord.  He was told that we were all like sheep gone astray.  No man or woman is perfect, we are flawed with the taint of sin.  But as God reveals Himself to us, we will see His hand.  I profess that I am far from perfect, I am flawed but I love our Lord.  My heart has been captured and bought for a price.  It is by His blood I am healed.  May the Lord guide you and show you today the gift He gave you.

My prayer today,

O, Lord, we are Your sheep wandering all over the world.  You are calling us from every nation and every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord.  Please grant us Your peace and show us Your ways.  So often, we are a disappointment.  Thank goodness we can't earn our way to You.  Works will not get us in front of You, only You can choose us and then we must follow.  I thank You for loving me through my good days and my bad.  I thank you for granting the hurting people the ability to walk beside YOU.  Thank you for making people like Joy brave enough to tell their story and to reveal in words what You did for her life.  Like her, I have a story.  So does every women reading this blog.  It's their story with You.  Please help us put our stories together for the glory of You!  We desire to be in Your presence and to help those that are hurting.  You took our transgressions so that we could be Yours.  I am weak but You are strong.  I need You more than You will ever need me and yet, You chose me anyway.  I come before You, a humble servant asking for You to grant me the ability to speak to Your people.  Help each woman reading this blog to be strong followers in You.  They won't be able to do it in their strength, so give them Yours.  Your power and might are worthy to be praised.  Lead women to us Lord and make us bold, give us peace and help us be Your hands and feet.  In Jesus name, AMEN

Until tomorrow...