Sky Note

"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Rom. 8:14)

This weekend my friend, Angie, and I took a road trip to the Gulf Breeze, FL, area.  It was a clear, beautiful day.  The kind of day that makes you glad to live near water!    As we drove along, talking about the Lord, we passed over a bridge.  The water absolutely sparkled and glittered like thousands of tiny diamonds upon the water's surface.  We  marveled at the beauty while talking about how to discern God's will for our lives.  His direction.  How do we know?  About that time I noted, "It's a beautiful day.  The only cloud in the sky is caused by an airplane."  Suddenly, my friend exclaimed- "That's words!"  Incredible!  The plane was spelling out a circular message, complete with an American flag.  Talk about the writing on the walls! 

I was so busy looking at the small picture, I  totally missed the big picture!  By the time I realized there was a message, the clouds were already disintegrating, spreading and bleeding together. The moment gone.  Evaporated.  And I had missed the message.  Thankfully, as we reached our destination, the plane appeared again.  And this time we were ready!  Ready to decode the message.

I  wonder how many times I am too distracted to get the message the Lord is giving me.  Perhaps He is writing it on the walls (Dan. 5) - or in the sky- plain as day.  But I  am not looking up.  Discerning His will is probably not as hard as we make it.  I think the answer is found more in childlike faith than in expecting obvious signs.  The gentle nudge.  The subtle knowing.  The unease.  All these are ways that the Lord directs our path.  The Good Shepherd, herding us in the right direction.  Cutting us off when we head off on the wrong path.  That is His gentle nurture.  His thoughtful protection. 

Christians seem to veer off in either one ditch or the other.  We either go our own way, uncaring of what the Lord wants for our life...or we park on the other shoulder of the road, afraid to do anything unless we can "hear from God."  I think the balance is somewhere in the middle.  Starting down a direction, but always with an ear to the Father to hear if He would change our course.  Willing to walk and take initiative, but also willing to stop if the Lord bids us to "Halt!"

The Bible clarifies, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God."(Rom. 8:14)  Good children.  Good sheep.  Follow.  They are led, they go as they are bid.  They do not second guess.  They do not run ahead or lag behind.  They keep in pace with the shepherd.  They trust.

Dear Lord, help me to be led by Your Spirit.  Attune my ears to hear your voice.  Open my eyes to see Your direction, Your sign.  Grant me a tender and receptive heart that hears Your faintest warning.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

A Sure Guide

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
    and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
    I will not forsake them.  Isaiah 42:16

Where did we get the idea that following the Lord meant we would know exactly where we were headed all of the time?   In this passage, among many others, the indication is that the leading is His prerogative and direction.    Many Christians believe that ministers should follow the Lord's leading and direction for their lives, but that the average, garden-variety Christian does not have that responsibility.  Not so.

When Jesus called the first disciples, He told them to "Come Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men."  Most of us are uncomfortable with letting the Lord lead us.  We want to weigh out our options and formulate a plan that makes sense to us.  But the call is still the same. 

This is a beautiful passage of Scripture.  It reminds us that as the Lord leads us, He is turning on the light before us.  He is clearing a path for us to follow.  We are in a covenant relationship with Him and he is affirming that He will carry out His side.  He will not leave us without help and direction.  He will go before us and protect us.  He will give us provision.  He is a faithful God!

Our modern society is not really conducive to this level of God's leadership.  Most of us are strapped to a ridiculous amount of debt and can see no way to leave behind steady income to follow a leading of the Lord. That was never his intent for his children.  The idea of being overly extended with debt is our invention.  And not a good one!  Think for a moment of what all you could do for the kingdom if you did not have debt hanging over your head?  What difference would it make if you were not overly committed with your schedule to where every night of the week is spoken for already? 

Our time is short.  There is much to do!  Pray and ask the Lord what areas of your life that He would have you free up so that you can follow Him more willingly.  Ask the Lord to show you the places that you still govern, rather than allowing Him to lead you.  Come on!  An adventure awaits you!

Dear Lord, thank you for your loving and steadfast guidance.  Thank you for being a sure protector for me.  Show me the areas of my life where I am not allowing you to lead.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.'

The Plans of the Heart

 

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.'" I John 4:1-6

 

The heart (with regard to desires, feelings, hurts and aspirations) can be a very cluttered place.  In  it we hold love for the Father and resentment toward our brother.  In our hearts, we make plans and dream of a future.  In another compartment of our heart, we withhold things from God that we are not willing to surrender.  A wise person is aware of  the state of their own heart at all times and is honest before God about what is in there.

 

Today's verse can be seen from a couple of different perspectives.  On the one hand it appears to me that a person may be planning a course in their heart, but the Lord determines which direction he/she will take.  Alternatively, it could be taken to mean that a person might come up with a plan, but God has to direct him/her to get there.  (There are probably even more rational applications of this verse, but for today we will stick with these two!)  Regardless  of which way you  read it,  there is much that can be gleaned from this verse.

 

I believe that a person who has the will of God firmly in sight, can make plans and step out in faith to see them come to pass.   When that happens, they will either find that they were right about God's direction, or they see him shutting  the doors He has not planned for them.  Either way, they can learn to determine God's direction as they tentatively make faith-steps.  I once heard a sermon by John Hagee, where he talked about a good hunting dog. He indicated that a good one will change their course with just one slight inclination of their master's head.  What  if we lived so in tune with  our Master that if we had the slightest inkling He was leading a different direction, we would turn and follow in the new direction without balking?  (Or barking!)

 

I am so glad the Lord determines our step. A few months back my husband and I were walking through a wooded area.  He is a giant 6'4" to my slight 5'6".  He was wearing boots  and jeans,  I was wearing capris  and flip flops.  I was  so glad he  went before me, finding holes, holding back briars, and stepping in places that I would not get tangled up.  As long as I stepped in the grass that had been  laid down by him, I would not step on a snake  or  twist my ankle in a rut.  Almighty God goes before  us.   His  footprint is even  larger than my husband's size 12 man's shoe!  If we will just submissively follow behind, we will avoid so many pitfalls and hazards.

 

Go ahead, dream a little. Make a plan.  But as you step out, search for  the footprints of the Father, which will never lead  you wrong.

 

 Dear Lord, you know the path you have chosen for me.  I need you to make it evident  to me  and grant me the grace to walk in it.  Lord  help me to perceive your direction and align my dreams and plans  with yours.   In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

Sherri

 

 

Quit Wondering and Ask!

 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

 

I just don't know what to do anymore.  I am overwhelmed; locked in and confused.  There does not seem to be any viable options to improve my situation. What should I do...

 

Ever been there?   Between the proverbial rock and a hard place, is no place to be, much less live.  The Word is a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and  instruction.  But can we be real?  There are life issues that do not fit a verse.  There are issues for which the Bible can seem altogether silent at times.

 

Should I buy this house?  Should I take this job? Should I go back to school?  Is  she the right girl for me?  These are questions that you will probably not find a straight line  answer for.  Thank  God that his direction goes to an even more individualized and personalized  level.  He will speak to us and show us what to do.  Thank God, we must simply ask and he will give us wisdom.

 

Do you have problems discerning the Lord's voice?  We all go through a sort of learning curve before we get the hang of it. But don't despair!  He desires to reveal his wisdom and direction to you. He could speak to you through an impression that hits your spirit like revelation.  He can speak to you as you are listening to a preacher or teacher.  He can speak to you through a friend who just seems to say something that sparks inspiration.  Ask God what you should do, and then... wait for His answer!

  

Dear Lord, I need your wisdom for my  life.  Particularly in deciding what to do about ____ situation.  Reveal wisdom to me.   In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Sherri

 

 

 

Need Direction?

 

"Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.  He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." Psalm 25:8-9

 

Have you ever been desperate to hear from God?  Have you ever been frantic to know his direction?  I have been- and am currently- in that shape.  It is such an uncomfortable feeling when you feel the Lord realigning and adjusting the direction of your life, but you have no idea which way to go, or what He is up to.

 

I have heard it taught that when it is time for the baby eaglet to leave home, the parent eagles will begin to pluck the feathers out of the nest and make it uncomfortable for the little bird.  They might even allow some "pokey" sticks to be in it, to give the baby eagle the nudge that it needs to get out of the nest.  It is a very trying time when the Lord is ruffling up your nest!  It is a time of stretching, seeking and feeling, well... downright uncomfortable.

 

According to these verses, the Lord instructs the sinners, but he GUIDES the humble and teaches them his way.  I love that!  He offers instruction to those that do not follow him.  He loves them that much!  But to those of us who love him, He goes before us.  He guides and directs us.  The whole time, He is teaching us his ways.  That is such a beautiful picture of a personal God!  He does not send us where He will not go with us.  He will not send us  where he will not go before us, locating the dangers, scoping out the predators, finding the best path for us.  What a good God!

 

Can I be brutally honest?  Sometimes I get frustrated in the teaching phase.  I just want the Lord to zap me and put me where I am ultimately going.  I get weary of stretching, growing, and being disciplined and sharpened.  But the journey is an important part of reaching our destiny.  If we are zapped from here to there, we will find ourselves ill-equipped for our destination.  If we are transported directly from point A to point B,  we may have culture shock.  We often need a gradual "unveiling" of God's plan and purposes to keep us from being scared off from the final end.

 

When we travel for vacation, I usually dread the drive there.  But I especially dislike the ride home.  I often come home feeling sad because the trip is over and I am back to the stressors of working from home.  The Lord convicted me of that attitude showing me that if my husband (or family) and I had just one day to be together, take a drive, talk, see new sights and eat interesting places, I would consider it fun.  But instead of seeing the trip as part of the vacation, I have chosen to see it as an end mark.  What if we could find a way to enjoy the journey, start to finish?

 

Joyce Meyer has a book out called "Enjoying Where You Are on the Way to Where You are Going"  (or something quite similar).  That is so true in our walk with God.   We are usually in the phase of "becoming" rather than arriving.  We have to learn to enjoy that place, because it is where the crux of life is lived.   Today you may be asking the hard questions.  Today you may be overwhelmed, confused and afraid.  But you are still in a good place because you are with The One who loves you most of all.  Maybe you don't know where you will end up or how it will all work out, but you can still enjoy the ride!

 

Dear Lord, help me to trust you in the "guiding" and "teaching" times.  Help me to relax from self-care and trust my destiny into your hands.  Thank you that your plan for me is a good one and that you walk beside me each step of the way.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Sherri