Tag: 2013

My Reflections

DREAM GOD SIZED DREAMS – Exodus 33:11, Numbers 14:5-9, Ephesians 3:20, Joshua 10:9-14, Ephesians 1:3, Matthew 13:23

Rachel's Reflections

This blog may be one of my longest ones to date. Over a long time, God has shown me to dream beyond my imagining to dreaming God sized dreams. I can remember a time, as a teenage girl, when my youth pastor encouraged us to pray for our future spouses.  He wasn’t encouraging us to focus on looking for the one God might have for us. He was encouraging us to pray “for” that person now, not after he/she entered our lives.  I can still remember him saying, “You never know if you are the only one praying for them.” Powerful words!

Well, as I prayed for the man who would later become my husband, God showed me the attributes that this man would and should have, if he was to marry me.  They seemed way beyond what even other Christians were hoping for, but as I continued to study the Word, I saw that they lined up directly with God.  Not only that, but focusing my eyes on who God would have for me, kept me from making some major mistakes.  Years later, when I did meet my husband, I learned that he came to know the Lord during his teen years, in a powerful way! God only knows how much my prayers may have helped to shape him into the man he was and would become. Even more, my husband is all God wanted for me, not an impossible dream.

I can also remember the time when I had to decide which colleges to apply to, and though I’m not advocating applying to just one school (unless God makes that VERY CLEAR), I knew that I knew that I knew that I was meant to go to a specific state college.  Others, especially family, thought I was nuts.  How could I put all my eggs literally in one basket? This was my future, we were talking about!

To help provide a peace to my loved ones, I decided to apply for early acceptance, which meant I would know months before others if I was going there that fall, but most importantly, I would know ahead of having to submit more college applications, before the deadlines to other schools.  Though I did fairly well through my school years, there was no logical reason why the school God wanted me to attend would send me an early acceptance.

As God would have it, I got early acceptance, and He did one even better. They offered me a good-sized scholarship.  What had already been clear to me, became clear to others. What’s more is that I grew more spiritually in that place, than ever before, not because it is some special school, but because of daring to dream and trusting God for the results.

I can also tell you of the numerous times I would feel God showing me who He wanted me to be and what He wanted me to do, down the road.  However, the location of where this would occur, was completely foreign to me.  Then, many years later, as my husband and I were traveling from the airport, for his final pastoral interview and for my teacher interview, I couldn’t help but notice something.  Outside the car windows, for miles and miles, I was looking right at the location of my dreams.  As we arrived, and did some exploring, more of what God had shown me for so long, were now right before me, in living color and in some cases, in flesh and blood!  I cried joyful tears, many times during that weekend.

I have long felt an affinity for Joshua, in the Old Testament. He was a man who clearly dreamed God sized dreams. As he was mentored by Moses, it spoke to me when I read, “Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting,” in Exodus 33:11. Here was a man God was shaping to see the Promised Land before he would ever step into it. Twelve men had been sent to scout out the Promised Land and report back to Moses, Aaron and the rest of the Israelites. Ten of the twelve could only see what was in front of them, and they passed along their fears to the others that this was not of God, without consulting Him. However, in Numbers 14:5-9, we see Joshua and Caleb not only dreaming God’s way, but truly seeing His reality, before they entered into all God had for His people:

“Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, ‘The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

That’s what’s so amazing about dreaming as God desires us to dream. We can’t always see what He places in our hearts and dreams. They don’t always make sense.  Many times, they don’t, because they involve His intervention, rather than man’s, in order for them to come to fruition. But God tells us in Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”  That’s exciting! If we can think it, He is able to do even greater!!! That’s what He wants for us.

Even though that piece of Scripture was written many years after Joshua, Joshua knew the heart of God.  This is probably why in Joshua 10, we see five kings send their united armies to fight against Joshua and the Israelites, out of fear for what they had seen God deliver them from, in prior battles.  This would causes most people to run the other way.  Yet, God had given Joshua big dreams, dreams of who He is and what He wanted for His people.

In Joshua 10:9-14 we read:

“Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. The Lord threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah. As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.

On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, ‘Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.’

So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.

Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day!”

Wow! How many of us would ask God to stop time, the revolution of the Earth around the sun, even stop time, very unnatural things, because His people needed more time, and Joshua knew that if he could think it, God could do greater, and God did! He allowed His people to get physically involved in the battle, and as if the sun standing still wasn’t enough to show them who was really at work here, God destroyed those who tried to escape, with a hailstorm. That’s the God we serve, a God who wants us to expect great things from Him.

Looking back at those who dared to dream God sized dreams in the Word, in the lives of others I have known or met, and in my own life, I couldn’t say this better than Paul did in Ephesians 1:3, when he stated, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”

Did you catch that? He has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms! It isn’t future tense.  He has already done it.  All we have to do is enlarge our vision and dream as God wants us to, because He has already ensured us that He is able and has already made a way.

This is why the Dream Centers, which began in LA, came into being and spread world-wide.  This is why the “National Community Church” in Washington, DC stands today and its pastoral staff and congregation continue to be testament to dreaming God’s way. This is why the Assemblies of God exists today.  This is why Wayne Tesch, an ordinary man (like all of God’s big dreamers) began Royal Family Kids Camp, a camp for abused foster kids, which is now over 150 camps strong world-wide!

Are you getting it? God wants us to dream big enough for Him to do even bigger things!  Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 13:23, “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” He wants to go WAY beyond whatever we dream.

So start dreaming, but keep God in the equation. Ask Him to enlarge your vision. Dream in accordance to who God is and who He says we are in Him, because we serve a BIG God. Dream, remembering that what is impossible in our eyes is VERY possible in His, and feel free to share with me and my readers about God’s big dreams and what He’s done since you dared to dream!  Not only does it encourage all of us, but each testimony gives glory to God, the giver of great dreams.

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My Reflections

BE MINE – Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13-18, Psalm 36:5-7, Isaiah 49:15-16, Jeremiah 29:11, Zephaniah 3:17, Luke 12:6-7, Romans 8:35-38

Rachel's Reflections

be mine heart alone sharpenedPeople enjoy messages of love from others.  For some, they prefer these messages verbally. Others enjoy receiving it in a written or a typed format. Still others enjoy messages of love through gifts, acts of service, and the like. We all want to be loved and know for sure that we are loved.

Whether or not we enjoy eating them, many of us even like those heart shaped candy hearts that come around Valentine’s Day. Why? Because with each heart, they tell us that someone cares for us, wants us in their life, possibly even loves us.

No matter how many messages of love we receive from anyone, in our lives, there is a love message that was written to us long before we even drew a breath. It is a message of love that has withstood the test of time. It is a message said in many ways, so that we would all understand that it is for real, and it is for us.

God has a message of love for us that surpasses any that anybody could give to us. It’s found in His Word. Continuously, He tells us that He loves us, from cover to cover. These are just some:

  • “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27
  • “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.   Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me,O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”               – Psalm 139:13-18
  • “Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.”    – Psalm 36:5-7
  • “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.”  – Isaiah 49:15-16
  • “For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
  • “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” – Zephaniah 3:17
  • “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” – Luke 12:6-7
  • “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”     – Romans 8:35-38

The wonderful thing is that we don’t have to wait till February, our birthday or any special occasion, to receive these messages of love. He looks at us, and He says, “Be mine,” constantly.  Can you imagine being that adored? That loved?

Circumstances will fail us. People will fail us. We will fail ourselves. But, God’s love never fails us. That is sweeter than any candy I could ever eat.

As with all of my blog posts feel free to COMMENT, to FOLLOW my blog and to SHARE. I value you taking the time to read my posts.

My Reflections

TRUE LOVE – Proverbs 30:18-19, John 3:16, 1 John 3:16

Rachel's Reflections

It’s troubling how many marriages, both in and outside the Christian population, are failing. I know this is Valentine’s Day, but when I think about love, it makes me think of many things.  How so many people are settling for less than what love really is.

I understand that life is easier when you have the support of others, but we were made to be loved fully, unconditionally.  Yet, how often do we “fall in love” with those who only partially or under certain conditions, love us in return?  How many choose to love others selfishly, rather than selflessly, like we deserve.

How can I say we all deserve that type of love?  Because God gave up His only son, to love us as we were meant to be loved, fully, unconditionally (John 3:16).  He didn’t demonstrate His love to us, after we got all perfect and loved Him back as we should, as He is meant to be loved. He loved us with all of Himself, in spite of ourselves.

What better example do we have than that?  You may be thinking, “Yeah, that’s God. How can we be expected to love like that?”  We do it all the time.  It doesn’t matter what my kid does.  I will ALWAYS love her.  As often as I screw up, my husband still forgives and ALWAYS loves me, anyway.  We are even told that it is possible in 1 John 3:16, which says, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Too often, we believe the fairy tales fed to us in movies and books, but we settle for whatever we can get, from others. It doesn’t have to be that way.  It shouldn’t be that way.

Proverbs 30:18-19 tell us:

“There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.”

Do you know love that like that, love that just amazes you?  I’m blessed and so very thankful that I have a husband and others in my life who love me in a way that often amazes me.  That’s a gift, but it is a gift my Heavenly Father says I deserve, that He desires for us.  It’s a gift I know I deserve, because I’ve experienced it from knowing Him, and you deserve like that too, because He created you for it.

I may not always include a video like I did in my last blog or I am doing in this one, but this one is so perfect for this day, and for what I felt led to share with all of you. It’s by a young man named Jeff Bethke, who figured out what true love is all about.

As with all of my blog posts feel free to COMMENT, to FOLLOW my blog and to SHARE. I value you taking the time to read my posts.

My Reflections

You Know Me – Psalm 139

Rachel's Reflections

If people are honest, most want to be known, but are also afraid for too many to fully know them. Seems kind of odd, but really, it makes sense.  For some people, they are afraid of revealing too much and not being liked.  For others, they’re afraid of someone getting too close and then getting hurt by them, because it has happened before. Whatever the reason, every single one of us is known and loved.

Some of you may be reading this and thinking, “Yeah, right.” But, it’s true. Our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. God loves us, even when we act or do things that others may find unlovable. Even when Christ was looking down upon those who despised Him, He looked up and cried to His Father, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:24)  That is beyond our comprehension to look at others and feel such immense love, even when they feel none in return, but God feels that way about us.

In fact, even before you were born, you were seen by Him and loved dearly.  “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” (Psalms 139:13-18 NLT)

There’s a story in the book of Genesis about a servant of Abram (later Abraham) and Sarai (later Sarah), named Hagar. God told Abram and Sarai that they were going to conceive, but when it took too long, Sarai decided to take matters into her own hands. She gave Sarai to Abram, so they could have a child. Then, what does she do? After Hagar became pregnant, Sarai became so bitter with her that she treated her cruelly, to the point that Hagar left.

At one point, in the midst of fleeing, God sent an angel to speak directly to Hagar. In Genesis, 16:11-14, we learn, “And the angel also said, ‘You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives. Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’ So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means ‘well of the Living One who sees me’). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.”

A woman, who is never mentioned as knowing God, is not only shown that He saw her and He cared about her and even her unborn son.  Likewise, no matter where you find yourself in life, and no matter what you have ever done, God sees you.  He knows you.  He loves you.

If you don’t know Him and would like to, please feel free to leave me a message.  Having a relationship with God is one that will never fail you.  If you already know Him, but still struggle with the idea of others fully knowing you, ask God to help you.  You are His precious creation and worth being known.

Are there those who will desire to hurt you? Always, but there are also those who desire and will love you, for who you are, imperfections and all.  Those are the people who look at you, and see all the amazing things you have to offer others and to the world.

You are here for such a time as this (Esther 4:14), because God has a purpose, a plan for you and your life (Jeremiah 29:11).  This requires you to be known by others. Why? Because as they get to know, His desire is that they will see Him in you and want to know more about Him.

As my final word on this subject today, please check out this terriifc video that really shows the relationship God wants with us. It comes from the story of the woman at the well, in John 4:

As with all of my blog posts feel free to COMMENT, to FOLLOW my blog and to SHARE. I value you taking the time to read my posts.

My Reflections

JUST SAYING – Ephesians 4:29, Ecclesiastes 3:7, Proverbs 18:21, 2 Timothy 1:7

Rachel's Reflections

I admit. I enjoy talking. This wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who knows me. While I try to use my words for good, I’m human, and there are those times when I say something hurtful. I always regret those moments. I know that everyone does this, but I spend much of my day teaching, and a lot of the rest of my time is taken with family, friends and ministering. So, I’m around people a lot. I love interacting with others.  There are those who even seek me out, to talk, which I love. So, the last thing I want to do is say something thoughtless.

There is an overwhelming number of verses warning us to watch what comes out of our mouths. Do you think God is trying to tell us something? Ephesians 4:29 tells us, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Everything?  Yes, the Word says, “everything”.  Seems like an impossible task, but how much of that thought stems from a lack of self-control? Though I still have a long way to go in improving in this area, over the years, I have tried to think more before I speak.  This is possible to do, more often than we would like to admit.

King Solomon was known for his wisdom, a wisdom he acquired through his obedience to God and a desire to live in His ways.  King Solomon stated that there is “a time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak” in Ecclesiastes 3:7.  Are there times when we want to say something, but shouldn’t? Absolutely.

Learning when to speak and when to be silent can only come from asking God for help.  It isn’t something that comes naturally. We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” If you’re struggling in this area, ask God to help you. Also, be real and ask those who are close to you to help keep you accountable, to help you when you’re not aware of these slip ups.

Too often, when we say words we shouldn’t, we follow it with, “Just saying. . .”  We could all spend a little less time saying, and a little more time listening, a little less time providing our input and a little more time trying to understand others.

Imagine a world where the words we speak, write, text, type, and post were meant to edify those around us. Imagine a world where our words make a difference in the lives of others, by inspiring them to be all God means them to be.  Imagine a world where we all spoke life.

Proverbs 18:21 reminds us, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Imagine a world where we reap the consequences of thoughtful words to one another! Let’s do more than just imagine. Let’s speak life.  Just saying.

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My Reflections

REMEMBER TO LEARN . . . DON’T REMEMBER TO DWELL – Isaiah 43:18-19, Philippians 4:8, Psalm 30:11, Philippians 4:13

Rachel's Reflections

 
If it is one thing we all have in common is that we are all vulnerable to pain. Some experience it more than others. Some experience it earlier than others. But we all know what it is like to hurt. As followers of Christ, if we allow Him to, He can use our past pains in marvelous ways, for His glory.
 
As a female, I know that it is very easy to dwell.  To dwell on our day, to dwell on our future, to dwell on our past. . .especially to dwell on our past! That is not always a bad thing, but too often, when we think about our past hurts, we stay in that place for too long. That’s when it can get dangerous.
 
The Bible tells us, in Isaiah 43:18 & 19, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
 
When we think on past pain and ask God to heal us, that is beneficial. When we think on our past pain and ask God to show us how He can use it for His glory, that is called healing. When we think on the past pain and get stuck in a bad place mentally, and our emotions and thoughts can’t seem to move away from those moments in time, that is not where God wants us to be.
 
You see? While it is easy to dwell, when we do that, we begin believing we are living in defeat. We begin to feel like we haven’t moved forward, when we have already taken steps in that direction. There’s a reason why we’re reminded in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
 
When we think in those terms, then we begin asking God to turn our mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11). We begin to praise Him for how far He’s taken us, since those moments, how much we’ve healed, as we’ve shared and given those pains and hurts to Him. We begin to realize that the truth is that God is doing a new thing in us, as we live for Him.  He’s doing things with us, that in those painful moments of our lives, we never thought possible!
 
Will there ever be a day when we stop getting hurt?  Not on this side of Heaven, but one thing is certain. With Christ, you can have the strength you need, to fully move forward  (Philippians 4:13). So, remember to learn from the past. Don’t remember to dwell.

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My Reflections

LORD, STRETCH ME: Ruth 1, Esther 4, Matthew 25:20-24

Rachel's Reflections

What does it feel like when God is stretching you? It is not always pleasant. It can even be scary. It means placing control fully in God’s hands, not knowing the outcome. The question I periodically find myself asking is, “Am I willing to be stretched, if it means I’ll become more like the person God sees, when He looks at me?” It has been one of the greatest and also hardest questions, for me to ask, let alone answer, within my walk with God.

A close friend of mine once told me, in the midst of being stretched by God, “God has really been dealing with my past, changing my past hurts to good! I was praying last night that God would show me who I am because I don’t know myself most of the time anymore. His reply was ‘you are my child’. Simple, yet profound!” Profound, indeed.

To reach that place where we allow ourselves to be stretched by God can definitely be difficult, but oh so good, when we get to the point of realizing the purpose of it all. This makes me think of Ruth, in the Old Testament (Ruth, chapter 1). There was a point in her life where she had to make a choice. Either she was going to stay where she was, a place she knew, or follow her mother-in-law Naomi, to an unknown place, with unknown people, to follow her and an unknown God. God stretched her, and the result? She was given more than she could have ever dreamed possible, even becoming the great grandmother of King David.

How about Esther, also of the Old Testament? Talk about being stretched. She was orphaned, left to be raised by an uncle. Then, she gets chosen to become part of a group for the king to consider as a potential wife.  So much of her life seemed out of her control. Yet, she allowed God to use her, to stretch her, and stretch her, He did! This time of stretching put Esther in a place where she got to save her entire people from annihilation. How? She stretched beyond herself, and into the God’s purpose for her life.  What a hero she is to me!

I have had those stretching moments in my life, and like my friend, I became in many ways someone who I wouldn’t have recognized at the start of the stretching experience. I look back and can see a person who was shy, introverted, suffered from panic attacks and had low self-esteem. Yet, God stretched me, slowly molding me into who He always knew I could be. Though it wasn’t always easy, it has been so worth it.

Now, I look at myself and see a person who can confidently speak to others, who can walk with a confidence that can only come from God, into whatever He places before me. I know I have many, many more times of stretching ahead of me.  I know that some may be more pleasant than others, but if God can do all He’s done in me, in less than four decades, bring it on! Lord, do what you will.

In the end, I simply want to look into the eyes of my Lord, and hear Him say to me, “You are my child, the one I’ve always known, the one who allowed me to stretch you, who trusted your heart and life to me. Well done, my faithful servant!”

I dare you to say, “Lord, stretch me into who you want me to be.” Be ready for an amazing ride! I can assure you that the destination will be breathtaking.

As with all of my blog posts feel free to COMMENT, to FOLLOW my blog and to SHARE. I value you taking the time to read my posts.

My Reflections

TRUST ME – John 12:44-50

Rachel's Reflections

WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

Funny how we often want to have people in our lives we can trust, can count on, but then someone tells us, “Trust me,” and inside we hear, “Wait a minute? Trust you?  Why should I trust you?” Then your mind runs through every moment of mistrust ever done to you, by that person or any number of other people in your life.

We so desperately want to trust.  We even want to be worthy of trust ourselves. But, then we have those moments.  You know the ones. Those moments when we fail ourselves and let someone down. Those moments when even those who you should be able to trust with your very life let you down, and you wonder if trust is even obtainable.

It is.  John 12:46 says, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their TRUST in me will no longer remain in the dark.”  That’s a powerful truth. But maybe you’re still sitting there, doubting.

That’s a powerful image. Picture yourself in complete darkness. No light from anywhere, and you’re alone, without any clear indication of which way to get out, which way to go, to reach light. That’s a frightening thought, but we’ve all had those moments, those panic stricken moments.

So you begin doing everything you can think of to find your way.  You may try walking with your arms outstretched, possibly stumbling over things or smacking straight into a wall, feeling more and more pain with each attempt to get out. You may even begin to get down and crawl, something you haven’t done since you were quite young, but you simply don’t know what else to do. Even though you can feel your body being scraped and cut, as you try to make your way, you continue. You’ll resort to anything. You need to find a way, and there’s no one there to tell you what to do.  No one you can trust, to help you out of this dark place with no chance of escape.

Suddenly you remember. Wait a minute, there is someone to get you out of this dark place where you have nowhere to turn. Inside yourself, you mentally ask God, “Are you there? Do you see me? Can you really get me out of this?”

Then, as more time passes, and you keep trying on your own, with no results, you find yourself crying out, “Jesus! Help me. You tell us in Your Word that we can put our trust in You! Lord, get me out of this darkness.  I don’t know which way to go!”

Suddenly, the answer is clear.  You know exactly which way to go.  Jesus answered, and made the way out known to you.

God is always worthy of your trust.  Man may fail you. Friends and family will fail you, from time to time. But, your Heavenly Father, your very Creator, will never fail you.

When you’ve tried everything else, try God. Maybe next time, you will remember to trust Him first, and save yourself all of the bumps, cuts and bruises from stumbling around in the dark. He will never let you down.

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My Reflections

TRUE WISDOM – Proverbs 3

Rachel's Reflections

We’ve all been there.  We’re in the midst of a situation, frustrated, trying to figure out what to do next. We begin to question ourselves.  It can be a dark place.

I can still remember the night, after my first day of teaching.  I had gone through my years at college, earned my degree and certifications. I had been prepared by others and life, with more than I could have ever hoped for.  My first day, as an official teacher even went well.

So why did I drop to the floor of my bedroom, feeling completely overwhelmed?  I found myself doing the only thing I knew to do. I cried, hiccuping, gasping cries, to the only One who I knew understood me better than myself, my God.  I wasn’t upset that I didn’t feel equipped with knowledge on the subject I was teaching. I wasn’t uncomfortable working with my students. Yet, I felt inadequate.

Who was I to think I had something to teach the future of our country, young men and women, who would be molded partly by what I imparted to them?

So, what else could I do? I felt inadequate, because I am.  All of a sudden, for at least 9-10 months, the lives of others were being entrusted to me.  Many would come to me, expecting answers, and the responsibility suddenly felt too great.

But, as I cried out to my Heavenly Father, all was made right. He gently reminded me that I may not always know all the answers, but I know Someone who does.  When those impressionable lives asked me for direction, I may not always know what to say, but I know Someone who does.

By the time I stood up, not much had changed around me, but something had definitely changed inside of me.  I felt confident that no matter what lied before me, I could walk forward, knowing that my God would guide me.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  I was confident, knowing that not only did I not have all the answers, but I didn’t have to have all the answers.

Isn’t that where true wisdom comes from, acknowledging the One who is greater than ourselves? Why do we sometimes lack wisdom, in a situation?  Sometimes it is just a matter of crying out to the One who can see the beginning and the end, and asking for His wisdom, which far surpasses our own.

Life isn’t always easy, but no matter what happens, know that God has a plan for you and your circumstances.

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Poetry

What This is All About

Rachel's Reflections

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

REFLECTION

 
Lord, may I reflect all that You are

To those I encounter

Please show them Your heart
Through the words that I say

And the actions I do

May I go unnoticed

As they only see You

And while I am just trying

To walk in Your ways

May You receive the glory

All honor and praise.

By Rachel Basden © 2013

As with all of my blog posts feel free to COMMENT, to FOLLOW my blog and to SHARE. I value you taking the time to read my posts.