Faithfulness and Obedience

The life of Noah is something incredible and he was used by God because he was faithful and obedient. 

Genesis chapter 6.

This chapter opens telling us how people had multiplied on the earth and this is the effect of the blessing that was given in Genesis chapter 1 verse 28 "Then God blessed them and said, "be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground". But the verses continue and tell us of the corruption that man has caused on earth, turning the blessing into condemnation. At the end of verse 3, I believe that this has to have some significance in that as it is reminding us that our time is short on earth but eternity is forever.  It is revealing to us that we only have a short time to find God and accept the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness that he has for us.  In the time that we spend here on earth God shows us great patience in waiting for us to return to him.  The challenge is your time almost up to find God and experience all he has for you?  This was a challenge for me as I know that I wasn't fully keeping Christ at the center of my heart with language I used or how I behaved, but this was my wake up call to fall deeper in love with God.

The end of verse 6 stuck out for me and it reads "it broke His heart".  This caused a feeling for me that I had been punched in the stomach as it revealed to me once again the heart that God has towards each one of us and reminded me of why God created us.  It speaks on many occasions in the bible that God created us for relationship with him, to have that life to the full.  God's heart was broken with the people because they had chosen the path that wasn't following what God wanted for them, they were full of hatred and evil. This caused me to realise that I had been breaking the heart of God by not being committed to spending time with him on a daily basis so that I could be fed by him and live more like him each day.  This challenged me and I'm now trying to get this back into my daily life as I want to be loving Christ with my whole life and giving him all the glory as he deserves it at the end of the day.  I will still never be perfect while I am here on this earth, but I can still be called a child of God if I am consciously spending time with him and keeping him in the center of it all.  

Verses 7 tells us the extent to how much sin breaks the heart of God and this wasn't just at this time, but it still breaks the heart of God now. Verse 8 talks about how Noah had found favour with God even though there was corruption surrounding him.  This gives us the assurance that despite the situation the world is in, or the situation your in; you can still live in a way that will find favour with God.

The description of Noah in verse 9 is amazing and this was the mark that he left behind and what he was known for.  Noah was described as "righteous" and "the only blameless person living on earth at this time" and walked in close relationship with God.  But the most important thing is to remember that Noah was just a man, but justified by the grace of God through the faith that he had.  Noah gave God the glory and the love that he deserved, obeying what he was asked to do.  He was conscious of living in a way that would glorify God.  This challenged me to think am I someone who walks closely in relationship with God and to be someone who lives consciously to glorify God in all that I do. Noah made his mark, are you making yours?

Verses 11-22 is God giving Noah the instructions of how to build the boat.  This was no ordinary boat that Noah was being asked to build and it was someone who was obedient and had a strong faith who could complete the command. 

Verse 18 "but I will confirm my covenant with you"  God made a promise to Noah that he would keep him safe and deliver him.  This is something that is exciting as God loves so much that he promises to deliver us from evil when we trust in him and love him with our whole lives.  He is our salvation and we are kept safe by being in relationship with him.

Surrendering to Grace

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10
"We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Jesus Christ, So we can do good things he planned for us long ago"

This world tells us that no-one cares as there is hope found in or of this world.  As Christians we have the greatest hope that is not of this world but is in this world.  Our greatest hope comes from knowing that Jesus left Heaven to live a human life perfectly, so that we could have an example to follow.  Not only this he gave himself as a sacrifice by taking our place upon the cross to pay our punishment for all our sins.  Jesus paid it all for us because of his unbelievable love and care for us, us his children who he created to be masterpieces, created for a wonderful purpose that only we can complete.
"For it is within us that he begins his work. It is within us - in the depths of our creation - that he begins to weave a tapestry of grace. And it is you- with your cartload of issues and a journal full of scorched places - that he longs to say Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more".

Come Closer

"The more we know God, the more deeply we love God" - Jane Rubietta

It is important for us as Christians to have a close loving relationship with God, as things in life will result in suffering or struggle and we need God to help us through these times. At these times it is easy to run away from God and we end up feeling lost and hopeless. But because Our God is Faithful and Caring, he calls out our name at these times, longing for us to draw closer to him.  He whispers into your heart "come closer because you are my child and I love you with a never ending love.  Come and have a close relationship with me and tell me all the things that you are hurting or struggling with, so I can set you free from this bondage. Draw closer and experience the immense love I have towards you."

God is the only person who is able to fill the emptiness that you experience in your life, so why are you waiting. Go and spend time with your Father in Heaven, run into his arms and embrace his power in your life that only God can give us.

Ephesians 1v7
"and ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him" (Good News Bible)

Call out to God, ask Him to draw alongside you and fill you up with the power of the Holy Spirit that will change and transform your life.  As you are changed and transformed by the Holy Spirit, you will draw closer to your Heavenly Father's heart and you will know Him in a way that you have never known him before.

He Will NOT Let You Go!

"I am His child; but in his great wisdom, he let me realise that nowhere in the whole wide world, no where in all creation, can I go from his presence. He wouldn't let me go" - Jan Dravecky

In this life, we face many obstacles and struggles that we don't understand. This can make us feel like God is against us, especially if the obstacle is something that you have always wanted. I can remember the night I read this quote, was the night I received my final rejection for the social work courses that I applied for. I can remember feeling so confused and disappointed, and even felt slightly that God was against me as I didn't understand why God had just snatched my dream away from me.  For me, it would have been so easy for me to run in the opposite direction from God and even run away from this problem, but where was this really going to get me. It was going to get me nowhere.  This is because I know that I can't live my life without him as it provides all that I need each day.

Instead of running from God, I ran straight into God's loving and comforting arms that night after I read this as after all He loves me and you reading this, he cares about me and you and he has such a plan for our lives,  more than we can ever imagine. I can remember being told once, that God doesn't tell us the plans he has for our lives is because we wouldn't believe him anyway. This is how big and how wild God's plans are for us. 

Psalm 139v 7-10 

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.

He Hurts with us

"The only way we can have personal victory in the midst of these flying arrows... is to call upon the Lord for help." - Edith Schaeffer
In the midst of our battles and when we fall down as we feel like we don't have the strength to continue on, Our God is Forever Faithful. Whatever battle we are facing, whether that is exams, whether it is family breakups or friendships that are causing you pain, Jesus completely understands the pain that you are going through. Remember He suffered on this earth, He was put down because He spent time with the sick and the poor. He even suffered so much by dying on the cross for our sins. He hurts with us because He doesn't want to see his precious children suffer. 
I remember reading somewhere, When this world knocks us down unto our knees, We are in the perfect position to pray. This made me think, so many times we run away from God when the going gets tough, as we feel like we have to cope with it on our own. God doesn't want you to run away from him. He wants you to call out to him and lay all your burdens and hurts down at his feet, then he wants you to run into his arms so he can embrace you and build you up, allowing you to feel comfort and receive restoration in him.  God has promised us that He will make ALL things work together for our Good, so trust him.
    to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

Psalm 91

 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night,  nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

New Year, New Start?

At the beginning of a New Year we all make New Years Resolutions, but we always seem to last what... a few hours... a day... a week... 

This year I decided that instead of making a New Years Resolution, I was going to make a fresh commitment to God, to where I would rely completely on him and that I would look to him in my times of need so that I could be strengthened and renewed in him.  My hearts desire is to serve God with all of my heart and become the person that God wants me to be. I can remember a few years ago we were asked at gLo to come up with a definition of Love and the group I was in came up with "Love is the expression of our selfless faith, imitating Jesus, by putting others first just like He did on the cross". Ever since then this has been the way I have wanted to live my life, living my life the way that Jesus lived his, by putting others first and showing them love by spending time with them and whatever else is required of me.

I realised that for years I had been hiding all the hurts that were caused because of family and friends to be hidden away from God and I was trying to work it all out on my own and not allow God in to help me.  I had also been running away from God in these situations which left me in an extremely hard position as I didnt know who I could turn to or where I could turn to, which left me in a dark place, lost and helpless. At the minute, I have realised that I need to let all my hurts come up out of the hidden places in my heart and allow God to work through them one at a time. I remember a recent louder event where Andy McCourt was talking and he spoke about this and ever since then this has really stuck in my heart and in my mind, as this was God teaching me to let go of the hurts that I was clinging unto in my heart, that were just bringing destruction into my life.

I remember being told by someone that You may not be in the place that you should be, but you should be thankful to God that you are not in the place that you used to be. This has made me think about how about how in my situation now, although I am far from perfect that God can still use me just as I am, where I am. I may never be perfect or be in the correct place all the time, but I know that God is willing to come and meet me at my very need, even if that need is in the darkest pit. I have slowly learnt that God doesn't want to be pushed aside in my life or as a matter of fact he doesn't want pushed aside in anyone elses life. He wants to come in and help you.  In 1 Peter chapter 5v7 we read "Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you" and this just makes me think now, why would I not want to tell God what is hurting me or what is going on, as He is a Mighty and All powerful God and He is able to make things change, maybe not in the ways that we want or expect, but in the ways that are according to his plans and his purposes. As a song by  Jesus Culture says "you make all things work together for my good". So maybe at the time when you are experiencing the hurt and the pain and you cant see what good could ever come out of it, maybe it is time that we begin to trust God more. I look back over the times when I was at my lowest and didnt see where there would ever be hope again, I now realise the God of all Hope never left my side even though it felt like I was on my own, or I felt like I was running away from Him. I also realise that now God has made me a stronger person through these trials and tribulations.  Through this, it has allowed me to be involved in some amazing teams last summer where I was able to grow, share my faith and even step out of my comfort zone when working with children. These experiences also changed my views on kids work and stepped them up into a whole new level for me, and it makes me excited as I know that God has so much more in store and that He will reveal this in His precious timing.

I encourage you as a fellow brother or sister in Christ, if you have hurt embedded in your heart which has been taking over your life as you haven't handed it over to God, I encourage you to cry out to God and let him take this hurt away from you. As it says in Galatians 5v22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." and if we are followers of Christ these fruits should be overflowing in our lives and God wants to see you happy and full of joy.  

Maybe some of the hurts we have embedded in our hearts also require us to do some forgiving. A quote I was read says "Forgiving your enemies doesn't help them; it helps you." And sometimes the best thing for us is to be selfless and forgive others as things are never easy, but why should we not just forgive so that we can be free from that burden that lies upon our hearts. God doesn't want His precious children to be burdened down with hurts and anxieties. He wants us to have free hearts where He can overwhelm us and change and transform us to the people he wants you to be. Will you let Him change and transform your life in 2013? 

Making Our Lives Count

As I was reading and thinking about Hebrews 12v1-3 where it talks about how our actions count it made think about how we need to be more aware of how our actions can portray certain things about our faith. 

I also think of how at times we make too many excuses to not serve God or show that we are Christians and this shouldn't be something that we are ashamed off. This passage is telling us to ignore all the doubts and laziness that is in us that won't serve God, so that we can be the salt that flavors the earth and also so we can be the light in the darkness. I can remember reading about a man who went to Jesus asking him how he could become a follower of Christ and have eternal life. The man was shocked at the answer Jesus gave to him as Jesus told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor. The man didn't like this response. Sometimes we need to remember this, as we can get too wrapped up in the worldly things that we don't give enough back to God. Let us live sacrificially for Christ, just like the disciples did. Let's be ready and seeking him for this.

In this we also see how we have a race marked out for us. This is basically the plans that God has for our lives. It makes me think of Jeremiah 29v11 as well. Once we begin to live sacrificially for Christ we can run the race that God planned for us! And for us to finish Gods work we have to keep looking to him as he is the one leading the way for us!

The last bit really makes me think as it reminds us how much Jesus gave up for us. He went the full way and gave everything including his life. When I think about this Jesus didn't have to die on the cross as we all deserve the ultimate punishment of death. If Jesus could give up everything for us, I think we too should give up everything for him. We have to give up our lives and accept that we aren't in control and that we have to honor him.

I encourage you in 2013 to listen to the whispers that God places upon your heart and that you will respond to God through this. I encourage you to live each day for God in the simple things as even these are able to change the world! 

Be the change you want to see in this world in 2013 :) 

Girlies I'm here for you any time. And if you have anything you want prayed about give me a wee text or email, as I'm praying for each of you's and I want pray for things where you are struggling or whatever it may be.

Hebrews 12v1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.