Tag: God

Be careful what you think

I always hear this phrase – ‘be careful what you think’ but never gave much thought to it until lately when I was listening to the reading of the Gospel and it dawned on me that God knows our every thought.

In Ecclesiasticus chap 42:15-25 it says – …. ‘not a thought escapes him, not a single word is hidden from him’. As a perfect gentleman God allows your thoughts to manifest into your reality. Hence the term be careful what you think.

As a matter of fact I was thinking that based on this bible reference God must know my every thought since he is everywhere, he is the breath we breathe, he is in nature, the animals, birds, the sea. God is life and without life we would be as good as dead.

Since he knows our every thought sometimes we may try to do something and it just would not happen no matter what. At this point it helps to recognize that maybe God is trying to tell us something like – it is said that he does not say no just it is not the right time for this, or this is not the right decision or just give it sometime. Review the advantages and disadvantages and see what is really going on.

I don’t know about you but I think it is awesome that he knows my every thought, but on the other hand I need to focus more on God so I could be alined with his thoughts also.

What do you believe, are there situations in your life where you feel he knows your thoughts? Have you ever experienced where you and another person were thinking the same thing without any prior discussion?

If God knows our thoughts, then how could we use this to make better decisions? I am sure there are times when you feel that you just need some guidance to make that decision about your job, your relationships, your life or your family life? Could knowing that God knows your every thought help you? One thing we know for sure is wherever you place your energy and focus that is where your thoughts are.


God does not sleep

Have you ever heard the comment ‘God does not sleep’?

I Heard this from my Mom when I was growing up and even as an adult. When things happen she would say do not worry God may wear pajamas but “God does not sleep’.

This saying is so true.

Now I have never really paid attention to this comment until recently. One night lying in bed it dawned on me that we all breathe the same air, it is one world and the breath is God’s breath. Now, I have read and heard that God is omnipresent on more than one occasions but as the saying goes it went through one and ear and straight out of the other ear.

If God is omnipresent and in my country it is night and in another country it is day , how could God sleep if he promised to be with us always. So there is wisdom in what my Mom used to say. God rest her soul.

At one time it did flash across my mind that God maybe sleeping because I was praying very late in the night , but now I am more comfortable to praying and asking for help anytime, any where because I know he hears me. I feel now that it is not that he is sleeping but I maybe sleeping and missing out on all his blessings. You should try asking for help. There is nothing he does not know about you. Ask him to forgive you and help you. The great thing about this is that you could also ask for help for other people – your family, friends etc.

There are so many instances recorded in the Bible and also current examples where people have received help for themselves and the persons they have prayed for. I am not saying that all your prayers would be answered because God is the only one who knows what plans he has for you or for the persons who you are praying for. All I am saying is to ask him.


Lies and more lies

Have you been telling yourself you are not good enough, you are not worthy or loved, or God would not forgive you. Things just not going right. You are not lucky.

These are lies. Luck has nothing to do with your life.

Stop and take look at the things that have happened. What decision did you have to make for this to happen? Was it your decision? Did someone put a gun to your head and say do this or that? Think about it – you have freewill. God would not interfere with that unless you come to him. He is there waiting to help you.

No – you decided that this is what you wanted to do and you went ahead with it. We all make mistakes, wrong decisions – maybe costly decisions, may even change the direction for where we want to go in life.

The thing is that Satan always wants you to believe that God was the one responsible for getting you to make those decisions, and now he is getting you to believe that because of those decisions you are not good enough or worthy enough . These are all lies.

Why would God want you to struggle and why does he want to torment you? If he is your Father and is good and merciful – ask yourself – why is he doing these things to me?

God is loving, generous , compassionate and merciful – he want the best for you. He can take all your mistakes and turn them into something good. All you need to do say is – Lord Jesus I am sorry for all the things I have done, please come into my life, help me, heal me and fill me with your presence.

Then everyday start thanking God for all the things you are grateful for and see what happens.


Your race??????

There is a race mark out for you. The road has already been determined , but the only way to reach your destination is to take the road that God has marked for you . This is for you alone.

No matter what route we choose once we believe in God he would guide us to the right road.

We already have all we need for this race so we need to be open so God could reveal the road.

No tricks just an open mind and heart and God would do the rest.

Allow God’s love to fill your heart and life!

 

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How to deal with insurmountable problems?

I find the following excerpt taken from the Bible in One Year with Nicky Gumbel quite interesting and practical. Hope you think so also.

 Intercession for deliverance (from your problems)

2 Kings 19:14-20:21

Sometimes in our own lives we are faced with seemingly insurmountable problems.  This is a great model of how to deal with them.  Hezekiah did not despair.  He did not panic.  He did not give up.  He turned to God in prayer.

This account of Hezekiah’s prayer and God’s deliverance is recorded three times in the Old Testament – see also Isaiah 36–39 and 2 Chronicles 32.  The events of this period are corroborated by Babylonian sources.

When Hezekiah received the threatening letter and was faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem, ‘He went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord’ (19:14).  He prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord … you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.  You have made heaven and earth.  Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see … Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God’ (vv.15–19).

Hezekiah’s intercession begins by consciously recognising who God is.  As Andrew Murray says, ‘The power of prayer depends almost entirely upon our apprehension of who it is with whom we speak.’  When we intercede we are speaking to the one who alone is, ‘God over all the kingdoms of the earth’ (v.15).  He has the power to resolve these seemingly insurmountable problems.

Hezekiah’s prayer was for God’s honour and glory, ‘so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God’ (v.19).  Jesus taught us to start our prayers, ‘Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come’ (Matthew 6:9–10)

I love the expression, ‘He … spread it out before the Lord’ (2 Kings 19:14).  He spoke to God about the problem.  The apostle Paul writes, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:6–7).

The prophet Isaiah sent a message to Hezekiah saying that God had heard his prayer.  He delivered the people from the threat of the Assyrians in answer to Hezekiah’s intercession.

Hezekiah also prayed for his healing.  He was ill, at the point of death (2 Kings 20:1), and he interceded on his own behalf:  ‘Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord’ (v.2).  Again, God answered his intercession: ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you … I will add fifteen years to your life’ (vv.5–6).

Hezekiah experienced God’s amazing blessings in answer to his intercession.  However, the passage ends with a note of warning.  When envoys came from Babylon, Hezekiah showed off all his treasures (vv.12–15).  He appeared to be taking the glory for all that the Lord had given him.  Isaiah told him that as a result, ‘nothing will be left’ (v.17).  If we take the glory for what the Lord does for us, it is at our own peril.


Best way to Plan

God’s Purposes – taken from The Bible In One Year by Nicky Gumble

Back in 1981 Pippa and I felt that God was calling us to full-time ministry in the Church of England and for me to become an ordained minister.  We also felt that we should do our training in Durham starting in September 1982.  I was on the top of the waiting list for the theological college at Durham University.  I was told it was almost certain someone would drop out and I was virtually guaranteed to get a place.  Based on this I announced our plans widely, including telling the set of chambers, where I was practising as a barrister, that I was leaving.

Just before I was due to start we received news that, exceptionally, no one had dropped out that year and it would not be possible for us to go.  We tried everything to persuade them to change their minds.  We desperately tried to find another theological college that would accept us.  We prayed and pushed as hard as we could but to no avail.  The door was firmly shut.

The following year was extremely difficult.  I was given very little work by my chambers as they knew I was leaving and so had no incentive to build my career.  It was a huge disappointment and mystifying at the time.

In the end, we went to Oxford to study the following year and eventually started a curacy at HTB in 1986.  With hindsight, had we got the place at Durham, the timing would have meant that a curacy at HTB would have been out of the question and we would not be doing what we are doing today.  I am so thankful to God that he blocked our plans and that what we now believe were his purposes prevailed.

There are times when life is not easy.  It is difficult to work out what God is doing in terms of our work, family, temptation, finances, disappointments, bereavement or opposition.  How do we cope in these situations?

1.  God’s purposes and our plans

Proverbs 16:8-17

It is right to plan.  However, we need to do it with the necessary humility, recognising that our plans will only succeed ‘if it is the Lord’s will’ (see James 4:13–15).  The writer of Proverbs says, ‘In your heart you may plan your course, but the Lord determines your steps’ (Proverbs 16:9).

His purposes are ‘good, pleasing and perfect’ (Romans 12:2).  Sometimes we align our plans with God’s purposes, but from time to time – certainly in my experience – God thankfully overrules our plans.  We should always bear in mind that we may have got it wrong and ultimately it is the Lord who determines our steps.

God often works out his purposes through good leadership.  Good leaders motivate others (Proverbs 16:10).  They do not base their decisions simply on what is popular: ‘Sound leadership has a moral foundation’ (v.12b, MSG).  They cultivate an environment of candour: ‘Good leaders cultivate honest speech; they love advisers who tell them the truth’ (v.13, MSG).  They ‘invigorate lives; they’re like spring rain and sunshine’ (v.15, MSG).

Thank you, Lord, that although we make plans in our hearts ultimately it is your purpose that prevails.  In making our plans may we always say, at least in our hearts, ‘If it is the Lord’s will’.

 

 


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