GOD’s plan

Many times I have direction in what to ask GOD for but then there are times when I simply don’t know how to pray. This is happening more and more in the past few years.  I can reason what might be good but not knowing what GOD is doing behind the scenes there is a hesitation to ask what I think might work.  

Sometimes I pray and ask what HE is doing and am impressed to pray a certain way.  But when I am still not sure, when the hesitation remains I”ll simply pray for GOD’s perfect best in the situation.  For what is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

Many see that as a copout and although it may sound awful, I was greatly encouraged as I read the apostle Paul’s struggle to know how to pray or even ask others to pray for him in his situation as he wrote to the Philippians (Philippians 1:19-24).

He knew and stated pros and cons of what to ask for, yet ended in stating that one way was far better, but the other more needful. He realized that since he didn’t know what GOD was doing in that situation he didn’t know what to ask for.  Apparently, that later, being acquitted during the trial, was not more needful, for Paul was found guilty and went to be with the LORD which was far better.

Perhaps some were looking to Paul instead of personally seeking GOD.  We saw that with the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1).  For it wasn’t until the year that good King Uzziah died that Isaiah looked up and saw the LORD sitting on HIS throne, high and lifted up.

As well as an encouragement to me in the midst of censure, this account in Philippians reminds us again that the LORD’s ways are not our ways, nor HIS thought our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Looking unto JESUS the Author and Finisher of my faith (Hebrews 7:25, 12:2).

Hugs

Sharon

Are you down in the valley?

One of my friends recently told how she cried a lot through her struggle of pain and weakness with COVID, several other friends were in tears as they have lost loved ones; and with the holidays approaching it is so very, very hard. Still others have lost their jobs and don’t know what they will do; others face legal problems when they have done nothing wrong.  All of them are in the Valley of Weeping.  Today the LORD gave me a word to share with them and maybe you.

Happy are those who are strong (because they look to and trust) in the LORD who want above all else to follow HIS steps.  When they walk through the Valley of Weeping (due to grieving or problems) it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after the rains.  They will grow constantly in strength and each of them is invited to meet with the LORD… Psalm 84:5-7 LB

These verses say:

You will find joy and strength as you look to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

During struggles you will want to follow in GOD’s steps. 

During times of grief and problems when you find yourself walking in the Valley of Weeping, you’ll find refreshment and blessing like the refreshing coolness that comes with a cloud burst of rain after a prolonged a hot spell. For during these times of weeping, you will constantly grow in strength as you answer GOD’s invitation to meet with HIM.

Are you in a Valley of Weeping?  Go find strength and refreshment and joy in the presence of our LORD and in HIS Word.

Hugs

Sharon

No matter what you are facing

After eye surgery, I had foot surgery and then got bronchitis and 2 weeks later came down with Covid.  Praise the LORD! I am now out of isolation and slowly regaining my strength.  Many others are facing one problem after another too. Sadly, some are saying, “Where is GOD?”

Lamentations 3:^21-26 Yet there is one ray of hope:GOD’s compassion never ends. It is only the LORD’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.Great is HIS faithfulness; HIS loving-kindness begins afresh each day.My soul claims the LORD as my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in HIM.The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for HIM, to those who seek for HIM.  It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

No matter what you are facing, if you have called of the name of the LORD JESUS to save you, GOD’s goodness and mercy will never leave you (Romans 8:39, 10:13).  In fact, GOD prepares blessings for those who believe in JESUS in the middle of hard times if you will only listen and heed HIS instructions. 

Psalm 81:^11-12 “But no, MY people won’t listen and don’t want ME around.So, I am letting them go their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires.^13-14 “But oh, that my people would listen to ME! … would follow ME, walking in MY paths!  How quickly then I would subdue their enemies! How soon MY hands would be upon their foes… ¹⁶ Yes, then I, GOD, would feed them with the choicest foods. I would satisfy them with honey from the rock (hard places).

Isaiah 45:³ And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness, secret riches; and you will know that I am doing this—I, the LORD, the GOD of Israel, the one who calls you by your name. ^5-7 I am Jehovah; there is no other GOD. I will strengthen you and send you out to victory…  and all the world from east to west will know there is no other GOD. I am Jehovah and there is no one else. I alone am GOD.  I form the light and make the dark. I send good times and bad. I, Jehovah, am HE who does these things.  ⁹ Woe to the man who fights with his Creator. Does the pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with HIM who forms it, saying, “Stop, you’re doing it wrong!” or the pot exclaim, “How clumsy can you be!” 

And yet isn’t that exactly what we do when we anxiously focus on the problems we are facing, stirred up with doubts and full of fear instead of looking to GOD and claiming HIS unchanging promises that our problems are in reality achieving eternal good for us? (James 1:2-4. 2 Corinthians 4:15-18).

It is so easy to lose sight of the truth of GOD’s word and let go of HIS promises during these difficult times.  We focus on what we see and not look to the ONE who is really in control.

To help us refocus GOD has instructed us to GIVE THANKS in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Philippians 4:6-7).

What good will that do?

In order to obey GOD and give thanks we must turn our focus from what we see and look to GOD.  It helps me to remember GOD does not command us to feel thanks just give thanks.  When in obedience we speak aloud THANK YOU LORD it is like swinging a sword against the lying taunts of the enemy that feed our fears.  And the peace of GOD throws us beyond having to understand and guards and keeps our hearts and mind (Philippians 4:6-7).

Try it, it really works!

Hugs

Sharon Manning

How come?

Why can’t I understand the things GOD does or allows?

MY thoughts are completely different from yours, says the LORD.  And MY ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways and MY thoughts higher than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8,9 NLT

We really have no real concept of how high the heavens are above us. But to give us an inkling of how unfathomable higher GOD’s thoughts are than ours, here are a few facts. Suppose you drew 2 circles, one large and one small with their centers just 9 inches apart.  If each inch represented 10 million miles (10,000,000) that picture would show the distance between our earth and our sun.

Now if you want to draw another circle to show how far the nearest star would be the star would be 40 miles from the sun you drew on your paper.  The nearest star is Alpha Centauri & is 24 thousand million miles away. (24,000,000,000,000)

That distance is hard to imagine so suppose you started out the moment you were born and ran a mile every 4 minutes without stopping.  You would be 700 years old when you reached our sun and 182 million years old before you reached the nearest star.  And that is just the beginning… it is the closest star in our universe of millions of stars and beyond are universes upon universes upon universes all filled with stars and quasars and whatever else is out there.

Those numbers blow us away.  We have no concept of the distance.  Now consider what the GOD who flung them all into space says.  “for just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways and MY thoughts higher than your thoughts.” 

The Psalmist said, “Who is man that YOU are mindful of him?”   Yet, we know from HIS word that GOD is very mindful of us.  Before man was ever formed, the eternal Triune GODHEAD devised a plan for each and every individual ever to be born; a plan taking in the small details of times and places Acts 17:26 and our DNA Psalm 139. 

By knowing our choices before we made them HE knew what would happen in the garden and that we would need a Savior.  So, before GOD made the world the plan of salvation for the substitutionary death of GOD the SON (JESUS) who by the way flung the stars into space and made everything that was made (John 1:1-3, Hebrews 1:1-3). JESUS, the eternal GOD the Son did not grasp HIS equality in the GODHEAD but take on the form of a servant/ the body of a man and become obedient to the plan and carry all the sin of the world, past present and future on HIMSELF on the cross.  HE rose from the dead guaranteeing believer’s resurrection from the dead (Philippians 2:5-11).

Yes, HIS thoughts are completely different from our thoughts.  And HIS ways are far beyond anything we could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are HIS ways higher than our ways and HIS thoughts higher than our thoughts.  No wonder we need the HOLY SPIRIT to interpret what GOD says to us (1 Corinthians 2:10).  Yet, we try to tell GOD what to do and how to do it, then get mad if HE doesn’t do it our way, on our time schedule.  I would say LOL but it isn’t a laughing matter.

If both JESUS and the HOLY SPIRIT only speak the words that THEY are given from GOD the FATHER how much more so should we.  So, let’s stop and listen to that inward knowing and obey those nudges.

Hugs

Sharon

What GOD does with HIS knowledge

When you are making plans, what do you take into consideration? 

If you are wise you will consider everything you know and pray asking GOD to highlight what you need to see when making that choice.

In class on Tuesday a gal wondered if GOD preset the exact times and places (Acts 17:26) what does prayer do?

Please stay with me as we look at what the Bible says.

We are to pray at all times Ephesians 6:18 the prayers of a righteous man avails much James 5:16   Therefore we can conclude prayer is important and necessary.  I Samuel 12:23 that to cease to pray for one that comes to mind is a sin against GOD.

I submit to you that considering what HE knows is also how GOD works. What does GOD know?

1 John 3:20 … God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. (The scope of HIS knowledge is infinite/ that is vastly beyond furthest the star (Isaiah 55:8-9).

1 Kings 8:39 … whose heart You know; for You, even You only, know the hearts of all the children of men;

In the context it is quite clear that by knowing the heart of a person, GOD knows how that one will react, how he will choose and how he will pray.  Psalm 139 goes deeper into this but let me just say it says GOD knows our thoughts before they are formed.

In 1 Peter 1:2 the HOLY SPIRIT moved Peter to record that by/ or according to HIS infinite foreknowledge of us and our choices that GOD made choices.

And those unchangeable choices (James 1:17) were made before the world began for Acts 15:18. Known unto GOD are all HIS works from the beginning of the world.

Do you hear what that says?  It says GOD knew how HE will answer the prayer you make tomorrow  before HE made the world.  Being all GOD’s ways are right, the answer to your prayer is always the very best answer it can be.

(GOD is) The Rock! HIS work is perfect, For all HIS ways are just (right); A GOD of faithfulness without iniquity (injustice), Just and upright is HE  (Deuteronomy 32:4 AMP)

Let’s just praise the LORD!

Hugs

Sharon