Understanding in trials

Here's an update on my last post. A friend just sent through some info from the message yesterday morning. The ten points made at the end were 'ways to cultivate humility and battle pride', and the one that stood out for me was ' Guard against trying to understand everything in trials - sometimes it's a mystery!'.

Understanding, or lack of

Yesterday morning I missed a large proportion of the sermon as Sarah wouldn't stay in her class. I ended up sitting out the back with her, where I could hear bits and pieces when the preacher was speaking loudly and Sarah wasn't making noise. Heard bits about humility its importance in church unity (Eph 3). At the end, he made ten points that he found practical, I'm assuming to help us be humble.

One point was to not try to understand everything. I didn't hear how this fit in the context of humility and unity, but it made me think about how easy it is to waste time trying to understand everything. I can look at what's happening in the world, and my past and analyse different aspects to try and understand how a good, gracious, merciful, loving, all-powerful God could allow such things to happen. Or I can look at God and His actions as recorded in the Bible and realise that this God and His ways are beyond my comprehension, but I know that He has immense love for us, that would lead Him to give His Son's life for us, and I know that He is faithful and can be trusted.

Yes, there are times to work things through, but we don't need to understand EVERYTHING. Even though we might like to!

God's purpose will prevail

You know that feeling when you've made an impulsive decision and you're not sure it was the right decision? I hate that feeling.

My mum reminded me of Proverbs 19:21, that God's purpose will prevail, despite my failings and sin. Just been thinking of this song by Hillsong:

'Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek your face
Lord all I am is yours

My whole life
I place in your hands
God of Mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at your throne

I called you answered
And you came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where you are

In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high'

NAB Breakup Ads

On the whole, I've been very happy with NAB. My experience with them has been pretty good. But I am not impressed with their recent 'breakup' ads. I don't think they send a good message about relationships. But maybe I'm too sensitive?!

Questions and more questions

Having one of those days filled with questions, lots of questions. Desiring that my heart would engage with the truths that God tells me in His Word, that He is with me and that He gives us hope. Reminded last night to come to God and give our emotions to Him.

Be at rest oh my soul

Psalm 62:5-6 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
⁶ Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

Immeasurably more

'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.' Ephesians 3:20-21

Why do I so often limit God? Why do I forget that He is Almighty God, who created the heavens and the earth, who created us!

He is able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE than we can ask or imagine... to HIM be the glory!!

Anticipation

'The feeling of looking forward, usually excitedly or eagerly, to something that is going to happen.'

Hoping in Him

Last week our Pastor preached on Psalm 23, and emphasised the end of the Psalm, 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life'. Part of me gets a bit skeptical when I read this - I think it could be interpreted to mean that everything will be easy and wonderful if I'm walking with God. I don't believe it means this at all, and our Pastor didn't imply that's what it meant either.

He highlighted that our God is a good, merciful God, and these character traits are what will remain the same. Because of who He is, I can put my hope fully in Him - I often don't, but I should. I love how David in Psalm 25 says that God is his Saviour, and his hope is in Him all day long.

Psalm 25:4-6 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁴ Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
⁶ Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.

Handing over the wheel

Unless I hand over the wheel completely, I may as well say I don't trust God, that I don't believe He is in control of everything.

I love the way Elisabeth shares her heart and part of the journey God took her on in Passion & Purity. The caption on the cover stood out today, 'Learning to bring your love life under Christ's control'. Handing over the wheel.

Elisabeth quotes S D Gordon who describes waiting in his Quite Talks on Prayer:

'Steadfastness, that is holding on;

patience, that is holding back;

expectancy, that is holding the face up;

obedience, that is holding one's self in readiness to go or do;

listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear.'

She then writes, 'How long, Lord, must I wait? Never mind, child, Trust Me.'

Revel in me. Find your joy in me. Delight in me. Trust me.

Getting to know the real you

Growing in friendship involves learning through conversation who you are as individuals. It's having fun together and spending quality and quantity time together... The strategic question to keep in mind is: How can you let each other see the 'real you'?

From Boy Meets Girl, p86 by Joshua Harris

Just do the next thing

Read this on the girl talk blog today, quoted from Elisabeth Elliot:

“Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment my moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.
Fear not tomorrows, Child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, ‘DO THE NEXT THING.’
Do it immediately; do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His Hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing,
Leave all resultings, ‘DO THE NEXT THING.’”
--author unknown

Being settled down

I've had this passage open in Bible Gateway after a friend shared last week how she taught her daughter the well known verse 6 when she was younger. I looked up a few different versions of the passage, and came across the one below in The Message. As someone who has a tendency to worry, I found it really practical.

I love that we're told to 'let petitions and praises shape our worries into prayers'. When I've actually done what God tells us to do in the verse, I have experienced a feeling of peace and being 'settled down', knowing that He is in control.

I also love the idea of God making us into His most excellent harmonies - sounds beautiful!

Philippians 4:6-8 (The Message)

^6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Holiday Dreams

Watching 'The Holiday', and enjoying it on the whole. Though in some ways watching chick flicks can be rather unhelpful... but it's nice to dream.

Last year I had real trouble letting go of my dreams so that God could reveal His dreams and plans for my life. Now I have new and different dreams, but they're dreams I want to be prepared to give to God so He can reshape them and guide my steps. Cause His plans definitely are the best.

An old ad

Do you remember this ad on TV: 'When will I see you again? When will we share precious moments?...'

I think it might have been a chocolate ad. Anyone else remember it?

Memories

This morning on the way to visit a friend who lives in a retirement home I was sitting at the lights near El Rancho at North Ryde. It brought back memories of a 'date' with a guy who took me there many years ago. I ordered a lovely big steak. He then took me for a drive, I think to the beach and we had a good walk and chat. He was a nice guy, but I don't think we were right for each other.

Anyhow, thought it was interesting how I've driven past there many times before, but today something triggered the memory.

Memories are nice. Well, some of them anyway. Looking forward to more good memories. Trying to trust God for the future, hard as that is at times!