What Time is It?

^"And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you." ~Numbers 9:8 

 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses." ~Numbers 9:22-23

This morning while reading in Numbers about how God led and directed the children of Israel, I began thinking about how this applies to our lifes today... I believe there is much to be learned from this passage about God's leading and protection in our lives.

Numbers 9:8 is Moses' response to a sincere inquiry from men who were trying to do the right thing but were meeting opposition. These men didn't try to "get around the system" on their own or just say "forget it" and bluntly disobey God. Instead they talked to the man of God and sought His counsel. The first thing he told them was, "Stand still". Sometimes not doing anything is the best thing you can do for the moment. Always hold off on making major decisions until you have sought godly counsel and heard from God in a definate way.

Numbers 9:17-23 is, in my opinion, one of the most simple, yet profound, passages in the Bible about walking with God. There are many things one can learn from the passage, four of which I have listed below:

1) When God says, "Go", Go.
2) When God says, "Stay", Stay.
3) Going when God says,"Stay" = Very Bad Idea
4) Staying when God says, "Go" = Very Bad Idea

I know I know...Perhaps you are thinking, "Is it really THAT simple?!" I believe it is.
The "cloud" in this passage is representative of the blessings and favor of God on one's life.  If the cloud had moved, and the children of Israel didn't, their provision would no longer have remained.  Had they got tired of staying at the times they were to stay, and proceeded on their own, the same would have happened. They would have starved in the wilderness or died from heat stroke.  The cloud was both their direction, their provision, and their protection all wrapped up in one...and so it  is in our lifes today. Only now it's not a cloud, but rather the Holy Ghost inside us, and in those who are our spiritual authorities (who, if we're submitted, should also be our spiritual counselors).

On a personal level, there have been times when God has told me to stay, when I would rather have gone and times when He has told me to go, when I would rather have stayed. Sometimes our personal environments may reach a point where our flesh desires to take the escape route. Other times our personal environment may become our comfort zone, and no one enjoys leaving their comfort zone.

Please understand that I am not necessarily talking about only literally moving, such as to a different city, though that may well apply, but rather this could apply to a ministry situation, a relationship, a job, etc...any kind of change.

In the literal sense, however, it is also important to note that sometimes God says "stay" not to make one fidgety and miserable, but often it is because He wants you to rest and prepare for the journey ahead. Remain sensitive to the purpose of every season in your life. There is always a purpose.

Above you see a picture of Cookie Monster in shock that an option on his computer is "Delete Cookies". Cookie Monster loves cookies. He lives to eat cookies. So in his mind he's thinking, "Why in the world would you want to DELETE cookies?!!!"  Yet, even the most unsavvy computer user realizes that deleting "cookies" is, in general, a good thing.   And sometimes it is this way in life.  Cookie Monster in his ignorance would probably not press that button. However, a computer specialist might very well advise him to do so.

You see, making decisions in alignment with God's will is not about doing what you THINK is right or about what FEELS right.  If you make decisions based on this criteria, don't expect for God's favor to be on your life.

So, what IS it about? Well....It's about having good listening skills. What?! Yes. Really. It's that simple. I've heard it said that God has three answers: Yes, No, and Not Yet (Stand Still). I believe this is true. If you are seeking direction by praying and fasting, reading your Bible, and seeking godly counsel, God will answer you. It's not a matter of if He will answer, though sometimes you may think He's not when the answer is "not yet" or because it's not time for you to know yet, it's a matter of if you will obey when He does answer.

As in the Cookie Monster scenerio, sometimes the answer will come through a vessel of God. The question is, are you humble enough to listen to them and to act on it, even if it goes against what your flesh desires?  Are you willing to "delete cookies" if that's what God tells you to do? Are you willing to say goodbye to your comfort zone if that means staying hand in hand with God and His favor, provision, and protection on your life?

Observe the 23rd Psalm....

Green Pastures. Still Waters. Niiiice.

But what about The Valley of the Shadow of Death? The Presence of Our Enemies? 

Following God is not always a life of bliss nor should it be. If it were, we would never grow in Him. BUT if you walk with God He will always be there and there will be no need for want. He will always be leading. Always restoring, comforting, refreshing. and annointing. The best part? Goodness and mercy are yours to have, as well as the privilege to forever dwell in God's presence.

So, let's review:
1) When God says, "Go", Go.
2) When God says, "Stay", Stay.
3) Going when God says,"Stay" = Very Bad Idea
4) Staying when God says, "Go" = Very Bad Idea

"He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" ~Micha 6:8 

So, my question to you is, "What time is it in your life?  Is it a time to go or a time to stay?

A Bottle or a Well?

And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. ~Genesis 21:19

Hagar, sent out with just a bottle of water and bread, which was now gone, had lost all hope, given up on life, and was now planning to endure the death of her child. However, God heard her child's cry and revealed a source of provision for them much greater than what she'd had priorly. Before: A bottle (now empty) After: A well. How easy it is to be like Hagar, so focused on a problem that we miss the solution God has already prepared that's right in front of us.
      Sometimes we look through a microscope, when the answer is found through a panoramic view. Microscopic vision is man-made, an "I can figure this out if I try hard enough" mentality. Panoramic vision...this kind of vision is God given. This brings to my mind the feeling I experience inside when I stand on a mountain top overlooking a valley. Thoughts of God's amazingness, His power, and His glory overwhelm me every single time. In like manner, stepping back and allowing these same feelings of awe and this same perspective to take hold spiritually in the middle of life's difficulties will begat peace, which will give place to faith, which will produce the answer to any "impossible" situation one could ever face. Step back, pray, then look again...God might very well open your eyes just as he did Hagar's. An empty bottle or a well? Which will it be?

Two Opposites. One Truth...Every Morning

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." ~Lamentations 3:22-23

I woke up crazy early this morning, and, while lying in bed, hoping to fall back asleep (fail), was thinking about some things I read yesterday, that, while opposite in their approach, both shared a similar message very well....

It was out of this World...........
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
There must've been a mistake.
'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

"What hope has hatred ever harnessed? What argument has ever been aided by anger? What problems have ever been resolved by revenge? You might be trying to consciously or unconsciously punish a brother or sister by not forgiving them. But who are you really punishing? Who carries that judgement with him wherever he goes? Your brother and sister are not what you perceive they did to you. They are not some frozen moment in time that like a brick, you choose to carry into the present. They are God's children on a journey..." ~James B. Cisneros

"To err is human, to forgive divine." ~William Shakespeare

If God's mercies are new every morning, how can we offer our brother or sister any less? If the thought of worshiping before God's throne in Heaven next to any certain person makes you cringe, that means there's a good chance you might not be there anyway. Is holding on to that judgmentalism or unforgiveness really worth missing Heaven over? From here on out I encourage you: Look at others through God's eyes...You might be pleasantly surprised what you see.

No Bullies Allowed!

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood..."~Ephesians 6:12

When I first began this blog it wasn't just on a whim, but it was for a reason....

I had recently received a very specific word, or rather command, from God, and the devil had immediately went to work trying to convince me otherwise. In essence, God said, "Walk through this door."; Satan said, "There is no door, turn around and walk away." And immediately my mind went into a whirlwind. But,in the midst of that whirlwind, I realized something: the devil has an agenda and God has an agenda, and I had a choice as to whom I was going to let win that war in my mind and whose agenda I was going to choose to follow. One voice said, "Give up, you'll never be able to do what God's told you to do and disobedience is a sin, omission is as bad as commission, so you might as well just throw in the towel now. But God...well, God's voice told me something very different. It said, "My ways are above your ways; my thoughts are above your thoughts.", "I will never leave you nor forsake you.", "I lie not."

So, I picked myself up off the ground and made a firm decision, not only was I going to do whatever God asked of me, and put complete trust in Him to make a way, but I was going to make the devil reeeeaally sorry for ever messing with me at all. I wasn't really sure where to start out in this endeavor, but I felt in this process that God was going to show and teach me a lot, and that it would be wasteful to keep the classroom all to myself. Thus, as a good friend of mine coined the phrase a few years back, creating this blog was my way of affectionately saying, "In Your Face Devil!!!" And every time I write something glorifying God that's exactly the attitude I write with. It's not my desire to waste my own, nor anyone else's, precious time with something not inspired by God, therefore I don't write on a regular schedule, but rather as I feel led. Sometimes this is often, other times rarely.

Since beginning it there have been a lot of wonderful things happen. I have received letters from people who have read just the right thing at just the right time and in turn it has helped them through personal situations they were dealing with in their own lives. I also personally have been ministered to, due to people who were formerly strangers contacting me, sharing just the right words at just the right time that I needed to hear. There have been family friends I hadn't seen since childhood, as well as others who formerly were strangers, who have followed it, and whom God lead to sponsor me as an AIMer. While I have purposely been very vague in sharing the wonderful things that have came from this small decision, due to wanting to honor others' privacy, many of these stories, in detail, are awe inspiring and God's fingerprints are all over them.

I have shared all that to say this....Has the devil been bullying you lately? Well, fight back! Through prayer. Through doing your own special thing to say, "In Your Face Devil!" This special thing could be anything that will bring God glory...from helping mentor a person in need of one, to volunteering to help with a ministry at church, to feeding the homeless, to visiting the elderly, to moving forward in doing something God's already told you to do,....to blogging.

John 12:32 says, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Ask yourself, "What can I do to exalt God?", "What can I do to encourage His children?", "What can I do to please Him?", "What can I do to stand up and speak out and tell the devil 'No Bullying Allowed!!!'?"

As for me, I will continue to blog...I will continue to obey God and walk in His perfect will...and I will continue to proclaim, "In Your Face Devil!"

God Smiles

Perhaps you are or are not familiar with the phrase "God Smiles". To me a "God Smile" is a moment when God looks down on one and smiles, because He is pleased and desires to bless.

Recently I was blessed to be able to visit home, in Arkansas, for the holidays. During this time I also had the opportunity to attend the ministry conference, BOTT, in Alexandria and spend a few days with some of my dear friends on the ministry team in the U.K. while on my way home. Throughout this trip, which was a huge blessing, as well as a faith move, I continually saw "God Smiles" which brought great peace to me.

As a missionary, it is hard to feel content with "leaving your post", even if the break is greatly needed or if it is because you are trying to keep your ducks correctly in a row: 1st family, then ministry. When taking a trip anywhere, there's still a part of you that is asking "Was this the right decision?,Should I have waited?,etc." However, God has a way of speaking, bringing peace, and showing that a time of rest IS necessary and that God does bless it.

While I said there were many "God Smiles" along the way...A new sponsor here, a special donation there that in all equaled about the cost the trip itself(Praise God!), as well as a few other "divine appointments" that came to pass, there is one really big one that stands out to me....

One of my best friends and mentors, Kim Hall, and I were out having a girls day with her mom. I was the one who got to decide where we would eat. Seeing as we were all on a very tight budget, and, since living in Europe, Taco Bell had came to hold a very special place in my heart, we decide that was the restaurant of choice. Upon arrival at the restaurant, Kim & I were being our typical outgoing, boisterous selves, characteristics that tend to magnify when good friends get together. :-)

While ordering we were joking around, Kim swiping a handful of the peppermints, talking about how much she loved them. Me, acting like a starving person, probably more excited to be in a Taco Bell than anyone the cashier had ever seen. Alas, we'd made our grand entrance...for better or worse.

A little while after we had sat down and began eating, the Taco Bell employee, who had taken our order, walked by, dropped a pile of mints in front of Kim, and walked off without saying a word. We busted out laughing, then returned to making small talk and finishing up our meals. In a spur of the moment decision, right before leaving, we invited her to attend the statewide youth convention service with us that was being held at a convention center a few blocks away. She didn't give us a definate yes or no at that point, but we exchanged numbers, planning to touch base later in the day.

Later I began texting with her to see if she was coming. At first she didn't know. No skirts or dresses to wear and she'd been seeing so many of our girls coming in there looking all cute from the convention. (Pause and think about this...any one of them could have and should have invited her, but that's for another blog and another time. ;-) I talked her through that, then she said she didn't have transportation..."All she had was God and her job." I told her "done" that I would pick her up. When she made that comment I knew that this was a divine appointment and I was determined to not let her out of what God was determined to do in her life.

That night she came. She was nervous. She was indeed one of the few females not wearing a skirt...and She was at the right place at the right time for her "God Smile".

That night God reached down to my new friend and showed Himself to her in a way she had never felt Him before. Due to some unwise decisions in her life, she had lost everything, her family included, and had return back to her hometown to get life back in order. While in her hometown two daughters of The King, one who lives in Dallas and one who lives in Europe, "just happened" to be in town and cross the path of this hungry young lady who was trying her best to do right and who was looking to God for direction. And, that night at Youth Convention, God reached down and filled this young lady with the Holy Ghost.

Two night later, New Year's Eve,she rang in her New Year in worship with the saints of Rogers UPC and by the end of the night she had already declared it her home church. Two weeks later she was baptized in Jesus name. And now she is participating in Home Bible Studies with some friends of mine and is attending church faithfully.

"God Smiles"...That day we met this precious girl, God smiled on me, giving me peace that I was indeed in the right place at the right time. But more than that, He smiled on Her...

"Draw near to God and He WILL draw near to You."(James 4:8)