From, "A Jewel in His Crown," by Priscilla Shirer
"If God does it according to your time table, you might just miss out on the entire blessing that He has for you. Women of excellence must remember that God has far bigger, far better plans than ours."
"She refused to let her external circumstances determine her worth."
"A diamond doesn't have to be flashy or flamboyant to be breathtakingly beautiful."
"Nothing and no one should cause you to drop your eyes to the floor in defeat, for He is 'the One who lifts [your] head' (Psalm 3:3). Remember who you are!"
"Satan's goal is to get us to forget that God made us the way we are for a reason. He knows that if we get focused enough on our weaknesses, we'll never get around to using our strengths for the Kingdom of God. He knows that if we're smothered in self-pity, we'll never get up and proclaim the praises of God. He knows that if we are always envying others, we will never learn to love them with Christ's love."
"Our task when uncomfortable circumstances invade our lives is to wrap ourselves in the Word of God."
"How dare we let the words of others become so powerful that they negate the Word of our Father?"
Two good friends referred this book to me, and one handed it over with all her markings and writing in it. They said it was such a great book. Honestly the title sounded kind of cheesy and not the type of book I'd read. But it's really good.
I got the book last Thursday, but was trying to finish up another book, and didn't start the book until this past Thursday. I asked off from work for something going on tonight, but it got postponed until next month, so I had the day off and read and journaled a lot today. Last night I don't remember much of the dream that I had, but I know that when I woke up, my first thought even in my half-asleep phase, was something that I was worried about and stressed about. I prayed, "God, I don't want to start my day this way. I want you to take captive of these thoughts like Your word says. I will not get out of bed until this is not in my head." And I laid there for a minute, and gave up my worry to him before getting up. It came back tonight. Two different times in ways I wasn't expecting. But I fought it off with scripture. I can't say I don't have the fear and worry and sadness in me still, but I can say that I will not dwell on it, and I will not let it put me in a bad mood or throw a pity party. I know that satan is just throwing negative thoughts into my head, hoping to get me down in order to paralyze me from doing His work. No.
God has this plan for my life. It is detailed. It will bring Him glory. He will use me to reach others and share His love, to be His hands and feet in a world that needs Him. He will lead me and guide me to where He wants me. He will stop things from happening that aren't in His plan, no matter what I try to do to make it happen anyways. He will put things on hold until the right time, weave moments together that will lead to something better, and comfort me through times of hurt. He hears me. He answers. His love covers over all of my sins and failures, all of my anger and disappointment, all of my pride and jealousy. His jealousy for me is a thousand times more than anything I have felt, and yet it is out of love that He wants my time and attention... any jealousy I will ever feel is so minor in comparison to His. So that pain that I feel with jealousy should be a reminder that God sits and waits for me with that feeling, but magnified, as I spend my life somewhat distant from Him at times. If He allows me to feel that towards the wrong things so that I am reminded of how He feels that about me, then I guess it's one of those times when He uses something painful to show me His love.
There are things in my life that feel impossible. Oh, I know all things are possible with God, but I feel like He will just say no, that's just not how my life is going to go. I pause and think, why would I have this passion for photography if I will never have it as a job? Why would He let me desire to be married if I won't get married? If He is the one to put desires in my heart, and I try so hard to align them with what He wants for me, then why would He say no? And at this moment in life, I know that at any moment God could guide me to an amazing job in photography, or arrange that I start dating someone (even if they aren't my husband), or show me something that I need to go do to serve, or where I need to go. I'm ready. But He's not.
It's like Jesus and I were hiking and Jesus said, "Yup, this is a good spot to set up a tent." And I'm like, "Uh... in the middle of the woods? I was hoping for a great view on top of the mountain, a waterfall, and a bathroom with plumbing nearby. You want to set up tent right here??" And when it's time, Jesus will pack us up and say, "Alright, time to go, follow me," and we'll continue on. Until then, we're camping out here in life. Getting bug bites. I'm not terribly miserable, but I feel stagnant, and when I start moving in any one direction, Jesus shakes His head and calls me back to stay where I am. To be still. Be still and know that He is God.
No comments:
Post a Comment