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faith

Throw Your Plan Out the Window

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“Many are the plan in a mans heart, but it is the LORDS purpose that prevails,”
Proverbs 19:21 NIV

God teaches us lessons every day. Today as I write this He is showing me that being prepared is not necessarily a prerequisite to act in faith. When we live from faith and act accordance to His will, there is no “winging it”. Every decision we make following the direction of the Holy Spirit is the step we are predestined to take.

Winging it isn’t really winging it at all, it is working from a place of faith instead of preparedness.
When we have something in mind to write or say but the Holy Spirit shows us something different.

When we have a detailed plan for our day but “random series of events” derail our plan.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

Sometimes the most spontaneous things end up being the best things.

A phone call with an old friend that lasts for hours.

An impromptu trip to the mountains or the beach.

A conversation with a stranger.

An unexpected gift from a spouse.

Listening to those promptings or gentle nudges of the Holy Spirit allows us to experience these things.

We don’t need a detailed plan because we have a greater purpose.

Daily challenge:

Today I really want to encourage you to pay attention to the Holy Spirit within you. What is He guiding you to do? What is He asking you to say? It is not about your plan as much as it is about your purpose. 

Remember our faithfulness to God gives us what we need so we can walk and talk in line with Him.

Love,

Stephanie Miller

 

 

Photo Credit: image created via wordswag

WALKING FAITH

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EVERYDAY
REMEMBER THIS AND DO THIS
  1. GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS
  2. HE CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO
  3. I AM WHO HE SAYS I AM
  4. I CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS I CAN DO
  5. HIS WORD IS ACTIVE AND ALIVE IN ME
  6. I BELIEVE GOD
  1. PRAY IN THE SPIRIT AND PUT ON
  2. PUT ON GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
  3. PUT ON PEACE BECAUSE OF THE GOOD NEWS
  4. FAITH
  5. SALVATION
  6. SWORD OF THE SPIRIT – THE WORD OF GOD

For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
Eph. 6:15-16

Peace and Faith. They go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. You can’t manufacture either one of them. I know because I’ve tried. And you can’t fake them either. I know.

As I sat in the middle of the floor, heaving and weeping uncontrollably, Tommy said, “Mom, where’s your faith? He’s going to be alright! I thought you had this great faith – what’s wrong with you?” Still sitting there, as I had been for several hours, I shot back, “I know, but it still hurts, and I’m afraid of what might happen to him! I can have faith and still hurt, and be afraid, and cry and be sad all at the same time”, I argued.  And you can, and most of us do, for a little while. But if we have real faith, we will soon be calmed with God’s peace. A peace that passes all understanding, and makes no sense by human standards. A peace that comes when the light bulb comes on and we finally get it: God is in control and we can trust Him!

It was 1996 and we were going through one of the hardest trials I have ever experienced, before, or since. I am a Mama, and one of my sons was in danger. I was praying diligently, and studying God’s Word every day. I said to anyone who would listen that God was my strength and my hope. I said that I knew He would answer my prayer. Yes, it is very normal for a Mama to cry like mad in that situation. But for awhile there, I was inconsolable, acting as if I had no hope. But Tommy got my attention, because with God there is always hope! When we turn our eyes to Him, our Hope comes alive!

In my agony that day, I needed someone to come alongside me and bring God’s truth to my ears. And He sent Tommy. My daughter-in-law, Leigh was also there, and after getting my emotions a little more under control, I flattened myself across the floor, beneath our window that looks like a cross, and we prayed. And I remembered to Trust. And God heard that prayer. And peace started to flood my soul.

Faith is a deep belief that God is who He says He is, and can do what He says he can do. When a belief like that settles in, peace floods the soul. We will begin to walk in it and move forward again. Still sad maybe, still battling bouts of fear maybe, but also calm in the assurance that He really is God, and really is powerful enough to handle our crisis and our pain.

So, Faith and Peace are two more weapons God has given us to win in the war against the hater of our souls and haters of our family. So, let’s suit up today in shoes of peace, holding our shield of faith, and  hang on to our belt of His truth. We’re gonna need it tomorrow.

Until next time,

Your Traveling Companion,

Brenda

 

photo credit: http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/umberto-30223

 

Building a House

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“But Christ is faithful as the son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”
Hebrews 3:6

Jesus was faithful to God to carry out everything that he was sent on earth to do by the one who sent him. Christ is faithful to us because God is faithful to us. God said he would send His son down to save us.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16

God is the master builder. Jesus is the contractor. We are the workers, building our house-His house.

As the workers we’ve been hand-picked to perform certain tasks that are necessarily in order for the proper house to be built. Just like the master builder trusts the contractor to hire the right people for the job, God trusts us with the tasks He has given us.

We can rest in His hope and faith because that is what He modeled for us.

Now it is our turn.

Daily challenge:

Focus on the small bricks you are laying, the everyday activities that don’t seem like much, but overtime can make a lasting impact. All of our effort and energy exerted for God is timely and appointed. What are some of the smaller bricks you are laying each day in order to build your house?

But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

Where does our confidence and hope come from?

He who is faithful will provide until the second coming of Jesus Christ

-Stephanie Miller

 

Photo Credit: image created via wordswag