Greetings, Dear Friends!
And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.
Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month I'll give away a gift card from Starbucks. So leave a post, share a story, and bless lots of people!
Okay, now on to my topic...
Last week we discussed the turbulent times we're living in and how important it is to be strengthened in the Word and strengthened in God's presence.
I'd like to address another aspect of our faith in light of the storm clouds gathering overhead. I said this on the air yesterday and it bears repeating: Especially during these trying and uncertain times, we must be more God-aware, than news-aware.
God's promises are still true. His promise of provision has not let up. Neither has the call to obey Him no matter what. We are still supposed to tithe, to give to those have less than us, and to believe with all our hearts - that we are called to be flow through accounts of God's blessing.
Imagine if most Believers pulled back and stopped giving to their local church because of fear over finances. First of all, their personal finances would only suffer more. Secondly, churches everywhere would start to fold (in fact, churches are closing their doors all around us). To step back and look at the bigger picture here, when a church closes, the community suffers loss. We have a personal responsibility here not to lose our heads in this crazy time.
So, just how do we maintain a mindset of faith in a day of fear?
We prepare for rain.
Think about your various areas of concern, or hopes, or dreams. Name them. Find Scripture to support these things your asking for. Set out your buckets today. Pray through each one - thanking God for hearing your prayer. Picture the raindrops starting to fall. Imagine them plunking into your bucket. Smile, because God is moving on your behalf.
Tomorrow during your prayer time, set out your buckets again. Name them. Bring your needs before the Lord, but not in a begging-pleading sort of way; in a faith-filled, thankful sort of way. Dear Lord, You promised to supply all of my needs according to Your riches, not mine. I thank you with all my heart that I have more than enough to live abundantly today. I'm believing You for great things! And I'll be back tomorrow to talk with you about these things again. I've set out my buckets of expectation and I am ready. Let it rain, Lord.
I've been naming my buckets for about seven years and they're so full, they're almost ready to spill over! Everything I'm asking for is Biblical and my faith is strengthened every time I pray through the promises God has made to me.
So, we've addressed the future concerns. We prepare for rain by setting out our buckets.
But what about today?
Today we open our hands. In fact, we take our day one moment at a time. This moment is the moment of provision. Right now, God is supply our needs for the hour. Mercy, grace, and faithful promises are available right here, right now.
I'm speaking to myself here. I'm up to my eyeballs in work right now, and I'm behind schedule in a way that makes me uncomfortable. But this morning as I prayed, I so strongly sensed the Lord saying to me, "Your deadline is not today, it's a few weeks from now. Today is a writing day, so write. Think only about the hour. Open your hands and I will supply what you need."
Don't think about the future through a worry filter. Plan for the future in light of God's promises.
Prepare for rain and daily, tenaciously, bring God's promises before Him. He loves that.
Inhale. Exhale. Now smile. God is with you.
Until next week~
PS - I hosted Along the Way yesterday (a two hour talk show). We had a great time. You can listen online or download it to your iPod if you want. Here's the link:
PSS - If you haven't signed up for my quarterly E-zine, you might want to. A number of my author-friends give away some great books, I offer some devotional insights, health and balance tips, book recommendations, great quotes, and a prayer to send you on your way. You'll enjoy it! Here's the link: