He Is
I find myself at a loss for words. I've wanted to write this blog for some time now, but have hesitated because I wasn't sure where to begin. It hasn't helped that my schedule has been more than a little full. I finally decided this would be one of those times I would have to sit down, start writing and trust God would be faithful to provide the words. Funny, this blog just happens to be about His provision. I've found myself lately looking back and being amazed by God's grace and faithfulness despite my selfishness. I don't know about you but sometimes I'm astonished by just how truly selfish I can be and even more astonished by how God still chooses to use me despite myself. Then again, He is a God of grace and for this I am thankful.
As I've sought God, He has been faithful to show me different sides of His character. He has shown me His grace, His love, His sovereignty, His patience but most of all He has shown me His provision. Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will Provide. And while I can attest to the many times God has provided for my physical needs this aspect of His provision is not what I want to focus on. I would rather focus on how He provides strength when we are weak, courage when we are fearful, the grace to reach out to those who have pushed us away, and even His provision regarding the things our hearts long for but don't necessarily need.
Several years ago, I was placed in a situation, with some close friends, where I was blatantly left out. What made this situation so painful was not necessarily that I wasn't included but that I was lied to. Needless to say, I was crushed. Honesty is a virtue I greatly esteem and I try to be very genuine in my relationships with others. I guess I just didn't expect to be deceived by someone I counted as a true friend. The question became how do I now handle this? I tend to bottle my feelings inside instead of confronting the issue for the sake of peace. However, in this situation, I felt like the issue needed to be addressed, but how would I go about it without making matters worse. After I had exhausted my tears and laid my heart out before the Lord, I sought His word. In my daily Bible study, I came to the passage in Luke where Jesus speaks about loving your enemies. Luke 6:28 says, "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." I didn't feel I had been cursed or really even mistreated but I did get a strong sense that I needed to pray for the people involved. If you skip down to verses 30-31 they say, "Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." These words spoke to me because the question they raised was "Am I going to approach this friendship based on how I've been treated or am I going to give of myself not requiring anything in return?" I realized I needed to give of myself and not worry about what was taken from me. The Lord also brought to mind Peter's denial of knowing Him. He reminded me that He knows what it feels like to be pushed aside by those you hold dear. A couple of days later, I was still debating how or even if I should talk to my friends about what had happened. I knew I would see one of them for the first time since the situation had transpired and I still wasn't sure how I should deal with it. My mom called as I was getting ready for work and said that as she was praying for me that morning, a verse came to her mind and she wanted to share it with me. It's 1 Kings 12:24, 'This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers...for this is my doing.'" Wow. Is God not faithful or what? He provided me the wisdom and grace to deal with a situation that could have easily fractured a friendship. I share this story because for me it was a fork in the road. I could choose to handle the situation out of my emotions or I could bring my hurt before the Lord and trust Him to provide healing and forgiveness.
A couple of weeks ago, I came to a place where I was once again able to experience God's faithfulness to provide all I needed. If you've been following these blogs, you know I owned an Interior Design firm but had felt the Lord leading me to walk away. And while I still maintained my ownership in the business, I hadn't actively worked in design for about year. However, there was a certain amount of comfort in knowing I had a business I could return to at any time. It came to the point where I realized it was time to sign my share of the business over to my business partner. As the dreaded day approached, I wondered how I would handle it. It just seemed so final and I guess in a sense it was. I was surprised to find my spirit filled with excitement as I woke up that morning. All I kept thinking was "I wonder what's next?" When I actually got to the Lawyers office, I couldn't sign the papers fast enough. There was almost a sense of urgency mixed with overwhelming peace. It somehow didn't feel like a door closing but more like a door opening. It brought to mind an email a lady, at my church, had sent me after I shared my testimony a year earlier. She had been reading her morning devotional and felt like the verse for the day was meant for me. It was Revelation 3:7b-8 which says, "What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." The Lord was shutting the door of design for me but I can only begin to imagine what door He is opening for me. You have to understand, I didn't want to walk away from design. It wasn't an easy choice and it didn't make it any easier to have friends trying to persuade me to stay in it. When the Lord calls us to lay down something, it's because He has something so much better. He isn't going to ask us to sacrifice something and then leave us to deal with it. He will provide all the courage, strength and peace we need to accomplish His will. Do you realize the day I signed my business over was exactly a year to the date from when He first called me to walk away? It wasn't planned that way and in fact I didn't even realize it until later that night. Don't you see, God in His infinite grace gave me a year to work through my emotions and prepare me to completely let go? He didn't just ask me to lay it down and then yank it out from under me. He is a God of love and He knew I needed time. He knew He was asking me to give up my dream and it wasn't going to be easy for me.
What about those times our hearts long for something that we don't necessarily need? I can't tell you how many times God has provided for me in this regard. I can tell you of one time several years ago when I really wanted new barstools. We had perfectly good barstools but they were just kind of plain and had been handed down to us. What do you know but we were visiting my Aunt and Uncle and they had these barstools they had decided not to use at their beach condo. They didn't want to throw them away but didn't have anything to do with them. I'm happy to tell you they now grace my kitchen bar. Oh, and there was the time when I really wanted to get away and go on a vacation but I knew we couldn't afford it. I remember praying about it and just bringing that desire before the Lord. Eight months later, I'm sitting on the beach with my husband thanks to his grandparents deciding they wanted to take the entire family on a special trip. I think sometimes we think God doesn't care about some of the things we might consider trivial. However, Isaiah 30:18 says, "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion." He loves us and when we are seeking Him, He delights in providing us our heart's desire.
Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will Provide. He is the Lord who will provide the resources when you aren't sure how you are going to make ends meet next month. He is the Lord who will provide love and hope when you feel like your marriage is a failure. He is the Lord who will provide strength when you are a single mom and you have nothing left to give. He is the Lord who will provide wisdom and knowledge when you find yourself in a job you know nothing about. He is the Lord who will provide comfort and healing when you've lost someone you love. Philippians 4:19 promises us that God will meet ALL our needs. In fact, so much so, that He even sent His Son, to this earth, to become a ransom for our sins. It's the reason we celebrate Christmas and His ultimate provision of grace. In the midst of this Christmas season, I hope you will realize the extent God went to to provide you the gift of salvation. I also hope you will look back and see His provision in every area of your life and you will be struck anew by the depth of His love for you.
"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11
As I've sought God, He has been faithful to show me different sides of His character. He has shown me His grace, His love, His sovereignty, His patience but most of all He has shown me His provision. Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will Provide. And while I can attest to the many times God has provided for my physical needs this aspect of His provision is not what I want to focus on. I would rather focus on how He provides strength when we are weak, courage when we are fearful, the grace to reach out to those who have pushed us away, and even His provision regarding the things our hearts long for but don't necessarily need.
Several years ago, I was placed in a situation, with some close friends, where I was blatantly left out. What made this situation so painful was not necessarily that I wasn't included but that I was lied to. Needless to say, I was crushed. Honesty is a virtue I greatly esteem and I try to be very genuine in my relationships with others. I guess I just didn't expect to be deceived by someone I counted as a true friend. The question became how do I now handle this? I tend to bottle my feelings inside instead of confronting the issue for the sake of peace. However, in this situation, I felt like the issue needed to be addressed, but how would I go about it without making matters worse. After I had exhausted my tears and laid my heart out before the Lord, I sought His word. In my daily Bible study, I came to the passage in Luke where Jesus speaks about loving your enemies. Luke 6:28 says, "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." I didn't feel I had been cursed or really even mistreated but I did get a strong sense that I needed to pray for the people involved. If you skip down to verses 30-31 they say, "Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." These words spoke to me because the question they raised was "Am I going to approach this friendship based on how I've been treated or am I going to give of myself not requiring anything in return?" I realized I needed to give of myself and not worry about what was taken from me. The Lord also brought to mind Peter's denial of knowing Him. He reminded me that He knows what it feels like to be pushed aside by those you hold dear. A couple of days later, I was still debating how or even if I should talk to my friends about what had happened. I knew I would see one of them for the first time since the situation had transpired and I still wasn't sure how I should deal with it. My mom called as I was getting ready for work and said that as she was praying for me that morning, a verse came to her mind and she wanted to share it with me. It's 1 Kings 12:24, 'This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers...for this is my doing.'" Wow. Is God not faithful or what? He provided me the wisdom and grace to deal with a situation that could have easily fractured a friendship. I share this story because for me it was a fork in the road. I could choose to handle the situation out of my emotions or I could bring my hurt before the Lord and trust Him to provide healing and forgiveness.
A couple of weeks ago, I came to a place where I was once again able to experience God's faithfulness to provide all I needed. If you've been following these blogs, you know I owned an Interior Design firm but had felt the Lord leading me to walk away. And while I still maintained my ownership in the business, I hadn't actively worked in design for about year. However, there was a certain amount of comfort in knowing I had a business I could return to at any time. It came to the point where I realized it was time to sign my share of the business over to my business partner. As the dreaded day approached, I wondered how I would handle it. It just seemed so final and I guess in a sense it was. I was surprised to find my spirit filled with excitement as I woke up that morning. All I kept thinking was "I wonder what's next?" When I actually got to the Lawyers office, I couldn't sign the papers fast enough. There was almost a sense of urgency mixed with overwhelming peace. It somehow didn't feel like a door closing but more like a door opening. It brought to mind an email a lady, at my church, had sent me after I shared my testimony a year earlier. She had been reading her morning devotional and felt like the verse for the day was meant for me. It was Revelation 3:7b-8 which says, "What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." The Lord was shutting the door of design for me but I can only begin to imagine what door He is opening for me. You have to understand, I didn't want to walk away from design. It wasn't an easy choice and it didn't make it any easier to have friends trying to persuade me to stay in it. When the Lord calls us to lay down something, it's because He has something so much better. He isn't going to ask us to sacrifice something and then leave us to deal with it. He will provide all the courage, strength and peace we need to accomplish His will. Do you realize the day I signed my business over was exactly a year to the date from when He first called me to walk away? It wasn't planned that way and in fact I didn't even realize it until later that night. Don't you see, God in His infinite grace gave me a year to work through my emotions and prepare me to completely let go? He didn't just ask me to lay it down and then yank it out from under me. He is a God of love and He knew I needed time. He knew He was asking me to give up my dream and it wasn't going to be easy for me.
What about those times our hearts long for something that we don't necessarily need? I can't tell you how many times God has provided for me in this regard. I can tell you of one time several years ago when I really wanted new barstools. We had perfectly good barstools but they were just kind of plain and had been handed down to us. What do you know but we were visiting my Aunt and Uncle and they had these barstools they had decided not to use at their beach condo. They didn't want to throw them away but didn't have anything to do with them. I'm happy to tell you they now grace my kitchen bar. Oh, and there was the time when I really wanted to get away and go on a vacation but I knew we couldn't afford it. I remember praying about it and just bringing that desire before the Lord. Eight months later, I'm sitting on the beach with my husband thanks to his grandparents deciding they wanted to take the entire family on a special trip. I think sometimes we think God doesn't care about some of the things we might consider trivial. However, Isaiah 30:18 says, "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion." He loves us and when we are seeking Him, He delights in providing us our heart's desire.
Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will Provide. He is the Lord who will provide the resources when you aren't sure how you are going to make ends meet next month. He is the Lord who will provide love and hope when you feel like your marriage is a failure. He is the Lord who will provide strength when you are a single mom and you have nothing left to give. He is the Lord who will provide wisdom and knowledge when you find yourself in a job you know nothing about. He is the Lord who will provide comfort and healing when you've lost someone you love. Philippians 4:19 promises us that God will meet ALL our needs. In fact, so much so, that He even sent His Son, to this earth, to become a ransom for our sins. It's the reason we celebrate Christmas and His ultimate provision of grace. In the midst of this Christmas season, I hope you will realize the extent God went to to provide you the gift of salvation. I also hope you will look back and see His provision in every area of your life and you will be struck anew by the depth of His love for you.
"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11
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