Let me

So, for the most part, I am a planner.  I like to work ahead and have time to tweak and be creative in work, in play and in life.  It’s generally good to be “organized” and to plan, but what the last few years have taught me is that I can plan all I want, but some things are just out of my control!

As I was reading scripture the other day, this struck a chord. Proverbs 16:3:

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. 

I have read this verse countless times but this time was different. On this day, I came to the sudden realization that I have been reading this verse wrong all these years.  I have actually been reading it backwards. I have been reading it as, ‘Commit your plans to the Lord and He will establish whatever you do.’

What I’ve done is planned and then presented it to the Lord, and said, “Lord will you bless this?” Or “Lord, will you make this happen?”  But Proverbs doesn’t say that, it says: Commit to the Lord whatever you do and HE will establish your plans!

And here is the other thing that struck me. There are times when we might read this verse and think, ‘I don’t have anything that can even turn into a plan.’

I want to remind us of something…Do you remember the story of Moses? Do you remember when God said to Moses at the burning bush, “What do you have in your hand?”?

In Exodus 4, Moses was acutely aware of his own weaknesses, and he expressed to the Lord his fear in God’s call to him to lead Israel out of bondage.

So God simply asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2).

God shifted Moses’ attention away from his anxiety about the future and suggested he notice what was right in front of him—a shepherd’s rod. And God used that ordinary staff to perform extraordinary miracles.

So, today, hear the Lord saying to you:

“What do you have in your hand? Commit that to Me and let Me establish your plans.”

Be Encouraged!

Have you ever been in a situation when you have felt… enough is enough.  You find yourself in a season when nothing seems to be going right,  work, relationships, finances, and your dog just peed on the carpet.  I mean, really???

On such a day or season I have found this passage of Scripture to be helpful.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:58:

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. 

Paul encourages us to apply three concrete steps to difficult situations so that we can come out victoriously.

During difficult situations:

Stand firm. Paul encourages us to be steadfast and firm in our relationship with God and our faith walk with Jesus. The second thing,

Let nothing move you.  Paul is encouraging us to stay focused, faithful and prayerful to God, and the assignment to which we are called.

Life happens to all of us but Paul is saying let none of those things move you away from your relationship with God.

Give yourself fully to the work of the Lord.

And here is where it gets tough, in the middle of a difficult situation the last thing we want to do is continue to serve. Wouldn’t we rather go back to bed and crawl under the covers? “Serve? At a time like this, Lord?”

Paul is saying…Yes! We need to continue on being and doing what God has called us to do, even in difficult seasons.

Now you may ask, WHY?  Well, Paul says because you know your labour in the Lord is not in vain.  In good times it is easy to trust God, but in bad times it is easy to lose faith in God.  God knows what you are going through and where you are in life.

In tough times, stay faithful and focus on what God is doing with you and not what life is doing to you.

Stay steadfast.  Let nothing move you away from your assignment because you know your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

Be encouraged!

Little things, big results!

I seem to be a little late to the game, given that we are now in February, but this week I picked up a new journal. It’s so exciting! There is something about all those blank pages waiting to be filled. Such possibilities! Not unlike a new year.

I know for many a new year represents the possibility of doing something different, or even awesome. Perhaps it is setting a goal to lose weight, kick a bad habit, read the bible cover to cover, get into shape, or run a marathon!

I like to set big goals, but what I have discovered about myself is that small goals coupled with faithfulness and discipline produce the biggest results.

Being faithful in the little areas can have wonderful long term results. I think we can all agree that we’ve seen this to be true.

For example, the more consistently I read my Bible, the more I grow in my walk with God. Or the more consistently we eat properly and exercise the better we feel. We can be faithful in the little things!  What’s so awesome is that God honours faithfulness, even to little things.

Look at what Jesus said in Luke 16:10:

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

In Proverbs 13:4 it says:

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

Over and over scripture emphasizes the value of diligence and discipline.

God rewards our diligence, discipline, faithfulness and hard work. We may not see the results immediately, but over time we will.

Don’t be discouraged. Take the first little step. Be disciplined, not in your own strength but in the power of the Holy spirit and watch. As you are faithful in the little things, big things happen!