I met someone
I will lead the blind along ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. – Isaiah 42:16
Coming back from lunch, I parked in my familiar spot and reclined my chair. David Crowder was playing through my ipod as I day dreamed for the last 20 minutes of lunch. I like to zone out during lunch, take my mind off of things and just relax. I stare at a computer screen for 8hrs a day so breathing in some fresh air and closing my eyes does wonders to break up the day.
Moments later I caught a silhouette in my side mirror, followed it through my rear view mirror, and then suddenly through the passenger side mirror… She was walking up to my door! She caught me off guard, with a big grin waving and giving a thumbs up sign. Stunned, I fumbled for the key to roll down the window and turned down the music.
“Love the music. She said. I saw your fish sticker and thought ‘that has to be another believer.’”
She stood about 5′7″ with grey curling hair and sleek blue eyes. She was bubbling with enthusiasm as she spoke of God working and what he was doing at Ocean Spray. She wanted to invite me to a prayer meeting during lunch that she had put together with other believers.
How funny it is when your prayers are answered. Lately I’ve been struggling with finding “purpose”. I feel blind walking around every day. What is it God wants me to do? How can I make a difference every day? I sometimes feel useless in the job I have now. Computers. What am I gonna do with computers? And then a little old lady comes by and offers prayer and an opportunity.
Over the past year I’ve felt a calling to teach the word. I began helping and teaching awana (children’s church), I started a bible study on Thursday’s, and started this blog all under guidance from the Spirit. At the same time I’ve been challenged to clean up my life, to forgo the things of this world, and remove myself from situations that aren’t conducive to my relationship with Christ.
In the darkness of the days of the world I’ve struggled with all of this. The more I focus on trying to do what I’m called to do the harder Satan attacks every aspect of my life. As I’ve wrote about previously, he comes at you like a roaring lion.
I got a job interview/offer last week to work for a company in Hingham. Great group of people, good location, and a ton more money. In the interview one of them mentioned he was a Christian and told what church he went to. I was excited! God is this you? Are you telling me to leave? Are you giving me this opportunity?
On the other hand I have a great job now, great people, close to home, great benefits, but not so great pay. However, I know the Lord placed me where I am. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 the Lord says “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness”.
“My grace is sufficient”. Has he failed me over the past 2yrs? no. Have I ever not had food? no. Have my bills ever not been paid? no. And I think a part of me sees the benefits of a new job with more money and wants that for worldly reasons. Hey, I could pay down my debts, maybe I could get a new car, or fix up the house.
Yet I always come back to this one verse: “and my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:19)
Could God want me at this new job and bless me by it more abundantly than I ever could have imagined? Absolutely. In no way am I saying you have to turn down more money to serve God. What I am saying is regardless of your position and how much money you make, or how useful you feel God will use you and provide for you always. And like in Isaiah, no matter how blind you feel walking in the darkness God will work out the kinks and smooth out all the rough spots before you. Most of all continue to pray every chance you get and stay in Gods word. He will feed your soul and His plans will be revealed to you when your ready.
Defiant
“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion” – 1 Peter 5:8
Have you ever heard the saying “everything comes in 3’s.”? It’s a common theme, you get a new car cheap, and find a $5 bill on the floor of the local stop and shop and one of your friends mentions “hey what’s next? Good things come in 3’s.”, and vice versa for bad things.
Let me walk you through the last month of my life: I got severally sick for 2 weeks(bed ridden for days at a time), my heat broke, I ran out of heating oil, I hurt my back to where I thought I had just had back surgery again, I was down to my last dollar, a girl at work is trying to make my job hard and for some reason doesn’t like me, and as soon as I fixed my heat, it broke again, only this time I need an entire new heating system!
You know what my plans were in that month? I started a Bible study and I taught awana(kids church). I can say with certainty that had I not done those two things my problems would have went away. My heat probably wouldn’t have broken, the girl at work would probably be cordial, and my back would feel great.
Satan knows the power of the word(1 Thessalonians 1:5) because he knows the Bible inside and out.(Matt 4:6). If you begin taking on the tasks God has given you, if you decide to change and live for Christ you are going to feel it. It will not be easy. He is not going to come at you and prick your finger with a pin. He will come at you like a roaring lion looking to devour you.
Several years ago I gave up. Any little bump in the road caused me to stumble. It didn’t even need to be my bump! “Oh they disrespected my dad? Well, I’m not going to that church then!” I’m 26yrs old and I’ve been through some crazy trials in my short years. And up until recently each one had the desired affect that satan was looking for.
Then something happened. I chose not to live for this earth. I still struggle, sure, but my focus is elsewhere. I started my Bible study, I taught those little kids, and the trials got worse. Some how I need to come up with $4,000 for a heating system.
When it first happened over the weekend I got a little down. How am I gonna do this? Then I got defiant. I got mad. But not at God. I became defiant to the devil’s tricks and lies. To his manipulation of my situation. I prayed. I prayed while I drove, I prayed while I ate, I prayed while I slept.
You do not control my situation. I will submit to my God’s will and will remain in the places He has me. Jesus, help me in my time of trouble. You are in control and because of this I know I will not freeze to death, I know I will not go hungry. I know my pain is temporary.
I know I am in God’s will because I’m being hammered from every direction. I’m making a difference, some way, some how, for God’s kingdom. Satan knows it and he’s trying to break me down. I don’t see the difference I’m making and maybe I never will but I know it’s happening.
BRING IT ON.
I am defiant and I’m angry. Take anything you want from me satan because I’ve already won. My soul has been won. I have been bought with a price and I will let everyone know you are a liar and the blood that covers me covers them as well. I have fallen on a stone not cut with hands(Daniel 2:34) and have been broken(Matthew 21:44) for the glory of my Lord and Savior. These cheap tricks will not work on me any longer. This world, this house, these clothes, mean nothing. Take it. I’m out to save lives.
We’re all searching
For in the image of God has God made man. – Genesis 9:6
Our DNA is hard coded to worship Jesus. For any of us who follow Christ daily this fact is undeniable. When we worship it stirs up emotions we don’t feel at any other time. At points it drives us to tears of repentance, sometimes tears of joy, and other times tears of shear awe.
For those who don’t serve this God, who have doubt, who have questions, this seems perplexing. How can worshiping something no one can see help me? How can it possible change my life? How do I know it’s even real?
John 16:13 says “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.” When Jesus died, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven God sent His Spirit as our guide.(John 16:5-11) In worshiping God and surrendering your all to him you allow His Spirit to come and guide you.
A young boy and his father were hiding in a church during the Revolutionary War as British troops marched on their town. The march of footsteps drew them to the window. As they peered out the window the young boy exclaimed “Dad! minutemen! We’re saved!” No son, those are redcoats. The dad explained. “No, look dad! They’re wearing white coats.” The dad, perplexed, and a bit concerned looked down at his son and realized what had happened. Being so small, his son was looking through a piece of red stained glass at the bottom of the window. You see, if you look through red glass at red all you see is white.
We are gross and grimy; covered in sin. Yet Jesus shed his blood for us. When we accept Him we are covered by the blood of the Lamb. God takes one look at us and all He sees is His son, as white as snow. You are gonna make mistakes, even through His Spirit guides you but God’s grace will always be greater than any sin.
When something bad happens to you how do you feel? As a Christian I’ll tell you how I feel. I feel upset, disappointed, angry. But shortly thereafter I remember how big my God is and remember that He has a plan for my life. He also promised to protect me. I’ve seen non-Christians experience bad things. Cancer, death, and even small things have caused people to ‘give up’. They have no hope. When someone asks me, I point to 1 Peter 3:15 which says always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have. People think I’m crazy for being upbeat when something bad happens. If I told you that whenever something bad happened to you you would be happy and that it would turn out okay every time wouldn’t you take it? That is what Jesus is offering you! This is your life changing moment.
Finally, how do you know it’s real? Before you were even in your mom’s womb, He knew you(Jeremiah 1:5). So what you say. You’re just quoting from the Bible and I don’t believe that. Ok, listen to the lyrics of some of the music you listen to. Listen to famous actors and athletes. They all have everything this world has to offer and are still searching for something. Searching in this world drives them crazy, leads them to drugs and to do crazy things.
Listen to these lyrics: “Check your pulse it’s proof that you’re not listening to The call your life’s been issuing you“. Sounds like something in a Christian song right? It’s John Mayer.
Each one of us has a hole in our heart and it’s deadly. We search high and low trying to fill it with anything we can think of but nothing in this world can fill it. The only thing that fills this hole is Jesus and He’ll fill it perfectly, satisfying all your needs.
We are hard coded to worship the Lord, our maker. And when we choose to reject Him we search endlessly for an answer that isn’t attainable, leading to death. “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”(Matthew 7:7) People who choose to follow the world may get all the material blessings they search out. People who choose to follow God get eternal life with all the blessings thrown in.
