So Many Things

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

The Lord has been teaching me so many things recently.  In these lessons He has strengthened me, sheltered me, sustained me, led me, taught me and so many other things.  However, my big “aha” moment came the other day when He took me to the Bible study I am doing right now and revealed a new understanding to me.  

For a long time I have understood that God is sovereign, in control and works everything that happens for good.  Jeremiah 29:11 has been a key verse in my life.  Knowing that God has a plan has given me peace and comfort in many difficult circumstances.  That verse has kept me going so many times.  No matter what happens, the Lord knows about it and I can go forward because I know that He is in control.  

The other day the Lord blew me away when He showed me that He has a personal and individual plan for my own life, not just an overall plan for the world.  The words of Jeremiah 29:11 took on a deeper meaning in my life.  Now I can read Jeremiah 29:11 like this...

       

        “For I know the plans I have for Carolyn,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper Carolyn 

        and not to harm Carolyn, plans to give Carolyn hope and a future.” 

While I realize that this is not a new revelation to many Christians, it was for me.  I now understand that He has an individual plan for me and my life.  I guess I had never thought about that before.  God loves me so much that He has an intimate plan for my life.  He prepared “in advance” the things that He wants me to do.  Pre-destination?  No.  But incredible guidance and direction in my life as I follow Him wholeheartedly.  I can’t wait to see where He leads me next.  “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”  Yes, He does.  I love Him too.  

God's Deliverance... Again

The past two weeks have been hard.  Really hard.  Dealing with continuing headaches and with discouragement about our house still not selling so we can move to Arkansas to help care for my Daddy overwhelmed me.  I began to wonder if I would ever be without a headache again and if our house would ever sell.  I just couldn’t seem to shake the feelings.  Once again I began to look at the circumstances and not to my God Who does the impossible.  This time it all seemed to loom so much darker over me.  Though I still believed that the Lord would overcome the world in His perfect timing, I was so tired and frustrated because His perfect timing seemed so far away.  Like the psalmist I asked the Lord “How long, O Lord?” (Ps. 13:1)  Everything just seemed so endless.  It was just so hard.

Today the Lord brought me to a place of deliverance again as He showered me with His Word and His music.  Through worship and praise and by His grace He lovingly assured me that He has heard my cries and is taking care of me as I wait.  I was broken before Him as I again surrendered these things to Him and found healing in Him.  I received His peace and have been enabled once again to live in His Light.  How precious He is to show His great love for me in this way.  Although I still don’t know when He will do these things, I do know that He WILL do them.  He has already given me scriptures to assure me of His faithfulness in these matters.  By His grace I again will wait upon Him.  I am always humbled by His mercy in my life.  Thank You, Lord...

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19

Headaches

Lately I’ve been very distracted.  I’ve had a continuing daily headache since the middle of January.  They are beginning to drag me down... more.  Although I know that the Lord has a purpose for these headaches, I’m certainly wondering what that purpose is.  To make me more like Jesus?  Of course.  To increase my dependence on Him?  Definitely.  To deepen my faith in His perfect protection and provision?  Certainly.  However, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all if the Lord decided to make known the cause of these headaches.  Yes, I’ve been to the doctor, they’ve done tests and tomorrow I’ll return to the doctor to find out the results.  Unless the Lord shows me otherwise, I’ll be “stuck” with a diagnosis of migraine headaches.  I’ve just never known someone who has had migraine headaches ALL the time.  May His will be done. 

This is definitely an “unfamiliar path” that the Lord has me on.  Headaches have never been a part of my life before.  There was the time that I got a headache from having a myelogram, but that was not unexpected.  Then I’ve had some tension headaches along the way.  However, I’ve never had anything like this.  Like I said, this is getting old.  

Lord, please keep my eyes on You in the midst of all of this.  Please do with me what You want.  I really will follow You wherever You lead me.  I truly and wholeheartedly surrender all of this to You and will praise You in this storm.  May Your will be done, not mine.  

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.”  Habakkuk 3:17-19

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”  Isaiah 43:2