THE DIVINE NATURE OF GOD CANNOT BE HIDDEN!

You've heard the saying, “take time to stop and smell the roses”. How about taking that thought to a new level, “take time to see the divine nature of God”?! Open your eyes, and look around you… open your heart, and see. Take time today (and everyday) to really experience the awesome power and unmistakable presence of God. He is everywhere, he has us surrounded, all the time – our job is to quiet ourselves, open our hearts, surrender everything to Him, and obey.

For the last several months, I have seemed to be completely mesmerized by looking at the clouds. I don’t mean looking at them as we did when we were kids (and sometimes still do!), trying to see the different shapes and pictures in the clouds. I’m talking about being fascinated by the unbelievable power that exists there. It’s not unusual to talk with people in passing about how beautiful the sky is on those bright, sunny, summer days, and that is obviously something to enjoy and appreciate. But what about those gloomy, maybe even stormy days? Maybe there are dark, storm clouds rolling quickly through the sky. Maybe the entire sky is engulfed in darkness. Maybe there are heavy, snow filled clouds. Maybe it’s raining. Maybe there’s just a small glimpse of sunshine peeking through the sky and streaming down beams of light. Maybe there’s even a rainbow. No matter what kind of sky is greeting you, there is an undeniable power that exists above our heads and all around us. The Lord has been using those moments that I stop to appreciate His power and presence to speak to my heart about so many other wondrous things He has done, is doing, and will continue to do for eternity.

Take a few minutes to really see. This may sound crazy, but there are times where I have goose bumps and tears fill my eyes just from looking into what God has painted for us to enjoy. Now, think about this… as magnificent as that miraculous work of nature is, it is still only a very small picture of what God can do! Are we making time every day to take notice of the so many “simple” miracles around us? Are we looking to see what God is doing around us, and then seeking opportunities to join Him in His work? Think about that last comment for just a minute… God really does want us to join Him in His work! Are we willing to accept the privilege of being used by God? I've discovered that to truly be obedient and able to be fully used by God, we need to know our answer before God ever asks the question or gives the assignment – YES! God wants to know that our heart is set on saying yes no matter what He calls us to do, whether we feel capable or not. God will equip us to do the work only after He gives us the assignment – if we aren't going to do the job, why would He need to give us the tools?

God’s divine nature cannot be hidden! It must – and it will – express itself. When we surrender everything to Him, give Him complete control of our lives, are walking with the Spirit, and are committed to being obedient, God will absolutely work through us to reach those around us. How exciting is that?! Faith… faith that truly believes that nothing is impossible with God. Each one of us can have power to move mountains, you can count on it! The question is… is there evidence of that faith in our lives? Are we showing others by our actions, not just our words, that we believe that God can, and will, do the impossible?

I still feel like a child in my walk with the Lord. But maybe having the faith of a child is a good thing. In any case, I am praying today that God will always give me (and you!) the desire to know Him more intimately, to seek hard to continually develop my relationship with Him, and to never take for granted the divine nature of God.

I was blessed today to experience one of those moments where God showed up and made His presence known. He was able to really touch someone’s life in a very personal way where they knew it could only be God. And through God’s great grace, he allowed me to be the vehicle He used to speak to her. But… that is a story for another day (always leave ‘em wanting more, right?!)!

The divine nature of God cannot be hidden!

Make some time today to experience it!

Lost!

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." - Isaiah 30:21

I know... it's been more than two weeks since my last post! Let's just say I've been lost for awhile. No, I haven't exactly been wondering around not knowing where I am physically. But you may know what I mean... There has been A LOT of "stuff" going on lately (I really don't know why we use that word "lately" - it seems there is always a lot of stuff going on!). I'm very blessed, and a lot of those things have been good, even if I didn't realize it at the time. In the big scheme of things, there really haven't been any bad things that have happened. It is mostly cases of life just getting in the way, and me allowing those to distract me from the more important things of life.

I had about an hour and a half car ride alone yesterday that gave me a lot of time to think, and more importantly, to have heart-to-heart chat with God. Along the way, I got to thinking about being lost, the reasons we too often find ourselves unsure of where we are and/or where we are going, and the tools and people that we have available to help us.

First of all, there are these things called maps that are available to us. Maybe you've seen one before! Theoretically, if we have a map, there is no reason that we should ever be lost. In reviewing the map, we can see at any given moment where we are, where our destination is, and the best roads to take to get there. There are even customized maps that you can get for longer trips that will tell you where there is construction along the way, and give you alternate routes to avoid those areas. Of course, in the age of technology, we now have GPS systems that will tell us and show us every turn along the way, roads under construction to avoid, alerts to accidents and high traffic areas, etc. - all designed to get us safely and quickly from point A to point B.

The challenge with each of these tools is that they are all dependent on the user taking the initiative to use them. And the success or failure in using these tools depends on the user's knowledge of how to use each of them. I don't know about you, but I could have a perfectly good, accurate map in my hand, with my path highlighted, and still find myself lost! Now, if I have someone beside me saying, "turn left at the McDonald's, turn right at the third stop sign, etc.", I am much more likely to make it to my destination without any complications.

On that note, let's look at another example. I'm sure you have been on a tour or a vacation at some point in your life where you had a tour guide to show you around. They do the driving, they know every short cut, they know the history of each point of interest, and they know the way to take you from one point to the next in the most efficient and beneficial way (they even include in their tour scheduled breaks for eating, using the restroom, relaxing, etc.). So your odds of getting lost when you have a tour guide are slim to none.

But how many of you have ever been part of a tour group where a few people have strayed from the group and gotten lost (not you, of course, but someone else in the group!)? What happens? First of all, the entire group is held up and forced to wait for the other members, which may cause them to have to cut out visiting some sites in order to stay on schedule. Second, the tour guide is usually very frustrated with those who wandered off (I know because I have been on the end of leading the group as well, and there always seems to be a wanderer in the group, especially if you are leading a group of school kids!). The tour guide normally has to take the wanderer back, but is sometimes not in the best of moods from that point on; and sometimes they may even ask the wanderer to leave the group. So even with a tour guide it is possible to get lost if we don't follow the directions of the leader.

So... what's my point in all of this babbling?! It is becoming more and more obvious to me that most of the time when I find myself "lost" it is because I have chosen either not to use the tools available to me, and/or I have wandered away from my guide. It is in those times that many of my challenges and distractions of life seem to occur the most. If I am using the all of my resources and following my guide, I can usually find my way with very little obstacles or detours.
Again... what's my point in all of this babbling?! First of all, it is my responsibility to use the tools and resources that have been given to me: reading my Bible daily, spending dedicated time in prayer every day, continuing to pray all throughout my day, committing Scripture versus to my mind and heart so they will come easily to my lips when I need them, attending and engaging in weekly church services, participating in a small community group of other Christ-centered people who can help show me the way, etc.

Second, and most importantly, consciously following the path that Jesus has laid before me. He calls me to follow Him, and He guides my every step... if I choose to open my eyes and my heart, and take each step in faith behind Him. To do this, I need to be taking time to "be still and know...". I also need to choose to be be obedient to the directions He tells me to take, trusting Him to know the best path for me, even when I can't see it myself. The Lord has a destination already planned for me. He wants me to be in a close personal relationship with Him in order to know Him better and to follow His every step. And while I may wander away from my Guide, He never has me out of His sight, He never allows me to be truly lost, and He always gladly invites me back into His group.

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:6

Now, don't get me wrong... I have been reading my Bible and praying every day, and I have been doing a pretty good job of being obedient to the path the Lord wants me to take. I've been attending church, and I've been very connected to my friends in my small group. But I haven't been making the time to "be still and know...", to listen to the directions and follow the map that God gives me, to stay 100% Christ-centered in all of my decisions and actions. I have not been taking time to not only read my Bible, but to truly study His Word; to hearing His voice, quieting my mind and surrendering my will completely to His all day every day.

It is only through all of these things that I ensure that I will never be lost. The map is in place, the directions are clear, the landmarks are posted, and the tour guide is eagerly calling me to follow! And guess what? The destination is better and more beautiful than any I could ever choose to go on my own! Yes, there will be construction, obstacles, and detours along the way. I may even encounter some dead ends and/or have other challenges that delay my trip. But my Guide is always aware of these "distractions", and He always has the path laid out for me to go around them. He always gives me the tools and resources required to make the repairs and to generate the next map in order to get back on course. And best of all, He is with me every step of the way, whether the course is easy or if life is getting in the way!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

So I am back on track (again!), and I plan to stay firmly connected to my tour Guide! Fortunately for me, I have a tour Guide that always welcomes me back no matter how many times I stray. And He always uses those distractions and my wanderings to teach me a lesson, and to use them as a stepping stone along my path. I pray that if you have gotten "of course", you will turn to your Guide as well, and use the resources that He has provided all of us to help you get back on track and to clearly see the next step that He has laid in front of you.

Have a blessed day!