When God Speaks Do You Listen?
That could have been the title of the sermon from yesterday's worship service at Friendly Baptist Church. In actuality it was Speak & Pray. It was a good sermon, I took lots of notes, wrote down scriptures that were used in the sermon and then left church and promptly forgot about what was said.
But God had other plans for that sermon. It was the first step in what He was going to share with me this morning and talk to me about. He is like that you know, brings things up more than once so you (I) will pay attention.
Yesterday I wrote the following during the sermon ~
1. Has the hand of God been on you? touched you?
2. Are you distracted? Has the Spirit moved you?
3. Can things change in my life?
4. Answer the Lord wisely. Is He able?
How am I going to get THIS done?
Results are God's not mine.
5. What is my response to God?
Speak to God
Speak & Pray
Lord I want my life to be authentic!
Scriptures from the sermon:
Ezekiel 37:1-10
Matthew 4
Luke 4
John 16: 8, 13
And then this morning...had the alarm set for 5 a.m. ~ woke at 4:56 and changed it to 6 a.m., slept till 5:57 and changed the alarm to 7 a.m., rolled over and slept till 6:59, turned the alarm off and laid there till 7:04 and heard this little voice "You ask me to get you up, I have done it 3x and here you lay...do you want me to wake you so you can spend time with me?" That's when I quietly got out of bed, combed my hair and got dressed and made my way to the couch stopping to grab a bottle of water. That dang little voice said to me "you seem to be drinking more soda pop, more alcohol...when are you going to go back to drinking water...lots of water?" so yep, I grabbed a bottle of water and have drank half of it already this morning :).
Some of you know Friday was a rough day all the way around...Ron backed the JD Gator into a guests van (a friend of the owner no less) and I was feeling stressed and that I just had no time to get everything done and in the course of the day of sending a few text messages to our boss, Darrell and he wrote back at one point "God is Good...All of the Time"
And I repeated that phrase a few times on Saturday, again yesterday during the worship service it was said a couple of times and then this morning God met me once again right where I am and I found myself saying a couple of times "God is Good...All the Time" and you know what?
He is :)
The first scripture I turned to this morning was Psalm 69: 29-36
Resonated within me...I need to praise the Lord all the time, giving thanks to God for everything not just the stuff I think I need to give thanks for but EVERYTHING!
And not take things for granted...we live in a beautiful country and right now in a beautiful area of the country. Yesterday I was whining about all the rain that had fallen yesterday...instead I need to give thanks for the rain...the area is parched, the grass is brown...the rain is a blessing and I need to be thankful for it. And with all the rain I was able to pretty much have a day of rest...and that's what I have been craving...a day of just being and not really having to think...and that's what I did and I crocheted on a blanket (one of three I need to finish and get in the mail to send to Japan) and I watched movies with Ron...something we enjoy but we find we don't do very often. Thank you God for the reminder to give thanks to You for EVERYTHING!
But God wasn't finished talking to me this morning.
My devotion this morning came from 1 Kings 3:1-6 and is summed up
and closed with the statement
"Do you practice what you preach? David did and Solomon too, do you?"
and then my mind went back to the last statement I wrote down yesterday during the sermon
Lord I want my life to be authentic!
Do I practice what I preach...I think I do, most of the time...
but God calls us to be truthful, authentic ALL the time.
Which leads me back to right where I am today...feeling overwhelmed, like I have too many spoons in too many pots all calling for my attention to stir them and not ignore them.
And then that little voice said "Give up Facebook for the month of August." WHAT? That's how I stay connected to so many. "Give up Facebook for the month of August. You can do the Branson View Campground and Forever Friends but no more wasting hours and hours of your time just scrolling through Facebook." Um...really?? You want me to give up Facebook? "Umm YES!!! You can tell people how to get a hold of you. It's time to refocus on what is important ~ your home, your family, your job, relationships, ME and not in that particular order."
Don't you just love God...he meets you right where you are!!
God knows I need to get myself reorganized, get my priorities straight, to do the things that need to be done, to focus on what is important.
So if you need me...you can reach me at ali1257 AT gmail DOT com
or
send me a message on Facebook ~ I get the messages without having to go on to Facebook :) and make sure you give me your email address so I can respond.
Now to notify all the groups on Facebook I won't be around for awhile...who knows maybe a month will lead to three months...
Thank you Lord for the reminder this morning that to do all the things I NEED to do, what to put my focus on I can do it by getting my priorities right and the first one is being right with you Lord.
