The Imagery of Glory

It is another snowy day here in New England.  We have had almost six feet of snow in the month of January alone.  Winter is not nearly over. I remember hearing about Buffalo getting more than twelve feet of snow in just one storm. Connecticut has had a small taste of what Buffalo experienced.  After all, our total snowfall has reached six feet, but over several snow storms. 

Job 37 is full of imagery and of the power and glory of God.  It speaks of the thunder and lightening, rain and snow, all created from the breath of God.  How faithful is Job! He trusts God and experiences what he attributes to God's punishment, but he never loses faith in God; he never curses God.

Vs 5-7 says: "God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.  For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.  He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work."

We may not know what God has in store or the reason behind His wonders, but we know that He wants us to know His work and worship Him.  When the heavy snow falls, it puts a halt to our world.  Roads are closed, school is cancelled. We pause and see the majesty of our God. Vs 13 states:  "He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy."

He commands the snow to fall and even though the snow puts a stop to our daily routine, we get to see the wonder of God's awesome power and might.  What more proof do we need that our Lord loves us and wants to bless us?  He cares enough to correct us, He looks out for us and shows us mercy.  

Let Your Light Shine

I watched a movie a while back called Akeelah and the Bee.  It was a good movie and taught some valuable lessons.  There is a quote from the movie that I would like to share. It is Akeelah reading a quote hanging on the wall written by Marianne Williamson:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." 
It made such an impression on me that I had to find it on the internet. It speaks to the very core of me.  It made me look inward instead of outward.  Looking inward takes a lot more courage than you imagine. It is much easier to look outward to try to find reason in what we face on a daily basis.  But it is on the inside that we find the true answer; in our heart. 
God formed us in our mother's womb.  It doesn't matter who you are or what you believe, God still knows you. He knew your name, what you life would be like, the trials you would face and how long you would live on this earth.  He knew it before you were conceived.  
Psalm 139:13-14 says: "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And my soul knows very well."
God knows you. God also knows what and who we need in our lives.  He knows what will challenge me to become a better me; more brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous than I could ever be on my own.  Thank God I am not on my own.  If we allow Him to do so, He will manifest His glory through each one of us.  As we shine, others will see and they will want it too. They will want that shine. They might not know what it is they want, but God knows.  Deep down we all want Him.  We want eternal life with Him.
It is a choice though.  You have to choose God, for He gave us free will to choose Him or not.  God uses us and the abilities He gave us to shine through us. We are wonderfully made.  So let Jesus shine through you today.

Be Strong and of Good Courage

I have been trying to think of something to write about for two days. Unfortunately, I have been in extreme pain and it has quickly forced its way to the front of my mind, trying to be the object of my focus. I have arthritis and with the impending nor'easter about to hit New England, my joints are pretty much screaming in pain. Arthritis is a catch 22 situation--it hurts to move, but if you choose not to move, it hurts even more when you do move. Still, I am forcing myself to focus on God's Word rather than the pain.
Joshua 1:9 states, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
This is my son's favorite verse. He knows, as do I, that no matter what we face God is with us. God knows our fears and our pain, and He still says to be of good courage. I know that God knows my pain and that He helps me deal with it. With His help, I make myself push through the pain every day. Pain could very well discourage me from moving forward in my life, but I know that the Lord has so much more for me. So I face it with the Lord and the courage He gives me.
Be strong and of good courage. God says this to Joshua three times in chapter one alone. Do you think He meant it? Before they cross the Jordan, the men of the Reubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh also tell Joshua that they will follow him, but for him to be strong and of good courage. This is something important we must live by. If we follow His law and do not depart to the right or the left, He will prosper us wherever we go. (vs 7)
Is there anything you are facing and you know God is with you; facing it right along with you, giving you the strength and courage to go forward?

White as Snow

Peace and tranquility. Everything is quiet and white. We had a snowstorm in the Northeast last night.  It's as if the whole world just stopped because of the snow. I had to fight the urge to go out at 1AM to get dressed again and go outside to take photos of this beautiful white world.  Even at one o'clock in the morning it was bright outside. The small lights on the corner of the building were reflecting the snow and lighting up everything.  The world around me looked clean and fresh. 

Psalm 51:7 says "Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." I couldn't help thinking of this psalm while looking out the window.  It made me feel loved by God.  So white, so clean.  Sometimes we take our world and the weather for granted; the sun, the rain, the snow.  There is a purpose for all of it. The world around us can be so dirty, but God can cleanse it in no time at all.  He can cleanse our hearts as well--in no time at all.  We just have to invite Him in to our world, our hearts.  

I don't really care for the snow. If it is snowing, that means it is cold outside. If it's cold outside, it generally means that my joints are hurting. I jokingly say snow is a four-letter word. But still, after a snow storm, I usually find myself looking at the snow and loving it. Ignoring the cold, I think about the snow and how God uses it to cover everything--the dirt, leaves, sleeping trees, all of it.  Everything is fresh, new and clean.  Just like that He covers our sin and we will be white as snow.  He gives us the opportunity to change our way of thinking, our way of doing things, but we must make the choice.   

All too soon the snow plows come in.  They clear away the snow and throw dirt on the ground.  They bring the world back into our view and open up the paths of choice. Think about it.  Think about how we look at the fresh snow--clean, pure, white and refreshing.  Too quickly the dirt is thrown back into our lives.  We must be vigilant not to let the dirt of the world take away the blessing of forgiveness.  

The roads are open, the way is clear. Choose the right path--clean, fresh, bright and full of promise. Choose life.

        

Who Are You Today?

The following is one of my posts today on Facebook:

I may not be the most beautiful, or have the perfect body. I might not be someone's first choice, but I'm a great choice. I don't pretend to be someone I'm not because I'm good at being me. In fact, I am best at being me. God has forgiven me for the things I've done in the past, and I know where I am spending eternity. I'm proud of who I am today and I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't go down the roads He sent me.

Part of it is from a friend's post, but really felt I needed to make some changes.  

In my heart I know that we should just be who God created us to be.  We may see what others have, and think that we want it, but there is always a reason that we are where we are and have what we have.

I am sure that each one of you have been through trials and wondered why?  Why am I in pain? Why don't I have money to buy what I want?  Even more, why don't I have money to pay my bills? Why am I going through any of this?  

Personally, I have had the discussion about pain with God more times than I can count.  And what I have come to realize is that there is a reason behind everything.   I accept that God knows what is best for me.

Have you heard the song "Bless the Broken Road"?  Well, it really says it all. If I don't go through the hard times, how will I know the good times?  Will I be the person I am supposed to be when it is time for my blessing? If I am not ready, will I miss out on my blessing?  There is a pretty good chance of that. 

Paul says we are supposed to welcome the trials and tribulations-they shape us into who we are supposed to be to receive the blessings that are heading our way.

So I might not have enjoyed all the twists and turns on the road to where I am, but I find that I really am happy with the person I have become. Looking back on some of those times of hardship, I can see that they made me stronger-stronger to deal with the next trial.  I like who I am today. 

What have you gone through in your life which has made you a stronger you? Do you think you would be where you are now if you didn't go through it? Remember: God may bring you to it, but He will also bring you through it.

A New Year, A New Strategy, A New Result

It is the beginning of 2011 and it's a new day.  Once again it is a time for new starts, new ideas, new strategies and new results.  The definition of insane is doing the same thing over and over and then expecting a different result.  It doesn't work.  If we want to see different results, we need to try different strategies--new strategies.
This year is going to be one of success.  I am setting goals for myself which are attainable.  Setting goals which are too difficult or too high is setting yourself up for disappointment.  I don't want to be disappointed.  From this day forward, I am going to achieve and not fail. My goals may start out small, but achieving each small goal will increase my confidence to move on to the more difficult goals.
I think this is a good idea for everyone.  I am going to focus on the positive and not the negative. God's word is full of promise and blessing. Move forward, looking to what the future will bring rather than what is in the past.  Let go of the past--it is just like a weight stopping from you from moving forward. You cannot change the past, but you can change your future. There is no expectation in the past, but the future is full of hope.  God's word in  Jeremiah 29:11-13 promises us that He has plans for our future; plans to prosper us and bring us no harm. We must have faith to believe and trust in the Lord.  God says to repent from sin, call on Him and He will hear us.  If we seek the Lord with all our heart, we will find Him.
We have hope in our future if we have faith in the Lord.  So this is how I am going to look at my future, with hope and faith leading to blessing and success.  One Way.