My family insist on quoting the young child me, often...even family members who were not around at the time...didn't even exist at the time....
I made a statement once when I was told it was time to go to bed..."I am never tired and never wrong!" I don't believe that statement got me out of going to bed, and it clearly has NOT been proven correct over the past 45+ years since.
I have been wrong....just ask my children...or my husband! And Tired..
We won't go there (you mom's know!!)
My thoughts started as I read a devotion this morning from Girl Friends in God.
Girl Friends In God. Help For the Heart That Worries
For those of you who can't make the link work, or aren't able to go to the link (which I do encourage because it is a great read)
I will try to summarize here: The author Gwen Smith and a friend were talking about the difficulty of trusting God, fully, completely trusting, with all things...then her friend shares this little story....
God impressed a message on my heart this morning that challenged and convicted me! I just have to tell you about it. I ride motorcycles. Have for years. I love the feeling of being out in the open air. It’s exciting and invigorating. When I ride, I feel vulnerable and alert. It’s risky and requires balance, it’s much more difficult than driving my car, but I ride because it energizes me and makes me feel alive.
This morning I rode my bike to work while it was still dark. I don’t usually do that because the headlight is small, so the light is dim. As I was riding, I began to thank God for allowing me to ride my bike to work. I thanked him for allowing me to feel alive and energized along the way. And as I did, He spoke to my heart. I sensed He was saying, “Erica! This is what I want my relationship with you to be like: exciting, risky, and energizing, like riding your motorcycle! But instead you take your car with me. You want to feel safe. You want to see with brighter headlights. You grasp for more control, by worrying and fretting about things you can do nothing about. In doing so, you miss out on a faith that is alive and energizing... a faith that trusts me and takes risks. Girl Friends In God. Help For the Heart That Worries
SO me and my twisted little brain thinks...."what if I were to read this and think....this means God is telling me to get a MOTORCYCLE!!"
😂😂LAUGH!
and then I thought....we read scripture and have God reveal things to us, how do we know we are getting it right?!
I am going to be honest....I am always tired and mostly wrong!! So I DON'T know!
I DO know that if we are IN GOD'S word daily, often, then we have a better chance of "understanding" God better.
Why is it that when a toddler is babbling and you are trying to understand what they are trying to communicate to you, their mom walks in the room and immediately knows what they are saying? Because Mom spends more time with them than you do and can "speak their language",
The more time you spend listening to someone the easier it is to understand them.
The more time you spend with your heavenly Father, the more you will understand Him.
And scripture is the best way to do that. You can begin to understand His "language" better. Especially if you read the bible as a whole.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
"God breathed", "inspired by God", His words to us!! How can we not want to sit down and devour every word!!
And It's purposes:
1. teaching
2. rebuking
3. correcting
4. training
Number 1....to teach, so that we understand what His will is.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
We are to renew our minds to be like that of Christ, and in that process we will be transformed....into someone who will know what God's will is.
This isn't some kind of fortune telling, or holding the Bible up to your head and closing your eyes and saying "ummm.....I think that the bible is telling me to......"
It takes time, energy and a true desire to know God's heart through His word.
The verse before the one above ....
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.12:1
We are to give our bodies as a "living sacrifice", meaning that; anything we could possibly think is more important than getting to know God our Father better, think again. Our whole existence is because of Him, so giving Him every part of ourselves is a must!
He gave us lives to live, but how we live those out becomes more clear, the more we get to know Him.
SO back to my original statement...Getting It Right.
We DON'T ....God DOES. We get it right by making sure we understand Him.
AND don't be discouraged....this is a life long process! at least it is for me! My reading and studying is not always strong. Life distracts, selfishness overrides, weariness pulls.
BUT TODAY IS A NEW DAY! and I want to get it right! So ...find my bible (in what ever form that takes...the old, thin pages one, the one on your computer or phone) and find a quiet spot....(or not so quiet Mom's with little ones, but a quieter spot or time) and just say "Hello God, How are you today? I was hoping to spend some time with you...maybe get to know You a little better today! Just hoping to Get it Right today!"
As Rick Warren in his "What On Earth Am I Hear For" book, repeated, "Today, God, I want to love You a little more and know You a little better!"
That is all that we can do, but if we do that with all our heart, soul, mind and strength ....then we will Get It Right!!! (most of the time!)
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-38
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