Oh, precious ones! Let me just take a moment to marvel in the goodness of God! What an amazing and powerful God we serve!
I remain in awe of how perfect He is. How powerful He is and how wonderful He is. I sometimes, simply can't believe how much He loves me! And beloved, He loves you too!
Thanks for stopping by again today. I pray you had a wonderful weekend in Jesus.
Even though today is Monday, I'll be writing about Friday. Let's begin...
Day 3
3-7-13
Friday
Amazing Things
"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you."
Joshua 3:5
In the first paragraph, I have underlined:
* "The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him."*
A British revivalist spoke these words to D.L. Moody. They transformed his life and I pray, dear one, they transform yours as well as mine!
If we could just understand in our hearts that our God is not just sitting up there in Heaven watching us. He is a God of action!
He wants to do things with us!
He wants to do things for us!
He wants to do things through us!
He wants to do things in us!
He wants to do things by us because He IS!
* All of us want to do amazing things for God, but that isn't our job; it is God's job. Our job is simply to consecrate ourselves by yielding our will to His will. And if we do our job, God will do His job.*
Friends, God doesn't want anything from us but that we love Him with all our hearts and minds and souls and that we are obedient. Love God, love others. It's that simple. Everything else will always fall into place. I remember Beth Moore said, "God doesn't want perfection. He wants passion!" That's it! That's all He wants from us.
The writer of the prayer devotional journey reminds us of scripture when the Israelites were by banks of the Jordan river and God gave them the command to consecrate themselves.
Consecrate yourselves.
Be set apart. Dedicated to God. Be different for a special purpose.
They obeyed. And because they obeyed, God delivered on the promise He gave them. He parted the Jordan River, and the Israelites were able to not only get through it, but they got through on dry land!
I'm reminded of Daniel in the fiery furnace...He didn't just make it out alive, he danced in the flames with the Son of God and came out of those flames with no burns and didn't even smell like smoke!
Brothers and sisters, God doesn't want to just deliver you from what's going on in your lives, He wants you to come out unscathed. Better than you were before. Stronger than ever. On dry land, no smell of the stink you went through and in front of your enemy, Satan and his demons, so that you can proclaim God's goodness! If God brings you to it, He's gonna bring you through it!
* We'd rather build a boat or a bridge. We try to do things for God instead of letting God do things for us. We need to work like it depends on us, but we also need to pray like it depends on God. Consecration is letting God do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. And that's how God gets all the glory.*
* We relinquish everything to God - our time, talent, and treasure. Nothing belongs to us, not even ourselves.*
Did y'all hear that?
NOTHING BELONGS TO US, NOT EVEN OURSELVES if you are a child of God! Nothing!
That salary you work for? Not yours, give it to God.
Those kids you birthed or adopted or raised? Not yours, give them to God.
That house you have slaved for? Not yours, give it to God.
That car you love with the heated seats and leather interior? Not yours, give it to God.
Relinquish everything! Your time, your talent and your treasures. Relinquish in a Holy way. Don't just give them up. Give them up to God.
Meaning, everything God gifts you with, should be used to glorify Him! If God gives you a huge house, use it to bless others...adopt children, open your home to Bible study groups, host gatherings for prayer.
Don't just give up your time. Give it to God! Relinquish and prune away the wasting of time (watching the boob tube, working out alone, sports without the family, working too much on weekends and nights, selfish desires such as shopping, time away from church, hobbies) and spend that time glorifying God in a way that will build His kingdom. God loves for you to spend time with your family, just make sure you are teaching them His truths along the way. God loves for you to care for the things he's gifted you with, just be sure to use those things to bless others as God has blessed you.
These are the ways we consecrate ourselves and make ourselves different for God.
* Jesus gave all of Himself at Calvary, and He expects nothing less in return.*
The next portion of the book could have been written by me, in a different circumstance. The writer tells us part of his journey and how his church did this same prayer devotional at a certain time each morning. He had to travel one day while he was supposed to be praying. God laid it upon his heart that it was time to kneel and pray. He was like,
* But, Lord, I'm in the middle of the Cleveland airport." The Lord said, "I know exactly where you are. Gate D8."*
This is exactly how the Lord speaks to me! I couldn't believe it!
So many times I've sat and argued with God on some matter...But Lord, he might think I'm flirting with him...But Lord, it's hot and I don't want to mow his grass. What if he thinks I want something?...But Lord, if I give her this $50 gift card, she'll know I was listening in on her phone conversation about not having any money for groceries... But Lord, if I give this, we may not have enough money....But Lord, what will I do with the kids during this time?...But Lord, what if they get mad or upset?...
Ya know what? No one has ever gotten mad or upset at me for doing something God called me to do. I've never gone without one thing because of giving something God told me to give. I've never been accused of flirting with a man God told me to speak to. I've never regretted going, doing, giving in God's name. Never.
You may be asking, "But Ginger, How do you know if it's God telling you to do something or you just wanting to do something?"
I'm glad you ask! It's taken me years to learn this...When God tells me to do something He always works out the perfect timing. He opens doors I didn't know existed, He creates funding I didn't know was there, He makes time in my schedule I thought I couldn't create. He always works out the money. It's usually something I don't feel comfortable doing. And even though I'm the one giving and doing, the blessing is always mine!
Whew! C'mon people of God, it's not about us! If we can ever get that through our thick skins, we'll have learned something together! Praise God!
To the author of the book, it wasn't about him kneeling in the airport for others to see him praying, it was about the willingness to obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
* Consecration means we no longer call the shots. We give God veto power. it's no longer a selfish spirituality that asks God to serve our purposes. It's all about serving His purposes so that His glory is revealed. Consecration is death to self.*
I could stop right there and know that I have been taken to church by this author.
Death to self?
Wow! That's not at all what the world teaches!
Self-appreciation. Self-reliance. Independent. Don't-need-no-man. Don't-need-no-bratty-kids. Mine, mine, mine. I'm gonna get mine! More, more, most. Bigger, better, best. It's a modern day Babylon up in here!
What does God teach?
You give, you get.
You love, you get loved back.
You share, you receive.
You bless, you will be blessed.
I know which way I want to choose. How about you beloved?
The last thing I had underlined in this chapter was:
* Consecration is a process of surrender that never ends.*
I. Love. That.
It never ends.
Jesus, was the perfect example of a man on earth. He was perfect. He was different for God's glory. He was consecrated.
He surrendered, willingly, to God's will (think: "Not my will, but thine").
And He never stopped. Even to the brink of his surrender on the old rugged cross.
Sweet friends, precious ones, can we surrender daily?
Can we consecrate ourselves in this manner?
What really do we need to give up to be consecrated? Only things of this world, things of "self" and things that don't have eternal value.
We can do this!
We need to do this because when we are consecrated, it never ends. Our lives begin in Jesus and it never ends.
He said, if you will "Consecrate yourselves" then I will do this for you, tomorrow I (the Lord) will do amazing things among you."
I want that. Don't you?
Reminding you of my five prayers during this journey:
1. My relationship with Christ. But now it's changed. Instead of me wanting more of Him, I want to GIVE more of myself TO Him.
2. Health for self and family. I'm happy to report that a side-effect of fasting this week has made me 6 lbs lighter. God is good...all the time!
3. Children to love us, themselves and each other. I want them to see what God sees when He looks at them. Yesterday in church, Angel was prophesied over. She was told that God sees her and knows her heart. He has chosen a godly man, the perfect man for her and they will serve in ministry together. Lord, let it be so!
4. Jobs for children. God's timing is perfect and I am not gonna fret over this one.
5. Financial freedom from debt. I want to give more of what God has gifted us. I know He will work it out because I love Him and I am consecrating myself, my family and our money for Him and I know that I know that I know He will do amazing things!
