Let God Take the Lead

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Lisa Blair

As humans, we always look to ourselves for the answers. But in our limited capacity, we only see what could be at the end of the trajectory within our limited scope. God created a plan and a way for us. Let him take the lead. ~ Lisa Blair

I believe this scripture is saying we all commit sin and transgressions, but if we are to be like Christ, we must look at the situation(s) we are in and give it to God. We must show mercy to others and ourselves, as He who is sinless did for us. We are quick to blame, point our fingers, and choose our own method of attacking the transgression.

If we allow Him, God works out the consequences of our actions. I am not expressing there will be no consequences because we will have consequences until Christ returns. We live in a fallen world. However, because He loves us, He will always offer a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV). We must stay faithful as we process through the dark moments, knowing God is with us, taking the lead. We are not alone.

Referring back to the Old Testament, it is not God’s nature to retain His anger forever. Jeremiah 3:12 reads, “I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever,” and nor should we.

If we take it all into our own hands without His guidance, the outcome may be a temporary resolve; however, if we put it in His hands and repent for our portion of whatever is going on, He will work it out in His Will and His way.

None of us is blameless. And, once we understand this and repent, we are redeemed. God took our sins and laid them on Christ, who died and freed us of the burden of eternal damnation. We will feel God when we repent; we have warmth and light and know He is working on our behalf. He will not leave us in the shadows. This is one of life’s great lessons.

So again, go before God with all of your concerns and transgressions. Let God take the lead and guide you through the consequences, leading you to an outcome you would have never imagined.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind (us all). And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (Bible.com)

Are your Hands Different?

Posted on September 25, 2022 by Lisa Blair

I attended church service today and the Pastor shared a story that speaks to God’s love and how we should share His love with others.

A friend of the pastor’s visited the countryside in Ghana where he was on assignment at a government hospital. He noticed from his office window that daily the sick passed the government hospital to travel on foot to the missionary hospital which was many miles away.

He watched people take the trek to the missionary hospital for a week and finally asked his friend why they chose the missionary hospital instead of the government hospital that was better equipped.

His friend replied that the medicine is the same. The people chose the missionary hospital because the hands were different.

In effect, they felt the hands of God upon them in every nook and cranny throughout the missionary hospital. They knew they were well cared for because God was present. The government hospital was medically far superior, but the atmosphere in the hospital was sterile and loveless.

My question is – are your hands different? How do people see you as a Christian? Do they feel the love of God emanating from you? Are you warm and welcoming, or cold and remote? Do you reflect God in your actions? Do you love as God loves you? Do you reflect Christ’s love, compassion, and strength in your convictions, or do you represent the emptiness of a sterile government hospital?

Scriptures and scripture images (Biblestudytools.com)

Why Cane Killed Abel

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Lisa Blair

A friend posted this sermon on FB. This makes you say, hum. We have heard this story throughout our lives, we know this story, and it may be time to hear it again, for many, it is time to believe it and move forward in the divine providence of God, meaning the protective care of God. (Online, dictionary.com)

Cain killed Abel not because Abel wronged him or fought with him but, it was because Cain couldn’t stand the FAVOUR OF GOD on Abel’s life.

Sometimes you may wonder why people talk behind your back, why they hate you, why they do the things they do to you. It’s not that you have a problem, it’s because they can’t stand the favour of God on your life.

That’s why you don’t need to stress yourself over people who are determined to frustrate or misunderstand you. You have to understand that not everyone will like you but everyone shall witness that you are favoured by the Lord.

Stand firm in God and what you believe in and no one will shake you.

TWO PERSPECTIVES, ONE TRUTH

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Lisa Blair

Life is all a matter of perspective. Scripture reinforces God’s Word regarding perspective through the delivery of His Truth, which is all truth and more than perspective. Let’s unpack this… ~ Lisa Blair

There are two types of perspective. Perspective according to Dictionary.com is, a mental view or prospect. What are the two types? There is the carnal perspective or truth and the spiritual perspective or truth. Prior to being saved, we knew if spiritual perspectives or truths but had no relationship with it, we were looking from the outside.

As born again Christians, the perspective and truths are no longer intellectual ideas. They are engrained in our new fabric. The truth feeds our perspective on life as seen through the eyes of Christ. It governs our actions, weighing heavily on our conscious acts.

The Word instructs us to trust the process, not the expectation of our desires. You see, the expectation is carnal, the process is living by faith and not by sight. It is our choosing, we were endowed with free will. We were also endowed with a heart understanding of the Word which is ALL TRUTH. Free will nudges us toward the perspective of now and us the architecture of failure.

God not only gifted us with free will, He gifted us with Christlike virtues. If we apply His virtues in our daily living we will reap the desires of our heart if they fall within His Will. I say, reach for the sky, stay within His Will meaning apply His truths to your life and will succeed. Will you have setbacks and disappointments, yes. Tell yourself you live by faith and not by sight. You are gifted new mercies everyday.

When we stay locked into prayer. We benefit from our relationship with the Lord. We experience comfort and peace in the middle of sprinkles through the worst of storms, knowing we are covered and never alone. Seek His peace, wisdom, knowledge and purpose. Shift your perspective. Seek His truth and grow your relationship within the context, His perspective, not your own. Carnal perspective is shortsighted, it focuses on the here and now, not eternity.

Proverb’s 2:6 describes the feeling of being part of the Lord’s family and the benefits of the relationship. We no longer ascribe to the perspective of earthly wisdom and knowledge, we transcend to the truth of wisdom, and knowledge and its application in our life.

And, since the Bible is replete with truth, Paul also shares that as humans we will doubt. We will loose hope. We will suffer, but through it all, we receive the Lord’s comfort that provides hope and the will to move forward despite what may lie before us.

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. ~ Psalm 94:19 NLT

Other Verses reflecting new life in exchange for human/carnal perspective: 1 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16

Excerpt – God Focus, from Our Daily Bread

Quote

Posted on June 30, 2022 by Lisa Blair

This morning I flipping through my copy of the June edition of Our Daily Bread and stopped on the June 4, 2022 Devotional, God Focus by Adam Holz. The scripture reference is 1 Timothy 6:6-11.

I am sharing this because the title immediately captured my attention. Some 26 days later it was speaking to me and as you read this, most likely many of you. You see, I fall in the category of being a maximizer. My husband is a satisfacer. It worked well when I was younger or so I thought. Actually it kept me up nights. I was never really content. The truth is, I was always envious of my husband who was as a satisfacer and was content with life as it was, not to overlook the fact that he slept well. There is a saying that I guess satisfacers understand and live, ‘let go, and let God’. Others of us hear it, but are not ensconced in it.

In delving into my past, I now realize you can be a satisfacer, content with what you have and where you are in life and still pursue the path of your God given destiny. Wanting more is not wrong if you do not allow it to govern your life, as the money pleasers in the Bible learned being driven by greed and the need for attention is nothing more than an albatross around your neck.

It is time for me to transition from being a maximizer, always seeking more, perfecting more, and needing more and begin to open my life to being a satisfacer. How many of us are loosing time being maximizers? In looking back being a maximizer caused me to loose time, and the enjoyment of life. When you are a maximizer you are in the maximizer prison, striving for more and missing out on life. As you read this, think about my last post, do you need to view life through a new lens, a new perspective? Is it time to look through our makers eyes as Paul was instructing Timothy to consider. Is contentment all you really need?

EXCERPT, Adam Holz

When I was shopping for engagement rings, I spent many hours looking for exactly the right diamond. I was plagued by the thought, What if I miss the best one?

According to economic psychologist Barry Schwartz, my chronic indecision indicates that I am what he calls a “maximizer,” in contrast to a “satisficer.” A satisficer makes choices based on whether something is adequate for their needs. Maximizers? We have a need to always make the best choice (guilty!). The potential outcome of our indecision in the face of many choices? Anxiety, depression, and discontent. In fact, sociologists have coined another phrase for this phenomenon: fear of missing out.

We won’t find the words maximizer or satisficer in Scripture, of course. But we do find a similar idea. In 1 Timothy, Paul challenged Timothy to find value in God rather than the things of this world. The world’s promises of fulfillment can never fully deliver. Paul wanted Timothy to instead root his identity in God: “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (6:6). Paul sounds like a satisficer when he adds, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (v. 8).

When I fixate on the myriad ways the world promises fulfillment, I usually end up restless and unsatisfied. But when I focus on God and relinquish my compulsive urge to maximize, my soul moves toward genuine contentment and rest.

Reflect – Would you say you tend to be a content person? Why or why not? How do you think your relationship with God affects your overall contentment in life?

Pray – Father, help me to remember that only You can fill my soul.

Insight – One of the most misquoted statements in Scripture is 1 Timothy 6:10: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Notice that money itself isn’t the root of evil, but when it becomes the object of our love, that’s when the problems begin. Because money is so seductive, Jesus addressed this issue at the launch of His public ministry. In the Sermon on the Mount, He spoke of the value of pursuing treasure in heaven rather than money. Why? Matthew 6:21 explains that “where [our] treasure is, there [our] heart will be also.” Jesus also addressed a primary reason we seek security in money—worry. He reminded us that the God who cares for “the birds of the air” values us and can be trusted to provide for our needs (vv. 25–27).

I highly recommend downloading the Our Daily Bread App from your App Store or visiting their Website – https://odb.org/. It is a great tool to begin your day.