Thanks for Seeking God With Me.

If you need some Christian Nonfiction books to read, check out 5 Powerful Ways to Show Love and Heroine: Rising to the Challenge on Amazon

Prepare for Love

Isaiah 40:3-5
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

This month, I’ve mentioned becoming spiritually aware and allowing God to shine his light through you so you can do the good works he designed you to do. But none of that makes any sense if you don’t have a relationship with God.

Nobody welcomes a door-to-door salesman into their home and throws an impromptu party for him. Mostly because they don’t know the salesman.

If someone is suspicious and distrustful of God, that’s usually because they don’t know him. Getting to know God takes time, but God makes it pretty easy for us. There are a lot of descriptions of God in the Bible. Each one of them agrees that God is love. He is a special kind of peaceful love. A love that is very powerful. A protecting love. A passionate love.

He is the kind of God you want to make room for in your life. If you heard someone down the street yelling that God was coming to your house, you’d want to prepare for him, but you wouldn’t have a lot of time.

You couldn’t go out and buy new furniture or order a catered dinner. All you have time to do is straighten the rug. If you’re tempted to hide behind the door and not answer because of what he may see, don’t worry. He already knows what’s in there. He knows who you are and what you have, and he’s interested in you.

With him about to knock on your door, all you can do is prepare to welcome him. Your mountain of laundry cannot get in the way. Your rough schedule will have to be cleared. In order to welcome him, you must take a moment and quiet your heart.

Prepare to receive encouragement from him, expect instruction from him. But know that whatever he reveals to you will change your heart. If you prepare to receive God’s presence, he will feel welcomed. If he feels welcomed, he will reveal something of himself to you, and you won’t be the only one who sees what God reveals.

It might not be like when Moses came down the mountain after being in the presence of God. Everyone could see the light of God still shining on his face. With you, it might be that people will be able to tell that you’ve been with God because of the love showing up in your attitudes and actions.

Prepare a place in your heart for God and see what happens.

Good Works

Ephesians 2:8-10

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Today I dropped my daughter off at the church bus headed to summer camp. She was packed and ready for new adventures this morning. But after weeks of high heat outside and no rain, this morning it rained. We were in slow traffic because of large road puddles. At times like these, everyone has to use an extra measure of patience. We were in a hurry to get to the bus because we didn’t want to be the ones holding everyone else up, delaying their trip. We eventually arrived – and we weren’t the last ones there either. Before I left her, I reminded her to support her friends as they all three tried to quench any teen “attitude” in their group. I think they’ll be fine.

Saying goodbye this morning was exciting. We both knew she’d have lots of fun stories to tell when she got home. So now I sit at home and wait to hear how she served others and how she learned more about herself in the process.

She’s doing good works.

She knows she was created for good works. God gave her a generous heart, a calm personality, and a stable willingness to obey instructions. Often, she brings good things to an emotional experience.

We all have our God-ordained good works to do. As we see the needs of others around us, we can see that some of those needs are issues we can help with and some we can’t help with. We have to listen to God speaking to our hearts. Is God telling you to help your friend or neighbor or does he want you free to do something else? Seeking God is a daily thing.

You were created to do good works. You were not saved by works, but for them. You were created to be unique and different so that you can do the good works which were designed specifically for a person with your talents.

Listening to God on a regular basis gets us in a habit of obedience and success. You can’t do everything. Not by yourself. But you can do what you were created to do.

Do you have a moment for God? Seek Him now.

Shine the Light

Isaiah 60:1-3
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

When you are being noticed for doing good, recognize that you are a flashlight shining in a dark room. Without the batteries, or the power of God in your life, you can’t shine your light.

Many people think that if they are talented enough, nations will come to their light. If they could just sing really well or dance or play an instrument well enough, everyone would notice them and life would be good.

But they are mistaken. When God’s light shines through us, that brightness makes everything else pale and dim. God’s light helps us see what is true and what is false. The light of God shining through us is big enough to heal bodies, bright enough to mend relationships, and strong enough to put out the fires of hell.

So if you use your gifts to help others, you are able to allow God’s light into the situation. Don’t ever think you can’t shine your light. No matter what your talent is, your light is bright when you let God shine through you.

You were created to shine, so shine.

What is your prayer? Share it with Him now.

Need a Revelation?

Ephesians 1:18
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.

Look around and be aware. But use your heart. How, you ask?

Spiritual awareness is something we can develop. It’s something we should develop. But we are seeing technology taking over our lives like never before. Keeping up with technology advances is hard on our wallets and our calendars. We have to spend money getting the latest gadgets and the latest software, and then we have to spend time learning how to use it. If we cut back on our tech-playtime and spent more time developing our spiritual sensitivity, we’d be better equipped to handle our hectic lives.

We pray things like “God, help me get through this difficult time,” but then we don’t listen to Him.

God hears your prayers. And He wants to help you. But He needs your participation. You have to listen to Him.

God may show you some unusually insightful concepts so that your heart understands things like never before. When you suddenly understand a spiritual truth and say, “I see!”, know that God gave you that revelation so that you would know where you stand with Him. He wants us all to know how precious we are to Him. He wants us to know our place. We’re supposed to be standing with Jesus Christ far above all powers and dominions, but under His rule. With Him in the power of His mighty strength, but under Him who was appointed to be head over everything for the church.

What is your prayer? Share it with Him now.