willbedoneonearth

This morning I was praying about things bothering me within my family that morning. After a while I felt God whisper to my heart- focus on what you are thankful for... My heart was in a bind and I thought...that sounds difficult or impossible. I can't think of anything right now. I actually prayed God help me think of something. And my mind went first to something a friend had said to me who struggled greatly with a husband not supportive of her faith- you are lucky your husband is a Christian. And then my mind went to where I might have ended up if God hadn't saved me and intervened in my life at the time he did.  I thought there was a good chance the way I was headed I may have ended up a drug addict, in a physically abusive marriage, and have lost my children to foster homes. And then I thought, I have my children.  I get to care for them- give them meals, clothe them, help them, reassure them when they are hurt or sick.  I get to know how they are going each ...

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows" Psalm 23 v 5 Have you ever thought about the type of blessing an 'overflowing cup' is? It was one day that I was thinking how full on life was, so busy, so hectic, so many things to manage; thinking about how I seemed to have more in life than I could handle... And the verse came to mind...'my cup overflows'.  REFRAME.  I was thinking about having 'too much' being a negative thing but the imagery of an overflowing cup suddenly made me realize God's generous blessing will look like that at times... Messy More than we can contain Inconvenient Can you imagine being at a restaurant and the waiter is pouring your wine (or grape juice if you prefer!) and he just keeps on pouring and pouring into your glass.  It is overflowing.  You are looking at him saying stop!  stop!  What are you doing?!  He just keeps s...

Rebel thoughts are thoughts that set themselves up against the knowledge of God.  We don't want them but sometimes we accept them as innocent unknowingly.  These thoughts can be sneaky so we need to identify them to be able to take them down.  When I say take down, I mean wrestle down to the ground in submission...demolish... "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" 2 Corinthians 10 v 5 What is the knowledge we have of God? His attributes His character His promises All God is for me in Christ Jesus. Which of my thoughts are setting themselves up against the knowledge of God?  The devil will be encouraging these thoughts.  The fruit of such thoughts will be the opposite of what God gives; joy, peace, hope.  So what thoughts are causing depression, anxiety/restlessness and hopelessness? These are some of my recent rebel thoughts...

While God has good intentions, to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29 v 11-13)", satan seeks to devour us alive, to consume us- to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10 v 10).  To get a picture of this we just need to look at any merciless venture in the world- such as child sex trafficking- such as 'ethnic cleansing', to understand that our enemy is without mercy.  He hates us and delights in our sufferings and losses.  The detestable things on earth give him pleasure.  There is no compassion in him for a child, the elderly, the hopeless and downtrodden person.  If he can crush you, he will just want to crush you more.  Your destruction is his delight. Too many of us have a cartoon image of the devil- poking us teasingly with a plastic Halloween prodder- or a cute character on our shoulder doing a to and fro debate with us, as a cherub sits on our other shoulder. Instead, we should look to the cold blooded kille...

Regret is a strong current that threatens to pull us back.  This is the time I believe we have to swim forward even more furiously and determinedly. I have recently been confronted with some of my life's biggest regrets.  What are some of the things that are helping me swim against the current? 1.  Thinking about the traditional midlife crisis- it seems common enough to have some sort of paralyzing self analysis at around this time in ones life-yes?  I am not  too  abnormal! 2.  Paul strove to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead (Phil 3 v 13-14)- surely I should too?                                      3.  God works all things   together  for the good of those who love him (Rom 8 v 28) 4.  The story of Joseph; the story of David; the story of my names sake, Naomi.  Stories...

“...the Lords hand has gone out against me” Ruth 1 v 13  So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.  When they arrived in Bethlehem the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, ‘Can this be Naomi?’ Don’t call me Naomi, she told them.  Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.  I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.  Why call me Naomi?  The Lord has afflicted me; the almighty has brought misfortune upon me” Ruth 1 v 19-21 Sometimes I think about seeing old friends and I think their expectations would be disappointed.  I may think of my youth, when first saved, and think how cheery and free I was- working, capable, social.  But one thing I read about Naomi’s possible musings in an article was whether she remembered the peace with God she used to enjoy in her youth…and that added to her sorrow. I feel a great deal of stress- and not a lot of peace- I look fo...

"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you" "Sing for joy, O heavens, for  the Lord has done this; sing aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and displays his glory in Israel" Isaiah 44 v 22- 23 God comforts his people at the start of chapter 44 of Isaiah with a promise of restoration, 'I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants'. Then the Lord speaks of his over whelming superiority- there is none like him..."there is no other Rock". Have you ever had another rock besides God?  The Israelites had been guilty of this, of setting up 'idols' in Gods place- verse 9 to 20.  I had not understood this sin when I first became a Christian, and now I feel like I have experience of what it is like to put ...