Leah Ness's Blog, page 2

Good Gifts

 

I think that sometimes people can have a misconception of the term ‘good gifts’ as used in the Bible. When we look at what society terms ‘the good life’ and look at the lives that many Christians lead, there can be cause for some confusion.

I’m reading through Isaiah right now and right in the midst of all the terrifying prophesies of doom and destruction, I came across Is.30:18a:

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.

It is such a beautiful reminder of God’s infinitely gracious heart. Even though His children have rebelled against Him time after time and refused to repent, He still longs to forgive them and show them His mercy and goodness.

A major aspect of the Gospel message is that God is offering forgiveness; an escape from judgment and assurance of heaven.

But I think a commonly held opinion here on earth is that if we repent and start living ‘good Christian lives,’ then God is obliged to stop ‘punishing’ us and start ‘rewarding’ us in the here and now. What we can fail to realize is that God is reward enough.

Verses like this one can be misconstrued to mean that God wants to give us prosperity here on earth. And while that is certainly true at times (I am by no means trying to deliver a ‘vow of poverty’ message), those earthly rewards should not be the be all and end all.

God loves us and will give us what He knows is best for us. Like a father refusing his child a cookie before dinner, God will not give us things that will harm us, draw us away from Him, or work contrary to His kingdom plans.

The beautiful thing about God is that He is all sufficient. The grace and compassion He offers us is so far and away more than we could ever need or ask for and is so inexhaustible. God really is enough.

All the shinies here are on earth that seem just out of reach to us can lead us to the very wrong, yet still hurtful, conclusion that God is holding out on us. We start to think that He must be punishing us for a sin, or even be taking things away out of cruelty. The end result is that we are left feeling beaten up and poorly cared for.

But God wants to satisfy us. He wants us to find our all-in-all in Him. He desires – even commands – that we live lives full of peace and joy and love. God wants you to be happy but He wants you to find that happiness in Him. Because the world does not satisfy, and it’s weak version of happiness has no staying power.True contentment can only be found in the love of Jesus.

Today, as I look around me, it’s easy to begin compiling a mental ‘wish list’ that I could start praying for. The list can become long and overwhelming very quickly, and I’m often left feeling alone and neglected. Sound familiar?

I want to start focusing more on the Giver than on His gifts. The blessing God offers me of just being His child is more than enough to sustain my short life on earth, regardless of trials and tribulations. The fact that the Almighty Creator of the Universe longs for me to call Him Daddy is all the blessing and gift I could ever need.

The Book Release

It’s here! Well, to be more specific, it’s here. Don’t miss out on the promotional opening weekend! This Saturday and Sunday only, pick up your copy for FREE!!! And to those of you who prefer the weight of good, old-fashioned paper in your hands, keep your eyes peeled for the paper-back edition, coming soon =D

It is my deepest hope and prayer that God will be glorified and that you, my dear reader, will enjoy!!

Will the Real Victims Please Stand Up

There’s a word that’s popping up a lot lately, especially in church. It often prompts controversial discussion, leaving most people feeling angry and/or scared.

That word? ‘Rights.’ Particularly ‘Christian,’ ‘religious,’ and ‘American’ rights.

It can’t be denied that the political climate of our country is changing and that freedoms we once enjoyed are being threatened. In reaction to this, the church has become a political force and Christians everywhere are being urged to stand up and defend their rights.

Trouble is, I honestly don’t see anything in the Scriptures about fighting for our rights. In fact, in 1 Peter 2:17, I found what seems to me to be the direct opposite:

‘Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.’

That doesn’t sound very much like the current Christian agenda. But, we are living in a different culture with different sins. Surly, if Peter were to see our president today, he wouldn’t tell us to honor a man who is so clearly against our Christian values. Right?

Only, Peter wrote this letter to the Roman provinces in Asia. And the king at that time? Nero.

And I looked into it, the word honor as used here in the Greek basically means honor. Does that mean we obey the laws of the land if that requires disobeying the laws of God? Of course not. Does that mean we stop gossiping and complaining about the government and pray for them instead…?

If honoring a king you don’t agree with is hard, how much more so people whom you interact with every day. ‘Honor all people.’ Well, it does say all. Does that mean that we defend actions that are clearly sinful according to God’s definition? Of course not. Does it mean we stop trying to save people in our own strength by manipulating them into repentance and simply share the Gospel with them instead…?

We’ve lost ourselves to a screaming match with culture.  Social media is lifting up sin as heroic and empowering while the church is condemning its practitioners to the pits of hell. Meanwhile, what we’re failing to realize is that we are fighting the wounded.

When did we get so caught up in ‘rights’ that we forgot to preach the Gospel? When did we forget that we laid down our rights to fair treatment at the foot of the cross?

Christ died to take our rights away from us, because our inalienable birthright is eternal punishment for our sins.

Do we really want to fight for our rights, for what we deserve?

But then, what about defending the Scriptures, and God’s laws? I read an article recently that said we have to defend the sanctity of marriage from the government because it’s a God-ordained institution. The implication here being that the Supreme Court’s decision supersedes God’s opinion, that if the Federal Government of America calls it a marriage, then God is forced to acknowledge it as such. That’s just silly.

We defend the Scriptures by living by them and by allowing God to exhibit His glory and love in our lives. We need to be wary of distractions; Jesus didn’t get mixed up in politics, nor did the apostles. Instead, the early church did what it was mandated to do: spread the Gospel.

By doing that, they turned the world upside down.

That’s all we have to do. Instead, we Christians are playing the persecution card, cloaking ourselves in victim-hood. But we are the ones with full access to God. We are the ones who have tasted of His love and forgiveness. We are the ones looking forward to eternity in paradise with Him.

We aren’t the victims. The people we’re fighting are. That makes us the bullies.

We are so eager to save a dying world for God that we condemn the homosexual, conveniently forgetting that he’s the one who isn’t enjoying God’s best for his life. We shout hate at the pregnant teenager as if killing her unborn child won’t scar her for life. We gossip about and pray against politicians who’ve traded their morality for the perception of power.

That can’t be right. They are the ones who are truly suffering in their sins. They’re the ones who will be hurt by their choices. Why are we offended? Why are we hurt? Why are we fighting for our rights? And most importantly, why aren’t we loving these people instead?

Let’s bring the focus away from political agendas and back to Jesus and His saving power, instead of trying to save people our way. Instead of defending our rights, let’s defend the Gospel with our lives by displaying it in our lives and show a dying world what the Savior can do.

Author Update

Well, after too many months of agonizing, editing, re-writing, re-editing, and discouragement-fighting, the manuscript for ‘To Watch me Burn’ has been ‘finalized’*. The release date is set for the first week in October, when it will be available exclusively on amazon in e-book and paperback. Keep a wary eye for more news and updates on promotional weekends and fun things like that. Here’s a slightly more detailed description than the last… enjoy =)

Life is simple on the island nation of Melior: the just are rewarded for their good deeds, while the criminals are branded for their failings and sent to live outside the proud city’s walls.

In the midst of this society that emphasizes worth via achievement, Merritt’s sole aim in life is to earn value. When he discovers that his domineering mother has been lying to him, he leaves the city to find out for himself the truth of the Branded community. It is there, among the untouchables, that he finally begins to feel a sense of belonging.

But this acceptance comes at a terrible price. When false accusations leave Merritt guilty in the eyes of the law, he must set out to reinvent his identity and answer the question: Can a man be worth more than his actions?

 

*Until such time as I happen to read it again and decide to change everything.

Job’s 3 Step Survival Guide

I’ve been reading Job again. It’s a funny book to me because it’s gone from being one of my least favorites to one of my most favorites. It got to the point where I was so reluctant to read it that I started paying more attention to it, trying to find something to like about it. And God has shown me so many beautiful truths in my earnest searching.

I finished it the other day and I was struck by three very significant points in the final chapter, points that I think hold the key to standing fast through hard times.

First, I love Job’s response to God’s correction. Covered in Job 42:2-6, it can be summed up in this statement:

‘Therefore I retract, and I repent’

Job’s heart here reminds me of Habakkuk in Hab.2:1. It’s a heart of humility that stands ready for correction. But the thing I really love about Job’s repentance is how short it is. After 35 chapters of back and forth and reasoning and questioning and wondering and pleading, God answers and Job’s response is 5 verses long.

My apologies are never 5 verses long. They are 55+ verses long, and climbing. ‘Sorry’ is the most over-used word in my vocabulary. I have a guilt complex that just won’t quit and I have a lot of trouble accepting forgiveness, from God, from others, or from myself.

But Job realized that the first step to healing was to accept that God is God, that He can do whatever He wants, and that we should take our arguments and ‘retract and repent.’ God will win anyway, so this just saves time. Job accepted and moved on; no lingering in false guilt, no self-pity, just the realization that God is right.

 The second step was to get Job’s focus off of himself. After everything he’s gone through, mourning is necessary and healthy. But when it comes time to move on, one of the best ways to do so is by taking your eyes off yourself.

Job repents, God forgives him, and then immediately, the Lord gives Job the task of praying for his friends. Now, not only does he have a mission to help others, but those others also happen to be three men who just hurt him. Not only is God helping Job by refocusing him, He’s also keeping bitterness and unforgiveness from taking root in Job’s heart. By telling him to ask for forgiveness on his friends’ behaves, He’s also bringing Job to a place where he can forgive his friends. Releasing that grudge and moving on gets Job another step closer to healing.

The final step is one that I think often goes overlooked, and that’s time. God didn’t instantly restore Job to his former state. He lost things that would never be returned to him. Instead, it took years to rebuild and recover.

We pray for so many miracles in the midst of tragedies that I think we sometimes forget that surviving the tragedy is a miracle in itself.

God’s healing isn’t always instantaneous, but it’s always sure. Sometimes we feel like we’ll explode if He’s silent for even one more second. Then the second passes, and another one, and another one, and the sun comes back up, and we realize He’s been there with us the whole time.

So to recap;

Step 1) Don’t fight the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Like David, Job, and Habakkuk, we are allowed to question, but He’s going to win any argument anyways, so humility will save us time and heartache.

Step 2) Focus on others. Jesus was a servant and we were built in His image, so while selflessness may not feel natural to begin with, the after effects can be startlingly therapeutic. As can loving and forgiving those who’ve hurt us or failed to comfort.

Step 3) Don’t rush. It doesn’t have to be pretty, you just have to make it. And in the end, you will. Every storm eventually runs out of rain. Be patient, God will see you through. He will complete the good work He began in you. 

These steps are much easier listed than followed. But thankfully, God’s grace is never ending and His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!

No matter what you’re going through, whether a drizzle or a hurricane, God can and will make everything right.

My Daddy’s Throne

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb. 4:16

I don’t know about you, but I can’t ever read past this verse. It stops me in my tracks every time. I get to that point in the page and my jaw dust drops, I shake my head, and I try one more time to wrap my mind around it.

In the movie Anna and the King, there’s a scene where the king is sitting on his throne, granting audience to his subjects. There are rules and regulations to be obeyed in the throne room. For example, no one’s head is permitted to be higher than the king’s. Disobedience to these rules could result in execution, so they are followed faithfully by the subjects kneeling at the king’s feet.

Then, in the middle of all the pomp and circumstance, the king’s little daughter comes running in, completely heedless of the rituals and expectations. She rushes past all the bowing and the fawning, climbs right up the throne’s steps, and whispers in her daddy’s ear. She needs her daddy and knows that as his favorite, as his princess, she can approach him boldly. Sure enough, he sweeps her up in his arms and leaves everything to solve her problem.

I love this scene. It’s a beautiful picture of the grace God has extended to each of us. We are His favorite ones and He has allowed us the privilege of unrestricted access to Him. Whenever we need our Daddy, we can go to Him.

As I read this verse and this scene flashed through my mind, I was literally brought to my knees by the thought of how unworthy I am. I was simply awed that He should show me grace.

Then, as is often helpful to do, I took myself out of the equation and rethought it:

That He should show grace.

It blows my mind. See, we were created to glorify God; we exist to exalt Him. But He doesn’t need to show mercy to show His greatness. He didn’t even have to give us a concept of mercy.

Mercy requires holiness because there has to be a standard, a comparison to mercy. But holiness doesn’t require mercy.

In the movie, the king was considered great simply because he was the king. He had been born to rule the people and their respect and reverence for him was part of his birthright.

As creator of the universe, God is glorious because He is God, not because He is merciful (though His mercy certainly is glorious). He could have chosen to bring us to our knees before Him out of fear and awe alone.

Instead, He has chosen to reveal His glory in our lives through kindness. He uses mercy and grace to show His greatness when He could just use might and wrath.     

Why would He do that? Why would He even choose to create love and mercy and grace?

And how could I possibly use those gifts, use that privilege, to enter into His courts with anything other than thanksgiving?

I shudder to think of all the times I’ve come before Him with a selfish and greedy heart, self-justified and set on having my way, stomping my foot at Him as if He owed me. Where did I ever find the gall to behave like that?

And still, He chooses to glorify Himself in my life, to show Himself kind and faithful in my circumstances.

I don’t know why. I can’t even make it to the why, not when I’m so enamored by the fact that He does.

As I said, the realization that God’s love for me is His choice, not my right, brought me to my knees. Then that same love pulled me into His lap.

I know there will still be days when I bring complaints and arguments before my King instead of the praise He’s due. But by His grace, I pray to be more mindful in the future of what an unfathomable honor it is to come boldly before His throne.

The Solution to Envy

I’ve received such exciting news: I’m going to be an aunt! Again! Yippee!! =D

My little brother and his beautiful bride are expecting their first baby in December (a baby girl to be named after me. Or at least, she would be named after me if my name were the name they’d actually chosen.)

I’m so excited for them =D

And I’m so proud of my brother. He’s joined the Air Force, is working hard at fighting fires, is planning a career in paramedics, married the love of his life, just bought his first house, and now he’s a father. Wow, what a year he’s had!

But there’s a teensy problem, an ugly truth: I’m kind of, a little bit, sorta… jealous. Of course I love my brother and of course I’m happy for him… but, a new house? A beautiful baby? I’ve been asking God for those for a long time. Not to mention, I had to wait six years longer than he did for a Godly spouse.

So, yeah, I’ve had to battle some jealously. But honestly, that’s nothing new for me. Because when I went to the baseball game the other night, I counted six smiling, pregnant women. And when I was watching house-hunting shows on TV, I saw people buying some lovely homes. And when I went to the bookstore, I saw rows and rows of published authors who are reaching millions of people with their messages.

Through all of it, my human, little heart has been whimpering, “Why them and not me, Lord?”

We’ve all asked that question, haven’t we? Maybe you only ask it every now and then, but for me… well, I’ve indulged and now I host a pity-party on a near daily basis.

The worst part is that envy is isolating: Jealousy will make you feel that you are the only one on the planet whose dreams aren’t coming true. The only woman who isn’t pregnant, the only 30-something year old who doesn’t own a house, the only girl at the Bible study who doesn’t have a boyfriend, the only husband whose wife doesn’t respect him, the only employee who was passed over for a promotion, etc.

And that’s when the enemy really strikes. All of a sudden, the lie hits and hits hard: “It’s not fair; they got more than me.”

But that is a lie, and here’s how I know. A few days ago, I read Heb. 13:5:

‘Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”’

Whenever I’m trying to claw my way out of the envy pit, I use more comparisons: I think of people who have it worse than I do, or I think about the problems the people I’m envying have. I don’t think about how much I have in knowing and being known by Jesus. That’s why this verse hit me so hard.

I realized, Jesus really is all that matters, in this world and the next. In the end, it’s all about Him.

I know, we all learned this on day one of Sunday school, but here’s my point: if it’s all about Jesus, then there is no reason to be jealous. Everything is equal, everything is fair, no one got more, no one got less.

Why?

Because you can have as much Jesus as you want.

God is not a respecter of persons and, while He has different paths for each of us with different blessings and challenges, He’s given us each the same Holy Spirit. He sent the same Jesus to die for our sins. We each have the same level of access to the Father, to the creator of Heaven and Earth.

What more do we need?

One of the most popular verses in connection to jealously is Jesus’ rebuke to Peter in John 21:22;

‘Jesus said to him,… “what is that to you? You follow Me!”’

I believe there are two ways to take Jesus’ words here. The first (the way I’ve always understood it) is as a rebuke, a reminder of Who’s in charge. But I think the second interpretation is a reminder of the privilege we’ve all been given.

We are the adopted children of God. We get to sit as His table, stand before His throne. We get to follow Jesus.

He lets us follow Him.

So what’s it to us if others get things we too would like? We’re following Jesus. The Son of God Who died for our sins, Who loved us before we were even conceived, Who breathed out the stars so we wouldn’t have to be afraid of the dark, Who counts our footsteps and catches our tears. That Jesus.

He’s letting us follow Him.

How does that reality not consume our thoughts until there’s no room left for jealousy?

I believe it can if we let it, if we fight for it. I believe Jesus wants that reality – the reality of our inheritance as His coheirs – to overwhelm us and change us and satisfy us. I believe He wants us to sing to Him of our contentment.

So I’m redirecting my focus and my praise. I’m God’s daughter, everything else is just sprinkles.

And sweetheart brothers with beautiful new baby girls are some of the most wonderful sprinkles there are =)

We Don’t Have to Worry About Money Any More!

(Originally Published 9/13/13)

My husband is searching for a job. I was praying about this yesterday because I have a mix of emotions on the subject. One sentence that popped into my prayer (more than once, sadly) was, “Lord, I just don’t want to worry about money anymore.” Every time I said it, I cringed at myself and heard God reply, quite clearly, “Then don’t.”

I seem to think the only way I can have peace of mind in this area, is if we are receiving a hefty income. And after all, as Christians we are called to be wise stewards of our money, so finances are a legitimate concern, right? If I were to stop worrying about money, that would be irresponsible, wouldn’t it?

No, because worry is a sin. I am supposed to trust God with everything. I’m supposed to believe that He can handle the responsibility. God does not need me as a financial adviser.

I’m not even honestly sure what I was afraid of. Whenever I’m stressed about something, I try to find the worst case scenario so I can come to grips with it, a preemptive strike in case it happens. What was the worst case here?

Was it that we would end up living on the street? Not likely since we have many loving family members who would take us in if it got that far. Moving in with family would not be ideal, granted, but it would by no means be a death sentence.

So was my real fear one of death by starvation? Even more unlikely. However, even if that were the outcome, what happens then? I would go to heaven. So I’ll have to strike ‘death’ off the list of ‘worst case.’

No, my real fear was that if God didn’t give us the dollar sign I had in mind, then I would not be provided with my preferred creature comforts. That’s the bottom line of why I was stressing about money. I wanted to be able to buy what I wanted when I wanted it.

I love giving gifts to other people and it’s tough for me when I can’t do that. I like to relax in front of the tv and watch Netflix. I have an addiction to crafts and being without supplies is very uncomfortable for me. Not to mention the lovely new smart phones my siblings keep rubbing under my nose.

But all these are extravagancies and ridiculously unnecessary. And it’s true what they say: you can’t take it with you. And a lot of the things I value here on earth, I wouldn’t want to take to heaven with me anyway; I’d be too ashamed to.

In Mat.6, Jesus tells us to store treasures in heaven and leave our earthly cares to Him. He assures us that we will be clothed and fed. When I don’t take Him at His word, and continue to labor to fill my earthly storehouse, it jeopardizes my relationship with Him because I’m essentially saying that I want these other things more than I want Him.

The reason I don’t trust God to provide is because I know that He will not help me sustain an idolatrous lifestyle. And I like some of my idols. Especially if they keep me entertained, comfortable, and focused on myself.

I can serve money by worrying about it and stressing about attaining more, or I can serve God, by trusting Him to provide for my needs and building up treasures in heaven.

Will I continue to worry about money? You bet ‘cha. But with God’s help, I will be able to cast more of my cares upon Him and tear down the idols in my life until one day, ‘I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.’ (Phil4:12)

 

Living on Purpose

 

We each have them. Most of us have a whole list: The things in our lives that we want to change. 

But most of them aren’t that big of a deal. They’re little things like biting our finger nails, spending too much time on facebook, or complaining too much about work.

These things are annoying and, sure, we’d like to change them, but we can live with them. They’re manageable so we go along on our merry way and try to focus on the big issues.

The only problem is, big issues are made up of little issues.

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” 

Don’t believe him? Here’s some food for thought: If you fold a piece of tissue paper in half 25 times, it will be almost as tall as the Empire State Building. If you fold it in half 45 times, you can reach from the earth to the moon. 46 times and you’re back to the earth again. If you were to fold it just 103 times, it will be thicker than the observable universe, 93 billion light years.

That blew my mind. I used to think the little habits in my life, my ‘quirks’ and ‘isms,’ weren’t that big a deal. Sure, I have room to grow, but how much damage could the little things really do?

Then I listened to this sermon series.

The message is about habits; the good, the bad, and the ugly. The pastor emphasizes the importance of living purposefully, and realizing that it’s the little decisions we make every day, consciously or otherwise, that will direct the course of our lives.

Well, twenty minutes in, I was ready to put out the ‘Caution: Under Conviction’ sign.

But I’ve tried to change before and it’s never worked. Why would this time be any different? Why should I even bother? Isn’t it too late for me to change?

Well, the best time to plant a tree was 20yrs ago. The second best time is now.

Sure I wish I had conquered bad habits and developed good habits ten years ago. But do I really want to have that same regret ten years from now? If I’m going to be 37yrs old regardless, wouldn’t I rather be a 37yr old who’s fluent in ASL, even if it’s too late to be fluent at 27?

And if I don’t change, how bad will these little ‘Leah quirks’ be in ten years?

In the first sermon of the aforementioned series, the pastor recommends writing a list of your good habits, your bad ones, and the ones you want to cultivate. So I did. Let me tell you, the first column was a short one and the second was far too long. So I chose to focus on the third column, the list of habits I want to cultivate.

I chose four items on which to focus:

Spending time in the Bible before I check my computer (so I can better focus on the Lord before I get distracted with the goings-on of the world)

Kneeling to give thanks three times a day (to adopt a posture of purposeful prayer, like Daniel did, and cultivate an attitude of gratitude)

Learning ASL (don’t ask me why, I don’t know yet. I’ve just always wanted to)

Stopping my snacking every night by 7pm (because I keep hearing it’s healthy to do so and helps you lose weight)

With these desired habits before me, I did what any good ex-nanny would do and I made myself a chore chart. I have a points system in place to track my progress and rewards that will keep me motivated and focused. Here I am four weeks later and I love it!

The difference of living intentionally in these smaller areas has already bled over into other areas of my life. I’ve been praying more, I’ve been happier and felt more peace, I’ve been working out regularly, I’ve been more focused on my writing…etc. It’s brought a real sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

Now I know the danger here is straying into work-based religion and turning time with the Lord into an item on the to-do list. But honestly, I firmly believe that the peace and satisfaction I’ve been experiencing is from the knowledge that I’m obeying God.

The enemy wants me to be lazy, to give up, to wallow in complacency… he doesn’t want me to cultivate Godly habits.

But the Lord has cautioned me to redeem the time for the days are evil. He has called me to live a Godly life and I want to make honoring Him habitual. I want to make a habit out of righteousness.

So, why don’t you join me? I highly recommend you watch the sermon series (I’m not being paid or even asked to endorse it; I was honestly blessed by it and want to pass that blessing along). Write out your own list of habits and, with the Lord’s help, start living on purpose.

Collecting Flood Water

My parents recently had the opportunity to experience a Colorado Springs weather anomaly. For those of you familiar with Colorado Springs, you’ll know that it is the center for strange and bizarre weather (see our blizzard-y wedding pictures from the 1st of May). But this time, Colorado outdid itself.

Out there on the drought-weary plains, it rained so much that my parents’ basement flooded. They’ve never even heard of such a thing happening in the fourteen years they’ve lived there.

My response when I heard of their trial was typical to my personality and general world-outlook:

“*Sigh* It’s always something.”

Take my car, for instance, and its insistence on leaking coolant even after hundreds of dollars worth of repairs. Or my husband’s ever increasing work-load. Or the traumatic situation I underwent at the grocery store when I had to wait in a longer-than average line! The horror!

Yep, always something.

But my mom had a different perspective on things.

She pointed out that no matter what, life will be full of ‘always something’ moments. And she recommended collecting them.

She proposed the idea of holding onto those trying situations, holding them close so that you can display them, look back on them, and remember God’s goodness.

So this got me thinking: what if I were to trust God so much that, rather than getting fearful and upset at the first sign of flooding, I got excited?

What if instead of filling me with dread, trials filled me with anticipation, an eagerness to see how God’s goodness will be displayed through that situation?

Take my parents’ basement, for example. Aside from the massive job of cleaning everything, they had to throw out the carpet pad and rent then buy a pump. But, the drywall, insulation, carpet, furniture, important papers, etc… is all perfectly fine!

If you choose to see all the good that God did, rather than the bad He allowed, you can’t look at the situation without rejoicing!

Like with my car; I can choose to be anxious as it dies of old age, or I can rejoice because it’s serving its purpose at the moment and God has so richly blessed us that we can afford the repairs or even a replacement if need be.

Or my husband’s job? Well, I can fret for his sake that he’s so busy and has to work late on occasion, or I can rejoice because with this season of busyness comes job security.

As for waiting in long lines… well, that’s my own fault because I’m the one who keeps praying for patience ;)

I guess in the end, it all boils down to perspective and what or Whom you’re choosing to trust.

I’ll leave you with the closing thought of Is.59:19:

“When the enemy comes in like a flood,

The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

I tread dangerous ground here, but I’ve been learning in Sunday school that all translation requires interpretation and this verse is a perfect example of that. You see, we put in the commas after the fact; they aren’t in the original Scriptures. So while there are certainly season where the enemy comes in like a flood, what if we were to move the comma?

                                                                                “When the enemy comes in,                                                                                     like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will life up a standard against him.”

Or, as the NASB puts it:

“For He will come like a rushing stream

Which the wind of the Lord drives.”

How do you choose to look at it?

Next time the flood waters start to rise, choose to rejoice in the goodness of an abundant God Who fills to overflowing.