Seize the day.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6
The Message (MSG)
   Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns.

 2 Don't hoard your goods; spread them around.
   Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night.

 3-4 When the clouds are full of water, it rains.
   When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls.
   Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work.
   Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.

 5 Just as you'll never understand
      the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman,
   So you'll never understand
      the mystery at work in all that God does.

 6 Go to work in the morning
      and stick to it until evening without watching the clock.
   You never know from moment to moment
      how your work will turn out in the end.



The other day, I was taking a walk when I came across a single crocus blooming in the middle of moss and a huge puddle of water. I thought to myself "What a great photo opportunity!" But I relucted to take picture because there were a lot of people around and it just felt awkward. So I told myself I'd snap a picture on my way back around. Well, I ended up getting distracted and I forgot on my way back. I figured I'd just get it tomorrow. Except when tomorrow rolled around....it was gone. I had lost my chance to capture the beauty of the moment.

It kinda goes like that in our relationship with Christ. We are not promised tomorrow. In fact, we are not promised the next second, minute, hour,etc. All we have is THIS MOMENT. Right here, right now. We can't be reluctant with what God has commanded us to do. We can't be fearful about what others might think. We might not be given another moment, another chance to be obedient. We MUST Carpe Diem. We must seize the day while it's still available to us. That means loving others, spreading the Gospel, and following His commands. Being a follower of Christ is rarely easy, but the risks we take for His cause come with rewards are better than we can even imagine. So seize the day. Make use of what He has given.

Hebrews 3:13
New Living Translation (NLT)

13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.

Stop and smell the wildflowers

Matthew 6:30-33
The Message (MSG)

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Beauty for ashes

"To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory."(Isaiah 61:3 NLT)

My prayer as we begin this week is that the Lord will give us beauty for ashes, a garment of praise for our heaviness.... Restoration so that we can continue to seek His glory in the midst of trials and sadness.

Breathing life

Ezekiel 37:1-14

"Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’” (11-14)

As we come to the end of this week...and as I reflect on this passage in Ezekiel, I pray that the Holy Spirit will renew our spirits and breathe fresh life into these dry bones. He is the Author, the Healer, the Redeemer, the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE.

"You bring hope, You bring life. Awaken hearts, open eyes; with our voices hear them rise. We call these dry bones to come alive. You are faithful, You are true. We can always run to love that never fails, arms that never close, nlood that covers sin , grace that never ends.You have saved us, You have won. Sin is broken, death is gone. Freedom's found us, breakthrough's near. In your presence, no more fear---Our savior's here." Savior's Here, Kari Jobe

Unbroken

"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Ecclesiastes 4:12

This week has been especially trying. It has been dark and weary and bleak. I haven't felt this defeated in a long time. There has been so much pain this week...I know my God is sovereign and He has plan in all of this, yet my heart is still burdened. BUT I'm so thankful that I serve a loving, caring, and understanding God because I know that He knows my heart and that He allows me to rest in Him.

And I know that I'm not alone. The devil is involved in a full fledged attack on the children of God; he's doing his best to kick us when we're down. But you know what? I won't allow it. I started this blog off with a verse that is usually referred to regarding marriage, but it applies on an every day basis. God has given us brothers and sisters to help us fight when we are too weak to fight on our own. "A triple braided cord is not easily broken." I can trust that God will take care of me, my family, my community, our nation. I can trust that He will provide the support I need, whether it be through His word or through the people He has placed in my life....or through the Word being brought to light through those people. He equips us to fight, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-11 says,"...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil." Even when we feel busted and broken, God makes a way for us to be unbroken as long as we hold on to Him and His promises.

I encourage you, friends....whatever you're going through right now, stand firm. It's harder to fall when you're strongly rooted in Christ. Cry out to the Lord and draw together as the body of Christ. Remember...WE WIN.

"The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe." Proverbs .18:10