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I just want you to take the time and reflect on what this year has been like for you. Think about the person you were at the beginning ...

Showing posts with label Cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cross. Show all posts

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Day 43: I Chose You

Sometimes as Christians we feel unworthy of the task God has chosen us to do. We can’t believe that He would give us this specific task. Out of everyone else that He could have chosen He decided to chose us. It’s mind blowing, i know! Due to this disbelief, more times than not we  underestimate ourselves, we unconsciously imply that God is mistaken by choosing us. He must have the wrong person. but God is like, no ‘I want you, I know you. I chose you’.  We try to talk our way out of it, or try to convince God that we are the right person for the job and even try to assign it to someone else. But God knows what we are capable of, He knows what we're good at, He gave us the skills and gifts we have. I think it’s hard to wrap our mind around the fact that out of the seven billion plus people in the world,  He chose us. But God is standing there saying to us, “I choose you.”
This brings me to the story of Moses and the burning bush.

Exodus 3:9-11, 4:1, 10-13 (Expanded passage, Exodus 3-4:17)
9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” …  

4:1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’...
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

In this passage, God comes to Moses through a burning bush, the bush is on fire but it is never consumed by the fire. He tells Moses, you’re the one I’m going to send to deliver my people out of Egypt. Moses start to humbly decline, and comes up with all the excuses he could probably find, but God has an answer for them all. Moses says, they will want to know the name of the person who sent me. God is like, ‘tell them I Am has sent you. Then He says they will not believe me, so God performs miracles right there for Moses, with the staff, and then says, ‘if they don’t believe you even after that, take some water from the Nile and pour it on dry ground, and the water will be turned to blood. Moses responds by saying, ‘I’m not good at speaking, I have a stutter.’ And God is all, ‘I made your mouth, I gave you a tongue and speech, now go.” And Moses finally gets down to, ‘please just send someone else’ he says. It says at this points God’s anger was kindled against Moses. And God sent Aaron as Moses mouthpiece, no matter how many excuses Moses came up with God foiled them all. Somebody was going to bring those people out of Egypt and that somebody was going to be Moses. No matter what, God’s plan will always prevail.
I feel like many times we are like Moses, ‘but what if this or that…’ ‘I’m not qualified enough’ ‘So and so would be better for the job’ Even though God is showing us all the ways He will equip us to carry out His plan, somehow someway we still find an excuse not to do it. Is it our fear, is it that we feel unworthy, or that we will mess it up. I think it is a mixture of all three of these things, we fear that we will fail, we don’t feel like we are right or worthy enough, or we’re afraid that we will mess everything up completely and fold.. Ultimately our fear is failure, we do not want to let God down. But the thing about that is, God chose us for a reason, He knows that we are able to complete the task set ahead of us, because He is God. He created us, He knows what we can do, and how far we can go. The question is, Do we know? The only way we will let God down is by disobeying Him, if we choose to ignore the task, or ignore the calling we not only let God down but we let ourselves down. But when we decide to pick up that heavy cross and bear it, that is when we are in the will of God. One of God’s response to Moses was, “But I will be with you... “ (Exodus 3:12). God is not going to leave us alone, He will be there with us every step of the way. He doesn’t give us assignment, leave and come back to correct and judge when it’s all over, he’s not a high school teacher. He’s there along the way, showing us, and teaching us, and strengthening us. He’s right there walking with us.
We must know that in the eyes of God we are worthy, we are so much more than what we think we are. Knowing your worth doesn’t take away from your humility. It shows that we know our God, we know who God has created us to be. We are worthy enough to him for Him to look at us, point us out and say, “I choose you.”

Another great example of latching on to the call of God is in the New Testament. Jesus chose each disciple one by one, none of them hesitated to follow HIm. In fact they dropped everything to follow Christ, and in the end were greatly rewarded for it.

Mark 1:16-20
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.  And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Luke 5:4-11
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
God makes no mistakes, He never slips up and calls the wrong person. He knows exactly who we are and what He wants us to do, He knows us personally, better than anyone ever could. God has a different plan for us all and He has chosen us for a task that He has designed specifically for us. We were all created with a purpose, know that God is not a God of error. When we He chooses us for something we have to get up and do it. There is no excuse that God does not have an answer for. He knows that we can do it, we just have to know that we are both capable and worthy. The only way we can let God down is by ignoring His call, respond and act on it.

Reflection
  1. Do you feel you are worthy enough to be chosen by God? Why or why not?
  2. How have you responded to the call of God? Do you try to get out of it, are you unsure of why He chose you?
  3. God knows what you are capable of, do you?


Prayer Time
Reread the scriptures we spoke about today, and if you want read the expanded passages. Allow your answers to the questions above shape your prayer today. Ask God to help you see that you are worthy in His eyes. Knowing that God makes no mistakes, be confident in the life He has give you, and the task He has chosen you for.

Have an AWESOME day or evening, I love you! Share this with a friend and make sure you come back tomorrow for day 44!




Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Day 39: You Are Not Alone



1 Peter 5:8-9

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.
Today is going to be short, sweet, and to the point. As I mentioned yesterday, we will face a lot of hard times in our lives, some will feel like the end of the world. One of the results of these hard times is feeling alone, feeling like no one else understands because they aren’t going through it. We sometimes get down and start to throw ourselves pity parties because we feel like we’re the only ones in the world who is facing this certain battle. We feel like no one else can relate to us, they don’t get it. They can’t tell us what to do because they’re not in our shoes. Maybe they aren’t now but they have been.
We as young people don’t like to show our faces when there less than perfect. What I mean by that is, when we are going through a rough time, we hide it, or we isolate ourselves. We either feel like we have to face it alone or we would rather face it on our own. We even try to hide from God, as if He doesn’t already know what’s going on.  

I can honestly say that I am guilty of this. I catch myself saying, even now, “I would rather go through it alone because I don’t want to bring anyone down with my mess.” I’ve been at a point in my life where all I did was feel sorry for myself because I felt no one understood what I was going through. I felt alone, and isolated myself because in my small little world of me, I was the only one who had troubles.
-Dyamond

As the body of Christ we do not have to suffer alone. One of the greatest comforts is knowing that no matter where we are, or what we’re going through God is always there. Even when we feel like we cannot turn to anyone, or no one will listen, God is always listening.
Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. (Psalms 27:10)
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 47:10)
Ephesians 6:18
In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
We are to pray for one another lift each other up. That’s what the body of Christ does. We rejoice together and we suffer together, (1 Cor. 12:24-26) you are not alone. Know that there is someone praying for you. Always.
There are two main points that I want to communicate to you today:

  1. You’re not the only one going through what you’re going through. I know it feels that way but people have been where you are. People are in the same place you are. many people have walked the path you are on, find comfort in the fact that it doesn’t last forever.
  2. You are not alone (I can’t stress this enough). This is why community is so important. When we go through hard times we tend to isolate ourselves, but you don’t have to do it alone. We cannot pick up your cross and carry it for you, but we can pick it up and  help (Matt. 27:32). We can pray, we can give you a shoulder, and we can just be there (Job 2:13). The body of Christ must stick together. You are not alone. Remember that.

Reflection

Today just write a response, take the time to write down what you’re feeling, you might be feeling alone, and you might be in the family, but know that your brothers and sisters are rooting for you, we’re praying for you, and God is right there with you. We love you.

Prayer Time

Reveal to God whatever is on your heart today. Talk to Him about it, find comfort in His arms and rest in His peace. Know that you are love, and no matter where you are God is never far away, He’s is always as close as you allow Him to be.

Maybe you’re not feeling alone or going through a hard time right now, pray for your brothers and sisters who are, lift them up. If you know them personally pray with them, let them know that you are always there.

I love you, have and AMAZING day. Tell someone you love them today and mean it. Make sure you come back tomorrow for Day 40!