Friday, March 8, 2013

When is my change going to come?

Psalm 30:5 For his anger [endureth but] a moment; in his favour [is] life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning.

This is one of the most frequently quoted verses in the Bible. It gives hope and encouragement to those in the midst of trials and tribulations. It reminds us that trouble won't last always. It inspires us to change our focus from tonight's weeping to tomorrow's joy.

But lets be honest. A "night" of weeping might last months or years. There is no biblical guarantee that we are only going to suffer for a mere 8 hours before our change comes.

We often think that we have dominion over time. We take for granted the fact that there are 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks in a year. We rely on that structure to schedule appointments and fill our days. We even know the exact moment every day that night turns into morning. 6:06 am today, to be exact.

It is that exact nicety that makes waiting patiently on the LORD such a delightful spiritual challenge in our day.

It forces us to stop asking the question, when will my change come. Because our time is not God's time. It's cliche, I know, but still sound doctrine.

Perhaps we should stop thinking of time in literal hours, and counting down the minutes until we are delivered from weeping into joy. What if we embraced our night of weeping as a phase, as a level of spirituality that we must experience before we are ready to cross over into morning, to attain higher spiritual heights.

Perhaps, while we are in the midst of a trying time, we strengthen ourselves with prayer and meditation. We feed our spirit with the Word of God. So that we are not just passively waiting on the LORD to turn night into day, but we are actively participating in our own transformation from weeping into joy.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

A Peace that Passeth Understanding




Philippians 4:4-7

King James Version (KJV)
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


Within the past couple of months, I have gone through a lot. I've seen the depths of medical depression, had financial conundrums, and most recently became engaged in a battle for custody of my children. In these faith-testing times, I really have found comfort in the Word. It honestly and truly has helped calm fears, renew strength and advise well.

The scripture I read today was given to me by my mother, who constantly reminds me to see God in everything. When I read the words, I felt totally refreshed. It really puts things into perspective.

  • Rejoice in The Lord always- whether I am going into a new problem, right in the middle if a problem, or coming out of a problem, there is always something to be thankful for! Inhale. Exhale. Perfect reasons!
  • Be careful for nothing- be concerned but don't worry! Don't be afraid of anything because God controls everything!
  • Let your requests be known unto God- take your burdens to Him and leave them there!
  • And the peace of God- when we acknowledge the presence of God in every and all situations, there is a peace that envelops you and causes all stress and strain to subside. It baffles the forces that wish to see you fail. It baffled me; even though on paper there are a lot of things that are awry, I am at peace. He didn't bring me to these "Jordans" to not let me cross over them. 
In the face of my mountains, I'm rejoicing! I'm singing! I'm smiling and dancing! I have received my gift of peace and I'm basking in it! It's mine and you can't take it! The good thing is God has some for you too :)


Monday, March 4, 2013

Walk Worthy

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

I've been struggling lately to articulate my calling. What is my vocation in the service of the LORD? What is my purpose in this life? What are my gifts? What are my talents? What makes me happiest? When do I feel most at peace?

As a child of God, I know that it is my duty to contribute to kingdom building. But how exactly I go about doing that remains to be seen.

Recently I unearthed an old copy of Iyanla Vanzant's One Day My Soul Just Opened Up. I was reading that book 10 years ago and making notations about my life's calling and my attempts to fulfill it. And here I am today, struggling with the same questions.

But before I wrote myself off as a failure, I remembered this: "Progress, not perfection". I don't know who said it, but it sure hits home for me. My spiritual journey has certainly not been a straight path. Sometimes I feel like I'm going in circles when it comes to walking worthy of my vocation because I'm not sure I know what my vocation is. But as the song goes, "When I look around and think things over, all of my good days, outweigh my bad days, I won't complain."

I'm closer today than I was yesterday. I'm stronger today than I was yesterday. I'm more convinced now than I was before that God has a job for me to do. And in the meantime... Until He's ready to reveal it to me, it's my job to walk worthy. It's my job to show the world what a child of God looks like: patient, humble, kind, always striving for peace.