Circumstances

 Phil.1:12-18/Acts 19:21/Romans 1:15

"Paul wished to travel to the Great City of Rome in order to represent His Savior as a Preacher, however, the Bible records that instead of arriving as a preacher, God sent him as a Prisoner."- Johnny Hunt

Friends when I read this, this morning I could barely sit still from excitement! How do we view our circumstances? What do we consider the end of the world? Do we consider adversity like maybe we misinterpreted what the Lord wanted? Did I do something wrong, or even worse does it cause us to doubt God?

When my circumstances get crazy-it means God's about to do the miraculous out of my surrendered crazy!

When you're grounded in the Lord and facing challenges, even challenges such as facing imprisonment in the mission field! 

When I surrender myself, I surrender my circumstances-

-and THAT is where I find Peace and am able to place my HOPE in the Lord!

It's not "Why me?"  It's  "Where is Your hand at work Lord? Use me!" 

If He's using me to encourage others. If He's using this time for me to pour into my children so that they will know Him by seeing Him in me!  If He's using me to witness to the people I wouldn't have otherwise met.  If He's taking time just to shape me and my heart into what He desires.  Whatever my circumstances I can promise you they are not out of His Grasp and I can assure you that your circumstances do not render you incapable of being used by Him!  You don't have to go overseas to be a missionary, nor do you have to leave your current situation.  Actually, I challenge you- If you're not radically surrendered and being used right where you are, how do you think you would act differently on a foreign mission field?

"The Church in Philippi got word of Paul's imprisonment and were very concerned about his welfare and feared that his incarceration severed him from all possibility of witnessing. That was not the case at all.  Paul stated in Phil. 1:13 "that my chains are in Christ." It was not that Paul could not get away from the guards, he could not get away from Christ." - Johnny Hunt

 Lord, Where ever You Sovereignly place these hands and feet I pray that they will be surrendered and used!

HIS Clay~

Melissa Bradley

Jehovah-Jireh - {Give-Away}

Jesus Rocks my socks off! Do you recognize when the Lord's providing? Do you now rejoice when you see the Lord say- I knew this and you didn't, but I'm providing? Miracles do still happen.

Last week I was at the beach with my family. My husband gave me a budget to stay within. The last day I had to run to the store and grab diapers and, amongst all the chaos at the house, I was able to pull Jax away and spend one-on-one time with him.

When we were standing in the check-out line, as I was unloading my few items, the lady behind me noticed that Jaxson was doing the "Potty Dance". 

So I left my stuff there, thanked her and rushed to the bathroom. When I came back I grabbed the bag of items from beside the cashier and returned to the line. While standing there I looked into the bag and noticed the receipt. Blown away, I asked the clerk and she said, "Yeah, that lady paid for it."

When I got back outside I knew in my heart that this was a blessing, all things happen for a reason - what happened?  What's wrong. So I called my husband, and asked him to check out the bank account. He was really busy but after a little pushing he checked it out and sure enough, we had a surprise bill! 

Wow, Thank you Lord!

It would have been a little scary but I knew the Lord drew our attention to it for a reason. He was going to make a way.

What's cool about pursuing a life in Christ is knowing, "God's got this." I could be sitting here rocking in the fetal position, because I'm still not sure how it's all going to work out, but truly, my God is the owner of streets of gold.

Even if worst came to worst.
(and I truly don't think it will but I'm saying for the point of argument.)

How dare I bless Him in my ease and curse Him in my trials. My God is God!  His Deity is not dependent on my current situation. His Love is not dependant on my attitude! My blessings come when I accept His Deity and it's shown through my attitude!  Even on my worst days God is still God. He is still in control and He is Still on the throne.

^"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28 (ESV)

If my trials work together for His Glory, my life is clay in the potters hands, I'm surrendered in my good and I'm surrendered in my bad, because really All I desire out of this life is for the Lord to be Shown Powerful and Glorified, no matter how it plays out in my life. 

Matthew 6:23-34 (NIV)

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Miracles do still happen. Do you recognize when the Lord's providing? I want to hear way's He's miraculously worked (or is working) in your life.

Don't Forget to Enter the Give Away!
You can find it HERE!

His Clay~



Linked With:

   

The Lord of the Pawn

When Christians come to the realization that God's world does not revolve around us, our world is meant to revolve around Him and that the ultimate desire for our lives should be to bring Him glory. Then Cultural christianity will no longer be "the faith poison".

This is a completely different view from what I once thought or believed, but at the same time it is so freeing to realize and understand. Realizing that the world does not revolve around me, and my immediate wants and desires, that there's a much larger picture is very freeing indeed. 

Whether it is through tragedy or triumph, loss or gain, God is in control of my past, present and future. My wants and desires are null is comparison to my life bringing glory to my King.

That does not mean that God does not care when we hurt.  FAR from it.  "The Lord is near to the broken hearted."  "The Lord is compassionate, slow to anger abounding in love and mercy." No, no, no He is very loving indeed.  It means that there is a much greater purpose and we should always be mindful and trust Him with that. 
When you allow your successes or failures to bring you to your knees and for them to bring you to a greater understanding of Who He is, the church will, finally, once again come to a place of revival.

When I am able to take a "Paul and Silas in prison moment" (Acts 16) and instead of sulking, I find myself praising, and declaring, "Lord, I know You have this and one way or the other. You will ultimately be magnified through this". I will know that I have finally Got It.

I find satisfaction in nothing more than being a pawn on God's chess table. He uses me and moves my player in order to bring Himself victory in the game. Whether it is through my pawn being taken out of the game early or even pawns around me. Think about it for a second. It may sound a little strong off the cuff, but think about it. 

If my life is totally surrendered to His ultimate will and He compares His love for us to the love of an "amazing earthly father" but His love is magnified in being a heavenly Father...

Follow me here...

An earthly father wants good things for His children. An earthly father wants to dote on his children, see them smile and be comforted.  In saying that, an earthly father isn't there, at all times, to help guide your steps nor to help map out your path.  An earthly father, even though he wants good things for you, all that he can direct you in, is what he may see in the immediate future.

For instance, "Yes, you should get this college education, at this great school, so that you can receive a great education, become a lawyer, be well off financially and hopefully make a difference. etc. etc." In our logic that may sound like a good plan. Your earthly father knows that you've talked about doing that for a long time and it's what you would like to do with your future.

However, your Heavenly Father made you from scratch, He breathed air into your lungs. He knows your strengths and your weakness's.  He knows the challenges you will face at that school. He knows where the spouse He created for you will be found.  He knows (for instance) that you will get to age 25 and just starting off your career as a lawyer and your heart will be longing to be a wife and mother.  He knows that you would rather die than have to leave your children for your work. He knows that with the debt you will accrue in college it will be an impossibility for you to stay home etc., etc., etc.  He knows your paths.

I'm not saying that if you are a sold out child of God that you won't face challenges. Oh mercy no! But they're different when you come to the "Pawn Realization".  When you face challenges while seeking His direction, continue seeking His direction and accept His Lordship.  Be mindful of His promises and He will guide you through it.  Whether it's by Him shaping your heart and desires towards His will or by accepting that whatever comes my way does not catch Him by surprise and that I can take the moment and reflect on His Grace or I can run hide under my covers and sulk.  He wants to be magnified in our lives.  He wants us to know Him better.  He wants us to know and trust Him for who He is and accept His Lordship in all things.

I am not saying that it's easy, but suffering will come one way or the other and we have the opportunity to surrender it and accept His authority over it and know that somehow, someway He will receive the glory for it or we can diminish His glory by trusting in our idols or pouting, sulking and "Why Me -ing."

I am in No Way trying to diminish people's pain. Please do not read "that" into this. Oh I have so many friends who have endured unimaginable pain. 

I am however trying to magnify Him and put a magnifying glass on our upside down world view, and how He desires to take our brokenness, our ashes and to create them into something beautifully surrendered.

If Paul and Silas had sulked, do you think the other prisoners and guards would have seen Christ in their life?  If Daniel had sulked do you think God would have kept the Lions mouths shut...?  (Daniel 6) Possibly, but I wonder.  If Hannah (1 Sam. 1) would have been pitching a fit, blaming and hollering at God for not giving her a child, do you think He would have chosen her and opened her womb and blessed her with a Samuel.

You see our American Christian World View is WAY off when we think that all His glory is to be pointed at us.  We are not the god's that need to be magnified.  My life is a Pawn in my Masters hand!

I find satisfaction and hope in that. I find satisfaction in knowing that my life is of far greater importance than just me.  When I entrust my life to His hands, my chess piece is promoted from a pawn to a knight. There's a heck of a lot more power in that. And that my God will be the Ultimate Victorious Champ in the game and that my little player was used at all in the game, kinda rocks my socks off!

But when I fully see and understand my role: I am freed up to love, without fear of rejection;  I am freed up to trust, without fear of being let down. I am no longer concerned with being inconvenienced or outside of my comfort zone. I am freed up to be 100% sold out and doing everything in my power to serve the Lord without fear of burn out, because my life is no longer about me, but the One who's in control of me. We are to go, do, teach and Trust, Love, Obey and leave the details in His hands.  I am NOT saying I am successful at living this out daily, but this is the mindset and the heart I am longing for. I must decrease so that He can increase. John 3:30