Providence, purpose & plan

How was Paul able to rejoice so much when he was in prison? How come he was so outward looking and positive?

I heard a story recently of someone’s life which included a lot of sadness, and loss and  I was amazed at the person’s calm, peace and acceptance.

What is this secret?

What was Paul’s secret? What is my friend’s secret?

I think part of it at least, is knowing God has a plan and purpose.  Like Joseph in prison, he came to a place when he realised that there was a Higher Power at work, weaving out his circumstances till he came to the place where he was meant to be in order to save Israel.

Paul may have been in prison, but he could see that the guards and other prisoners were hearing the gospel and that the other believers were being strengthened in their faith. There was purpose, there was providence, it was part of the plan!

My friend may have had suffered many heartaches, but she could see God’s hand on her life and knew that He was working His purposes out, His providence , His care was with her in her circumstances

So for me then it is to see beyond the immediate circumstance and see God’s hand of providence, purpose and plan.  It is to hand over my everyday to God to His providence,  for Him to work out His purposes accordingly to His plan of love!

HOPE IS ACTIVE

I have been reading through some of the Psalms and one of the things that strikes me is the self-encouragement the psalmist gives to himself! (Talks to himself often too!)

When he is discouraged, disappointed, depressed, full of doubts and uncertainties then what does he do? How does he find hope and encouragement ?

He looks to the Lord.

He remembers who God is and what He has done in the past.

He sings! He gives praise and thanksgiving, which lifts him out of his current state to looking to the Lord and encourages him to have hope.

He feeds his hope, by looking, remembering and praising .  His hope is active, he is turning away from the doubts, disappointments, accusations and uncertainties . He is actively doing things to encourage his hope.

so next time my soul is cast down within me, this is what I must do:-

Look

Remember

Praise

Feed

 

Being Intentional

How often do I come to the conclusion that I need to be more disciplined in my prayer life?  I mean to spend more time in prayer, I mean to write prayer lists and actually spend the time praying for people and situations, but alas another day goes by, another week comes around and still I have not done it!

Yes, I have my “quiet time” every morning, yes I am disciplined and intentional about it, but after a busy day I have more or less forgotten what I was reading and meditating on in the morning!  I NEED, and I mean NEED to seek God also in the evening.  If I plan in time to watch a favourite TV program then I can find time to be intentional with God.  It is more than just sitting and unwinding and vaguely thinking spiritual thoughts, it is more than just trying to recall what I have read in the morning. It is so much more, it is being intentional, it is setting aside time and seeking God in prayer.

When i do it, I do find it useful to go back over what I have read and written in the morning and even to weigh my day against that, but it needs to be regular, it needs to be specific, it needs to be intentional!

Introduction

Where is God when it hurts? – right there beside us!

Where is God in the sorrows? – right there beside us!

Where is God in the joys and highs of life? – right there beside us!

We find God at all times and in all places standing right there with us.  But what about in the everyday?  The humdrum of life, the routine and sameness, the ordinary?  How do we keep on keeping on finding God in the ordinary everyday, how do we find the extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary?

I’ll be adding short blogs on how God is speaking to me and upholding me in the everyday.  It would be great to hear from others how God is doing this for you too!

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is 41:10)

Yes, even in the everyday God will do this for us!