Eeps! Is it August already??? Wait, you're saying that August is almost over and it's nearly September?!?!? Just give me a few more minutes, August!!! It would seem that this month is one of those months where I have no idea what to write! To be honest, I've started more than one blog this month...but, for one reason or the other, they fell flat. :-/ Hmmm.....I do have one prevailing thought these days, God is so good!!!
Yes, life stinks. Yes, people are still people. Yes, I'm still having a hard time keeping up with my Bible and Prayers. But God is good! He loves me anyway! He proves to me day after day that He is right by my side! In what ways does He prove this?
Well one morning, for whatever reason, I didn't go to work (housecleaning for an elderly neighbor). What came in the mail that day? A check from a survey company I do surveys for!
I was feeling kind of down one day...messing around on the internet...and found myself! On my good friend's blog she had posted a verse I had shared with her (and more). What a pick me up to know that I had been important to that person that day! (all to the glory of God of course :-) ) A friendship come back to bless me! (and it has!!! Many, many, many times!)
Was grocery shopping the other day (always a fun thing...NOT!) when the Lord led me to a 20 lb box of fresh corn...for $3!!! Then, the sweet guy at the counter gave me a $1 back!!! (the Lord uses him regularly in this area)
Was missing my mom GREATLY earlier this month (when she was with her mother who was going through a mastectomy) when a sweet lady at church took me under her wing and gave me a little "mommy" babying after a CRAZY weekend.
While my mom was staying with her mom, we were a little nervous about situations and relationships there. Recieved a call from my mom and was told all about the blooming relationship the Lord has been creating between my mom and her sister!
Was in my Bible this morning and came across a wonderful verse!
"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (I Corinthians 1:25) Amen and praise the Lord! So I sent that around to a whole bunch of my girl friends. Received back a few responses of "Thank you" and "Good stuff". Got to feeling good about being used like that and then came across a verse a little farther along... "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (I Corinthians 3:7) and was reminded that none of it is of me. I'm just the vessel to be used by God's mighty hand!!! "But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." (I Corinthians 3:10b)
And that's not all either! The month isn't over yet! Nor the year! What amazing things will God do around the next dozen corners??? I can't wait to see. :-)
I don't know that any of that really made any sense...I guess I didn't have a "topic" today, just wanted to praise the Lord. How about you? :-)
With Prayers,
Sarah
Wow! Was doing my daily Bible reading yesterday when I came across this passage.
"2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. 3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father..." (II Chronicles 34:2-3)
So at first glance I was like, "Yep, that's good! He sought after the Lord." But each time I went back to it I was more and more amazed at the message there! Take a look, in verse 3 it starts out, "For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father..." which implies that it's following up on something before this. So I went back and took yet another look at verse 2 and saw this. "...And declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left." Still not getting it? Ok, lets put it into plain terms. He sought after the Lord and therefore stayed on the right path! Got it now? :-) But wait! That's not all! I kept looking and realized that we aren't just talking about any man, we are talking about King Josiah and all of this happened at the ripe old age of 16!!! (In verse 1 it says, "Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign..." so in the eighth year he would be 16.) So here were my thoughts...
Get this settled while you are young, teenagers! People all over the world tell you that your teen years are your "free and easy" years! But they aren't! They are the years that will establish the rest of your life! And I will take this a step farther and say that I have noticed that at 16 years old is really when it gets to be serious. I know young adults, 18, 20, and 21, who are still struggling in what they believe. Still dabbling in sin here and there. Still taking side paths from time to time. Still acting like life is a game and they don't have to get serious...quite yet. How sad!!!! Right here, in II Chronicles, we have our solution! Seek the Lord at a young age! If you aren't saved, reach out to Jesus in salvation...if you are saved, get serious! Settle your salvation, beliefs, and standards...and stick to them! "Play around time" is over! This is such a huge issue among our young that I could just go on and on about this. But, they say not to beat a dead horse so I'm going to move on a bit.
As I kept reading on down the chapter I notices some things that happened because Josiah had sought the Lord while he was young. In verses 3-8 he took idols (sin) out of Judah and Jerusalem...if you will seek the Lord you will see the things in your life that need to be taken out...and you will take them out! Because they were taking the idols (sin) out, they came across truth, verse 14, and repented, verse 20...instead of arguing and saying that God didn't care or that it was no big deal! In verse 27-28 we see how God blessed his life and the nation because Josiah was willing to humble himself to the Lord and His will...because his heart was tender... Then in verse 32 we see how others were changed by Josiah seeking the Lord...others changed their standards and beliefs and "stood to it"... And those are just the few that I picked out of chapter 34 and his reign continues into chapter 35! Oh what God can do if we will only seek! But that's something we all know, right? But are we doing it? And also, the main theme of this blog is, are you doing it now? At the "young" age of 16? Last week I was at our Bible Camp and the preacher said over and over all week, "You're not too young!!!"
Now I say to you, "You're not too young!" Do this now! Don't waver down the road of life,stopping here and there, until you are 32 and God makes you decide! Or until you get to Heaven and God says, "What did you do in your life?"
Seek Him now, young people! While you are young!!!!
With Prayers and Tears,
Sarah
Well here it is almost November and I'm just now getting to October. What a month it has been!!!! In many differant ways! Alot of what has happened this month has led me back to the Bible to search out passages for encouragement and strength and finding hope in Christ when things look...stinky. I know it's not a very "deep" topic but it's one that's close to my heart right now and that's what this whole blog is about, right?
Life hits hard sometimes. Or should I say Satan hits hard sometimes? And it's when he is hitting us hard that we run to God. For reassurance, for comfort, for strength to do what I'm supposed to do, and even for a little slap to go with it. Well life/Satan recently hit pretty hard again (he seems to be doing that alot lately) and I was driven to my knees and to the Word. Of course, in times of difficulty one of the first places I went was Lamentations 3. What a chapter!!! Yes life stinks, yes it looks like nothing is going right, but! We aren't overcome/consumed by it because the Lord is merciful and compassionate and faithful! He is good and therefore we can hope in Him.
Then there was Psalms 73. Anyone read that one? I don't know how many times I've related to it...and not in a good way. I too was having myself a pity party. "Lord, why does this have to happen again?!?!? Just when I think I'm 'getting on top' they've got to throw another one my way! And why is it everything seems to always go their way?! Everyone seems to be on their side! When I'm only trying to do what You've told me to!" Yeah....that's me. But! I was foolish. The way of the sinner will be judged. Their end won't be good though it might look like it. God will deal with them. And in the mean time, He's with me, holding me by my hand, guiding me, counseling me, and being my strength (that is, as soon as I get my act straight).
The following are the rest of the verses I wrote down that day. Each speaking to me of trials and how God is with me through them if I will hope in Him.
"Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side." Psalm 71:20-21
"Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6:1-3
"From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalms 61:2
"O LORD, be gracious unto us(me); we(I) have waited for thee: be thou their(my) arm every morning, our(my) salvation also in the time of trouble." Isaiah 33:2 (parentheses added)
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Psalms 42:5-6,11
"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform." Romans 4:20-21
Then there is the one that is my current favorite verse. I use it for everything right now. When I read it I couldn't believe such a phrase was in the Bible. It was like it was meant for me right at that time. "Who against hope believed in hope..." Romans 4:18a That's what I'm trying to do. Hope against hope because nothing is impossible with God. Including hanging on when you've just had it and you think you can't hang on any more.
So I guess that's it. Yeah life stinks from time to time. Sometimes more often than not. But He is there with me guiding me and offering the strength of His awesome hand if I'll just hope in Him. Even when it seems I'm hoping against hope.
With Prayers,
Sarah
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