Adventure Awaits

I became a Christian at 14.  My mom began buying my Christmas and birthday gifts from the local Christian bookstore.  One of the things she bought was a little desk name plate that quoted Proverbs 3:6, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path."

I made that my "life verse"  for some time after that.  I memorized it, quoted it and wrote it on every card, letter and yearbook I signed.  I was sure I understood it's meaning.

I was kind of like, "Hey God, just wanted to acknowledge (recognize) you.  So look, here is where I am going...can you take the lead now?"  My teenage understanding of guidance was that I made up my mind and expected God to then take the lead.

It took me a few years to realize the Bible wasn't about me!

I never read things on context back then and then one day, I read verse 5 and 6 together.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your paths.

I realized that I was not trusting Him with ALL of my heart.  I was not trusting Him with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  I was acknowledging God but not in the truest sense of the word.  I was not really getting to KNOW Him.  By getting to KNOW Him, I began to understand HIS will a lot better. 

I need to trust that God's plans are far better than my own.  No one knows how much time we have in our jobs or how much time we have left on this earth.  Nobody that is, except God.

We should be about His business. 

I believe if we get to know Him, I mean truly know Him, that we will experience adventure like never before.

So what are you waiting for?

Asking for Wisdom - Just A Thought #52

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."(James 1:2-5)

I was reading James tonight and this verse struck me. I have always struggled with counting it all joy when I am in the midst of a trial. (work, home, faith, etc.) Somehow I find it hard to say, "Oh joy, a trial!" However, reading past that, I also noted that these trials produce patience and we are also told to ask for wisdom if we lack it.

Patience and wisdom. Those two words started rattling around in my brain. These are two key items I need when I am encountering a problem, a trial or a temptation. I need the patience to respond in His time and way. I need wisdom in how to proceed next and how to avoid the problems in the future.

We are also told that we will be blessed when we endure temptation. I don't think I have heard enough sermons on endurance. I want to get out of it quickly, not endure it.

All of this led me to James 1:19 which says that we should to be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. Being swift to hear and slow to speak is what I recently told a group of management course students I wanted to do more of. I've been working on the slow to anger part for awhile. Looking at James, I see that I need patience, wisdom and endurance as well.

Obviously, none of this is possible without the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

So Father, I ask for wisdom.

What are you asking for?

Help Me Lord!

You ever have one of those days/weeks where things just don't seem to be coming together? One of those, "when it rains it pours" type things?

Yeah I am having one of those. It would almost seem like a perfect storm of "ugghhh" is brewing. Mostly this involves work stuff. Just a lot of stuff coming all at once...

Then there is the lack of sleep with the baby and to top it off I am aching right now because I apparently attempt to hit baseballs with my body instead of a bat...

Psalm 121:1-2, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth."

So this is the verse i am meditating on as I seek God's wisdom. Lots of the stuff coming up is truly minor...my employee review, a bi-annual internal work audit, meetings, bigger meetings, etc. It just all seems to be coming at once.

I realized tonight I wasn't looking to where my help comes from. I was not looking to the Maker of Heaven. I've been trying to figure it out in my own mind instead of letting God speak into the situation...

Enough of that. I recognize how weak I am and how much of His help I need.

Now if I can just figure out how to catch a ball with my glove and not my belly or knee.