Small Beginnings

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“There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.”

Dwight L. Moody

 

Although Bruce and I have been blessed with many opportunities to minister this year, I remember when God first planted a seed in my heart to pray for the nations. I stared at a large multicolored map of the world and was in awe of the massive opportunities for prophetic intercession. I suddenly realized how, empowered by the Holy Spirit, my prayers from the small living room in my home could actually affect a nation and its people. Suddenly, the Lord illuminated a tiny speck on the map, one of the smallest nations in the world. This was my prayer assignment. I was somewhat disappointed. I wanted to storm the heavens of pivotal nations in the earth, but the Lord gave me a small beginning. Today I pray readily for whatever nation God places on my heart and now God is actually allowing me to go forth to many of these small nations to share the message of the gospel. This year my husband, Bruce and I had opportunities to minister in Croatia, Slovenia, Malta, and Italy to name a few. God is so faithful and hears the heart cry of His people! He heard my heart’s cry! Praise His name! And why? Because he planted it there!

 

How about you? Are you in the day of small beginnings even now? What has God called you to do?

 

If you are in the day of small beginnings, take heart. The Lord is rejoicing to see the work begin and He who called you to the work is faithful to strengthen your hands to do it, faithful to send workers into the field he called you to, faithful to encourage you by His Spirit and with His Word, faithful to provide all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and faithful to lead you into victory if you keep pressing toward the prize.

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it (1 Thess. 5:23).

When the Impossible Becomes Logical

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As a teacher I have always been fascinated by the sciences. One day I was watching a large cluster of cumulus clouds floating in the sky. Over the years I’ve learned a great deal about these clouds. Fluffy, puffy, cumulus clouds are so very beautiful on a pretty spring day. As children I’m sure we’ve all experienced the fun of searching for shapes of people or animals hidden in these magnificent clouds.

 

Do you realize that just one of these medium sized cumulus clouds is equivalent to the weight of 80 elephants? Imagine 80 elephants suspended in the sky. Assuming the weight of one elephant is about 6 tons that means that one medium cumulus cloud weighs about 480 tons. The thought of 80 elephants suspended in the sky is truly mind-boggling! Furthermore, the water is not in elephant-sized pieces, it is in tiny, tiny particles, which float on the warmer air that’s rising below. Amazing! Isn’t it? So how many suspended elephants would be equivalent to one huge storm cloud? About 200,000. That’s right, 200,000 elephants suspended in the sky. In fact, the clouds in a single hurricane weigh more than all the elephants on the entire planet! Forty million elephants!

 

As a Christian seeing the power and majesty of God across the earth strengthens my belief that “with God nothing is impossible!” He is a God who makes the impossible logical! To this day the sight of fluffy, puffy, cumulus clouds brings a huge smile to my cheeks….

80 dangling elephants indeed!

 

Logical! Logical! Logical!

When the Body Rebels, His Spirit Prevails!

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Paul stated in Romans. “ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…….For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. “ (Romans 7:15&18)

How well I understand that passage! Discipline, ugh, oh how the body rebels! Discipline is definitely not a natural behavior. I don’t perform it readily. It requires intentionality. However, discipline becomes merely legalism when we try to do it all on our own. There are times in my walk I feel the discipline slipping and the excuses brimming, shall we say! It manifests in those midnight desserts, missing days at the gym, or procrastination in areas where I know I shouldn’t. And eventually, in my frustration, I cry out as Paul did, “ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate doing I do…….For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Paul knew that if he abandoned his dependency upon Christ and attempted to live the Christian life out of his own resources, He would never prevail. Although we can renew our minds through studying God’s word, we can never elevate our flesh to a place where it can fulfill God’s purpose in our lives in our own strength. When we lack understanding, personal weakness causes us to beat ourselves up, and hang our heads in shame. However, the Word states, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”( 2 Cor 12:10) Why? Because when I am weak then I yield myself to Him and He meets me there. Through His Spirit, strength abounds in me. And finally, that which I cannot do on my own, He does in and through me, simply because I am His daughter and I ask for His help…My Father loves me and sustains me and when my Body rebels, His Spirit prevails!

 

August 24, 2014

1) Gym √

2) Bible study √

3) Healthy breakfast √

4) Work √