A woman who suffered more than her share of grief, she had lost two sons and her husband in a short span of time. She was in a foreign land where God was not worshipped and had no money to even take care of herself. She would have to return home with nothing to show for herself but a loving daughter-in-law.
I am sure you recognize Naomi from the book of Ruth. I think I could read this love story a thousand times and find things that I never saw before. When I thought of what or who to share that had a God-sized dream I thought of her.
Naomi was older and didn't seem to have anything in the way of a God-sized dream, or did she? When she returned home she even changed her name to Mara because she thought the Lord had dealt harshly with her. (Sometimes I seem to have that feeling as I struggle through some days.) But what she didn't know was that God wasn't finished with her by a long shot. She just happened to know the handsome dude her daughter-in-law had encountered when gathering food. She told Ruth just what to do to capture his eye and it seems his heart. Naomi in her experiences with God and the Jewish ways was able to direct Ruth into the arms of her kinsman redeemer! And the rest is, as they say, history. Not only did Ruth get the guy but she is in the genealogy of Christ! What a God-sized dreamer was Naomi, the one that thought her life was over and God had dealt her a bad hand.
When I look at the hand I feel God had dealt me, with all the pain and struggling that seems to be day to day living, I look at what God can do with someone who thought they were at the end of their usefulness. My eyes are lifted up once again to the God who can do anything with anyone and know that I still have a God-sized dream to complete. So I don't think I will change my name to Mara but keep the name that was given me that means Pearl. I am God's Pearl of Great Price!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Mason or Wrecking ball?
This has to be the hardest topic yet for me! What am I going to stop delaying and start doing to be ready for my God-sized dream? I am still praying that God will reveal my God-sized dream. If I let it the pressure mounts and my need to come up with something threatens to overwhelm me. Have I failed to hear God? Am I taking too much time? Will I ever know what that dream is? Am I too old to have another dream?
ARRGH!
I think I will give up all this doubt so that I am ready and waiting for God to speak directly to my heart. It is so easy to doubt my self, to rethink what I just said or did. That leads to pulling back and building walls around myself to protect from harm or pain. That makes me seem aloof and not caring. Not what I had in mind at all.
I read a few posts before I started mine in the hopes I would get a few ideas on what I could stop delaying. I read one that talked about "what Jesus would say about me". That made me stop and pondered what WOULD He say about me. Like the writer I know what the Bible says about all of us but specifically about me, hmm?!
I am going to start tearing down the walls of protection I have built up over the years and not doubt that God has a dream that is just for me. As I write this it seems like a monumental task! I do know that "all things are possible through Christ who give me strength". So I am going to be like a wrecking ball this week and I suppose for many weeks to come. Please pray that my "masonry" days are over. No more building walls but an open heart waiting.
ARRGH!
I think I will give up all this doubt so that I am ready and waiting for God to speak directly to my heart. It is so easy to doubt my self, to rethink what I just said or did. That leads to pulling back and building walls around myself to protect from harm or pain. That makes me seem aloof and not caring. Not what I had in mind at all.
I read a few posts before I started mine in the hopes I would get a few ideas on what I could stop delaying. I read one that talked about "what Jesus would say about me". That made me stop and pondered what WOULD He say about me. Like the writer I know what the Bible says about all of us but specifically about me, hmm?!
I am going to start tearing down the walls of protection I have built up over the years and not doubt that God has a dream that is just for me. As I write this it seems like a monumental task! I do know that "all things are possible through Christ who give me strength". So I am going to be like a wrecking ball this week and I suppose for many weeks to come. Please pray that my "masonry" days are over. No more building walls but an open heart waiting.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Skimming
Our challenge this week was to find something in my life to decrease so that my God-sized dream may increase. I gave this a lot of thought and was coming up empty until Sunday. (cutting it pretty close!
We have been hearing about Nehemiah, an ordinary guy who heard an extraordinary God and together they did some extaordinary things. In listening to a story I have read, and even studied I thought I had it pretty much down as to what happens next. But the pastor took a turn to tell us just how extraordinary and awesome our God truly is and he quoted Genesis 1:3
We have been hearing about Nehemiah, an ordinary guy who heard an extraordinary God and together they did some extaordinary things. In listening to a story I have read, and even studied I thought I had it pretty much down as to what happens next. But the pastor took a turn to tell us just how extraordinary and awesome our God truly is and he quoted Genesis 1:3
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
Well, I was positive I had that down but continued to listen anyway. Then he said something that I was sure was incorrect, He stated that "God just said let there be light and BOOM there was light". Of course there was light, I thought, the sun the stars the moon were there and it was light. So the sermon continued on and the thought wouldn't leave me that perhaps that wasn't quit right. I had to know what day the sun was introduced. As soon as we got home I went to the scripture and read very carefully.
Now I am sure that all of you know exactly what I found but after 20 years of reading and rereading the Bible I was stunned!
16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a
fourth day.
What? Not until the fourth day were the sun, moon, and stars added to creation! Then what had I been thinking was the light all those years? How had I skimmed over all those words and missed something so important? There was light without any light source but our extraordinary God!
I got to thinking, how much else had I misread by my haste in reading God's letters to me? Why am I in such a hurry to read His word? To say I have read it, to hurry on to my day (devotions in the morning), to prove how wonderful I am? What is the rush?
I know exactly what to decrease so that my God-sized dream has the time to increase! My need for speed! I will no longer feel the need to read to finish. I will not try to think of what I need to say to keep the conversation going. I will not be in a rush to complete the next task. Hmm, sounds so freeing! No more skimming through life. I will take the time to savor each moment not worrying about the what to do in the next. This is going to take much prayer as a life lived in a hurry is going to be difficult to change. But I have an extraordinary God who is quite able to lead me through this.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Fear!
Fear. I don't think you even need a God-sized dream to have encountered it.
As I have been struggling with knowing exactly what my God-sized dream is and not hearing a thing from God, fear starts to creep in. Am I the only one that doesn't have a God-sized dream yet? Is it because of some sin that God is so quiet? Should I make up something so I am like everyone else?
As I look at the above I realize just what it is, fear. Fear of not belonging. Fear of losing God's love. Fear of not being like all the others. What a horrible, crippling thing fear can be. It also has a multiplying effect if you let it continue unchecked. It can grow until you find you can't catch your next breath. There is only one way that I know of dealing with fear, run, don't walk to the arms of God.
I have had such anticipation about hearing from God about my very own God-sized dream but the longer I go the harder it is to wait, I seem to be a person that wants to take action. Perhaps my God-sized dream is learning to sit and wait on God. When I saw the blog that we were supposed to do on fear it hit me. I was starting to panic and fear was creeping in.
God is so good and knows me so well he had my wonderful encourager send me an email that was perfect. She sent me this scripture and said it was so uplifting for her she had to share.
As I have been struggling with knowing exactly what my God-sized dream is and not hearing a thing from God, fear starts to creep in. Am I the only one that doesn't have a God-sized dream yet? Is it because of some sin that God is so quiet? Should I make up something so I am like everyone else?
As I look at the above I realize just what it is, fear. Fear of not belonging. Fear of losing God's love. Fear of not being like all the others. What a horrible, crippling thing fear can be. It also has a multiplying effect if you let it continue unchecked. It can grow until you find you can't catch your next breath. There is only one way that I know of dealing with fear, run, don't walk to the arms of God.
I have had such anticipation about hearing from God about my very own God-sized dream but the longer I go the harder it is to wait, I seem to be a person that wants to take action. Perhaps my God-sized dream is learning to sit and wait on God. When I saw the blog that we were supposed to do on fear it hit me. I was starting to panic and fear was creeping in.
God is so good and knows me so well he had my wonderful encourager send me an email that was perfect. She sent me this scripture and said it was so uplifting for her she had to share.
Psalm 27:13-14
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
It was exactly what I needed to read and take into my heart. The Bible is so full of wonderful words that can help us to not fear but seek the comfort of God's protection. No one knows you like your Father! My advice is if you are fearful ask God to help and then read His love letters to you.
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