OCTOBER 21, 2014 How God Turns Your Past Into Purpose by TRACIE MILES Return home and tell how much God has done for you. So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. Luke 8:39 (NIV) As I sat in the church pew with my head bowed in prayer, I heard a voice reverberate so thunderously in my heart that it startled me. The voice was blaringly loud, as if it had been announced over the loudspeakers. I opened my eyes surprised to see that no one else was taken aback. All was calm. And so began my encounter with God. I felt God speak loud and clear a short message that held life-altering repercussions. Three powerful, commanding words: Go and share! I became overwhelmed with emotion. I was awestruck that God had spoken to me at all, but even more so at the three words I heard. Go and share? Go and share what? Then it hit me. Fear immediately overwhelmed me and I sank into the pew, trembling at what I thought God might be asking. I began to question God, Surely You cant mean share my past, Lord. Surely You dont mean go and share what I prefer to keep secret. Yet, that is exactly what He meant. And I didnt like it. I didnt want to go, much less share. I didnt want to be transparent or vulnerable. I gratefully accepted His forgiveness and healing, but I wasnt ready to accept His call to give me a purpose. The man who was healed from demon possession in todays key verse experienced similar feelings. This tormented man lived as an outcast for many years, naked and alone in the tombs of Gadara, near Galilee. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees and shouted at the top of his voice, begging for mercy from God. Jesus commanded the demons to leave him and then cast them into a herd of pigs that rushed down the steep bank into a lake and drowned. The man was healed physically, but more importantly, spiritually. He was so overwhelmed with gratitude for what Jesus had done, he begged to travel with Jesus and stay by His side. But Jesus had other plans. Instead, Jesus told him to go and share his story. And he did. What had once been a burden to bear became a powerful story of holy transformation. This mans past, and the healing he experienced, became the foundation of a purpose in life that he would have never imagined — living his life as proof of the life-changing power of Jesus. The mans story became a testimony when he was willing to share it with others. How many people believed in Jesus and are now spending eternity with Him simply because this former demon-possessed man willingly allowed his terrible past to become a story of redemption and purpose? People can deny Christ, dispute Scripture and ignore prophecy, but they cannot deny, dispute or ignore Gods transformational power in someones life. Our stories of pain, adversity and overcoming in Christ are meant to serve as a testimony of Gods faithfulness and power, evidence that God really can take what the devil meant for evil and use it for good. Ive since learned it is always Gods desire for us to go and share our stories, whether we want to or not. God never wastes our pain. Only we do that. God has a plan for great purpose and a beautiful future for all who believe in Him. Not despite our past, but because of it. Lord, help me find the courage and the desire to share what You have done in my life. Turn my past into my purpose and refuse to let my pain be for nothing. In Jesus Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV) Isaiah 61:3, ... to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. (NIV) REFLECT AND RESPOND: Have you been thankful for Gods spiritual healing, but hesitant to share what He has done in your life? In what ways have you become an overcomer and found victory in Christ? How could you share that with others to impact their lives? How might God be able to use your past for a specific and unique purpose for ministry? OCTOBER 22, 2014 Why I Quit Depending on My Own Plans JULIE K. GILLIES Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) Everything in me wanted to plow headlong into my next project. I yearned to get started. People were excited about my participation. And with only one older child living at home, my time was freer than ever. There was no reason for me not to move forward. Or so I thought. And so I planned. Created to-do lists. And tried to get busy. But strangely, nothing happened. Inspiration refused to bubble up. Over and over I tried. Over and over I accomplished nothing. I began to wonder what on earth the issue could be. So I prayed. Over the following weeks as my plans stubbornly refused to progress, I began to sense the Lords gentle hand of restraint on my shoulder, holding back my ever-forward movement. And then my heart heard one word. Wait. I sensed God inviting me into a holy pause. And though I didnt understand why waiting was necessary, the Lord graciously brought my heart into alignment with His. Wait is one of my least favorite words because its one of my least favorite things to do. Over the years I have waited for eternally important things, like the salvation of loved ones. Ive also waited for medical test results, some hard teen years to be over, a sickness to pass and houses to sell. And while waiting is unavoidable, it can feel like a waste of time, primarily because waiting feels unproductive to my task-oriented nature. The truth is I enjoy the feelings of accomplishment and the satisfaction of a job well done. And thats okay. But is our productivity or desire for an easy, wait-free life more important than our obedience to God? Productivity, the desire for an answer or our longing for the wait to be over cannot hold more weight in our hearts than Gods timing, His will and His perfect plans for that particular time in our lives. Sometimes a holy pause doesnt make sense to us. Yet our key verse reminds us not to depend on our own understanding, and instead to seek Gods plans for our lives: Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6). Had I failed to heed Gods promptings, I probably would have been facing a project deadline in the midst of what turned out to be intense family-wide health issues, including many which were quite serious. What I learned during this holy pause is that down time does not equal wasted time. In Gods economy and wisdom, down time — when prompted by Him — can spare us, equip us, refresh us or prepare us. If we are wise, we will use our down time, that holy pause, to allow our hearts to connect with His on a more frequent and deeper level. At some point the wait will be over and we will be free to move forward, with Him, into all He has for us at that particular time. When we seek Gods will in all we do and learn to trust more in the Holy Spirits promptings than our own desire for productive accomplishments, our hearts will come into alignment with His. And He will show us the right path, in His perfect timing. Lord, I long to obey You in every respect, even when I dont understand. Help me not to rush forward when You are inviting me into a holy pause. Bring my heart into alignment with Yours, and cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will. Thank You for accomplishing Your will in my life during every wait. In Jesus Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: Isaiah 40:31, But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (NLT) Psalm 31:15, My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me. (AMP) Isaiah 55:9, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. (NASB) REFLECT AND RESPOND: Write down the things you are currently waiting for on an index card. Then write Isaiah 40:31 directly beneath your list. Allow this verse to settle in your heart when you feel frustrated or weary, knowing that God is strengthening you while you wait.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 15:06:33 +0000
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