I am enthralled
by others' words.
Bob's "42 Days
of Expectation"
offers such nuggets.
Day One: Jesus is alive and active every day. He is always intervening in our lives through the Holy Spirit. He provides and protects in ways we sometimes fail to notice. Our desire in these days of journeying together is to heighten our awareness and stay alert to what He is doing. We want God to be pleased by our attentiveness to His kindness. Let’s stay awake and watch!
And so, my hope is to see God's glory in my life.
Day Two: “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life” (Prov. 22:4)
God calls us to keep our focus on Him. Walking humbly with God is always appropriate for any season. The people in our lives are a priority worthy of our time. Listening to God and to others is the best gift we can give.
Our prayer is to stay mindful of His presence. May we not be tempted by any plan or purchase which would dethrone Him.
Day Two: “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life” (Prov. 22:4)
God calls us to keep our focus on Him. Walking humbly with God is always appropriate for any season. The people in our lives are a priority worthy of our time. Listening to God and to others is the best gift we can give.
Our prayer is to stay mindful of His presence. May we not be tempted by any plan or purchase which would dethrone Him.
Hebrews 12:2 - my 'go to' verse: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...
Day Four: Dec 13, Meeting God in solitude
Scripture: “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk. 2:19).
Joseph and Mary were in the middle of the greatest and toughest transition in their lives. Think of it: A visitation from an angel. A prophecy of a virgin birth. Arduous journey while pregnant. Humbling accommodations in unfamiliar village, with exuberant visitor-shepherds! To Mary, the way to cope with it all was to meet with God privately in her own soul. All she could do was mull over all this chaos with the God who asked her to take this journey. And for us, the best or only place we can encounter God is in the solitude of our heart. Find some time today to ponder the path God’s will has led you on. As you still your thoughts, let the Spirit of God remind you of your calling.
Prayer: God, though the world around me is confusing and changing, and though I do not understand what You are doing, I cling to You today. Let my heart be still, for You are my God. Amen.
What a timely post! In transition - and this again one of those times - I look back on how God has brought me through difficulties in the past, remembering that, however uncertain things might appear, God loves me and has good plans and purposes for my life.Scripture: “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk. 2:19).
Joseph and Mary were in the middle of the greatest and toughest transition in their lives. Think of it: A visitation from an angel. A prophecy of a virgin birth. Arduous journey while pregnant. Humbling accommodations in unfamiliar village, with exuberant visitor-shepherds! To Mary, the way to cope with it all was to meet with God privately in her own soul. All she could do was mull over all this chaos with the God who asked her to take this journey. And for us, the best or only place we can encounter God is in the solitude of our heart. Find some time today to ponder the path God’s will has led you on. As you still your thoughts, let the Spirit of God remind you of your calling.
Prayer: God, though the world around me is confusing and changing, and though I do not understand what You are doing, I cling to You today. Let my heart be still, for You are my God. Amen.
Day Five: "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (Psalm 32:7)
God is a safe place in difficult times. This is not limited to physical safety but includes the emotional and spiritual arenas as well. Have you considered lately that the One proclaimed ¨Wonderful Counselor¨ is the safest place in the world to pour out all your stuff? He can take it all – unedited, unrehearsed and raw. But what also makes Him a Wonderful Counselor is that He is also in the business of deliverance. However, we must get ready to pay attention because His idea of deliverance can look very differently than ours! We are generally anxious ¨to get it over with¨. We would love Him to rush in with strength and a sword and cut our troubles away! It may seem strange to you that one of His tools of deliverance could be the beauty of songs. Yet God knows there is an important process to be journeyed through that must be gently sung over and not quickly cut off.
Be listening expectantly these days for His songs of deliverance over different areas of your life. This Scripture proclaims that they surround you. He will sing songs that are perfectly suited for you and your situation. These songs deliver your very soul. Listen for them.
Written by: Pam Sider of OC International, Spain. Follow Pam at: http://www.alifeofinterest/[dot]com
God is a safe place in difficult times. This is not limited to physical safety but includes the emotional and spiritual arenas as well. Have you considered lately that the One proclaimed ¨Wonderful Counselor¨ is the safest place in the world to pour out all your stuff? He can take it all – unedited, unrehearsed and raw. But what also makes Him a Wonderful Counselor is that He is also in the business of deliverance. However, we must get ready to pay attention because His idea of deliverance can look very differently than ours! We are generally anxious ¨to get it over with¨. We would love Him to rush in with strength and a sword and cut our troubles away! It may seem strange to you that one of His tools of deliverance could be the beauty of songs. Yet God knows there is an important process to be journeyed through that must be gently sung over and not quickly cut off.
Be listening expectantly these days for His songs of deliverance over different areas of your life. This Scripture proclaims that they surround you. He will sing songs that are perfectly suited for you and your situation. These songs deliver your very soul. Listen for them.
Written by: Pam Sider of OC International, Spain. Follow Pam at: http://www.alifeofinterest/[dot]com
Day Six: “ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:4-6, ESV).
... in the midst of this season of expectancy, as we celebrate the coming of Jesus, we often forget that sweet and gentle whisper that God sings to us in our ears when our world is filled with so much noise and distraction- “I love you”. Out of God's mouth speaks those precious three words. We hear that God loves us so often, that we forget that simple truth. The New Living Translation writes, “For we know how dearly God loves us” and thus hope does not disappoint us and we can rejoice in the midst of our problems and difficulties.
... in the midst of this season of expectancy, as we celebrate the coming of Jesus, we often forget that sweet and gentle whisper that God sings to us in our ears when our world is filled with so much noise and distraction- “I love you”. Out of God's mouth speaks those precious three words. We hear that God loves us so often, that we forget that simple truth. The New Living Translation writes, “For we know how dearly God loves us” and thus hope does not disappoint us and we can rejoice in the midst of our problems and difficulties.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment