Fill Me Up, Lord

By Pat

In 2 Kings 4:1-6, we read about the widow who needed money to pay her late husband's creditor, who was coming to take her two sons as slaves to repay the debt that was owed. Elisha instructed her to collect as many empty jars as she could and fill them with the oil she had left so that she could sell them and repay the debt, so she gathered up as many jars as she could from her neighbors. The small amount of oil she had flowed and filled all the jars, and when they had all been filled, she told her son to bring another one, but he said there were no more. It was then that the oil stopped flowing.

God was willing to continue filling as many jars as the woman could provide, just as He fills our empty hearts and souls with His blessings and provisions. But when we stop offering our emptiness to Him, He stops and waits for our empty jars to be held out to Him again. God's mercies are endless, and His love is overflowing, if only we continue asking Him to fill us up!

We sometimes hold ourselves back from God when things are not going well...we feel that God is distant and not listening anyway, so what's the use? We retreat, and find it difficult to even pray at times, but it's at those times we need to seek God even more diligently and ask him to fill us again. And we also sometimes withhold ourselves when all is well and our jars already seem to be filled. We wait, and we forget to keep those jars held out to God until we need something again. We forget that God knows what we need and is ready to give it to us, whether in times of want or times of plenty, and it's at those times that we need to thank God for what he has blessed us with and seek even more, so that we can complete the work He has for us.

No matter what's going on in our lives, we must never limit God's ability to fill us with His blessings by failing to hold up our empty jars for Him to fill. God loves to give us the good things He has for us. We need only offer our empty jars to Him, every moment of every day!

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

God Says... "Call to me and I will answer."

By Peter Pollock

"  God doesn’t hear me..."

How often do we say, or at least THINK this?

Probably all of us know or believe that God DOES hear us… but what we’re really saying is that he doesn’t respond.

I can’t even count how many times my kids have said to me “You’re not listening” when I’m hearing everything they say.

What they really mean is “You’re not responding the way I want or when I want!”

The problem they have is that they don’t always have all of the information I have or they can’t see the bigger picture the way I can.

They use the word ‘listening’ to mean ‘responding the way I want.’

By that definition, God rarely ‘listens’ to me.

A different way of thinking.

None of us are ever going to convince God to do what we want, when we want. It’s just not going to happen.

God knows an infinite amount more than us and sees EVERYTHING.

We only see a tiny amount and we know a lot less than we think we do.

The only answer here is for us to change our way of thinking. We need to go from thinking ‘God’s not listening to me’ to ‘maybe I’m not listening to God.'

Click to read more ...

Obstacles

By Pat

In Matthew 16:21-29, we read about how Jesus rebuked Peter for trying to prevent Him from the harm Jesus had been predicting would befall Him. Even though Jesus had a great love for Peter, He rebuked him. "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but of men." (Matthew 16:23). He would not allow Peter to prevent Him from the job God had for Him.

Do we rebuke our obstacles? As Christians, we are to push forth with the tasks God has for us regardless of what stumbling blocks are pushed into our path. Whether it's the stumbling block of a loved one, friend, or co-worker, or the stumbling blocks of busy-ness, laziness or complacency, we are to push aside the hindrances and push ahead in our work for Jesus, just as Jesus plowed forth, allowing no one to come between Him and God. It's not always easy, but it's definitely worth it! It would have made the Lord's life much easier if He had permitted Peter to save Him from what He knew was to come, but He also knew He could not be obedient to God if he followed the path of least resistance (often my favorite route, I'm sad to say).

So when you're facing trials and tribulations, remember that God is in it, and that God won't bring you to it if he can't bring you through it. Don't be tempted to take the easy road and find a way around whatever difficulty God has brought you to. If you remain steadfast in the journey regardless of the obstacles, it will all be worth it!

"I  have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
(2 Timothy 4:7)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

God Says... "You are not alone."

By Dusty (Reflections on the Life of a Christian)

Alone. Image by SSpivak. Courtesy of stock.xchng.

Have you ever felt alone? Have you ever thought you were swimming against the current of life? Have you ever said: "No one understands me." or "No one wants me around." or "No one cares."

I have, and I would venture to say most everyone has at some point. Maybe it was during your childhood or teenage years. It could have been as you were going through a very difficult situation. Or perhaps, it is because you seem to struggle with what others take for granted.

This may seem like a pat "Christian" answer, but you are NOT alone. No matter the circumstance. God cares for you, and He is there with you.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Some may respond and say, "God is not a 'real' person. He's up there, and I am down here going through 'xyz' all alone." Others might feel as though God has never been there for them or done anything good for them.

I'm sure Job could have felt that way when he lost his farm, his family, and his health. I imagine Daniel may have wondered about it as he was thrown into a lion's den after being caught praying. Maybe Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego feared such just before they were thrown into the fiery furnace....Or even Paul as he was imprisoned.

There are so many accounts in scripture of God's people going through trials, standing alone, and needing Him. In every one of them, God was there and He came through for them. But I would say none of them would have elected to suffer as their preferred method/solution. I am sure every one of them would have chosen to skip the bad situations all together, but that did not happen... but they were not alone... and God had a plan... and His plan was good.

I don't know what you are facing. I don't know what it is causing you to feel as if you are all alone. Whatever it is, I encourage you to trust God with it. He is there for you. The problem may not disappear. You may still struggle and suffer, but He will see you through... and His outcome will outshine your expectations.

It has for me. More than once. Never how I would have chosen, but always in a manner that has brought me further along in my journey. He has strengthened me, matured me, and blessed me. I have come to know: I am not alone for He is there with me.

Will you trust Him? Will you seek His companionship? Will you allow Him to see you through to the other side... even when things are not going your way?

Dusty Rayburn is a lay minister and fellow blogger. He lives in Locust Fork, Alabama, has been married six years and has one amazing daughter. In his words: "I am a Christian. I am not perfect, nor do I imagine I ever will be. My God is perfect. I am forgiven. I am loved. I am His." You can find him on Twitter and at Reflections on the Life of a Christian.

From Scraps to Blessings

By Pat

I often feel like I have made such a mess of my life that I can't possibly serve God in the manner he wants me to. I have missed so many opportunites, taken so many wrong paths, and passed up so many chances to truely be the servant God created me to be that I feel it's just too late. I'm not so young now, and I despair that I have wasted so much of my life in ways that I know can't possibly be what God would have been pleased with. But there's hope!

In the famous story of Jesus feeding the large crowd of people with five loaves of bread and two fish, the great power of Jesus is shown by how he miraculously feeds five thousand people with just these small food items. A miracle indeed, and the meaning and magnitude is not lost on me. I know that Jesus made something big from something small, but what I have recently focused on is what Jesus did with the leftovers; the scraps that were left behind by the crowd.

"When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten." (John 6:12-13)

Jesus did something miraculous by feeding the crowd with the small amount of food, but what he did with the leftovers is, to me, both miraculous and comforting. I am not finished. I might not be perfect, and I might feel like all that's left of me is scraps, but God sees me differently. God can gather up my scraps and make something wonderful of me for His use! He doesn't see scraps, bits and pieces. He sees baskets filled with usefulness. He sees something wonderful, and if I allow Him to take control and do what He does best, wonderful things can happen. I am so thankful that, no matter what I have done, God can make something good come of it.

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.