Course Adjustment

I was reading a book called 'God is more than enough' this morning and came across this story...I thought it was a great illustration and wanted to share it with you! so here it is...

A car I once owned had a navigational system that for a long time I never used. It was just too much like a computer (in fact it WAS a computer) and people who know mw know that I'm not into computer stuff. So I was stubbornly continuing to find my own way everywhere.
Then one day my son set the system up for me, and punched in where I needed to go that day. He set it all up, and told me the computer would talk to me and tell me where to turn and where to go. So I thought I'd give it a try.
The first thing it told me to do was to back out from my garage. I was shocked. Then it told me how far to continue down the alley to get out onto the street. Step by step it continued giving me every turn to make and the distance for every part of the route, and very soon I was cruising down the freeway. This thing was guiding me all the way, and I was resting. All I had to do was listen to the still small voice of the computer, and it would get me somewhere. The computer had already scoped out the big picture, and it was applying that knowledge to my direction. It was leading me in the paths that were right.
As I drove along I thought, This thing is starting to get fun! Then, as I continued down the freeway, I decided I would check the computer. When the computer told me to get off at the next exit, I kept going. Immediately after I drove past the exit, the computer screen went blank. It totally shut down. I had beaten the system!!
But suddenly the computer popped back on, all by itself, and let me know I would have to take an alternate route. The computer rerouted me. Even though I'd been disobedient and messed up on the first route, even though I had rebelled and chosen my own path, even though I didn't take the way I was supposed to take originally, the computer adjusted to my situation and kept leading me. The computer found me in my disobedience. It found me in my rebellion and created an alternate route, and still got me to the place I was supposed to go.
The bible calls that Grace. Grace is where God meets you, even when you've messed up. He meets you even when you've failed. He meets you even though you've detoured, and He creates an alternate route and still brings you home...so that He will get the glory. He leads us in the right path, always for His name's sake.

If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid

There is a line from Serendipity, one of my favorite movies, that stuck with me from the minute I heard it.

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid”

Most people that are stuck in their ways, are very prideful & don’t ever want to be thought foolish. Sometimes following Jesus requires us to look foolish and stupid to the world. That’s the only way we will improve. Jesus calls us to die to ourselves and let Him do His work, which will inevitably change us.

The people in Jesus’ day were so busy arguing and were so focused on what THEY thought the messiah was supposed to look like, that they totally missed the messiah… If only they would allow their hearts to be open to believe… What were they scared of? Being made to look stupid? Worried of being made to look foolish for believing in such an absurd man that did unimaginably crazy miracles? Whatever it was, was it really worth it? In my opinion, absolutely not…

Here are a few of the comments made by the people in John 7

“He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.”

Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? 27 But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

“But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”[h] 43 So the crowd was divided about him.

At the end of the day, I would rather believe & be thought foolish & stupid by the world, than to harden my heart, question every single thing about Jesus & miss out on living an abundant life through Him.

Believe in Him & watch Him turn your life around to be the most fulfilling you have ever experienced…3 yrs ago on Sept 7^th I did…and my life hasn’t been the same… for that, I am eternally thankful that I was willing to be thought foolish for Jesus.

What are you scared of?

If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid

There is a line from one of my favorite movies, Serendipity that stuck with me from the minute I heard it.

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid”

Most people that are stuck in their ways, are very prideful & don’t ever want to be thought foolish. Sometimes following Jesus requires us to look foolish and stupid to the world. That’s the only way we will improve. Jesus calls us to die to ourselves and let Him do His work, which will inevitably change us.

The people in Jesus’ day were so busy arguing and were so focused on what THEY thought the messiah was supposed to look like, that they totally missed the messiah… If only they would allow their hearts to be open to believe… What were they scared of? Being made to look stupid? Worried of being made to look foolish for believing in such an absurd man that did unimaginably crazy miracles? Whatever it was, was it really worth it? In my opinion, absolutely not…

Here are a few of the comments made by the people in John 7

“He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.”

Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? 27 But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

“But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”[h] 43 So the crowd was divided about him.

At the end of the day, I would rather believe & be thought foolish & stupid by the world, than to harden my heart, question every single thing about Jesus & miss out on living an abundant life through Him.

Believe in Him & watch Him turn your life around to be the most fulfilling you have ever experienced…3 yrs ago on Sept 7^th I did…and my life hasn’t been the same… for that, I am eternally thankful that I was willing to be thought foolish for Jesus.

What are you scared of?

I now see the one who sees me

Isaiah 43:4 You are precious and honored in my sight.

During my prayer time this morning, I was praying for my boy David that I sponsor. I don’t have kids, so I don’t know what it’s like to love your own child. But knowing David & just getting to spend that week with him, was enough to get a glimpse of that. I feel like I love him more because I KNOW him. I have an other little guy in Ethiopia that I sponsor & while I still care for him, I don’t feel the same about him as I do David, because I don’t KNOW him, I’ve never met him, I see him & write to him, but he doesn’t see me and we have never formed a bond.

God reminded me today that the way I care for David, is the way He cares for me. HE is fond of me, because he KNOWS me. He has always seen me; I have just not always seen Him. I feel the unbeliever would be like my Ethiopian boy, Ashenafi. God loves the unbeliever, but the unbeliever doesn’t KNOW God and doesn’t have a close relationship with Him. And as much as God loves the unbeliever deeply, because He created Him, he is more fond of His child that sees Him back.

If you KNOW Jesus & have a personal relationship with Him, know that He cares for you & knows your every thought, every movement & every hearts desire. He loves you unconditionally & there is nothing you can do that can change that.

If you don’t know Jesus personally, I invite you to start that relationship today. He sees you right where you are, He loves you right where you are, but when you see Him… that’s when the bond forms. When He lifts your eyes to meet His own, that’s when you realize you are loved beyond comprehension, that’s when you start to revolve everything in your life around Him & realize that you are part of a bigger story… that’s a great realization.

I am so grateful that I now see the one who sees me & has always seen me.

LET GO...You are squeezing the life out of something that God wants to breathe life in

God alone knows what is best for us, so why can’t we trust Him with our hearts, dreams, desires & plans?

It is OK to plan & prepare, but we need to LET GO and stop trying to control the outcome, leave that up to God.

That goes for anything in life,

~ Losing weight

~ Starting a business

~ With your spouse

~ If you’re single, looking for a spouse

~ In any friendship/relationship

~ With your kids

Psalm 138:8

The Lord will work out His plans for my life,

For your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.

Maybe God is trying to change something in you & you are so focused on what YOU want to change, that you are missing what God is trying to do.

LET GO…You are squeezing the life out of something that God wants to breathe life into

You need to let go of control and let Him work. Stop focusing on what YOU want & start focusing on what GOD wants to do IN & THROUGH you.

What are you holding on to?

What are you trying to control?

What are you scared of if you let go?

He’s got your situation in His hands; nothing is too big for Him.

Psalm 139:5 says…

You go BEFORE me & FOLLOW me

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Friend, God has already gone before you, & He’s got your back. He has already let this situation pass through His hands; He knows you can handle it as long as you are dependent on Him.

Stop trying to do it yourself, you will wear yourself out …I know, because I am at that point…For the last few weeks I have been relying on my own strength to get things done, the way I feel they should be done…I’m tired, overwhelmed & just plain exhausted…God spoke softly yesterday and said “Let me do it…”

I wonder when I am going to learn, because I seem to do this every time.

Why do we continue to try to do things in our own strength, when He is willing to do the work?

We just have to let Him…  

Today give God the room, let Him show you just how big He is…Plan & prepare, then let go & let Him do what He’s good at!  I promise you, you’ll feel a lot lighter if you put down the load you are carrying. After all, that’s what Christ died for.

He sees you... even when you don't see Him

Today I was telling the story of my trip to Guatemala to one of my clients. I got to a part that I had told about a squillien times, but God really spoke to me this time.

It was when our team had woken up early to walk the kids to school. We waited outside their dorm at 7am for them to come out. Kristi & I waited a little further up by the bridge to say good morning to the girls who were coming down from a different area. I saw the boys come out of their dorm and each one made their way over to the team member they had made a connection with. I saw David (the boy that I am sponsoring) before he saw me. I stood and watched as he looked for me in the crowd & when he didn’t see me, he put his head down and walked on as though he was disappointed… I stood there with a huge grin on my face because I could see him the whole time & I knew he thought I didn’t come out to see him…when he walked past me with his head down I pushed him. He looked up, saw me, let out a loud “ahhhhh” and gave me a huge hug! That moment made my day…actually my week! 

Today when I told that story, it made me think that’s what happens with God & us.

We are hopeful for something, we think he is going to come through in a certain way…and he doesn’t. We get disappointed thinking He’s forgotten about us & then he totally surprises us with His greatness in another way!!!! And it’s always so much better than we had imagined!

Friend, God hasn’t forgotten about you. He is still there even when you don’t see him. He is watching from afar to see how you will react to the situation He has placed you in before He makes his presence known.

God hasn’t forgotten what it is that you’re asking for either, if He knows YOU, he certainly knows what your heart desires…He is watching you with a huge smile on His face because He knows He’s there. He knows what’s in store for you!!!! Stay hopeful, even when you don’t see him… He sees you.

Live by faith, not by sight ~Pastor Steven Furtick