Are you ready?

With every passing day, there are more and more events happening and plans being set into motion that confirm the Word of God about the end of time. It seems like the last few weeks my awareness has become much more astute than ever before.

Growing up, I always heard older people talking about the rapture. I heard them say many times that Jesus was coming soon. And I’ve always believed that one day Jesus will come back for His church, but it has never been more real to me than it is right now.

This heightened awareness makes my spirit leap for joy. I cannot wait until the burdens of this life roll away and we are caught up to meet Him in the air. When that awesome day comes, I know without a doubt that every burden and trial we’ve ever faced here on this earth will forever be forgotten. I can hardly wait!

Some people become a little scared when they hear others talking about the end times. They feel nervous about what might happen, or how it will happen. I have no idea what will take place or when God will call His children home to be with Him. I can’t allow myself to become encumbered with worry over what events might take place and how it might affect me. All I can do is make sure I’m prayed up and ready when He comes. I need to see after my family and do everything I can to encourage others to make their souls ready and right with God.

Are you ready? Will your traveling shoes be on when that great trumpet sounds?

When God Tells You To Ask

“Moreover, the Lord spoke again to King Ahaz, saying, Ask for yourself a sign (a token or proof) of the Lord your God [one that will convince you that God has spoken and will keep His word]; ask it either in the depth below or the height above [let it be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven]. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.”
- Isaiah 7:10-12

 

War was unsuccessfully being plotted against Jerusalem. It was scary times, but God was on the scene and in control. He knew about the evil plotting against His people and He did not like it one bit. So He sent Isaiah with a message for Ahaz.

God was so thorough that He not only told Ahaz, through the prophet, that Jerusalem was in danger, but He even went as far as to lay out the plans in detail that had been created to destroy them. How amazing is that? That fact alone, that God would love a people so much that He would send specific word about someone’s plans to destroy them astounds me.

After revealing the enemy’s plans of destruction, the Lord tells Ahaz not to worry, that the plans wouldn’t stand and would never come to pass. But then He takes it one step even further, when He gives HIS offensive plan to Ahaz, with a clear timeline of how and when everything will happen.

But the Lord didn’t even stop there. He loved Ahaz so much, and was so concerned that Ahaz be strengthened and encouraged to believe in His word, that He told Ahaz to ask Him for a sign as confirmation of God’s word. And here’s the kicker...Ahaz refused the Lord.

How many times have we done this? How often have we listened to and received a word from God, through our pastor or a preacher, then crossed our arms and refused it? How many times has God reached out to us, through the ministry, and tugged on our heartstrings? Yet we feel condemned of our own sins, shortcomings, flaws, or faults, so we choose to shake our heads and say, “No, I don’t deserve to ask God for anything. I’m not worthy to receive a word from Him.”

I wonder how often God becomes weary with me. I can just imagine Him reaching to me, saying, “Hope, here I am. Ask what you want of me and I’ll grant it to you.” And there I sit, trapped by my own fears or failures, convincing myself that I shouldn’t request something more from God.

How dare we refuse God? How dare we weary Him with our foolishness?

Perhaps there is an underlying reason why we decide not to ask Him for that sign that we need, or otherwise. Maybe it’s because there is hidden rebellion in our heart. Maybe we think we have the answers we need already, so what more could God say to convince us otherwise? This is a scary place to be.

Or maybe we want to believe God’s word spoken to our lives, but we’ve lost all hope and that word seems far too wonderful, beyond our wildest expectations. Maybe our vision has dimmed to the point that we can barely see the hope of the prize we strive for.

Whatever the reason, we must choose to set it aside. We have to realize that God loves us. He sent His son into this world of sin, so that we could be saved. How can we refuse such love?

The solution to this is simple. When God calls, respond. When He speaks a word into your life that sparks hope inside you, but you’re still afraid, ask for that sign you need. When He gives you that promise, write it down. Count on it. Believe it. Above all, never be afraid to ask, especially when He tells you to.

What’s on the agenda

This morning I’m sitting here thinking about all the things I need to do and all the things I want to do this week. The last few weeks have been especially interesting around here—mostly because I have been struggling to find balance in my life amidst a lot of stress. I have totally disregarded schedules and planning and I think that is only contributing to my stress levels. I like order. I like schedules. I like knowing what’s going to happen and when.

So I want to create a tentative agenda for myself for this week. I think it will make me feel better. I’m going to do this in two ways. First, I’m going to jot a quick list of tasks. Then I’m going to plug these into my calendar. I don’t know if this will work or not, but I’m going to find out! :)

Quick List

1. Housework (cleaning, laundry, etc.)—Monday
2. Study
1. Sunday School lesson for next week
2. bible study
3. Woman After God’s Own Heart
3. Writing
1. catch up on last week’s stuff
2. start outlining article for magazine
3. book
4. Go through closets & toys for donation box
5. Finances
1. budget for October
2. Christmas
3. pay kids’ lunch money @ school
6. Read
1. WAGOH (#2 above)
2. fiction
7. School
1. Call to finalize withdrawal process
2. take care of financial aid stuff
3. check up on misc. stuff
4. check in with advisor for next steps

I have a lot more than this I want to accomplish, but I am going to continue this list offline after I get started on the housework this morning.

What’s on your agenda this week?

I Almost Let Go

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How many times has this been my song? I can’t even begin to count.

The last week has been a really tough one for me. I have lost so much sleep in the last six months or so, and it finally caught up with me. My body started ignoring me, deciding it was time for me to listen to it and slow down and rest. My mind began to fail, as my emotions took control of me. Finally, over the weekend everything came to a head and I had to just stop everything and rest my mind and body.

You know what? It’s right in these times of emptiness when the devil starts whispering ugly things in our ears. He knows when we are weak in our minds, his attacks are usually more effective.

Satan started whispering in my ear yesterday. I almost started believing his lies. Thank God I called on my sister and she set me straight. I told her I felt like something must be wrong with my spirit, or I’d be able to overcome this weariness quicker. She told me not to dwell on those thoughts because Satan would use it to make me believe his lies. And she was so right.

God has kept me through so many storms and dark nights in my life. If I started telling you about them all right now, it would take years to tell you about them all. He wrapped His loving arms around me through some long, cold nights when I feared the hand of death itself. He kept me through years of depression and anxiety, when I felt like the best thing I could do for my family was sink in a hole and die. He kept me through long years of fear and torment that I thought would never end. He has walked by my side, holding my hand through stressful situations. When I felt like I couldn’t take another step, He carried me until I had strength to stand on my own again.

I’m still weak right now, but I am holding fast to His hand. I know this weariness will pass. I’m counting on it bringing me greater strength for the future. Because I know there is a reason for everything we go through.

I praise God for His unfailing love and mercy. It is only because of Him that I am alive and well today. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that kept me, sweet Jesus! Thank You for holding me close, Lord, so I wouldn’t let go.

How do you know when you’re in the will of God?

This is a question I’ve asked myself many times. Is it even possible to know the will of God? How can I be sure I am in the will of God? At one point, I even felt like this was some elusive, supernatural subject that I simply would never comprehend. So I pretty much gave up on trying to figure it out.

So…can you know if you’re in the will of God? Definitely! Trust me, when you aren’t in His will, your life will feel like it’s raveling apart quicker than you can mend it and attempt to piece it back together.

How do you find the will of God for your life? Prayer. Fasting. Studying His word. Seeking Him. As you start to do all these things, asking for His direction and guidance, it will begin to come together.

I feel like this is the place where I’ve been for a while now. At first, I just gave up trying to figure it all out, and I seriously think if you have endless questions and feel confused, this is exactly what you need to do. Stop trying to figure it out. You can’t.

Last night something happened that made me pause for a moment. I saw God’s hand in it, and felt like He was saying to me, “Okay, Hope. Here’s an opportunity for you. I’m opening this door again. What are you going to do with it?”

I don’t take this lightly. I feel like this is just one of several doors that God has led me to lately, and I’m walking through it with much prayer and consideration. I want to live my life so that it is pleasing to Him. I want Him to receive all glory and honor. I recognize that I cannot do a thing if He’s not in it, and I pray that He engulfs every aspect of my life. I want to be transformed and changed through Him.

So how do you know when you’re in the will of God? I believe things will start to click and come together. There may be opportunities presented to you, doors open that you thought had been shut and bolted forever. What seems impossible, God will make possible. Where you feel like there’s a huge question mark, and you’re not sure where the answer will come from, God will provide it. When you are walking with Him, the road won’t be without bumps or potholes, but you’ll have everything you need to travel it, and just when you need it the most.