Things



"If anyone has material possessions

and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him,

how can the love of God be in him?"
1 John 3:17

Do you find this verse hard?  I do.  It's not that I don't want to help someone in need.  It's just that well, if it's something that cost a lot or I worked really hard to get, I don't want them to break or lose it.  Sometimes it depends on the person too.  If I have let them use something before and something happened to it, then why should I let them again?  Then I have to think, how hard did Jesus work?  He suffered and died for me, and I am sure he would do it all again for me.  I break his heart daily.  How many chances has he gave me?  Yet I still get lost sometimes.  How many more chances will I ask for?  And yet I know he will once again open his arms wide and invite me back.  No matter what!  This verse asks a question, how can the love of God be in him?  Didn't I just say I wanted to let God's light shine through me?  I need this reminder.  I need to let go of  these material possessions.  So what if it does get broken or lost.  I didn't NEED it, and if it is something I need I know God will provide me with it.   

Forever Changing,
Liz

Are you listening

Tonight my son decided to give my husband a back rub!  He was so funny doing all different kinds of rubs trying to get the lotion in (the elephant, the bike, the piano, etc...).  It just reminded me of how everyone learns so differently.  I know that some people like to read, some like to be read to, some need lots of visuals, etc...  But have you ever thought about how you learn from God?  Some people may be able to hear Gods word and listen.  Not me, I learn the hard way. I need something to happen, usually it's something bad.  I am like the crowd of five thousand, they had just witnessed Jesus feed all of the people with 5 loafs of bread and 2 fish, yet then;

"So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that

we may see it and believe you?  What will you do? -John 6:30

God can try to tell me something and I ignore it.  I wait, maybe I'm not hearing it right!  That can't be what he is talking about.  I do it again and God tries to teach me again.  Again I fail.  Finally he says " Okay Liz, let me do it this way!"  Then I learn and  answer, "Why God, did you have to do it this way, I would have listened?"   So maybe if I would just listen to God the first time, then I could spare some of the heartache. 
I will leave you with this, from a new book I am reading The Shelter of God's Promises  by Sheila Walsh,
As you reflect on your life, I pray that you can say with absolute confidence that although there have been many turns in the road, God used every bend to bring you under the shelter of who He is.

Forever Changing,
Liz

Change

I do not ask for mighty words

to leave the crowd impressed.

Just grant my life may ring so true

my neighbor shall be blessed.

-Author unknown

I love this poem, it really makes me think.  What do others see when they look at me?  Do they, can they see how God is working in me?  There are way to many (to many to count) times that I could have let God's light shine through me and I didn't.  I know that I can't change those times but, I can start from here and try to be the person God wants me to be.  Sometimes it's hard to change, especially when you are around people that knew your old ways.  Maybe it's more important that I show them how I changed, how I am growing, to show them what they are missing!  I NEED to let them know they can change too.  I can talk, and  talk, and talk, and write all I want but it takes ACTION for someone to believe you.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth,

and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence" -1 John 3:18-19

Forever Changing,

Liz

Fellowship

When my husband was in Africa, he went to a church there.  He was amazed, they were there for about three hours, no one there really caring about the time or that they were there that long.  They had nowhere else to go.  They devoted Sunday to God. 
I can't tell you how many times sitting in a church I watched the clock when I was younger.  I wanted to be able to say, "Oh yeah, I'm a christian, I go to church on Sundays"   With that in mind I think about these next few verses;

church in Africa

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

I need fellowship.  I need to see people with the same vision as me.  I need accountability.  I need refueled!  When I get up on Sunday and  feel like there are a thousand things to do and maybe I should skip just this once, I have to think about the people that I talk to at church.  Maybe someone has been waiting all week just to have that fellowship with me.  Maybe I need that one person to smile at me and let me know that I have encouraged them that week.  Maybe God is really wanting me to hear the message.  At my church we have lunch after the service every week and I know that I sometimes get more out of that time than the message.  If everyone ran out of the door every week than I would be missing some great fellowship.  It might be easier for me to fall away, to get off track.  I am so thankful that we get to have this time together (and all the other times we get together) and I don't want to rush it!  Help me Lord to make the most of my fellowship time this year.

Forever Changing,
Liz