Romans 16:1-2 Phebe

 Romans 16:1-2
I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

Phebe: "shining; pure"
Paul said some things about this behind the scenes lady..he commended her for her service to the church. Commend means to represent as worthy of notice, regard, or kindness; to speak in favor of. Paul thought highly of her and thought she was worthy of notice. She'd been faithful through the years and it hadn't gone unnoticed. Even today she is being spoken highly of in God's word. Just 2 verses, but forever settled in Heaven.. Phebe was a special lady.  Paul said a few things about her:
1. She was a sister
-She was saved and part of the family of God.
2. She was a servant
-She desired more than just salvation. She wanted a walk with the Lord that pleased him. He is pleased when we have a servants heart. She desired to serve however she could. That word servant means, deacon, waiter, assistant. She assisted (One who aids, or who contributes strength or other means to further another.) many and Paul wanted to make sure the church assisted her as well.
3. She was a "succourer"
-aka a patroness: a female that favors, or supports. Not only did she serve others but she also supported others. She was genuine in her actions. Love was her drive..not self gain or to climb the ladder of success.
-Am I one who gives favor to others? Am I supportive or do I only expect others to give favor to me and be supportive of me?
-To Succor means to run to, or run to support; to help or relieve when in difficulty, want or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering. She ran to the suffering, the hurting, the sick..reaching out to help. We need to run from self centeredness and run to the suffering!

Phebe wasn't concerned with being noticed. She just wanted to be a blessing however she could. She just wanted to support and help everyone God put in her life. Joy=Jesus, Others, Yourself. She knew what Joy was because she devoted her life to not just living for herself but for others through living for the Lord. Her name means shining and that's exactly what she did. She wasn't selfish..But selfless. May I daily strive to be more and more like Phebe and her servant's heart.

Romans 8:26 He is Praying For Me

Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Intercession: prayer or solicitation to one party in favor of another, sometimes against another.

Solicitation: Earnest request

I was riding to church last night having a rough time about something. I was down and out. Out of the blue my brother Caleb starts talking about this verse.. Him and my dad started talking about how we sometimes forget to pray about things and at times we don't even know what we need to pray..I'm guilty of that. I've told people I would pray for them at a specific time and then it completely slips my mind when that time comes. I hope I'm not the only one who does that. Anyways I realized in the midst of my struggle Jesus is at the right hand of the Father praying for me! The Spirit is interceding on my behalf. What peace comes when someone tells you they're praying for you.. I'm going to be okay because of that fact. He's praying for God's will to be accomplished in MY life (vs27). What a comfort and help that was to me last night! 

When I forget to pray..He doesn't. 

When I don't know what to pray..He does. 

When I need prayer..He's praying for me🙌🏻 

I don't know what you might be facing but remember the Lord is praying for YOU right now. Don't give up..He is praying for His will to be accomplished in your life. 

Martha and Mary..Will you choose the good part?

Luke 10:40-42
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

I've always loved this story. Jesus Calling lead me to again it yesterday. I noticed Martha was careful and troubled about MANY things, but  she only mentioned ONE thing to Jesus. How many times do we go before Him carrying a full load of burdens and troubles and only tell him one? I wonder what else Martha was worried, upset or agitated about. Help was in her house and all she wanted to do was complain to Jesus. He wanted to help bear her burdens but she was too concerned about dinner running smoothly. I was reminded that time with Jesus is always more important..most important. I forget that so often. He wants to help me but I'm often too busy trying to tell everyone else what they ought to be doing just like Martha was. Martha was missing out and she didn't even realize it. It says "Mary hath chosen that good part." Mary made her own choice and so did Martha. The choice is: serve or sit still? Strive or cease striving, complain or cast (your cares 1Peter 5:7)? Be busy or be blessed? Be hurt or be helped? We have a choice too. It is so needful! Time at Jesus feet is needful. Hearing His perfect word is needful. Time at the masters feet "shall not be taken away from" you. It's never a waste of time to sit at His feet and hear His word.

Waiting ON The Lord

So something happened to me 7 months ago.. It wasn't a bad thing. It was a good thing. It was something I've waited my whole life for. It was really beautiful. It was more than I'd asked for. But the Lord took it away. It doesn't make any sense to me but I still trust Him. He is still God after all. He is the potter and I am the clay. 

Did you notice I said I waited? I waited.. I waited my whole life for THIS to happen. I've sought the Lord about THIS more than I've ever sought Him about anything! Since I was a little girl everyone always told me "Wait for Gods best", "Wait for the one". "It will be worth the wait." I believed them.

I'm not here to say that's wrong I'm just here to say I have bought the lie that if I wait for the ONE, if I wait for God's BEST HE WILL come. I'm here to say I don't believe that anymore..

Don't get me wrong I believe it's right to wait. I always have. Waiting is exactly what I've done.  Yesterday at work a patient came in and brought her 4 month old little girl. I looked at that baby and I thought to myself "why isn't God giving me what I want..what I've waited for?" I wondered if this girl had waited? She is around my age and already has 3 kids. All I've ever wanted was to get married and have cute babies. But God keeps making me wait. 

I've come to this conclusion..Life is like a roller coaster..one day everything is rising and you're smiling and it all feels so good, and then before you know it the coaster starts falling and you're not smiling anymore; you're crying your eyes out unsure about everything. I'm slowly learning I can let the fall stop me or I can let it cause me to seek the Lord more. I can get mad at God or I can fall more in love with Jesus. I can get bitter or I can get better. I can give up or I can grow. 

That's what I want. I want to grow. As I mentioned earlier I believe I've been waiting for the wrong thing. I've been waiting for the wrong reasons. Sometimes if we're honest with ourselves and God we see there are times in our lives when we stay with God to get from him..not because we want Him but we want something from Him.  

My pastor has been preaching out of Ruth on Wednesday nights. Last night the title was "I don't want the field, I want the MAN" from Ruth chapter 3. Ruth wasn't satisfied with the blessings..she wanted the Blesser. The field she got to serve in wasn't enough. The handfuls of purpose weren't enough. She wanted the man. And you know what she did? She went and got him. Ruth had purpose but she wanted more. She risked everything leaving Moab and going to Bethlehem-Judah with Naomi. She was an outcast. She never dreamed Boaz (a mighty man of wealth) would look her way. But he did. 

Let me back up a second..In Ruth 2:8 it says: Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but ABIDE here fast by my maidens. Abide means: to wait for, to dwell, to rest, to remain, to keep close, to cling. Boaz wanted Ruth to stay in his field. He pursued her when she got in his field. He noticed her before she ever even knew who he was. That's the same way it is with Jesus. He noticed me and he loved me before I knew him. He pursued me. He told me to abide with him. Boaz is a type of Christ. Boaz had claimed her and asked her to abide in his field. But this night she wanted to claim him. She was his handmaiden, but she wanted more. She wanted him to be hers. She got at his feet. She waited on him. She wasn't waiting for the handfuls of purpose, or the blessings Boaz freely gave, she was waiting on the man. 

I read this article the other day..it was called "To the girl who's tired of waiting". It was good! I even shared it on FB because it's true. I am tired of waiting. But really I'm just tired of waiting on the wrong things. 

What's the point of waiting to graduate, waiting to go on vacation, waiting to get married, waiting for ________? Whatever..you fill in the blank. After that day comes we just start waiting for something else to come. We are wishing and waiting our lives away by waiting on the wrong things.

God's way IS the waiting way. The Bible is full of verses telling us to wait, to be still, to rest, to be patient. He does want us to wait. But he is not saying wait on: the one, the best, the things that will only satisfy for a season..He longs for us to get to the place where we just want to wait ON Him and nothing else. 

Psalms 62:5

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

There it is..God is the only thing we should wait on. That word expectation means "thing that I long for". 

Psalm 27:14

Wait on The Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait I say on The Lord. 

The word "On" gives the meaning of nearness, closeness or contiguity (or touching). It means coming or falling back to the surface of anything, as rain falls on the earth. It means at or near. "On" is resting for support as to depend on, to rely on. Wait means: to rest in expectation and patience, to stay; not to depart, to be still.

Fall at His feet. Rest in his promises. Depend on his strong arms. Wait. Wait on THE man..the man who truly satisfies, who truly cares for you, who continually pursues you. Wait ON the man whose compassion for you never fails. I believe that's the way He wants us to wait.

That's my new desire. He took away what I've waited 23 years for. He shattered my dreams. Through THIS I have come to realize something I wish I would've realized a long time ago...Waiting ON God IS worth the wait. Waiting ON God is best. I don't want to wait on my turn anymore. (Waiting for my turn) I don't want to wait on a "Yes" or even a "No" from God. I don't want to wait on my future husband to arrive. I don't want to wait on this prayer to be answered or that prayer to be answered. I don't want to wait on anything or anyone but HIM. 

I'm done waiting on a man. I'm going to wait ON the MAN. I'm waiting ON God.

Friends I truly believe he's shown me this for a reason. Maybe you need to realize He just wants you to wait ON Him. I'm tired of trying to figure everything out in my head..being anxious about things I shouldn't even have my hands on. Let go. Stop holding on and wait. Wait on the Lord. You'll grow through this waiting. THIS waiting pleases The Lord. 

Isaiah 43:19 He Will Do A New Thing..Hello 2016!

Isaiah 43:18-19

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

It is a new year! A new start to a new book. That phrase 'new thing' comes from the Hebrew word chadash meaning, to be new, rebuild, renew, fresh new thing.  Vs 18 tells us to forget about some things..neither consider the things of old. Consider: to separate, or understand. There are some things that happened in 2015 that I really just don't understand. Things I didn't ask for but happened. Things that left me so hurt. These things are what he wants us to forget because he has better things coming! 

He gave us some promises in verse 19. It says "I WILL" twice and "IT SHALL" once. 

1. He will DO {a new thing}

2. He will MAKE {a way} 

He wants us to let go of the things of old and believe he will do something new in this new year. We must keep open hands..allow Him to take what he wants and give what he wants. Last night after I got home from church I poured out my heart once again. 4 years ago on January 1, 2012 I surrendered my life and let go of my plastic pearls. I let go of myself but somewhere along the way I grabbed control of my life. Last night I let go of what I want. I had been trying to "consider" and understand what he was doing and why this happened. I was so hurt about something. The more I tried to figure things out on my own the more confused and angry I became. Last night I let go of those things that happened in 2015 that make absolutely no sense to me. God will do a new thing for me in this new year! He will make a way when I see no way. When things are dry he promises rivers in the desert. I am so glad he is a God that DOES and a God that WILL. He's always working..even now.

I feel peace in my heart after taking my hands off my life and the things of old. I don't have to wonder or worry about what God is doing..he's doing a new thing. It shall spring forth! It might take some time but I am beyond excited about the new thing he will do. Please don't let the things of old hold you back from receiving the new thing God is wanting to give to you! Give it to him..for some reason he always wants our pain, anger, frustration..whatever it is that's holding us back. He wants that! It's time to forget and forgive..it's time to trust God knows exactly what tomorrow holds. He's a big enough God to do just what you and I need! Happy New Year my friends! I hope it's the best yet for you!❤️🎉