Trust God

Feeding Sheep

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It occurred to me the other day, I don’t remember what I was listening to at the time. I began to wonder what exactly am I doing to feed God’s sheep? This blog for example, I don’t have many followers and that’s ok. Sometimes it bothers me. I try to learn how I can increase views and watch videos on how to pump up the blog. Sometimes I get snagged into an hour long sales pitch of buy my course.

But I thought about it. Like Jesus I want organic followers. I want people to follow this blog because it’s pointing them to Jesus, because it’s making them think. I can spend money all day long to attract followers and there’s nothing wrong with that. But God is bigger than any algorithm, any hashtag, bigger than any I could possibly do. Sometimes I feel like what am I doing here? Then He reminds me, “for the one.” A good shepherd will leave the 99 (Matthew 18:10–14 and Luke 15:3–7) and seek the one lost sheep. So if this blog points one person to Jesus, then I am ok with that.

Sometimes I can feel defeated, I know that’s the enemy. God is still bigger. I realized, that it’s not my job to help God spread His Gospel, it’s God’s job to help me spread His Gospel. It’s like a load was lifted. After all He chose me, He chose us to follow Him, (Matthew 4:19) and I willingly chose and accepted. So it’s only fitting that God is going to help me and provide what I need ( Philippians 4:19). Like Dallas Jenkins (The Chosen) said, “It’s not our job to feed the 5000, we just need to bring the loaves and fish.” (Actually it may have been his wife who said that). God does the rest. If I do what He says, He will provide what I need. Matthew 6:8 says that God knows what I need before I ask. He knows who needs to see this and He what this blog needs to reach others. Right now spending money isn’t in my budget, so I’m relying on God. I’m just doing, following His lead, the rest is up to Him.

So all I can ask of whoever is reading this, please like and share. It takes a second and won’t cost you a dime. Also you can follow on Facebook and Instagram and like and share there as well. I do hope this blog is an encouragement to whoever reads this. Happy Friday and thank you to all who follow, be blessed.

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Be Careful Where You Put Your But.

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Yes, you read the title correctly, no misspellings. The Merriam- Webster dictionary defines but as “— used to introduce a statement that adds something to a previous statement and usually contrasts with it in some way. I learnt that when offering a compliment anytime you frame a sentence with a positive and then add a “but”… anything before the “but” looses it’s importance. For instance, when your boss is reviewing your work. He or she might say something like, “You did a great job managing the people on that last project, but you didn’t stay within budget.” Using the word “but” in the middle of a sentence can negate anything and everything before it. You certainly don’t want to do this when apologizing, for example, “I’m sorry, but…”, I don’t think many people are aware of this when they are speaking. It is something we should be sensitive to, especially when apologizing. This is something I had to learn. This article may explain it better.

Didn’t set out for this post to become a lesson in communication but there is something to be learnt here spiritually as well. I was talking with someone a few weeks ago. If I remember correctly the topic was about planning. The person I was speaking with was concerned that not enough planning had been done for something. So I suggested, just trust God it will all work out. The reply was, “Trust God but…” that’s where I had to interrupt. Trust God but. Oooo, that’s dangerous. It sounded like God wasn’t big enough. We have a big God who sees the big picture. We have a God that goes before us and paves a way for us. We can plan six ways to Sunday, we can make all the plans we want BUT GOD, directs our steps. “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16: 9.

See how this can be applied spiritually? Man can plan BUT the Lord directs. The “but God” negates whatever we plan. That’s not to say we shouldn’t, we should plan, BUT GOD will directs our steps and provide. And if for some reason if we have done all we think we can do to plan for something, we as humans can forget, we aren’t perfect. God will provide whatever it is we may have overlooked, He will make it work. Because, Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

So be careful where you put your “but.” Whether you are giving praise or trusting God for something, stop and think, is going to be “God but…” or “But God…?”

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Surrendering

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What is it you are struggling with today? Has it been for a while? I am sure you are tired and exhausted and just want the whole thing to just go away. I can guarantee that you have asked God to remove it. And I bet it seems like nothing is changing your situation. In our reality it can seem that way but in God’s reality everything is right on time. I know those are likely the words you did not want to hear. But, that is the truth. It’s hard for me to accept sometimes.

The Bible says in Proverbs 5:21 – “The Lord sees everything you do. Wherever you go, he is watching.” Nothing gets past Him. Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” Isaiah 55:8, the NLT versions says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

Every time those verses are brought to my mind, my reaction; ugh! It means if I love God and am choosing to follow Him, then it’s His will on earth as it is in Heaven, as the Lords’ prayer states in Matthew 6:7-15. At this point I have to surrender if I am choosing to follow Him. Is can be easy, sometimes, if we are trusting God, but most of the time I want something done and immediately. I am sure Jesus felt the same way in the Garden the night before being nailed to the cross.

I need to rely on what I know, not what I think, not what I speculate, not what I guess, not on someone else’s opinion, not what I feel, but on what I know to be true of God and what He says in His Word. So I know that He sees me and nothing goes unnoticed. I know that He is sovereign, I Colossians 1:16-17 – “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Job 42:2 – “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Our country’s current state of confusion, division, and unrest, God is aware of it and has His reasons for it happening. In John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

It can be so hard to let go and surrender all to God. And you can choose to hold on to whatever it is that you are struggling with. God is waiting patiently for you to give it to Him, when you are ready. He will not force you to do anything, He’s not that kind of God. God will work things out, Romans 8:28 – ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” After you choose to hand over your struggles, keep an opened mind to how God works things out. The outcome is most likely going to be different than you expected but still right on time.