The Race Marked Out for Us?(7 verses to comtemplate today)

 

"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?"
(Galatians 5:7)

"You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness."
(1 Thessalonians 5:5)

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”
(Proverbs 29:25)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
(Hebrews 12:1)

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”
(Hebrews 12:28)

"...I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
(Philippians 3:13-14)

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 1:6)

 

Strive on -- all for His glory!

 

You Are God’s Cross-Stitch Pattern

 

A colleague said a very true thing the other day. She said:

"Life is messy, but that doesn't mean I'm failing."

 

Amen to that! In fact, let me reiterate that point:

Life Is Messy -- But That Doesn’t Mean You’re Failing

 

I wanted to share that very good point, and also share with you what I said to her in response:

"Nah, not failing. Just being creatively artistic along the way. In all sincerity, try to keep this in mind:

If you look at the back of a cross-stitch pattern, it's messy as all get out. All kinds of colors mixed up and jumbled up and going this way and that. You can stare at it and wonder how the heck anything that looked so screwed up, could resemble anything nice, never mind a work of beauty.

But you flip that sucker over and on the other side is an organized, transformed work of art.

I used to have a picture of a lighthouse in a small frame. I started keeping it out of the frame to share this truth with people, once someone explained this point to me. Ultimately I gave it to my pastor to use as it's such a powerful truth.

Because our lives are exactly like that cross-stitch pattern. Our lives, most often to us, look like the backside of that pattern. All jumbled up, with unrecognized beauty, if there is any at all, hidden under jumbles of... stuff.

But God is doing something with us. While we often cannot recognize it as it's happening, when our lives are said and done, God helps us to see the side he's been watching. The other side, which we rarely see when we're in the middle of... life.

God makes that jumbled up mess, those unrecognizable bits of beauty and structure that encompass our lives, connect and make something wonderful.

That's your life, [put your name here, reader]. Revel in it. God is using you, indeed. He already has, with others around you.

 

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 1:6)

"...I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
(Philippians 3:13-14)(NLT)

"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
(Hebrews 4:16)

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'”
(Matthew 19:26)

 

In Every Situation? Yes.

 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

(Philippians 4:6-7) ♥♥♥

 

Prayer for Today

Thank You, Father, for so much guidance and love given us in regards to fighting off the enemy, & tricks such as fear, anxiety, and worry. Thank you for loving us unconditionally, though with accountability and discipline to help us grow and strengthen. Thank you for your peace, Jesus. Please guide us & grow us, and give us discernment so that we see more of you in everything, and fall prey to the world's tricks less often. Amen.

 

Within, Without

 

When God (via the Holy Spirit) Lives within us, we are to live without:

“Pray without ceasing.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:17)

"Do everything without complaining or arguing."
(Philippians 2:14)

"...without partiality, and without hypocrisy."
(James 3:17)

 

Daily Circumstances Vs. Truth

I've got a list of things that I could easily say sucked today. But there is always a longer list of things that are blessings in my day - every day. Which should I choose to focus on? Well, it's been a struggle, numerous times today. But I've continuously chosen to focus on how amazingly blessed I am. Thank You, Lord. For helping me continue to focus on what truly matters.

Daily Circumstances

How about you? What have you been spending your energy on? Focusing on the daily circumstances, on the crap, on the lies of each day put there mostly to distract & frustrate us?

If so, why not choose today to begin striving to focus on the blessings in your day -- and pay more attention to the things in your life that truly matter?

A More Enjoyable, More Loving Day

Philippians 4:8 goes a long way towards our having good days versus bad ones, and a less stressful life versus a frustrated, fearful life. Here's God's advice to us, on how to have a less stressful, more loving, more enjoyable day.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."
(Philippians 4:8 - NIV)

Try harder to focus on the good things, and do your best to not give your time, thoughts, and concern to the negatives which nearly every day provides.

Choose 'Love'

It's your choice. Your day will be as good or as bad as you let it be, and as you make it. Choose Christ. Christ, the Bible says, is Love. Choose Love. ;-)

Give your concerns to Jesus. Give your frustrations and moments where you don't know what you can do to "fix" a thing, to Jesus. He tells us too!

Quit your worrying, quit being ridiculously anxious about things.

Give your fears, your worries, your concerns, and your unknowns, to Christ our Lord.

Starting today. Starting now.

A Prayer for Today

Thank You, Jesus, for being one with the Father. Thank You, Father, for being an Almighty, sovereign God. The One, True God. The God who holds the waters of the earth in the palm of His hand, yet knows the hairs on our heads at the same time.

Please, strengthen our faith in you today, Lord. Help us each in ways that we cannot deny it must be you. From the littlest, silly requests to the most overbearing, looming problems in our lives, Jesus. Help us to learn to give it all to you -- and to watch for your responses.

Thank You, Father, for Jesus. Amen.

Talk, Ask, Thank -- Pretty Simple, Really

I’ve got to share a bit of inspiration and clarity with you. Regarding prayer, 'how to pray,' etc.
-- it's easier than you might think:


Philippians 4:6-7 --
“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.”


One key phrase: ‘In everything.”

Everything.

I encourage you to take a moment and simply talk with Him today. Ask (petition) Him for help with something today. Say ‘Thank you, Jesus’ for something, today.

It can be simple, if we let it be. Too often, ‘religion’ gets in the way and complicates the Truth.

It can be as easy as, “Lord, I’m not sure why you’re letting me go through this right now, but please help? Please bless this situation? Thank you, Jesus, for loving me.”

Take comfort in knowing that our Lord, our Savior, is almighty. He is omnipotent, and omnipresent.

He does hear you.

So, give it a go why don’t you, right now?

If you’re already okay with all this, great. How about stopping someone else in their tracks today, then -- and help them to stop worrying over something?

Be a blessing! Share this simple truth with them.

Philippians 4, verses 6-7 is a great comfort, as it’s meant to be. Go comfort someone, and help them learn to, or get back to, or get comfortable with praying.

May God bless your efforts, and His peace be with you.

I want, hope, and pray for only the best for you.

Merry Christmas!