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Do not rush the solution

Psalms 16:5 (AMP) The Lord is the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need]; You support my lot.

I am a stay-at-home mom to a twenty-one-year-old and a seventeen-year-old. That transition happened for me nearly seven years ago. The reason this is the season I am in is because my husband is BI-vocational pastor, as he works at a manufacturing plant for our income. He leads but I am his helper and am referred to as co-pastor. This works for us, because I know his heart and we trust each other. Being helper is not that I am less than, nor does it mean I take on his role. In Hebrew, the word for “helper” used in Genesis 2:18 and 20 is ezer, it means strong support and powerful rescue.

What happens when trust is not in a marriage? What happens when trust is broken? What happens when you want to keep secrets from each other? The Word says that any household divided against itself will not stand (Matthew 12:25). It takes both of us to have a strong marriage. It is the most important covenant that God ordained other than our new life with Christ.

I have quite of few responsibilities that I have taken on so that my husband does not have to worry about them. One of them is managing the business aspect of running the church. I have accountabilities put in place with board members and I seek council before major changes occur. Anything that my husband wants done I have a great support group that helps me with implementing things. That includes managing the church calendar. I also make sure to surround myself with those who seek the best for others, and not just for a particular group, when seeking counsel.

I recently had three big things on my plate to take care of. One thing to know is that we are not going at anything alone. Do not be rushed, but do not be lazy. I dedicated some time to each item each day. Above all, I sought wisdom from the Lord. I am also keeping my husband informed but not overwhelming him with the mundane. When I got to a place that I could not do on my own, I did not push, I waited. I listened. I did not become impatient. Patience has a lot to do with our attitudes in the waiting. God will even empower those we are meant to do life with for the next portion.

Isaiah 25:9 (AMP) It will be said in that day, “Indeed, this is our God for whom we have waited that He would save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us shout for joy and rejoice in His salvation.”

This has been such a shift of peace in my life. I am in awe of how God works things out behind the scenes. I tell Him of what I am trying to accomplish. I do not stop doing my research, but I do not make the next move until my mind has become clear. What happens when we know things need to be done, but we do them in haste? We make mistakes. We can become easily irritated. We can even take on offense easier. This is something I had to grow in. I am growing in it because I have become rooted and grounded in His love. Knowledge of the Word without application of the Word is not doing much transformation. I want to be transformed. Here are two scriptures to get your mind around:

Lamentations 3:20-26 (AMP) My soul continually remembers them and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind, therefore I have hope. It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul; “Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him, to those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word]. It is good that one waits quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Psalms 37:3-7 (AMP) Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him also and He will do it. He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light, and your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun]. Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Yesterday, we had movement in all three areas. It was an answer to prayer. Today, I was able to be productive because of the peace that God provided in the waiting. Through putting prayer of thanksgiving before I see the promise fulfilled. I am not rushing the solution to get there. I have to put my trust in God that He is working everything out, and I still have to do my part. There is not strife, there is no uneasiness, there is just peace. I continue to put Him first and foremost in my mind. We continue to seek the best for all those that are involved. We know where our trust lies. We are not in a rush; we want His solution at His time. There is peace in the waiting. Will problems arise? Yes, but I do not have to fret. My God is my portion. My God knew that this would happen. He has the solution, so do not rush it, be patient in the waiting. Do not get fixated on the issue, but on the God who sees the end from the beginning.

Abba, Father, our Portion, we value You before anything else in our lives. You are so Holy and Wonderful. Thank You for Your Son to bring us back to right standing with You. He has made us righteous through our faith in Him. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit to be our Teacher and Comforter. Thank You for the throne room of grace and mercy that we can be with You all day long. You are the God who sees and hears us. You are the God of our inheritance, because all we are is through You. We repent for trying to go at life on our own and in haste. Thank You for the promise of the wait and to be still in You, that You speak to us in the Peace. We put our trust and our confidence in You that You are working all things out. You know the end from the beginning. Any problem that arises can be resolved. We choose to wait. We choose to forgive. We choose hope today. We choose love today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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The places you will go

Ephesians 3:20-21 (AMP) Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

I have been doing a deep dive in the book of Ephesians over the last few months. I am taking it one verse at a time. In doing so, I have learned a lot of about Christ and the fullness that He wants in our lives. On that note, we have have centered so much on that fullness, that we have become self centered in our relationship with Him. Let us look at the above verse for instance. How much do you think that verse is really about us? Look at it again, it starts out “Now to HIM….” That’s right, it is about Him and His glory. We are the benefits He receives, not the other way around.

Matthew 17:2-3 (AMP) And His appearance changed dramatically in their presence; and His face shone [with heavenly glory, clear and bright] like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.

There were a few men that walked really close with Jesus. Jesus even showed them His true form on this mountain. His appearance changed dramatically in their presence. There are surface level relationships that we can have, and then there are deep intimate relationships. The level is dependent on the mutual understanding of both parties. The second part of this is the most exciting to me. Moses was able to step his feet into the promised land.

Psalms 37:4-5 (AMP) Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him also and He will do it.

Where I am, I see a lot of people concerned about where they are going to go in life. Are they going to experience all they want to experience? Moses got to be in the promised land, and it was with Jesus. I have learned that when I find myself rooted in Him, my life is much bigger than I could ever have imagined. I am no longer concerned about visiting Paris, as I had dreamed about in high school, I would rather go somewhere that He can get the glory for. When we took out trip to the Dominican, we had so many opportunities to share the gospel. We were given a heart for the people there and are looking forward to going back this Christmas. This time we are going to take our boys. When it is about Him, then we look outside our ourselves. How we see ourselves in Christ will determine where we will go.

Matthew 6:33 (AMP) But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

His Kingdom is rooted in the person of Christ. The Isrealites reached the physical promised land and still they were not satisfied. They kept searching for other forms of worship to make them whole, and to fulfill their every desire. Jesus came so that we can rest in the promised land (Hebrews 4:1-11), it is found in Him. No more striving. No more searching. No more being hungry and thirsty. Just Him. The fullness of the Kingdom of God is found in Him. Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think. Then you will go places you never dreamed of, and you will have a heart for people you never thought you would.

God, our Creator and our Lord, You are so Mighty and Awesome. We worship Your Holy Name today. We want to glorify You will all that is within us. Thank You for Your Son, that we have become a part of Your Wonderful family. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that reveals the deep knowledge of Your Mercy and Loving-kindness. We repent for being self seeking in our actions and deeds when it comes to Kingdom life. We have fallen into the same trap as the Pharisees in doing so. We want the fullness we have to be a deep reflection of who you are. To You all the glory. To You all the honor. Let our attitudes and character reflect that of You. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose faith today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.