Saturday, December 3, 2011

My Power Verse Of The Day - Proverbs 29:18

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Okay perhaps power verse is a little much, but I have recently joined YouVersion.com in an attempt to get a daily devotional in. There are several devotionals online that I really like. I was just really drawn to YouVerse. I am specifically working with "Promises for Your Everyday Life by Joyce Meyer. I like Joyce, because she seems to really get it. We are not perfect. We will never be perfect, but God is. God is and God will be and if we can just focus on His strength, we can get through our weak times. My friend, I have been really going through some weak times.

Okay this has nothing to do with my power verse of the day, but please bear with me here.
I have been struggling with His vision for my life. Struggling because for the longest time, I have been searching for where I belong. Searching for what my purpose is. I have also felt like I really knew what it was, but also felt that I couldn't possibly know what it is. Can you imagine how hard it is to second guess yourself all the time? I am serious. I was doing this ALL the time. I would know in my heart what I desired to do, but I felt that if I desired it then it must be about me and not about God. I couldn't grasp that maybe it was a strong desire BECAUSE GOD PUT IT IN MY HEART.

It doesn't have to be selfish. It doesn't have to be wrong because it is something that would make me happy. Aren't we supposed to be happy when we are doing His will for our lives? Or are we supposed to only be plugging along denying ourselves happiness and only then is that doing His will? Of course that can't be it. I don't for one moment truly think that God only wants me to be blue and feeling empty I do not choose to believe for one more moment that EVERYONE else is supposed to be happily fulfilled by doing His will, but as for me...not on your life.

This is not to say that I expect every moment of my life to be bells, whistles and confetti. I have lived too long with my own issues and past to ever think that is the way every moment is going to be, but I can be content. I can be happy. And I certainly can have my dreams, hopes and desires. God gave them to me.

Back to the Power Verse. It is today's verse even though it was yesterdays. I will also enjoy this evening's verse and that way catch up. :)

Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

It also came with this amazing devotional from Joyce Meyer.

Jump-Start Your Dreams

What is the dream that God's placed in your heart?I'm not asking if you have one, I already know it's there because God gives all of us dreams.

I've seen people do all kinds of things to their dreams. Some people bury them so deep in their hearts in order to protect them from the criticism of others. Some people set them out of sight so they don't have to think about them anymore. And some people finally just give up on their dreams because it hurts too much to hold on.

If your dream needs a jump-start, there are two things I want you to remember. First, you need to get a vision that's clear. And second, you must keep your vision in front of you at all times.

But having a vision doesn't mean that it will instantly appear. God's as interested in the process of vision as He is in the end result.

The apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11-13 that he had learned how to be content and satisfied to the point where he was not disturbed by whatever state he was in. In other words, he never allowed himself to get upset with where he was at the moment, he was always looking forward to where he could be.

That means you, like Paul, need to find a balance between contentment and ambition. Here's the key: Learn to enjoy where you are on the way to where you're going.

When you have a dream or a vision, you have to keep it in front of you. If it helps, write it down. And remember, God will help you live the dream He's given you, step-by-step, one day at a time.

Prayer Starter: Jesus, even though I don't always feel like it and life tries to get me to quit, I believe You have a great plan for my life. I choose to trust You to help me live the dream You've given me more than I trust my circumstances.

Do you have a dream that God has placed in your heart? I bet you do. Are you taking the steps to realize that dream? Are you already living that dream and taking steps toward another dream? Or are you hiding it in your heart? I used to hide mine in my heart. It seemed to be the safest place for it. I truly did not want my dream to go away. It seemed safer to dream it and hope for it, but not to share it with anyone. It still does, but God is my strength.

I also found great commentary in my Bible which happens to be The Every Day Life Bible that I was very fortunate to pick up earlier this year for half price. The commentary in it is also from Joyce Meyer. The commentary talks about the importance of vision. The challenge I received from reading that commentary is to not give up on my vision and to take inventory of what I have been thinking. See, I have had some very negative thoughts about my vision and dreams. I have thought that it was all in my mind. I have thought that God didn't really want that for me or it would already be there. I thought I had it wrong. If I am believing these thoughts, I am not going to move forward. In fact, I will retreat slowly away.

The great thing is that just be seeing these thoughts and recognizing them, I can now move past them and change them. Now I can know and believe that God can lead me forward. I do not need to retreat or hold myself back. God created this desire in my heart, and He did so for His purpose. He brought me here for such a time as this. I don't need to do everything by myself. I need to let God lead me. I can let him light the path before me and take each step in faith.

It is so exciting to know that He has a plan for my life and that I am finally making my way on the path that God set before me. God loves me. God is not ashamed of me. God is for me. He will make a way for me. When I think about how I would tear down walls for my own child I realize that God will do the same for me. He loves us even more than we love our own children. He created us and this amazing world full of opportunity! We are so blessed!

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