There is a Right Time

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. – Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We all know the lovely Beatles song but how deeply do we take to heart the message of patience for God’s timing?

When we are anticipating things to come, or working towards milestones, we want immediacy. How can we be content while we wait for God’s timing?

We need to accept that no matter where we are at or what direction we are heading, so many things are out of our control.

We need to trust that whatever comes our way, God will work it for our good.

We need to be willing to wait on His timing for that victory that we’ve been working so hard to secure.

We need to fight the urge to be restless and irritated by the unanticipated delays and live in the moment, finding every bit of joy that we can get out of today.

Dear Lord, I thought I had it all under control, but everything is off track. Nothing is going the way I planned. Lord, help me find contentment in Your timing today as I accept the circumstances of the moment, and shift from MY plan for the day into YOUR perfect design.

Amen

Don’t Be Troubled

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Stop allowing yourself to become upset by people and by circumstances.

Jesus gave us a gift. The gift of peace of mind and peace of heart.

We can embrace this gift and choose every day to move around and carry this peace with us wherever we go and through whatever we encounter.

If we choose to stay focused on Our Lord and the gift that He has provided, we live in contentment, regardless of our situation. We don’t need to feel annoyed, bothered, or troubled.

We can allow our circumstances to shift our mindset, or we can cause our mindset to change our circumstances.

Dear Jesus, I am so grateful for Your gift of peace. This is a blessing that is so underrated in the world of nonstop busyness and constant stimulation by our surroundings in the world that we live in today.

Lord, sometimes I forget that this peace is available. When I feel anxiety, worry, and fear creeping in, please remind me that I have a choice to make. I can focus on You and Your words: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” or I can focus on my troubles and stay stuck in the pit of uneasiness and panic that I have fallen into.

Lord, I choose Your peace. Every chance I get, I’ll hold on to this wonderful gift. Amen

Heart and Soul

Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. – Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭TPT‬‬

This verse applies to more than our career.

We have to apply this principle to all that we do.

Our relationships,

our health,

our acts of service,

taking care of the home that The Lord has blessed us with.

All of these things are from God, and the bottom line is – we ARE working for Him in all things. When we work wholeheartedly to nurture the things He has provided, we are not just “clocking in.” When we go through each day with a willing and grateful heart, we are not just “doing our job.” Our efforts and our attitudes should reflect the pleasure of serving our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Dear Jesus, I pray that I serve you well today, with a heart full of thankfulness, no matter what circumstances I face. I woke up today, so I know You have a job for me to do! What an honor to be able to serve you today and every day. Lord, I know that to serve you, I must serve others. Help me do so with a heart full of loving kindness and a smile on my face. If I come across a difficult personality or a task that I wouldn’t normally look forward to, keep me focused on You instead, so that I may find the good in the situation.

Amen

Commit Your Actions to The Lord

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. — ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭3‬‬ NLT

You’ve made a plan.

You’ve set goals.

You want to improve.

You want to see success.

You’re excited – fired up to achieve what you’ve set out to accomplish.

But your hopes fall flat and your plans fall short.

What went wrong? You were sure this was the right thing for you – that you were headed in the right direction. You even prayed for this win. So why didn’t The Lord come through for you this time?

When we are faced with failure, we need to examine our motives. Why am I doing this? What makes this so important to me? Is this for MY gain, or for The Lord?

We may start in the right direction, but we have to continue to reevaluate and amend, as needed.

Sometimes our bright ideas and our latest passions aren’t the things that God intends for us. Before we jump in and start blindly trying to chase a new agenda, we need to stop and commit our actions to The Lord. Acknowledge that we won’t take a step, if it’s not in His direction.

Surrender your plans.

Hand over your desires.

Submit to His path.

Let Him have the ultimate say on whether or not your plans are the right ones for you.

Lord, my prayer today is a simple one.

If it’s not for me, don’t let it be.

Amen

The Lord Determines Our Steps

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” — ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭9‬‬

We all have hopes and dreams. Plans for our future.

We can map out the course to arrive at that destination that our heart desires, but we can’t anticipate what unknown circumstances we will face along the way… All the things that life throws at us that we just can’t plan for.

We don’t always know God’s plan for our lives, or if it aligns with the goals that WE have set out to achieve.

John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

Sometimes when we work towards goals that we are sure will line up with God’s purpose for our lives, we become so focused on that end-result that we forget to be present. The excitement and fervor of what lies in our future can blind us to the treasures right in front of us in our everyday lives.

Life doesn’t begin when I

– finish school

– start my dream job

– buy my first home

– retire

– meet the love of my life

We spend so much of our lives trying to get to the next big milestone, that we let the blessings of the present day pass us by.

Lord, please help me to slow down and embrace each day, and the beauty within it. Your plans for me are not to be fulfilled all in one day far off in the future. Every day that I deliberately live for Your purpose is one more little nugget of fulfillment in your master plan of my life. Please help me recognize these opportunities and embrace them as enthusiastically as the big accomplishments that I strive toward in my future.

Amen