Ask and You Shall Receive . . . Be Careful!

I've been doing a lot of praying lately, and God has been doing a lot of listening . . . and answering. I've prayed for Him to enlarge my territory, particularly when it comes to His kingdom and how I could serve Him better through this website. As I have waited for Him to move, some interesting, difficult, and eye-opening things have been happening, and though I can't say that I have enjoyed all of this recent journey, I have realized that God is doing exactly what I asked. If I expect to write about living a tenacious life for Him, He had some things to teach me. Just as I had to become more of a writer to really be a believable writing teacher for my middle school students, I had to be a tenacious survivor to be able to share God's victories with all of you. And today, I have a message to share.

God can and does use the worst situations in our lives to draw us closer to Him and bring us to our knees before the Cross. And what do we find there when we lay ourselves bare and vulnerable before Him? We find strength from God that we don't have on our own. We find Him drawing us to His mercy seat. We find comfort from the greatest Comforter of all. And we find healing from the Great Physician. Try to survive the storms of life without Him, and you miss out on so many blessings, which brings me to my next point to share.

Every time I cry out to God in despair and allow Him to shine light on the dark places of my messed up heart, He helps me "grow up" in Him. He doesn't seem to mind that I cry and pitch a small fit before His throne, as long as I come in honesty, sharing my pain and disappointment with life and inviting Him to fill every inch of me.

There's one more thing . . . a warning that I want to share: if you seek God in your pain, praise Him in your storms, and trust Him completely, Satan will attack you. He hates worshipers who sing during battle and go to the front lines with voices of praise because it is in our total devotion to God and trust in His Word that Satan loses His power. He has already lost the war; Jesus took care of that on the Cross, and every time we stay in faith, even when crying out to God, Satan loses all over again.

I love it. God: one more victory. Satan: zero. I pray that your "score" will reflect the same.

Peace Really Is Reality

God never ceases to amaze me, and lately, I feel like I am being surrounded on all sides with incredible God winks and nudgings of His presence. And trust me: you don't want to know everything because it would bore you to tears, but let's just say that everywhere I look, I see and feel evidence of God's presence, and in that presence, there is peace. Incredible, calming peace. I have always known that I am supposed to have peace in the midst of storms, but until now, it was head knowledge, but I can joyfully -- and peacefully -- say that it has moved from my head to my heart! Praise God!

When God says that we can have peace that passes understanding, He really does mean it. It's not a pie in the sky thing to be attained; it is real and powerful. I found my peace by doing what I should have been doing all along: seeking Him and only Him, first and foremost. I have been seeking His face, His presence, and His direction. I have sought Him through prayer and through the pages of His Word. I have stopped asking for answers and just asked Him to show up and let me bask in His glory, and in this time of searching, He has given me peace.

Today I know that when He says His timing is perfect in the situations of my life, He means it. He is never early and never late, and when He brings dreams to fulfillment in His timetable, it takes my breath away. Today I know that when He says He is drawing the people I love unto Him, I can rest in that promise and let Him do what he does best. Today I know that music lifted in praise to God is healing to my soul, even in the darkest times, and I am blessed. Today I know that total surrender brings total freedom: the paradox of all paradoxes. And I just love knowing that my God, my Father, my Healer, and my Comforter is a God of the unexpected . . . a God of surprises that . . . well, once again, take my breath away. Today I am sure that my God has a much better plan for me that I have for myself . . . exceedingly and abundantly more glorious than I could ask or think because in that plan, He will be glorified.

Today I sit at my computer, bursting with joy to relay to you that I am, in the words of one of my favorite songs, desperate for God. I want to love Him, serve Him, and know that I am walking out the plans He has for me, and at the end of every day, I want to know that my destiny has never been about me. And I am grateful . . . so very grateful . . . that God is a patient Father who waited for me to figure out that a life lived for Him is the only life worth living. Wherever you are in your journey, know that He loves you supremely and He wants you to live in peace. If you are struggling with the pains and difficulties of life,seek Him and study His Word, and send me a prayer request. I would be humbled to have the privilege of praying your name because when two or more agree, there is power, and I'm sure there is peace. Reach out and let's stand in faith together, serving our gracious and paradoxical God!