Thinking It Over

Thoughts on a Saturday Morning

Only Thinking will never bring your dreams into existence. No, it is those who move out and began walking, battling their fears and all those people who say no, who looking at the path before them, decide to take the road that looks untrodden. These are the people that make things happen. These are the people who accomplished their dreams. Somewhere along their way they have decided to make the impossible possible and have dared to believe that all things are possible to them who love the LORD and are called according to His purpose. They have worked hard, struggled with disappointment, descended into valleys of loneliness and despair yet they have kept going, looking not at themselves and their capabilities but at the Author and Finisher of their faith, who makes all things new and fulfills His covenant to His people, knowing that every Word that comes out of His mouth, He will see that it comes to pass. Thanks be to God, our blessed hope and to His son Jesus who has redeemed us and to the Holy Spirit who teaches and shows us the way. Because He first loved us, we are blessed. Schalom.

Moving into GOD's Plan Takes Time

13 years had passed and he was still waiting for the fulfillment of what had been prophesied to him. It had started out with a bang. After all, it is not an everyday thing to get knock down off your horse on your way to fulfilling the most important mission in your life. Up until that day, he thought  knew everything. He knew exactly  where his life was heading. Career all charted out, he had only  to wait until a few people moved out of the way or until he moved them out of the way. Life was great. Everything was fine. Being highly looked upon and honored, he knew he was positioned for the top. Time was own his side.  

And then it happened. While on the road to Damascus, carrying out the most important job in his life career, the job that would propel him to the top of the ladder, it happened. Struck by a light shining from heaven, he heard the voice of the big chief of all creation. The light blinded him, the horse, being frightened threw him, and his men ran away in  fear and horror to hide themselves. Only he lay there, only he could see the chief, only he could here his voice, he was now the one being interrogated. This one incident changed his life, his way of thinking, and his  career advancement plans forever.

That man was Saul, later on known as the Apostle Paul, who was responsible for taking christianity to the unknown world and for writing over half of the New Testament. Everyone who is a christian today and possesses a  Bible or Bibles should be thankful for this one unlikely man, whom no one else would have chosen, but GOD. Through his redemption through JESUS CHRIST and his personal relationship with GOD, the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST is being spread throughout the world.

What is your plan? Is GOD trying to replace them with His own? Are you standing at the starting line waiting for him to say Go and HE does not seem to be talking? Have you started a new job, that challenges your way of doing thing and you want to go back to the old job? Have you join a new church but feel like you do not fit in, so you would much rather be with the old crowd because in that click you felt comfortable? Have you moved into your dream house but find the neighbors to be unbearable, surly, loud, non-churchgoing people who have no idea of redemption through JESUS CHRIST and do not even care and you are standing there wringing your hands, wondering how you can relocate quickly?  Or are you restlessly  waiting still after 5, 10 or maybe 15 years,  for that promise that GOD has given to you to become fulfilled.  Well,  if you are, please  do not get impatience, hang in there, don't abort your promise. Relax and begin to enjoy where you are.

Yes, I know that you are ready to move on, and you think GOD has made a mistake by allowing you to be where you presently are. You want to accomplish big things for GOD and  according to your timing, it  has been  long enough. In fact, it is  long overdue.   However, please do not forget, it took Paul 13 years to get ready. He waited 13 years at the starting line. Sure, he  tried to evangelize after his conversion in the city of Damascus  but he almost got himself killed. He had to be put in a basket  by the disciples of Damascus and lifted over a wall  in the middle of the night.  He even tried to hook up with the original 12, but everyone was either afraid of him, or were not certain of his motives.

So, 13 years went by, where he had to learn how to renew his mind and learn the new life that GOD was calling him to walk. 13 years where he gathered knowledge of GOD through experience and learned wisdom by studying GOD in a most personal way. 13 years where he learned how to work with his hands, making tents and most important of all, 13 years where he was confronted with himself and what needed to be changed in his character so that he could do the task, take over the responsibilty and become the CEO for what GOD had for him to do. If you do not believe he struggled, read chapters 6,7,& 8 of Romans and  get a bird's eye view  of  his inner struggles.

It takes time, GOD's time, if you are going to become one of GOD's Generals.  And if It took David 13 years to learn how to become the chosen King of Israel, Joseph, 13 years to learn how to be the second in command in Egypt  and Paul 13 years to learn how to be the servant, the CEO for spreading the Gospel over the world, then it will take time for GOD's plan for your life to come to maturity.  So, once again, I say hang in there, if you have begun to droop a little. Keep your eyes on the vision, the promise or promises  that have been given to you. In GOD's timing, things happen and materialize and become real.

One more important thing before I close, please do not break out on your own and do what you think needs to be done. That could be fatal for you. Just look at Paul, when the  timing was right, GOD sent Barnabas to find him  and take him under his wings. GOD sent Jacob and the rest of his sons and their families to Joseph as he became Pharoah's closes advisor, and David had Nathan the prophet to confront him and bring his back to repentance after his mistake with Bathsheba.

So do not start out by yourself. GOD builds teams. HE never sends us out there alone. Even our LORD JESUS was accompanied by the HOLY SPIRIT as HE began his ministry. What did John say as he baptized him? He saw the HOLY SPIRIT descend upon Him as a dove. That was the third person of the Trinity right there beside him.

So, don't lose your hope and learn to get into GOD's Word and build up your faith. It is true, you know. GOD does not withhold any good thing from those who are his.

" For the LORD GOD is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11 (King James Version)

 Be Blessed this week, and find a Bible study where you can refuel during the middle of the week. Our spirits are strengthen by studying the Word of GOD. ( read 2 Timothy 2:15)

Schalom,

Pat Garcia Schaack