God Provides

Last week I signed up at the last minute to take a CEU course so that I could maintain my PT license. What I didn't realize, was that there were 4-6 hours of videos and tests to take BEFORE I could take the class. On top of that I had a medical appointment after work on Thursday, along with other things to do! Plus, I had a full schedule at work with no openings that would allow me to get some of these videos and tests done. Stress! How could I get it all done without staying up so late at night that I could not function the next day? 

I have been in these situations before. Too much to do and to little time. And yet, in the past God has always provided the time to do exactly what needed to be done. This time was no different. On Thursday, the day that I had to have all the videos and tests completed, and the day of my eye appointment, 4 patients cancelled! That was 4 hours of work that I could do on the preparatory work for my course! When, I began the day, I had looked at my schedule and did not think any of my patients would cancel. I would have bet that all of them would have showed up! But for whatever reason 4 cancelled! Once again, God provided all the time to do what needed to be done!  When will I learn this lesson? When God calls us to do something, He always provides what is needed. Whether it is time or money, or some other resource, He always provides! So, rest in Him and if you have trouble trusting Him like I do, maybe we can learn this lesson together! 

Time with God

Yesterday I was very blessed to spend the day with my dad. We worked all day on my trailer, replacing the floor in it. It was such a blessing to me to be able to work with him again. I grew up on a ranch and I worked with him often. Back then I didn't enjoy it at all! It was very hard work and not work that I wanted to do!

But as I grow older I realize our time on this earth is short and I have grown to appreciate my time with my family more and more. 

As I was thinking about that this morning, I realize God wants to spend time with us as well. Just as I enjoyed the time with my dad, God enjoys the time that we spend with Him and wants us to relish that time also. 

What is neat to me is that we are never far from the presence of God. We need to realize that God is with us constantly. When we are working, playing, relaxing, or whatever we are doing God is there. 

The problem is that we often don't acknowledge His presence. We forget that He is always available for us to praise, thank, seek assistance from, etc. God wants us to spend time with Him and speak to Him as we go about our life. The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing. I used to think that was impossible until I read The Practice of the Presence of God by Bro. Lawerence. 

Bro. Lawerence prayed continually to God no matter what he was doing. Even when he was talking to other people! No small task! It took practice over many years, but he eventually was able to pray without ceasing! We can learn to do this also. And like him, it may take a lot of practice, but God wants us to spend time with Him and not just in our prayer closet. He wants us to recognize His presence throughout our days and nights and converse with Him all the time! 

So just as we enjoy spending time with others, remember God wants to spend time with us as well!  So practice the presence of God as you go through your day. He loves you! 

Loving Our Enemies

Matthew 5:43-45 are perhaps some of the most difficult verses in the Bible to follow. In these verses Jesus tells us to love our enemies. When we listen to sermons or Bible studies we agree with this and in the comfort of the church setting or amongst friends we agree we should do this.  But, when the rubber meets the road and we are in the real world, encountering unlikable individuals, we don't want to follow His commands. 

I have a neighbor that I may have to encounter soon. Everyone I have talked with does not like this man. He is mean and aggressive. He has even hurt some of my extended family through unnecessary actions. I don't want to encounter him, but I probably will. We share a fence and some trees have fallen on the fence. I will have to cut them to spare the fence. He is not going to like this and a meeting between the two of us may be inevitable. 

I have thought about this for awhile. I have thought of my reactions and what I might say to him. 

These verses remind me that I am to love him and whatever I say or do I need to do so in love. That's hard! I would like to speak to him like I imagine he is going to speak to me! But I must remember that how I would like to respond and how Christ wants me to respond are two different things!

But, notice, Christ does not call us to ignore our enemies.  Instead we are to take action. We are to actually get in our prayer closets and PRAY for our enemies. And not pray for bad things to happen to them, but to pray for their good. That God will draw them to Himself. That they will experience His love as we have. 

And love does not mean that we ignore or avoid them. We actually seek their good! How hard is that! It's very difficult. But isn't that what Christ did for us and them? He died for ALL of us. Not just me, but my enemies as well. We are never more like God than when we love. And perhaps we are MOST like God when we love our enemies.