not me…

This was a rather busy week for me.  I finished last week feeling like I was on top of things.  I started this week feeling behind.

I started the week with an idea of what I wanted to talk about on Wednesday night.  I had planned things and was very confident on what my message was going to be.  I started writing and got pretty far.  Then God stopped me and said - “No.”  I scrapped what I had and started again.  I didn’t realize how much God was telling me while I was writing and preparing for LINC.  Really - it wasn’t until I was finished and actually thinking back to what I had talked about.  I walked away feeling very confident and feeling like everything came out and flowed together.

And then I started to think about what I talked about.  At that point I realized - I didn’t plan this.  I didn’t write this.  Technically - yea, I did write it.  But I don’t know where this came from.  I was completely lost for what to talk about.  I didn’t know where I was really even going until Monday afternoon.  It was God - he did it.  Not me.

It really gives me confidence and joy to look back and say that God wrote that message.  All glory and honor and praise belongs to God.

Something I Learned

I graduated college last May.  I was jobless and pretty much had no prospects.  I don’t even remember who told me this - I am sure that I didn’t come up with it on my own - but I was given a new perspective on some lyrics to a worship song that we sang every week at NewSpring.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.
We will wait upon the Lord.
We will wait upon the Lord.

Believe me - this became my theme song.  I was waiting on God to show me anything.  But I was just waiting.  I don’t remember where I got this from - but I was told to take a different perspective on the word wait.  Instead of sit around on my butt waiting - I need to wait on the Lord like a waiter.  I need to serve the Lord.  Strength will rise as I serve the Lord.  Through serving the Lord and focusing on that - God worked everything out to his glory.  This was timely advice because I was a waiter at the time.

Don’t know what to do?  Serve the Lord.  He is faithful.  He will lead you.

Clutter

Michael Scott once said - “They say a cluttered desk means a cluttered mind, well I say an empty desk means an…”  Well you understand what I mean.  I have come to realize that i have a rather cluttered desk.  Check out the random things on my desk:

• Two empty Sierra Mist cans.
• A box of Kleenex.
• A headless chocolate bunny.
• An empty cup.
• A key that goes to nothing.
• Picture of my beautiful wife.
• Several CDs.
• Notes for all the things that I am going to do.
• Empty Frappuccino bottle.
• Empty SOBE Green Tea bottle.
• Completely full Deer Park bottle.
• Sour Starburst jelly beans.
• Four pens.
• An iPod.
• An invitation.

That is a lot of crap.  I know - I am going to clean it off.  Until then check out what my friend said about the Sabbath.

Simple Truth

We all have books in the Bible that are our favorites, right?  And who doesn’t like James?  It is one of my favorite books in the entire Bible.  I don’t know how many times I have read it.  But the other day - I heard a verse that has never stuck out to me.  Surely I have read it - but the hugeness of the verse didn’t grab my attention.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

That is James 5:17.  Lately - I have realized that my big struggle and one of the largest points of attack by the enemy on my life is in the area of doubt.  I have the Holy Spirit in me - and yet I struggle with doubt.  The same Spirit and Power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives inside of me - but I feel like God cannot handle my situation.

Elijah was a man - just like me.  And he prayed to God faithfully that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t.  Do you know how encouraging that is?  It is so simple.  At Passion - Francis Chan simply rehashed the fact that the Holy Spirit (God) lives in me.  I have God in me.  This changes my perspective on everything.  Praise God.