When Opportunity Knocks

I don't believe that opportunity happens by coincidence. Just the opposite in fact, I think that every opportunity is laid divinely before you by a Father who has a well thought out plan for your life. I am currently reading through the book of Genesis. Right now, I'm venturing though the story of Joseph. While reading about Joseph's roller coaster of a journey to leadership, the Holy Spirit placed this formula on my heart.

God's favor + our obedience = opportunities

For the last three years, we've simply been obedient to the Lord's leading. I don't say this to brag, but only to offer proof that God does open doors of opportunity for his children. I'm sure my husband has felt a lot like Joseph over the past few years. Brian is a faithful follower of Christ. He's extremely loyal to his core and has outstanding character, especially his work ethic. God has laid a vision on his heart to lead a Holy Spirit-filled church in a small town. He has relentlessly pursued the credentials to be prepared when God calls him, along with holding down a full-time job and being an engaging husband and dad. He's weathering the storm right now as God continues to prepare him for his next great adventure of faith. I compare his story with Joseph's.

God had given Joseph a vision of leadership. Jealousy aroused from his brothers and long story short, he was sold into slavery. God's flavor was upon Joseph wherever he was and in all that he did. Whether he was a servant, a prisoner, or second in command, God's favor plus Joseph's obedience led to many opportunities for leadership. However, what really intrigues me is that every opportunity was born out of disappointment. I'm sure Joseph's vision to leadership didn't include being sold, becoming a foreigner, then gaining power, only to lose it because of a lie which landed him in prison for several years.

I say all of this to say, God is at work in your life. I've found that when disappointment is on one side of the door, opportunity is on the other when we walk with the Lord. The thing that set Joseph apart was his God. The thing that sets you apart is your God. Genesis 39: 2-4 says, "The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of the Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant." This exact thing happened to Joseph several times because he was faithful to God. I don't know what your prosperity will look like, but the Lord is with you and his favor will open up opportunity. He is equipping you to do the good works that he prepared in advance for you to do! (Ephesians 2:10) Because we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose! (Romans 8:28) You've been called, prepared in advance, and walk in the power of the Lord! Don't let life's disappointments discourage you because on the other side is God's favor poured out! Take comfort in who he says he is and who he created you to be!

Answer the door, it's opportunity!

Until the whole world hears,
Emily

The Glory Departed



1 Samuel 4:21a- ' She named the boy Ichabod, saying,  "The glory has departed from Israel"-- because of the capture of the ark of God...'

The Ark of God was a very significant part of God's Holy covenant with Israel. It represented that His very Presence and Power would be upon His chosen people, so long as they were in right standing with Him.  At this particular point in time, Israel was a mess.  Eli's sons were wicked, and even though Eli knew what they were doing, he did nothing to stop them.  Consequently, it was prophesied that the house of Eli would suffer terrible punishment. 

Later on, when Israel had gone to battle, they were defeated by their enemies, the Philistines, and the ark of God was captured (also note: Eli's sons had died in battle, and Eli died upon hearing the ark was captured).

Upon hearing this devastating news, one of wives of Eli's son gave birth to a baby boy and named him "Ichabod", meaning "The glory has departed."                     

The glory has departed.....


These words have weighed heavily in my heart and mind throughout this study.  As I pondered in my own heart the meaning, there was a quickening in my spirit.  my eyes then fell upon 1 Samuel 3:1b "In those days the word of the Lord was rare, there were no visions." (emphasis my own) This verse also made me think of another verse! (Don't you love when the Holy Spirit does that?!) Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint."

Is it any wonder, why Israel was in the condition it was in? They weren't seeking God; they were too busy doing their own thing.
Sisters, I feel it can be the same way with us.  We go about our lives doing our own thing, until the next thing we know, the power of God is sapped from our lives and then we truly begin to wonder if we're even walking with God at all. 


The glory has departed.....


I heard it once said, that the Holy Spirit is like a dove.  It rests upon us peacefully, but any sudden move or sound of displeasure, it quickly flies away.  I do feel we can offend the Holy Spirit by our words, thoughts and actions that are in opposition to God's Word. We can also choose to walk away from God by not regularly having time with Him.  So my question for you ladies is this: (believe me, I've asked myself this too!) Has the glory departed from your life? Do you feel like the power of God is at work in your life? Let's talk about it!



Yours in the Journey,

Shannon

Bless the Work of His Hands

 "May the favor of our Lord God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."  Psalm 90:17 

His hands. The hands that provide. The hands that hold and protect. The hands that are folded in prayer. 

When I think about my husband's hands, I think about the important role he plays in our family. God has given him the ability to work with his hands to provide for our family. He's the sole provider in fact, and how blessed we are by his faithfulness and dedication. God has wired our husbands to provide for us. In Genesis 2:15, we see this example established. "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Now, this post certainly is not about gender roles, but it does remind me that I am my husband's helper.  "But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. The the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." (Genesis 2:20b-22) 

Our role as a wife carries tremendous power. The popular movie quote, "you complete me" is incredibly true. Biblical, in fact. We are the perfect helpmate for our husbands. I'm asking the Lord to shape me into the wife that my husband needs, especially in regards to supporting his work. The Holy Spirit has laid several verses on my heart to pray over my husband daily as he heads out to fulfill his role as provider for our family. I share these today with you because I want you to feel empowered as you trust God to shape you into the wife your husband needs. 

Pray for God's favor to bless your husband's work. Cheerfully speak these words over him to motivate him. "Observe people who are good at their work - skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a backseat to anyone." (Proverbs 22:29 The Message) When your husband takes pride in his work and does it diligently, praise him for that. This builds respect and demonstrates that you appreciate his hard work. 

Pray that he would have a desire for God's Word. The man who mediates on The Word day and night is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.  (Psalm 1:2-3) If your husband is in a season of unfulfillment at his job, pray for him to have a hunger for God's truth. In the right season, he will reap a harvest if he doesn't give up! (And if you don't give up either!) 

I say all of this to say, that we are our husbands' cheerleaders. We have the power to help them succeed, as well as to build confidence in who God created them to be! That's a lot of power and it comes with a lot of responsibility. Stay connected to the source of the power and God will shape you into the wife your husband needs, all the while growing you into an amazing woman of faith for all to see. 

Praying for you as you honor God by honoring your husband, 
Until the whole world hears, 
Emily

Who's On First?

Who's on first? Besides being a very funny Abbott and Costello skit, it is a great question for believers. Most of the time when I read a passage of scripture, it involves more extensive study. Because I like to study, I'm okay with this and today it leads me to share what I've learned with you. As I pondered this question, a man named Melchizedek reminded me how to put God first in all things.  Have you heard of Melchizedek? There is a lot of mystery involved around this name. We read about him in Genesis  14. Here we see that Abraham had rescued his nephew Lot who with all his possessions, had been taken captive during a massive land battle between several kings. Upon Abraham's return, Melchizedek comes out to meet him. 

Genesis 14:18-20

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, 

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High,

who delivered your enemies into your hand."

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

These verses caught my attention because there is so much that we can apply to our lives about putting God first. The mystery lies in who Melchizedek actually was. Some theologians say that he was king of Salem, but others have ventured to say that Melchizedek was Jesus Christ incarnate. The name Melchizedek means "king of righteousness." He is also introduced as priest of God Most High. In addition, the city of Salem, was the future site for Jerusalem. After reading this passage, it would be easy to go along with this theory. That being the case, let's look at some important lessons from this encounter. 

1. Melchizedek was reminding Abraham to remember all that God had done for him by bringing bread and wine. It reminds us that communion is a time of reflection and thanksgiving. Whenever we feel discouraged, doubtful, or fearful, we should have communion first with our Lord and Savior! 
2. Jesus blessed Abraham for his continued obedience. He blessed him with victory over his enemies and reunited him with his nephew. God establishes boundaries for us in order to protect us and bless us. Is there a victory you need in your life? Are you being obedient to what God has asked you to do at work or at home? God wants to deliver everything into your hands. He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly! (Psalm 84:11)
3. Abraham recognized the greatness of Melchizedek and offered him a tenth of what he had. Notice that Melchizedek didn't ask for it; it was given to honor his greatness. It is a great reminder that we are to tithe our ten percent to honor God's greatness. This can often be overlooked when we think of ways to honor God, but the fact is that it's an important act of obedience. I just love that Abraham was so willing to give this tenth. What if the church was this willing to give back a tenth? Nothing would be impossible for us! I believe it grieves the Holy Spirit when we are disobedient with the tithe. We are withholding blessings from God, the church, our community, and ourselves when we choose to keep what belongs to God. 

I say all of this to say, we honor God when we remember all that he's done for us. Put him first in our thoughts.  There have been many times when I feel overwhelmed and weary, but in those moments, the best thing I can do is to have communion and count my blessings. When you honor God for his greatness in all areas of your life (physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially) he will indeed pour out more blessings than you can store! (Malachi 3) Test him in this and let your life be a testament to his greatness! So to answer the question, "Who's on first?" God is! In all areas, he is first. 

Until the whole world hears, 

Emily

Desire for Wisdom

Oh what it must have been like to walk in the Garden of Eden, unashamed and in the very presence of God. Then it all came crashing down into the world we are living in today. Let's take a look at what motivated that devastating decision in the garden. 

Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. 

The primary motivation was to gain wisdom and to be like God. We all have an inherent need to be like God. To be in control. To know everything! It's interesting that Satan tempted Eve with the very thing he got kicked out of Heaven for! Satan wanted to be God. He still does and in his twisted mind, he believes he will be. However, we know the end of the story. Victory prevails! 

While the first sin brought evil into the world, it also brought a desire for wisdom. While we will never have all the wisdom God possess, we do have the gift of the Holy Spirit to tap into the supernatural power of Godly wisdom. 

Wisdom isn't just making good choices, it's making empowered choices. The Holy Spirit is crying out. "How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings." (Proverbs 1:21-23) 

God is not hiding wisdom. In James 1, he tells us to ask for wisdom and you will receive it. While it is not beneficial for us to know everything, like God. It is beneficial to walk in holy counsel everyday. I don't believe it's a one time deal. Wisdom should be asked for every single day because every day brings new challenges and a fresh outpouring of wisdom is required. "My (daughter), if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding - indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5)

Did you catch the "then" in the last verse? If we do our part, God is faithful to do his. Wisdom is precious and to be searched for like hidden treasure. It takes work to find wisdom and make inspired choices everyday, but the benefit is becoming more like God, which results in His glory being manifested in and through your life! 

Searching for wisdom with you...

Until the whole world hears, 
Emily

You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile

You are beautiful. Don't shake off that compliment, YOU ARE! As I am typing this I feel as if I can see you right now. Whether you're in your pajamas, a business suit, or t-shirt and jeans, hair done or frazzled, make-up or no make-up, you are beautiful. The chatter of the world says that we need to enhance ourselves to be beautiful. That's baloney! But I have to say that I wish I believe everything that I'm typing here. You see, I'm the first person to shake off the compliment of beauty. Maybe you're there too. I'm a work in progress when it comes to being completely secure in my appearance, however, I fully believe that I'm beautiful on the inside. 

The inspiration for this blog comes from my journey through the first chapter of Genesis. God so skillfully and intentionally placed everything in the universe. The sun, moon, and stars. The birds of the air and the creatures of the sea. The vegetation of the ground laced with the most beautiful array of colors you could ever imagine. In the most intricate detail, he spoke and life appeared! We appreciate the beauty of the world around us, but have we ever stopped to ponder the beauty in us? 

After all the beauty God had made, after he placed every twinkling star in the sky, carved every breathtaking waterfall, painted every magnificent sunrise and sunset, then he made us! And it was VERY good. Not just another run of the mill creation, no, we brought much delight to God. We weren't just good, we were very good.  Think about that for a moment. Let it soak in. Creation was complete when he created us. 

You don't have to have it all together to be beautiful, but you do have to have the Lord inside of you to radiate true beauty. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8) Even though your heart is hidden, the effects of  what you put into your heart show in your actions and on your face. So in a sense, the saying "you're never fully dressed without a smile" rings true. Your smile tells the story of your faith. Because the joy of the Lord is your strength, you can walk with confident beauty knowing that when God created you he was very pleased. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, so walk a little taller, smile a little brighter, and let the world see the light of Jesus through your life. 

Until the whole world hears, 

Emily

Refiner's Fire

Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  

Today I want to expand on the words "doing good" in Galatians 6:9.  In chapter 6, Paul is instructing us how to do good to one another, especially other believers. But what is "doing good" exactly? How would you define it? 

Earlier in the chapter, Paul teaches about accountability and helping carry other's burdens. This is good. You see, goodness, doesn't just mean happiness or producing emotions that feel good. It's a refining process. The dictionary defines goodness as moral excellence and virtue. That's definitely a high standard which is why it's a refining process.  I'm sure I've fallen short in the goodness category many many times. Thank the Lord for His grace and good friends who are not afraid to gently provide accountability when I stray. 

Do you think we make it hard for other believers to refine us? God is very specific about the role of the church. One of those roles is to confess sins to one another. (James 5:16) I am being refined by this because it means that I'm vulnerable in that moment when another believer notices something in my life that is contradictory to how God is calling me to live. Has that happened to you as well? What was your first reaction? Mine was certainly not thankfulness, as the Bible instructs. My reaction was embarrassment, which manifested as anger.  

In hindsight, I see that it took courage for the fellow believer to approach me and bring the situation to light. This person was not trying to condemn me, but rather to build my faith by the refiner's fire. They were being the true friend I needed, full of grace and encouragement. Romans 1:12 says that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. It always takes a difficult situation to grow our faith. We can control our reactions to these difficult and vulnerable moments by choosing to love and be thankful that God provides us with gentle believers to refine us toward goodness. 

The refining process requires heating up and cooling down, as a result, the material changes form. (Ex. solid to liquid, liquid to gas.) We are that material. We are changing form! We are becoming more like Christ when we allow other believers to hold us accountable. It's a necessary part of the growth process. I've had to step back to recognize that this is a gift from God. We make each other strong. None of us are perfect, but all of us are growing. Let's gently refine each other to a higher state of goodness. Let's not grow weary in doing this or receiving this, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we don't give up! 

Until the whole world hears, 

Emily