First, let me know that I know you all are shocked. Two posts in ONE day from a girl who sometimes goes whole weeks (like last week) without posting a thing. Well. Let me just say....I know!!!!
Anyway, what I wanted to share with you all is this.....
God's timing always amazes me. Life has been pretty hectic around here. Many, many things have been going on and many, many things have been affecting me spiritually.
There are "church" things, and "wife" things, and "Mommy" things, and "friend" things and "physical" things among others.
Well. This morning. I was at a breaking point. My anxiety has been building over this past week and really came to a high point on Saturday afternoon. Until this morning when I was feeling the break.
I got up and went to my "quiet time sanctuary". I sat down and began to journal my prayer to God. I told him of my troubles......physically, emotionally, spiritually......I then began to feel like I was complaining and needed to show God some gratitude so I thanked him for the pitter patter of the rain falling outside that I love hearing.
I read my bible reading for the day.....then I picked up the parenting book that I wanted to finish this morning, as I only had 2 chapters left. I've been reading Everyday Talk by John Younts. This is a fantastic parenting book about how we talk to our kids. I have learned so much!!! As I started reading, I expected for God to speak to me about my everyday talk to my kids. And it did.....BUT (and to the point of my post) it also spoke to me about all those other "things" in my life. It led me to Ephesians 4 by having me read Ephesians 4:14 and 29......
I read those but then decided I needed to read what was around those verses as I often do.
When I read it I knew that chapter that this mornings quiet time was ordained by Him.....it always is, but sometimes I miss the ordination. From the last two chapters of Everyday Talk
that I in my human"ness" had scheduled to finish last week but thought that I just didn't get to (God wanted me to read it today) to him leading me to read all of Ephesians 4 -- it was ordained. It was His timing. I needed to read Ephesians 4 today. I needed to be reminded of Paul's words to the church at Ephesus. That chapter -- it speaks to each one my "things" from this morning. The "church" things, the "wife" things, the "Mommy" things, the "friend" things, the "physical" things.....all of them in some way.
There is MUCH to grapple with in Ephesians --chapter 4. I fear this is God's way of telling me to study that chapter VERY deeply. {And then, I'm sure an indepth study of the whole book of Ephesians}
I just had to share this with you all today and now I will share Ephesians 4 with you.....because if you are reading this, maybe God ordained it for you today, too!!!!
Ephesians 4 (New Living Translation)
Ephesians 4
Unity in the Body
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift[a] through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,
“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”[b]
9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.[c] 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Living as Children of Light
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[d] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[e] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Anyway, what I wanted to share with you all is this.....
God's timing always amazes me. Life has been pretty hectic around here. Many, many things have been going on and many, many things have been affecting me spiritually.
There are "church" things, and "wife" things, and "Mommy" things, and "friend" things and "physical" things among others.
Well. This morning. I was at a breaking point. My anxiety has been building over this past week and really came to a high point on Saturday afternoon. Until this morning when I was feeling the break.
I got up and went to my "quiet time sanctuary". I sat down and began to journal my prayer to God. I told him of my troubles......physically, emotionally, spiritually......I then began to feel like I was complaining and needed to show God some gratitude so I thanked him for the pitter patter of the rain falling outside that I love hearing.
I read my bible reading for the day.....then I picked up the parenting book that I wanted to finish this morning, as I only had 2 chapters left. I've been reading Everyday Talk by John Younts. This is a fantastic parenting book about how we talk to our kids. I have learned so much!!! As I started reading, I expected for God to speak to me about my everyday talk to my kids. And it did.....BUT (and to the point of my post) it also spoke to me about all those other "things" in my life. It led me to Ephesians 4 by having me read Ephesians 4:14 and 29......
I read those but then decided I needed to read what was around those verses as I often do.
When I read it I knew that chapter that this mornings quiet time was ordained by Him.....it always is, but sometimes I miss the ordination. From the last two chapters of Everyday Talk
that I in my human"ness" had scheduled to finish last week but thought that I just didn't get to (God wanted me to read it today) to him leading me to read all of Ephesians 4 -- it was ordained. It was His timing. I needed to read Ephesians 4 today. I needed to be reminded of Paul's words to the church at Ephesus. That chapter -- it speaks to each one my "things" from this morning. The "church" things, the "wife" things, the "Mommy" things, the "friend" things, the "physical" things.....all of them in some way.
There is MUCH to grapple with in Ephesians --chapter 4. I fear this is God's way of telling me to study that chapter VERY deeply. {And then, I'm sure an indepth study of the whole book of Ephesians}
I just had to share this with you all today and now I will share Ephesians 4 with you.....because if you are reading this, maybe God ordained it for you today, too!!!!
Ephesians 4 (New Living Translation)
Ephesians 4
Unity in the Body
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift[a] through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,
“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”[b]
9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.[c] 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Living as Children of Light
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[d] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[e] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Hope you all have a great Monday. I'm off to ponder on Ephesians 4 as I clean house, run errands, and have a meeting this afternoon.
In HIM-
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