It's A Snow Day! 😃

Hi everyone!

I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday in the Lord! It is raining here in Florida. I just have an overwhelming feeling inside of me to just use today as a chill day. It just feels like one of those days where you just need to grab a big cup of cocoa, like a snowy day, be still, and sit by the fire with your feet tucked under you. It's a good day to just go nowhere and do nothing but relax and just be.

I grew up in the north. We had lots of rainy days or snowy days. I had lots of time (as a kid) to just sit and watch the weather or to reflect and ponder. I miss those days. Now, many years later, I am married and living in a completely different climate. We don't have very much precipitation. We, of course, don't have snow days here but not many rainy ones, either. Our weather is hot, hotter, muggy, or a combination thereof. 😂 A Florida rain lasts about 15 minutes usually around 3:00 or so in the afternoon. It can rain multiple times but usually never more than 30 minutes, unless there's a hurricane.

Today is one of those days that is supposed to be scattered thunderstorms all day long. There's been a continuous gentle rain for a while now. It's got me feeling nostalgic. I heard a really good sermon this morning. Those two things combined just have me feeling chill and wanting to relax and unwind and to just not speak so much just listen for God's voice. However, I know one of the things I heard him say was to blog this. I felt pressed to put this post out. I'm sure it will be a blessing to someone.

So, the sermon that I was listening to today was from Pastor Steven Furtick at Elevation Church. He titled the message "Did I Ask?" It was a really good sermon. I'll link it in this post. I really recommend watching it. There's some really good takeaway to it. 

One of my realizations was for all moments, with what  little that I can do, I can and should ask God for His opinion and His input more often. Let's be real. We know we should let Him lead. But do we?  Too often, we don't. We get in the driver's seat and try to lead our own lives. You know we say things like,  "God is my copilot." Is that really true? And if it is true, it shouldn't be. He should be the pilot first and foremost. We should just be his companion. We shouldn't even really be His copilot. He doesn't need one. Okay, true enough, there are things we need to decide how we are going to react and respond and there are times of action but those are the times where we see how much faith and obedience we truly have and how much we have listened to Him prior. We shouldn't even be in the driver's seat. We should always seek him out first and ask Him to lead. The action required by us follows like with Abraham. "Go to a land I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)  We should let God be behind the wheel of our lives. But do we? I think most of us, myself included, don't let him take control or lead often enough. I've heard it said before, and it's true, that we don't really ask for God's opinion on a matter before we tell him what we want and then just ask him for his rubber stamp of approval.

Wow. And then we wonder why things turn out the way that they do. We wonder why we hadn't done stuck in a rut. We wonder how we got to this point? We want to know where God is. We want to know why He didn't work things out a different way. Well, how could He? Did we ask Him to be part of the journey? Did we ASK for His opinion? Did we ask him to lead? Did we ask approval BEFORE we took action?  Proverbs 3 says, 

"1 My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. 3 Let not mercy and Truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lead not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be a health to your flesh and strength to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the lord, nor detest his correction; for whom the lord loves he corrects just as a father the son and whom he delights."

Mostly no. Too often, we don't ask His input on a situation we're facing. We just try to ride the rails and see where they take us we try to make the best decisions from what knowledge and resources we have. Even if mentioned in prayers, we just tend to follow our own insight. To be honest, I'm sure that the Holy Spirit is still trying to lead us even though we don't take time to listen. I'm sure that God is definitely still watching after and keeping things from getting too far out of hand. But how much better would it  be if we actually just trusted Him in the first place? How much better would it be if we said, "God I need you. Guide me and direct me in this situation. I don't know what to do. Please show me the steps that I need to take and help me walk it for Your Glory in Jesus name."  Sometimes we say that but we still just blindly do what we want. 

Today just feels like a day to just kind of let all of that roll off to let all of the crud from rest of the week/ month/ year just be washed away in the rain like showers of blessing. We should just take time to ley all of the negative and chaotic stuff be washed away from us,  out of our souls and just reflect on God and His goodness and his mercy and compassion and love- to trust with complete confidence that He knows us. He formed us in our mother's womb and knitted us together. (Psalm 139:13-18) If not for His divine inclination, we wouldn't even be here. So, Who better to drive our lives than our Creator? He has a plan and a purpose for us (Jeremiah 29:11-14). You should always take advice from somebody smarter than yourself rather than someone who is not even as smart as you feel you are. So, the question is, again, why should we be more qualified to lead our lives than God?

I don't know where you are in your walk today. I don't know the specific situations that you're going through and I'm not asking for that information. I'm just suggesting maybe today would be a good day for you and me to just take time to spiritually set with a cup of cocoa with our heels tucked up under us just relax and patiently waiting for God to speak to us and ask questions. Ask Him what his will is for your life right now or in the future. Ask how should you handle this thing that you have going on or the situation with the person... Instead of giving into assuming you know the outcome, make your prayers and petitions known to God and then just quietly and patiently wait for the answers. (Philippians 4:4-7) Maybe He will answer you right away and maybe He won't. But if he doesn't answer you right away, just praise Him in the hallway until He does. Just take time to sit at His feet spiritually and just be grateful. Be grateful for all of the things that He has done and all the love that He has shown you. 

If you don't have a history with God like that, ask yourself some questions. Have you actually let God truly into your heart - to ALL the places in your heart. Have you given God had a chance and opportunity to show you and shower you with His love? Has He had a chance to lead your life? Have you listened to the prompting of His Spirit or have you kept the door closed? 

In all honesty, the door could be closed whether you're a believer or not a believer.  Life knocks us down at times. We can be shaken by it. We should be standing on God's word and we should be looking at mirror and seeing His reflection. We are created in His image. We are called to be sons and daughters of God. We are called to be His children. So when we look in the mirror, what should we see? Should we see insecurities, frustration, and impossibilities? If we have accepted salvation through Jesus Christ, we  have God's DNA and nothing is impossible with Him. Jesus said in John 15:5, 

"I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

So, if there's any lack in our lives, we will probably trace it back to our time spent with Him. There is no question that He is faithful. The question is: How faithful are WE to HIM? 

There's always a reason for everything that we go through. It's either a lesson or a blessing. Some things are meant to stretch and grow us in our faith and our walk with him. Sometimes we are allowed to be stretched so that we can see that He's always there that He always provides. Yet, sometimes things are tough and roads are rocky because we haven't reached out. His grace is sufficient and He is enough. No matter what today, spend some time reflecting and you'll see that He's always right there with you. He wants to be. If you feel like there's only one set of Footprints in the Sand, then He has been carrying you.

May you abide in Him always and He will abide in you, so that you bear much fruit.

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [g]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." ~ Galatians 5:22-23

{Written on Sunday, September 20, 2020 but editing delays caused posting date of Wednesday, September 23, 2020.}

Did I Ask? - Pastor Steven Furtick at Elevation Church

Showers of Blessing - Vocal by Blessy Ann Jojy