Pressed For Time

When you're pressed for time, it's hard to think of those around you. Sometimes in these situations we can be irritated by those around us to want to interrupt us from what we're trying to do.

We must try not to be irritated by others because they want some of our time. After all how do you know you'll not be presented with a wonderful opportunity to spend God's message of love!

Philippians 1:12 (NLT)
Everything that has happened to me here has helped me spread the Good News".
We can't afford to shut ourselves off completely from others around us, as God wants us to spread His word throughout the world but how can we do that if we get irritated by others and fail to take advantage of situations as they present themselves.

Sometimes I think we just need God to remind us of our priorities. People are our priority (see me blog post Putting People and Christ First. This is simply a lesson we have to learn over and over again...People come first!

Putting People and Christ First

People matter more than schedules
People matter more than programs.
Making people a priority means putting people first...That is the way Jesus lived his life, so that is why God wants us to live that way too.

Micah 6:8 (NLT)
The Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires you to do: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

All these requirements will affect everyone around us. Doing what is right means living rightly in everything we do, wherever we are and whoever we are with. In responding rightly to wrong behaviour and judging rightly when conflicts arise.

Of course Christ did all these things perfectly, he will give us his nature so we have the power to do what we would be powerless to do in our own strength.

Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

In other words, putting people first will make you more like Jesus who always made sure his relationships, first with God and then with people, were his top priorities.

God Knows

Phillipians 4:6-7 (The Message)
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

When we pray, we invite God to enter into our heart and guide us through each day. Prayer is our way of connecting with God, of talking directly to Him.

Bur don't ever forget, that we don't have to pray to let God know how we are feeling or what we need, because God knows what's in our heart. God made each of us with His own hands, so He already knows everything about us, He knows our every thought and our every feeling, even before we know them ourselves!

When we are struggling or facing difficult times, that's when we often plead with God to listen to our prayers. Why do we plead with God? Is it because we think He isn't listening to us, or doesn't care about it? Far from it, as I said earlier, God knows what we are needing before we even ask Him, so He's not forgotten us. God cares about us more than anyone else, so He would not desert us in our hour of need.

God knows everything about you - He knows your every fear and your every need.

A Child's Prayer...

Forgiven

Phillipians 4:8-9 (The Message)
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Do you find yourself dwelling in the past and what might have been?
I think we're all guilty of that at times. We tend to forget that it's called "the past" for a reason - it's happened, it's over and we can't change any of it. We find ourselves dwelling on things that we feel we have failed at, situations that we which we'd handled differently, or conversations we wish we'd said (or not said) something.

Before we know where we are, we find ourselves focusing in on our failures. Instead of leaving these events in the past and moving on. Just because we've failed at something in the past doesn't mean we will continue to fail - After all they always say, "Practice makes perfect"!

If we let our past failures consume our thoughts and control our emotions we will continue to be a prisoner of our past. God needs/wants us to let go of our past failures, and in doing experience a joy which can only be found through Him.

God is willing to forgive us of all our wrongs, so surely we should be able to forgive ourselves?

Don't live in regret as it will change nothing for the better and will only cause you more pain.

Forgive yourself and move on!
Live in the present not the past, and live it in Jesus' name!

All We Need Is Jesus

God He Reigns and All I Need Is You

Holy One
Holy One
Al creation bows to worship
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Glory in the highest

I will sing
I will sing His praises forever

God He reigns
God He reigns
Holy is the Lord of heaven
God He reigns
God He reigns forever more

All I need is You
All I need is You Lord
Is You Lord

Simple words, but words which which I truly believe. Do you believe that all you need is Jesus?


Phillipians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus


Help us spread the message of Jesus to the world, so that all creation bows to worship God. Help the world believe that Jesus is all they need.

Never Again

We all do things which we later regret and go on to say "we'll never to that again!". Have you then found yourself doing that same thing again another time, despite having promised not to do it? I know I have.

We often make promises which we don't keep, however God has made many promises but keeps them all. When God says "Never again", he really does mean never again.



When we experience God's faithfulness, it helps us to trust him more. Life's experiences help us to look back and see that God's promises and judgements have come true.

After a cataclysmic event in your life, it helps to reestablish your devotional life. I certainly found during the last few years when health issues seemed to take over my life that is is more important than ever to listen for God's "never again" and start looking for His rainbows. Spend time reading the promises of God in the bible - I found highlighting them was helpful to me, as it made it easier to refer back to them later for reassurance.


But what exactly can we be sure about?

God promises that sin need never again control us (Romans 8:9-11).

He promises that we need not be afraid ever again (John 14:27).
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

He promises that his peace will guard our hearts and minds (Phil 4:7).
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

He promises that we need never be ignorant of his will for his word will be a "lamp" and a "light" to our path (Ps 119:105).

He promises that we need never again be defeated Christians (Rom 8:37).

As we read our bibles, God's rainbows colour our perspectives.
Be encouraged! God's promises never fail.

Prayer

Philippians 4:6-7 (New Living Translation)
Don’t worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.


The video which follows features a talented young man called Connor Deal singing the beautiful Rebecca St. James song "A Cradle Prayer". It's a beautiful song with special words, made all the more speacial as Connor Lee Deal died at the age of 12 on Feb 17 this year (2009).

Connor sang this solo as part of the Amarillo South Church Christmas production in December, 2007 when he was 11 years old. I know it's only May just now, but the music and words of this song are special too me, and Connor's performance touched me when I heard it earlier this week, so I make no appologies for featuring a nativity scene in May.


Connor will be missed by his friends and family. To find out more about Connor and his music, please visit www.CaringBridge.org/visit/connordeal.

A Cradle Prayer
(Music by Charles Garrett & Words by Rebecca St. James)

Jesus I love you my Lord my life
Where would I be without you
Here in the quiet, the still, the night
I am in awe of you

Trials may come and friends they may go
What really matters is you my Lord

Beautiful Savior my God, my friend
I am in awe of you
Lord I am in awe of you

Trials may come and friends they may go
What really matters is you my Lord

Jesus I love you my Lord my life
Where would I be without you
Here in the quiet, the still, the night
I am in awe of you

Why would you, Creator and King
Come as a baby for all, for me

Beautiful Savior, my God, my friend
I am in awe of you
I am in awe of you