Change it up

          
Isaiah 55:6-7 (NIV)

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

During my devotion time this morning I was rehashing some of my thoughts and feeling from yesterday. As I was walking A.J. I thought about how repetitive my life had become. I commiserated over the fact that I get myself into ruts and don't even try to get out; I just plug along until I realize I am not very happy with my life.

I wrote about my feelings and acknowledged that feelings aren't facts...but they are real and need to be dealt with.  So I inquired of Jesus, "Is there a Word from You today that will speak to this?" And of course there was. I was prompted to turn to my Bible and read about God's grace.

1. How sufficient it is.
2. How free it is
3. How undeserved it is
4. How I need to revel in these facts and not dwell on the feelings

I knew something had to change. So, I thought why not change up my routine. Make all things (fresh) new. Start each day in His Presence and recognize His Presence all day long. I needed to get 'unstuck' and move forward.

Much of the good that has come about in my life is due to the fact that God knew what was best for me and those around me. His heart was soft and his love so completely perfect, that I know if I had my own way during certain seasons, it would have been devastating. My life today would look different and I would be different.

Each time I prayed for 'a cup to pass me by', God said, "uh, uh, you need to experience this, you can learn and grow from it." These things still happen to me today too. But it is also good to recognize that God can grow us through the good times.

When I am stuck in the midst of a drama filled season I can trust God knows what is going to take place when I turn the page. I have confidence that He has already written the next chapter of my life and that it is important I walk through whatever valley I find myself.
        

1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1

This past year has been an eye-opener for me.  I never thought of myself as one to worship anything but God.  Then my husband died and my life became unstable.  I found myself fearful because the anchor and the security I felt were no longer with me.  I discovered my idol was financial security.

Idolatry, a serious problem even today, takes a different form than in Paul's time. We don't put our trust in statues of wood and stone but in paper money and plastic cards. But, we get into the same trouble the Corinthian people did.  We face God's displeasure.  The Bible teaches putting our trust in anything but God is idolatry. What is a modern day idol for you?  When we recognize those things we put before God we can begin to understand Paul's words to "flee from the worship of idols". 

"Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?  Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf." (1 Corinthians 10:14-17)

My devotional reading each day challenge me to accept the fact that I am made stronger through trials, my faith grows when heartache and pain enter my life.  I resisted this concept for months, enjoying the occasional pity party as I allowed the loss of my husband and then my idol (security) to imprison my happiness.  I was shackled by chains of fear and doubt.  Slowly, God has been revealing to me that He is all I need.  His grace is sufficient for me.  Is there an idol in your life?

Read the 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 text here.  Listen to an audio reading of 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 here.