“AND THERE ARE ALSO MANY OTHER THINGS WHICH JESUS DID, THE WHICH, IF THEY SHOULD BE WRITTEN EVERY ONE, I SUPPOSE THAT EVEN THE WORLD ITSELF COULD NOT CONTAIN THE BOOKS THAT SHOULD BE WRITTEN. AMEN.” – JOHN 21:25

How much does my Heavenly Father care for me?

This post references Matthew 6 a lot.  It wasn’t intentional, but it seems to be very fitting and relevant.

When God is quiet it is easy to believe the lies that He’s not listening because you’ve prayed for the same thing over and over (AND OVER).  Maybe the lie you hear is He didn’t hear that prayer or you didn’t ask it right.  Maybe the lie is that you must be doing something wrong that needs to be corrected in order for God to bless you with certain things.  Maybe the lie you hear is God is too busy with the world going down in flames to worry about your little life.

How will you pay your car note?  Or what about the 400th mechanic bill for that beat down car you need to get to work to get the pay check to pay the car note?  How will you make rent and/or buy groceries this week?  What if your spouse left you and you’re a single parent?  What if someone in your family got sick?  Who will take care of your family while you’re running back and forth to the Dr?  How will you get all that time off from work to be able to care for your loved one?  What if that medical bill from that emergency visit came in the same week you had to put your car in the shop?

What if… what if… what if…

Maybe if you did “this” you would get what you so desperately wanted.  That mentality puts the Almighty God in a box and forces a works vs grace based faith.

“FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST.  FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD HATH BEFORE ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.” – EPHESIANS 2:8-10

You know what that means?

“ARE NOT FIVE SPARROWS SOLD FOR TWO FARTHINGS, AND NOT ONE OF THEM IS FORGOTTEN BEFORE GOD?  BUT EVEN THE VERY HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD ARE ALL NUMBERED. FEAR NOT THEREFORE: YE ARE OF MORE VALUE THAN MANY SPARROWS.” – LUKE 12:6-7

He knows the number of hairs on your head.  You don’t have to do anything.  He’s aware of everything going on in your life.  You can just sit back and be knowing that your Heavenly Father has you.  He’s already got everything taken care of.  He knows the end from the beginning and we can find rest in Him.  He knows we will have trouble in this life which is why He sent the Comforter… His Holy Spirit… to be with us always.  We can have peace in turmoil.  We can be content when our world is turned upside down.  He knows the number of hairs on our head…. That is some serious interest in your life.  Who else would have that much interest in you?  He is the Creator.  He knows.  You are not forgotten.  He sees you right where you are and knows what you need before you even ask (Matthew 6).  You cannot be plucked from His hand (John 10).

I was reminded today how God takes care of us in the little things.

I love my job because I get to see and talk to all kinds of people all day.

God has truly created each of us uniquely different from each other.  While there is nothing new under the sun no two people are the same and that is truly a miracle.  We are not here on accident.  We are here for a purpose and not randomly existing.

One of my favorite clients is an elderly African American woman.  She loves Jesus and sports, but I can only relate to one of those.

A few months ago I had been praying about something and in one day God sent 3 people (yes, 3! I am stubborn…) to answer me and this lady was one of them.  That Friday I told her how God used her and her response, before I could even finish my sentence, was “confirmation…. I know” and just shook her head.

Being a Christian is so cool because you get to see the Holy Spirit in people.  You get to witness that mutual Jesus connection and understanding without ever saying anything.

“THE SPIRIT HIMSELF CONFIRMS TO OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, AND IF CHILDREN, ALSO HEIRS—HEIRS OF GOD AND FELLOW HEIRS WITH CHRIST, IF INDEED WE SUFFER TOGETHER WITH HIM SO THAT WE MAY ALSO BE GLORIFIED TOGETHER WITH HIM.” – ROMANS 8:16-17

Flash forward to this morning when she walked in so excited because she got a parking spot right in front of the building.  She has trouble walking along with some medical problems.

I said, “Blessings”.

That’s all I said and she said, “You know I pulled in that parking spot and thanked God for it.  You know, you’re a Sister so you understand, but there are some folks who wouldn’t understand this or know how great He is.”
Me: “And there’s nothing you can say or do to convince them.”

God is not the author of confusion and Jesus is the Prince of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).  He also cannot lie because that is not His character. He is faithful and is a promise keeper.  He finishes what He starts.  He never changes and is the same today as He was yesterday and will be the same tomorrow.

Whatever you are struggling to let go of is a matter of the flesh vs spirit. He will not send you into a situation where you have to wonder if it is from God. He has given us instructions to test the spirits. We will know the fruit of the situation and compare it to His word and there is your answer. It’s really that simple but we like to hold on to things because we can’t imagine something being better than what is in front of us. How many situations have you looked back and thanked God you didn’t get what you wanted so badly? You thought of you let it go you would die and you couldn’t imagine getting past it?

If you are a child of God then you already know He is enough. We are content without whatever we want because we already have Him who satisfies every need. He takes care of us. But, the blessing God has for you is greater than what you’re holding on to. If God is telling you to let go then you have to trust it is for your benefit. He doesn’t hate you. He loves you more than you could ever imagine.

Sometimes, it can feel like He’s not there, but in the silence is when we learn to trust. It’s easy to have faith when there are loud sirens all the time telling us what to do or not to do. But, when you cry out to God to answer and He doesn’t seem to its because He is teaching us patience and working out our weaknesses in the quiet. Just because He appears to be quiet doesn’t mean He is. His word is given to us to learn His ways and promises. We know his gifts and learn His character so we can understand situations of knowing if they are godly or not.

Our biggest desires are what God uses to draw us to Himself. It’s in the waiting and yearning for our heart’s desire that we learn how much He loves us. When we don’t have what we want in our hand we can still stand knowing He is God and He is still good.

He knows when we are ready to receive what we asked for and is preparing our hearts to receive it. When we allow His best with unwavering faith in our lives He shows up. Why would God bless rebellion or a heart that’s only half devoted to Him.  If you got what you so desperately wanted would you sill praise Him?

What is for you is for you.  You don’t have to chase it or do anything except walk right into that blessing.  When it is your time you won’t have to question or wonder about it because that door will have a sign with your name on it with flashing lights and wide open for you to run through.

I got saved almost 4.5 years ago this year.  I’ve worked at my current job almost 5 years.  Do you think God didn’t provide things for me and had a purpose for me being someplace I only planned on being for a few months??

One of my coworkers (and now friend) who is a Christian didn’t broadcast Jesus all the time, but my heart was craving Jesus and God used her in so many little ways to speak to me.  One day I came back from lunch and asked her if she wanted a cookie.  She got SO EXCITED… I mean WAY TOO EXCITED and said, “The Lord always takes care of His children in the littlest ways.”

“ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU; SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU: FOR EVERY ONE THAT ASKETH RECEIVETH; AND HE THAT SEEKETH FINDETH; AND TO HIM THAT KNOCKETH IT SHALL BE OPENED. OR WHAT MAN IS THERE OF YOU, WHOM IF HIS SON ASK BREAD, WILL HE GIVE HIM A STONE? OR IF HE ASK A FISH, WILL HE GIVE HIM A SERPENT?  IF YE THEN, BEING EVIL, KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS UNTO YOUR CHILDREN, HOW MUCH MORE SHALL YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN GIVE GOOD THINGS TO THEM THAT ASK HIM?”
– MATTHEW 7:11

I just stood there and thought, “It’s just a cookie?”, but never forgot that.  God planted that in my heart.  She told me that she had been wanting a cookie all day, but didn’t really need one and also didn’t want to spend the money.  ‘And then suddenly’ I walked in with that cookie and it is rare that I buy cookies from the cafeteria.

Flash forward a few years later when the exact thing happened to me in reverse.  I had been thinking of chocolate covered oreos from the gift shop ALL DAY.  I didn’t need them nor wanted to spend the money.  At the end of my shift one of the volunteers walked in and offered me the exact cookie that had been on my heart ALL DAY.  I was SO OVERLY excited and clearly they didn’t understand, but I took that blessing and said thank you!

Last year at some time a thought of a light colored jean jacket crossed my mind.

Why?  I don’t really have a reason, but I just wanted a light denim jacket.  I already had a denim jacket and didn’t need another.  I also didn’t need to spend extra money on one either since it wasn’t necessary.  It’s just a jacket.  My life moved on pretty fast with the fleeting thought and I never mentioned it aloud because it’s nothing worth mentioning.

A lady came into my work one day and said she had a bag of clothes for me.

“That’s ok.  Thank  you though.”
“What time do you get off?”

This lady was not taking no for an answer.

“Ok.  I’ll share them with the others.”
“No. They’re for you!”

Okkkkaaaaayyyyyyy……

I got off early one day when she brought them so I missed her, but she persisted.

The next day or soon after she came back and was unrelenting.  I left the desk to go to her car to get the bags of clothes.  I let people go through them, but there was nothing “of value” in there so they left them alone and laughed about it.  They made fun of me for having this bag of clothes.  For whatever reason I took them home and went through them.  All of a sudden there it was.  I pulled out a light colored denim jean jacket.

I just laughed out loud.  It was the only thing in the bag that fit me.

If God provides jackets for me how much nerve do I have to doubt he would provide the huge desires of my heart?  He uses these things like parking spaces and jackets to build our faith.  He sends us cookies to say, “Hey, I’m thinking of you.  I know I painted that beautiful sunrise this morning, but since you’re hungry here’s a snack…and a jacket… and a close parking spot because I know your knees are hurting.”

He’s provided money for random emergency room visits.  He’s worked out insurance and billing issues where there should have been problems.

Those things are just things.  They are just stuff.  But, when you’re a believer and you know Who sent them and there was no reason except to say, “Thank you, Father!” they are huge things.  He’s in the waiting.  He did not forget you.  He did not forget me.  People will look at you like you are insane if you tell them God gave you a cookie or a jacket.

“Uh huh”

But, to a fellow believer you get a warm smile and mutual understanding to just how great our God is.

Seasons change and when you know a new season is coming, but hasn’t arrived yet He is still God.  When the “new thing” (Isaiah 43:19) isn’t visible yet He is still God.

Life is uncertain.  Circumstances change.  My God remains the same.

“THEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, TAKE NO THOUGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, WHAT YE SHALL EAT, OR WHAT YE SHALL DRINK; NOR YET FOR YOUR BODY, WHAT YE SHALL PUT ON. IS NOT THE LIFE MORE THAN MEAT, AND THE BODY THAN RAIMENT?  BEHOLD THE FOWLS OF THE AIR: FOR THEY SOW NOT, NEITHER DO THEY REAP, NOR GATHER INTO BARNS; YET YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDETH THEM. ARE YE NOT MUCH BETTER THAN THEY?

WHICH OF YOU BY TAKING THOUGHT CAN ADD ONE CUBIT UNTO HIS STATURE?  AND WHY TAKE YE THOUGHT FOR RAIMENT? CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD, HOW THEY GROW; THEY TOIL NOT, NEITHER DO THEY SPIN: AND YET I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT EVEN SOLOMON IN ALL HIS GLORY WAS NOT ARRAYED LIKE ONE OF THESE.

WHEREFORE, IF GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS OF THE FIELD, WHICH TO DAY IS, AND TO MORROW IS CAST INTO THE OVEN, SHALL HE NOT MUCH MORE CLOTHE YOU, O YE OF LITTLE FAITH?  THEREFORE TAKE NO THOUGHT, SAYING, WHAT SHALL WE EAT? OR, WHAT SHALL WE DRINK? OR, WHEREWITHAL SHALL WE BE CLOTHED?

(FOR AFTER ALL THESE THINGS DO THE GENTILES SEEK:) FOR YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWETH THAT YE HAVE NEED OF ALL THESE THINGS.  BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.

TAKE THEREFORE NO THOUGHT FOR THE MORROW: FOR THE MORROW SHALL TAKE THOUGHT FOR THE THINGS OF ITSELF. SUFFICIENT UNTO THE DAY IS THE EVIL THEREOF.” – MATTHEW 6:24-34

 

After leaving the gym I thought “where could I go where it wouldn’t matter if I looked and smelled like a garbage can?”
Walk around the city.
Current mood:
A man extended his hand and asked if I would be his friend
“No thank you..”
I walked with a random Second Line with my gelato.
I get to the car and realize I typed the license plate wrong for parking so I waited to stalk a meter maid and all should be fine. Keeping my receipt…