Control

It is kind of funny that my blog is titled relax God is in control. Funny because even though I tell everyone else to relax, I haven't really heeded my own advice. The reason I am coming clean now is because lately I have relaxed and trusted in His control and life has been a whole lot better. Now I won't say it has been a whole lot easier, but it has been better. How better? My prayer for those that God has put in my care is that they would respond to the Holy Spirits call on their lives and passionately follow Jesus. Now for the longest time I felt as if it was my duty to make that happen, so I did my dead level best to make that happen. Sometimes to a disastrous end. I have unintentionally hurt many people and for that I am sorry. Meaning well but going about it all the wrong way. So recently I have made it a daily discipline to hand the reigns over to the One who does all things well. I am still passionate about wanting people to follow Jesus passionately, but now I am relying on the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to make it happen. And you know what? It is working!!!!

Deliverence

I still can't get over that God wants to hang out with us. Do you like to be around someone who consistently fails to listen to your advice or who makes you look bad? I run from those kind of people and yet God according to Exodus 3 verse 8 "comes down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey..." not only did He come down but He gives them more than they deserved.

Friend take some time to reflect on the fact that this amazing, Holy, unchanging God came down to rescue you. Not for any other reason than for His good pleasure and for His glory, not because you can sing or you can teach or you can do anything. I know that sounds kind of harsh but it is what it is. Listen to this, the Lord is speaking to Moses and He is telling Him what is going to happen with them and Pharaoh after they leave Egypt. The Bible says "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea." "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.' "Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord."
You see the Lord put them in a seemingly impossible position so that the Egyptians would once again experience His supernatural power. Right now you may be in a situation that you think is inescapable. Your back is against the wall. Honestly, you don't see how things are going to work out. Trust in God. He is the deliverer. Not because you deserve it or even need it. It is so that those around you can see this amazing God, maybe for the first time.
Trust Him and you will echo the words of Moses after they crossed the Red Sea, "The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God and I will praise Him;... till next time.

In the Midst of the Details

Need to get some perspective on your life? Why not read the story of Joseph in the Bible. It is found from Genesis chapter thirty till the final chapter of Genesis chapter fifty. In these twenty chapters you read about betrayal, deception, temptation and death. God is in the midst of forming a group of people who He will use to bless the nations of the world. In the midst of the details of Josephs life we see how God is working to keep His promise that He made to Abraham not long ago. The perspective we need to see is that God is not a microwave, he slowly and methodically work in and behind the situations in our lives. He is moving on the behalf of His people but ultimately He is keeping His promises. Did Joseph have to go through some heartache? Yes he did. 22 years worth but compared to the 71 years of blessings he shared with his newly reconciled family it was a short hiccup. Whatever you are going through, if you have aligned your story to His, He is faithful and He keeps His promises. Just ask Joseph.