What to write? What to write….that is a question.
Not many movies are watched these days in the Thompson household but Friday night we made an exception and it was worth it. Secretariat. It’s an excellent movie. If you have not seen it — get it and enjoy! Even while the credits rolled I heard a phrase that is yet with me. “You choose your race and then you run it.”
I immediately thought of choices. Choices I have made and this phrase rings loud and clear to me that those godly choices deserve my best run. My determination to make healthy food choices, both in selections and portions, deserves my best follow through — a trivial matter, one might say. But trivial given to JESUS just may lead to HUGE blessings from Him.
Then the most important of all choices. JESUS. Either I have chosen Him or I have not. And since I have, HE deserves my best run, all the way to the finish line.
1 Corinthians 9: (New International Version, ©2011)
23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. via 1 Corinthians 9:23-25 – Passage Lookup – New International Version, ©2011 – BibleGateway.com.
And when opposition and obstacles and criticisms come and they surely will — what then? Do we give up the race? Do we throw in the towel? Do we lay the ministry down? For sure it can be a strong temptation and processing the hardship or the pain may take some time but process we must — for our race we have chosen and run it we will. Because HE is worthy and to do anything less than our best is to throw the race.
Thank You, ABBA, for victories given this day. Thank You for battles fought and won today. Thank You for strength to continue on with yet other struggles. Thank You for Your Sure Promise to guide and uphold us in every step. Thank You for mercies and grace. Thank You for sermons heard and decisions made. Thank You for the will to run our races. Thank You for building courage in Your people. Thank for Jenny’s continued progress. Thank You for every touch of healing that You are giving to those we continue to bring to You again and again. Thank You for protection and safety given our IDOK Troops. Thank You for lessons learned; for insights You give. Thank You for instruction and correction; for the gift of conviction and repentance. Thank You for each IDOK and each Reader, I pray Your Word will find fertile soil and will yet bear fruit to Your glory. Amen and amen.
It is with grateful delight that I tell you a prayer request that I shared with you almost two years ago that was so private I gave no names only that those involved were an aunt and her niece was answered today! Our court systems grind slowly but they do grind and on occasion the ‘grain’ falls out on the right side!! Thank you for your prayers.
One more thing before I set this to post. Yesterday I was tenderly and strongly impressed with a prayer position – not physical positioning but heart-language positioning.
We don’t have to beg DADDY GOD to bless and heal and provide for us. We don’t have to beg Him to show up at church; we don’t have to beg Him for wisdom or to know His will in a matter.We don’t have to beg Him to do His will.
But we do.
Our words in prayer often sound like we believe we have to twist His arm to get Him to be good to us. Is that because that is what our emotions have believed about Him? I confess I’ve been there, I’ve done that more times and for more years than I care to admit here on this screen. But by His Grace yesterday and today I am learning better! Hallelujah!
Would we consider that this unsure praying is a disservice to Him and to us? Would not our faith grow stronger and our adoration for Him build if rather than pleading and begging Him to feed and clothe us and yes even heal us when we are sick if we thanked Him and just humbly expected Him to provide for us and just humbly expected Him to heal us the way He knows is best? Just expect Him to do His best for us? — I think He would like that. Don’t you?
Albeit there is a time for some pleading I believe. Some times when we must cry out to ABBA to have mercy; when we ask Him for food and clothing and shelter and healing and salvation for the lost — for those upon whom He is not obligated to shine His face but through our prayers He just might.
As I said I was tenderly and strongly impressed that how we pray matters, the words we use and for whom. We inside His Family can expect Him to do more and give more than we can think or ask; for those outside the Faith, we are privileged to go about doing good for them and interceding for them for His mercy and grace to be given to them.
And that’s the way I see it.
Until then+ + +
Kathie
