Apr 21, 2010

THIS TIME

THE FOLLOWING IS A RE-POSTED BLOG I WROTE LAST JANUARY DURING NEW YEARS... ENJOY.

During this time of year the cliche' arises of those well known "New Year Resolutions". Although many start strong, it's very few who finish strong. I regret to say that I can't even remember what resolutions I set at the beginning of of last year but this year, things will be different.

I have learned so much about God. We THINK we have him all figured out at times and we're sooo wrong. You see it's not about God being so concerned with our spiritual life. The fact is He is overall concerned with our life in general! He doesn't just want to be a part of our spiritual life, he wants to redeem our life- yes all of it!

I received a very interesting e-mail forward once- (let me just say I hate forwards whether it be through e-mail or a text, it's got to be EXTREMELY inspiring for me to even read it nonetheless to even pass it on). With that said, I opened this one and it was brief- short and to the point it read as follows "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did."

To make my point.... I was reading in Genesis when Jacob made an agreement with Rachel's father to work 7 years to make Rachel his wife. Note: Rachel was beautiful and radiant and she had a sister (Leah) who was "not so pretty" so the Bible states I just rather use the word ugly haha. Anyway, At the end of the 7 years, rather than getting Rachel, the woman he worked so hard for, he gets Leah. Jacob, although he did not love Leah, he gave her a son. Leah gives birth to their first son and says "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now" and named him Reuben. The second time she said "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too" and named him Simeon. The third time around she said "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi. She conceived again ( I know you'd think Jacob would stop by now...), and when she gave birth to this son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. To make the long story short, God saw Leah's struggle for her husband's love but in her struggle she turned to God and said "This time I will praise you" and God beautified her!

I dont know what your struggle is, but I do know mine. What I'm saying is no matter what we went through last year and years before, all though we complain and nag sometimes "THIS [YEAR] PRAISE THE LORD" this year will be different if you believe it! Sometimes all we can do is praise because you wont always get an answer. Maybe you will or maybe you wont but that is up to God. We can only do what's possible and leave the rest to HIM.

Continuing with the last part of what the forwarded e-mail I received, it read: "The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. " This year I am choosing to live in God's Grace and that will overlap all my resolutions and transform them into his exquisite sublime plan. It doesn't matter what the future holds as long as you know who's holding you. What will you choose to do THIS TIME? Will you finish Strong?