Courage...

One question that pops into my head frequently is "how do I live all out for God"? I feel like sometimes I'm not doing enough. Just recently, I read "Same Kind of Different as Me" and it's a great book (true story) about how God works in people's lives. A married couple volunteers at a homeless shelter and befriends a homeless person, who is now like family. This got me thinking...

I work downtown, and every morning I see about at least one homeless person that I just pass on by. Honestly, sometimes I am scared to make eye contact. But after I read the book, I thought to myself, why don't I just make a sandwich every morning and give it to a homeless person that I see on my way to work.

So...I bought some bread and PB&J...had the stuff ready to make a sandwich. I haven't made one yet. As I walked to work one morning, I noticed the homeless person that I've seen for awhile now, asleep on the sidewalk. What if starts playing in my head...what if I place the sandwich next to him and he gets mad because I woke him up. What if he doesn't want the sandwich...what if he becomes violent towards me?

Just this last weekend, I read another book, and one of the characters always carried a sandwich with her to give to a hungry person. Another sign? Maybe...

Then, earlier this week, I was walking to the bus stop on the way out of work, and I notice a homeless person up ahead. Now, normally, I don't usually give people cash, mostly because I rarely carry cash, but sometimes I think that this could just be my excuse. In my bag I had four dollars, and thought to myself I could give this guy the few dollars. I passed by him (just walking by, not giving him anything), and there he sat, saying obscene things to me. I was stuck at the intersection waiting for the crosswalk light to give me a go, and I could still hear him calling for my attention. I didn't know if I should walk to the other side, or just wait until I could cross in the direction I needed to go. I waited it out, thankfully, it wasn't too long.

Walking to the bus stop, I could hear his words replaying in my head. I just took one step back, maybe I shouldn't help the homeless?

Or is that just Satan trying to pull me away? Could be, I don't really know.

Where is the courage I should have? Why am I so scared to step out my comfort zone?

Psalm 27:14
Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Distinguishing...

How do we distinguish between God's plans for us, our plans, and even the evil that we sometimes mistake as God's plan for us?

Alot of times we say well it was God's plan, or God's will. What about the bad, sad, horrible things that happen in this world? Is it really God speaking to us or trying to get our attention? I think that sometimes we think that the bad around us must be God's plan since maybe he didn't stop it, or prevent it. He didn't intervene...why?

What is it exactly that God is trying to get across when He makes bad things happen to us? There is something wrong with that question - God doesn't make bad things happen to us. We may be mistaking evil for God's will. Or even our own free will and choices that we ourselves make...

I asked my friend if God disciplines us by causing terrible things to happen to us, like the way shepherds would break a sheep's leg in order to protect them and get them to listen to the Shepherd. This was her response, "No God doesn't do that. We live in a fallen world and those things happen. I think the Shepherd did that to put the sheep in time out, so to speak, so it can be still and heal. What's interesting is when a bone is broken it grows back even stronger."

Distinguishing correctly - not a simple thing to do. It's so easy to blame God for all that goes bad. But we do live a fallen world, where evil and our own free will reign.

Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.

Redemption...

I love the word "redemption". Redemption is the act of redeeming. Redeeming is defined as the following:

a. to buy back
b. to free from what distresses
c. to change for the better
d. repair, restore
e. to atone for

A good friend once told me that God is in the business of "redeeming" :)

Redemption, have you ever felt God's redemption? I have. It's not just something that happens once, at least not for me. It happens every time I make a mistake, every time I make a bad decision or selfish decision. I can feel God redeeming me and saying, "it's ok, just try again".

God has bought me back from all my sins. He has freed me from my guilt. He has changed me for the better. He has repaired my broken ways and broken thoughts on how to live. He sent Jesus to atone for my sins, for all of our sins.

And with redemption comes freedom, freedom from the past, freedom from the world, freedom from guilt. Freedom to believe and know God is the Almighty, freedom to believe and know that God is the Redeemer, freedom to believe and know God will always redeem.

"O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin." Psalm 130:7-8

Nothing more...

There is nothing more incredible than God's people, in one place, worshipping Him. I have experienced this quite a few times and each time it is the greatest feeling.

Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11