It's Not the How, It's the Who.

Earlier this week we got in on a little conversation between God and Job.  Every time I read the words penned in Job describing the strength, power, authority, and majesty of Jehovah God, I am awestruck at the vastness of Who He Is. 

I am awestruck and amazed that this BIG God capable of BIG things is also God of the small, like me. 

Sometimes when my thoughts go to that place of how powerful He is, my heart is quickened to the meaning of the reverent fear of God, but recently it developed into more than that in my heart. 

Yes, He wants me to have the respectful fear of Him, but I think He also wants me to realize how powerful He is, what He is capable of,  how detailed He is - not only so I fear Him, but so that I can completely trust Him. 

Do you get what I mean here? 

If He is responsible for and capable of all those things we read about in Job, there is nothing to big for Him to handle.  There is no situation in my life too great for His steering.

He makes me aware of all of this so that I. Can. Trust. Him.

When I was a little girl, in my eyes there wasn't anything that Daddy couldn't handle, no broken bicycle that he couldn't repair, and no 10th grade bully of his 2nd grade daughter that he wouldn't quickly address and correct.  Somewhere along the way, our little girl problems are replaced with big girl problems that our daddies can't necessarily fix. 

Do you see?  Because I know how BIG He is, I can see how small my problem is.  I can grasp His big hand with my little one, and as a child, walk alongside Him knowing Daddy will take care of it.   We can have that little girl faith again just knowing the strength of our Abba.  There is no problem too big for Him. 

Often we are faced with something that seems too big and our first thought is how is this going to work out, which pulls our eyes away from Who can work it out.   Have you ever noticed the order and similarity of those two words, made up of only three letters?  If you put the "w" in front, you no longer have how, but who.  He is the One who is the answer, and we longer have to dwell on the how.  It's not the how, it's the Who.

Just dwell on Who.

How can I pray for you today? Do you have a problem that seems big right now?




Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

This post is linked with Living Well Wednesdays

With Your Own Eyes

Questions God asks of Job - taken from Job 38,39,&42:

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? 

...Who determined its dimensions

and stretched out the surveying line?

What supports its foundations,

And who laid its cornerstone

As the morning starts sang together

And all the angels shouted for joy?

Who kept the sea inside its boundaries

As it burst from the womb,

And as I clothed it with clouds

And wrapped it in thick darkness?

For I locked it behind barred gates,

Limiting its shores.

I said, “This far and o farther will you come.

Here your proud waves must stop!”

Have you ever commanded the morning to appear

And caused the dawn to rise in the east?

Have you made the daylight spread to the ends of the earth,

to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?

….Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?

Have you explored their depths?

Do you know where the gates of death are located?

...Do you realize the extent of the earth?

Where does light come from,

And where does darkness go?

Can you take it to its home?

Do you know how to get there?

…Have you visited the storehouses of the snow

Or seen the storehouses of hail?

…Where is the path to the source of light?

Where is the home of the east wind?

…Does the rain have a father?

Who gives birth to the dew?

Who is the mother of ice?

Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?

…Do you know the laws of the universe?

Can you use them the regulate the earth?

Can you shout to the clouds

and make it rain?

Can you make lightening appear

And cause it to strike as you direct?

Who gives intuition to the heart

And instinct to the mind?

Who is wise enough to count all the clouds?

Who can tilt the water jars of heaven…?

Have you given the horse its strength

or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?

Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?

Its majestic snorting is terrifying!

It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength

When it charges out to battle.

It laughs at fear and is unafraid….

It paws the ground fiercely

And rushes forward into battle when

the ram’s horn blows…..

Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar

And spread its wings toward the south?

Is it at your command that the eagle rises

To the heights to make its nest?.....

Job responds:

I am nothing……..

...I know that you can do anything,

and no one can stop you.

...I had only heard about you before,

but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

Job knew, and so do you that every question could be answered with no other name but God.  This God who questions Job with authority and strength is the very God that is passionately jealous for you.  He is more than fierce about you and your heart and wants to give you His.  He wants to share in this life with you, not just observe you from afar as you go about your days.

Have you only heard about Him before, have you yet seen Him with your own eyes?

Oh, how I pray that not one more second passes before you see Him with your own eyes.  My sisters, He is everywhere.  Look around you. Step outside, see with your eyes, see with your ears, see with your skin, see with your heart, The Heart that beckons you day after day.

Watch for wings that take flight.

Watch for hills that roll.

Watch for the horse's majestic strength.

Watch for the pillows in the sky.

He is everywhere.

See Him with your own eyes, you will never be the same.

Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

It Was Simple Math

A few weeks ago I wrote this post and after exchanging whispers with God.  If you remember, I told you that God did answer my prayer that day and we spent some wonderful time together throughout my work day. 

He whispered back to my heart about a topic that He and I have visited often, but once again I found myself held hostage by this issue and desperately needed His help to break free.  My loving Father is always tender, kind, and gentle when He teaches me things about myself that need to change.  I recently told some friends that I had gotten my share of spankings from my dad growing up, but never did I ask for one.  The funny thing is, the "spankings" I get from Abba Daddy, although they are not easy, they leave me looking forward to the next "spanking" as an opportunity to learn from His discipline. If you find yourself disciplined by The Father, don't forget this verse, because it's important:  Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines...Hebrews 12:4.  After He and I got finished that day, I knew He must love me ALOT!

We talked about many things, but we spent most of our time on one subject.

We talked about simple math.

Mmm Hmm.  Simple math, like 2+2 = 4 simple.

I have struggled all of my life with seeking the approval of people, but as an adult, it has become a bigger problem.  Take a people pleaser and join her in marriage to a pastor, and Oh. My. Goodness.  It ain't gonna be easy.

This issue of where I get my value, and where I find my worth, I thought had been settled, but subtly that same sin had crouched at my heart's door and the moment it could sneak in, the enemy took full advantage of that opportunity.

And he was having a hey day with me.

I knew truth, I knew this verse: 

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?

Or am I striving to please men?

  If I were still trying to please men,

I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10

I knew it, but didn't use it.  I was like a cowgirl going up against Billy the Kid without a gun!  Without a weapon, I was sure to lose.  Truth wasn't leading me, emotion was, and when emotion leads, you do stupid things like show up for a shoot out with no gun. 

The emotions whirling around other people's opinions of myself and my husband were wreaking havoc on my life.  I was exhausted with trying to figure out all of the "why's" and "how come's".

I promise - I'm getting to the math part.  Hang with me.

The learning began at my desk admist piles of papers, patients, blood pressures, kleenex (ha!), and worship music.  Here's what He taught me - 

I cannot change people or their opinions.  My desire for their opinion about me to change is saying that God's opinion about me is not enough. 
  

Ouch, God, I never saw it that way, I whispered back to Him.  I'm sorry.  What You say IS enough.

My value cannot equal God's opinion added to man's opinion.  If that were the case, the result would be flawed because man's opinion cannot be pure because of our sinful state. He went on to illustrate with a math problem, after all, He IS the one who designed me, and He is very aware that I am a visual learner...

I mean, duh, yall.  2+2 = 4.  Add anything else to 2 and you're not gonna get 4, unless some of you smarty britches want to start talking positive and negatives, but that's not simple math anyway! 2+2= 4 just doesn't work any other way, and neither did my twisted equation about God's opinion + man's opinion.

It is what it is.   - as my friend Brittany would say.

My worth, my value comes from what God says about me.
If I am trying to please man, I am not trying to please God.  I can't please both.  If I make pleasing Him my goal, He will take care of the rest.

There was much more I learned from Him that day, and maybe I can share the rest some day soon.  In case you missed it, here's another post that was inspired from what He taught me after sharing those morning whispers.


Do you struggle with being a people pleaser?  If you do, I hope this helps you too.


Royal Princess Daughter Of The King