Transparent Test

Then the  Lord  said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. Exodus 16:4

Just reading the above verse... Isn't that the one of the hardest challenges you have ever heard?! "I'm giving food but don't get more than what you need for that day..." I'm thinking that will take work, precision, calculating how much everyone will eat and be full, timing (because you go out in the early morning to get the full day's worth).... or trust. Ouch! Here we go with that word again...

One of the most difficult things for me to understand, early on in my driving experience is the side mirrors... The message says "Objects in mirrors are closer than they appear". Even as I write this, I'm laughing at exactly what God means by it! I wonder if this is what pastors and leaders do when they are preparing for a message... Anyway, I always wondered what exactly it meant, because in my view, they never LOOKED closer when I looked in the mirror. I didn't grab hold of what Chevrolet, Nissan and the other car makers were trying to say at first. And then the other day, I saw this gorgeous car and wanted to take a picture of it. I gave, probably threw, my phone at my oldest child (they are so forgiving and accommodating) and asked her to be the photographer. Then I forgot about (A.D.O.W.T-attention deficit... ooh what’s that) it and went on with life. A few days later while cleaning my photo stream, I found it and immediately knew it would go with this as the flickering light in my head began the long task of switching on.

You see, what I had understood in the natural is NOT what God said in the Bible. Let me repeat that one more time. What had been my understanding with my natural eyes reading to me is not what God said when He breathed out His Word. My understanding is that I must be doing something wrong, my screw ups must be following me, I must be the black sheep and bringing about this stuff on myself. I must be pushing my blessings away as I continue to wake up and fail each day to make Him first. That I need more and He must be okay with me suffering. But His Word says HE will rain down from heaven, and I only need to take what I need for the day. He says that He will supply all my needs. He says that He will open a window in Heaven and pour out and that what He gives I will not have room enough to receive.

But that side view into my circumstances, Lord. These bills, Lord. The cramped place and borrowing the car, Lord. The sickness, Lord. The doctor says 6 months, Lord. He says he wants a divorce, Lord. They told me I would never have kids, Lord. No... what I didn't realize was the purpose of the side view mirror. I am one that always turns around when I drive. I do look into the side mirror but also over my shoulder. Here is the difference between looking and relying only on the side view mirror. You will not see what is in your blind spot. You will not see cars that are right beside you or passing. Accidents happen more so for those who only trust the side view. I've almost been in that predicament a few times. The same is relevant spiritually. When we focus more on the side view, what we CAN see, in our lives, we are more prone to crash or panic and worry.

He has set a table before us in the presence of our enemies. Let's focus on Him and not them. Eyes off the side view and on the road please. You will get a distorted view because the objects in the mirror (though the blessings seem far off and the road dark) are closer than they appear.

Transparent P.U.S.H.

"pray without ceasing," 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Just Do It. Such a simple statement that we all see and picture a bubble like check mark when we see it. But what are we supposed to "Just Do?" When I looked it up on Google, I came up with a couple of different statements. One basically says Nike wanted a good way to say, "Don't talk about it, be about it." The other was that the executives were trying to come up with a catchy slogan and this one was on a post it. I wonder who wrote it and if they got a percentage of the profits from it. Probably not! It reminds me of the time I was in a meeting and my idea was heard and shot down, only to come back up by someone else the next meeting and it was accepted. Talk about needing some time to pray! 

Have you ever been in need of something and it seemed like you were praying for quite some time with no relief in sight? I have. I have been praying for awhile now for a vehicle. Not just any vehicle, but for a specific vehicle. A vehicle from God. You see a few years ago, I surrendered my life to Christ and in doing so, among the promise of eternal life (which in and of itself is alone awesome) God told me He would give me a car. Not lead me to one to buy or provide money for me to rent one or even other's cars to use, all of which He has done while I wait to procure mine from Him..... in other words, pray. I have had a couple of vehicles since that promise, long term rental and a car bought for me. Both are gone, the rental turned in after having an accident and spent much money (not all my money) and the other died (engine problems). I should have taken the Nike stance point and just did it.... pray that is. 

Prayer, I don't think is never meant to be a blah blah blah, Amen type of thing. Although there are certain prayers I have learned and am still learning is that when God promises something to us, He doesn't put a date on it. He just says, "pray without ceasing," and as we are obedient, He will answer. That doesn't mean don't move at all! No, that means to continue with what He has already having you do (Matthew 6:33) and while we are doing that very thing He commanded, pray in the midst of it. I can see that I need a car. God can see that I need a car, yet while I am in need of my own, I am blessed with using my mother's vehicle. It gets frustrating because of the work that is needed to be done and the pit less gas tank her truck seems to have, but nevertheless I am thankful.... and I continue to pray. I pray for her vehicle, that it would continue to hold up, I pray that mine would come soon, I pray for the resources to fix up her car and pour endless amounts of gas in the guzzler called a gas tank, and I pray for mine to hurry up and get here! Then I begin to see that sharing a car with my mother allows me to pray for her as well. I pray when she is in the car, when I can see her mood is not the best or the enemy has been on her back. Mostly I pray when she is sleeping in the car, because that is often, that God would intervene. I'm even sometimes venting about things, including her sometimes in the car. She thinks I'm just not social but it's just I'm being more social with God... especially when she is complaining. But nevertheless, besides my own sanctuary room, the truck is where I most convene with God!

To cease is to put an end to, to stop, to discontinue. Prayer without ceasing is to continue to pray, regardless of how you feel, regardless of how things looks, regardless of what the doctor says, regardless of the utilities being off, the refrigerator being empty, the bills coming in or the spouse or child going out. CONTINUE praying, pray WITHOUT ceasing! When you most feel the pressure, pray. When you feel like things are going your way, pray. It doesn't matter if, like Paul, you are without or have plenty, pray without ceasing! You never know what God will reveal in the pit or on the pedestal!

Father, thank You for being the ear we can cry to! Thank You for being the Provider and Portion we need. Lord while we are in the need, You comfort until You supply. David says in Psalm 65:13 that in the valley we will have plenty and I thank You that it is so true. We know that You hear us because Your Word says You do and we know that those who believe and request in Jesus name receive, so thank You in advance! Give us courage to pray without ceasing while we wait for You to answer those requests. In Jesus name, Amen