Are You Striving or Abiding?

God desires a heart completely given over to Him.  Therefore, He looks for US to abandon all of our creature comforts that we often depend upon. Our security should rest in the Lord alone; but when it is not, and misplaced in either situations or relationships..... He actually will use ways to remind us, appeal us and entice us back to Him- one stride at a time.

When God places us in this process, He also withdraws certain affections and crutches from us that obstruct our growth in Him.  It may at times feel pretty uneasy and at other times even painful. However, it reminds me of how a toddler is when they are discouraged from drinking from a bottle or wearing a diaper too long.  In order that they mature, they must be disengaged from these former dependencies to use the more age-appropriate cup and pull-ups. It is times like these that even we, like that toddler, may feel susceptible, weak, or powerless. We often may even fight the change in order to stay in a premature state and maintain what is most ‘common to us’ or ‘familiar’.

Even more, since I am often very engaged in what I do, am more challenged when I am detached from common settings- not because the setting is unpleasant - but because it has become very familiar to me. This conflict often becomes an opportunity for personal development, maturity and ability to see the bigger picture that God desires to do in my life.

Looking back, I have noticed that God often re-orchestrates our journey to a point that ‘what we think we need’ is moved out of our reach to provoke us to step into ‘what we really need’ over ‘what we want’. The ‘UN’common must become a willing option for us, even when we are vulnerable or unfamiliar, that we allow ourselves even when we feel inadequate to complete what the Lord has begun in us in this new state.  NO matter what! We must choose daily whether common or ‘uncommon’, to abide, and not strive in the Lord every day. Over time, if we learn to abide under his covering versus strive in our creature comforts of control, then we can mature from 'striving' to 'ABIDING' with God! I challenge you today ABIDE forward in God. It beats striving in circles.

An Eternal Treasure of Trust!

Every time we place our trust in the Lord, we store up spiritual treasure. The Lord promises that he will keep those whose heart all trust safely trust in HIM.  And when He keeps, He keeps like no other! Also, when we trust in the Lord we obtain a greater since of peace for our lives!

Such a relief! Investing our faith and trust in the Lord..."building up our spiritual treasure." Having a confidence in the Lord allows us to grow and mature in His Word and reap the rewards in a vital way! Relying on the promises of His Word transcends over into the elementary essentials of our walk and life. When we place our faith, our time, our talent, our treasure, our thought life, completely over to God, the Lord purposefully and rapidly provides a return of Himself back into us.

Have you ever witnessed how problems also often snowball into manifestation?!   

Matt. 6:24-34 sums up so well how our walks should be because it encourages us that a life given over to quick riches and (self-consumption) is full of worry and anxiety. Whereas a life surrendered to God (quest for eternal spiritual wealth) is full of peace and provision:

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

……………The hurricane of life most certainly will happen, yet when we remain steadfast, the Lord will faithfully see us through!

In Faith towards the Faithful one!