Connecting the Dots

One of my favorite activities as a child was to complete pages and pages of "connect the dots" books.  I could sit forever counting those dots and searching for how the next line would connect to the next dot. I can still remember the excitement that would build as the picture would become more and more clear as I connected more and more dots.  Sometimes I would get impatient and try a short cut.  I'd skip a number or jump across the page to get to the end.  But if I did that, the picture became distorted and didn't make sense.  If, though, I followed the dots in their numerical order, the picture would be clear.  Then I would turn the page and begin another one.  Those dots would entertain me for quite a while.

As I'm continuing to grow up, (I just turned a mere 49 last week) and as I become more mature in my walk with the Lord, God is showing me how to connect the dots in my life that are helping to tell His story.  The story that God continues to tell is very exciting and full of mystery.  Connecting the dots to complete His illustrations, though, takes more than just counting numbers. It takes trust, and complete faith in Jesus Christ to trace His hand in our lives. As I seek Him, I am more acutely aware of His hand guiding mine as He directs me to the next dot, the next, and the next. 



Look closely at these pictures.  What do you see?  It appears to be a mess of childrens blocks stacked randomly and scattered with no purpose.  I use this to illustrate how we need to search for God in the details of our lives.  If we aren't searching for Him, we may miss something incredible that He wants to show us.


For example, about a week ago, Madison and I were in her Orthopedic Dr.'s office.  I was looking for the "Living Real" magazines that I had left there a couple of months earlier and I didn't see any.  I told Madison, "I'll be right back.  I'm going to get a few magazines out of the car."  I came back in and strategically placed them on the tables in the lobby.  Then I sat back in my chair beside my daughter. After her appointment, I really didn't give the magazines much thought.  I took Madison to school and went on about my business.   

This past Tuesday, I received a phone call from a young mom who had picked up the magazine in Dr. Ekman's office.  On the other end of the line, I heard a voice full of joy as she expressed to me what a great magazine Living Real is.  She said, "Keep it up!  I loved it."  She was particularly drawn to an article called "A Real Fireproof Marriage" because in her bible study group they are discussing "forgiveness".  Before I knew it, we had talked about her Bible study group of "cute" girls.  (That's what she calls them.)  I suggested that I could meet her someplace and give her a magazine for each girl in her study and a stack for her to take to her church.  She was ecstatic that I would meet up with her.  If I hadn't listened to the Holy Spirit telling me to go and get more magazines, I would have missed this incredible "dot" that He was connecting and I would have missed God in the details.  Check out the next picture.  Who is in full focus now?

Today, I have a new friend.  Her name is Blair.  She is a precious young mother of two. As we had coffee at Starbucks and shared our stories with each other on Wednesday morning, the excitement about what Christ is doing in her life was just spilling out of her.  Her spirit was so refreshing and it was very evident that she is deeply in love with Jesus.  I knew God had orchestrated this meeting and I was reminded once again of how God is in the details.  It wasn't just happen-stance that Blair was in Dr. Ekman's office, selected a "Living Real" magazine to read, and then called up a complete stranger to encourage her and agree to meet.  This is a beautiful picture of how the love of Jesus Christ can connect His children if we just listen to His voice and are obedient.  God guided both of us to the next "dot".  As a result, His picture, the image of His Son, is continuing to develop in our lives to bring Him more and more glory.  Watch for His hand in your life today.  Don't miss one, single "dot"!

My Pleasure,
Melanie

Priceless Truth from Noah

As I sat in my familiar place yesterday, four rows back on the piano side of the church, listening to the Word of God being proclaimed with boldness and courage, the Holy Spirit began to point out some very clear truths that I had not seen before in this incredible story of Noah, the ark, and God's picture of Redemption.  As our pastor was moving through his points with great conviction, compassion, and concern, the Spirit was speaking loudly to my heart (mind) some treasures that I needed to hear and see.  You can hear our pastor's sermon at http://www.tbccayce.com/ and click on the podcast for October 2, 2011.  If you haven't read the story of Noah lately, go to Genesis chapters 6-9 and refresh your memory.  Just as with every part of God's Word, here lies beneath the surface, truths beyond measure.

I was reminded of the spiritual condition of Noah when the Scripture says, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." (Gen. 6:8 NKJV)  Even in the midst of perversion, evil, and utter wickedness, Noah loved God and walked with Him.  God found favor, or grace, with Noah because of the righteousness that Noah was "clothed" in.  Noah's faith and life of obedience allowed God to clothe him in righteousness, not Noah's righteousness, but God's righteousness.  Noah was living day by day in sweet communion with the Father.  How do we know this?

God spoke to Noah.  He had conversation with Noah.  Noah wasn't suprised when God spoke because he knew the voice of the One he loved and trusted in.  Noah was a friend of God.  Because God knew Noah's heart, He revealed truths to him that he didn't share with others.  God told Noah of His plan to destroy the world and how He was going to save Noah and his family.  God reveals truths to those who know Him and trust Him.

Even though Noah heard God's plan, he didn't just sit around with the truth he had been given, all puffed up with knowledge and pride.  He acted on the truth immediately.  He proclaimed the truth to the wicked people of the day as they ridiculed and watched him build this "thing" that would save them from the rains (something no one had ever seen because it had never rained on the earth), and let them know that judgement was coming! Their only hope was to repent of their sins and turn from their wicked ways.  God had given Noah the message of salvation and what he had to do to be saved.  Noah had faith and believed what God said.  He spent the next 120 years building the ark, staying focused, and pressing on in obedience to God's design and call on his life.  Noah was "being" saved as he trusted God with his whole heart, and as he acted on his faith everyday by continuing the building of the ark.  Because of his faith, Noah was a very important part of God's redemptive plan (an Old Testament picture of Christ) which was now moving full speed ahead.

In Genesis 6:5-7, God declares how wicked the people are and He says He is grieved in His heart.  He says He is sorry that He ever created man.  This may sound like God is saying He messed up, but we know God is perfect and His ways are perfect.  God didn't mess up.  We did!  And God knew we would.  I believe God is saying that He is so grieved in His heart because His perfect plan of salvation (which was from the foundation of the world), the sacrificial death of His only Son, which will pay the penalty for man's ugly sinfulness, is now moving forward.  The sin of the people grieved God's heart, but the death of His only Son, which had to take place, grieved Him even more.  Our sin still grieves the heart of God, and rightly so, because it is a rejection of His Son, Jesus Christ.  We are called to repentance of sin to replace the rejection of Christ with the reception of Christ.  True repentance leads to true reception.  And true reception of God's Son turns us away from a life of sin to a life of faith, trust and obedience to the Word of God!

In Chapter 7, verse 1, the day of salvation has arrived!  Noah hears God say, "Come into the ark."  What a beautiful visual of what we will hear Christ say one day as we enter heaven. Because we received Him, He will receive us.  He'll say, "Come on in, my child."  If we stay the course, press on, in faith, and trust Christ with our lives wholeheartedly, our salvation will be complete.  Our faith will be made sight just like Noah's was.  We are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  We can have a personal a relationship with this just, holy, compassionate and patient God by the grace of, and through our faith in Jesus Christ.  We can walk and talk with Him.  We can find favor with Him.  We can have the same strong faith that Noah had if we just believe, trust, and live a life of obedience.  Noah and his family experienced the joy of the Lord while the rest of the world experienced God's wrath and destruction.  The familiar bumper sticker really does say it all, "No Jesus.  No Peace.  Know Jesus.  Know Peace."

How about you today?  Are you walking with the Lord so closely that you know His voice when He speaks?  As His child, sometimes His voice is muffled because we've allowed sin to creep in and crowd out His voice.  Take a spiritual hearing test and see what God is revealing to you.  He may be saying, "Repent of the sin that is clogging up your heart so you can hear Me.  I have things I want you to know.  I miss our conversations and because of your disobedience, you are distorting the image of My Son in your life and our relationship isn't what it could be... and there are consequences for that." 

If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can.  Place your trust, faith and hope in the One who knows you best and loves you most.  Believe in Him today.  Stop rejecting Him and receive Him into your life.  You don't have to live a life of despair.  Begin a life of hope today- receive Him!

My Pleasure,
Melanie