STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN

                                                 
                                                   (Google image)




Some great nuggets of truth from a my archives:


Just in the last few weeks the Lord has shown me so many great truths that can be freeing, if I will just apply them to my life. I've posted about them on FB here and there. Doncha know that when the Lord does show us these truths we'll be tested on them!
I was tested yesterday big time!! The darn ol enemy just sat waiting, stalking for the perfect opportunity to start his jumping up and down and screaming in my ear, "whatcha gonna do? It'll never all get done... nothing will ever change, and if you don't do it yourself, it won't happen! There's no hope, aren't you tired just thinking about it? Why even start, it'll only be the same again tomorrow? Just look at the holes in the wall, they've been there for years... nobody cares that you've asked them to fix 'em. -why bother? You know you'll never have any peace; you'll always be dealing with this stuff. It'll never go away, nobody cares about your feelings, you'll never be used by God if all you ever do is pick up dirty socks and clean up after everyone else, you poor thing, you are so tired... you have every right to be angry, these kids are old enough, it's all your husband’s fault....if only he'd help more and set a better example..."
You know the enemy usually does add a little truth to his lies, and that is what hooks us. It is true; the holes have been there for years! And I do pick up dirty socks all the time. The Devil hates to see families flourish and he is so good at twisting things around so to cause discourse and disharmony. Thankfully my husband was out of town, so he didn't get much tongue lashing yesterday, that's just what the devil wanted. Yet, the more I sat there and stewed in it all, the more tired I became. As a matter of fact I took a nap, and wouldn't you know it, I tossed and turned the whole time, feeling guilty I wasn't doing something productive!
What I failed to recognize was that while this house is in much need of repair, (it's almost 20 years old, it's normal for things to start to wear out!) and while some of the grown kids are not pulling their weight, much had been done in the last year. Small things, mind you, yet still some things had been accomplished, but I was blind to that fact!
You know I always thought that peace would come to me when everything got done around the house to my liking, which never ever happens all at the same time. One room here, and one bush there, etc. but ALL at the same time? It is a rarity! Truthfully living in a home with messies is frustrating, and very tempting to just join them and become one of them myself. Believe me there have been some compromising moments along the way, which I think may have given added ammo to the ol devil.
But after 27 years of marriage and 4 kids, ages 16 - 25, I think I am finally starting to see a pattern here, sheez, took me long enough didn't it? I am so thankful for the truths God has shown me, so that now I can begin to put them into practice and have the peace he wants for me. I have experienced that peace a few times over the last few weeks, but I know God is calling me to a lifestyle change in which I will have it more often than not. A change by him in me, from the inside out.

He has shown me:

a. The stresses of this life (and how I perceive them-which are often askew) will always be there, no matter how hard I try to fight against them.

b. They are used by the enemy to drain us and pull us into the pit of hopelessness- look out! The pit is deep!

c. The fatigue I feel is most often a result of my attitude, not the situation itself! Attitude does determine our altitude! The physical fatigue is due to lack of joy.... And the Joy of the Lord is my strength. Praising and Worshiping him for who HE IS refreshes me physically. The antidote for fatigue is worship.


d. "In Him" (see my note on my vision) we have everything we need. Being in Christ, we have refuge, peace, strength, courage, wisdom, discernment. Joy, love, etc.

e. The Battle belongs to him. He gives us a light yoke to carry; all he asks from us is that we trust him to work out what he has already planned in advance. (His hindsight is 20/20) As well as to have a thankful heart for all the blessings we have from him, IN him and through him.

f. He doesn't call us to be 'human doings', rather he made us as 'human beings'... and that is simply to be in his presence through prayer and worship all the time, not when things simply go our way. It's a process, a journey and not a destination. My goal shouldn't be to get it all done and then rest, My goal should be, to rest in all that HE is doing.

g. We are called to walk by faith and not sight. A great analogy is when I've been cleaning all day and my husband comes home and says," So, what have you been doing?" Okay, maybe not such a great analogy, but you get the point. While we may not see the Lord working, he is orchestrating things all the time on our behalf. He is our biggest cheerleader and he is our Savior, our deliverer, our coach, our friend and our rescuer.

h. The Lord says, to STOP,LOOK and LISTEN;

Stop: Stand Still, Worship God right in the middle of it all, especially when you don't feel like it!
Look: Look out for the enemies traps, because as we begin to have victory over and over again, he'll set new ones!
LISTEN: As we stop listening to the enemies lies, mixed in with a tiny bit of truth, we MUST start listening to the promises of God and his leading for the next step in our lives. One thing I must always remember, because I am "IN HIM", if I do choose to step out too quickly-without his leading- I'd step right out of his will and refuge for me. Only In Him is where I find the peace and harmony I so long for, not in a home that appears to be without flaws and imperfection... no such home exists... though the devil would have us all to believe otherwise.
Thankfully his grace is sufficient and his mercies are new each morning. Today’s motto: Stop, LOOK, and Listen.






“Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ~Jesus