"At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed..." Numbers 9:23

The Lord orders our steps.  He tells us when to pick up and move and when to stay parked.  For now I am parked in a place I do not want to be.  You see I used to be parked somewhere else, I had a cute little cottage in California where I felt safe, comfortable and happy.  I enjoyed the company of friends and family, warm weather and year around gardening.  On top of that I had my favorite shops and places to enjoy myself.  Then one day it was all taken away when my husband came home and said that we had to move to Colorado to keep his job.  So we sold our cottage, left our friends and family and journeyed to Colorado where everything feels strange.  Nothing smells right, there is snow and ice and its cold!  On top of that, I am renting a house on a hilltop that I do not like.  I feel like this is a bad dream and I want to runaway.

Yes, I had a home in California.  I am homesick for it, but I did not always want to be parked where I was in in California.  There was a time when I was itching to move and the Lord told me I would move to Colorado, but I was to wait on Him about it.  As I waited on Him (for years), I learned to be content with where He had me parked in California.  Once I became content, that was the time I was moved to Colorado.

Psalm 27:14 says "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart."  So I need to wait again, wait on Him and be of good courage.  Waiting on Him brings strength to my heart. I hope that one day I will feel contentment in my surroundings, I wait on Him to bring that about.

Praying, resting, waiting trusting ~

These are words that tell a story;

As we wait for God to lead us, 

He responds, "Just seek my glory."

~Hess

Attractive Things

"As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Because of that cross my interest in all the attractive things of the world was killed long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead."  (Galatians 6:14)

The attractive things of the world, what are they for you?  It may be an expensive car, a large home in a nice neighborhood, quality clothing, fancy dishes, etc.  There are many things in this world that attract our attention.  Our society is built around the accumulation of "goodies", moving up to bigger & better whatever that may be.  But what is truly essential in life is our relationship with Jesus.  We can have all the other goodies, but be desperately poor & naked because we do not have Him.  No matter what your situation, if you have salvation you are truly wealthy indeed.

As followers of the Lord Jesus, our desire for Him should increase and our desire for the things of this world should decrease.  Through my experience of my husband losing his job in California and getting relocated to Colorado I have come to see things in a new light.  I saw the Lord's hand in all that happened.  I had to put my sweet little cottage up for sale.  Then two of my pets passed away.  I learned that even the pets He gives me are blessings from Him.  And that they are not mine, they are His and He lets me care for them.  I learned that my house is not "mine" it is His, I am just the care taker and He can give my house to whoever He wants.  He provides all and as Job said "The Lord gives and He takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord."

Father, I ask in your son's name, that you please make my desire for YOU increase and the desire for the things of this world decrease.  Let me be content with where You place me and what you give me. Let me bless your name always.  Amen.

Like Jonah

This morning I heard a message about Jonah which was just what I needed to hear.  You see, we recently moved to Colorado from Southern California due to my husband being relocated because of his job.  Selling our home of 18 years, leaving our friends and family behind was heartbreaking.  Escrow closed, going away parties were held, goodbyes were said.  We hopped on a plane and in two hours we were whisked away to another world.  The shock of it all was overwhelming to my whole system.  It was not what I wanted.

We went to see our rental home that we found on Craig's List.  I was disappointed with it in some ways.  It was not what I had dreamed about.  I was angry and wanted out of the deal.  I lamented the sale of our house and the decision to leave California.  With these feelings rising up in me I realized that I did not want the moving van to show up at that rental house.  Why?  Because I knew that once it did, my fate was sealed.  Well, the dreaded day came and I obeyed God.  I went to the house, I directed the movers on where to put our furniture and boxes thus sealing my fate to live in Colorado.

Now listening to the Sunday sermon I realized I was being a Jonah.  My eyes were more fixed on 'my' desires rather than my lovely Lord.  Dear Lord, please forgive me for seeking delight in the things of this world rather than in You.