I am one of those people who is motivated by simple words of encouragement. Even in my employment, it is not the financial opportunities that drive me nearly as much as a simple acknowledgment of a job well done. The reality is, I think we are all in that same boat. Each and every day we seek acknowledgment and approval from those around us; strangers, co-workers, family and friends. We seek validation of our accomplishments, hopes and dreams. Some days, we receive it and some days not so much. The problem arrises when we rely only on what people say about us and we forget what God says – after all, it is His opinion that truly matters. So what does God say about you? He says you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), He says you “are the apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8), He says you are …
Tag: Wonderfully Made
“Not me Lord” or “I am not able Lord.” How many times do we see that in the Bible when God calls forth His people for a purpose or cause? I spoke about this last year in my post “No More Excuses“, but this morning I was reading in 1st Kings 18 and couldn’t help but pause and reflect on a few points in that chapter. I will give you the back story in one sentence: Elijah is a man of God, who told Ahab ( the King of Israel, evil in the sight of God) there would be a famine and Elijah has been gone for 3 years now returning. As Elijah begins his journey back in encounters Obadiah. The Bible tells us that Obadiah feared the Lord greatly and even hid and saved 150 prophets of God from Jezebel. Obadiah knows that Elijah is a man of God …
Earlier in the week I posted Part 1 of our discussion “Learning From Spies“. If you have not read it, I encourage you to do so now, as this post is simply a continuation of it. We left off in verse 31 of Numbers 13: 31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” I cannot …
One thing I have really enjoyed in my career is interviewing people. I really enjoy sitting down, asking questions and digging into their resume. What always amazes me, is the extent that people will go to to really make themselves sound perfect. Always trying to brush over any sign of weakness. But how quickly that changes when it comes to something God calls us to do. We pull out our weaknesses, our excuses and the “why we are not the right ones” or “why now is not the right time”. We are SO fast on whipping out that list of “why-nots”. Just look at some of the great men of the Old Testament, starting with Moses in Exodus 4:10: Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” And then …
This week I had the opportunity to go to enjoy a concert from Raul Midon. This was my first time seeing him, and I must say, he is very impressive. If you have an opportunity to see him, I would recommend it. One thing really stuck out to me, specifically his lyrics to his song “Everybody”. Here are just a few lines: Everybody is free to make a difference Everybody can be somebody Everybody is free to make a difference in this world. You don’t have to be a big celebrity To feel the power, the power in your soul …To realize that in your eyes there’s a view that only you can see There was something so powerful in those words when he sang that song. Something so simple, yet so profound. Sometimes we let our challenges hold us back. We let our “disabilities” hinder our progress. But yet …
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139:13-16 For me, these verses have defined my life. These words are my safe place; where I return when I need to be refreshed. Let’s be honest, this was a very hard concept for me to grasp in my early days as a follower of Jesus…that He saw my unformed being. That He intricately and meticulously formed every part and laid out in advance of me setting one foot on this earth, a …
