Thursday, October 6, 2011

Personal Reflection, Part 2

I wrote on Tuesday about the opportunity to share the eulogy/message of the gentleman who passed away after his battle with cancer.  I shared that eulogy last night at his home-going celebration.  The post that I wrote on Tuesday became the basis of the thoughts that I shared with those in attendance.  I sincerely feel that God is dealing with my heart concerning the need to recognize and appreciate the life that God provides for us on a daily basis.  Could it be possible that we are so consumed with looking for a "better life" that we fail to identify those important and rich blessings that God has placed in our lives?  I believe in looking forward and planning for the future and I also believe in looking back and remembering the blessings of yesterday.  But we must also develop the attitude of appreciation for those blessings that God has placed in our lives at this present moment.  I sense an urgency to remind you of the need to take a moment and look around at all of the good things that God has placed in your life.  I know that I am being challenged to do that very thing in my life.  It is so easy to become discouraged by the challenges that we face that we fail to appreciate all of the blessings that God has provided for us.

I must learn to accept the day that God has given to me and in doing so I learn to look for God in every situation that I face.  I have been guilty of wasting my time and energy desiring a different set of circumstances or opportunities.  I will miss what God is wanting to do in my life if I am always looking for something different rather than choosing to learn the lesson that God is teaching me on that particular day.  Once again I remind you that I am not advocating a "lazy" approach to life that does not set goals or make plans to improve our lives.  Rather I am saying that we need to cherish each day regardless of whether we call it a "bad day" or a "good day."  Many of my "bad days" became the initial stages of growth and opportunity as the plan of God unfolded in front of me.  We may need to take the mentality of Joseph who faced his own set of unique circumstances but refused to believe that he was trapped and defined by those circumstances.  Joseph faced the wrath of his jealous brothers who sold him into slavery.  Joseph faced the lies of Potiphar's wife that landed him in prison under a false charge.  Joseph faced the problem of being "forgotten" and allowed to remain in prison even after God has used him to be a blessing to others in his life.  Listen to a portion of the words that Joseph shared with those same brothers as God brought full restoration to their relationship and a revelation of the plan of God that had begun in a pit that led to slavery and a false imprisonment.  Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." (NKJV)  The key words in this passage may be "in order".  We must remember that God can bring order out of chaos and disorder (read the story of creation).  The plan of God always triumphs over the plans of satan and the plans of man.  You may be living in one of those "in order" days in which you are waiting on the full revelation of God's plan.  I truly believe that I am personally living in one of those days at this moment; I am earnestly waiting on the fulfillment of the promises of God.  But as I "wait" (with action, hope, and service to Christ) I will appreciate the daily blessings that God is placing in my life.  I encourage you to take the same approach to your situation today.  Do not give up on the promises and provisions of God!

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