1 Kings 17 and 18
Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
I remember reading the story of Elijah being sent to a dismal area, feeling quite sorry for himself. God sent a crow to bring him food each day; he was staying by a brook. And because there was not to be any rain for a period of time, the brook dried up. This Elijah told the evil King Ahab, and God withheld the rain until Elijah asked for it to rain in order to show the evil non believers of God’s power, and the power of prayer.
I imagine Elijah spent a lot of time in speculation, prayer, and searching his heart and God’s will. But it was also a time of fully trusting God….with patience.
Then the brook dried up and God directed him to a widow’s home. She offered him the last of the flour she had when he asked for food. Why would she do this? It was the end of her rations. Maybe she felt that it wouldn’t matter either way since it was obvious the end was the next bit of flour. However, the widow mixed up the small bit of flour to serve Elijah and her son.
Elijah stayed with the woman and her son; and the generous and loving God kept her supplied with flour and oil. If I was Elijah, I would have become impatient, and asked (repeatedly) ‘ok, so WHAT are we doing? Did I misunderstand, God?’
If I don’t see progression clearly over a certain time when I think God has directed, I begin to doubt, become impatient, start begging (whining) and therefore sometimes make grievous errors. The more I read this story of Elijah, the more I hope to have the faith to wait…and more importantly to commune in the quiet, being thankful a bird brings me meals and the water flows.
Patience has ALWAYS been such an issue for me. Never did I want to wait for anything. I am truly a child that sat under the umbrella of immediate gratification. I didn’t even want to wait until my mother delivered my sister before meeting her. I was impatient to know if we had a new brother or sister! Not that I received an early answer, but I was impatient for it.
I’ve worked for and waited for things throughout my life, as we all have. Over time, I’ve learned to recognize the benefit of getting or achieving things in God’s time. But it is easier now for me most of the time to wait, to seek His will and timing in my life. I have developed a modicum of patience and have come to see benefits to waiting and believing He will answer my prayers when it is right.
By studying God’s word, I’ve learned more about patience, being happy in whatever situation I am in and continuing to wait and work for what I believe God is leading me to. Not always easy, but truly easier than years ago. I believe that is a result of aging as well as learning and feeling the reward of following God, having the fruits of the Holy Spirit develop within, and learning that God comes through in HIS time.
One’s faith gets stronger over time as the prayers are answered, and as the fruits of the spirit grow and develop. There is an intimacy that develops as we strive to get to know Him.
There are nine fruits of the Spirit. 
Peace, joy, love, kindness, gentleness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self control.
It amazes me that over time, I can see I’ve developed deeper fruits for ‘mybellaviews.’
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Matthew 21:21,22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to this fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
John 14:14, 15 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Now isn’t that powerful? Initially, hearing these verses, I believed things would happen right away, my life would be changed, I would receive the desire of my heart….immediately. That certainly (and thank goodness!) did not always come about, and although many, in fact most, of what I’ve asked for over the years, has been given, not all has. And I realize, like any spoiled child, I’ve asked for things my Father may know is not good for me, or I was not ready to have.
I’ve lost, misplaced many things that I cared about, or did not want to lose. There is only one thing that has not been returned. Some things are found later, others have been shown in my mind for easy location within several hours. In fact about a month ago, I lost the checks I was using. I had the register, but looking everywhere I could, I could not locate the actual checks. I checked my house for hours, and would recheck again and again. I finally got the next bunch of checks, disappointed there would be a huge gap in the numbers, but resigned I needed to pay bills which sometimes required a check to be written.
As I was writing my blogs, I opened one of my Bibles. (I normally keep three nearby, and check one or the other with a verse that is unclear to me, that I may have found in a devotional or elsewhere and want further clarification.) There sat the “lost” checks. I could do nothing except smile and thank Him for finding them and answering the questions of ‘what did I do with them, where did I lose them, how could I be so careless as to lose them so totally within my own house…’
But I asked for them to be found and returned, and He answered. Even though it took a while, but I had to smile, and thank Him. And God does have a sense of humor!
It is not always on my time frame that answers come, but I have come to learn that as selfish as I am, God answers my prayers and requests in His time. I don’t always understand His timing, but I have come to learn it is delivered when it is best for me, and after I have PATIENTLY waited. I have learned (and tried) to develop (some) patience–and certainly desire more. The development of patience, among other things, is a fruit from the Spirit.
As we walk and trust Him further and further, we develop more of His fruits in our life. We resist our base impatience, selfishness, and need for immediate gratification which can get us into trouble. And by thus developing the fruits we become more intimate and knowledgeable of Him.
My walk has been such a growth and development for ‘mybellaviews.’
Hebrews 10:17-23 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised, is faithful.
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
WOW! Isn’t that wonderful? Powerful? Amazing? We are sinners. Our base nature is to be sinful–selfish, wilful, judgmental, gossipy, full of foul thoughts and language and destructive to ourselves and others. No other animal is as destructive as we humans. So sad.
But although God created us in His image, He wanted us to be obedient, good , kind, and loving toward one another. But because Satan floats enticing sin amidst us, we somehow crave the darker things of life. So most of the people chose to sin.
However, our God creator had a means of ‘saving’ us from ourselves and our darkness. He sent the Light, the Truth, and the Way, His holy and sinless Son to die for us and our sins, so we could be forgiven. And not just forgiveness, our sins are no longer remembered. And that too, is not the way most humans act and feel.
Yes, we may forgive another, sometimes, several times…but we do not forget the offense. It is tucked away, and can rear up as an ugly memory at times. When that happens, we can verbalize and remind and bring up the offense to the one who made it, yes, that one we ‘forgave,’ or make known the offense to others. We gossip about others–assuring ourselves we are enlisting other friends to help, or spreading the news in the hopes of ‘helping.’
Yet, we can still act in a selfish manner–on the roadway maybe not allowing someone to enter in front of you, snatching the last box of something on a shelf when you’ve seen someone else eyeing it, taking the last piece of dessert when you’ve already had several, not giving to needs of someone else–food banks, church, military programs, pet shelters, medical care for others, and the list goes on. Sometimes we are selfish because we have the time and means to give of it, but it is easier to write a check, or throw in some cash, and feel ‘done, good job.’ The truly good job comes if we do more than write a check. We put ourselves into action, doing a task, giving ourselves.
And yet, God offered us a way to be forgiven and to constantly improve our lives and our RELATIONSHIP with Him. That is the most coveted to those who have chosen to love Jesus, to want Him in their life; To develop an intimacy. It’s so fulfilling to get to know Him better, to have a relationship, not just send up a few prayers of need and perhaps thanks, but to talk with, share your hurts, thoughts, fears, desires and all. That’s what God wants. He desires a RELATIONSHIP with us. Yes, He knows your thoughts, conflicts, fears, and all before you ever bring them to Him. But He still wants you to seek Him with the desire of knowing Him intimately.
But even if you don’t do your best to seek Him, He is there, waiting and willing to be your all. But the feeling of peace, love, and intimacy grows and deepens. Try it.
I promise you will get back more than you will ever give up by seeking and searching for Him.
I want a closer and deeper relationship with Him for ‘mybellaviews.’
Deuteronomy 32:10 “He found him in a desert land. And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him. He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of his eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.
Matthew 9:5 For which is easier, to say ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?
Luke 7:48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
Luke 18:13 “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
He’s everywhere. And He will meet you wherever you are. And He wants you … to talk with Him, to walk with Him, to seek Him, to know Him. You just need to sincerely ask Him in.
If you are in a crack house, totally strung out, hit your bottom and call out to Him, He is there. He will lift you out of your despair, and help you get healthy. There is none who is so bad, so vile, so lost that God won’t help, rescue and restore. He’s the creator, and He not only created you, he can restore you to a new and better you. You can be forgiven and have the slate wiped clean, STELLAR clean!
I initially read the verses of the Israelites escaping Egypt as going round and round in the desert as blah-blah-blah, but then heard a sermon pointing out they were in the WILDERNESS…and we can all be in a wilderness of our own making. We can feel as though we are lost, doomed, overcome, and alone, and everything in our lives feels barren.
And then I realized I was too literal with much of the word of God, and needed to broaden my mind to look at the word in regards to my life, my journey.
Yes, I’d heard it could all be directed to me personally (yes, to you also, to each of us). But until I understood the word ‘wilderness’ in context to myself, it was just a bunch of words from folks who were whining. But, (light bulb moment) I could whine a lot, I could grumble and complain, I could wish for more or for other. Ah-oh, I was one of those complaining Israelites.
I also heard referenced that being in the wilderness when you complained and grumbled about it could make your “journey” to the goal take longer. God wants us to be thankful no matter our circumstance. I wasn’t doing that either. He wants us to be joyful…hmm, nope, I was complaining, and feeling bad waiting and waiting for whatever I desired .
So the story of the Israelites in the wilderness brought a lot of reality to MY way of thinking, praying and being. I am so blessed. I have always lived in a home with a roof over my head, wonderful and helpful family members and friends, I have good health, indoor plumbing, I don’t have to walk a huge distance to try to pull water from a muddy hole or wonder how I am going to feed my starving and sick children. The shame was pretty significant for a bit.
But with the clearing and healing of that blindness, it led me deeper into seeking how His words and actions could further help me grow. I am by no means sinless, but I try to be the best imitator of Jesus I can (and fail miserably more often than not). Then a quick, but heartfelt confession and I am forgiven. And I will strive to be better the next day. So I can see growth, but I still have a long road to travel.
My relationship with Him is special to’ mybellaviews.’
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; not about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
Worry is the opposite of faith. It comes from the insidious, quiet lies Satan whispers.
Our human minds have a hard time grasping the whole, encompassing love that God has for us. We can’t love like that until we get into a relationship with God. It isn’t just a little knowledge about Him, it is knowing Him, personally, deeply, and learning more of Him and from Him each day. It is being in love with someone and craving getting to know that other person more and more; this wanting to know God/Christ/Holy Spirit more and more, deeper and deeper, is like that.
When we worry, fret, and gnaw on a problem, –which we have all done—it is holding us back from God’s rest and from His promptly dealing with the problem. But God will sometime not solve issues right away. He wants us to not worry, to TRUST He has whatever the issue is, and to just come closer to knowing Him. He wants us to know His thoughts, His love, and his ways. He wants us to develop more of His ways. He wants us to learn tolerance, forgiveness, perseverance, gentleness, kindness. He wants us to turn our worries to Him and then not fret and allow Him to handle.
He does not want us worrying, quarreling, being impatient and mistrustful, and so many other sinful things we need to work on and grow away from. Worry is saying you don’t trust that God can fix your problem. You don’t believe He can or will handle this for you. Oh, He might for someone else—someone more religious, a deeper believer, or someone else you compare yourself with. But that is NOT God’s way. That is what we do.
God sees us as His children. He wants the best for us. He does not hold grudges. Again, we humans do that. Not God. God forgives, and does not recall the memory of our sin. That too is us.
He forgives. He gives you a clean slate, and only wants you to learn more of Him, to seek Him, and to walk closer with Him. He wants you to learn what true love is. He shows us complete forgiveness, no imprisonment from shame, but a true relationship with Him. You are His child. He is your Father.
He wants you not to worry, and to trust Him with the outcome of your trouble. This has been such a comfort to ‘mybellaviews.’
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!