My life journal reading(YouVersion - Life Journal Plan) took me through Psalms 31 and Matthew 7 as well as two other chapters. I am writing about Psalms 31 and Mathew 7 because of two particular passages that stood out and seemed to connect together to form a single thought. A thought which pertains to where I am at spiritually in life. I don't believe this is a coincidence, it was for a purpose. My choosing to write about it may seem like a coincidence to some of you who may choose to read this, but it is not either. I believe that for some of you this is a message you need to hear or you know someone who needs to hear it. In either case please take this entry as a word of encouragement. Use it how you would like. Take it and share it with others as I have written it or as it has meaning to you. Possess it, take hold of it, personalize it. That is one of the wonderful things about scripture is we can make it a part of us. So be blessed, lifted up, edified and encouraged by God's word.
We are going to focus in on Psalms 31:24 and Matthew 7:7-8. However, feel free to read the scope of these chapters beyond these three verses. There is a lot of good stuff to be found.
Psalms 31:24
24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!
Matthew 7:7-8
7 Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.
If you have been following my blog or have been following the life of Mandy and myself, in particular our spiritual journey, you may have seen or heard us talk about the place we are at, the questions we have, the things we are seeking, the doubts we have and the fears we struggle with in regards to faith and trust.
God has been particularly targeting some specific parts or components of our spiritual lives. Now I am not speaking for Mandy on all of theses points, yet in a way I am as her husband. Some points are more of my struggle and some are more of her struggle. I tend to be stubbornly content with life and she tends towards worrying. I fear change because it is change and could be different and she fears change because it is either not in her control or it leads to some place she doesn't know (just a glimpse of differences). Yet I find answers in these three verses that speak clearly to us both individually and to our family as a whole. My hope is that you will see answers also despite how different or similar you may be to us. I would like to start with some questions for you then go back and read the verse again.
Can you see what God's word is saying? Can you hear the heart of Jesus? Is there condemnation for having doubts, fears, worries or questions? What is God instructing us to do? Does this change in light of our fears, doubts and questions? Or is what he saying the very answer to those fears, doubts, worries and questions?
Chris Rice wrote a song called "Big Enough" in which he talks about God being big enough to handle our questions. I have often found myself debating with myself and with God if He truly is "Big Enough". Over recent weeks the sum of the events of life and the revelation of scripture have solidified in me that God IS "big enough", so ask away. Spill it all before Him! Questions, Fears, Doubts, Sins, Failures anything and everything that would hold you back from walking in faith and trust.
In a book by Max Lucado called He Choose the Nails, Max describes the process of spilling it (my words here Max would be much more elegant) as working through lists of our life and placing those things at the foot of the Cross of Calvary then letting the blood which Jesus shed to flow down over those things and cover them. Once the blood is covering them they are dealt with. Then we find our self in a place of relationship with God.
A relationship which will allow us the freedom to put our hope and trust in Him. A place where we can stand firmly knowing; that despite what may feel to us like a lot of seeking, knocking and asking or what may seem to us an unworthy or unimportant hope for or expectation; that He is there and He is listening and answering. God and I are working on some things regarding the promises in his word. Here, a specific promise I have been challenged in is the promise of God meeting and exceeding our expectations and hopes.
If we stop hoping and expecting for something or are not hoping or expecting something big enough or we decided that what we really would like to hope for or expect is not worthy we will never experience the fulfillment promised to us in God's word. Or we can connect it more to the wording in Matthew. As soon as we stop knocking, seeking, and asking before the answer comes more than likely that will be our answer, no answer.
To personalize it I have a specific dream I believe God gave me over 15 years ago. To be honest I have gone for long periods not expecting, hoping, seeking, knocking asking about this dream. Guess what? I have not seen or experienced the fulfillment of this dream. Why? Because God doesn't really want it for me or maybe he didn't really give it to me. I don't think so. I have been challenged that what He wants from me is action in regards to my dream. Secondly we have been given a desire for Mandy to transition from being a working mother to a stay-at-home mom. The path is not clear as to how this will happen. There are some large questions(in our minds) that need to be answered.
So here is hoping for and expecting for the fulfillment of a dream and our desire. I stand here before man and God with a dream waiting for fulfillment and a desire in my heart to be meant. A dream and a desire for which I have a lot of seeking, knocking and asking to do so I can write on this blog some day... Wonderful news Mandy gets to stay home. Great news, Crossed Out Cafe is opened.
Please let me know what you think or feel about this. Do you have something to share with me in regards to the journey of the Mattos family? Do you have something that touched you in our journey, our words or our life? Did you hear from God or are you able to personalize the verses from Psalms and Matthew? If so let me know. If you are comfortable commenting on here please do, otherwise email or message me directly. I would love to hear how God is using me and this blog (I almost said if) to work in the lives of others.
No comments:
Post a Comment