Getting a Grip on Reality...then, Come Often and Drink Deeply!

Today has just been an AMAZING day in what God has taught me and shown me! So this will probably be long! I was supposed to go with a family today from my church to Philly so that the wife could get her Green Card and I would watch their baby during that time. It ended up that they said if they were allowed to bring the baby into the interview that I would have to sit alone in the car or outside the Embassy (in Philly). I didn't want to put myself in that kind of possible danger (even if they did say it would only be an hour or so) so I told them last minute that I would not go...and I felt bad at first. But my great friend, Sue, emailed me this morning to tell me how a co-worker of hers went through the same interview and they do have the children in the interview so they can observe how the parents are with them...so I would have been alone...and she also said it took all day...so I would've been alone all day in Philly! I really praise God for keeping me from going and keeping me from so much possible danger! Who knows what would've happened and God kept me safe! Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." So I ended up getting to go to class and chapel and I am so thankful I didn't miss chapel! What a blessing it was! I feel it was just so amazing and applicable that I am going to include the outline from it. The speaker was Sherrie Holloway and she took her challenge from Hebrews 10:35-11:6.

"Getting a Grip on Reality"

2 Presuppositions to Run On:

-Pretending is Wrong

-God knows the truth

*If you are trying to please God, then you must live in His reality and truths!

3 Basic Realities of Life:

1. God is. (Hebrews 11:6)

Most times we are more convinced of our circumstances than we are of the existence of our God!

2. God's got our back. (11:6)

-We're not going to trust someone that does not have our back!

-To some, God needs to meet our expectations and give us what we want!

-God loves COMPLETELY, not partially! (Romans 8) We know this because of what He's done, what He's said, and who He is!

3. Jesus is coming. (10:37)

We must live with:

-Expectancy

-Urgency

-Careful living

-Focused living (what is the central purpose in your life?)

-Intentional, purposeful living

Practically Speaking:

1. We need to RESOLVE these issues! Come to a firm decision.

2. When issues come, STEP UP and make the right choice.

3. We will fail, but we've got to PRESS FORWARD.

WALK BY FAITH!

That really just challenged me that I need to be living my life in faith and not living my life in my own land of make believe! I know when things don't go my way I tend to try to pretend they aren't happening and don't go to God about it! There's my biggest mistake! And with keeping all that in mind, it really just leads into my devotional for today for how to follow after that.

My devotional today was by Sharon Jaynes and she talked about how Christ is our source of Living Water and when we trust in Him and put our faith in Him to lead us through life, He will get us through. We are spiritually thirsty people and need so desperately to go to Jesus for our spiritual water. And we can obtain that water through reading His Word! We can't get that spiritual water unless we believe in who Jesus is and what He's done for us and partake of that! It doesn't come by just knowing about Him, hearing about Him, and reading about Him. It's completely by faith and calling Him yours! What a blessed assurance that is to know that Jesus is our Living Water and we never have to be thirsty again! John 7:38, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." I had two songs come to mind with these two thoughts today.

"Only You Satisfy" by Zach Jones

So hungry, so thirsty for
That which satisfies
This world’s full of broken cisterns
That have left me dry
There’s only one place where I’ll
Find what You made me for
There’s only one true fountain
That satisfies my soul

Only You
You’re the Fountain of living water
Only You satisfy my soul
You’re the source of eternal pleasures
Only You satisfy my soul

"By Faith" by Keith & Kristyn Getty

By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation's grand design
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
Who walk by faith and not by sight

We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We'll walk by faith and not by sight