“It is Not Good…”

God’s creative, powerful words brought forth all creation and after each He declared, “It is good!” Then God’s hands formed and shaped man in His own image and He breathed His very breath into his nostrils and Adam became the first human.

Then God brought all the animals to Adam so he could name them, but among the animals no suitable helper was found for Adam. Adam was alone; the first thing Adam heard God declare was not good.

God’s response: “It is not good that man should be alone;” 

This seems to a problem, but God doesn’t make mistakes!

God intended good to come from this first problem!

Adam realized that all the animals had a suitable helper, yet none of them were suitable for him. Perhaps God allowed Adam to experience the “not good” of loneliness, and incompleteness so he would fully appreciate the “very good” He had yet to provide. God created man for fellowship; God enjoys and longs for relationship! God and Adam had a good relationship as they walked and talked together in the garden.

It was beautiful and satisfying, but God intended something else “very good” for Adam!

God intended something else “very good” for Him!

God intended a suitable helper, also created in His image, that would fully complete Adam, and whom Adam would fully complete!

And together they would complete the plans and purposes of God here on earth!

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it;” Genesis 1:27-28

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24

The problems we face in life aren’t intended to be seen as mistakes. When we have a relationship with God, and walk and talk with Him every day, the problems we face are intended to show us something else that is “very good!” They hold within them the “very good” God intends from them if we yield ourselves to Him and trust Him to do what He alone can do. As God brought forth Eve from Adam’s rib, we must submit to God and allow Him to miraculously create and completely provide what we could never accomplish on our own. When the “very good” becomes a reality in our lives and we embrace what God provided we will realize it was worth it! And it will strengthen our faith to face another problem down the road of life.

Job went through many problems when Satan asked to test his loyalty and love of God. Was Job loyal to God and love Him because was wealthy and healthy, or was it because of who God is?

Jesus faced some problems in the wilderness when Satan tempted Him three times, but each one was a test of Jesus’ loyalty and love for His Father.

Satan asked to sift Peter as wheat, and the problems he faced tested his loyalty and love for Jesus.

Each of these problems had different situations, yet they all had a similar purpose, to test loyalty and love of God.

And each was intended to increase faith and fulfill a greater destiny!

Whatever “not good” you may be facing today, may you choose to see it as an opportunity to prove your loyalty and love of God. Let it be what draws you near to God to know His truth, to see how awesome He is, and to repent of any ways you haven’t trusted or loved Him as you should. For in every “not good” situation, God has something “very good” intended to increase your faith and propel you into a greater destiny!

Job saw the incredible power and love of God in ways he had never seen before and bowed down in awe and repentance, and after praying for his friends God added to him double all that he had lost!

Jesus resisted temptation by using the true words of God, proving His loyalty to God, and afterwards the angels of God came and ministered to His needs. Then Jesus began His three years of powerful ministry.

Peter did deny Jesus, but afterwards Jesus revealed His power and love by filling his fishing nets to over flowing and gave Peter the chance to prove his loyalty and love for Him. Peter went on to become a powerful preacher and writer of the love and truth of the  Good News of the gospel!

The results of the “not good” situations in life are intended to increase your faith and propel you into greater ministry for the kingdom of God!

 

 

Then God said…

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters.
And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 

Then God said, ‘Let there be light.’” Genesis 1:3

The voice of God thundered into the formless, empty, darkness and brought forth light and life!

God’s words spoke all creation into existence and He proclaimed it, “Good!”

“By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” Hebrews 11:3

God’s words contain creative power!

God spoke and His very breath formed substance from nothing; He spoke and all things were born!

“The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.

For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.” Psalm 33:6-9

The world was formed; the sun, moon, and stars were hung in the sky, the earth was filled with fishes swimming in the oceans, animals roaming upon the ground, and birds souring in the sky.

But God wasn’t finished.

The earth wasn’t yet complete.

There was one more creation, unique and completely different then all He had created so far.

“Let Us make human beings in our image, to be like Us.” Genesis 1:26

I can only imagine when God spoke those words He drew the attention of all creation and a holy hush fell over all the heavens and over all the earth as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, created human beings in their image, to be like them!

All creation looked on in wonder as God reached His hands down into the dust of the earth and formed the shape of a man. Then He bent His head down low, and breathed His very breath into the nostrils of man, and God’s creation became a living being.

Adam, you, and me, were all formed by God, made in the image of God, created to be loved by God, and intended to be one with God!

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” Genesis 1:31

 

Perhaps you find there are some formless, empty, dark places you are facing in life…

Situations that seem to have no purpose and you don’t understand how to get past them.

Relationship issues or financial difficulties that leave you feeling empty and unfulfilled or worried and unable to get ahead.

Dark corners in your heart that you know need to be cleaned out, but seem too overwhelming to deal with.

I’m here to remind you that these are God’s specialties!

God’s words contain creative power!

God’s words create purpose when your life seems formless.

God’s words create fullness when your life seems empty.

God’s words bring light when you find yourself in the dark.

May you choose to listen to God’s words and find the truth that will bring you light and life!

New Year, New Journey!

As you welcome in this New Year do you have a complaint against God? Is there something you desperately need an answer for? Have you tried everything you know to do, done everything others have advised, and still have no break through? I just want to tell you that is actually a very good place to be!

The end of self can be the beginning of new life!

The realization that self doesn’t have the answers, and that others don’t have good advice leaves you with the only voice that speaks truth into every complaint! There are only two voices, the voice of truth and the voice of the liar. When you rise above the reasoning of others, guard your heart and mind against your own fleshly thoughts, and let go of any lies you believed, you will see what the Lord has to say to you! And when you hear His voice of truth you must write it down because His answer isn’t just for you, but for those around you as well!

“I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint. Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.” Habakkuk 2:1-2

I hope this verse inspires you as it does me for the coming year. While the enemy means harm from the complaints you have against God, God intends that His answers will provide a story that you will write to strengthen yourself and to inspire others.

Four years ago I began to write my story. I spent two years writing about my journey through seasons of life and the lessons I learned along the way. When I began to write I thought that perhaps I would have it printed with the hope that my story would encourage others along their journey through life. When I “finished” it, (when are you ever sure a story is finished?) I went to a writer’s conference where I hoped to have someone else read some of it to receive input and constructive criticism. My story never came out of the folder, but I did hear a lot about blogging. Mark had mentioned it to me several times before so when I came home from the conference I decided that was what I was to do, and from then on I have been writing and posting my blog weekly. I really enjoy blogging; beginning with asking God to show me something new from the Bible or to teach me something from life experiences so I can share with others, then the process of putting what God shows me into words as I write and re-write the text, and then finding or taking pictures to illustrate the lessons. I have found it very fulfilling and I also have found that it keeps me accountable. Many times I write things God has spoken to me from the Bible or lessons I have learned from life situations and I have found that those lessons will be tested. That’s when I need to remind myself of the words I wrote and choose whether I will take my own advice or give in to my feelings and emotions. And so, though I really enjoy blogging, I believe God is calling me back to writing my story. I see this season of blogging as preparation and the theme; “What the enemy means for harm, God intends for good!” is also the theme of my story. My story includes many experiences when I didn’t recognize the truth of this theme. Many times I responded to situations by listening to the wrong voice and experienced the harm meant for me by the enemy of my soul. That harm was meant to steal, kill, and destroy me, but it was those very strategies against me that brought me to the end of self. The end of self can be the beginning of new life! It was in that dark night that God’s light flooded my soul. His unconditional love and grace washed over my wandering heart with these four words, “God is for you!” As I traveled through life I have come to realize that believing this truth, never doubting that, “God is for you!” has been my anchor, has been my stronghold, has been what has enabled me to face the troubles that came my way, and to trust that God will work all things together for my good, and for the salvation of many. And so, as I use my time to write my story I will continue to blog excerpts from it along the way. A New Year and a New Journey begins!