Tag Archives: #FiveMinuteFriday

When I can’t keep myself…

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When I can’t keep myself…

In the book of 2 Kings 4:1-7 we read of a widow who had been left with much debt after the death of her husband. This was a dark picture of the day that she lived in: a widow struggled to even survive on her own. There was no Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. She relied on family and friends to make ends meet.

This woman had two sons but because of the amount of debt left by her late husband, the creditors were threatening to take her sons as slaves in payment.

She takes her dilemma to the prophet Elisha who immediately asks her what she had in her house and she replied that she only had a small jar of olive oil remaining. Period.

That’s all Elisha needed for his miracle and he instructs her to go borrow from her neighbors as many empty jars as she can get. He even encourages her in her quest by saying, “Don’t ask for just a few.”

Bring back as many as all three of you can carry and then go borrow some more!

The widow and her sons do as they are instructed and Elisha says, “Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” The sons begin to bring her the jars and she starts pouring oil from her original jar into the empty vessels.

When all the jars were full and no more empty ones remained…the oil stopped flowing.

Not one minute too early or too late, it stopped flowing when all the jars were FULL!

This woman could not keep herself. She had exhausted all attempts at paying off the creditors on her own and was in danger of losing the only two things she had left, her sons.

But when we are at our lowest and cannot keep ourselves…God shows up in HIS time, right ON TIME.

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Psalm 50:15. “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Surely she was being whispered about, of course her neighbors questioned what she was to do with so many empty vessels. But her faith in Elisha’s God kept her pressing forward, anticipating a miracle. In so doing, she had plenty of oil to sell to pay off all of her debts AND enough left over for her and her sons to live on. Olive oil was a necessity, used for so much more than just cooking. Its importance and monetary value was not lost to Elisha or his God.

How do you need to be KEPT today?

  • Is it enough to know that the God of the universe knows where you are, every minute of every day and even the numbers of hair on your very head?
  • Do we trust Him enough, resting in His promises that He will never leave us or forsake us?
  • Or do we fret, like normal human beings, that everything is crashing around us and we will soon be defeated?

God wants to show us His keeping power! He loves to love us in the most precarious of situations. And when we rely on Him, trust in Him and get to the point that we KNOW He will be there regardless, we have turned a corner in our relationship. The love of God will keep you even when you feel as if you cannot keep yourself. His strength is perfect and all you need. Let Him overwhelm you today.

So, ask big!! Get plenty of vessels so the Lord can fill them and KEEP you by His might power, no matter your situation.

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That which is truly life…Enjoy!

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“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV.

I haven’t written for a while, especially for #FiveMinuteFriday. I look at the word prompt every Thursday night hoping it will spark a memory or a thought but lately I guess you could say I have had writer’s block. Big time.

This morning, in my bleary-eyed state, I saw the word Enjoy and knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to at least thank God for the things that He gives us to enjoy. There is so much evil, so much upheaval and unrest in the world that we tend to be focused only on the bad. We forget the blessings around us and even more so we forget to BE that blessing. We have the opportunity to be the Salt and Light in the world; Jesus wants us to remember our purpose here on this earth but to enjoy this life along the way!

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.

Abundant life!

That which is truly life...Enjoy!

So, just what is truly life to the Christian? How do we fulfill our purpose and enjoy life? The scripture in 1 Timothy breaks that down beautifully for us when Paul actually addresses those that are wealthy in the Church. He first instructs them on what NOT to do, or be. Don’t be haughty, (arrogant, proud, vain conceited, snobbish, superior, you get the idea…) and not to set their hopes on their money or possessions. Why? Because they will pass away!

The wealth could be gone tomorrow due to the economy, job loss, disaster, or the stock market. And even more importantly, it is temporary; we will not carry it with us when we leave this world.

But, if instead they USE that blessing, that benefit of plenty, and are generous, ready to share, do good and be rich in good works, then they will be laying a foundation for the future…they will be taking hold of what is truly life.

Most of us are wealthy compared to two thirds of this world. We have more than we need, we are blessed beyond measure and if we know Jesus Christ, if we are in relationship with Him, we cannot keep that blessing to ourselves. It was given to us to enjoy and live an abundant life and it was given for us to give away.

Since the word prompt is ENJOY, I couldn’t resist bringing some sunshine to your day. Norah Jayne’s other beloved grandmother, Nanny Tonya, celebrated her birthday yesterday and Norah made sure she enjoyed every minute of it. Check it out and then go share what is truly life with someone else today.

Loyal

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It’s everyone’s favorite day of the week and my favorite time to write. The #FiveMinuteFriday word prompt today is loyal. Write for five minutes (I try real hard!) with no editing (that is usually noticeable). All for the love of the written word. You can read some of my friends’ posts here!

217,431. Want to guess what that number represents? It’s definitely NOT our bank account, thankfully it is NOT our debt either. And, no, it isn’t the number of friends I have on social media.

This number represents the number of miles we have traveled for Revival By Design in the last 4 1/2 years and the dial that turns on our 2005 Nissan Altima every single day.

We bought this car right before we went to Latvia in 2010, shortly after we had sold our home and nearly all of our possessions. It was the first time we were a one-car couple EVER. We were thrilled to find it, a 2005 with only 30,000 miles on it, I am positive no one had ever sat in the passenger seat or the back at all and we were convinced that the single, older lady that owned it only drove it to church on Sunday’s. It was exactly what we needed and exactly what we could afford.

Fast forward to 2016. We didn’t dream we would still have this loyal friend with us. Of course we would love to have a newer car; who wouldn’t! But if she has been anything, she has been faithful. That is what I think of when I think of the word loyal. Always there, always dependable, never questioning when we hop in for long trips to Milwaukee from Tennessee or heading off to Louisiana, Alabama or Arkansas for the umpteenth time.

Not one time have we been stranded along a highway. Not one time have we had to call a wrecker or someone to fix the car. Aside from a battery, ONE battery, and new tires and oil changes, we have not had to have any serious work performed on our loyal friend. We are forever grateful.

loyalty

I think know the Lord picked that car for us that day. He knew the miles we would be traveling for the Kingdom, He knew what our finances would be like for the next several years and He alone could provide such an instrument of blessing where we wouldn’t have to worry about transportation when going from church to church.

As simple as this post sounds today, this is our God.

In the seemingly little, everyday things, to the cancers, job losses, divorces and other tragedies that cause our knees to buckle, He is faithful. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!'” Lamentations 3:22-24 NKJV

Every day I can count on that car to start right up because God provided it for me. And one day when it doesn’t? He will make a way for our ministry to afford another! And every morning, when I rise, I can count on my loyal friend, Jesus, to be waiting for me. He meets me where I am, comforts me, encourages me through His Word and gives me the strength I need for each new day.

And one day when I get up and my world has fallen apart? His Word declares that He will STILL be loyal, still be faithful because He is God and I am His child. He will be the One to make a way of escape.

“The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 3:18

For the Kingdom

Sharing with Grace and Truth