Stressing takes away Gods glory

 I'm going to share what happened to me today because it's a good reminder for us all.

You see.. I was stressing over several things going on in my life right now and so I went to God and started praying again but this time I really broke down even more so than last night while praying about these things that I have wanted answers to for so long.

Well during my prayer, sometimes God speaks and sometimes I hear nothing. This time He chose to speak and well I basically got in trouble but I need you to know that it was out of Gods love for me that He corrected me. He corrects in a gentle and loving way.

He reminded me that stressing doesn't bring Him glory. That hit me hard! You see I spent a lot of time praying this week over how I only want to do and say things that bring my Lord glory and for Him to rid me of anything that I might be doing that takes away His glory. So yes, this hit me hard because my heart is only to serve to bring Him glory. So I was broken up pretty bad because I couldn't see until now that stressing actually takes away His glory and that's what I was doing by stressing.

God is good and loving and faithful to His word and when we ask what we don't understand, He will explain it to us.

He explained that it actually takes glory away from Him because at that moment, we are relying on our own strength and falling prey to our emotions rather than trusting in Him and His word of how He will take care of us.

He went further to remind me of how He clothes and feeds the birds. He named off the seasons and how each season requires different things needed to survive and how He provides each one of those needs for the birds as well as for His children in every season of our lives. I never really thought about how each season requires different things for birds to survive. I'm still not sure I understand all that is required but I got the jest of it. Then He told me how much more He loves His children and how He is always there, we need only call upon Him when we feel stressed and He will provide the peace we need to sustain us and move us through it. That's exactly what He did the moment I asked for Him to forgive me. I immediately felt His peace and then felt I needed to apologize for snapping at my mom simply because I was at my stress limit. I also apologized to my sister in case I added stress for her during any part of our conversation.

The Lord reminded me that I am His child and that I know His voice and to listen for that still small voice and it will always bring me peace. Then I heard Him say Be Still and Wait. My human side piped up and said but Lord I've been waiting for so long for answers.. His reply was this.. Wait..(pause) Lonnnger! (I actually laughed at this because I thought about what a sense of humor He has to draw it out like that) But God didn't leave me hanging there. He went on to say, I'm working, you just can't see it yet but I'm working on your behalf because I want the best for you. Be still my child, and wait.. Wait a little longer.

So for those that are in waiting like I am.. Just keep waiting longer for His timing so it will all work out for the best for you too. Pray and listen for His still small, calming voice that will bring you the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Wait lonnnger if you have to so that you will have what God desires for you.

Knowing Your Own Heart

 From out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks..

In Luke 6:45, Jesus says that people can be judged by what they say and do because these things reveal what is really inside the person: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” If you want to know what is on the inside of a person, you simply watch his actions; listen to what comes out of his mouth on a regular basis. This is not being judgmental; this is being realistic.

If a person is angry, rude, lewd, or immoral on a regular basis, you can be assured that this is what he is like “on the inside.” If a person is consistently kind, encouraging, and polite, then you can be sure that is what he is like “on the inside.” Of course, it is possible that someone might put up a façade to deceive others regarding his character, but eventually what is inside will come out. The mouth speaks out of the abundance—the overflow—of the heart.

The primary point of application in Jesus’ words seems to be this: when we see evil consistently coming out of a person in word and deed, we should not deceive ourselves by saying, “I think he really is a good person inside; he just has some bad habits” or “That’s just the way he talks, but he’s not really like that.” How many people fall in love and get married, thinking that the bad behavior they have observed is only an aberration? How many parents deceive themselves regarding the spiritual state of their children, thinking that they are true believers because of a childhood profession of faith, even though their lives demonstrate a heart of evil?

When Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” He meant that consistently sinful words and deeds are indicative of a sinful heart. Rather than always giving people “the benefit of the doubt,” we would do well to recognize the “fruit” we observe and respond accordingly. Being a “fruit inspector” does not mean we consider ourselves to be without sin; it does mean that we are realistic about whom to trust and whom we allow to exert influence over us and the people for whom we are responsible.