Haydee and CarloIt is never fun to wait, is it? Most people simply detest it. That is why so many of the products we buy are instant: Instant Coffee... Instant Pudding... Instant Potatoes... Instant Oatmeal... Instant Whatever! We simply do not have more than an instant to wait! Many people I know tap their foot in impatience when their leftovers are being reheated in the microwave oven, wondering when on earth their food will finally be warmed and ready!
Now when it comes to the things of God, you and I can throw out the microwave. God does not have a microwave, He has is a crock pot. God tells us that it is through faith and patience that we inherit His promises. If you and I are going to see God do great and mighty things in and through our lives, we MUST be patient and wait on Him and His timing.
Make no mistake about it; waiting on God is one of the hardest things to do. Often, we believe God and trust God for a miracle... but we want it NOW! In our waiting, we can easily get stressed out, frustrated and disillusioned, thinking God does not care about us... for if He did, He would act, and He would act NOW! But the truth of the matter is this: God is never late and never in a hurry. He is always right on time. He has grace to help in time of need. He says to us, "Wait on Me, and I will answer in mighty power at the proper time... and the perfect moment." The one who believes God... and waits on God... is the one who receives from God.
TAKE IT FROM ABRAHAM
Abraham and Sarah were promised a son. They were old and childless when the promise came. Obviously, they were excited and ready for God's promise to come to fruition.... but they had to wait 30 years before God gave them Isaac. 30 Years!! The Bible says, "Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he [Abraham] did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was also able to perform" (Rom. 4:20-21). God taught Abraham so much as he waited on God to perform the miracle of Isaac. He strengthened Abe's faith in the waiting room... and then blessed his socks off with a special son of promise. Did it take some time? Yes! Was it worth it? Certainly!
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you gotten tired of waiting for your miracle? Tired of waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right? Tired of waiting for your healing... or your deliverance... or your promotion... or your dream? Have you given up on your promise from God? Pick up the towel you have thrown in and get back in the waiting room! Add patience to your faith. God's promise to you will come to pass in His timing... and you will be so glad that you waited for it!
This was an article from CBN that has encouraged me. One more thing I wanna share with you :) Please check this out..A dream is a wonderful thing. It can give you hope for your future and encourage you to try when all odds are against you. But beware, there are dream killers that want to snuff the life out of your dream. Don't let them do it!
People who can't or don't want to see your dream fulfilled can kill your dream. They may tell you that it is impossible for you, that you are not smart enough or that it's never been done before. However, many times the biggest dream killer is you.
Don't let fear, intimidation, doubt, lack of finances, etc., dictate to you that you can't fulfill your dream. Talk back to these killers. Tell them, "I can and will fulfill my destiny, my dream." You may have to do this everyday, but that's ok. The more you instill within your heart that you can do it, your dream will be held safe within you.
It is very important to take steps towards fulfilling your dream. For me, in order to fulfill my dream of one-day owning my own magazine, I needed to go back to school and finish my college degree. For you, it may be something different. You know deep inside what the voice of your dream calls for. Don't be afraid, just do it. Try not to let too much time go by. Time is another one of those dream killers.
Meditate on the words of a song by Yolanda Adams, "Keep the dream alive, don't let it die, it's something deep inside, keeps inspiring me to try, don't stop and never give up, don't ever give up on you. Sometimes, life can place a stumbling block in your way, but you've got to keep the faith"
When you dream, dream BIG, and never give up. There's no law that says you have to dream small. Your dream is just that, yours. Never let anyone tell you that your dream can't happen, it can! Nurture your dream. Keep seeing yourself do what's never been done before. As you continue to feed your dream and protect it, not only will you keep it alive, but it has no other choice but to come forth!
Ephesians 3:20 sums it up this way:
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
The first time I heard this song was when I was a child, age 8 or 9. As parents, you must know that there are some hardly understandable things from children. They can be jealous at each other, feel that they get unfair treatment, or something like that. So did I. When I was a child, I thought that my parents didn't love me so much. They were crazy about my brother but didn't treat me the same way (that was what I thought!). So I used to feel lonely, had no friend to talk with, and even often didn't know what to do. That's why this song grabbed my attention. Besides the melody was so easy listening, the lyric was very heartfelt.
Anytime I don't know what to do, I will cast all my cares upon You.
I knew that there were Someone up there who took care of me, upon whom I could cast all my cares. Maybe that was the first time I started to know God personally. (It's so nice knowing that we have someone up there loves us, don't we?). And this continues till I grow up. I still love this song. A simple song that changed my world..
I hope you'll feel the same way. Please listen to this song and take a little while to contemplate the lyrics..
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Blessings to you!
Welcome to the In Touch Devotional. Patience is a hard lesson for us to learn. We don't like patience. We don't have time for patience! Life is fast, time's running out, and we've got to get this show on the road, right?
This is clearly how most of us act, even if we don't express it. Perhaps that's why Scripture includes so many examples of godly patience and reward. Over and over, we see the Father making promises to His children, only to have them wait years, sometimes decades, for the promise to be fulfilled. But the result of that patience is always blessing.
Consider Abraham. At age 75, he was given God's promise of a son. 10 years later, he was still waiting. Fifteen years passed, then 20, and still no son. Finally, when Abraham was 100, a quarter-century after God had made the promise, baby Isaac was born. Surely Abraham had times of doubt during those 25 years. Yet he continued to trust God and kept watching for the fulfillment of His promise.
There are plenty of other examples. As a young man, Jacob met the girl of his dreams, but he worked many years before making her his bride. Joseph had a God-given vision of blessing at age 17 but languished 13 years in slavery and prison before receiving the reward. David was anointed King of Israel as a teenager but spent the next 14 years or so running for his life before taking the throne.
Shortcuts never lead to where God wants us to be. The long road, however, is filled with faithful servants. Are you waiting on the Lord today? Be encouraged. You're in good company.
How often have we said those four words? Christians routinely promise to pray for others. And such a promise, whether deeply felt or not, is always a wonderful gift. How encouraging it is to be going through a hard time and have someone who loves you say, “I’m praying for you.”
This was article written by Ray Pritchard that I read from Crosswalks.com. I realized that it was such a great idea. Since these days were busy days, it seemed that we couldn't save times for praying for other people. (Oh, how could? Even we have no much time for praying for our selves!). But I still believe that prayers have power. Although we haven't seen the result, we should believe in faith, that our prayers work.
These are very interesting verses from James 5 (NIV)
I encourage you to do the same thing. Write a prayer for a friend. Don’t just say, “I’ll be praying for you.” Write out your prayer and send it to them. It doesn’t have to be long or fancy. A sentence or two is fine. Just write from your heart what you are praying to the Lord.
Write it and send it. A written prayer is a wonderful gift to those you love.
Isn't it wonderful idea?Some of the most significant messages people deliver to one another often come in just three words. When spoken or conveyed, those statements have the power to forge new friendships, deepen old ones And restore relationships that have cooled.
The following three word phrases can enrich every relationship:
I'LL BE THERE - Being there for another person is the greatest gift we can give. When we are truly present for other people, important things happen to them and to us. We are renewed in love and friendship. We are restored emotionally and spiritually. Being there is at the very, very core of civility.
I MISS YOU - Perhaps more marriages could be salvaged and strengthened if couples simply and sincerely said to each other, 'I miss you.' This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted, needed, desired and loved.
I RESPECT YOU - Respect is another way of showing love. Respect conveys the feeling that another person is a true equal. It is a powerful way to affirm the importance of a relationship.
MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT - This phrase is highly effective in diffusing an argument and restoring frayed emotions. The flip side of 'maybe you're right' is the humility of admitting 'maybe I'm wrong.'
PLEASE FORGIVE ME - Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness. All of us are vulnerable to faults, foibles and failures. A man should never be ashamed to own up to he has been in the wrong, which is by saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.
I THANK YOU - Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who enjoy the companionship of good, close friends are those who don't. Take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness. On the other hand, people whose circle of friends is severely constricted often do not have the attitude of gratitude.
COUNT ON ME - 'A friend is one who walks in when others walk out.' 'Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship; it is the emotional glue that bonds people. Those who are rich in theirrelationships tend to be steady and true friends. When troubles come, a good friend is there, indicating 'you can count on me.'
LET ME HELP - The best of friends see a need and try to fill it. When they spot a hurt they do what they can to heal it. Without being asked, they pitch in and help.
I UNDERSTAND YOU - People become closer and enjoy each other more if they feel the other person accepts and understands them. Letting others know in so many little ways that you understand him or her is one of the most powerful tools for healing your relationship.
GO FOR IT - Some of your friends may be non-conformists, have unique projects and unusual hobbies. Support them in pursuing their interests. Rather than urging your loved ones to conform, encourage their uniqueness - everyone has dreams that no one else has.
I suppose the 3 little words that you were expecting to see have to be reserved for those who are special; that is I LOVE YOU.
Author Unknown
What is a miracle? Some people may refer it to sensational or supernatural things could ever happen in their life. But for me, miracle is much more than that. Miracle could be seen in little things that give value for me. For example, if I have sooo many business to do, no time for doing anything anymore, then suddenly comes up somebody offer to help... It could be such a big miracle for me!
I don't want to wait 'till something marvelous happens. For me, little things often give much more meaning if we want to see each of that as miracles...
Here are 13 little things could be seen as miracles for me (not in particular order!)...
