GETTING LOST IN THE HALLWAYS OF LIFE!

A friend of mine and prayer partner sent me picture of an office building hallway.  There were many doors and they were all shut.  I tried to upload this into this blog, but it won't load.  So I will establish my own take on the hallways of life.

They used the verse from Isaiah 22:22 about David getting a key from God to open the door and that no one could close the door on him.

We all wonder at times why a door shuts and sometimes a window opens.  Sometimes the doors just don't open to what you thought they would.  We pray, we wonder?  We pray, we question?  We pray, we yell at God!  The door still doesn't open.  In my older years and experiences I have certainly been there and did that.

So, hallways!  What do they mean to you.  It can be a real trip trying to wonder up and down the hall trying this door and that door.  It becomes frustrating and unnerving.  We have friends who say, keep praying.  We have friends who say, it is just not God's will for you right now.  Let it go.  Or, of course you can continue to WAIT.  Hmmm!  I am not a good waiter.  However, God has taught me to do just that.  My hallways had lots of yelling in them, and asking, doubting and banging on those doors.  What does your hallway look like when you have been shut out of something?

There are lots of scriptures that tell us that God knows best.  His perfect and pleasing Will is the best one.  Romans 12: 1-2  This is all about making a decisive dedication of your body and mind to be a living sacrifice - holy and consecrated for God.  And, to NOT be conformed to the world.  Thinking its thoughts and wanting what it wants.  You have heard people say, the heart wants what the heart wants!!  You need instead to renew your mind and attitude - WHY?  So that you can KNOW what is the good, acceptable, perfect will of God is, what He knows is best for you.

In order to get out of the hallway you need to PAY all your attention to God and what He wants.  It will require from you some letting go and waiting.  He knows best.

Psalm 25: 3 and 4, and 5.

Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed;  let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause.  Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths.  Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You (you only and altogether) do I wait (expectantly) all the day long.

In other words, let's not be that little train engine that runs up and down the track, smoking puffing and whistling a lot.  God will come to get you and show you the way.

FROM FALLING THROUGH TO HINDS FEET FOR HIGH PLACES!

HABAKKUK 3: 19

When we experience straight on fights, or getting undermined, isn't it gracious and relieving to know Jesus pulls us up so we have hinds feet for high places.

"The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk (not stand still in terror, but to walk) and make (spiritual) progress upon my high places (of) trouble, suffering, or responsibility!"

Last week we talked about staying alert for straight on attempts at stealing our joy and now we talk about how to visualize climbing higher.  Goats have hinds feet to climb mountain and craggy places.  We don't have that.  There is a book written on Hinds Feet for High Places which I highly recommend to all.  It is a fascinating, can't put it down story, about how a fictional character went through all kinds of barricades to climb to Jesus.

Since Jesus knows about our every moment, every hour of each day, it stands to reason then, that we
can trust Him to get us up out of any pit.  Jesus can get us away from any pit.  And, He can steer us to higher places where His strength is our everything.  His strength is our very power to do all things in His strength.  Phil 4: 13.

I was praying with someone the other day and felt like I had hit all the marks of that request in asking God to show them the path etc.  As soon as I was done that person said, "Well, I sure hope we know what to do about________?"  I was floored.  So there it is.  The biggest, the hardest, thing we learn about God, is to get out of our heads and into His heart for us. 

GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD AND INTO GOD'S HEART!

Let Him have it.  Surrender.  Step out and watch Him do it.  God's Got It!

FALLING THROUGH!

What do a turtle names Mr. Painted Turtle and Jax Rylee have in common for what I want to talk about?

Look at each one very carefully.  The Painted Turtle thinks he is on solid ground.  Jax thinks he is on solid ground.  Both are precarious at best.  The ice will melt and he will fall through.  The Glass can break and Jax will fall through.

The point is, we can truly believe we are on solid ground.  But we aren't always.  It can be a delusion.

The Bible doesn't say how many ways the enemy, Satan can find to delude us, distract us, discourage us, and bring us down.  We just know he is evil and we can expect trials and tribulations.

During our Prayer Team Meeting this week, I said with all conviction he has found another way at us.
We are to be alert, put on our full armor every day.  Pray, and stay strong.  Beth Moore has a book about The PIT.  I love that book.  It explains how we must be very careful and stay alert.  You can walk close to the pit Satan has for you, but walk on.  You can not be paying attention, and fall in involuntarily.  You can also choose to get too close, bend over to see. . ."What's all the big deal, what is really in there?"  And, step too close, it crumbles, you are in the pit.

Now there is another way.  And, beware it is even more cunning then all the other ways.  I noted earlier about how I saw a couple of red flags in February.  However, I went on thinking I was fine, after all I prayed, and made note of the situation for a later time.  When I came crashing down through the ice, glass, solid ground, I woke up and didn't like what I saw when I looked around.
So then what did I do, I got so mad at myself that I started in with that self condemnation we get so good at.  "How stupid are you?"  "How could you get caught up in yourself and the enemy dug a great big burrow underneath you and then goodbye!!!!?"  From there I made myself sick for three days.  Some people call it stress sick.  I have names I can't use on here.  I thank God for my prayer team and how they pray and keep me lifted up.  Thank God for His written Word.

"For Greater is He that is in me, then he that is in the world!"  I John 4: 4

Psalm 27 is just one great chapter that says it all.
Ps 27: 1  The Lord is my light and my salvation---whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"
PS 27: 8  My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"  Your face, Lord, I will seek.
PS 27: 9  Do not hide your face from me, do not tur your servant away in anger; you have been my helper.
PS 27: 14 "Wait for the Lord;  be strong and take heart ad wait for the Lord!"

I could write hundreds of scriptures.  The point here is, there is a NEW way we need to be aware of.
He will burrow under you.  You won't see it coming.  So, what do I do then?

You will pick yourself up out of that mud puddle, Ask God for forgiveness, and move on.  Ask, of course, for more awareness, more prayer time, more alertness, until the next new thing.  God is always just to forgive our sleep walks and put us back up in righteousness.

Let's BE AWARE.  Put on your armor and hold that Sword of the Spirit up higher than normal, and also, point it to the ground, and straight out.  Turn around and be sure your back is covered.

ARE YOU TEACHABLE?

I CHRONICLES 16: 11

Look to the Lord and His Strength;  seek His face always!

Several things are pressing in on my brain today!  Questions in particular!

God wants our full attention, our full obedience.  He wants us to seek Him at all corners, roads, junctures, etc.  I have been one to not clean out the corners very well.  How about you.  It takes a toothbrush sometimes to get things.  Or maybe even a q-tip.  I don't like getting down on the floor to do it, so it doesn't get done.  What does that have to do with anything?  Think about your own life right now.  I am quite tired of thinking about mine, but God doesn't always give us a break.  How holy is your thinking these days, your obedience, your teach-ability.  Are you humble?

Pastor Stu was talking about John 14: 15 to the end of the chapter.  Are we teachable?  It takes humility to be less worldly.  That takes some seeking God and His strength to put a fence around that
concept.  I have always thought I was way out there and extremely teachable.  I found myself in the corner looking hard at the pile up of dirt in that corner.  One particular aspect of my personality sucks this afternoon.  Think about it for yourself today.  See what you come up with.  Ask for forgiveness, ask Him along on the journey, be willing to be changed.