Do It While It's Easy!

     I have a question for you today, my question is why do people set themselves up to be broken?
      Are they either ignorant or deceived? Sorry, I know ignorant is a harsh word, but what else could you call it? Ignorant isn't actually as bad as we have come to think of it, it simply means the lack of knowledge, I am ignorant in the field of chemistry, and many others for that matter.  So either people are ignorant to the fact that God is at the center of life and the creator of all things and without Him they are hopeless and helpless, or they have been deceived into not believing that He is all powerful or even exists?
     Either way, I think people that know God, do know that they need Him and they need as much of Him as they can get! They know they are hopeless and helpless without Him! They know that if they walk in their own power they are courting disaster! They know that outside of His grace they are future road-kill!
     But back to the question and people that don't know they may be future road-kill...are they deceived or ignorant? Maybe both?
     If the people are ignorant, we can help them with teaching. Ignorance is just the lack of knowledge, it's not the desire to not have the knowledge.
     The tougher of the two is the deceived group! They believe their thinking is right. To help these people will take a lot of prayer and a lot of wisdom from God. We will have to overcome the spirit of deception, pride, scoffing, arrogance, etc., but we have to start with prayer!
     The question that first started this thinking in my mind was, "Why do people set themselves up to be broken/" God doesn't want to have us go through trials to refine us, but for some of us, we create our own situation that "breaking" is the only way to get through to us. We won't take the easy road of refining, readily throwing away our bad ways and embracing God's good ways, we have to be broken to the point that God is our "last hope" and then we're willing to let go of the things that don't belong in our lives when we are God's children.
     You can see it in people's lives, they don't need or want God in their lives until they become ill, or until they have a family crisis or they have a financial crisis....it's always a crisis that finally gets their attention and then they are ready to hear about God's love.
     Why can't we learn the easy way? Why don't we turn from our selfish ways and embrace God? Why do we blame God when we are the ones that chose the path that led us to a crisis?
     This is where I run into trouble, too many questions! But maybe my questions can encourage someone to take the easy path, the path where the only issue is your own self will to wrestle with. but at least no crisis!
     Be encouraged to turn your will to God's will, let them run together, let them become one and avoid the crisis that you will eventually enter your life into without God's wisdom, and the self created crises that will drive you to your knees to find God's will. Do it while it's easy! God doesn't enjoy a crisis anymore than we do, His grace will often direct us around the problems in life that we can run ourselves into. Look to Him, Lean on Him and Trust Him, without Him we're all roadkill! ~

Do You Think? Posted by Lorna

     Do you think becoming parents is a part of life that helps us to fully understand our relationship with God? It has helped me to understand the ache He has watching His children's lives, actions and choices, wanting all of the best for us, watching us make choices in our lives, good and bad, watching us wander far from Him, watching us finally realize the value of our relationship with Him and drawing back close to Him.
     I know there are some children that always make the right choices, they never wander far and always value the role their parents play in their lives, but that is not the case with all children. Some children do not have parents and some have parents that are the ones making bad decisions, but I'm considering the people that have walked paths like myself or are in the process of walking it out.
     I have been one of the children that my Heavenly Father watched go through life, living what I thought was "my life", making my choices and never considering all of the people affected by it or that I could have wisdom and guidance from my parents and my Heavenly Father just by the asking. I mostly made not horrible choices, but some bad ones! I went my own way marrying who I chose, as my parents and God watched from the sideline. I didn't seek their wisdom or advice as I could have or should have. Now I watch my children go through life with no counsel requested and my heart yearns to share wisdom with them, but unasked for wisdom becomes the sound of criticism.
     As young adults we exult in the freedom we have to run free through the pleasures that life has to offer. Our friends and our own lives become more important than the older "out of touch" generation. We don't want to have anything hinder us in our pursuit of making our own choices and decisions, so off we go, to marry, to find jobs, buy houses, cars, have children, as the old saying goes "to make our own beds". If we took time to ask for advice and truly consider it, would our bed be more comfortable when we have to "lie in it"? If we did seek God's will, is it not more likely there would be less divorce, fewer abused children and women, less depression, less financial crises, less homelessness?  This list could go on and on, because God's will for our lives would be a life of good choices, it would be a blessing to us, to our families and society. But instead of asking for His guidance we run through life doing what we will, and He watches from the sidelines just as parents are often in a position of watching their children.
     As in my case, with a little age and maturity I have realized the great store of wisdom and knowledge that my parents have and are happy to share. I have been able to draw close to my parents and have a more full life. I long for the day my own children will draw close and seek my counsel, just as the Lord waits for His children to turn to Him. Each generation seems to wander and eventually finds it's own way back to its roots, parents and Heavenly Father.
      Life would be easier and the "bed made" would be more comfortable with the wisdom of the previous generation, and with the guidance of seeking and following His perfect will. Unfortunately the pattern for the majority of people seems to be going their own way and struggling through life and wondering where God is in "all of this"? He is on the sideline, waiting as any good parent, for the time when we finally recognize our need for Him, for His guidance, for His will. He is waiting for us to gain enough experience of going our own way to recognize that we need to ask Him for His wisdom.

God's Will part 2 (posted on blog by Lorna)

     Previously I wrote about Paul's walk, and after reading further into Acts I'd like to add more about how we try to ascertain God's will in our own lives. I myself have followed these same things so many times, believing that God's will would be evidenced by the ease of my life or path that lay ahead and now I'm reading how the counsel of others is not even something to be considered "iron clad" evidence of the Lord's will.
     As Paul was on his travels back to Jerusalem he continually heard from other believers "don't go to Jerusalem!" Acts 21:4 And having looked up the disciples there, we remained with them for seven days. Prompted by the [Holy] Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem. There were many who advised him not to enter Jerusalem.
     I know sometimes situations or "Godly counsel" can indicate what God's will is for our actions, but as Paul did, we need to look to the Lord and follow His guidance first. If the rest(situations and counsel) falls in line with what our hearts have already received then we have confirmation.
     I've always believed that we want God's will in parts of our lives, but we believe He should leave the rest to us. If we aren't willing to follow His will in all things, why do we believe He is bound to show us His will in part?