Quiet Moments With God -- Who Do You Want To Be?

Yesterday, while reading from "My Utmost For His Highest" Oswald Chambers closing lines caught hold of me. "Beware of paying attention or going back to what you once were, when God wants you to be something you have never been." Powerful words, potentially life changing.

What kind of person are you--one who goes back to what's familiar or the type who looks forward to what could be? I want to look forward, to move forward--to become something I've never been. I long to be that person. Sadly, that's not always who I am. Fear, lack of confidence, lack of vision and a voice in my head that tells me I can't be someone else holds me back.

2nd Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore,if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone,the new has come!" Amen! We must remember that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Whoever God calls us to be and no matter what He asks of us, we have the strength and ability because of Him.

I remember the day I placed my faith in Christ--I was a brand new creation. It was an amazing time learning what it meant to be a child of God. And now when I hear that God wants me to be someone I've never been I'm reminded of those early days. I wonder who does he want me to be and am I ready?

If I'm willing, then I'm ready. God will show me the way, give me the strength and the wisdom as I am transformed.

Trust the Lord. Don't hold back. Embrace God's opportunities. And discover the person you've never been.

I'm stoked. How about you?

Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie

Quiet Moments With God -- Pray Big Prayers

I recently watched a movie called Faith for Potatoes. It’s based on a true story of a man, Angus Buchan, who lives in South Africa. As a young man his life was filled with struggles and hardship and his heart was full of anger and fear. One day he joined his wife in church and he heard the Word of God and believed in Jesus as Savior. Angus was transformed.

His Christian walk began like many of ours. Deep joy and hope bloomed inside even though his life remained painfully difficult. Through struggles, he learned to trust God. One night during a storm Angus’s neighbor was hit by lightening and died, but God raised up the person, gave him his life back and Angus saw that his God could do anything.

Angus became a voice for Christ. And when it looked like he would lose his farm, he prayed a "ridiculous" prayer and then he waited . . . believing.

I don’t want to give away the ending of the story, but I was struck by how puny my prayers are. God is powerful. He can do all things. And yet I live as if He is frail and faint of heart. In spite of my weak faith God still listens to my prayers and answers them. Sometimes He says yes, other times He tells me I must wait, and there are circumstances that require a no. But there is peace in relying on God's greater wisdom.

I wonder how different my life would be, how different I would be if I truly grasped how BIG God is. What might I accomplish?

I say it's time to begin praying BIG PRAYERS and trusting God to overcome impossible odds. Shall we believe together for the impossible? I say, a great big YES!

Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie