Saying “yes” to God is one of the easiest and hardest things to do. Some are more willing to say yes, while some of us have to undergo major “heart” surgery to say yes. The heart of the issue is that we want security, safety, and certainty. Yet, when I keep reading my Bible, I don’t find that as the answer. I keep reading stories of people who had to rely wholeheartedly on God.
Joseph’s father, Jacob, played favorites, and Joseph happened to be the favorite son. As one could imagine, this placed a strain on the family relationships. Jacob had previously given Joseph a beautiful coat that made his brothers even more jealous. On top of all of this, Joseph had two dreams that indicated one day his family would be subject to him. Instead of using wisdom and pondering this possible reality in his heart, Joseph decided to share the information with everyone. The family tension began to escalate as a result. At the time, Joseph probably felt excited about the prospect of his dream being fulfilled. Who wouldn’t want that type of authority? But what God gave him as a promise through a dream took years to come to fruition….
The calendar keeps turning, as we are in the last half of the year. When you look at each day, it can seem to move slowly, yet it passes quickly when we pull back and look at a whole year. As I look back over the past few months, I am reminded that time is a gift. While it is passing, it usually feels like anything but a gift. It can feel as if time creates the waiting period from where we are to where we want to be. In our waiting, it can seem like absolutely nothing is happen. Yet, if we use the time well, God can use time to be a blessing in our lives.
Scripture: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you,
As I got in my car, I realized that my car window was completely covered in fingerprints. It might be the fact that it needs to be washed, or I just touch it on accident when I open the door. As my attention was captured by this, I kept seeing fingerprints everywhere – on the mirror, on my phone, on my computer screen, on the glass door going into the store. The fingerprints indicate that someone has touched it. When we see fingerprints on things, we usually think that it needs cleaned. We want to get rid of them. However, in our lives, we keep looking for God’s fingerprints, and we can have a hard time seeing them. Sometimes we wonder if He is touching anything in our lives.