It Is Good

That’s what He said. This past Sunday. While I’m at church, in His presence, worshipping, yet questioning all at the same time. Yep,  all at the same time. See, I think we can worship and ask questions at the same time. We can praise and wonder at our outcome at the same time. We can live in this fleshly body and live for our good God at the same time.

How else do we make it through? 

Pretend not to question? Pretend we got it all figured out? Pretend we got this? 

No thank you! I’ve been there. Lived that lie. Pretended to have it all figured out and “I got this!” And I’m done with it.

So, I worship, I get into His presence. I seek His face. I expect Him to show up. I desire Him to be a part of my questions and wonder and even doubt at times. It’s when we get into those three places without Him that becomes the problem. I’ve learned that He can handle my questions, my wonder and doubt. He loves me and is near no matter what. Thank you God!!

So this Sunday as I’m talking to Him and worshipping Him and seeking His face about various things  ahead... God, how is my baby gonna go to the other side of this planet without me? God how am I gonna stay here and let her go? How much longer do I have to share my girls through this custody arrangement? How much longer do I have to take care of this house? What are me and Abby gonna do while Elizabeth is away? How is Abby gonna deal with her sister being away? How do I try to repair that broken relationship that I know you are wanting me to repair?....

See, my heart and my mind were frailing and spinning and going in all sorts of directions when I heard Him say, “It is good.” Just simply, “It is good”. 

Sometimes I hear the lies of the enemy. Sometimes they get a little loud actually. Sometimes in the middle of hearing those lies I forget to call them lies and speak truth over them and fear might jump up and bite me. And it doesn’t feel good. And I don’t like it at all.

He said, “It is good”. God  gently reminded me in that moment that at the end of each of the various things He created in Genesis He looked at it and declared, “It is good”. He reminded me that not only had He created then, long ago in the beginning of time, that He is still creating today, right now, each moment of every day. He is continually creating new life in each of us and He is bringing forth His plans, His purposes and His destiny every day we wake up. And He declares, “It is Good”! 

Even when we can’t see the big picture, when we are living for Him, “It is good”. Really good. Even when I have questions about tomorrow “It is good”. Even when I wonder what this next “season” will look like “It is good”. Even when I doubt that I can make it, “It is good”. 

Too often we equate the unknown with “it is bad” when in reality the unknown actually gives opportunity for trust and faith and peace beyond understanding. 

As we ended service this past Sunday my baby girl, the one headed to the other side of the planet to do a 6 month mission training through YWAM Ships, walked to the front of the room, asked to take the mic and began to declare that each of us has a purpose and a destiny. She encouraged us to continually remind ourselves of that truth every day that we are given.. We have a purpose and destiny. Yes, this mommy’s heart was exploding at her courage, strength, wisdom and bravery to get up and procalim those words over us. Only a few of us in the room knew that she spoke them with authority because those were the very words that God had spoken to her a couple of weeks before to shut up the lies the devil had been telling her. You go baby girl!!! Preach!!

The devil will always lie to us and make us doubt that our God is good and that “it is good”. In those moments we have to refocus and look to the One who always speaks truth over us. Whose creation, plans, purposes and destinies are good. Even if we have to read Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes ALL THINGS to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them”, every day of our lives and put post-it notes all over the place!!! Do it! Just do it!  It is good. It is all good. 

When we doubt, when we question and when we wonder, look to the one who is continually working things out for our good and His glory. Look to Him for the peace that passes all understanding. Look to Him for truth. 

Even this morning, I saw my baby girl walking away from me in the airport headed into the security area without me. Alone. And I began to panic and I began to think all sorts of things, “Oh God, she’s never flown by herself! Oh man, I wonder if I can get off work? I could just go over with her!” But then I felt God say, “look again”. And I did. And then I saw more. I saw Jesus walking with her, holding her hand. They were both walking toward the security area, together, hand in hand. “Oh thank you Jesus!”

Yes, it will still be hard and I will probably cry, a lot. But I have seen with my own eyes, His hand in hers walking together. I have heard with my own ears, “It is good”. And I, I will choose to believe He is with her every step of the way and “it is good”.

To God be the glory!!!

May you be blessed today in the good good things of our good good God,

Lenee

A Planting of the LORD...

Trees, they're pretty much everywhere... Well, not everywhere, I'm sure I could stop and think of somewhere without trees. So let's just say they're almost everywhere...

I love trees. Many times I am mesmerized by a beautiful tree. Or a not so beautiful tree. A seemingly perfect tree and a not so perfect weathered tree. Maybe it's my ADD or maybe it's that I so many times relate to trees. Crazy? Maybe. But true.

When I travel I take lots of pictures. A lot of those pictures are of trees. There are so many different kinds, sizes, shapes, ages, places they've been planted... By the LORD.

As I awoke this morning, I was dreaming and the last thing I remember was a big Oak tree standing beside a lake whose waters had receided revealing the red clay bottom... Kinda like Lake Hartwell is right now. The picture remains etched in my mind...

As I moved to the front porch and began to talk to God about what I saw and if He was trying to speak to me, I thought of Isaiah 61:3... Yes, one of my favorite verses. Actually if I were to choose a "life verse", this is it. But, I've always focused on the first part of the verse which talks about giving us a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and the garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness. Now, that's some good stuff. That's the stuff I've survived on for quite a while. And for some reason this morning I feel the Holy Spirit saying, "keep going, keep reading, keep progressing keep moving forward. You gotta stop looking back." God help me right now...

See, I've been looking back way too long. I've been assessing the circumstances and actions and "ashes" if you will for far too long. And I'm tired. I'm tired of my so called life just being about "that". That thing that happened years ago. That stuff that changed me forever. That.

Don't misunderstand me and my heart. I am so thankful for my journey and as the old song says, "I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now", well, it's true. I am blessed. And God is good. Through it all.

But, I gotta quit letting that define me. That was then and this is now. So, today I look forward to the last part of the verse. And it's so good too...

All that other stuff He says He will do and does do in the beginning of verse 3 comes to a "so that". I love the "so that's" in His Word. It's like God says, 'Okay, so all this I'm doing is really awesome, but you gotta know, you gotta understand and realize it's ultimately SO THAT....'  followed by many different things for our good and His glory as Ephesians 3:20 says.

"That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

Sometimes we gotta quit looking back and look at the here and now. Realize who we are in Christ Jesus now. What we are to do with life now. We are His righteousness. Here on this earth now. Not because we are perfect, but because that's the way He choose to do it! He choose to allow the blood of His Son, Jesus, to cover us wholly and completely so that He sees us as His righteous ones. He is the one who decided to call us oaks of righteousness and He's the one who choose to plant us and He did it all for His glory.

There's so much more here in that one verse. So much more to expand on and I'll leave that for another day... Another beautiful morning with Jesus and this little tablet in it's little pink case...

Today, let's just agree take a few moments to stop and look. Look around at where we are planted here and now. What can I say or do today to glorify the amazing Creator who choose to call me His righteousness; to plant me? Firmly.

And look forward... There's so much greater that lies ahead for us. It's not about what's behind us, but it's about the steps ahead. The walk that continues, the roots that continue to grow deep.

A planting of the LORD,
Lenee

Taste and See...

That the LORD is good!

This past Sunday was pretty awesome. I just want to tell you about it...

So, during worship, Pastor Bryan comes up and begins to pray that we will feel a tangible sense of God's presence throughout the room. A few moments later my mouth began to water... I was thinking, 'is this really happening? The only thing that makes my mouth water this much is a jar of pickles.' But, yes, it was happening and I began to swallow and think, 'what is this all about God?' I then thought of the verse in Psalm 34, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good..." I began to pray that word over myself and say things like, "God, you are good. I have truly tasted of your goodness over the years. You are so good. Thank you for being so good." A few moments later Pastor Bryan also began to say, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!", over and over. At that point, I was like, 'God, that is so cool! You're telling him the same thing!' And for the next several minutes I just enjoyed His amazing presence, swallowing as my mouth continued to water and telling my God how good He really is and thanking Him for showing up tangibly so that I would know without a doubt He is with me, speaking to me. Me.

Kinda weird that He did it through my mouth watering? Possibly. But, He is God and He can show He is real in whatever way He chooses, right? Right!

It doesn't stop there...it gets even better!

After a really great message on hearing and obeying the voice of God by Chris, a new staff member, it was time for me and Lora to meet in the back of the room to pray with anyone who desired it. After Chris prayed over all of us, Lora looked at me and began to say how she felt God was wanting her to share something with me. She continued to say, "I don't know what all this means, but I feel like God is saying He is changing your tastes. You will begin to enjoy things you didn't before, and the things you now enjoy you may not enjoy as much."  (I was like this is so awesome, because I knew she had no idea what had happened earlier in the service). She continued to say it was almost like a piece of computer equipment or something similar that was plugged into a certain outlet and it was being unplugged and plugged back into another outlet. She also said that He was bringing more healing to me emotionally. Total healing of deep emotions- I was pretty overwhelmed at that point...

I began to share with Lora how awesome it was that she felt led to say those things to me, especially using the word "taste". I told her what had happened earlier in the service and how I had already felt God reminding me to taste and see that He is good.

I share all that with you today mostly because I'm just pretty excited over how really good God is and that He, through His Holy Spirit, continues to speak to me and you. I also want you to know too that I'm not so sure about this new taste and what God is up to. I share that part because sometimes we think that God is supposed to say it all, give us all the info up front and then ask us to step out in it. Well, now wouldn't that be great! And require no faith nor trust!!! But He doesn't. He gently leads us along the pathway He has chosen by showing us His peace along the way. In the midst of it we seek His peace. It will never lead us astray.

So, today, along with encouraging myself to trust Him with the unknown of the change of taste taking place in my life and the new place He is plugging me into, I encourage you also. First of all, if you don't realize it already, you can hear from this great BIG God who not only created this universe, He created you and me!! And as Chris reminded me this Sunday, He created us first!!! He had you and I in His plans and on His mind before He created the world and everything in it...think about that for a while!! We are to impact this world, not let this world impact us... You can hear Him speak to you and don't try to figure out how He will or should do it... He knows you best... He has already and will continue to make Himself known to you and He knows how you will hear Him best. And as I continue to preach to myself this morning I say, choose to obey and trust that He is really good and has mine and your best interest in mind for His ultimate glory. When we believe that then it's so much easier to follow His leading...

Lead me Lord, I will follow.

"Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see - how good God is. Blessed are you who run to Him." Psalm 34:8 The Message

Running on a Wednesday morning,
Lenee