Good morning all-
I'm back to Kansas and it's really cold here. How does the temperature go from 108 in the shade to 53 degrees? If you live in Kansas, you already know the answer to that question. I'm really glad to be back and into my routine. It's really hard working 12-15 hour days and absolutely having no time to do anything but sleep and study. But I'm back and am so glad to be spending time with all of you.
I learned many lessons this week, like how it is to be in a meeting where I'm not the most successful one in the room or how about being one of the oldest, and most definitely, being the one that doesn't have the least bit of interest in staying up and drinking all night. Pride, honor and integrity is what God revealed to me this week. And when the stress got to me, He called me to Him and He ministered to my soul.
I work in a profession that designates success by pushing through product. You're only as good as your last month and then they want you to repeat it and exceed it. It's not been my most successful year this year so God has been working on me and I continue to go out every day and do my job to the best of my ability. Often, I want to go home and stick my head under the covers but then I remember what He did for me and I stay out there pounding the pavement and convincing myself that my success comes from Him. It works most of the time too. Just like this week when I didn't feel like I was the best, nothing really had changed except I was sitting in a room full of achievers and I constantly had to remind myself that this life is not for me but for Him.
I'm glad for times like these so that I can reflect on what matters. It puts life back into perspective. My mind should be on God, my husband and my family, along with anyone else He deems to place in my path. I confess, I was thinking way too much about myself this week. In many ways I was in a battle between my pride and the glory of God. I hate being in that particular place because often, I lose my sight, I get frustrated and I have to repent and get back on track. I'm glad these sessions in my life are getting shorter and that I can identify them when quickly and fix it.
I may never be the highest sales achiever in my company. And, I might never be a VP or a President but I'm exactly where God wants me to be, doing exactly what He's called me to do. At the end of the week, I found comfort in that and when I came home I realized that for all the awards I've won and for all the accolades I have achieved over the years, coming home to my family is my greatest reward.
The following Scripture is what was revealed to me this week. I have meditated on it and really thought about it all week. It has been my beacon. I hope it ministers to you as much as it did to me.
2 Samuel 22:1-29 NKJV:
Then David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day when the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said: "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. When the waves of death surround me, the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry entered His ears." Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down with darkness under His feet. He rode upon a cherub, and flew; and He was seen upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness canopies around Him, dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him coals of fire were kindled. "The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice. He sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning bolts, and He vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were uncovered, at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils. "He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me." The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me; and as His statutes, I did not depart from them. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from iniquity. Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His eyes. "With the merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. You will save the humble people; but Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down." "For You are my lamp, O Lord; The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.
This is a mouthful but as you can see David knew who delivered Him in battle. That's what our Lord does. We cry out to Him, we humble ourselves before Him and He and only He can deliver us from ourselves, our battles and our enemies. I hope this passage blesses you as much as it did me this week. It was my lamp in the darkness, it guided me and saved me, not from an enemy but from myself.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You a humbled woman. I thank You for reminding all of us that the battles are waging and we must humble ourselves before You. You are the victor in all battles and in those battles we must take the time to get before You and gain Your perspective. We are sinners and we do need You to save us, not just for eternity but daily. We want what we want but the only victory that matters is the victory You choose for our lives. I pray today that the women You minister too will see the power in this passage. Be their warrior as they pray and petition for Your hand on their lives. I'm so glad You revealed Yourself to me this week. Give me strength to continue on the path You provide and to be full of honor and integrity in the face of the world. Thank You for reminding me where my reward comes from and that this life, although overwhelming, is not my reward. I am in awe of You today and every day. Bring women to this site that will be ministered by Your word and continue to grow me and challenge me so that I can challenge those You bring to me. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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