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On Your Way to the Promised Land
But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The LORD never appeared to you’?” Then the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. ~Exodus 4:1-2  Paula Deen’s restaurant wasn't decorated like Thanksgiving should be—a cornucopia on the table; a turkey on the counter; and the oranges, yellows, whites, and reds that often accompany them. It surely wasn't cool outside, for the month of July in Savannah, Georgia, doesn't produce such weather. Part of the family was missing. Some were home, while others were flying back to Columbus to avoid their young kids the 14-hour drive from Disney World. But Thanksgiving doesn't always require those aspects to occur, especially after the blessing we restaurant attendees had seen that day.
Dreaming About Tomorrow Without Hampering Today
Have you ever gotten side-tracked? You know those moments when you need to be working on an assignment due tomorrow, but you are planning for a project due next week instead? I do. Why do we choose one over the other? It all depends on the priority and thought-process we have at the time. Dreaming about the future is a wonderful treasure that God has blessed us with, but we must be careful to avoid being hampered today. What Can I Do To Seek God Today?
Jesus sought God. He is mentioned throughout the New Testament for his decisions of going to a quiet place and praying to God. In fact, Luke 6:12 says, “One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.” It is important to understand, however, what Jesus did after this long time of seeking God in prayer. He chose the twelve disciples that would be with him throughout his journey. Even Jesus, the perfect and powerful Son of God, needed time to pray. After all, choosing twelve disciples isn’t easy. No Such Thing as Pick and Choose
I don’t think he was lost. His map was just fine, and confusion wasn’t clouding his mind. The problem was his obedience, for many decisions we make in life come down to this: All or Nothing. If you haven’t discovered the Bible character that I am speaking about, his name is Jonah. God tells Jonah these words: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh…” (Jonah 1:2). The man must not have thought Nineveh to be as “great” of a place as God did. I believe this because he went in the opposite direction! Fighting in a great sea storm, Jonah was facing the consequences of his disobedience. Because it was his fault that the dangerous storm in the sea was occurring, the people on the ship with Jonah threw him overboard! Then, as you’ve probably heard, a gigantic fish swallowed him. Jonah prayed to God inside the fish, and eventually he went to Nineveh. Think of all the trouble he could have avoided by obeying. |