The women in our church have been going through Living Free by Beth Moore this fall. We have been considering strongholds in our lives and Beth has been really dealing with the issue of Pride. She was talking about a mind captive to ourself this past week, asking "What do you think about when you first awake in the morning?" Mark 4:19 says, "The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." How true is that?! How many times during the day do I focus on what I am worrying about, how we'll make it financially, or how I wish my life would turn out! What God desires is that our focus would be on HIM! That our greatest desire in life would be that HE would receive glory from our lives and the things that we do. Isaiah 43:7 hit pretty hard..."Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Italics mine) Wow, if I could just get that through my thick skull!! I was created for HIS glory, to do everything I can to glorify HIM. I was not made to live for myself, to make my plans and hope that I can follow them to a T, but to surrender my will to His and my plans to the ones He set forth for me before the foundation of the earth. After reading Isaiah 26:8 I had to question where my heart is...
Is that where my heart is? Is making Him known and glorious the utmost desire of my heart? Not yet, but I'm working on it. So many times in my life God has taken what I had planned and turned my life in a completely new direction. But, that is what He is in the business of doing...making His name glorious. Most of the time that takes me NOT getting what I want...because my life and will is not lined up with His. Oh how I pray that I can get my heart to desire His will above all else, so that what He wills becomes my will as well. It is not easy. Even Jesus prayed for "this cup be taken from me." But He also went on to say, "Yet not as I will but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) And that is the key. We can present our requests before God, but we always need to be of the mindset...yet not as I will...but as YOU will.
So, that is the stronghold that I am trying to combat: My Plans. And it seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life. Some of the verses that have meant a lot to me over the years have to do with Gods plans overriding ours.
"I say, my purpose will stand and I will do all that I please...What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." ~ Isaiah 46:10-11
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." ~ Proverbs 19:21
"For I know the plans I have for you..." ~ Jeremiah 29:11
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." ~ Proverbs 16:9
So, there's some thoughts for today. I pray that God would be glorified in me and all that I do. One of these days I may get this idea into my head! :)
1 comment:
Well said Bethany. Those scriptures really challenged me as well. How many times am I more concerned with my comfort than glorifying Him. It's often hard to see the hidden motives of our hearts because we "think" we want to serve God and trust Him, but when God's will goes in a direction that will bring us discomfort, our true heart is exposed! Praying that God would give me a heart that wants to glorify Him regardless of the cost!
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