"Where Love Reigns!"
Redeemed Church © 2013 | Privacy Policy
From Pastor Sheli's Weekly 'Prayer & Praise' email
Weekly Announcements
FISH Foodbank Food Drive - Peanut Butter & Tuna (All Month)
3/1… Youth Class Follwing Worship
3/8… Spring Forward!
3/12… Women’s Bible Study 10:30am
3/13- Dare To Believe Worship Night
SOCIAL- Instagram & YouTube @ Redeemed Church Vancouver WA
Email Praise Reports & Prayer Requests redeemedfam@gmail.com
Good Afternoon Church Family! God is able and faithful! I was reading in Numbers this morning and I know there are so many lists and repetitive sentences and lines BUT it is also a reminder to me of how specific God is. You hear people all the time say, "That is so random." or "What a coincidence!" However, as Christians we know that God is a God of order and detail. That is so easy to see in the book of Numbers. God had specific people picked from each tribe to help Moses with the census he was to take. Ok, just stop and think about that... God, Himself, picked each of these men out of all their family members! Things like that always make me stop and ask, "What would it be like to be chosen by God... my name listed in the Bible for generations to see?" It is so humbling to think about God choosing each of these men but also so detailed. God didn't leave things up to random or chance or fate... no, He chose! As you read on from there He lists every tribe and how many men in each tribe were old enough to serve in the army. Specific numbers were given not approximates or guesses... specific. Then He gives them a specific place to be in regards to how they were to camp around the temple. Again, not left to the roll of the dice or drawing the short stick or even choosing but rather God appointed positions. Very specific instructions. Even the groups of three on each side of the temple he deems one to be the leader. Specific instructions and details!
When God says that He knows the plans He has for you, He KNOWS them! We don't have to wonder if He cares about every little detail or if He knows each step of the way because He does. God didn't stop being Himself from Numbers until now. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. God does have specifics and details for each of our lives. Now the big question is, "How do we know them?" The answer, we need listen for His instructions. Moses spent time with God and He listened but he had to wait for a voice outside of himself. We have the Holy Spirit! Thank you Lord!
So, we can hear His voice inside of us, leading and guiding us daily in all things. The problem most of us run into is not the listening - we can hear God, but rather the waiting on Him to say something. In my life I have learned that part of the ability to hear God is closely paired with my ability to be patient. James 1:4 says, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." A lot of us end up wanting because we don't let patience have her perfect work in our lives. We impose deadlines on God. We need things by this date or at this moment and so we have to have our answer at this point. But in my life, sometimes the answer I am praying for comes at 11:59 and I need it by 12. :) I don't believe that God is making us wait but I do believe there are timings and even in the timing of things you can see God's details being played out.
Reading books like Numbers might seem boring with all the repetition but we should be reading the Bible to gain knowledge and understanding of who God is and He can be clearly seen in the beginning of this book. Our lives are not about chance or random or coincidence. They are about purpose, plans, thoughtful meaning, divine aligning and specifics. As we go through life we need to remember to go to the Lord every day and ask Him for wisdom to know what we need to do. Ask Him for direction on how to get things done. Then we need to be prepared to wait on Him for His answer. I used to be so stressed in the waiting process. I would ask the Lord for something or receive a promise from Him and then wait by pacing. Do you know know what you get when you add waiting and pacing? Wasting, that's right. Wasted moments is what you get. Don't waste your time stressing about how God will do something or how His plan for your life will come to pass. Remind yourself of the book of Numbers and that God is the same today as He was yesterday and if He had every detail figured out even down to the leader of each family - then He has every detail figured out for your life too! So, learn to rest in the waiting time and see if in that waiting there is someone you are to bless or something you should be doing in the interim or maybe you are just supposed to trust and literally rest. Whatever it is you will find the journey to your destination soooo much more enjoyable. So, let's enjoy our walk of faith, Church Family, as our Heavenly Father leads and guides us in every detail! Have a blessed rest of your week and let's let patience have her perfect work in our lives and not miss out on all the incredible details of God's plan! Blessings, Pastors Sheli and Steve
'What's Up at Your RC??'