Tag: do

in His strength

Karla Lees

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Last night, I stepped out of my comfort zone and took part in a 12 hour worship burn…where we offered God praise and worship for 12 hours straight. Six teams, 2 hours each.

As a vocalist, usually two hours is a good maximum for keeping your voice strong without too much strain.

I had the beginnings of a cold when I woke up on Friday morning.

And was signed up to sing for 2 two hour time slots, 2 hours apart, in the wee hours of the morning (1-3 am) and when I am usually getting up (5-7 am).

I prayed and asked Him if I should cut back, and the following familiar verse came to mind:

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

So I didn’t, and I prepared for two sets.  From the time I arrived, I stayed away from caffeine and sweets, drank about 8-10 glasses of water, rested my voice way more than I usually would, and only had the two things to help keep my throat moist besides water, shot glasses of pineapple juice and a few potato chips (the chips are apparently Amy Grant’s go to before a performance too).

And more than all that, I had to depend on Him in a way I normally never ask for help in.

An early riser, I am usually down for the count by 10 pm.

Last night, I didn’t get any sleep, nor did I sense God wanted me to.  I had a strong reassurance I would be able to make it through without sleep, and without losing my voice or incurring too much strain.  Since I am also singing Sunday morning, this was quite a bit outside my comfort zone.

I chose to trust He had me in His grip, and would get me through.

When I got to work this morning, I happened to look up the verse to double check it was the verse I remembered. I was stunned to see what Philippians 4:13 says in the Message translation:

 

Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

I stepped out, and God stepped up to meet me there. I am still stunned with the wonder that I have now been up for 29 hours straight, and do not feel as exhausted as I would have expected.

God took me in His strength beyond what I am capable of in my own strength, and then beyond even more!

When we step out and trust He is more than enough for all we will encounter and endure, our trust is not placed in vain.

If the Maker of the universe made me, He knows what I am capable of, both on my own and with His empowerment.

I can place myself with confidence in His care.

When I expectantly come close into His Presence, He never fails to meet me in each instance.

I am able to do far more than I realize when God holds me together and strengthens me.

Which He does because of:

  • His great love for me
  • His character – God of compassion, refuge, power, might. Its part of who He is
  • His desire to draw close to be with His Beloved
  • the truth that I now live in and within Him, so His strength is an overflow of His loving kindness

and not the least, due to

  • His acute awareness of how much I need Him!

 

the road less traveled: on the hump days

Karla Lees

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This morning, hubby was less thrilled than normal to start his day.  Work added some last minute changes to his day, which he dislikes profusely.

All that to say, I thought I had to start work at 8am today.
And my ride got me here late.
It turns out, no one is starting til 9am this morning.

Welcome to hump day.

Wednesday doesn’t have quite the same reputation as Monday, nor is it looked forward to as much as Friday.

It’s the middle of the work week,and some days, it feels like it.

For those of us on the road less traveled, God gets it.

There were years of hump days, where God went from the OT to the NT in a 400 year hump where people were doing their own thing, with precious few seeking His ways.

God gets our struggle.  How could He not when He not only designed us, hand shaped us & equipped us? Then pursues an intimate relationship with each of us?!

There are a few verses which speak to pressing in to God on a daily basis, but this one caught my eye & heart again this morning:

Do your part today. Not someone else’s or the part you need to do tomorrow. And whatever you do, do it well, because you do it unto the Lord, not men (or yourself!)

-Colossians 3:23

That includes hump days!

Every day, God encourages us to do our best.

For His sake.

Even on hump days.

But He doesn’t leave us to our own devices as we do.

He is with us, to whisper guidance, to reassure & boost our confidence, to warn us to slow down, to empower us when we get weary.

Because of Him, we don’t need to have hump days like the rest of the world.

He takes our offered hump days and makes it so we can look back on them as jump with joy days.

Because He was with us through it all.

Ever present.

Even on hump days.

What an awesome God we follow!

called to go, do or be?

Karla Lees

We were, and are, all called for a purpose.

Typically, most of us (myself included) tend to think of this call only as an action.

We are to go out & make disciples in all nations.

Absolutely.

We miss the key point when it becomes about where we go and what we are doing.

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We are not primarily called to DO SOMETHING or GO SOMEWHERE, we are called TO SOMEONE.

-Os Guinness

When Jesus spoke about what we were to do, He reminded us Who was to be with us to the end of the age: God.

If it becomes all about the action, we miss the heart behind it all.

The heart that loved us, everyone ever on this earth, so much He put on flesh, took up His cross & died for our freedom.

The hands that made all of humanity, painstakingly handcrafting each of us, in His image.

The mind that knows what each person is feeling.

The eyes that see everything, everywhere all the time.

The ears that hear the cries of His people, and the those crying out for justice & freedom.

The Living Word who inspired the bible, recording our interactions with the God over all.

We need to be spending time with Him, the One who made it all, gave it all and loves us all in order to live out our call.

Drawing close to Him is the number one priority to finding our what it is He created you to do.

Getting to know Him will reveal who He is, how He can equip you to the task at hand, and help you reflect Him to the world around you.

Our number one purpose, our call?

To worship Him.
To know Him.
To be known by Him.
To press in close to Him.

Because God?

He isn’t stagnant.
He is constantly on the move.
Keeping watch over His flock, seen & yet unseen.

As we spend time in His Presence, we will see where He is wanting us to move, what He is wanting us to say, where He desires for us to go, how He wants us to help.

Staying close to the God over all will reveal more of His character and His loves.

The more time we spend with Him, the more we will become like Him.

Poured out for the purpose for which we were called, just like Jesus.

Jesus didn’t compromise time with His Father in getting all He was to do done.  When He died on the cross, up to that moment – everything He was to have completed was finished.

And God was with Him, as He sought hard after God in prayer and presence even though the crowds pressed in, even though He had a long hard road to travel.

Not sure what you were called for?

First and foremost, as a worshiper.

In His Presence, all the rest will fall into place.

You will fulfill your purpose when the One who called you speaks the way.

Tuning in to the right frequency is required.&n The closer you come, the clearer the reception.

We were not called primarily to action, but His Presence.

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