WHAT GOD IS...

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Friends, all I can say is “whew” and what happened to SEPTEMBER?  I am guessing some of you are saying what happened to Pastor Greg and the “less than daily” DISPATCH or OFH.  I must ask myself a little too! 

I wrapped up my mileage log for September (Recovery Month) late last night and was stunned to see the number just south of 5000 miles. And that was in 26 days of September.  YIKES!

So, I certainly don’t mind finding October pop up on the calendar.  I got married in October, had Sammie my middle and rather precocious daughter in October.  FALL happens in October and that is my favorite, but October hopefully promises to be “not quite so” crazy. 

But enough of all that.  A couple of weeks ago I was blessed and honored to share a message at Mosaic Church.  Rosario Picardo and his team has architected an AMAZING, THRIVING, INCLUSIVE, and PASSIONATE church.  So, I was so warmed by getting share with them.  And I thought as I “resurfaced” today to write, I would share the first half of that talk and the second tomorrow  because I know it has HELPED me a bunch of late (even though it is tough to practice what we preach sometimes) and I feel like it is for others to hear as well.

The talk was titled “In the Middle of the Mess” or in other words “What is true about GOD when we are in the middle of our mess”. 

And the Lord shared this with me.  That HE is always COMPASSIONATE in the middle of the mess. Psalm 56:8 (MSG)

You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book.

Let that sink in for a second.  Our GOD, the GOD who right now has more than 7 billion folks to “keep an eye on” is so INTIMATELY engaged with you that he is meticulously keeping your tears, your every hurt, your every apprehension, fear, pain, etc. in his ledger.  And He is ALWAYS ready to TAKE them and heal them.  (1 Peter 5:7). 

That friends is UNPARALLELED COMPASSION!

He is always COGNIZANT of our mess.

Psalm 139 reminds us that there is NO WHERE we COULD GO, no place, no cave, no mountain, no depth or height that would remove us from HIS WATCH or HIS CARE. And the writer of HEBREWS confirms that, “We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all…” (Hebrews 4:15 MSG).

And lastly for today, He is always CAPABLE to get us THROUGH our MESS (even when we don’t “think so”).  Remember, “It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4 NLT).

…apart from me (GOD) you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NIV)

Tomorrow I will share (4) more “C’s” to get us through the rough “SEAS” of life. (Thanks Pastor Wayne).

But for today remember…

 

I love you all!

Have a BLESSED DAY! (Good to feel you October)

Opportunities for Hope