Give careful thought to your ways...

So, I've kind of been in a funk lately. Funk = a time of laziness and unmotivated to do anything, in case you couldn't figure that out :) I have been searching to find my motivation and just haven't had any luck until recently. Well, this weekend was Half Price Books 50% off one item sale. I am embarrassed to confess to you that I went to 3 different Half Price Book stores in one day in search of a particular book and ended up buying 5 books total. And yes, I used my 50% off at each store! One of the books I got was a book called Made To Crave. It is a book about how we should be craving the Lord and not craving food (something I struggle with, as evident by my current weight). While reading this book the author shares a passage in Haggai. Yes Haggai is a real book in the bible, I promise I didn't make it up. I was completely inspired by this story and God really opened my eyes and convicted me through this passage.

Here's the passage if you would like to read it first;

Haggai 1:2-9

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house. ’” Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? ” Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, ” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 

In the book of Haggai, the Jews began building an alter and foundations for the temple but their enemies made it difficult for them to continue building so the brushed the task aside. 10 years later, the Lord's temple still hadn't been built. In verse 4, the Lord speaks through Haggai and says "Is it a time for you yourself to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" This verse really opened my eyes. The Jews had made building their own homes a priority and completely abandoned the task the Lord had set before them. Each year something else seemed to be more important, something else was always a higher priority. They had time to do the things they really wanted to do, they had time to put paneling up in their own homes while neglecting the home of the Lord. How many times in our own lives do we choose to do the things we want instead of investing in the Lord? How many times do we choose to sleep in instead of waking up to do our quiet time, or watch TV when we could be spending time praying to the one who created us. How many things in our life are taking priority over our relationship with the Lord? For me this passage woke me up in more than one way. First, being reminded that God absolutely needs to be first priority in my life and those things that are so trivial should never be placed before him. I love that the Lord reminds us that no matter how much effort and energy we put into things in life we will not be fulfilled unless we put him first (verse 6). And secondly, as I continue to work on honoring the Lord with my body. Things like exercise and eating healthy should not be pushed to the side or saved for tomorrow. Just as things consume my mind and my attention and take me away from spending time with the Lord, Satan also uses those things to distract me from being active and eating healthy. This is an area in my life I have been investing so much time in and Satan knows that, Satan isn't going to just lie down and play nice, he is going to fight, harder and harder every day to distract me and make other things seem more important. Guess what Satan, you've already had 5 years of me being overweight and unhealthy, that's all you get!!!

What things in your life are you pushing aside that the Lord has called you to invest time and energy in? What things in your life are you investing time and energy in when you should be focusing more on Him?

Believe that you have received it and it will be yours!

Lately, there has been a reoccurring theme in my life... If you want something to happen you have to BELIEVE it will happen and it will! I don't understand why that concept is so hard for us to grasp. God has been tugging on my heart about the importance of changing my thought process, the power of positive thinking if you will. I think often times, we defeat ourselves and allow Satan to use our own insecurities and self doubt to make us think we don't deserve the things we desire in life. Guess what?? That is a lie!! You absolutely deserve everything you desire and the Lord promises to give us our desires if we are committed to Him (Psalm 37).

The Lord tells us over and OVER again in his word how important our beliefs are. In Mark He tells us that whatever we ask for in prayer if we BELIEVE that we will receive it, it WILL be ours (Mark 11:24). Also in Mark he tells us that EVERYTHING is possible for him who BELIEVES! (Mark 9:23) In Matthew He says that faith, as tiny as a mustard seed has the power to move mountains.

Here is a recent example of how God helped me connect the dots and really understand what this means...

Many of you know that I recently took a test to get certified to teach. Several of my friends and family were praying for me as a studied and prepared for the test and almost everyone I talked to said the message, in very different ways, "You've got this," "I'll pray, but you don't need it I know you did good," "I know you passed, why are you worrying about it," "God wouldn't have brought you here if this isn't where He wanted you." Everyone in my life seemed to have complete confidence that I passed the test, except for me. I studied so much but the day of the test I just didn't feel confident at all, I knew the only way I was going to get a passing score was because that is what the Lord intended. Because of my doubt, I prayed, daily, over and over and over again and as I was driving home from work I was just praying again to the Lord...

Me: Lord, I pray that you would continue to prepare my heart for the results that are to come, I pray that you would continue to remind me that you have control and you have a plan. I pray that if the results don't go the way I'm hoping that you would just help me be at peace about it.

God: "If the results don't go the way you hope?" Why are you doubting me? Just thank me Brandy!

Me: Just thank you???? What are you talking about, I don't have the test results yet.

God: Exactly!!! I know what my plan is, you need to trust in my plan. Just thank me!

Me: Um, okay... Thank you!

God: Really?? Let's show a little enthusiasm, thank me like you mean it

Me: Okay, lets try this again... THANK YOU! Wow that felt good, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I was suddenly filled with excitement and confidence that I had passed this test. God lifted all the anxiety and the doubt I was feeling and replaced it with joy, peace and contentment. And the next morning I got the test results, PASSED!

God reminded me of the verses in Mark and Matthew that I had read before and I just kept reminding myself of His promise that if I believe I have received it, it will be mine. So now I'm implementing that in all areas of my life.

-    I believe that I have passed this test because God wants me to be a teacher and I believe that even though I haven't gotten a job offer yet I WILL be a teacher.

-    I believe that God has a man waiting and faithfully praying for me daily in anticipation of meeting me one day.

-    I believe that the changes I have been making in my life will soon reflect the outwardly beauty that I possess on the inside. 

Do you believe the things in the bible are written because the Lord intended us to read them? I do! I believe every word written was intended to be read, meditated on and applied, so I will make an effort to continue to apply these truths to my life. I hope you have been encouraged by this blog and will also begin to meditate on the verses above and start to wholeheartedly believe the things you are asking God for in prayer.