The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11
He will give life.
To you.
Right now.
So here’s a question:
Why is any Christian walking around defeated?
Full of self pity or poor me?
Why do we let anger drag us down to the pit?
Why do we allow worry to fill our brains with dread?
Why do we become overwhelmed with life?
Because we forget.
We forget whose we are.
Are you wandering aimlessly through life, cowering at every arrow thrown your way?
Or…
Are you walking with purpose in every step, deflecting arrows whenever they fly?
“You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” Genesis 16:13
Pulled the chicken out of the oven and assembled the many dinner plates.
Peas, macaroni & cheese, and chicken on my blue dishes looked appetizing.
As I said out loud to thin air, “Good job, Amy”, I knew at that moment God had heard me.
I felt His smile.
Then it hit me.
I work for God.
Who do you work for?
Ok yes, your boss who signs your paycheck.
Your sweet spouse as you help each other tackle life.
Can’t forget the little people who depend on you for continuing their very existence.
We could add friends, church, volunteering, and society.
Let’s face it – we work for many.
Lots of people depend on us.
Too bad the amount of work we do doesn’t equal the thanks flowing to our ears.
What?
Most of what we do is unnoticed.
Unsung.
No thank you’s.
And that’s ok.
Why?
Because God sees it.
He notices.
And He’s the One we work for.
Every time you pull dinner from the oven
Fold sweet smelling laundry
Wipe up spills you never created
Greet a lonely neighbor
Go the extra mile at work
Cut out box tops for your child’s school
Soothe a crying baby
You are noticed.
Next time you do something for someone, remember God is well pleased.
Very pleased.
You helped God smile.
And that, in the end, is all that matters.
Because we work for an audience of One.
“….but as we go on in grace, we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, in the present minute. If we have God’s say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, and we learn to sing in the ordinary days and ways….” Oswald Chambers
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me cup again. Psalm 71:20
Ever see God work?
Witness His marvelous plan unfold?
Take a breath and look around.
He’s working in your children’s hearts.
He’s organizing your thoughts.
He’s ordering your steps.
He’s revealing nuggets of wisdom just when you need them.
He’s providing a way through life.
He’s solving your mini issues which can overwhelm any person.
Your precious life is in His hands and He’s actively showing you the way.
You knew He would.
Come through.
Deep down, you knew.
Yet you still allow stress to step into your mind, completely distracting you.
Did you catch that?
We allow stress to literally step inside our mind and take over.
Completely distracting.
Hmmmmm…….
Oswald Chambers is one of my favorite authors.
Been reading his devotional for years.
His words are steeped with truth:
Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret. and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.
I want my family to be stamped with the presence of God.
Imagine if we all submitted to God and asked Him to work through us each and every day.
How blessed we and our families would be.
Not to mention everyone else God places in your path.
Your way way was through the sea, Your path through the great waters;Yet your footprints were unseen.You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psalm 77:19-20
God guides us by His hand using His plan.
His plan isn’t always what we think He should do, yet He is with us every step of the way.
He guides us and is not seen – but His miracles are.
He works through us to redeem ugly situations.
He guides us through the most unlikely places and leads us safely to the other side.
Imagine the Red Sea and the Israelites standing there, trapped.
Impossible situation in the world’s eyes.
But God is all about doing the impossible.
Step into their shoes and imagine the panic – the fear that would have gripped them,
doubting that God really knew what He was doing when He brought them out of Egypt.
Then, at the last minute, God delivered a miracle we still talk about today.
Life is like that.
Our situation may seem completely impossible – no options, doors all tightly closed.
But God comes through in a mighty way.
We simply must trust He is here with us, going before us.
That’s what trust is – believing in the unseen. The unknown.
God’s fingerprints are on your life. His footprints are next to you.
And He has your back as you trust in His unfailing love for you.
And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long. Psalm 71:24
God wants all of you.
He wants desperately to be your all in all.
How do you begin to know His heart? Or know what He wants from you?
Constant conversation. A never ending conversation with God.
You’re kidding, right?
God wants to know about the missing socks, the broken garage door, or the mouse trap?
Yep.
He knows you inside and out and wants you to know Him the same way.
We have the most incredible opportunity in the world to seek God’s face.
We can become His companion.
His actual companion!
My conversations with God are never ending.
Inside my heart, I chat with Him about everything.
In the mornings, I thank Him for hot showers and delicious coffee (priorities!).
I thank Him for blessing me: all the people I love, job, church, and the plethora of material possessions just to scratch the surface.
I thank Him for looking out for me and giving me my heart’s desire.
I ask Him to plan my day and be with me each moment.
I ask Him to intervene in different situations, to lead me down the path He has for me, and give me an abundance of love to share with others.
During the day, I pop in with different things: a thank you for that unexpected surprise on my desk or help when I begin waving that white flag yet again.
Sometimes it’s just a plea for wisdom when those mini moments erupt with 4 children!
The only way I can explain it is constant conversation. A never ending chat with my best friend.
He knows my every thought. He is as close as the wind on my face.
God, who created all things, will personally restore me? He cares that much about me?
Yes, and more than we could possibly know.
We are in His thoughts. He knows the number of hairs on our head.
When our lives are turned upside down…..when we don’t know where to turn as life gets messy…..when a pressing issue rears it’s ugly head, God will reach down, scoop us up into His arms, and restore us.
Make us whole. Return us to a state of regeneration. Health.
God helps correct our mis-steps and will restore us if we are relying on Him.
If we act before we are certain we have heard from Him, when we are faithful still, He will give us the help we need to turn back.
What?
I thought if we daily submitted ourselves, we would not make any wrong turns.
I know, but we are human. Not perfect, remember?
The key is to keep submitting yourself, your time, your life to God.
Because when you mess up, and you will again and again, God will be faithful to always guide you back to His ways.
How will He do that? Impossible to know.
It’s just a promise we can cling to.
Will we look the same when he’s done?
Nope.
When God restores, He makes all things new. In other words, even better.
So, not only does God promise to Himself restore us, but He will make all things new.
When you are in the pit of despair, cling to that promise. It will be alright.
God has your back. Not only that, but He will bring you back to life.
Abundant life.
Sounds great, so how does a person grab onto this promise?
Surrender. Trust.
Bow before the Almighty God and ask Him to redeem you and lead you into life everlasting.
When you surrender your will to Him, placing your gut level trust into His hands, He will be faithful to restore you.
Amy Linnea 
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