5.26.10_My day

 Praise the LORD!!!

    Here it is 5.45 PM and I've not yet been given verses for the devotional. Though yesterday was a bit unusual, with very little input from the LORD. Today has been a good bit different. Though no input as far as inspirations, it has been full of blessings! I've put down a deposit on an apartment, gotten a job and had someone contact me about personal friendship interest. Pretty much a day of blessings upon my life. I start work tomorrow, move into the apartment on the first and will most likely have my new friend attend church with me this weekend. It looks like the LORD has shifted gears in my life and things are beginning to accelerate. Which you'll hear no complaints from me.

   For life here had seemed to come to a bit of a stand still, with very little forward momentum being made. Yes, I had been getting a good amount of work done for those around town and online for the ministry, but I was still living a life in someone else's house. Not really the right lifestyle for a 50 plus year old man. I had been praying for the LORD to move in this department for several months now. Always praying for HIS will to be done and not mine. This is typical for my prayers, for I know that to be an obedient Christian, we must live our lives according to HIS timetable and plans. This is a very, very important aspect in our walks and one sometime very hard to learn. Something takes many years to get accustom to. Even JESUS in the Garden of Gethsemane had to pray this type of prayer, so why should a 'human' expect less.

    Too often we 'humans' want things to be our way. You know the "have it you way" syndrome.  But in the KINGDOM of GOD this truly doesn't work well. It has to be according to that which HE has set forth for our lives. Many times we want to speed things up, because we're not satisfied with HIS timing for events. Or we try to preform task that are outside of those that are according to HIS will. HE may even allow us the leeway to let these choices be worked at for a while, only to allow us to fall flat on our faces (been there many times:)))too.) HE allows this type of event within our lives for the express purpose of our learning, our learning who ultimately is the one in control.

   One of the greatest things I love about GOD is the fact that no matter how many times we fail, fall or backslide, HE is always there willing to pick us up, dust us off and send us onward again. There will be a bit of chastisement that comes along with this loving care, but I'd expect no less. After all, HE is our loving FATHER and the one that truly loves us more then our earthly parents did, no matter how loving they were. GOD personifies all that there is to love. If we could even bare HIS likeness 1%, this world would be a far better place to live in. To say that we 'humans' are far less then GOD is, would be a total understatement. Though we were created in THEIR imagine, since the fall from the GARDEN we have degenerated into what almost could be called another life form. Something almost totally different than that which we started out as. But thank GOD, HE has made plans for this exact 'evolution.' HE came to this earth, in our form, died upon the cross for our transgressions, was buried, rose again to life upon the third day and then ascended to heaven to sit in HIS rightful place, at the right hand of the FATHER.

   So if you've been having problems of late, sit back and take a good look at your life. Your prayers and those things that you may have been doing to 'do things your way.' Then ask GOD to forgive you, provide the HOLY SPIRIT to you, to teach you, and then to grace you with the strength to fully turn over your life to HIM. If there is any one thing within a Christian's life that will truly make a startling difference, it is this act alone. Take it from one that knows, oh so well, that GOD is the driver of this universe and HE's not going to turn the wheel over to you. Unless you really think you can do a better job then HE is, but then are you ready to pay the price for your choice?


 There will be no verses tonight, I was even wondering if there was going to be a devotional, but I see HE had something a little different in store for us! Maybe I just wasn't listening as well as I should of been:)))

Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org

GOD bless and good day,

Rev. Marshall Barth

Vine of CHRIST Ministries

Vine Ministerial Network International