Smiling with God...

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations just as it had been said to him, ‘so shall your offspring be’” Romans 4:18 Wow, what faith.This is what it means to live by faith. To firmly believe in the promises of God and know that it will come to pass. I can now say that God’s promises will be fulfilled. I can now embrace that God’s work shall be completed in me. I trust that God will finish what He started. If He says it, it will be. Against all hope God is working. But there is a part two, Abraham in hope believed. We must have faith in God. Be confident in God through the thick and thin. There are many things in my life where I fail to realize that God’s will come through. There are promises that are yet unfulfilled that I now know that I can trust in now. I am now confident that God can and will bring me out of the this season better and stronger. God is orchestrating, God is putting the pieces together, God is bring the plan for ...

"But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." 1 Kings 8:61 After a dedication to the temple Solomon here sees the importance of a committed heart to the Lord. But there is something about commitment. When the heart goes then then everything else follows. When your heart turns then your life will turn along with it. I guess what is important here to see is that once you move in one direction and your heart commits to it, then your emotion, intellect, and energy follows. I see why here Solomon ask that if God is to give us His 100% then we have to follow suit. The heart committed can see through tough times and focus on what is important. I liked this girl a lot I thought, but after constant rejection I gave up. My heart became uncommitted. I liked this other girl, and we dated for a month, but was rejected again and my heart towards her has changed. I see how why a committed heart is nece...

“He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? Will go to him, but he will not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:22-23 David in all his grief cried out to God in desperation to save his child. But nonethess, the child was taken away, the words of Nathan was fulfilled and like that it was over. David, then got up, doing all he could do he moved on. Though it was custom and tradition to lament and fast after a death, David here recoginzed that it was final, it was done. Moving on after a death, is tough. But for some it’s not just a death, but maybe a shattered dream, a long lost wish unfulfilled, or just something that never materalizes. When it dies, it dies. But the lesson here isn’t just the reaction after death, but also what to do till it dies. David did all he could, he pleaded, fasted, did everything he coul...