God....Is This my Best?!?!

 

This weekend my personal devotion took me to the story of Cain and Abel. If you are not familiar with it, I will give you the quick version of the story. If you want to read the whole thing you can find the full story in Genesis 4:1-16. (Disclaimer: This REALLY is the short version, so if you are interested or have time read the full thing!)

Cain and Abel are brothers. Cain and Abel both bring offerings to God. God does not accept Cain’s offering but accepts Abel’s offering. Cain gets really mad and jealous and kills his brother. God confronts him about it.  Cain utters the famous line “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God punishes Cain for killing his brother.

I have heard this story many times; it is frequently used in sermons and I even had one those Bible story tapes that depicted the story of Cain and Abel with music, color, and animation. Although I was familiar with the story, this weekend it touched and blessed me in a way that I wanted to share with you all. 

Now, the Bible does not say specifically why God did not accept Cain’s sacrifice, but we can infer from what they brought to God (Cain brought some of the plants he had planted, and Abel brought the firstborn of his flock) that Cain did not bring God his best. Maybe he just put together his offering at the last minute, maybe it did not come from the heart, maybe be brought something he would not miss,  or maybe he put absolutely no thought into it. Whatever, it was God did not accept it, God was not pleased, and he let Cain know! 

Cain’s sacrifice got me thinking about the offerings I bring to God( not just the offering I place into offering plate at church). It got me thinking about the offerings I bring to him on a daily basis, my worship, my devotion, my time, my service, etc. Overall, they story just got me thinking about my  discipline when it comes to my relationship with God,  and the effort I put into things that  are a direct service to God. 

Are my sacrifices/offerings always acceptable to God?

Do I put forth enough effort?

Am I giving my best?

Truth be told, I don’t always give God my best. I don’t always give him my best effort, energy, or time. God not accepting Cain’s sacrifice reminds me that God simply just, EXPECTS and DESERVES the best. We all bring God offerings on a daily basis and it is our duty to ensure that what we bring God and what we do for God is our best. I urge you my friends to think and pray about what it is you bring to God.  Strive to make it your best!

My FAVORITE part of the story is what happens at the end!!

After God dishes out his punishment to Cain, Cain gets all upset and starts to complain. He tells God that the punishment is too hard, not fair, etc, etc, etc (really Cain?!?!). God being the compassionate God he is puts a special protection over Cain  (EVEN though he brought a bad offering AND on top of that killed his brother). God alleviates some of Cain’s anxiety about being a "wanderer on the earth" by telling Cain that no one would kill him and if someone did kill him they would be punished “sevenfold” (that’s mercy in a nutshell, if you ask me!).

I am happy I serve a God that even when I don’t bring my best, even when my actions are not acceptable in his sight, and even when I blatantly do wrong;  he STILL WILL  protect, love,  bless, forgive,  and comfort me. I don’t know about you, but that makes me what to bring him my best and get to know him  EVEN more! 

Have a GREAT week my Friends!  

                                                        

 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” Psalms 19:14

 

“Dear Heavenly Father, Please make me Content"

It’s short and to some it may be simple, however the prayer “Dear Heavenly Father, please make me content” has been the most sincere, desperate, and powerful prayer that I have ever prayed.  For weeks it was a prayer that I prayed daily; and at the time it was a cry for growth, clarity, and peace. Over the past year and a half it is a prayer that I have seen change my outlook and approach to this thing called life. 

My idea of contentment was always what I would call simple. I have spent a lot of time praying, reflecting, and talking about the concept of contentment and I have come to realize that it is not that simple at all. It is complex and requires work, the type of personal work that takes time and vulnerability.

 Contentment for me was always situational; dependent on my perception of whatever it is that was going on. It was based solely on my emotions and required nothing from me. My contentment was simply just …a reaction; a reaction to a good day, a major milestone, a good conversation, good weather,  or a nice time. Content was the word that I used to describe my happiness and/or satisfaction.  Naturally, this type of contentment felt good, and I would be totally thrown off the moment that whatever it was that was making me “content” ended or disappeared. 

I have come to realize that contentment is not and should not be situational, it requires a constant understanding that God is in control, and everything that happens in life is a part of a greater plan that we might not always see or understand. Contentment requires that we fully embrace the not so nice moments in life; the moments we feel lost, afraid, hopelessness, lonely, and/or overwhelmed. Oddly, I think it requires that we find some comfort in situations that are not at all that comfortable. It also requires that we also continue to recognize and embrace moments of immense joy and comfort.

You see, contentment is the perfect peace that God promises us, a peace that is not dependent on life circumstances. In this new year, I challenge you to pray for contentment, as you continue to work towards  fulfilling your goals and dreams. I'm sure like the years that have come before it 2014 will be filled with some highs and some lows (hopefully more highs than lows!); I urge to to own, embrace, and find contentment in every moment. 

It is my prayer that God not only continues to develop and deepen my understanding of contentment, but that he continues to develop and deepen yours!

Happy New Year my Friends!!!

Permanently Under Construction

There is a line in the Marvin Sapp song called “Don’t Count me out”, that I have always been in love with.  This week I spent some time reflecting on it, and thought I should share.

“God is molding me and shaping me, he’s building me and making me. A “queen” is being formed right in front of your eyes”

I have become fascinated with being a young adult, and I think it’s because in many ways it has been extremely uncomfortable! Yes, I am fascinated by discomfort. More and more I realize that most of the time God is trying to show us, teach us, or do something with us during the times that we feel most uncomfortable with what life is presenting us with.   I think I  love that line in the song so much because it reminds me that my God is soooo good, and loves me soooo much that he is taking the time to mold, shape, and build me into the Woman he created me to be!

The construction site across the street from my apartment reminds in such a powerful (and loud) way that the building, molding, and shaping process is not a fast and easy one. There are some rough days, injuries, and even tears. Throughout the building, molding, and shaping process there may be periods of time when it seems no progress has been made for weeks or even months. There actually may be circumstances that make it impossible for work to be done. The process requires time and commitment, but most importantly the construction process requires that each construction worker constantly refers to the “master plan” (blueprint) in order to bring to life what the architect has envisioned.

I would like to suggest that our lives are constantly under construction, and in order to become what our master planner has already envisioned us to be, we must be in constant communication with the one who holds the master plan!

I urge you all to remember that God is molding and shaping you into something so GREAT and BEAUTIFUL. Although sometimes the “building” process may not be so smooth, you serve a God that is more than capable and willing to hold your hand each and every step of the way. A God who had promised that the end result will be GREAT!

The Wonderful thing about God is that when he has built you into the person he created you to be, he will always be there is make minor repairs! I don’t know about you but this just makes me fall in love with God even more!!

 “…No eye has ever seen or no ear has ever heard or no mind has ever thought of the wonderful things God has made ready for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9… New Life Version

Listen!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn5RO1SEqBg

A Love I can’t Comprehend

Do you remember Giga Pets?!?!?!

I definitely do and I remember just how bad I wanted one. For those of you who have no idea what I am taking about Giga pets were these virtual handheld pets, that you could keep on your keys, on your backpack, or in your pocket. You could do so much with your Giga Pet, you could feed it, bathe it, play with it, put it to sleep, and all this other good stuff. For those of you who had one, I am sure you remember the hype.

Well, like I said I really wanted a Giga Pet. At the time when Giga Pets were really big and sold out everywhere, KFC started selling them at a cheaper price with the purchase of a meal. The advertisements for these KFC Giga pets seemed to be everywhere, and they made me want one even more. So like any kid who reallllly wants something I asked my Daddy to take me to KFC just to get a Giga pet. I was so excited the afternoon he took me to the KFC by Greenacres mall to get my first Giga pet. However, I was quickly disappointed when the lady at the counter told my dad that his bill was too big and as a result she could not sell him the Giga pet. I remember my Daddy turning to me and telling me that he had no other money, and that we had to hurry up and get home, so I would have to get my Giga pet another day (Sighhhhh). I was bummmmed, and my Daddy could clearly see that. As we exited the KFC my dad noticed a check cashing place across the street, and decided that he would quickly run in and change his money so I could get my Giga pet. We rushed across the street, just to find the longeeeeeeest line EVER. Although my Daddy was in a rush we stood in that line for almost 2 hours just so he could get some change, buy my Giga pet, and most of all make his little girl happy. I honestly will never forget that day, or what seems to be millions of other times my Father has gone out of his way just to provide for me, or make me happy. The ways in which he shows me his love! My Daddy and I have this connection, and I know his love for me is one that I won’t just find anywhere.

Today as I read my daily devotion, I was reminded ONCE again that there is someone who loves, and knows me much more than my Daddy ever can and ever will. There is a song that I have had on heavy rotation for the past couple of weeks, and the words simply go “I have a Father, He calls me His own, He’ ll never leave me, No matter where I go” The song also goes on to say that “ He knows my name, He knows my every thought, He sees each tear that falls, And hears me when I call”. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get a little emotional when I think about God’s Love and the fact that God is Love. I think it’s because God’s love is soooooo great that my human mind can’t comprehend it. I am learning day by day to find extreme comfort in a love that I possibly will never wrap my mind around. I find even more comfort in the fact that there is nothing that I can ever do that will get God to stop loving me, and showing me his love.

I hope YOU too can find sincere comfort in the fact that YOU have a Heavenly Father who knows your name. Not only does he know your name he knows and understands each and every one of your wants and needs. He rejoices when you are happy, and he sees and understands your pain. He has a plan for your life that is greater that you can ever imagine, and he is ready to bestow upon you so many blessings that he says you will not have room enough to receive them. Your heavenly Father will ALWAYS there when you call out to him to comfort, guide, and protect you. Simply Just….Because he LOVES you! And no matter what you do, your heavenly Father will NEVER stop loving you, or showing you his love.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:38-39

Hey, did you notice that?

If you know me you may have noticed that when placed in certain situations I am not always the most observant person in the world. Truth be told, there are times when I am totally oblivious to what is going on around me (dependent on where I am,what I am doing, or who I am with). For the past day or two I have really been thinking about the dangers that can come about when I fail to take the time to notice what is going on around me. Of course some obvious dangers such as getting held up at gun point, lost without a GPS, or scammed have come to mind. In addition to the obvious dangers, in my reflection another danger has made itself strikingly clear!

I imagine that God probably sometimes would love to scream at us "Hey (insert your name here), did you notice that?" Sadly, many of would have to answer no.We all at times get caught up in the every day motions of life. We get consumed by our efforts to be successful, maintain healthy relationships, do well in school, move up on the job, seek out new opportunities, or simply just have a good time, so much so that we fail to notice all the ways in which God shows us his love.

Last week I was amazed at the beauty of the sun kissing the ocean each morning and the calmness of the sea at night. This past week on several occasions the perfect temperature and beauty of a summer night left me extremely calm. A couple a weeks ago after a workout in the park I spent a good amount of time watching a bird collecting grass, and twigs for a nest it was making right above me, and I was truly amazed at the detail and attention a little bird could give to one task. When I sit back and think about it on all these occasions God was showing me his love. God's power and love can be clearly seen in the beauty and precision of nature. If God is so precise when it comes to things in nature, just imagine how precise he can be in our lives. God shows us his love in so many, but we can miss them if we fail to take notice.

I don't even want to know how many times I have failed to recognize the times when God placed things in my life to simply to remind me of his love for me. I imagine that on several occasions he has screamed " Hey Tasha, did you notice that?". I bet if I was a little more observant I would begin to see God's love in so many different ways, and in turn begin to understand just a little more the extent of his love and greatness. I don't know about you, but I find comfort in the fact that I serve a God who shows me his love in so many ways on a daily basis even when I am so caught up with all the other things going in my life.


As I take the time to become more aware of the many ways in which God shows his love to me, I urge you to do the same. I am going to make an assumption and say that what we observe will amaze us, and at times leave us speechless!