Time to take the limits off!

You’ve allowed your limited thinking to determine your destiny for far too long! You plan trips based on your bank account. You’ve allowed your mind to disallow Gods purpose for your life because you qualified yourself based on your lack of education or experience.

Let me ask you this; is the God in you limited? You say no, and yet you have limited Him. How have you limited Him? Are you laying hands on the sick? Raising the dead? Giving everything you have to the poor? When you only do what you feel you’re capable of doing, you’re limiting the God who is alive in you.

The God of limitlessness possibilities and creative ideas lives in you and you don’t trust in His ability to do anything other then what you are comfortable with. Oh, you pay your 10%, but when He says, “Risk it all!” You conveniently block that voice out of your head. “I need it for bills,” when He said He’d supply ALL your needs according to HIS riches.

You see where I’m going here? We’ve limited God based on what we see instead of what we should know about the God who’s in us. We have become passive and safe instead of aggressive and risk-takers.

According to Matthew 25 18-29, Jesus will return for what is His and what we do with what He’s given us, we will give account of. He will ask you, “What did you do with the talents and abilities I gave you?” Hear me today! It’s time we stopped making excuses and stepped up and walked in the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

Trust me when I say this; “I knew you were a mean God and would come back some day and want your powerful Holy Spirit back so here it is. I never used it because! Here it is just the way you gave it to me.” That’s not the answer He’s after.

He will be pleased to hear; “Father, I invested what I had in me into others, trusting you to multiply it. I was faithful with the little, here is yours with interest.” He will say to you, “Thank you faithful one, enter into the joy of the Lord.”

I would rather live on the edge of danger then in a safe and small place. I’d rather look and sound a fool, then never open my mouth and speak His truth in love. I’d rather sit under an open sky then in a box of my own making. There is so much power in me that to harness it would deprive the world around me of light yet undiscovered. What about you?

Let’s Let Him Do More Through Us,

Sandy G

Worship turns the face of God.

Do you know that each time you worship, especially when you’re going through something hard, it moves His heart? With all that David endured with Saul, he praised the Lord and got Gods favor over his life.

Leah was hated by Jacob and endured years of disdain from him and her sister, Rachel until she realized God had opened her womb and blessed her with sons (Genesis 29). By her 4th one, she turned her praise to God and named him Judah (praise). When she stopped looking for fulfillment from her husband and turned her eyes toward God, her very countenance changed. When she died, she was placed in the honored burial place with Abraham and Sarah.

Praise changes you. You can be a nothing, a nobody, going through the hardest trial you’ve ever faced, but like Leah, God sees you and He’s going to turn things around. You already have Gods attention! You don’t have to do anything to earn His favor, Jesus did that for you with His sacrifice. But when you worship God, it confuses your enemy. He doesn’t know what to do with a Christian who refuses to allow their ‘now’ to determine their future.

I know my God is a big God! I know He is able to far surpass anything I can think or imagine. I’m expecting His blessing on my life! If He did it for others, He will do it for me.

I will bless the Lord! I will worship His Holy Name! He’s bigger than the problems I face. He is so much bigger! Like David I will declare, “Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:4-5

Good Morning To Worship,

Sandy G

I’ve chosen to obey your truth and walk in the splendor-light of all that you teach me. Psalm 119:30 TPT

We all have choices, don’t we? Some of us have walked a very hard path because we’ve chosen wrong, while others have chosen right and still endured trials and tribulation. You see, what we choose doesn’t always bring us peace, joy and happiness. Sometimes choosing to follow Jesus takes us down uncomfortable paths.

When I chose to obey God’s truth and walk in the light it brought me, the only assurance I had is that He would never leave me and that if I was willing, He would shine that light through me. Light doesn’t shine through vessels that are sealed up, only those that are open. Just as we learned in children church years ago, you can’t hide it under a bushel–you must let it shine.

I choose to not be consumed by my own problems today, but to be an open and shining extension of the Fathers light which I carry. I pray that it shine so brightly that all around may see their way to the most glorious relationship with the God who lavishes me with His love, peace and joy. The kind that isn’t effected by what goes on in the world or my personal life, but that pushes it’s way through, casting out the darkness.

If we would all chose to be that light, can you even imagine how much brighter things would be? You may not be able to change the world, but you can change your corner or the world. The part you are in can be brighter if you’ll allow your brokenness to be the very thing God uses to bring light.

Don’t hide in shame, afraid to share your story! Share your journey so that others may be encouraged by it. You’ll find that when you do, light will burst forth from you onto others.

Shining,

Sandy G

Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, they were awakened by the shout ‘Get up! The bridegroom is here! Come out and have an encounter with him!’ So all the girls got up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish ones were running out of oil, so they said to the five wise ones, ‘Share your oil with us, because our lamps are going out!’

“ ‘We can’t,’ they replied. ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. You’ll have to go and buy some for yourselves!’

“While the five girls were out buying oil, the bridegroom appeared. Those who were ready and waiting were escorted inside with him and the wedding party to enjoy the feast. And then the door was locked. Matthew 25:6-10 Passion Translation

When I read this story of the 10 virgins who camped out waiting for the bridegroom, I see 5 who had planned for the occasion, taking extra oil for their lamps. I also see 5 who didn’t really take it seriously and never truly planned for the occasion. They were good with what they had, never seeing the need for more. The word that comes to mind is complacent.

The dictionary defines this word; Word: Complacent-“pleased, especially with oneself or one’s merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied.”

Another story comes to mind found in Luke 24:49, 500 were given the promise of power but only 120 (Acts 2) were committed to partner with the power which was promised and wait “until” they received power from on high. The couldn’t see the value and didn’t want to wait for it.

Which group do you fit in with? Satisfied with what you have and where you are, or desperate enough to stay and pray until you get what you’re expecting? Easy or hard? Complacent or desperate? I’m taking inventory of my life, my attitude and my hunger level. This is not a game to me, it’s my life and the outcome depends on my ability to trust in the one who is in me.

So if I appear to be overly focused on the task at hand, please understand that I’m in it to win. The oil I have remains full because of the time I spend in the Word and prayer. I don’t fast 6 days and fill up on Sunday, I fill up each day and party and feast on Sunday. I know this is a challenging word. You don’t have to ‘like’ it, but I hope that when you read it, your self satisfaction turns into desperation for Holy Fire that never burns out.

Burning,

Sandy G

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:23-24 NKJ

Regardless of your circumstance, God has made a way for you.

I LOVE that the Lord orders our steps and takes great delight in the plans He has for us. Everyday, I think about that, the great God of the universe orders my steps. There’s nothing that escapes Him, nothing is impossible to Him and absolutely nothing takes Him by surprise. Wherever I go, whatever I do, He sees and orders my steps.

The steps of Esther were ordered by God as well. I’m sure when she was herded up with the other young ladies and taken from family and friends, she probably wondered why. But look how God not only favored her and positioned her as queen, but saved a nation, a people, using a mere child bride to do it.

I get so excited when I look at that story of Gods deliverance. Listen to this verse from Esther 8:17 NLT “In every province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.” These were some of the first converts! Can’t beat um, join um!

Thats what God will do with our lives. He brought us down this path so that people from every nation and tribe will be won to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are to rejoice, celebrate the goodness of our God, even when we don’t understand the why’s or the when’s, He orders our steps.

Remember that when you walk down your path today. Even when you fall, you won’t stay down because God holds you up.

No Surprise To Him,

Sandy G

Have you ever faced something that seemed WAY over your ability to deal with? Overwhelmed, broken and defeated, because sometimes things just look impossible! It seems like that, because it’s all we can see. It consumes our vision each time we open our eyes, and it takes up all our thoughts when we close our eyes. Awake or asleep, there’s just no escaping the problem.

King Jehoshaphat faced a similar situation in II Chronicles 20. Verses 6-12 we hear him crying out and reminding God of all He’s done for them and he ends with, “but our eyes are upon You.” Hear what the Lord answered in verse 15b, “Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’ Then he gives them instruction on what to do in verse 17, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

But the COOLEST part of this story is found in verse 18, “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.”

Do you see that? When you trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, you will remind God of His promises, wait for His instruction and then WORSHIP Him.

We have a tendency to run and do without being thankful. Jesus healed 10 lepers, only one came back to worship and thank him. The 9 were healed, but only one was made whole. Restoration comes when we worship.

I’m facing an impossible situation today. It’s trying to block my view of the God of the impossible. My options are clear, focus on what I see in the natural or focus on the God who dwells in me and inhabits my praise.

I’m not going to be satisfied with a part of my salvation, I want it all. Shift my attention as I worship You, my King. I’m thankful for your Word over my dilemma that moments before obstructed my view of You. May my worship usher in my victory over my enemies today.

No Other God,

Sandy G

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Have you ever had a ‘wow’ moment? You know, something happens that’s totally unexpected that just blows your mind? Well, I feel like that’s what God’s getting ready to do. He wants to wow us.

If you’re at your lowest point, scraping the bottom of the barrel, needing a breakthrough miracle like never before in your life, you’re right at the place where God can wow you. You see, if you were able to do it, you wouldn’t need the intervention of God so that’s why I say, He has you where He needs you to be so that there’s no way on earth anyone will get glory but Him.

II Kings 4 tells a story of a widow who was deep in debt and about to lose her boys. The prophet showed up and asked her, “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.

So he instructs her to gather as many empty vessels as she can get, borrow from neighbors (who she probably owed already), shut yourself up in the house and begin to pour from your flask of oil until they’re all filled. So she did. She obeyed and got paid.

What would have happened if she had overthought the command? Reasoned out the impossibility of THAT ever happening? How many of us, because we just couldn’t ‘see’ how that could ever happened, have talked ourselves out of our greatest miracle?

Listen, I firmly believe that if we would simply spend time in Gods presence, listen and obey even when it makes no sense, not only would we see breakthrough for us, but we’d position ourselves to be part of breakthrough for others. I have no problem looking foolish, acting foolish or being foolish if it will bring glory to His Kingdom.

I’m ready for a wow day!

Sandy G

Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 NASB

I was thinking this morning of all that I’ve been through on my journey through life. The thought, gone but not forgotten came to mind. Suddenly I saw a seed lying dormant in the ground and I realized that not one seed is ever lost or forgotten. God knows where they are and He knows what is needed to resurrect that seed. He knows the time that seed was purposed to grow. He knows what that seed is needed to do, to feed or give shade.

There’s purpose for every seed and even though it remains hidden under the ground and we can’t see it in the natural, God knows. That’s what trust looks like. He directs our steps. Our focus must remain on Him regardless of whatever happens in our life. Our past, our present, even our future is determined by what is in those seeds. Trusting someone we cannot see with seeds we cannot see, that is faith. Not trusting in our ability, but in His. He is well able to keep what we’ve committed to him. With every seed!

Satan also plants seeds of doubt and unbelief. Seeds whose purpose is to choke out the plans and purposes of God. Don’t assume you know the reason you went through that painful event. Don’t assume you know what God has planned for that seed. Trust His timing for that. Keep yourself tuned into His voice and follow His instructions. He’s got a plan and will show you what you need to know and not a moment too soon.

You don’t know what that seed contains, your job was to plant it. You don’t know what that seed needs but you were asked to water it. You have a need for food and God leads you back to the harvest He’s provided from a seed planted years ago because His timing is perfect.

Trusting The Creator,

Sandy G

“Do you know of any parent who would give his hungry child, who asked for food, a plate of rocks instead? Or when asked for a piece of fish, what parent would offer his child a snake instead? If you, imperfect as you are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what’s best, how much more ready is your heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask him?” Matthew 7:9-12 TPT

When I found this picture, I began to wonder, where does all that water come from? For centuries, it continues to cascade off the rock and into the water below. It reminded me of the inexhaustible supply my Father has. It never stops! He never runs out of what we need nor does He tire of us asking. I love that about Him.

God wants us to know him as a giving God. He doesn’t hold on with a death grip like we do when He asks us to give something. It’s my experience that no matter how much I try, it’s impossible to out give God because it just keeps multiplying and coming back in superabundance.

You see, God calculates our seed differently. He has His own math and we haven’t quite figured it out yet. One thing I do know, He loves a cheerful giver, so when you give, put a smile on your face and be like your Father. Give like you have an endless supply, because you do.

Looking For Ways To Give,

Sandy G

And he said to them, “As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race! Whoever believes the good news and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the good news will be condemned. And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.” Mark 16:15-18 TPT

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from or your education level, God needs you! If you surrender to Him, He will use you in the weirdest places in the strangest ways. If you take on His nature of love, you will shine in the darkest places.

It’s time to put hands and feet to the Kingdom of God and be His witnesses in our work place, our community and homes. We all have talents and abilities, skills that God can use to show that famous Love.

You may ask, what can I do? Take an inventory of what you’re able to do and add Gods ability to it. He will use your little, multiply it and make much out of it.

Walt and I have always looked for ways to help those who have less or are going through a tough time. We take what little we have and bless them with it. Just a can of soup can make a meal. Just a smile and word of encouragement can give someone strength to take another step. Just praying God’s peace over someone may be enough to change their lives.

Change your ‘but I don’t’ to ‘I can do this’ and watch God give you opportunities to love. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Father, I ask for divine opportunities to show Your love today. In the middle of my busyness and business, may I constantly be looking for ways to show others Your deep abiding grace and goodness. Its’ in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

Be A Doer,

Sandy G