Process

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left. Isiaiah 30:21

I often quote a phrase that I saw on a T shirt many years ago. It said, "Be patient with me, God isn't finished with me yet.". How true that is. But as we request patience of others towards our imperfections, faults and failings, we also need to extend the same grace towards others.

Recently I was thinking about the process my friend was going through to find a property to buy. She was not even sure where she wanted to live but was in the process and we had looked in various areas but had not found 'her place'. I was thanking God for the process because when we live in faith, we know for sure that God will show her the right place at the perfect time. In the meantime, our part is to learn to enjoy the journey. Sometimes that can be hard.

The process of becoming like Jesus is one for which we need much patience. So often we feel like we let Him and ourselves down along the way, but if we will just look into the word we can find many imperfect, 'in process' people:  God still used them. The time in process is not wasted. As we look back, we call it 'experience' and God uses our experiences along the way. Paul even managed to say that he took pleasure in infirmities, reproaches and persecutions and distress because through them he exchanged his weakness for Christ's strength. (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Out of our experience we can help others to find meaning in their difficulties; they can draw comfort from our stories of God's faithfulness. Our challenges are not meant to discourage or destroy us, they are meant to develop our character, grace and obedience. The word tells us that even Jesus learned obedience through the things that he suffered. (Hebrews 5:8) Embrace the process and be thankful for it. Something's happening!

Update:  My friend has chosen her new home and will soon move in...... the best part is that it is 5 minutes walk from my home!

Prayer:  Faithful Father, thank you that even in the difficulties, when I am impatient to be through them, you are doing something in me.  Help me to enjoy the process.  Amen

Friendship

After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them..... 1 Samuel 18:1

Have you ever thought about your friends and recognized that some of your friendships may be truly God- ordained for his greater purpose? That is what struck me as I read these verses about David and Jonathan. This was a totally God-ordained friendship, absolutely designed for the greater purposes of God.

When you read further into the story of David & Jonathan's friendship it becomes more obvious that God had planned this with the future in mind. I wondered even if Jonathan, the son of King Saul and therefore natural heir to the throne, knew that he would not become king, for later in this chapter we read of Jonathan making a solemn pact of friendship with David by giving him his robe, tunic, sword, belt and bow. This was an unusual act. It was like Jonathan was symbolically giving up his position to David who was God's chosen replacement for disobedient Saul.

 Jonathan’s friendship saved David’s life when Saul wanted to kill him. It cost him his father’s anger when he covered for David and later warned him of the danger of returning to the palace (1 Sam 19). His friendship made way for David to move into his destiny. David’s friendship for David caused him to continue to honour the king and refuse to usurp his authority. He later honoured Jonathan by caring for his son Mephibosheth (2 Sam 9:6) who had only been 5 years old when his father died in battle. Mephibosheth had a place at King David’s table for the rest of his life.

Jesus said there was no greater love than laying down one's life for his friend. (John 15:13) Jesus, our greatest friend, proved his love for us when he died for us on the cross. To be a true friend costs us sometimes. One of the acts of love that we can do for our friends is to pray for them. Another is to forgive them when they hurt us. To sacrifice time when they need help. My mother used to say "A friend (when you're) in need, is a friend indeed."

Friendships will always go through ups and downs but there is nothing quite as good as an 'old' friend. They are the ones who have stood with us over the years and so know us at our best and at our worst. Friends are God's gift to us so let us value them accordingly. They have come into our lives for a reason.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for my friends, both old and new. Help me to love them and value them for the treasure they are. Make me a blessing in their lives, a true and faithful friend. Amen

Focus

.....greet no one along the way. Luke 10:4

These days I am finding that I need to be more and more mindful and intentional about tasks that I do. Speaking to friends of similar 'vintage', I am encouraged to find that I am not alone in this;it is too easy to get distracted along the way. Example: yesterday I put my porridge on to cook, (it only takes 5 minutes), then I went off and started cleaning the bathroom before my Bible study ladies arrived. Aagh! Suddenly, as I was about to move to yet another task, I remembered my porridge....just in the nick of time.

As I read Luke 10 today I was interested that when Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs to minister, he told them not to greet anyone along the way. I would have thought that they may have met 'the harvest' along the way!  Instead, he sent them to towns. They were not to stop and get distracted along the way. I also noticed that when Elisha's servant Gehazi, was sent to minister life to the widow's son, he also was told not to greet anyone along the way. In fact he was told not even to answer anyone who greeted him along the way.

When God assigns a task to us, he also gives us an anointing for the task.....his power and ability to carry it out. (We are never meant to operate in our own strength doing his work.) If we get distracted along the way, we may lose our focus. We can even get talked out of completing  our task, or at the very least, our distraction will certainly delaying it. The enemy will always plant 'good ideas' into our minds, or even put 'urgent needs' in front of us to distract us from our assignment. If we allow the distractions we may miss 'the moment', God's time.

The secret is to stay with what God has given us to do until the task is done. He has others assigned to meet other needs. Let's not rob them of their chance to serve by thinking we have to meet every need that comes before us.

Prayer: Father God, please help me to listen for my tasks today and do them without distraction. Help me to recognize distractions when they come and to resist the urge to 'greet them along the way'. Amen