He Has You Were You Are For a Reason

"And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you." -1 Corinthians 7:17 (MSG)

James 1:2-4 tells us that when we experience difficulties, tempations, and rough times, to react in a way that is contrary to what we naturally would like to do. He writes:“Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete” James 1:2-4

Sometimes we want to rush things in our lives or we become anxious or impatient and feel as if things aren't moving fast enough, or that we aren't where we should be. Let me tell you something, God has you EXACTLY where He wants you to be. If you are feeling discouraged because your life is not how you would like it, take heart knowing that God has you where you are for a reason. Maybe you're in a job you don't like or you feel overqualified for, maybe you can't stand your coworkers or bosses. Maybe you feel like you're in a relationship rut, or stuck in a circumstance that has just seemed to be dragging out for too long. Instead of complaining about how these circumstances could be better, I urge you to start asking what it is that God wants you to learn from this circumstance. You can tell him, "God, I don't know why you have me here, and even though it is uncomfortable, help me to learn what it is that you want me to learn from this situation. Open my eyes to see the work you want me to do here." Ask Him to help you see what you need to learn, and if there is someone He wants you to minister to. Maybe He has you at your job so that you can be an encouragement to someone in desperate need of it. Whatever situation you are in, there is a reason and a purpose. Start asking God for the reason of why He has you where He has you and what you can learn from it, and I guarantee you will begin to see doors open, results happen, and changes for the better begin to occur in your life.

"He has made everything in it's perfect timing." Ecclesiastes 3:11

God Knows Best

“Who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” -1 Corinthians 2:16, Romans 11:24

I had a revelation this morning when I was cooking myself some breakfast. As usual, my fluffy little Maltese toy poodle was eagerly watching me hoping for a piece of food to drop to the floor. I looked at her beady little eyes and said, “No Belle, you can’t have any. It will make you sick!” As I sat down to eat, Belle followed me, eyes fixed on my food as she groaned, begged, barked, and made puppy eyes at me. “No Belle,” I said. I looked at her round little fluffy face and said, “Belle, do you know how much I love you?  I can’t give this to you because it’s not good for you.” Just then it hit me. There have been countless times where I have groaned, begged, and even cried to God over something I desperately wanted, and which I would get frustrated when I didn’t get.

My puppy could never fully comprehend how much I love her. She knows she is loved because she is fed, groomed, and well taken care of. But her little puppy brain could never grasp the full extent of just how much we care about her. I realized at that moment, that it is the same with us and God. We could never fully grasp the extent of His love for us—it is just too great for our human minds to comprehend. And when He does not grant us certain requests, He does it for our own good. He’s not doing it to be mean! He has a reason for it—and a good one too!

When we think we really want or need something, just like my puppy really wanted my food, we may fail to realize that if God withholds something from us, that it is after our best interest. Just as I would not give my precious little pup any food that would make her sick, sometimes the Lord withholds certain things from us because He doesn’t want us becoming spiritually, emotionally, or mentally sick. He wants the very best for us—and often times the things we ask for, although we may think are the best, are not really the very best.  I want to encourage you by letting you know that if there is something that you have been praying for, begging for, asking for, pleading for, and have not yet seen an answer to—consider this: That God wants the absolute best for you, and that maybe what you are asking for is not the very best of what He has in store for you. I challenge you to start asking God to show you what He wants for your life, and to help you let go of anything that may not be the very best for your life. I pray that He grants you the patience to hold out for His very best, and to also gain the wisdom to discern the best from the not-so-good things of what He has in store for your life. One of my favorite things to say is, “Never settle for less because you’re too afraid to hold out for God’s best.” Keep patiently waiting, and God will bless you with His very best!

Remind yourself of Isaiah 55:9, where God tells us that “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways HIGHER (better, more wonderful) than YOUR ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

His thoughts and plans toward us far surpass anything we could have thought up or planned on our own. Remember that His thoughts and plans for us are so much greater than we can even imagine! Trust in Him, because He wants the very best for you! J