On the way…

Sue’s Views

The ‘weeping willow’ always reminds me of Psalm 84. 5-7

‘Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength …..’

We will all go through the ‘valley of weeping’ at some stage. We can use it to make us bitter ….. or better! I remember reading a book many years ago called ‘Don’t Waste Your Sorrows’. They are not there to drown us but to open up a fountain of blessing. Not only for us ….. but also for others. Our sorrows enable us to identify with those around us ….. and of course with Jesus ….. who suffered the greatest grief ever.

Sue’s Views

One of the most challenging verses in the Bible says ‘Life and death are in the power of the tongue’. The tongue is one of the smallest parts of the body ….. but it is one of the most powerful! Words have tremendous power. They can build up ….. or tear down. They can share truth ….. or spread lies. They can label someone for life ….. or give them something to live up to. Once spoken ….. they cannot be taken back. Let’s choose carefully before we speak and think about the consequences of our words.

Sue’s Views

Trying to hear from God ….. but not getting a clear answer? It could be a matter of timing! Just as things look sharper when the sun is overhead ….. God may be saying ….. “Wait!” If we move before His timing ….. we could trip ….. or be deceived by shadows. His timing is perfect!

Sue’s Views

Just sitting here reflecting on the past week ….. and how good God is! This time last week ….. I was feeling anxious about what was ahead. I’m one of those people who try to plan for every possible scenario. The problem is ….. God doesn’t usually fit into any of them! He has His own plan ….. and it’s always perfect. Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow. Just take it one day at a time! Most of the things we worry about never actually happen ….. and if they do ….. we discover that we are able to cope with far more than we thought we could.

Sue’s Views

No matter how frail or inadequate you feel ….. prayer can turn the weakest creature into a mighty force to be reckoned with! That’s because the power doesn’t come from you. When you allow yourself to become a channel for the Holy Spirit ….. look out devil! From the smallest child to the senile grandma ….. from the least knowledgeable to the most broken ….. you can be a world changer!

Sue’s Views

My Word this morning was ‘Be still and know that I am God’. The Martha in me rose up! But you know all the things going on Lord. And there is so much to be done ….. who’s going to do it if I don’t? I almost heard God chuckle!! I’m so glad God has a sense of humour! He reminded me of all the times my stomach has been in knots of anxiety and stress ….. only to have Him go to great lengths to iron them out. When I’ve been in a sticky situation and begged Him to help me have a difficult conversation ….. only to have Him change the other person’s heart! When we think our situation is just too complicated ….. God says ‘It’s nothing to me. But you have to hand it over!’ That’s when the ‘Mary’ in me woke up! Instead of rushing here and there and trying to nut out the day ahead ….. I sat at His feet in adoration. My ‘to do’ list is on His ‘already done’ list! I hope this helps someone out there. I’m not saying I won’t go through it all again tomorrow ….. but the more we practice being still ….. the more we’ll know that ‘He is God’.

Walking with God means ….. seeing things from His perspective! Sometimes all we can see is the mess we’ve made ….. or other people have made ….. and nothing seems to make sense ….. but from God’s point of view, it makes perfect sense! He can take all the tangled threads and make something meaningful out of it all ….. so give it to Him today!

Sue’s Views 

The journey through life is never a straight line. There are twists and turns ….. ups and downs along the way. The path you were on may have lead nowhere ….. but what seems to be a dead end might just be a learning curve! God is more interested in building our character than protecting us from disappointment. He wants us to finish well ….. but He’s never in a hurry. The lessons we learn along the way are worth far more than gold ….. because they are not only for us! They are to be shared with others!

Sue’s Views

Time is flowing by so fast ….. and it can seem like we don’t have enough of it. But whenever I get flustered about getting things done ….. I’ve learned to stop and ask myself, “Is this on Gods ‘to do’ list or just mine?”  In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” God gives us time to do what He has purposed. I wonder how much of what we take on is not part of His plan. Busyness is a major cause of stress ….. anxiety and family break downs. We need to get in flow with the Holy Spirit who is always at peace and always on time. Just some thoughts before things start to rev up between now and the end of the year!

Sue’s Views

What do you do when the path you’re on runs out? You have three choices ….. 1) You turn back ….. 2) You stay where you are ….. 3) You move forward and make a new path! There are times when we realise we have made a mistake and we need to do a 180. There are times when we need to pause and wait for further direction. But then there are times when we know God has told us to do something that may be new territory. Pioneers have no path to follow ….. no map for guidance ….. no Google for directions! They just have a deep sense of calling and purpose. All these require courage and obedience. Where are you on your journey?