Dearest Brothers and Sisters,

Today I found myself asking God “why”?  Why do I need to make sacrifices? Why do I keep entering into similar circumstances.  The answer I received was because I am idolizing things other than God. I need to learn that as much as I think I need something, whether it be money, sex, food or people, the only thing we should be idolizing is God.  I know the purpose of sacrifice is to prove to God that we love him and we honor and obey his commands. After all, Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice.  He gave his life for our sins and that is something that many of us will struggle to ever really comprehend.  However, I believe that everything we feel we are lacking in life today has a purpose. There is a lesson to be learned from every situation and every feeling of lack.  If you too feel like you are missing out on something, I suggest you turn to God and ask him for the wisdom to understand why and what you need to learn from this lack. If you are finding yourself in the same situation over and over then it is time to take ownership for that situation and realize that you may be missing the point.

In the book of Isaiah chapter 44 we are taught about the foolishness of Idols. In those days, people would burn wood to heat their food and then take the remaining wood and carve it into an idol that they would worship.   Verse 18 says” Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed and they can not see. Their minds are shut and they cannot think. The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, “Why, it’s just a block of wood!” Although we don’t get down on our knees and worship any such objects anymore the concept still holds true.  There are times in our lives when all we can do is focus on our problems and focus on our lack. There are even times when we focus too much on other people and lift them up to place of importance in our life that should only be inhabited by God.

Often times I hear people say they haven’t talked to God in a while.  Things were going fine in their life and so there was really no need for God.  We are all guilty of this at times. God wants to remind us today that we need to keep him as the focus whether we feel like we need him today or not.  The reality is that we need him every day more than anything else and above all else.  Until we can prove that we will make him a priority and continue to thank him for all he has done in our live no matter what is going good or bad, until we get to that point then we will get the desires of our heart. See God knows what we desire the most. He knows our hearts.  He wants to give it to us but he knows we need discipline.  Sometimes the discipline comes in the form of lack.  When you lack something in life, when you wait for it, you will realize that you will cherish it that much more when you receive it.

So today I lift up my thanks and praise to God!  He is the one, the only, the almighty amazing God that we are all so grateful to have in our lives.  He guides us, he corrects us, he lifts us up and he loves us through it all.  He forgives us, he redeems us and he never forsakes us.  I hope that somehow this message helps shift your perspective today as it did mine.  God is doing something amazing in our lives and we just have to have the faith to believe and the strength to stay the course.

For I am about to do something new. See I have already begun! Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland (Isaiah 43:19)

Go out and be blessed today.  Use your words to lift someone else up and encourage them.  Always remember… Jesus loves you & so do we!

~ASV