"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us--yes,
establish the work of our hands."
-Psalm 90:17
Finding God's beauty sometimes feels harder and harder in ours life as we all have so many things on our plate. Going to work, School, events, parties even sometimes church all can be buildings that block us from the favor of the Lord. When was the last time you stopped from your busy schedules to slow down and enjoy what God has given us. It seems in today's world everyone is wrapped up in the end times, "2012", the war of all wars, Christ's coming again. Now don't get me wrong I am not saying it is not something to think about or even study if one has not done so. But my question is has it taken our eyes off of Christ for today, That He is well alive and moving all around us. Has it taken us from our current mission, purpose, our story in life. Has it taken us from the beauty of God? Maybe it is time to stop and take some time to rethink and find God once again in your daily lives. I too have had to take some time away from the real world to rethink and find God's Beauty. For me It took a year to find Him.. Maybe it will take just a day or weekend or like me a year or more. A well known pastor and close friend once told me sometimes as Pastors or people in ministry we get so "In-To-God" Where He becomes our lives that we forget really who He is and who WE are in Him. I know even during my years at CIU I would have to read my bible almost 24/7 for class. It even got to a point where it started to become a textbook and nothing more. During my leadership meeting I would hold with all my church leaderships I would tell of a store of a Youth Pastor Intern name Nick that was new to a church... Nick loved working there so much, He know it was where God wanted him to be. Monday morning Nick walked into the church headed to his office. It was the start of a new week and Nick had a big event coming up in the next few weeks, he had so much to do. Nick walked past the break room where the other pastors and staff where drinking their coffee and talking. Nick went into his office and started to get to work on the many things he had to do. Later that day the Lead Pastor came in and ask what happen this morning when he came in office. Nick told him he was so happy to get there this morning and he was on fire for the Lord and ready to do ministry that God gave him to do. With a puzzled look the Lead Pastor said, "Nick you walked right past your ministry this morning. You where so into the work of God, you missed it."
See Nick's ministry was not all the paper work and the "stuff" in his office it was the fellowship of the people in the office. When I heard that I had to stop and think am I doing so much for God that I forget who He really is in my life. I am asked time and time again on how do we keep from missing God in the work of God. Well someones we have to pull ourselves away from all the stuff we are doing, to rethink and refresh our lives in Christ. Sometimes that even means you have to step out of a ministry or job and take a time out before stepping back in. "Finding God once again"... (Sounds like a great book title huh?*Wink*)
I know I have been there, done that a few things in life from taking a brake for one day, a week or even from this past year of stepping out of a good paying job to finding God in the woods of Ga. to now coming back to a Christ centered ministry refreshed. Okay I didn't mean to preach a sermon but I wanted to write a little and plus I have a few blogs I see I am missing so I guess I am making up for the times I missed blogging. Oh well my prayer is that you may find the Lord in your life each and every new day. In the picture I posted It's not just another picture i took or a old wood pile but to me it was how I found the creation and beauty of God today.
In His Grip,
Jonathan
establish the work of our hands for us--yes,
establish the work of our hands."
-Psalm 90:17
Finding God's beauty sometimes feels harder and harder in ours life as we all have so many things on our plate. Going to work, School, events, parties even sometimes church all can be buildings that block us from the favor of the Lord. When was the last time you stopped from your busy schedules to slow down and enjoy what God has given us. It seems in today's world everyone is wrapped up in the end times, "2012", the war of all wars, Christ's coming again. Now don't get me wrong I am not saying it is not something to think about or even study if one has not done so. But my question is has it taken our eyes off of Christ for today, That He is well alive and moving all around us. Has it taken us from our current mission, purpose, our story in life. Has it taken us from the beauty of God? Maybe it is time to stop and take some time to rethink and find God once again in your daily lives. I too have had to take some time away from the real world to rethink and find God's Beauty. For me It took a year to find Him.. Maybe it will take just a day or weekend or like me a year or more. A well known pastor and close friend once told me sometimes as Pastors or people in ministry we get so "In-To-God" Where He becomes our lives that we forget really who He is and who WE are in Him. I know even during my years at CIU I would have to read my bible almost 24/7 for class. It even got to a point where it started to become a textbook and nothing more. During my leadership meeting I would hold with all my church leaderships I would tell of a store of a Youth Pastor Intern name Nick that was new to a church... Nick loved working there so much, He know it was where God wanted him to be. Monday morning Nick walked into the church headed to his office. It was the start of a new week and Nick had a big event coming up in the next few weeks, he had so much to do. Nick walked past the break room where the other pastors and staff where drinking their coffee and talking. Nick went into his office and started to get to work on the many things he had to do. Later that day the Lead Pastor came in and ask what happen this morning when he came in office. Nick told him he was so happy to get there this morning and he was on fire for the Lord and ready to do ministry that God gave him to do. With a puzzled look the Lead Pastor said, "Nick you walked right past your ministry this morning. You where so into the work of God, you missed it."
See Nick's ministry was not all the paper work and the "stuff" in his office it was the fellowship of the people in the office. When I heard that I had to stop and think am I doing so much for God that I forget who He really is in my life. I am asked time and time again on how do we keep from missing God in the work of God. Well someones we have to pull ourselves away from all the stuff we are doing, to rethink and refresh our lives in Christ. Sometimes that even means you have to step out of a ministry or job and take a time out before stepping back in. "Finding God once again"... (Sounds like a great book title huh?*Wink*)
I know I have been there, done that a few things in life from taking a brake for one day, a week or even from this past year of stepping out of a good paying job to finding God in the woods of Ga. to now coming back to a Christ centered ministry refreshed. Okay I didn't mean to preach a sermon but I wanted to write a little and plus I have a few blogs I see I am missing so I guess I am making up for the times I missed blogging. Oh well my prayer is that you may find the Lord in your life each and every new day. In the picture I posted It's not just another picture i took or a old wood pile but to me it was how I found the creation and beauty of God today.
In His Grip,
Jonathan
