The God who KNOWS part II

This blog post has little to do with our adoption, but it is something that has been brewing in my mind and heart since my last post about the God who knows. It will apply to pretty much anyone and everyone, so make sure you pass it on if you find it inspiring or thought provoking.

Have you ever thought about the power of knowledge? If you know someone in an intimate relationship, a close friend, a spouse, a son or daughter, you form a bond with them that is not easily broken. In battle, knowledge is priceless. If you know your enemy's next move, or you know where the enemy has hidden, you will win the battle. We serve the God of all knowledge. The Scripture is full of verses showing us just how much He knows.
 He knows you intimately. He knows your name. He knows your thoughts, your life, your hurts, your desires. You may be familar with Psalm 139, but I encourage you to read it again. Our God is a God who created each one of us and who knows your comings and your goings, who knit you together in our mother's womb. Psalm 44:21 says He "knows the secrets of the heart". He knows your needs. Matthew 6:8b "for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." His knowledge of you is not just a head knowledge; it is an intimate knowledge, a loving, compassionate burning desire for you to know Him in the way He knows you. He's not a God far-off, letting the world tear itself apart; He's a God who "knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:19.) Like a Father who knows His child, He knows you and He loves you.

Not only does He know you intimately and care deeply for you,  He knows your future. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you" delcares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope." When we are in the midst of a trial, He knows what comes next. Nothing can thwart the plans of God, and His plans for you are GOOD! 2 Peter 2:9  says He "knows how to rescue the godly from trials." Wow! Only our God can rescue us from the trials of this world, because He knows how. He knows your enemy and can combat his next move. He knows your outcome. Job 23:10 said "he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."

He knows so much more than this, but these are just a few things to ponder.  Trusting the God who knows should be so easy, but in the midst of waiting and in the midst of difficult times, it isn't. Our family is going through a trial right now and I am learning to trust the One who knows in a whole new way. Aren't you glad that in the midst of so much unknown, and waiting for an answer, that there is One who knows? When you don't know how to pray, He still knows what you are trying to say. When you are torn by uncertainty, there is One who knows and He holds you in the palm of His hand.

God's plan of redemption

The world is full of injustice. Disgusting, dispicable acts against children and women that I don't even want to think about.  So often we try to blame God for the injustice in the world and wonder how a God of love could allow millions of girls to be sold into sexual slavery, babies to die of hunger, children to be abused by their fathers; but our blame is very misplaced. It is OUR sin that brought injustice into this world, perpetrated by the Devil himself through temptation. It is the very consequences to OUR sin that brough death, destruction, poverty, hatred and cruelty to the world. God never intended for there to be orphans, poverty,or pain; however, our God is a God of redemption and He is a God with a plan. His plan included sending His only Son to die on the cross for each and every one of us and His plan was victorious on the day that He raised His Son from the Dead, giving us victory from death ,Hell and the grave. His plan is a beautiful plan of redemption and grace, of selfless living, of giving life to the undeserving. I, though, undeserving recieved grace from my heavenly Father. I was adopted into His family, so that I can have eternal life. In so caring for the orphans, widows and abandoned of this world, not only are we fullfilling our part in God's redemptive plan, but we are reflecting the very heart of God. Those children are His children. He wants to be their Father. How will they ever know the love of their Father if we don't reach out to them and show them? If we don't care for their needs? If we don't give them a family? God loves the orphans. They are His children as much as I am His child. They are my "brothers" and "sisters". I cannot sit here in my cushy couch, stuffing my face with my favorite snack, watching tv and do nothing about the need in this world. Proverbs 24:12 tells us, “Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act.”
Pray that God will open your eyes anew to the need in this world. Pray that God will show you how to respond to that need. We aren't called to share out of our excess, we are simply called to share what we have.

Living Simply

I was reading through some blogs the other day and I ran accross this quote  from one of our Missionaries, Glen Garrison, that really stuck with me  "We must learn to live more simply so that others may simply live." What a powerful word. We in America are so blessed. We have so much stuff. We have above and beyond what we need to live. In so many places around this world, people do not even have clean water to drink. They have only 1/2 a cup of rice a day, or less.  In a several countries in Africa, parents don't even give their child a name until they reach the age of 5 because such a large percentage of children die in those first few years. When I stopped to think about this statement, I wondered why I was born in America. Was it because God loves me more? Was it because I deserve it? No, God does not love me more and, no I don't deserve to live in luxury any more than an orphan deserves to live in poverty; however, I do believe that God  expects us to share our blessings with those in need. He says in Luke 12:48b "When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required" We in America have been given much. What will we do with what we have been given?

I've decided this year to strive to live more simply. I've never been a person to spend money on designer jeans or purses; I've never been a person who buys name brand shoes and fills my closet with all kinds of shoes, only to wear each pair one time; but I do believe that I can live more simply. One thing I love to do is bargain shop. There is nothing wrong with bargain shopping; however, I often find myself purchasing something just because it's a good deal and not because I really NEED it! I also like to eat out, and I love my Starbucks! There's nothing wrong with eating out or an occasional Starbucks, but it does cost a lot. What could I do with the money I save by taking my lunch most days instead of eating out? I could fund a project with Mission 1:27, maybe even feed one of those orphans which I shared about in my previous post or sponsor another child through Latin American Childcare.  Most of us in America live in extravagance compared to the rest of the world, where millions of people struggle to barely live. What could you do today to live more simply, in order to help someone around the world simply live?