"My thoughts are not your thoughts"

The Lord says, "My thoughts are not like
your thoughts.
Your ways are not like my ways.
Just as the heavens are higher than the
earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your
thoughts.
Rain and snow fall from the sky
and don't return without watering the
ground.
They cause the plants to sprout and grow,
making seeds for the farmer
and bread for the people.
The same thing is true of the words I
speak.
They will not return to me empty.
They make the things happen that I want
to happen,
and they succeed in doing what I send
them to do.
So you will go out with joy
and be led out in peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into
song before you, and all the trees in the fields will clap
their hands.
Large cypress trees will grow where thornbushes were.
Myrtle trees will grow where weeds
were.
These things will be a reminder of the
Lord's promise,
and this reminder will never be
destroyed."

Isaiah 55:8-13

Wow. His Word will not return void. And when we go out with peace and with joy, hearts that were once shriveled and hard will be revived.
Sometimes I wonder if what I'm doing or would like to do is truly what God would have for me to do. And truthfully, I probably spend more time thinking about that than just doing.

Cliff's message at Lighthouse this week, entitled "Are You Ready" (http://lighthousecollective.com/category/podcast/series) just blew me away. Sidenote: he is such a vessel for what God wants to speak to His people. Cliff spoke on Acts 20-parts of 21, right after Paul's journey through Ephesus, and through Macedonia and Greece, and he's on his way to Jerusalem. He was warned by the Holy Spirit of the suffering of this journey (as he was on every previous journey), yet he still went. How many times would we still go ahead with something even after being warned by the Holy Spirit that, frankly, it is dangerous! ? Paul's life was worth nothing to him. "... through the Spirit," Paul is told he shouldn't go to Jerusalem. Paul was bound and determined, and he was ready. The thing here is that there is a difference between a warning and a prohibition, or putting a complete stop to Paul's journey. Others were getting warnings too, and were pleading with Paul not to go. But these warnings were warnings, and they were being interpreted as a message of "don't go!"
We have a choice of either taking the advice of those that are trying to protect us, versus seeing what God wants for us. My life is God's life that He has graciously given to me. Sometimes the voices of reason, protection, and logic might not be the voice of God. I am to say, "God, how can you use this life to advance your grace and Gospel?" We've all heard the saying, "The safest place in the world to be is in the center of the will of God."... it might not be the safest place, but it is the best place to be. God sees the eternity in situations, when we see the here and now. At some point, heat needs to be added to the clay that He has molded. Sometimes we go through the fire only to bring out the best of God's glory. If we hear something that is consistent with who He is and is consistent with advancing the Gospel, we are to take into account what others are saying, but we are not to put limits on God. My life is worth nothing in comparison to how God can use it to advance His kingdom.

Ugh. After listening to that message, I felt so heavy, yet so compelled and inspired by Paul's example of unconditional faithfulness. I often let my own selfish thoughts and the opinions of others get in the way. The whole previously mentioned World Vision/Seattle thing, for example. It's really amazing when you mix this message with the one about being stretched by God, in prayer and in service, to your utmost limits.
I'm a planner. A big planner. I like to make lists and think about what my life story will be. But it's funny when I stop and think about how God has changed pretty much every plan I've made for myself. I need to be aware and concerned, yes, but I also need to let God have the reigns (as we always say, don't we? Yet we take the end of the reigns anyways, and still try to have some control) and just do instead of think.


(sorry that this was so scattered... it's a combination of Cliff's and my thoughts)

the place between peace and confusion

you know that place between peace and confusion? i'm kind of there. i've been praying a lot about going to youth haven this summer, and, i don't know, i'm kind of feeling like, once again, there is nothing holding me back (besides school, which could be done while there). i'm excited about it. and i've felt such a call to simply SERVE. and that place has my heart. so whether or not i work there for the whole summer, i want to be involved.
but then yesterday someone asked me, "well, do you need to start saving some money? would it be more realistic for you to get a job that pays better?" and my immediate reaction was, i don't care!!! but i didn't say that to the person. i just feel such an ease about NOT getting a "real" job and not making a ton of money. yes, i would be much more comfortable and i wouldn't feel guilty buying coffee and lunch when i'm out at school. but... i don't know... i guess in my heart of hearts, i know that God is not looking for me to be comfortable. if anything, He is looking for me to be stretched... for me to stretch my muscles to their furthest extent, like i talked about in my last post. and he'll take care of the rest.
it's funny, because growing up, and really up until the last few years, i have always been the realistic, money saving, future planning person. and now i just want to go and live off of what i make! it's weird thinking that way, but at the same time, i know that it is possible with God. and maybe someday i will have money stashed in the bank, but for now, i want to take advantage of not being tied down by anything. i'm not tied down by a job. i'm not tied down by my own place. this might be the last year that i can say that, and that i can feel good about not having a job and not having my own place, because i can think and serve. sometimes i feel guilty being "lazy" in those regards, but i'll take it as a blessing for now. oh! and then i'll somehow find a fabulous job down the road and i'll be able to put my money into something good! yup. that's what i'll do. see... there i go planning again.

too much to say!

so i think that all of the ideas that are in my head are about to burst out if i don't start recording them. i seriously have so many little things to say that i am confident that this post will be one of many. i've been overwhelmed with school, and then i get overwhelmed with the thought that, once again, i waste so much time resting from school that i don't spend time resting in God.
at lighthouse this week, the speaker talked about peter and his amazing trust in God. after peter was arrested, acts 12 tells us that he prayed earnestly. thanks to cliff's studying, this word comes from the greek word "ektonas" (not sure of the spelling...) which means "to stretch a muscle to its very limits." peter prayed to his VERY LIMITS. as if every muscle in his body was tense and stretched as far as it could go. amazing. peter believed God instead of in his present circumstances. he trusted God so much that he was able to SLEEP the night before his trial! because he trusted in God. he trusted in His deliverance. i want to be like that. i want to trust so much in God's deliverance and plan for my life that i can rest and sleep and live in peace, knowing that whatever i do, whenever i do it, despite what others tell me, God is in control and HE is on the throne. i want to pray like peter did. i want to pray so EARNESTLY that my body is sore. i want to seek God that much. yet i often let life get in the way. when i think about it though... does anything else really matter?
serve. love. pray. to your very muscular limits.
cliff mentioned something else that was great too... we can be the answer to our own prayer when we SERVE to the LIMIT.
God has been causing me to see and hear many things about serving to my limits. and serving not for myself or for money, but for God. to be a daughter in which He is well pleased is what i long to be. more on that later.... (when i'm not supposed to be doing homework at school, and when i have my devo. book :)