For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. Isaiah 55:8-12

Over the years, I have come to admit that I am a person who thinks absolutely too much. I have thoughts on top of thoughts, on top of thoughts, on top of thoughts. My mind is ever racing, ever moving and seriously, on overload at all times. It has taken quite a bit of talking to myself and numerous amounts of “please shut up“ to get myself out of the mode of thinking. If anyone heard me, they’d ask, who are you talking to? And certainly, I would then be deemed crazy for sure.

The word says that “His thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Our thoughts and ways could never compare to the Lord’s thoughts or ways. Our minds are inadequate of His thought process and full of uncertainty to be effective, especially when He already knows the thoughts and plans for our lives. We might not understand it, but nonetheless, His way is the right way. He sees the bigger picture, He sees into our tomorrows while we are yet living in our today. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). He is thinking thoughts of peace and then says to "give" us our expected end. We cannot fathom, understand or see what is going on in the heavenlies on our behalf, we cannot even attain such high thoughts. I love how He says, an expected end, that means He has mapped out what will happen for our future. However, it is disturbing that believing it seems to be the problem for us. We are unsure and unable to give over to His leading or following His lead without question. It is difficult as a people because we need to seemingly need know the plan or have the need to be in control of our destiny.

God has made promises to us and regardless of what it looks like, regardless of what it feels like, hold on to them because God is not slack concerning those promises. That scripture has been a saving grace through my journey, in spite of myself. Remembering that God’s thoughts and plans toward me are sure and most definitely, in His hands. There is a familiar phrase that says, He may not come when you want Him, but He is always right on time! Whatever word has been spoken in our lives, we have to believe that it will come to fruition. Wait for it! God is working out something in us to get us to where He needs us to be for His purpose. Not be concerned with the why, the how or the what, but rest in Him that He has everything, every detail, small or large, under control. Verse 11 tells us that whatever He says, whatever word He has spoken, it goes out and accomplishes, it achieves, and is successful in what it sets out to do, it will not come back void, it will do just what He said it would do. We can rejoice in those words alone and our minds and hearts can be in perfect peace.

One thing is for certain, I know myself but God knows me best. I know that He shakes His head and says, my child, she is going to go through a process of thought until she finally says, “I apologize Lord, please forgive me again for trying to do things and figure out stuf myself.” Because honestly, while we're trying to figure it out, He’s already worked it out. We have to learn to stand on that and wait for it. We have to remember that God views everything differently from us; His perspectives, His ways, His thoughts, and His plans are not like ours. We have to align ourselves with Him, the Word, and believe by faith that His ways are perfect and for our good, even when we don’t understand what he’s doing. If we say we are going to stand in faith, trust and believe God for our life, then we do ourselves a disservice when we question God’s actions and motives or make decisions to do it “our way” because things are not happening like we want or as fast as we’d like them to. I can tell you how far that will get you from my own experiences. I have learned to trust God’s wisdom, His judgment, and His leading, but not to say that I don’t get off track from time to time. if I didn’t I wouldn’t be writing this word of encouragement today. It always comes to me as well. The more we grow in grace, the more we conform and get shaped into what God is trying to do in us and with us, the more we learn to lean to His understanding and not our own. Learning to trust and have confidence that He knows what’s best for us (Prov 3:5-6).

I know that my thoughts and my plans could not afford me the opportunities that only God can provide. No matter what we think we know, that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways of doing things are not our way. We just have to remember this at all times and also that He is God.

Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church… Ephesians 3:11-21

Rules, regulations, guidelines and policies. We are quick to adhere to the laws of the land, obey the standards and policies of our jobs and the ways of the world, however, when it comes to heeding to the Word of God there is seemingly, always a kicking against the prick and a going against the grain when it comes to obeying the Word's guidelines, standards, and principles. Why is that? Of course, understanding that if this was not going to be an issue, then the Word would have not needed to speak to it, right? I’ve come to realized that the Word is always right, and we are enriched by God’s mercy and grace within them. There is a quality of life that comes with obeying the Word and walking in it.

Paul, in this passage is letting the Ephesians know that he is praying a prayer of realization, a prayer of understanding and knowledge for them, so that they would come to know and be strengthen by who Christ is and grounded in His love for them. Once they understand, then they would grasp the ultimate purpose of the church, which is to bring honor and glory to His name throughout our mission. We should be happy for others to see the love of Christ in us and working through us, which is the fullness of Him in this body (the church), that fills us all in all because His love passes all knowledge and understanding. The little we think we know is not to be compared. When that love is settled in you, when it abides in you and is rooted deep, then you will take hold of what you possess in Christ and it will make you walk right, talk right, and commit to right-eousness! You will take a firm hold of it’s concept and live by it when Christ dwells in your heart.

A mission of love is a message of love. Like Paul, saying I love you enough not only to pray for you but to reprimand you, to tell you what God has put in my heart to say; to set you on the path of righteousness, toward a course for blessings for your life. If God chastises us, “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth (Heb 12:6), it would stand to reason that sometimes we will have to set some things in order according to the Word of God with those who are in need of correction. Especially, from those who have rule over us and are the shepherds of our souls. Oftentimes, they are misunderstood by many when the words of admonishment does not appeal to the flesh and are merely trying to help build up those in the faith; knowing that it is for our good and God’s glory. It gets hard sometimes dealing with “folk.” Sure they will get mad, resign and even leave the church but we cannot get discouraged or weary in well doing (Gal 6:6-10). It would be easy just to give up or give in to the pressures of the inner workings of the church, but we are on a mission of love, called by God to do a good work, even when folks try their best to buck, kick, and speak against what’s right, we must stand firmly for righteousness.

When we understand these truths, we’ll understand that our purpose and our goal is to teach all nations, all people, about the this love. We were commissioned to do so (Matt 28:19-20). Then, we will understand why it is important to be taught to observe all things that which He has commanded. The way we represent must be pleasing in His sight and so that we do not bring an offence to the ministry and by giving no offence in any thing, so that the ministry is not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned or that is not genuine, by the word of truth, and by the power of God (2 Cor 6). Our life ought to bring about a change that others will see and ask, “what is it about you?“ A new you that has changed because all the old stuff and junk, old baggage, old ways are gone (I Cor 5:17). Especially, if we say we represent Christ, the world should see the change in us. The word is full of scriptures that invoke us to walk upright, to be holy, to not give offence or be a stumblingblock to others because we have been called to a greater power in Christ Jesus.

Because of His mission of love, we were chosen by the Father, redeemed by His son and sealed by His Spirit. therefore we have a message of love because we have trusted and heard the truth and believed. We show this love in the way we represent Christ. We must be mindful of this so that it can be seen by the world so that they see the love of Christ dwells in our hearts; rooted and grounded in His love. With that, we can go out on our mission of love to proclaim our message of love.

Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde