DETERMINATION is a greater asset to us than “smarts” … is what I heard someone say today. And I’ve been thinking about that all day. It really makes sense! I can be the most intelligent person, have tons of knowledge, be book smart, business smart … but if I have no determination, none of those “smarts” are going to propel me forward. The word “determination” means a firmness of purpose, no waffling back and forth. It means making a decision and sticking with it, no matter what. And finally, it means we’ve settled something in our minds; it’s a done deal. Simply put … WE JUST KEEP GOING!!! You might be saying, “Well, that sounds good … but how am I supposed to just keep going when I feel like quitting?” Well … when we’ve done all we can do, given our best efforts, as much time as we could, every bit of money that God asked us to, every talent and gift He’s blessed us with, and we feel like we’ve exhausted all our resources … we don’t give up. WE JUST KEEP GOING! There’s a part of us (you and me) that screams, “But I just can’t do this anymore! I can’t go one more day, or one more step. I cannot stay in this relationship - one more day. I cannot work this hard – one more day. I cannot put up with this person’s attitude – one more day. I cannot stand to look at the empty checkbook – one more time. I’m not sure I can take the risk of stepping out in faith – this time. God, to be honest, I’m just not sure about much of anything – right now. God, do you hear me? God, are you there?” And then in the ensuing silence after our despairing questions, He answers. We think we’ve heard this somewhere before, but never quite this way. At least, never this clearly. Never in this tone of voice. He’s so close, we can almost feel His breath. His voice is so gentle, so calm, so reassuring, We almost, almost begin to believe what He is saying to us. He’s whispering softly in our ear, as if He doesn’t want us to miss one word – it’s that important. “Don’t quit. Please, don’t quit. There’s nothing I cannot do. But if you quit, I can’t help you. That takes Me out of the place you’re in. If you’ll just stay in there; if you’ll just keep going – even one tiny, little step at a time, then I can help you!” (God’s voice gets louder. He takes a step back and tells us to look Him in the eye.) He continues on … “I’ll come alongside you; I’ll even carry you, if need be. I’ll do miracles for you. I’ll move mountains for you. I’ll erase your doubts and lift you over your hurdles. I’ll breathe new hope and inspiration into you. I’ll send help. I’ll send strength. I’ll send resources. I’ll send ideas. I’ll keep you going through this chapter of your life and into the next one I have planned for you. When you keep going and don’t quit, I know that you’re ready for the next assignment I’ve been lining up for you. And we’ll do that together, too. See, if you haven’t already noticed, I’ve never left you on your own to do anything. If you could just see things through My eyes, you’d see that I’m with you non-stop. There’s never a time or place that I am NOT with you. I AM THERE! I need you to believe ME, and to stop believing the lies of the enemy of your soul.” (Now God’s voice takes on a sense of urgency – I can tell He really wants us to get this!) “It’s Satan who clouds your vision so you can’t see Me clearly. He’s the one who diminishes your memory of My promises in your life. And He’s the one who distorts your response to your circumstances, so that you lose victory. He’s the deceiver who cons you into thinking that quitting is alright. So be on guard and do not let the enemy steal your determination from you. It’s one of your greatest assets that I can use for My glory. I want you to stay in there with Me. There’s so much I want to do in you and through you in my Kingdom work. I want us to be partners in My ministry on this earth!” And then His voice subsides to a soft, beautiful tone … “Remember that I love you. I will love you always. You can count on that ~ even into Eternity! And I AM coming back for you ~ soon! But until that moment in time, please promise ME something: that you won’t quit and you’ll just keep going. Be determined – because of Me IN you! And don’t ever forget … I’M RIGHT HERE!” His voice reverberates through our entire being as He moves on. And though He disappears from sight, we’ve never been more aware that HE IS RIGHT HERE! I turn to the Word, and find instructions on what to do until that Day when we will see things as clearly as God sees us: “Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.” (I Corinthians 13:13, The Message Bible) Let’s determine together to “just keep going” – trusting, hoping, and loving - so that God can do all that He’s planned to do in our lives! Use us, Lord!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- WHAT A BLESSING it was to worship together and dig deeper into God’s Word as we listened and learned from Pastor Doug’s message from Luke 15 about “The Lost Son” – the third in the series. What a powerful picture of how God wants to restore us to Himself and even offers us hope for restoration in relationships that have gone sour or been broken! Our prayer is that God will help us as His people to reclaim what we’ve lost! He is our RESTORER!
- A SPECIAL WELCOME to Matthias, back home from Afghanistan, who worshipped with us this past Sunday! We pray you were blessed, and we offer our deepest gratitude for all you’ve done for our nation!
- SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WISHES to our daughter, Melissa, on February 14th! May you be blessed in every way and know just how much you are loved!
- LOOKING AHEAD . . .
- THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH ~ HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, everyone!
- 10:00 A.M. – WORSHIP & PRAISE – centered on the theme of LOVE: God’s love for us, ours for Him, and ours for each other! In the love chapter of I Corinthians 13, we are told that love is the best gift of all. Come and learn more about the kind of love that God is talking about in His Word, and just how we can live in it, and also live it out!
- 11:00 A.M. – VALENTINE’S FELLOWSHIP with delectable sweets and treats with your church family! Each family is asked to bring a dozen goodies for this enjoyable time of sharing!
- 11:15 A.M. – SUNDAY SCHOOL – with awesome classes planned for all ages! Bring your Valentine’s goodies to class if you want to continue “munching” – and feast on God’s Word for your heart today!
- 6:00-7:30 P.M. – YOUTH – RE: FUEL session with Justin doing an introductory lesson on issues that affect young people right where they are at. In future sessions, you will learn how to combat the battles that face you every day, helping you to live victoriously for God! Invite your friends, hang out, learn, and enjoy snacks!
- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .
- “HOW VAST ARE THE POSSIBILITIES OF PRAYER! HOW WIDE IS ITS REACH!” (E.M. Bounds) How wonderful that our prayers span the distance from earth to heaven – and God’s answers span from one end of the earth to the other! That should encourage us as we lift up: Connie’s nephew’s unborn baby who may have Edward’s syndrome; Merv, Michelle, Tina, Helen, Julia, Lela – all in need of God’s special touch; unspoken needs for finances; those in desperate straits in Haiti; our nation to turn back to God; & our military serving us!
- THIS WEEK . . . Remember, “When life becomes all snarled up, offer it to God and let Him untie the knots.” ~ Unknown
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
