Obedience
Hello Everyone,
I’m back! Mason Jars Ministry is up and blogging again. We serve a merciful God. He has allowed me to go through what I needed to go through (in private) so that I wouldn’t be humiliated publicly. I must admit I became disenchanted because the ministry was not generating the type of feedback I had hoped it would. Even though I wasn’t entirely clear what to expect.
I cried out to the Lord and asked Him for help so that I wouldn’t give up on my purpose. I was beginning to allow my mind to stray from the paths God guided me to. I found myself on my old path of low self-esteem, questioning “did God really say this to me?” I began slowly thinking myself away from my purpose. Suddenly, I conjured imaginations that were opposed to what God told me to follow. I did it holy-like, still listening to good preachers, still loving the word and attending church while drifting from my paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
I was tired of waiting! God’s timing wasn’t working for me anymore. Things were taking longer than I thought they should take, so I began doing a holy two-step away from God’s plan for me.
I found myself asking the questions repeatedly in my mind, why weren’t people responding “in-kind” or “with love” particularly those who were given Gratitude jars out of love and respect towards them. And/or did I NOT UNDERSTAND the mandate from God, my Creator, the Great I AM, YAWAH, Lord God Almighty. Did He not stir my spirit, heart and soul to navigate this path of motivating others to share their moments of gratitude in daily written form? Slowly but surely, I began to reason away the Father’s direction and temporarily lost focus. Yet God is merciful! He began to lovingly direct me to ask Him questions, so I could be alert for answers that would help me get back to Him. He gave me two very wise friends who pray for me and talk with me about where God is directing me.
As time passed, I regained my spiritual equilibrium and refocused my attention on what God’s Word says about “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” [See 1Samuel 15:22b] I know in my heart there is a value to writing daily “Gratitude Notes.” If you take the time to write daily “Gratitude Notes” you must think of something good in your past that you are grateful for. Writing stimulates the mind, the subconsciousness and our intuition towards a reflective path of blessings and thankfulness of what God has done and is still doing in our lives. I write my notes to God, you may write your notes to your father, mother, friend, etc., the important thing is that we never lose sight that we have something in life to be grateful for and hopefully it will make us be more loving and kinder to each other.
Psalm 139:17 says, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great the sum of them!” Since God the Creator takes His time to think about us, it only seems wise for us to do the same about Him. Acknowledging the kindness of our loving God through the practice of writing daily notes about His goodness will certainly usher in joy unspeakable.