God's Will week Twenty-Five

The love fern. 

Almost died from the extreme heat in the car, (see the brown?)

from the nursery to home, but with care and attention

It lives!!

Thankfulness.
Through something terrible, great blessings can come. That is what hope is.

I know that I have shared with you that my brother’s death changed me. I appreciate the people in my life and I try not to take anyone for granted. I say, “I love you.” Every chance I get.

“I’m so glad you are reading this right now because it means you are still alive. I’m really glad.”

Someone said this one statement saved their life. Suicide prevention isn’t something I know how to do. I feel like I failed my brother, who died from suicide.  Friday, I had to share that he had passed with one of his friends. Usually I’m strong, but for some reason, it was harder to talk about. I’m still grieving. I’d love to have him here with me. I know he is with God. That one thought comforts me. Knowing he is with God, restores joy in my life.

We can be in the habit of holding on to the sadness and bitterness grief can bring, or we can dispel Satan to be gone, and not steal our joy, by changing our focus to the things of God.

In our “Crazy Love” Wednesday night study, last week we read stories of people who submitted to God. I would like to be submissive to God. It is my hope that I may be someone God can use. I am still in search of God’s will in my life. I am in constant prayer about God revealing a direction to me for my life.
I am humble to admit, that I fully rely on God. I don’t just take God’s hand, I cling to it, knowing he is leading me to where he wants me to be. There will be times we hesitate. There will be times we move fast, and times to move slow. I want to be a life transformed By God.

I hope you will continue on this journey, as I discover what God will do. I also would like to encourage you to seek God and question what he will do in your own life.

I will tell you that deciding to follow God will be the easiest part of the journey. The rest will be full of removing from your life what is not useful to God, and replacing it with everything that is useful.

This week’s verse is from my morning e-mail devotional: ( I'm sharing the whole devotional)

SERVING THE LORD WITH GLADNESS
by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

God desires that we be so convinced of His tender love, so persuaded He is at
work bringing us into His best, that we will have continual joy and gladness in
our walk with Him! Moses warned Israel, “Because you did not serve the Lord
your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things,
therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in
hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of all things” (Deuteronomy
28:47-48).
God is saying to us today, “Be glad and rejoice in what I have already done
for you! If you go around moping, murmuring and complaining, you will forever
be spiritually starved and naked, a prey to your enemies!” God wants us to so
trust in His love for us that we will be testimonies of gladness and good cheer!
He wants preachers who are glad at heart, filled with a gladness that is based
on truth.


His truth produces a wealth of gladness that flows naturally outward from the
heart: “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with
singing” (Psalm 100:2). “He brought out His people with joy, His chosen
ones with gladness” (Psalm 105:43). “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you
righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11).
“Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them
rejoice exceedingly” (Psalm 68:3).


You may ask, “How long can I expect to maintain joy in my service to the
Lord?” Many believe that it lasts only as long as seasons of refreshing come
from on high or as long as things go right. No, we are to have joy at all
times! That is exactly what the Bible says: “Oh, satisfy us early with Your
mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” (Psalm 90:14). “But
be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as
a rejoicing, and her people a joy” (Isaiah 65:18). We are “the Jerusalem
from above”—reborn and living for Him with a spirit of gladness and
rejoicing! Trust the Father, believe His Word about Himself, and see His
gladness pour forth from your life.


I am so glad my faith, hope, and joy is of God.