"Passiveness... A Dangerous Detour"

Habakkuk 2:3 "Write the vision make it plain on tablets so that they that run may see it. For the vision is for an appointed time."

I can't seem to get this word, "passive" out of my head....I'm sure God has a word for someone reading this devotional. Not only has this been a word for me, but sometimes it helps and is extremely encouraging to have someone say, "Hey God has a word for YOU!" To define the word "Passive" it simply means....lacking in energy or will. I was reading a book a couple of days ago and came across that word.

Immediately I heard in my spirit, "Don't allow passiveness to overtake you in waiting!" A couple of weeks ago I shared a devotional on prayer. Is God really listening to us? What about an unanswered prayer? So if you are waiting on God for something, then this devotional is for you.......

When we are waiting for God to come through for us, the enemy really works on our weariness! Waiting is difficult and while we are waiting there are many detours that we will be tempted to take. Suddenly I thought about being passive and then I realized that, that was one thing that I most definitely did not want to engulf me.

Detours, Billboards and a Man Named Paul

Written by Kristi Huseby

       “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.

“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT)

In Michigan we jokingly say that there are two seasons – winter and road construction! With road construction come detours and lots of them. Can I just say . . . I hate detours! They’re inconvenient, unplanned and usually make me late! (Mainly, that’s because of poor planning on my part but it’s great to have something else to blame.)

I don’t like detours in my life anymore than I like them on the roadways. Detours have a way of making me feel like my life is spinning out of control. I often find myself holding my breath when this happens, hoping the damage will be minimal and everything will stop spinning soon.

Hidden Treasure

LEONARD DAVIDSON

 

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Someone once said, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” Or woman’s in my wife’s case. She loves yard sales—a lot. On Saturday mornings, when I should be allowed to sleep in, she wakes me up at dawn. She is already dressed and has the newspaper spread out on the counter. The classified section is open, and the page is covered with bright yellow circles.

Those circles lay out the destiny for my “morning off.” They’re all the yard sales that seem to show promise of a treasure. Beside each yellow circle is a red number. You guessed it; the numbers map out the order in which we are going to travel from yard sale to yard sale.

The Wise Know God is Constantly With Them

by Rick Warren

“God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9 MSG)

When God gives you a mission, you can be sure you’ll run into delays, difficulties, detours, and dead ends along the way. They are a natural part of life. But you can be ready for them.

For example, if anybody had a right to be discouraged, it was Noah. Do you know how long it took Noah to build the ark? 120 years. Could you go 120 years on a project without one word of encouragement from anybody else in society?

Noah trusted God. And when he heard God's warning about the future, Noah believed him, even though there was no sign of a flood. I bet there were many days that Noah didn't feel like going to work, but for 43,800 days, he went to the same place, and he worked. He never gave up.

Don't give up on your dream, either. Don't give up on your marriage. Don't give up on your health. Don't, don't, don't give up. God is in control. You haven’t read the final chapter of your life. God's already written it, but you haven't read it yet.

The Bible says, “God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 MSG). God is looking for people that he can bless.

Talk About It -

• What is the God-size dream you’ve been ready to give up on because of difficulties and delays?

• How do you want God to bless you as you commit your life fully to him?

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and most influential churches. Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." His book, "The Purpose Driven Church," was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also the founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for pastors.

Getting Through Hard Times

by Joyce Meyer

Are you going through a hard time? Maybe you recently lost your job, or you're dealing with a death in your family. Or maybe you're just not sure anything good in life can happen to you. Whatever you're dealing with, I want you to know that you're not alone and something good can come from the tough spot you're in right now. God promised.

Jesus experienced hard times too…the road to the cross was no small matter. But He had to decide to go through it. He even asked God if it was really necessary. (But we know how this amazing love story ended.) 

Just like Jesus had to make a choice, you and I also have to decide to go through hard times.

Is Good Friday Really Good?

As we celebrate His resurrection, I like to look at how we go through our own hard times. I think we also go through our own private crucifixion and resurrection on a somewhat regular basis. Often I say "Friday always comes before Sunday." 

Ever wonder why we refer to the day of Jesus' death as "Good" Friday, since it's a day that involved so much pain, agony and heartache? Well, it's because the result of this particular Friday—Christ's resurrection from the dead on Sunday—was good.