Adequate

But Moses said to God,
"Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah
and bring the Israelites our of Egypt?
Exodus 3:11 (NIV)

This is going to be short and sweet as my laundry, dishes, and dirt all seem to be piling up today.

As I read about Moses and his journey to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, I couldn't help but feel relieved that this holy man felt so inadequate. Even the author of Hebrews makes note of his faith and perseverance. He went where God told him and did what God told him. Although, he did question God, ("Who am I, that I should go...?"), second guess God, (he tried to get water out of a rock from his own power, not God's) and even complained about the people he was chosen to lead.

How do you second guess yourself?
What do you do on your own power, and not on God's?
Do you complain, even though where you are is right where you know you want and should be?

Fear

That night the LORD appeared to him and said,
"I am the God of your father Abraham.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bless you and will increase the number of your
descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.
Genesis 26:24

Passion. Purpose. I love those two words. God has written these on the words of my heart and they spill from my mouth at every opportunity! I truly believe that every person was created with passion for a purpose.

Today my husband called me and told me of a business opportunity he encountered while having lunch. I could hear it in his voice, trembling as he told me of a lifelong dream and the possibility of it coming true. YES! I wanted to scream in to the phone, but instead said, "Go for it."

But I don't have any formal training. I'm really particular about how I want things. But I'm trying to (change) my life, and this is kind of the opposite of that...

And your point is...?

I can't. You can. Please help.
A small prayer my pastor taught a group of moms to get them through their day, but I felt it was appropriate for my beloved.
No, you cannot do this; but GOD can. He gave you this passion and this dream. He will give you the way and the means. Don't run from it. Embrace it.

Even now, I pray this into your day: "DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR I AM WITH YOU" -- don't fear your passion. Love it, embrace it, cherish it, know that the One who created you, knit you together, also gave this passion to you for a purpose.

Meaning

First, I owe you an apology. I wrote my last post without siting where I had taken certain text from. This was wrong on so many levels; but (especially!), as a writer, I should know better!

The first *, "'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher. 'Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!'" came from Ecclesiastes 1:2. This is King Solomon -- one of the richest, most powerful, wisest men of all time -- speaking. He had everything, but knew it all meant nothing without God. In chapter three of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon writes,

I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil -- this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Wow. This man had everything, yet he fully acknowledged that God is forever. God is in control of it all.

The second set of * came from 1 Thessalonians 5:16, The Message. Michelle, from Taste and See, pointed out to me that we are not only to give thanks for all circumstances, but in all circumstances. I can be thankful for my children, and their precious little voices they use to scream at each other. With those same voices, they sing, talk, and giggle. And I am thankful I get to hear it all. Thank you, Michelle, for bringing this to my attention.

This morning I was perusing the book of Psalms. If you ever need a pick-me-up, read the Psalms. King David had some crazy stuff going on in his life. His enemies were constantly trying to kill him, he had an affair with a married woman, his children hated him...makes Reality TV look like Disneyland! Yet, David poured out his heart to God. He told him the good, the bad, and the ugly. No, not everything is pretty and praise-worthy. Psalm 13 starts, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" Ouch! I can totally relate to that. There are times when I say, "Um, yea, God? Hi. Remember me? Little ol' me sittin' over here, miserable, just trying to figure out this thing-called-Life." I can think of many times over my life that I felt lonely and alone.

Breeze on over a couple of chapters, and you will find out just what God has been up to. In chapter eighteen, King David writes about how God reacts to our cries for help: "In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears." (Psalm 18:6)

God hears my cries? Even me? I cry out for help and God hears it, "into his ears." This isn't something God overheard one day. ("What is that noise?") This is sound going directly to the King himself. He hears. He knows. He hurts.

"The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry...He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me...He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:7,16, 19 emphasis mine)

Yes, God delights in you. You were made with passion for a purpose. You are loved. You are the blushing bride, the valiant prince. You are made in God's image. You are amazing and beautiful.

Whatever you are, wherever you go, you are loved, cherished, and desired. He delights in you. You are an amazing creation. Don't forget it.