Take the Long way HOME ….

On a Saturday evening, not of my choice, I had to take the long way home. For the entire week, I had been down with asthma and that made the walk seem a little more tiring. God is good.

As a family, during our school holidays we would go for long walks after dinner. I loved watching the starry sky, and would look for the moon. Those were one of my happiest moments. As I remembered and looked around me, everything suddenly looked so beautiful. I looked around at the houses on both sides of the road, the leaves that were scattered around. And I looked at the flowers, they looked so pretty. Everything looked so wonderful. I felt completely relaxed. I didn’t feel tired anymore. God walked with me!

Are you going through a phase where no matter what you do something happens that throws you off course? I encourage you to submit your life to God. He will make your crooked places straight.

Too many times in life, we are faced with circumstances that seldom make sense. Never focus on your problems no matter what they look like. Never believe the lies that satan throws on your face. Know this that God is bigger than all the problems put together. Always speak words of faith over every problem, over every circumstance. Remember, that God promises that He’ll anoint your head with oil and your cup will run over. That means you’ll be refreshed and anointed to do what He’s called you to do.

I serve, the Almighty all powerful God. All praise and Glory be to You my God!

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God. Romans 4:20

Spiritual wavering is when we go back and forth in believing the promises of God.

Notice this verse tells us that Abraham didn't let unbelief or doubtful thoughts cause him to waver in his words, actions and resolve. Remember, praise makes you stable; it makes you strong. Put your faith into action by thanking and praising GOD all throughout the day!

When my Dad, had his left leg completely crushed in the accident, the doctors told him that he would need to have his leg amputated. But my dad, refused to believe that would be the only alternative. So no matter what the doctors said, and no matter how horrible a condition, my dad was in he refused to give up. When you believe in God, the way my dad did, miracles are bound to happen. Someone, informed my dad of some other doctor. And long story, short, my dad walks. Praise God!

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

We live in a wonderful world created by a wonderful God. And it is indeed wonderful to have an access to enter boldly to His throne of grace.

Praise is the expression of gratefulness to God for Who He is and all that He has done. Praise gets God’s attention. When we enter His presence the right way, God shows up, and when God does the enemy must flee! Today, enter into His gates with thanksgiving and open the door for Him to move on your behalf!

For the church support as kids, we used to do the newspaper collection. On one of our collection drives, we rang the bell and this elderly person opened up the door, and when we told him for what we had come. He refused to give papers. I remember that moment clearly because there was this kid among us who said thank you and that made an impact on the man. He told us to wait and he got a bundle of papers. He told us it was for the thanks he received when there was nothing to be thankful for. 
I am not stating-that you must expect anything just because you thanked the person. What am I trying to say, you might ask? Just imagine-if that elderly person-in his walk of life-maybe he had helped a lot of people and nobody might have ever thanked him. So maybe he did not want to help anyone else. And maybe that little thank you, may have moved his heart. You never can tell.

Be thankful for everything in this world. There is no one in this world who loves you the way God does. He lets you call on Him anytime, anywhere. Think about it,  you don’t need approval to call on His Mighty name. You are approved by the name that is above every name.

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!   1 Chronicles 16:34

Friends, have an attitude of gratitude. I am grateful for everything in my life, for the good and for the not so good.

Imagine life with all the good moments. There would be no challenges. We would not know how to rely on God.

So when we need something real bad, we go to God. When we are beginners in our prayer life, God immediately responds, giving us what we desire. During this process God is teaching us to have faith in Him. Gradually between prayers and receiving there is time taken. This is the time that God is teaching us to rely on Him. When we thank God, we have actually learned from our past experiences to rely on God completely. Thus we can thank and praise Him, even before receiving what we prayed for, knowing completely that no good thing will God withhold from us. This is the confidence we need to have in Him. Faith pleases God.   

When you say 'thank you' to God for the things that are coming, it’s really a declaration of your faith in Him. When we trust in His goodness and believe that He is a re-warder of those who diligently seek Him that pleases His heart immensely. Praise Him throughout the day with a humble heart and watch God move mightily on your behalf!

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ...  2 Corinthians 2:14

No matter what you are facing today, no matter what anybody says, you should always be thanking God because victory is just around the corner! Praise is putting action behind your faith.

REMEMBER, WE SERVE A SUPERNATURAL GOD.

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! Habakkuk 3:17–18

Habakkuk knew what to do when things seemed completely hopeless. His world was literally falling apart around Him. There was destruction everywhere he looked. But Habakkuk knew that God was bigger than his circumstances! He invited God into his circumstances by rejoicing and praising the Lord. He made the choice to be joyful knowing that it would connect him to the One who would deliver him!

No matter how difficult things may seem, God always has a plan to bring you out into a place of victory. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. Praise precedes victory. No matter how things may seem, you can rejoice today because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Give a shout of praise to God!

CONCLUSION: God has the final word. God re-frames, restates and corrects evil until it fits within God’s deeper purposes. That is what we want to know in our tragedies and sorrows—that they are not in the end merely empty and sad coincidences, random and broken bits of unfortunate pain. God’s way is to outwit and out wait evil.
Frederick Buechner once wrote, “If God speaks to us at all in this world, if God speaks anywhere, it is into our personal lives that [God] speaks.” Every life is a song penned by an Author(GOD) who knows every word. 

STEP 1:  Wake up every morning with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving

STEP 2:  When you go throughout your day thank God that His hand of blessing is upon you, thank Him for ordering your steps, thank Him for a new day.

Keep praising, keep believing and keep thanking Him because that’s what will keep you moving forward. Submit every area of your heart to Him and walk forward in His will for your life!

Getting where we want to go, really want to go, often involves going the long way home. Because it is in the journey that we are given the chance to deal with our brokenness, to discover what is missing in our lives, to confront our unanswered questions. Harriett Richie wrote, “In the places where we are broken in the dark holes where something is missing, in the silence of unanswered questions, the wondrous gift is given.”

REMEMBER: You are a song with all the words. Words - that God speaks over you. Start singing it, keep singing it, this holy song that is yours, until one day when you  will find your song. And the words will come back to you again. And maybe you will like the journey, and sometimes you will choose to take - The Long Way HOME.

PRAYER: Oh Father, look into my heart. I come to You today with thanksgiving in my heart and a mouth full of praise! My heart is forever yours. Remember, me. Father, remember that I always, always love you. Your will be done. This I ask in Jesus, name. Amen.