Linda's Journal - March 19, 2010

Part of today’s Oswald:

Abraham's Life of Faith

Hebrews 11:8 – “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason --- a life of knowing Him who calls us to go. Faith is rooted in the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest traps we fall into is the belief that if we have faith, God will surely lead us to success in the world.

This reminds me of my meeting with a new girl yesterday. She was amazingly sweet and her willingness to see and realize that she played a part in her marriages condition was refreshing. She is an opera singer! I thought that was so cool :)  And she has gone to school and is in training to be a “big star’ one day. Her voice teacher is really pushing her to go to New York to get auditions because she has a good deal of talent and feels like she could go far and make lots of money.

Well the whole reason she is meeting with me is because her marriage is in a shambles so I looked at her and asked her if she was willing to set her “career” as a singer aside for a couple of years? Her marriage would not survive the ordeal she would have to go through to “become” a star let alone “be” a star.  Amazingly she, without hesitation, said “yes”, she was willing to set that aside to put her marriage first! That was very cool to hear. How many times do we “justify” our pursuit of “worldly” fame and "wealth" by saying, “God gave me this talent so He must want me to be a star!” and "this must be His "provision" for me!"... But Oswald of all people knows what a “lie” that is. He was an AMAZING artist and was pursuing that “career” when God shut every door there was and then took him to Egypt to minister to the solders during the war… it was not “understandable or reasonable” but it was GODS plan and many lives were won for the Kingdom of God.

Today’s “Intimacy with God” is about starting our prayer time with “Praise”!

Luke 11:2 – “He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come….”

Psalm 100:4 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name”

2 Samuel 7:22 – “How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”

2 Samuel 22:2-4 – "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-- from violent men you save me. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”

1 Kings 8:15 – “Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David…”

Psalms 103:1-12 – “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--…”

Daniel 2:20-23 – “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power…”

She encouraged us to come up with “attributes” of God following the alphabet going from A-Z, so here goes….

Oh Father, I thank you for Your example to me, for Your love for me and for who you are to me.  You are the Lord Almighty, Beautiful, Caring, Devoted, Everlasting, the Father to the Fatherless, Gracious, Holy, Immeasurable, a righteous Judge, King of Kings, Longsuffering, Majestic, Noble, the One true God, Powerful, Quiet and peaceful, Righteous and true, Strong and mighty, my strong Tower, Unshakable, Victorious, Wonderful, eXciting, Yahweh, and full of Zeal for me!