Intersections, by Jarvis

Acts 17:26-27
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Lon said "Developing the habit of looking for God," (Presence, by Lon Alderman) and recognizing God, I might add, in every situation, that He is close. I have had a similar week to yours. Too many things flying at me, yet I was calmed and awed at the same time as well. One evening I'm out in the proverbial sticks and my cell phone stops working, conflicting meeting schedules, vehicle making concerning sounds, and last night I snapped my $100 fishing rod in the tailgate, and that was all just yesterday.

All opportunities that tempt you to think you're about to be stranded, alone, or financially drained. This time though I found myself calmly turning and smiling at God, as it were, and without having to speak a word, I handed my dilemma over, and went back to the task at hand.

I am coming to learn that these disconcerting "opportunities" that present themselves are actually intersections, not roadblocks, avalanches, or dead ends. Opportunities to acknowledge God, and his supremacy over your situations.

Reflections, by Jarvis

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

My head is spinning! I couldn't get past the scripture verse. "...for this is God's will for you..." How many times have I asked (more like demanded) to know God's will in a given situation? What does He want me [to do] in this situation? Be joyful, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances. Honestly, most of time I just wanted to know that I was doing what I should be doing, while waiting on a prayer to be answered. Or at the very least that I was not producing the very barrier(s) I was seeking to get over or around. So now I know...again. Yes, I continually need reminded!

My second revelation here is "joy". "Be joyful always." I have prayed for joy to return to my life for years, but this verse indicates that joy is my choice; an act of the will. It would seem my revelation has become an indictment. I over-think too many things. I suppose my comments on this Blog may attest to that, but knowledge is no substitute for joy. After all, Adam and Eve gained knowledge after they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and what joy did that bring them?

Third thing that has rattled my cage this morning: Compartmentalizing God. Lon said (Immediacy of God), "The vast, and I mean VAST, majority of my time is not focused on Jesus!" We cannot escape from God's presence, so if I know this, why don't I at least acknowledge his presence, like I would if my best earthly friend were to follow us throughout the day? In my mind, that would be praying (communicating) continually. Of course, there are ways of communicating without speaking, but that's for another time...

Jarvis