A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

As I begin to think about what to blog about, the Lord keeps pressing on my heart to share with you what He has been revealing to me the past couple of days...a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I hope it brings you encouragement in some way.

"For the battle is not yours, but God's...You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you...And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for God had given him rest on every side." 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17, 30

• God will fight for us and then bring rest.
• How do we let God fight for us? 1. By realizing that the battle is not ours, but God's. 2. By recognizing human limitations and allowing God's strength to work through our fears and weaknesses. 3. By making sure we are pursuing God's interests and not just our own selfish desires. 4. By asking God to help in our daily battles.
• As believers, we have God's spirit in us. If we ask for God's help when we face struggles, God will fight for us. And God always triumphs.

Joel Osteen Devotional: "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." Hebrews 11:8

• People who see their dreams come to pass are people who have some resolve, some backbone; people who refuse to settle for somewhere along the way.
• Abraham obeyed God and followed Him all the way to the Promised Land of abundance in Canaan. His father stopped and settled in Haran, feeling it was good enough but missing out on God's best.
• Dare to step out of your comfort zone today. God has so much more in store. Keep pursuing Him and keep believing.

Isaiah 58:11 says "The Lord will guide you always."

• Do you trust Him to guide you? Walk in this truth.
• He is faithful and will direct my path.

"To a man belongs the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue." Proverbs 16:1

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 16:25

*Opposite of stress ---------> peace
*Opposite of worry ---------> trust

-Why do we often times worry and stress when we know we can have the peace of God and He is trustworthy, yet we don't act like we trust Him?

*Root of everything-my desire to do God's will. I get frustrated/worked up about it when I don't know what His will is and lack patience. Obviously, He wants me to do/follow His will, so it's not like He's want me to be frustrated about this. It's only because I want to know and I want to know now. But, that shows no faith and trust in God's ability to speak to me in His timing.

"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:3

"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:4-5

• How do we receive God's guidance? The first step is to want to be guided and realize that God's primary guidance system is in His Word. By reading the Bible and constantly learning from it, we will gain the wisdom to perceive God's direction for our lives. *We may be tempted to demand answers from God, but David asked for direction. When we are willing to seek God, learn from His word, and obey His commands, then we will receive His specific guidance.
• Israelites grumbling- Exodus 16

There ya go, a little bit of this and a little bit of that all wrapped up in one blog entry of what God showed me as I Pursued Him. The only way that He will speak to you is if you stop what you are doing and take the time to pursue Him as well as listen. I pray that any of the above scriptures speak straight to your heart and encourage you to walk closer to Him.