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Sunday, December 28, 2008

I will because of Who He is.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas. We sure did. God is good isn't He? Hallelujah.

This morning in church our youth pastor, Isaac spoke and it was an awesome message. He talked about how whenever someone in the Bible said "I will" great things happened.
Life changes occurred.
He taught mostly out of Psalm 56 about David, but also gave other examples of when others chose to say "I will" to God.
Lining up our will with God's will guarantees that amazing things will happen.


This is the second time I've heard this message this week alone. I love when God does that because it just confirms to me that THIS He wants me to get. Grasp this Lelia is what I feel He is saying. So Pastor Isaac had my attention to the fullest this morning.

He talked of how when we face circumstances our response reflects our faith. He talked of how David didn't throw a pity party, but instead said "I will". I will praise you. I will not fear...
I about fell out of my chair when Pastor Isaac said these exact words that were in my study..."Instead of choosing to be bitter, we will choose to be better."



This week my study time by Debbie Williams Taylor,"If God is in Control Then Why Do I Have a Headache" was an incredible journey. I studied more of Ms. Hannah in 1 Samuel, one who chose to say "I will" to God when she gave her long awaited son to God. Listen to this...

May we face the trials and provocations of our spirit in a way that will model to those who are watching the testimony of Hannah. May we model prayer, not self-pity, becoming better, not bitter. May we model dropping to our knees, not dropping out of life. May we model hope, not hopelessness!


Pastor Isaac also talked of when we combine God's way with our faith that a holy explosion occurs. Here's from my study: "The outcome of our faith is proved when we trust God through the difficult times, when things are not going our way."

More from my study:
Perhaps the reason we fall short in our Christian walk is because we do not expect outcomes of our faith. We don expect God to be faithful. When we do have faith, we demand immediate results. Perhaps we can learn from Hannah that the outcome of our faith is not always immediate. The outcome is often hard, but our Heavenly Father is faithful!



So I will begin and hopefully finish out the year of 2009 with saying "Lord Jesus...I will".

May I encourage you to give Him your all.

Your dreams.
Your hopelessness.

Your godly desires.
Your lustful thoughts

Your hopes.
Your fears.

Your hurts.
Your joy.


Your victories.
Your failures.

Your scars.
Your testimony.

Your love.
Your anger.

Your faithfulness.
Your flesh.
Your words.
Your actions.

YOU~give Him you because He wants you and finds you usable to enhance His Kingdom.

I have failed so many times in this area especially when the going gets tough. When the unexpected happens instead of trusting God I look a different direction and cause my King to grieve.
No more.
Seriously, I want to follow God with a faithfulness I have never experienced. A steady faithfulness that doesn't throw up her hands when the light at the end of the tunnel has been blown out by her enemy. My hearts' desire is to keep hold of the nail scarred hand of my Savior even in the darkest of days instead of looking for the nearest flashlight.
Trust. I will.

Let's see what this King of all Kings does with a life that chooses Him. A life that says, I don't want to, but I will God because of Your faithful history recorded between the beginning of Genesis and the end of Revelation.

One that dies to self and says, "Lord Jesus...I will."

I will.

Will you?

~Many Blessings~
Tuesday, January 6th the new YES to GOD study begins.
Please consider joining us.
Check the sidebar for more details.
Love you much.

19 comments:

LynnSC said...

Gee Lelia... I was listening to a message this past week by Beth Moore about the 4 cups they drank at the Passover... and how they correspond with 4 "I will"s in the book of Levitcus. Awesome stuff... God's I wills..... and the thing about His "I will"s is that He is faithful and DOES!!

I was glad to visit today and find that you had posted again... I have missed you. I am glad to hear that your family had a great Christmas. We did too.

I am still considering the study that will start on January 6th. My little group is starting a new Bible study the next Tuesday... and I tend to get a little overwhelmed when I have so much going on. Not to mention my trouble with getting my post done on Tuesday.

Have a blessed week.
Lynn

Cindy said...

It's sometimes hard to step out on faith with an "I will", but you are right...whenever someone responds to the Lord that way, great things happen. Thank you for sharing this reminder.

Runner Mom said...

I loved the " I wills" --thank you, Lelia! Glad that your Christmas was a good one! So was ours.

I am getting ready to lead "The Seven Hardest Things God Asks a Woman To Do" by Lisa Whittle and her mom in 2 weeks at church. Like Lynn, I may pass on your study--but I REALLY REALLY want totake it!!!! I did too much last fall--juggling 4 at the time! Yep, I lost my mind--but I am finding it again in little itty bitty pieces!!! It's still disorganized to say the least!!

Talk to you soon!
Love ya,
Susan

Pamela (His maidservant) said...

I am with you in this Lelia-the concept of "I will". That too is the motivaton of my heart!! I sent you a tx last night-I hope you got it. You were on my mind as I was driving in to work (a great prayer time for me). You, my friend, was lifted up.

Blessings!

In His Graces~Pamela

LOVE, MERCY AND GRACE...GOD'S GRACE said...

"I will"....Boy! That is not always the easiest thing to do!! But I have resigned myself for 2009 to get back on track spiritually. Like Beth Moore says, having a "Jesus year" in 2009.

Thinking about your next bible study.....

Tammy said...

My husband and I were just talking today about how hard it is to just step out in faith and say "I will,Lord."

He said "How do you do it?" I said "You just do it."

Its taken me along time to say "I will." but I'm glad I did!

love,
Tammy

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Adding my "I will" with yours. Just think what God can do with the multiplied hearts singing in similar accord.

Let's watch it happen together.

Love you.

peace~elaine

Jill Beran said...

Great words and I'm feeling the same message here as well. The thought God impressed on me over Christmas week was how we consider what everyone wants for Christmas but Him. Well I've really been thinking and praying about that and came to the same answer that you've discussed, a willing heart and a life completely given to Him. And Lelia, I'm with you - it's all His. I loved the words you shared from your study and I am expecting Him to be faithful and know though I'm a bit nervous about Him calling me out of my comfort zone, I know He has good things planned. Looking forward to what He has in store in '09 for both of us. Blessings and I'm thankful He has crossed our paths, you've been a vessel for Him. Love, Jill

Amy said...

Lelia, I really needed to hear this message of encouragement today. Thank you!
Happy New Year!
God Bless,
Amy:)

valerie said...

"I will!" I'm in!!!

Lelia, I've missed reading your posts lately and am glad you're back. You have a very special place in my heart. Like I've told you before, you were the one who first encouraged me to keep blogging. I've loved it and have made so many great friends. "Thank you!"

I love this thought of "I will." Sounds like a great sermon and I love it when God shows me something over and over. I'm pretty thick and I guess He knows I need to have certain things drilled in more than once to get my full attention. ;)

I know God honors us when we can honestly say to Him...."Father, not my will, but thine."

Thank you for sharing this great thought with us today.

Love you!

Paula V said...

My sweet, sweet Lelia.

My heart leaped when I saw your update on my side bar. "What does Lelia have to say?" :-)

Wow...girl, you gave us some meat...I'm havin' a hard time swallowing. Gulp! I drank me a sip of milk to wash down my apple pie. Oh side track...sorry. Just a bit of humor.

I had to re-read several of your quotes. Good, good stuff.

When you first mentioned Hannah, my eyes popped out. We discussed Hannah on the 18th at Bible study as part of our No Other Gods study from church. I hadn't been familiar with Hannah's story but I was awed...how she waited so long and then not turning her son into an idol but sacrificing him and giving him back to the Lord...oh to wait so long and then let it go. Oh hard but how faithful.

Last drink of milk...okay carry on. (Trying to make you feel I'm right next to ya, sweet cheek.)

I think I'll have to re-read this.

When you spoke of looking different direction instead of trusting God...I thought of the piece I just posted today. I included a scripture of Jesus' words that I never want to hear..."why did you doubt?" I never want to go another direction (even a happy one) and then here Jesus say this to me. To feel I could've had His desires (my desires) if I had stayed the course and not doubted. I don't want to go that way for sure. So, I tarey on hoping I'm on the right path and He'll gently yank me off when it's no longer the right one.

I love this:
"A steady faithfulness that doesn't throw up her hands when the light at the end of the tunnel has been blown out by her enemy... keep hold of the nail scarred hand of my Savior EVEN in the darkest of days INSTEAD of looking for the nearest flashlight." My emphasis added. I love the flashlight analogy. Do we all not have way too many flashlights in our lives? Have we not grabbed for too many flashlights in our lives? Even if we put it away and grab His Hand, I think we all have many flashlights we are tempted to grab.

I'm just pausing now and meditating on faith and what you've shared about it.

This quote from your study really requires some deep meditation and thought: "The outcome of our faith is proved when we trust God through the difficult times, when things are not going our way."
...the outcome of our faith is proved...

I've rattled long enough. But did you expect anything less? Nah.

Come see me when you can.
Email me personally and let's chat about your awesome Christmas and the goings on at your pad.

Love ya,
Paula

HisPrincess said...

To be completely honest, I'm not sure I will.

I know I will try...and I know I really want to, but I still fail continously and it's not good enough.

I might just doesn't have the same conviction as I WILL!

So...time for a commitment here...ok... I WILL!!

But I WILL need help!

pam said...

Hi Lelia, don't remember how I found you, but decided the study book looked intriguing so am planning on joining in. Great post. I've been thinking a lot about the choices we make, how we choose to look at life, what are we going to do when life happens. For some it is easier to see the glass half full and roll with the circumstances of life. Sometimes we all get stuck on what isn't and get bogged down. I'm so thankful He is faithful, even when I am inconsistent in my pursuit of Him. hmmm, I do believe He is building upon building in my spirit in this area through many others. I just love how those WOW moments of revelation happen.

Leaon Mary said...

What a wonderful sermon... ~I'm so happy you shared it with us!
Ya know... it makes me think of the Lysa T book we did...
YES GOD--

I WILL

Cindy said...

Thank you for sharing this. It's a great reminder for me.

Blessings to you in the new year...

valerie said...

I've been making a point the past month or so, when I first wake up, of saying Psalm 118:25 "This is the day that the Lord hath made; I will rejoice and be glad in it." This morning while my eyes were still closed in my warm bed, I recited that verse and realized it has "I will" in it.
Then I started thinking of all sorts of verses that I have memorized that have that phrase in it.
Thanks again for sharing this with us.
Love,
Valerie

Liz said...

Hi Lelia! I am glad to see that you are back, I have missed you.
I WILL!
I need to get the book, I am glad to have the reminder, but my heart is ready to go!
Oh! And when Pam at Grey Like Snuffie reads the comments, I am going to remind her that she found your blog through mine. :) He he!
I am glad she is joining in too!

Sharon said...

What a great reminder!!! thank you i needed to hear this today!!

Happy New Year my friend looking forward to sharing more of God's word with you next year
God Bless
Sharon

Susan said...

Hey Lelia,

Just stopping by to wish you the BEST New Year EVER!

I'm saying I will too.

Thanks for being such a bright light here in the blogosphere.

Love you and look forward to all God has in store for 2009!

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!