In Good Company.

When you are around other brothers and sisters who love Christ, you cannot help but be overjoyed and encouraged by them.

It is almost as if, by nature, they are a great encouragement to you. By conversing with them, saying hi to them, and having a natural conversation seems to lift your spirits. And they don't even have to say anything specific. It is almost as if there is this "unspoken" word of encouragement through a believers tone that sympathetically tells you "Yes brother, I really understand, you're not in this race alone." And this happens just by telling someone how your day was!

How wonderful it is to be surrounded by such people as these, especially in times of DIScouragement! It doesn't get any better than that! God, in His Sovereignty, has placed these people in my life to help with heavy load by bearing my burdens (Gal. 6:2) and point me back to the truth when I go off course. And if you have not experienced a fellowship like this, then you NEED to. This is a must!

In the business of life, it's so easy for us to forget about the many others who are there to help and pray for us. These people care because you are a fellow believer in Christ. Not only are you a believer, but you are God's adopted child, and we are a part of the same family. And family looks out for each other.

Thanks guys for the help, I will do the same for you, because you are my family.

Much love.

Humbled, AGAIN.

(1 Corinthians 10:12)

Don't ever think you are too holy to sin. We as Christians aren't immune to stumbling and falling flat on our faces.

People people,

PRIDE comes before the FALL. I should know. I have (once again) learned this first-hand through my experiences.

Brothers, how quick we are to preach truths to others yet so slow to live it out in our own lives? May we always live a holy and blameless life for the glory of the Lord.

Lord, you reprove the proud and show grace to those who are humble. I have made (and will make) so many mistakes, may I never be ignorant to the fact that I have disappointed You. Forgive me of my folly and please guard my heart for the future so that I may not cause others to stumble. Thank you for Your GRACE.

I seek to please You above all.

Which way is RIGHT?

Proverbs 16:9 - "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."

I am deeply grateful for the simple truths that the book of Proverbs has. Timeless in its nature, it definitely speaks to the heart with reflections that you can't help but listen to.

When it comes to the life "route" that we want to take, isn't it funny how these life-changing decisions seems to be the the most difficult ones to make? I wish it were as simple as flipping a coin, but it isn't. Our experiences have taught us that decisions aren't easy because life-is-not-easy.

Some of us are regretting past decisions and have pondered the potential "Could haves" or the aching "What ifs." And because of the past, we are hesitant to make any future choices because of the drastic impact that even the most minute decisions have on our lives.

We want assurance! We demand certainty! We just want to be "OK." How many times have we caught ourselves replaying scenario after scenario trying to see how our lives would turn out if we were to make this decision or that decision? Our minds turn into VCR's, rewinding, fast forwarding, playing out every situation in life, and analyzing it in order make sure that this choice that I made was, in fact, the correct decision to make.

How often are we faced with different options in regards to the future? We worry about our "BIG PLAN" so much that the stress from indecision suffocates our soul and we can barely function as a normal person through our everyday routines.

So we pose these huge questions to ourselves: "What is God's will for my life?" Or "Is God calling me to do this? Is He calling me to do that?"

And these are legitimate questions!

But I want to let you know, brothers and sisters, that the issue isn't about making the correct decision. The issue is this: Do I really understand that my God is Sovereign?

By nature we are man-centered people. Even in our speech and how we approach things all come from a fleshly perspective. But our theology and how we perceive life must revolve around the fact that GOD IS SOVEREIGN. Sometimes we unknowingly speak in a tone in which we are in ultimate control and we can do whatever we want when this is not true.

And this is a heavy issue for all of us. May our love for independence and "free will" never be a legitimate case for placing LIMITS on our great Sovereign God. Please, don't let personal opinions, preconceived ideas, and preference dictate how you understand this marvelous nature of God Almighty. Because our theology affects the way we live our lives. And with a skewed view of the nature of God, we are in danger of creating a "god made in our own image" as many theologians in the past have warned us about.

The truth is, it is God who orchestrates all things, and it is God who does whatever He pleases. (Psalm 115:3) And if we as believers claim that our God is in control of everything, then how could that not be so with OUR life?

We must take this to heart:

"for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

Philippians 2:13

Sometimes the choices in life can get really confusing, I understand that. And it may get to the point where making "the right choice" isn't as clear as we thought. But having a great, big, Sovereign God makes it possible for us to find peace in any big decision. So in one sense, it really doesn't matter what decision you make.

Now, before you jump me, listen up. Please don't misunderstand, we are never to have a "fatalistic" type of approach to our lives. Human responsibility takes a part in planning our futures, but God is the one who will guide is in the direction which brings him maximum glory.

Danger! There are many that tend to choose other routes because of failure. And there is nothing wrong with failing. But some fail because they did not do their very best. Please guard yourselves brethren. Examine your hearts and minds. May we never be so quick to jump from one decision to another because we did not do our best. If, in fact, we are to change life-routes, may it be because God is truly calling us that way and not because we lacked the discipline to do our very best. Again, though God may be Sovereign in every part of our lives, this in no way nullifies our human responsibilities.

Beloved, be comforted by the fact that God will be exalted through whatever path you choose to take. We must remember that God weaves everything in life together for our good and His good pleasure. Which means that, in the ultimate sense, NOTHING works out for the bad. However hopeless and terrible the situation may look on the outside, our Father knows where He is taking us so we can follow Him wherever He leads.

Is it so wrong to want to make the correct decision?

Absolutely not. We are responsible for making decisions that echo the will of God for our lives. And I do believe that with much prayer, Word meditation, counsel from brothers, and sanctified discernment, we will try our best to choose the will of God for our lives.

Our Father may take us one way and then open doors to another. But it is all-one-big-plan. We have been placed on the exact path that we should be going. How can we say that our Lord took us in a direction we were not suppose to go? May we never have that mindset! He ordained that you would experience all these things, no matter how long or how difficult it was. Our Lord uses trials to shape and mold us to be the child of God that we are today. (1 Pet. 1:6-9) So you cannot call it a "wrong decision" or "wasted time." Persevere and endure brothers, for God decrees such things so that you may "be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

Stay encouraged beloved! Find rest in knowing that your life is in the hands of a God, who is not weak, but who's strength and might is beyond all comprehension. This post is very dear to my heart because I too am struggling with this very issue. Though I exhort you with this loved-ones, I am also preaching this message to my own heart. So I pray that God may help us both through the times of uncertainty and difficulty in regards to which way we are to go.

There are many routes my friends, and some look better than others. But when we finally make a decision may we always consult our righteous road map, the Word of the Lord. Because when we seek God's counsel, we are given Divine direction, and how can we go wrong with that?

Just remember, we can plan as hard as we want, and map out every minute detail, but our joy and comfort is rooted in knowing that God is the one who "guides our steps." So take care everyone, remember you are not running this race alone.

Grace and peace to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Micah