MONDAY, MONDAY
The “back to work day” sets the tone for the whole week. Will we let the routine of Monday distract us from the opportunity of doing God’s work along with ours?
Why not begin Monday with a prayer that recognizes Who we really serve?
“Father in heaven, I want to serve You in whatever I do. You have engineered my life at this moment so that I am at work where You want me to be. It may not seem like this is right for me, but You know better than I do. You have something special in mind that only I can do in this place. Today, make me aware of the opportunities that You bring across my path that are right from Your hands. Don’t let me be distracted by my routine. I know You are with me always, so that means You are with me right now. Keep my eyes open and my ears listening. Show me Your heavenly surprises today.”
Do you really believe that God is in complete control of all life? Is He in complete control of your life? Well, if He is, then how can you think there is anything that happens that is not what He wants for you today? Let God do what He wants to do through you, and today will be a very different Monday.
What if you said, “The very next person I see is there because God put them there”? It might be the man in the elevator, the woman at the desk, the bus driver, the person standing next to you at the light, the girl selling coffee. It doesn’t matter who it is. It is God’s design to put that person right in front of you for a reason. Will you pass by without leaving anything of Christ behind? You don’t even have to say a word. Have you ever just prayed for the man in the car next to you? “God, bless that man and show him your purposes today”. Be a silent warrior for the Kingdom. Did you smile when you bought the paper? Did you offer meaningful thanks to the bus driver or the parking attendant? Did you greet the guys on the job with the joy of the Lord?
You can put on the face of Christ without a mirror. It starts with “God, let me be your light today”.
Aren’t Mondays fantastic!
Ironically, today is my first day back to graduate school after summer break. I begin a final year of studies, papers, writings, research and much labor (15 hours a week is what my fellowship requires on top of my classwork). I will be immersed in this lifestyle for this and one other semester and following my May 2010 graduattion, will embark on a new career and direction. I will be 63 in January. I’m exhausted thinking about it. Today, Monday, is the first day of the rest of my life. His life, in me…His idea…His direction…His strength. Today, Father, I belong to you.
Starting my fifth week at a new job that God wrote specifically for me, I’m still in the ‘Honeymoon phase’ of this position. Still, even without the routine, I am encouraged by this post.
I will make today a fantastic Monday and surrender this day to God’s way instead of my way.
Yes Skip, Mondays are fantastic.
Here is what I know: The Creator has granted me authority, so today I choose to respond to him with trust, obedience, gratitude, and generosity. I grant him authority to be my Adonai; to change me and use me as he intended. I am dedicated to Yeshua, but I am not good enough to die. So, I will live for him; everyday all that I am and all I produce is for his purpose, service, and worship.
Here is what I do not know: The who, what, when, where, and how of the next moment. My vision only allows me to see this present moment in the light of my past. I have more questions than answers. It seems to me the conflicts outweigh the resolutions. I find I could be content with either “A” or “B”, but living between “A” and “B” is a place I never prepared for.
We sing this chorus when gathering on the Lord’s day and because everyday belong’s to Him, I sing it today to Him:
Lord prepare me
to be a sancuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving
I’ll be a living
Sanctuary
For You.
May God touch your heart this day. As He does, your heart is forever changed.
In my retired state, one day seems so much like another. Yet, to realize that this is the day that the Lord has made is a handy reminder to make this day different, for me and for those with whom I come in contact. Today I go to Karchner Caverens in SE Arizona. Then it is over to Tombstone, AZ. What an oportunity to smile at a lot of people I have never seen before.
So timely and encouraging. Today is my last day at my present job and tomorrow is my first day in my full time business. It is the biggest step of faith I’ve taken in a while but it has been done knowing that, “though man devises his plans, it is God who directs his footsteps.”
“I Am” because “He is” and He is the great “I Am.”
Skip—just want you to know I now run around my backyard taking pictures of those all so allusive butterflies. Thanks for your inspiration!
Great. Post them!
I am starting my day with worship to the tune of Aaron Shust’s “Anything Worth Saying” CD. Check out these song titles: Give Me Words, Glory to You, Matchless, Let the People Praise, Stillness (Speak to Me), More Wonderful, Give It All Away, My Savior My God, Stand to Praise (Psalm 117), In Your Name, One Day.
Thank you, Skip, for another post to impress upon me the importance of simply being at peace about God’s plan for my life. Resting in Him is the best place to be to watch for His glory to unfold in my life. Let me shine and smile with love that only God can supply. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
I was awaken early with my husband getting a call to the H.S. to substitute, I needed to talk to him about the refrigerator man, who we hope will come again today, for the fifth time in about five weeks: the icemaker is out, a new one has been put and another new part, and still it is not working at all– but we have already give that to Lord, and said, “we can live without that part of the refrig, if we must–“and we minister to the owner of the Co. each time, giving him golf balls, clubs, whatever we have that we can give for his 11 children—-plus paying full house calls,— But this will be the last, if he does not come up with a better plan!
Okay, so I am still joyful, and tell the Lord, I am willing to do whatever He puts in front of me. I already have a well thought out organized day for myself–but I am willing just to put it aside if He has something else for me to do.
The phone rings, I hear, “Mom, in a hetic voice that does not sound like any of my children, I have someone here that wants to talk to you, listen carefully. It is our three year old great-grandchild, crying and saying I want to see you. I explained that I lived three hours away, and it would take me a long time to get there. She hung up. The phone rings again, the child’s great aunt, our daughter, explains: Our 24 year old granddaughter, has been taken to the ER room last night, it is appendix. No surgeon there until sometime today. The grandmother of the child is out of the country. Her father is at the hospital, she has spent the night with neighbors, and then the Great-Aunt came this Monday morning. She is afraid, lonely wanting her mother.
Unknown to this little girl, is that yesterday, Sunday was her father’s last day at his church as the assitant Music Director of a large church for the Contemporay Service. He felt God had called him to go out on his own ( with the Lord’s help!).
He went out with the blessings of the church. But now he has no inusrance, no salary coming in, not sure that his insurance will be valid in any way. His wife is critically ill. Their home has had a contract on it for two months, but could not close because the lender would not budge. Now it is suppose to close Sept 7. He and young wife were to go to San Diego for this Sunday to do the music in a church there.
I can not get him on the phone, I do not know if my beloved granddaughter is in surgery or still waiting. I left a message to the young husband, that what they needed we would do, just to call us.
Two more totally unrelated calls from forever friends who called unexpectedly from different areas of the States, both want to share a good message with me. I gladly recived it as from the Lord, and ask for prayer for our granddaughter and husband and little one.
After spending time in prayer for them again, I decide to call my daughter that is caring for the little three year old grand-niece. She is laughing, and says, ” We have bonded, but guess where?” ” We are digging in the dirt from where the swing set has already been moved to the grandparent’s farm”. The little one was having a blast, but insisted that her great-aunt not sit on the grass next to the dirt, but right inside the dirt with her. She did, and that is where they were! We both got a good laugh.———— The end for this half of a Monday, which is like all the other days, a gift from the Lord,—- God is still on His throne, the little children remind you every time!
II Corinthians 4:17, ” For our-light, momentary affliction ( this distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory ( beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and and calulations, a vast and transcendant glory and blessedness never to cease!)— The Amplified Bible–
Greetings brothers and sisters and G-d’s love and peace to all. Today was different brother Skip. It was good for me to read these testimonies of our Father working in each life. He truly is a G-d of diversity and unity. I also see a little touch of 1 Peter 5.8 here as well. ie: (the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.) We are in this life-journey together! Hallelujah for the cross! I’m getting homesick for a place I’ve never been too! But it’s more real and more appealing to me every day I live. It is so wonderful to belong to the Shepherd. He is more than aware of our current condition and is planning accordingly a custom blueprint for each of our lives. There is no such thing as “cookie-cutter” Christianity. The Master Carpenter only builds custom homes. I’ll never be a Billy Graham but Billy will never be a “me!”. G-d loves all of us, but more importantly He loves each of us. As we witness the incredible events of recent days and see up close and personal the insanity of sin (you were right Skip in saying, “sin is form of insanity”), it seems this world we live is approaching critical mass. 2 Timothy chapter 3 (“But realize this, that in the last days perilous times will come..) is being fleshed out before our unbelieving eyes. How we need more than ever brother Skip this critical ministry our Father has given to you. We need to know the “words” of G-d. They are spirit and they are life to us. Matthew 22.29-We do err not knowing the scriptures or the power of G-d (in a book containing G-d’s Basic instructions Before Leaving Earth). Our Shepherd’s full blessings to all. Yeshua is LORD (of the telescopic and the microscopic!). Blessed be the NAME!