Proverbs 31

Okay - - this is a preview of a project I am working on - - your opinions would be gladly accepted.

Proverbs 31:11
A look into the spiritual side of this verse and it's application.

Please open your bible and prayerfully read this verse before continuing.

A woman of virtue is one that God can trust safely with his kingdom work and his testimony. I believe that this verse shows the very nature of God in his desire to connect with each one of us on a personal and intimate level. If you remember in verse 10 we are told the virtuous woman is worth more than rubies. This showed us the value that God places on a woman that seeks him, follows his laws and plans, that rests in his promises and speaks his word. It speaks to the fact that this woman is grounded, rooted and built up in her identity in Christ. She is sure of who she is in the Lord and is unshakable in this identity. For this woman God desires to trust her with his very presence, his heart, his testimony, his precious kingdom work.

Take time now to prayerfully answer the following:
1. Do you trust God fully with your heart?_______________
Have you given over every part to the Lord? Remember that he already knows your heart, we are told in the new testament that God does not look on the outward man but on the heart. However, God desires for us to willingly give our heart to him - to turn over each part. Even those parts that hold our deepest regrets, hurts, fears, pain, shame, and longing. What do you need to surrender to God right now so that you are fully trusting him with you WHOLE HEART? _________________________________________

2. Do you live a life completely surrendered? ____________________________________
Is there anything right now that you could not give up, give away, or leave behind if God called you to move? _____________

3. Are there areas of your life that still need to be surrendered to Christ? ______

4. Is Christ the Lord of your life? _______ Your first response will be "yes". Stop for a moment and ask the Lord to reveal to you if this is true. We are taught to say yes to this, but many a christian sets in the church pew with little gods in control of their life - they are driven by success, world standards, man's opinions, worry, guilt, and all types of other burdens and they refuse to ask the Lord to take control and then to surrender it all to the Lord. Pray and then ask yourself the question again - Lord is there any area of my life that I still try to control?

Take time to really ask the spirit to reveal the answers to you. We are often surprised by what lies hidden in the deepest corners of our hearts. Sometimes it is unresolved hurt or unforgiveness. Sometimes it is a lie the enemy planted to so deeply at a young age that we are even surprised at it's existence in our lives (some of these for women deal with our value, self-worth, acceptance, worthiness of love and success, etc). Many times it is revealed to a long time christian that though you accepted Christ as your savior he has yet to become Lord of your life.

Living a life of total surrender to the Lord is not an easy task, especially in our me-centered world. The world around us - The Evil One - tells us that we should do what makes "me" fell goo or right. Instant gratification and worldly recognition are highly sought after even for the christian. However, for God to fully trust us with his heart we must first trust him with ours - every part, all our worries, cares, hopes, dreams, ambitions, fears. We must surrender it all and believe and act in the belief that God knows what is best. We must come to a heart knowledge of the fact that God thinks good thoughts toward us and a certain end - - - He knows his plans for us and they are the best plans for our lives, built on a sure foundation. If you want to be trusted with God's kingdom work, his testimony - you must trust him.

Begin today by trusting God with all your life. We are instructed to Love the Lord with all of our heart. Surrender your life to his Lordship and see how he begins to work in you, trusting you with his heart! Be ready for an exciting, life altering journey!

Lord,
Search me and try me. Reveal today in me the areas of my life that I have not trusted you with. Help me, O Lord, as I begin today to live a life of surrender to you. Heal the brokenness of my heart, shed light on any darkened corner, replace all lies with your truth, all worry with your peace, all burders with your yoke. Be my strong tower and my refuge. Work in me, Father God, a more beautiful work that I may be a living sacrifice for you poured out for use in this world for your work.
Amen.

No Expectations

We bring our requests to God. Lord, do this... do that. In faith, we expect Him to respond to us in some manner..solve our problems like some magical Santa Claus bringing gifts.

In truth, what are our expectations of God? What can we expect about Him or from Him?

These are truths about God: He is Creator. He holds the world in place with a Word. He is good. He is loving. He is Wise. He is Mercy. He is Grace. He is Power. He is Truth. He is Faithful. He keeps His Promise.

These are just a few of the basic expectations we have.

So when we approach Him with our list, what should we expect? That He will change to suit our needs and wants and desires?

If there is one thing true about God, it is that He is unchanging. So why would we expect Him to change for us?

Then again... why do we expect anything from Him at all?

He has proven Himself to us over and over. He has given us sign after sign of His power and faithfulness. We fully expect Him to continue to do so.

But we reach a point where we must come to a decision. An emotion free and intelligent decision based on our experience with God. Based on the knowledge of who He is or has been to us. A choice to be the person He created us to be and expects us to be.

What are His expectations of us (me)?

He is the light of the world. When He resides in us, we become that light. So we should live as creatures of light. But we don't. Why? because we have not made a conscious free will choice to live that way. We are still drawn by the darkness of this world to participate in dark.

Sure, we may have made a choice to believe in Him, to accept His salvation through Christ. But does that mean that we have made a choice to live our lives in His light? To serve Him with our lives?

We may even be serving Him in some capacity, but other than that service, are we living for Him? Are we, like the disciples, willing to exchange our lives for His light? Are we willing that every breath allowed to us be breathed in Him? Or are we too concerned with our expectations of Him for ourselves? Our expectations for our lives, our stuff, our happiness.

If God is who he says he is, and we choose to live mediocre lives skipping from dark to light to dark to light, then we are doing Him and ourselves a huge disservice.

Make a choice. What has God done for you? Who is He to you? What signs has He given to you? Make a choice based on your answers to those questions.

What right do we have to come to him with any expectation for ourselves?

We should have no expectation of God other than that He is. He said "I am that I am." Why should we expect anything else?

We should have no expectation of God other than that in His "I AM" He has a plan for us. His will for us. His will and His plan for us is for our good and it is perfect. A perfect plan for our lives given to us by a perfect God.

Our will should be set aside. Given over to Him. Consciously. Purposefully. With complete and utter understanding that what we think is right or wrong for us is inconsequential. Only what God wants for us is important or carries any meaning at all.

Give Him a chance to prove that His plan works. To show that every thing He ever said is true. That every promise He ever made will come to pass. Have no other expectation of Him. And be prepared to be amazed.