Inspiration: Following Instruction.

Late night posting session right here. I've been meaning to sit down and write something to you all, all day, but it seems now I've got the time! So there you have it :)

Lately I have been learning a lot of great principles of life. Food for the soul, things to live by. Ever since I chose to live for Jesus, He has taught me many principles. Like, it's important to write things down so that you can easily recall them. I started by always writing down conversations we would have, or things that He would bring to me. I keep them in my handy iPhone; I can pull them up at anytime I need to be reminded of God's words to me and where my focus needs to be. 

One of the first things Jesus revealed to me is:

 We are not always given the things we want, when we want them, because we are not always ready or prepared for them. 

Sometimes if we are not wise and watchful, we can put ourselves into situations we are not prepared for. God gives us instruction to keep us prepared, so that during a trial we have something to hold onto, someone to call on, and something to believe. That is why it is so important to know that Jesus, as the creator, knows all and knows what is best for us. He has this thing called life already figured out. In fact, He's got the perfect plan!

Isaiah 55:8
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways"

We are an afterthought, so we should just trust that He knows what He is doing and doesn't need our input to get there.

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 Jesus gave me an example of a young girl, let's call her Judy, that is looking for love. Judy has never been in a relationship but is in love with the idea of love. She falls for a man that is what most would define as a 'player', he is clearly not looking for a relationship but more of a good time. Everyone around her knows where this is going, but she is not ready or prepared for love, so she is blind to every clue that is thrown her way that he is not the man for her.

Now we have all probably been there at some point, falling for the wrong person, and when its all said and done and your heart is broken - you think you've lost it all. Same happened to Judy. Through this experience, and the pain, Judy realizes the strength she has inside of her and it makes her a stronger, wiser woman. She is no longer naive to all of those red flags she saw, and the next time a man like that approaches her she is not fooled by the nice smile or big muscles ;). 

Well, our Jesus wants us to be able to avoid the pain. Through His instructions, we gain discernment for situations and God can open our eyes to situations. Granted some of us, like to hit our heads quite a few times before we get sick of the headaches - but our Lord gives us the opportunity to follow His instruction and get the best result EACH AND EVERY TIME. Jesus gives us so much instruction in His word to help guide us in all of life's areas.

Which leads me to another great principle that I am working on applying to my life. 

Follow God's Instruction.

Proverbs 4:13

"Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go, keep her, for she is thy life."

There are directions and instructions everywhere. There are instructions for putting together the brand new baby crib that me and A are going to be buying :). There are instructions for using your shampoo; there is an instruction manual for using your brand new car (although I'm sure you never read it until there was an issue)! Everything in this world has instructions, and in order to get the result that the manufacturer is promising, you must follow the instructions. And once we are given instructions, we should know what to do...

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We often feel like we can take our own way, or take shortcuts in the instructions Jesus gives us and get the same results. Its like your mechanic working on your car and taking a few short cuts, you know, leaving a few nuts and bolts out and telling you he didn't need them! You didn't need them? Are you sure, because there is probably a reason those nuts and bolts were there in the first place. There's no way you could be surprised when the car breaks down again.. LOL

So, why are we so surprised when things in life don't go as planned and we didn't follow instructions? We have to think the same way about God's word and His instruction. If we don't follow it accordingly, we don't really have the right to complain to God about something that fell through or didn't work out as planned. Jesus truly wants the best for us, and there is a formula to how we receive that. 

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. 

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But alas, 

What's so great about Jesus is that, He is our father. And like my natural father, He loves me regardless and He only wants the absolute best for me. When He sees we are persistent in trying to please Him, He will do great things for us because of His divine love for us. While at times, we may have to pay the price for not following instructions completely; He still loves us and if we ask Him to give us understanding of  His word, He will help us with it, and we can cast all of our cares and worries to Him and He will take care of them all! He will heal our hearts, He will show us a way out of what seems like a dead end. 

He's so amazing and that's why I love Him more each and everyday! :) 

Hope this gives you some good inspiration for the weekend! Instructions are important and are truly words to live by. 

-J