Yesterday I posted about Ray, Heather, Leah and I going to the cider mill so Heather could take Leah’s senior pics and we could visit Eden and Jacob.

On the way to Kearney, a small, rural town, we rode in Heather’s new car, a 2011 Kia Optima. Heather has been praying for several years now to get a new car. The Kia is NICE and is fully loaded with features, including a sunroof, back-up camera on the dashboard, smart key with push button start, keyless entry, heated steering wheel and seats, the ability to talk on her cell phone through the car, and GPS on the dashboard. Ok, why does our child have a better car than we do? But I am so happy for her. Just this week I was praying for God to provide another car for her.

When Heather dropped us off at the commuter parking lot where we met her to ride with her, I wanted to take her picture in her car. I thought it was hilarious when Heather waved out of the top of her sunroof. The weather was beautiful this weekend, and it felt great riding down the highway with the sunroof open.

One of the great features about the car is the GPS on the dashboard. Heather thought the automated woman’s voice  on the GPS was annoying and turned the sound off at one point.

Heather is a great woman of God and is obedient to Him (most of the time!). But I thought about how our relationship with God is like Heather not wanting to hear the instructions on the GPS. This morning I was reading in the book of Ezekiel, where the prophet Ezekiel had the vision of the four living creatures and God sent Ezekiel to speak to the rebellious house of Israel:

“…and I heard a voice of One speaking. And He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you. Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet, and I heard Him who spoke to me. And He said to me, “Son of Man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. For they are impudent and stubborn children.

“I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.’ As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse- for they are a rebellious house, yet they will know that a prophet has been among them…You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.

“Now when I looked there was a hand stretched out to me and behold a scroll of a book was in it. Then He spread it before me, and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe. Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. “And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.” (Ezekiel 2:1-5, 7-10; 3:1-3)

I’m sure Ezekiel didn’t want to do the job. Who wants to be a prophet? They are notoriously known for being mocked, ridiculed, spit on, imprisoned, and killed. But God had commanded him and he obeyed.

God also told him to eat the scroll. I love that picture. God tells Ezekiel to feed his belly and fill his stomach with the scroll. Every day we fill our stomachs with food, whether healthy foods or junk food. How often do we fill up on the Word of God? It will be like honey in our mouths, just as it was to Ezekiel. The word of God strengthened Ezekiel so he could prophesy the pure, undiluted word of God to the nation of Israel.

God wanted to show mercy to Israel so they would repent and would be restored to a right relationship with Him. God isn’t a harsh judge who just can’t wait to zap people or throw them in hell.  God’s desire is to have an intimate relationship forever with us because He loves us so much.

So often we are like the stubborn, rebellious house of Israel, and like Heather not wanting to hear the GPS instructions because it can be annoying. You know, things like: “Love your enemies,” “Forgive others,” and “Wives, submit to your husbands.”  Things we really don’t want to do, but we know it’s God’s will and that we should obey.

God’s word is like our GPS for life. It is our map that gives us our instructions and directions for life. If we follow it, it will get us to where we need to go. We won’t be lost, confused, or distracted. If we ignore it, “turn down the sound” simply because we don’t like hearing it, we can run into trouble, especially if we don’t know where we’re going.

“Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.” Job 22:22

***Would you like to learn more about intimacy with God? Click here for my ebook, Walking With God.

This week it’s actually become cold in Missouri and I commented to Ray as we lay in bed last night, “Isn’t that strange? It got cold so quick!” Ray said no, that isn’t strange, that this happens every year here in Missouri, and every year I say to him how strange it is —he said that Missouri has just 3 days of fall.

He said one day the leaves are changing beautiful colors and the next day it’s 40 degrees with a forecast of snow. That made me laugh and I have laughed every time I think of Ray saying that: “Missouri has just 3 days of fall.” He despises cold weather, especially snow – mostly because he’s the one who has to work out in the freezing snow and ice on car accident scenes as a paramedic, while Leah and I get to enjoy looking out the window at the pretty snow, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows in the toasty warmth of our home.

Sometimes it seems like the seasons of our life are SO long. We become impatient and wonder if those big dreams in our heart will ever come to pass. Other seasons in our lives feel like “just 3 days of fall,” and  pass so quickly, like our children growing up and all too soon we have an empty nest. Whatever season you’re in right now, God has a great plan for your life. (Jeremiah 29:11) You are in the right season as long as you are trusting and obeying God!

Tonight I read in Ephesians 1:1-14. I want to share some excerpts from it:

“How blessed is God! And what a blessing He is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long ago before he laid down earth’s foundation, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!)”

“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people – free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free. He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, let us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.”

“It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.”

Isn’t that beautiful? Let’s recap this:

• You have high places of blessings in Him.
• You are the focus of His love, made whole and holy by His love.
• You are free.
• You are not just free, but abundantly free!
• Whatever season you’re in right now, God has a long-range plan for your life – and it’s going to be good!

In this week’s post I shared how God is preparing you for great things. It’s in Christ that you find out who you are and what you are living for.  Seek Him.

This morning I read Andrea Sharp‘s ezine and was encouraged by a story she shared in it about when she was a young adult and was hired to be a camp counselor at a kids’ camp in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She was excited about doing this. One day she was called into the office by her supervisor and was told that there were too many counselors for the amount of kids coming. Since she was the last counselor hired, she was being moved to another area of camp help -kitchen service.

She would prepare meals each day and wash the hundreds of plates, cups, and silverware. Andrea was embarrassed and humbled, and questioned God why she was having to wash disgusting dishes each day. But tremendous growth occurred in a place of humbleness. She began to enjoy the freedom she had with her position that she wouldn’t have had as a counselor, and met an amazing group of people that she worked with on the kitchen staff and on campus.

 She wrote: “Now looking back over that summer, I realize that God grew me in astounding ways.  It’s not the position that matters, but the heart behind it. No matter what job we may hold, whether it be a homemaker or a working woman, God desires that we embrace this opportunity and share joy in our sphere of influence.”

Maybe you’re not yet in the “position” you desire or have what you want yet. You’re now in a waiting room, being readied and refined by God for what’s ahead. Be patient during this humbling season of preparation. God is preparing you for exciting, great things to come. God also has you in a sphere of influence right now that is His desire for you today – a sphere unlike anyone else’s, an incredible opportunity that He has entrusted to you alone.

You may be a stay at home mom, helping your husband with his needs and homeschooling her children. Right now that is your realm of influence and it is not a light thing – but a great opportunity to minister to your husband and to sow into children’s souls and to raise disciples for Christ. You may be a website designer who does graphic design. That is your sphere of influence – your anointing and creativity coming from The Designer of the Universe.

You may be a writer, speaker, or life coach with just a handful of clients, wanting to grow your business to an international, membership-based organization. For now your five to 10 clients are where God has you, your very own “mission field,” using your spiritual gifts, talents, and skills to practically help, pray for, encourage and motivate others to become all God desires.

You’re not just washing dishes or working in a cubicle. You are in the right place at the right time right now – and you’re being prepared for great things to come!

“In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen.” – Matthew 20:16, ISV

Image Resource: Image: vegadsl / FreeDigitalPhotos.net