Beth Moore on Life Today...

Wednesday mornings are my favorite. They are the only day throughout the week that afford Western PA the opportunity to see Beth Moore visually... on Life Today. I wish I could include her TV message from today on my blog for you to see it. It was soooo good. In lieu of that capability... I shall write it out for those of you interested. (If you just want my short summary... skip to the very bottom of the post.)

Circumstances will Shake or Shatter!!!

Sometimes our circumstance endures despite our cry out to God to remove it. And the only thing we can do is adjust our attitude in the face of the circumstance. Choosing PRAISE is the first step.

1. Praise that alters an attitude.
* All you can do is change your attitude toward the circumstance.
*CHOOSING to praise God in the midst of the circumstance is the first step toward changing your attitude.
*Psalm 42.8 God gives us a new song in the night. (If you are in a "night season" God has a new song for you)

2. Praise that invites an audience.

* Acts 16.25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Listening- (Translation) To listen with great intention, endurance and receive great pleasure- delight in what you hear.

The prisoners heard Paul and Silas sing in the midst of their circumstances in the middle of the night and were moved. They listened to Paul and Silas praise God despite where they were and what they were facing. The prisoners became audience to Paul and Silas' praise of the Lord and were overwhelmed at the sweet sound.

WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, WHATEVER'S BEEN APPOINTED BY THE SOVEREIGNTY OF OUR GOD, ALWAYS HAS TO DO WITH US OR IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED TO US.... but it didn't ONLY happen to us.

Please don't miss this... I can't tell you the number of times I've heard someone say to me, "Maybe you are enduring this for the sake of someone else." How arrogant of me to think that possible. God entrusts us with circumstances for OUR SAKE and at times, IN CONJUCTION WITH WHAT HE'S DOING IN US, for the sake of others. I've been very honest in recent posts to share just how much God is doing in me... none of which I believe would be the case were I without illness... without NEED for Him in my life.


*Huge impact happens when YOU ARE AND DO SOMETHING OTHERS AREN'T AND CAN'T do!!! Impact happens when we are enabled and empowered to do something others aren't and haven't been empowered to do.

*When we respond in miserable circumstances with an attitude of prayer and praise... and we have an audience (which we do whether our response is positive or negative) WE are the Bible they will sometimes read long before the paper version. Our attitude has to glorify God in the midst of our unchanging circumstances becauase we are always under observance.

3.Praise that invites an earthquake.

An earthquake will seemingly change ANY circumstance right? If we invite God, through praise, to send His weighted glory down in the midst of our circumstance.... Zechariah says the earth will split in two.

Psalm 68.1 May God arise may my enemies be scattered.

I want God to stand up and scatter it all... my circumstances, enemies etc.

Different earthquakes happen. Whether something happens due to God, life, mistakes, missteps, etc ... God will work through it. Use it. Form it.

4. Problems that invite an earthquake.

Bankruptcy
DUI
Eating Disorders
Infidelity
Divorce
Abuse

Quake: Anything that splits your life wide open. Often it causes enough commotion you can't keep private. (Tremors can be kept private... Earthquakes are public. )

QUESTION OF THE DAY....

*Shall I defend my flesh or demonstrate the spirit???? (Defending myself becomes unnecessary when I realize His demonstrated spirit is all the defense I need)

My thoughts on it all- CHOICE!!! I need to choose my attitude in the midst of every situation. Choosing to take captive all thoughts unto Him, to Praise Him for who He is DESPITE my circumstance, realizing that whether a positive attitude or negative... I still have an audience in the midst of my circumstance, and that earthquakes are sometimes selfinduced or happen seemingly without cause BUT THAT GOD MOVES THROUGH THEM .....

Knowing all of this should help me to be more like God consistently. I can't help but come back to the initial understanding that IT BEGINS WITH A CHOICE!!!

I pray we all CHOOSE God today. Be it in our thoughts, actions, communication, time with our children, service of our husbands, or time set apart to be with Jesus, the one and only.