Day One: Laying the Foundation

This week is going to look very different around here than it usually does.  There won't be any garden pictures or recipes, no homeschooling dilemmas or canning projects.  Instead, I want to devote the entire week to what has become near and dear to my heart and what has propelled me to make some changes- in my thinking, in my life and in one of my favorite places, this blog. I ask you to, please, read each entire post this week.  You can agree with me.  You can disagree with me.  But, please read this week in it's entirety before you decide if I'm crazy or on to something.  Read the posts.  Chew on them.  Pray about them.  Then decide if you're going to stick around here or not.  My prayer is that you do.

*****************************

When I asked God for added purpose in my life several months ago, I was envisioning a physical, tangible thing I could do.

Instead, a tent was staked above me and a full-fledged revival took place in my head and my heart.  It is out of this revival, this re-commitment that I have felt lead to a new focus here in this blog.

We all want to have purpose, to feel useful and effective.  I have found my purpose in Genesis 12:1-3 where God promises to bless Abraham and his descendants.  In this way, He reveals His purpose. (Italics mine)

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those that bless you and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you."

Are you a descendant of Abraham?  Paul says in Galatians 3:29,

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heir according to the promise."

What promise?  The one we just read in Genesis. So, God promises to bless those who believe so that we might bless others.  And not just anyone, but "all peoples on the earth".  No small task.  And don't worry.  I'm not proposing we take on the world by ourselves.  That's God's job and He's doing a mighty fine job, but it looks as if we're part of His plan.

What will come when all this blessing reaches all the peoples?  It will lead to the praise and glory and honor of God our Father, also part of God's plan and purpose.

"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name." Psm. 86:9

 "All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Rev. 15:4

And through our praise and glory, we will be lifted up to a place of highest honor. An article I read, by Steven C. Hawthorne, for the class I'm taking says this...

"Worship is the way that people glorify God.  When looked at from God's point of view, we can see that worship is also God's way of glorifying people- in all the best sense of bringing people into their highest honor.  Worship fulfills God's love.  He loves people so vastly that He wills to exalt them to something better than greatness; He wants to bring them into an honored nearness to Him.  Stretch your mind and heart as far as you can, but you'll never perceive the extent of what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9)."

This send chills down my spine.

Okay, what do we have so far?  God promises to bless us so that we can bless others.  Through this blessing of all peoples, God will be praised and honored.  It doesn't end there, although it certainly could and should.  No, our God loves us so much that He in turn will bless us AGAIN...

"No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived

what God has prepared for those who love Him..." 

I  Cor. 2:9

Praise the Lord!  I know we don't feel we deserve it, and rightfully so, but God has prepared something special for us.  This is no attempt by our parents or husbands to get us the perfect gift. This is GOD we are talking about and He has prepared something special for us.  God!

We're going to end on this incredibly positive note for today.  Throughout the next few days, I'll build on what is above and reveal more about this new direction.  At the end of the week, I'll offer an invitation for you to join me on this journey to share God's purpose as our own in whatever situation we may find ourselves today and outline where we'll go from here.

You are such dears for sticking with me.  See you tomorrow.