Thank You, God!

This morning I am once again SO grateful for God's guidance!  I believe the words of Psalms 127:1 -- "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it".  And I am very clear that I want God in charge of whatever building I'm involved in doing!  He has opened and shut doors for me in amazing ways!

One small (but for me very exciting) example of the way God has opened and shut doors was regarding the creation of a flyer announcing our intent to start classes soon.  I had been encouraged by a friend to create such flyers to advertise at a state-wide event.  But when the time came to print them, I couldn't do it!  My first plan had been to print one sheet and then use the photo copier to copy it onto some pretty border paper.  But the copier wouldn't work - for no reason that we could discover!   Next I tried printing it on our main printer.  No luck.  No matter how many cleaning cycles we put it through the black ink didn't print clearly.  Finally I tried it on my photo printer.  But it wouldn't work either!  It acted like it was out of some of the colors of ink, but I couldn't figure color(s) needed to be replaced!  Despite knowing that I had a printer utility on my computer to help with that task, and that I had put in a place where I could find it easily, I could NOT find it!  It seemed pretty clear to my husband and me by that point that we were being told to NOT print that flyer!

And now, for "the rest of the story".  This morning, I ran the print utility on the photo printer to see what ink needed to be replaced so that I could print up some little reminder cards of some of the texts I've shared on my blog and want to remember.  Suddenly, all colors were printing JUST FINE without my having done a thing!!!  I indeed want to shout God's praises for the way He keeps everything running right! (Ps. 119:164)  What an amazingly clear demonstration of the way He opens and closes doors to keep me in alignment with His will!  Thank you, Father!  Please continue to open and close doors that I may not step outside of your will.

As I gratefully remember His guidance in the past and once again seek His guidance for this day, these final verses from Psalms 119 really resonate:

"May my cry arise before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word. Let my request come before you; deliver me, as you have promised. May my lips utter praise, for you teach me your statutes.  May my tongue sing about your promise, for all of your commands are right. May your hand stand ready to assist me, for I have chosen your precepts.  I am longing for your deliverance, Lord, and your instruction is my joy. Let me live, and I will praise you; let your ordinances help me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come find your servant, for I do not forget your commands."  (Psalms 119:169-176  ISV)

I seek to understand God's will - and to be delivered from those "sins that so easily beset" me, and I praise God as He continues to show me His way.  He is an amazing God and so willing to guide in even the most mundane tasks!  I am so grateful that He works in me both to will and to do of His good pleasure! (Phil. 2:13)  On my own, I am indeed like a lost sheep!  I am so grateful that he seeks and finds me and guides me into safe pasture!

Thinking of the "sins that so easily beset" I look up that passage in Hebrews 12:1-3:

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." NKJV

Yes, indeed, I see the need to lay aside every weight.  We have been told to cast our cares upon God, and I need to do that.  It's too easy for me to worry about things.  Yet look at how I was protected from making a mistake with those flyers! And I have no doubt they would have been a mistake, though I can't say I know all the reasons why - except that perhaps we needed to focus our attention in a different direction and not be distracted by whatever would have come from those flyers.  I DO know that it turned out that there were VERY FEW people at that state-wide event that came from the area in which we'll be teaching the class -- and those that did already knew about it.

So this morning I again read the last few verses of Psalms 119 -- this time from The Message Bible.  Some of the phrases really stand out to me:

"Let praise cascade off my lips; after all, you've taught me the truth about life!  . . . And let your promises ring from my tongue; every order you've given is right. . . .  Put your hand out and steady me since I've chosen to live by your counsel. . . . I love it when you show yourself! . . . And should I wander off like a lost sheep — seek me! I'll recognize the sound of your voice." (Psalms 119:169-176 - from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Thank you, Father for making yourself so clear to me that I can recognize your leading!  Thank you for continuing to lead me and for your promise that you will see the work you've begun in me to completion. (Phil 1:6) Thank you for building this "house" that you are building - and for promising that I won't be required to get up early and stay up late to make it happen - that you give sleep to those you love! (Ps. 127:1,2) Thank you for your word about the "open door" (Rev 3:8,9), and for continuing to open and close doors for me as you see fit.  Please keep me on Your path, Father!  Thank you so much for all you're doing -- not just the guidance, but for making it so clear!  I am SO grateful!