New Shoes

These shoes, these very cute shoes belong to Summer and they are two small. At the ripe young age of two years old SJ loves shoes especially this pair, which she's outgrown. 

I'm sitting here watching her try to squeeze into these too small shoes. I've tried explaining they're too small, they will be uncomfortable if she gets them on and though they're cute they are no longer good for her growing feet. This is when God tapped me on the shoulder. 

Have you ever been in a comfortable place to long? Have you felt God prompting you to move? To go into a new season? To grow into something means you grow out of something. I, like all of you, have a comfort zone. This place is cozy and comfortable but every now and then things get too tight and then things change.

The Israelites had a comfort zone and they were pushed way out of it. Cool thing is where they were going was greater than where they'd left. They were in slavery but had gotten comfortable operating in bondage. In the same way we get comfortable operating in sin. When they'd reached a point of discomfort God created a way of escape and gave them the opportunity to obtain something better. Some of us are operating in relationships, jobs, or seasons we've outgrown but we try to remain there because it's comfortable. 

God doesn't want you comfortable, he wants you thriving. He doesn't want you in bondage He wants you to operate in freedom. He doesn't want you to be a borrower, He wants you to be a lender. God doesn't want you where you are, He wants you to thrive in His promise for your life. 

Unfortunately, the Israelites that were freed from captivity didn't enter the promised land, they could not let go of their comfort zone enough to go in; but you can. You can decide now, today to leave where you are spiritually, physically, relationally, emotionally and decide to walk into Gods promise for you. 

You can decide to accept God into your heart and make a decision today to leave the comfort of sin and walk instead in the freedom of love. What God has for you is so much better than what you can get for yourself. Take off those uncomfortable shoes, Gods got you a new pair. 

I hurt!

"I hurt! I hurt! I hurt!" My two year olds screams echo through the house as she begs for a bandaid to cover...a scar. She is doing this to put off nap time but it made me take a look at myself. See this is an old scar, from a self inflated wound, it's a small scar, but to her its huge especially when a challenge arrives. 

How many times have we screamed to God that we're hurting over a situation He has already healed? How many times do we use the excuse of past pain as a reason to disobey what God is telling us to do. We yell, "I hurt! I hurt!" While God is prompting us to walk in our healing and obey. Scars serve a evidence of a past offense but they also serve as a reminder of God's grace and our overcoming a hurt. That place where the scar is, is stronger and it's mark serves as a badge of triumph. So stop screaming it hurts, suck it up, and obey. 

1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 

Romans 5:3-5 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.