Peace

Isaiah 26: 3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

     Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like you were just merely existing and not living?  You know the vision you have for your life and are sure that God's purpose for your life is bigger than where you are, but you feel stuck and don't know how to get out of where you are and get to where you want to be.  Well I have definitely been there, and though I am not yet where I want to be, I have learned to focus on the positive instead of the negative.  It was not easy and this peace and understanding came from going on a 30 day fast.
     My present career is okay for now, but it's not in a field in which I wish to continue.  I constantly feel as though I am doing it for other people and getting no satisfaction from it for myself.  During the time I was feeling at my worst, my focus was on the negative aspects of my job and how bad I wanted to be somewhere else.  I was not at peace at work and constantly frustrated at home.  I immediately knew something had to change and decided to go on a fast.  This fast was entitled "Look Not At The Situation But to Him".  During this fast I spent 30 days in constant prayer and communication with God and also refrained from watching YouTube (which was taking attention away from God) and I only drank water. My goal was to focus on Jesus, who could change my situation, instead of looking at the situation itself.  I also kept a sort of journal and wrote "letters to God" nightly.  During this fast, I was also seeking an answer on whether or not to renew my contract at work.  With everyday during my fast, things got better and so did my attitude toward my job.  I am not saying that all was perfect but I just received a peace that allowed me to be able to feel better knowing that this was not my problem to solve but the Lord's.
     The date that my fast ended fell on a date that I would be out of town, but in a place where I always seemed to hear a direct word from the Lord.  I was at church that sunday and the preacher invited people to the alter for prayer.  I stepped to the alter and began to pray to God asking for an answer but also that it be His will and not my own.  The Lord spoke through the preacher of the church and told me that I could not fix the situation but needed to release it to Him and allow him to take care of it.  I was so grateful for that confirmation and immediately knew I had to take a step back and stop trying to fix the situation myself.  Ever since that day at church, God has still been keeping me in perfect peace and I continue to keep my mind focused on him and not the situation of my career.
    Going through this situation, I can tell that it is only the Lord that has been keeping me as peaceful as I am.  In all that I do and all that I go through, I will continue to keep my mind stayed on Him and trust in Him to keep me in perfect peace.  If you are going through a situation where it seems as though there is no peace around,  take a second to reflect on what has your attention.  Give it to God, trust Him, and he will keep you in perfect peace.

Praying Blessings Upon You All,

Pretty Divine

Patience: Wait on the Lord

Psalm 27: 14 "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord."

     Patience, I believe is one thing most people struggle with.  MYSELF INCLUDED.  Waiting for something can be extremely difficult especially when you want it right then.  At times I feel as though everyone else is getting so much out of life and doing what it is they really desire to do.  I find myself feeling as if their life is moving ahead and leaving me behind.  It makes me wonder: When is this going to happen to me?  When will I be able to do what it is I really want to do?  When will God manifest my purpose to me and allow me to begin to live it out?  I then have to step back and say to myself that I cannot understand how God works but must know that He's working everything out in my favor.  When I pray, I always say Lord, I don't want to move or walk ahead of you.  I want to stay right with You and do things in Your time and behind You so can lead and guide me.  This is where trust and faith come into play.  You must trust God and have faith in Him to be patient while He prepares His promises for you.  It is not easy when you know what you want and feel as though you can do whatever it takes to get to that point.  Just know that God's timing is always better!  Seek the Lord for direction and timing and follow Him.  You don't want to get ahead and have to look back at God.