Detours of Life


There are so many choices we have in life.  Every thing we do involves a decision of some sorts.  Our decisions are based on our emotions and thoughts and as we know our emotions are volatile and can affect us positively or negatively.


Based on what we feel and think we often speak out what we have on the inside and this could be devastating to our future.  Who we are today, is the product of  words spoken yesterday.


The Word of God says in Deuteronomy 30:19 [ Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.  Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!] NLT  -  This is the key to Life.


Everytime we choose to speak negatively, we are choosing death, and our life takes a detour.  We often want to take a shortcut through life to get to the destination quicker....and we find ourselves not enjoying the journey or missing out on something profound along the way.


Matthew 7:13 [ Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few] ESV


I had a revelation about this a while back when God showed me that the quickest way over or around a mountain is....through the mountain.  But going through a mountain via a tunnel would mean darkness and sometimes danger.  I realized that the mountain would actually be on top of me all the way until I saw the light.  It would be shorter but I would see nothing as I go through it.  But if I had gone over the mountain or around it I would have an awesome view of what I was leaving behind.  The sun would be shining and I would have a clear understanding of where I was heading.  The road might be long and winding but I could stop and have a look at the view at any time.  The scenery is usually beautiful and although it's uphill this seems like nothing in comparison to the beauty of conquering the mountain as I approach the top.

The challenges we face throughout our life can be compared to this example.  Things look tough and seem like it would be an uphill challenge with obstacles on the way....and yes it would be, but we have The Son on our side showing us the way and once we have reached the top we can look down and see why we needed to go through what we did, as the accomplishment of defeating the challenge of life is sweet and fulfilling and most of all empowering.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 [ Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, who trust is the Lord.  He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.]

We need to put our trust in the Most High God and surrender our lives into His Hands as He knows best....if He takes us on the longer road to the top then there must be some significant reason for this.  Either to make us stronger in some area or to show us what to be thankful for and teach us to trust Him in everything we do.


Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test.  When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. - Purpose Drive Life - Rick Warren


Be blessed and enjoy the journey!!!!

Grace - God's Unmerited Favour


An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children.
He does not distribute Himself that each  may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.  - A.W. Tozer


One of the most inspiring books I have read this year was the Unmerited Favour by Joseph Prince.  It gave me a fresh glimpse of the love of God the Father and His Grace through His Son Jesus Christ.  


I was angry with the way my life had taken a turn when I was in my early twenties and felt that I had been dealt an unfair hand.  It was not easy being physically abused by a man you thought would protect and love you, and when he hurts your 3 month old baby girl because of his irritation your whole life takes a different perspective and the instinct of your maternal nature takes over and you cannot be held accountable for your actions thereafter.


Growing up as a normal healthy child, my parents were the best, until I realized that there were flaws and things I would  have done differently.  There were things I would not have said and situations that I would have dealt with differently but as a child you see things from a perspective that is immature and childlike.  I had been angry with them for a long time for having their particular favorite sibling as this made me feel rejected and like the outcast.  I was different to the rest and wanted a different value system.


When God took me into His arms and showered me with His Love, I learnt to understand that love was something He just had for me, something I did not have to earn, it changed my world. I knew why I had wanted a different value system as I was in this world but not from this world.  It was not until many years later that I got the revelation that His Grace was His gift to me through His Son Jesus Christ.  It blew my mind when I realized that His love was so intense that it would pardon me of all the wrongs I did in my life.


I made many mistakes when I got divorced and made silly decisions based on my pain and volatile emotions and decided to live life the way I wanted to, breaking every rule I had been taught and every value system I had adopted.  I hurt many people in the process of dealing with my pain and failures.  Even though I apologized many times for the pain I caused, some never seemed to trust me with their hearts again.  Those who welcomed me with open arms again, gave me a glimpse of grace.


God sent many angels into my life who just picked me up and walked with me without holding my past against me and showed me the true meaning of love.  They nurtured me back to where I am today and gave  me a reason to walk tall and see life as a gift.  God sent them on a mission knowing that I was one of the many whose hearts they would touch and whose lives would be healed because of their mere presence.


God's Grace is so powerful that it took me on a journey of forgiveness beyond understanding.  The traumatic things that happened to me as a child and a young adult seemed to fade away in the light of His Glory and Grace.  As mist disappears before the early morning sun so does the hurt from the past disappear when you receive the love of God in your life.  His presence is so powerful it will fill your life with love, compassion, peace and joy immeasurable.  In His presence nothing else matters and when you walk with that knowledge you can look at others who have wronged you and you can love them.....His love is that awesome!!!!....

I know now that He gives us all of Himself and we can experience His fullness....we need to give Him more space in our lives by letting go of the pain, hurt, anger, resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness we have in our lives....JUST LET GO!!!...we are only hurting ourselves by holding onto it....Jesus Christ paid the price in full with His own blood so that we can experience life in abundance.....lets live in the abundance that He died for.  Let us have grace over those who have hurt us, just as He has had grace over us.  We live our lives thinking that we live for ourselves yet we have been created to live for Him through a lifestyle of Worship, Obedience and Surrender unto Him.