God’s Hand  

People see God every day, they just don't recognize him.  ~Pearl Bailey

It has taken me a long time to learn to see God’s hand in everything I do.  This doesn’t come naturally for me because I am so used to thinking that all the good things that happen in my life are because of me and all the bad things that happen are because of something or someone else that I try to blame it on. 

Why is it that we think that everything we do that has a good outcome is because of some great strength we have in us? It’s because of the “me” thing.  You know what I am talking about.  The “I am so great I just can’t stand it thing”, the pride and ego thing rearing its ugly head.  Satan just loves to make us think we are all powerful.  He wants us to think we are responsible for our success so that we will push God aside and try to go it alone. 

The irony here is that when we go it alone Satan sits back and laughs when we fall flat on our face.  We stop depending on God for everything.  Our world has a tendency to teach us that we can go it alone.  It teaches us that we are the captain of our ship or the master of our universe.  The reality is we are neither.  It took me 40 some odd years to figure out that I was not in control and the thing is I have to continuously remind myself of that because the world creeps back in and makes me think I am the very thing God tells me I am not. 

If I received a dollar for every time I thought I did something great under my own steam I would be a wealthy woman by worldly standards.  What I have figured out is that I don’t want to have that kind of wealth because that wealth is fleeting.  It is here today and gone tomorrow.  That is how quickly our earthly possessions will fade away.  One of my favorite sayings is “I will leave this world with exactly what I came into it with, Nothing” and I am ok with that. 

       

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, You are present every day in my life but sometimes I miss You because I am not looking in the right place.  You speak to me through other people or someone’s actions.  You have filled me with the Holy Spirit who is there to guide my steps and Jesus is at your right hand interceding on my behalf.  Thank You for Your heavenly presence in my life.     

  

Scripture:   For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.  It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. 1 Peter 3:18-22