SURPRISE VISITOR

John 2:7-8 NLT Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled,  he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions..

In our front porch we had hung a small straw bird house which was only meant for decoration. Lo and behold, we noticed the roof had been pulled up all askew and the hole had been filled in with twigs and leaves! 

Sure enough we peeked inside and there was a nest! It turns out our local robin has rented our bird house for the season and we think there’s only one fledgling in there as his little open beak pops up when he hears our voices. What an unexpected and lovely surprise!😊

God loves to surprise us and we see it when Jesus was at the wedding in Cana of Galilee when he surprised everyone by turning water into wine - gallons of it, not just a bottle or two, but more than they dreamed! 

Or the time when Peter and the disciples had been out fishing all night with no success, they were dog tired but Jesus said to cast the nets out again, and surprise, surprise they had an overload catch of fish! More than enough! Jesus showed them, when we do as He says, He will bring more blessing than we thought possible! Is He telling you to cast out your net again?😊 (Ephesians 3:20)

The heart of God is to surprise us with the little things as well as the big things, to put a smile on our faces with a little nest, to lift our spirits with unexpected blessings. It’s part of His amazing grace, His goodness towards us. 

1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

We know God has unimagined blessings for us in the hereafter, but they are also for the here and now as the wedding guests and the fishermen testified. 

It may be the joy of a robin’s nest or an unexpected family visit from across the world, but whatever it is, God is in it all, and He will surprise you too and show you His great kindness because He loves you.😊

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

                                                                      Photo by Allan Cox on Unsplash
                                                                                                               

A FIT OF THE ‘ME’S!

2 Samuel 19:4 The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

There had been a big battle and David’s son Absalom was killed, along with many others who had died while his faithful people had won a great victory. They had given their lives to fight the enemy, but all David could see was the death of his own estranged son, who had even tried to take his father’s throne off him not long before!

He had a right to grieve but Joab told him he was showing his people he couldn’t care less about their grief or their victory, couldn’t have cared if they had all died if only his son Absalom had lived! They’d all crept home as though they’d done something wrong. Straight talking!

You see David was having a fit of the ‘me’s! What about me Lord! What about what I prayed for, what I wanted! Why didn’t it happen the way I wanted? I’m upset, I’m disappointed, I’m hurt, I, I, I, me, me, me! Have you ever been there? I know I certainly have!

Sometimes we need someone like Joab to help us see it’s not all about us, it’s about the bigger picture. It’s about what God is doing in all our lives, His purposes being worked out for the good of all, not only us.

God hears all our prayers, His heart is always to bless us but because He sees the end from the beginning and He always knows what is best for us, things sometimes unfold that we don’t understand or like! But it comes back to trusting our loving Father to do what’s best for us all.😊

In vs 7-8 we see David still had to be king and behave like one, he had to get over himself and God helped him to arise and go and sit in the gate so all the people could see he was still king. 

In the same way, God helps all of us to get over our fit of the me’s and gives us the grace to move on, to let go of whatever we were so upset about and believe for the next step to fulfil whatever God has planned for us. 

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Lord, help us do our part, to be willing to get over ourselves, to change our perspective. Even when we don’t understand help us to trust You, to be an Overcomer, and do like David and arise and go on to win many battles in the future with Your help and for Your glory. Amen.