Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV — “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Several years ago my word of the year was hospitality. I decided to also focus on decluttering and organizing my house so that I could more confidently practice hospitality. I subscribed to a daily email with pointers on decluttering. For the first week of January the overall focus was the kitchen with daily goals that focused on different areas of the kitchen. On one particular day the focus was under the sink area. Needless to say, that area for me is a catch-all area for miscellaneous items. Initially I read the article but really didn’t make an effort to work on it right then. As I went about my morning I decided to work on the decluttering challenge from the previous day which was to organize and streamline the area around the sink and counter. As part of that I decided to move a basket to the under the sink area because it contained items I don’t use daily. As I began moving some items under the sink I discovered that they were soaking wet. My initial response was to panic and to get upset because I had apparently discovered a problem. Thankfully God gave me a sense of peace as I investigated the source of the water. I found that the water was actually dripping from the garbage disposal. After texting my husband for information he advised I just not use that side of the sink for now. Meanwhile I had a mess with all of the under the sink clutter pulled out on the floor around me. Again my initial response was to become aggravated and frustrated and again God changed my outlook and helped me realize this was an opportunity to jump in with both feet with decluttering under the sink as I had just read in the email I received that morning. See how quickly God changed my perspective on a once perceived disaster?

Be aware of interruptions today. Is God saving you from a larger problem? Take time to look for God’s blessings in the interruption.Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for interruptions that prevent a bigger problem. Help me to take time to look for Your blessings within interruptions. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

We often perceive an interruption as a nuisance or aggravation. Perhaps we should seize the moment and allow interruptions to affect us in a positive way. Perhaps we should allow the once perceived aggravation of an interruption to be an opportunity for us to affect others in a positive way. Let’s pause and read an example of Jesus responding to an interruption. Click here to read Matthew 14:13-21 NIV.

How did Jesus respond to an interruption to His day? How do you respond to interruptions? Do you use interruptions to positively affect you or others? Do you need to change your mindset towards interruptions?

Let’s pray. Dear God, Help me to respond in a positive way to interruptions. Allow me to use interruptions to positively affect others as Jesus would. Mold my mindset. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Romans 8:28 NIV — And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Merriam-Webster defines interrupt as to stop or hinder by breaking in. Let’s face it, we do not like to be interrupted. Whether we are working, reading, relaxing, on the go, etc., we do not like for our current path to be changed or interrupted. Today, allow your interruptions to be a time to standstill and worship God. This week, let’s be aware of times our schedule is interrupted and be open to ways God is using the interruption to work for our good.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Open my eyes to Your interruptions. May I see Your interruptions as an opportunity to standstill and worship You. May I trust that You are working all things out for my good. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

Join us for See You Saturday as we recap on the week.

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‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬ ‭ESV — Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Notice the word tender has appeared three times this week in our verses? I want to give you a mantra to ponder: “Filter before it’s final.” We have learned this week that perfection is not attainable. Life is messy. We should remain teachable and learn from our regrets. 

Let’s be kind to ourselves and others as we are all in need of gardening. We can choose to focus on today and filter moving forward. When tomorrow comes and we realize yesterday wasn’t filtered, we can start fresh. 

Join me in worshiping with, “Tend” by Emmy Rose, Bethel music. Some of the lyrics sing, “Be the gardener of my heart. Tend the soil of my soul.”

‬‬Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for being my Master Gardener. Have Your way with me. I desire to remain in You and You remain in me. Help me to filter my words and actions before they are final. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭78‬ ‭NIV — Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven.‬‬

Have you ever stopped to think about the tenderness of God? As an earthly parent, relative, or mentor it isn’t always easy to offer tenderness to our children. We have a desire for them to be good humans and to be successful. Although parenting and mentoring are vital, we are human and sometimes can be callous in our words and actions. As I shared earlier, life is messy. 

Perfection isn’t attainable for the parent, mentor, or child. Thankfully we have the perfect example of love and tenderness from our Heavenly Father. Let’s ask God to soften any areas of our hearts that may be calloused. May our example and instruction come from love.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for Your perfect example of love. Show me any areas of my heart that are calloused. Soften my heart. Help me with any tendencies that are not acceptable to You and give me the tenderness I need. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

We have shared a lot recently on how fear can be crippling. We have also shared how important it is to have a relationship with both Christ Jesus and our earthly friends. Do you ever wish you would have said or done something but was too scared to do so? Or maybe you didn’t think you were equipped? 

Today’s verse is just a snippet from the story of Moses and Aaron. You can read the entire passage found in Exodus 4: 1-17. When Moses didn’t think he could speak the words God had given him, God gave him Aaron to help deliver the message. 

Everything we are going through here on Earth is God preparing us for what’s ahead. Whether we say yes or no, God will move on to someone like an Aaron for His plan to be fulfilled. As you think about your “yes”’ and “no” answers, think about how God is getting you ready. Join me in worshiping with the song, “He’s Gettin Me Ready” by Darin and Brooke Aldridge.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Help me turn my wishes into saying yes to Your perfect will. When I say no, give me an Aaron to help deliver Your message. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.