He Knows You

This was from November 4, 2012

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

God knows you! This week a friend of mine, who recently surrender her life to God, mentioned that now God knows her name. I told her He has always known her name.

Always! God knew each of our names from before there was time as we know it. I can’t think about that for too long because it makes my eyes cross trying to comprehend. Whether I can comprehend it or not, He did.

He knows every hurt that we have ever had and every hurt we will have. He knows every time when we need His peace and He gives it. He knows when we will mess up and He is ready to forgive us. He knows every time we took a stand for what is right and every time we wanted to but let fear stop us. He knows every friend we’ll have and every person who will hurt us. He knows exactly what we need at every single moment of our lives.

When I feel like no one understands or cares I remember that He does. He has always cared about me. I have done nothing to desire that, none of us could ever do anything to deserve that.

As if that isn’t enough, not only does He know you He has appointed you to… Oh, I don’t know what He appointed you to do, but I do know He has appointed each of us to do something that is just ours. I am a teacher and I could say that isn’t any different than the million of teachers there are right now, but I am the only teacher who will get each of the combinations of students I get and when I get them. He has planned that out just for me.

He appointed you to do what you do for “such a time as this”. (I love that line from Esther 4:14.)  He picked you for what you have done, are doing, and will do. You don’t have to be a Jeremiah or an Esther for God to know your name and appoint you. Doesn’t that make you smile? It makes me.

I Need to Rest

This was the first devotion I wrote and published on November 3, 2012

Ecclesiastes 2:22-25 “What has a man (or woman) from all the toil and striving of heart with which he (she) toils beneath the sun? For all his (her) days are full of sorrow, and his (her) work is a vexation. Even in the night his (her) heart does not rest. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for a person than that he (she) should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his (her) toil. This also, I say, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat and have enjoyment? (ESV – italics added by me.)

Think about it for just a moment, which part of these verses describes you? Are you the woman who is vexed by your work, whatever that may be for you, and don’t get rest at night? Or are you the one who finds enjoyment in what you do and you rest at night?

If you are the second then that is great! I am happy that you have found that joy in your work. If you are the second, and at this time in my life I am as well, then we need to find that enjoyment and rest in Him, because if we don’t it is vanity.

I never thought that not finding joy in my work would be considered vanity. For definitions seek vanity means, “excessive pride in one's appearance, qualities, abilities, achievements, etc.; character or quality of being vain; conceit". Or think about it this way, “lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness” (according to Dictionary.com)

Honestly one definition is just as bad as the other. I either am vexed with my work because I take pride in it and it’s all about me. And obviously there is something going wrong for me to be vexed by it. Or it is really sad to think of the second definition. That means that what I work at has no real value. Ouch!

Regardless, of which definition is true, the answer is the same for both. The answer is to rest in God. If I rest in Him I can eat and drink, unfortunately it doesn’t mean I can eat and drink all I want without gaining weight, and find enjoyment in my work. So what does it mean to rest in Him?

Resting in Him means to trust Him no matter what the circumstance, in this case the circumstance of my work. It means turning it over to Him and knowing that even if the bottom seems to fall out from under me, He has it all in His hands. Things will still go wrong, people will still do things that make you wonder or even get angry, and paperwork or busywork will still be apart of your work, but you will find enjoyment in Him.

Personally, I have been very vexed by my work of late, but within the last few days I have given it to Him, and I have been able to find more enjoyment in my work. The circumstances have not changed, not all, but I know He is with me and because of that I sleep better at night and find more reasons to smile and enjoy my work.

Welcome!

Recently I started a Facebook group called Dirty Dishes Devotions: For Real Women. I started this blog after saying that I wanted to see devotions for women that would apply to all women. It seems so many are for wives, or mothers, or wives and mothers. There are some for single women, but those focus on being single women. I wanted devotions that are just for women no matter what status they may have. I have enjoyed hearing from God and sharing quick devotions based on what He has spoken to me. At this point they are not an every day thing. I hope in the future they will be. I am going to start by posting the past devotions over the next week or so. I will probably even add a new one here and there. I hope you find these helpful in your walk with God. Please feel free to comment and share.