Renew

^“1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. ² The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, ⁴ Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. ⁵ From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. ⁶So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.”

Right before this passage, Joseph had just been taken away from his mother and father, betrayed and backstabbed by his own brothers, and sold into slavery and sent to a foreign country with out anyone he knew. Joseph was alone, hurting, filled with millions of questions, and left without answers. He probably missed his parents terribly, and he was probably filled with anger and rage for his brothers, but ironically, Joseph still prospered. Joseph still worked extremely hard. Joseph still remembered that even in his pain and loneliness God still remained. 

How many times do we encounter pain and distress and unfair situations and completely let it destroy us? How many times do we completely focus on the bad going on in our lives and completely disregard our work? How many times do we forget that even in the hardest situation, God is still with us? What is interesting to note about the passage above is that even in the hardest moment of Joseph’s life, he prospered. If you go on to read more about the story of Joseph, you will find that he prospered in just about everything he did. Why???

1.) He knew that God was with him in his trial.

2.) He continued to do his best in whatever was set before him. 

Joseph trusted in God’s provision. Joseph knew that where ever he was sent, God would go with him, and in whatever he did, God would help him. He also made sure that he worked for God to the best of his ability WHERE EVER he was.

Many of us will only work hard for the things that we deem important. For the classes we find interesting, or in the jobs that will get us somewhere someday. We don’t work hard for the classes we don’t care about, and we don’t work hard if we really don’t care about the job we’re doing. This wasn’t the case for Joseph. Joseph worked hard in SLAVERY. Joseph worked hard in the most humiliating job you can think of. Joseph did his absolute best cleaning toilets, mopping floors, picking up after someone else, so much so that his master had nothing to worry about because Joseph made it his own business. Joseph worked hard as if working unto the Lord. He prospered in everything he did because the Lord was with him. 

Lord, Help me to trust that you have a plan for EVERY situation you put me in, even if it is painful. Help me also to remember that you will never lead me somewhere to leave me. Remind me that you are with me EVERY WHERE i go. Also God, push me to work harder in everything I do. Remind me that I am not only working for men but for you, and help me to do my best in all areas of my life, and to steward my time to the best of my ability. Please don’t allow hard times to diminish my work ethic, but allow it make me work harder. 

Psalm 37

PPL NEED TO CHECK IT.

Silence… I think the reason so many of us are having trouble with hearing God is because we are afraid of silence. Some of us are not so much afraid of the word, as we are of what it implies, such as cutting things out of our day to have silence, or waking up a little bit earlier to find time for silence. Others are afraid of what will happen in the silence, and others just simply do not know how to be silent altogether. 

Silence in our hectic, crazy, busy lives is extremely important. Silence is refreshing. Silence is an opportunity to hear God speak.  Silence does not come easy. Silence is a discipline. Silence takes determination. The bible says that “very early in the morning, WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK, Jesus got up, LEFT THE HOUSE, went to a SOLITARY place, and PRAYED. This practice is extremely difficult for the American soul. We are extremely busy people. We stay up late, wake up early, rush through our days with a million things on our to-do-lists, drinking coffee to keep us awake all the while. We can’t afford to spend an hour alone with God. There are simply not enough hours in the day. We have families, we have school, we have work, we have laundry, we have homework, we have meetings, and WE NEED TO FIND TIME TO SLEEP! We don’t have time for someone who can restore those lost hours of sleep, or organize our to-do list for us. We don’t have time for someone who can give us more energy than a red bull, or wake us up better than coffee. We don’t have time for someone who can make our family lives better or give us promotions at our jobs. We don’t have time for our Creator, because our Creator is not a priority. Oh we can give him group time at church, or at a Christian event for sure, we can even raise our hands there, and sit in silence if the service calls for it. Just not when it COSTS US something. 

God wants to go deeper with us. He wants to get alone with us. He wants to get alone with us not because He wants to change us, although that will happen, or because He wants to correct us, although that will happen too, and not even because “it’s the right thing to do”, although it is. He wants to get alone with us for the same reason most all of us want to get alone with somebody. He wants us to get to know Him better. He wants to spend QUALITY TIME with us. He wants to show His love for us, not from the mouth of a preacher, or from a sign in the window, but from His very being. God Himself wants to breathe the words “I love you” over our lives and hear them  in return. Even though God is the creator of the universe, He is still a relational being and still desires to be a part of our lives. He is deeply, passionately, and relentlessly in love with us, and He wants nothing more than for His children to acknowledge Him, and love Him back. 

In Matthew 17 Jesus is coming down from a mountain after being Transfigured by the Lord and the Lord speaks in an audible voice to Peter, James and John saying, “This is my son, whom I am well pleased. LISTEN TO HIM!” Out of everything the Lord Almighty could have possibly said to those sinful, flawed, confused men, He chooses to say “LISTEN TO HIM!” Not, “Oh please boys keep telling Jesus your problems, or I would really like it if you attended synagogue every week, or make sure you do at least 5 good deeds a week to call yourself a Christian”. No- God Almighty says “LISTEN!” and yes, that exclamation point is in the bible. 

We cannot hear God because we are not taking the time to listen! We feel like we’re drowning in our work because we are not taking the time to listen! We feel like there is not enough hours in the day because we’re not taking the time to listen! And we feel like we can’t do this life on our own, BECAUSE WE CAN’T WITH OUT LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF GOD!!! We need God. We need Him to speak to us. We need God’s presence in our lives because God’s breath is LITERALLY (look it up in Genesis) LIFE TO OUR VERY BONES!!!

This may require telling someone that you cannot hang out with them that day, or telling your family to leave you alone for that hour. It may require you to go to bed an hour earlier so that you can wake up an hour earlier. It may require you to ask God to give you more hours in the day, because there aren’t enough already! Understand that God WANTS you to spend time with Him. He knows what your to-do lists looks like even before you do! He wants you to accomplish your goals and succeed in your work even more than you do!!! God loves you even more than you love yourself! He will work out your time for you! Give Him an hour, and He’ll give you back a day and then some! He is faithful to be at your side whenever you need Him. 

How beautiful would it be, if we as a people could get to the place with God, where we simply desire God and nothing more. We wouldn’t always come to Him with a million requests, or a hundred complaints, but we could just sit in His presence and soak in His goodness. How beautiful would it be, in the ears our Creator, to hear “I want you Lord, and nothing more”. 

Be silent.

And He will speak. 

He is more than ready to give you the desires of your heart. 

SIMPLY DELIGHT YOURSELF IN HIM ABOVE ALL ELSE. 

(Source: staypozitive)

Legit

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:5)

Before your life ever started, before you discovered your desires, before you started worrying about where your life would go, God gave you purpose. He set you apart for a specific call that only you could fill. He designed you for the call, He equipped you for the call, He gave you visions and dreams that would eventually fall in line with your call. God created you for a purpose that only you could fulfill.

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak, I am only a child.” (Jer. 1:6)

God knows we do not find everything out about our lives all at once. God knows we can’t see how gifted we are, He knows we don’t see our potential, He knows we don’t see ourselves as He see’s us… yet. And I think He did that on purpose. Because He does see the big picture, He does see what we can accomplish and He does see how strong we are… In Him. He wants us to realize that we can only find our strength and fulfillment in Him. 

“But the Lord said to me: Do not say, ‘I am only a Child’. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord”. (Jer. 1:7-8)

After you have realized that you are powerful because the Almighty Creator lives inside of you, don’t agree with what the world says about you. Don’t agree with the people or organizations who have put you down. Know that God’s word in your life is the only truth you can cling to. Everyone else’s demeaning  words can just be brushed off because they can’t see what He does. Go everywhere and to everyone He leads you to. He is the one who planted the vision inside of you. He knows how to complete it and He’ll make sure you do too (Even if it is step by step).  God will not lead you somewhere and leave you. He will be working out your path with every step you take. And if you get into trouble, or the road gets too overwhelming- Don’t worry, because He has promised to be with you and rescue you. And the one thing God cannot do is lie. 

“Then the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.” (Jer. 1:9)

You are set apart for a purpose. You are not what everyone else says about you. God know’s your potential and He is calling you to step in it. You need to go to the people and the places He has laid on your heart, because it is there you will find fulfillment. You don’t need to be afraid, He has promised to be with you and to rescue you. He has put His words inside you. Go, speak, tell, do. 

Isaiah 40:28-31

Micah 3:8

thehappysoldier asked: You have a pretty interesting blog and I agree with your text post "art"

Thanks so much! I actually wrote that for a class I’m currently taking online, but I thought it had a good message, so I decided to post it on tumblr :) I appreciate the feedback though!

  My favorite type of art has always been, and will most likely always be photography. One of the reasons for this is that photography, unlike any other form of art, captures the essence of  our Lord’s greatest masterpieces, unaltered by the hand of man. Instead of finding a way to manipulate earth’s resources into something that is aesthetically pleasing to the naked eye, photography captures that which is already beautiful in it’s raw form. People, mountains, dirt and clay are all beautiful pieces of art that God has so graciously allowed us to enjoy during our short time here on earth. Photography does what no other painting or sculpture can ever do, and that is simply enhance the beauty that is already within the object being observed. 

  Inside my city’s most valued museum lies an art gallery solely dedicated to photography. This particular gallery is called the “Geocendonda and Joseph King Gallery of Art”. It is located within Norton’s Museum of art, at the very heart of Downtown Palm Beach. As soon as you walk into the gallery your eyes are greeted with a welcoming array of beautiful photographs held on deep gray walls, in black or white frames. The gallery swept me off my feet not only because of the pure beauty that lied within each one of the photographs, but because each photograph represented something different and contained a story that captured the very heartbeat of the photographer. 

The first photograph that caught my eye was called “Telephone Booth at 3 a.m.” by An American Photographer named, George Tice. It was a picture that perfectly matched it’s title; an abandoned telephone booth amongst tall grass, on the side of a lonely road, in black and white. Tice is very well known for photographing places that look old, run down, or forgotten. He manages to capture a certain beauty found in abandonment that many tend to easily overlook. To me,“Telephone booth at 3 a.m.” represented so much more than just a telephone booth. It represented the little things in life that so many of us have managed to forget. It represented all the things we take advantage of, and all the things we overlook. It represents all of our forgotten past times, and all of our forgotten loved ones. It made me stop and think about how much beauty I overlook everyday and how much I need to appreciate the little things in life that we all tend to pass by without thinking twice about. 

The second piece I found to capture my attention was an untitled photograph by Valrie Berlin, a French photographer who enjoys capturing the essence of human facial expressions. She has photographed everything from small children, to the elderly, to supermodels. This particular piece was a picture of a very plain face. A plain female African American face. The only thing that was not plain about the photograph, was again, what it represented. The notes beside the photograph talked about how each face tells a story. A story of where the face has been, what the face has been through, and where it is determined to go. This photograph was meant to portray a blank canvas, a canvas with little marking, and little distinction from any other face you would meet on the street. The reason being for this, is so that the viewer can project their own story onto the face. They could make up where they think the face has been and  assume where they think the face would be heading. The face is meant to leave much room for the viewer’s  imagination, while still entertaining the eye with an unblemished countenance.

By viewing all of the work displayed in this gallery one can fully realize that we are only able to create and imagine so well, because our Creator created and imagined us first. We can strive to be the next Picasso, or Michel Angelo, but we will never be able to create like our Lord Jesus Christ. We must make a conscious effort to be aware of the beauty surrounding us and the art that is constantly being displayed on this huge canvas called Earth. We ourselves are walking masterpieces, perfectly drawn out and sculpted by the Creator. We must remember that when we put down one another, or trash our environment, we are insulting the very being that designed and breathed life into our own bodies.  We must remember to respect His creation, and to give credit where credit is due. We admire what He has made out of honor and respect for our Lord, and out of courtesy and respect for one another.  

I can’t believe the stuff we care and dont care about nowadays.

(Source: kingaisthis)

natortelli:

I wish I could help all homeless, mistreated and abandoned animals I find on my way…

that picture is so sad :(

(via nattortelliwithtrees-deactivate)

jagree:

I am that homeless man,

wandering from street to street.

My eyes are forlorn, sad, hopeless, I feel like crap, because people stare at me, they avoid my eyes, or they snicker at me.

I’m dirty and I’ve gone mad because flies are everywhere, my face is breaking out, and I don’t know where my next…