Desert Lessons of 2020

 

Deuteronomy 8:1-5

"Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 

He humbles you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not line on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 

Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."

Shew that was a longer excerpt than I usually share, but its all too good and too poignant to leave out any  of it. Am I right?! This CRAZY season we are in never seems to stop getting crazier! We had an earthquake here in North Carolina a couple weeks ago, and we never get earthquakes here! So, just add it to the crazy list of 2020. ✓

Through all of these crazy and stressful moments, you can't help but ask yourself "What can I be learning from this time?" Though hard times and difficult to go through, God does not walk us through those hard times for no reason. Dark times can be gifts from God if we let him teach us what he's trying to teach us. Our pastor shared 4 things that he thinks we can learn from this "desert" season we're in. And he called is a Desert season because the word desert means uninhabited. And we are definitely in some uninhabited/unprecedented times for sure!

 

The 4 Desert Lessons God May 

Want Us to Remember From 2020

1. We need to remember how God led us...

Just because we can't see where we are going in the future, doesn't mean God isn't leading us! He led Moses through the desert for forty years, and his people had to continue to trust him. 

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

2. We need to remember how God tested us...

God keeps his promises and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm. At the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, 

and so provide you with a way out.

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

3. We need to remember how God provided for us...

"He humbles you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not line on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years." Deuteronomy 8:3-4

4. We need to remember how God disciplined us...

A parent disciplines their child not because they don't love them, but because they DO! A parents job is to shape their children into good people. And sometimes that means discipline. God does the same with each of us. 

"Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you." Deuteronomy 8:5

I hope you found some value in this sermon as I did. I love to record life moments and lessons in the pages of my bibles. It will be something I can look back on tomorrow, next year or years from now and they we be just as important and relevant as they are right now. The bibles I work in are also going to be gifts to my children when they are older. So I am filling them with not only artwork, but with the knowledge and wisdom of our creator. 

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

IG: @faith.and.creativity

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The Sweetest Privilege

The privilege of praying for others is one of the sweetest gifts. When someone you know is struggling, carrying their needs to the Lord is a blessing. Not only is it a blessing for them, it blesses the person praying as well.

Paul, the apostle, with Timothy at his side is writing a letter to their brothers and sisters in Colosse. In the greeting of the book of Colossians, starting with verse 2, Paul asks for God to give them grace and peace. Then the next words from Paul’s hands are words of precious encouragement. He tells them “we always pray for you and we give thanks to God.” 

I had to stop right there. Do I ALWAYS pray for my brothers and sisters? Do I always give thanks to God for them?

He goes on to talk about the hope they have of heaven. He tells he has heard such good things about them and the love they have for others. He then says again “we have not stopped praying for you.” He goes on to say he asks God “for complete knowledge of his will and spiritual understanding.” 

Do I pray like that? Do I ask God to grow my brothers and sisters? 

In verse 11, Paul prays they will be “strengthened, and have all the endurance and patience they need.” Lastly he prays that they will be “filled with joy always thanking the Father.” 

Recently a sweet sister of mine was going through a tough spot. The Lord drew me to these verses. I had been praying for her for a couple of years...since right after I met her. 

Now I had the sweet privilege of praying for her to be strengthened, and have patience. I got to pray for her to have wisdom in some decisions she needed to make. Most of all I prayed that she would be filled with joy and that she would always be thanking the Father. 

Who has the Lord put on your heart today that you needs your prayers? It’s a sweet privilege. Don’t miss your opportunity! Remember the example of Paul.

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father..”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:9, 11-12a‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Art behind the story:

For the background, I used distress inks and the smooshing tecnique. The flowers are the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps set of the month called Doodle Florals.  Like I often do, I stamped them on card stock, colored them with a water brush and distress ink, then fussy cut them. The word "remember" is from the set called Note This. 

If you're interested in this technique, be sure to join the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps VIP Facebook group.  I'll be doing a LIVE there at the end of March to show how to do this.  Would love for you to join us!

Until next time,

Gayle 

Patio Ponderings