Ello, Ello , Ello :)
How are you all doing? I hope you’re having a lovely week so far.
Here in Fiji it's summer time and it’s getting really HOT! I can’t cope
lol. Last week was such an eventful week filled with work, fellowship, movies
(finally had the time to go and watch Thor) as well as chilling by the pool
side.
Josie, watch your mouth!
God has been dealing with me in the area of my tongue. The season
I’m in has been teaching me a lot about how corrupt and defile my tongue can
be. Ephesians 4:29 says “let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but
what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the
hearers”. Only good words that encourage and build others up should be coming
out of our mouths. If we’re going to discuss something/one it should be to
build up the person or because we’re trying to find a solution to the problem. If
we have an issue with someone, it’s better we take it to God rather than to
man.
I’m coming to realize more and more that I can’t be effective if I’m
using the same tongue to curse others and bless God (James 3:10). Jesus our
great example did not act in such a manner. Others around us may be tearing people
down through their words but that doesn’t mean that we should fall into that
same trap and think it’s ok because it’s not. Our standard must be Christ and
not man or culture hence why the Bible says looking onto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We must continue to be diligent and check
whether we have conformed to the patterns and nature of this world.
Nothing can EVER compare to the love of God!
This week Isaiah 45:5 really convicted me and gave me a deeper
revelation of God’s unconditional love.
It says “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God.
I will strengthen you, through you have not acknowledged Me” NIV. The
word acknowledge means; to notice, recognize one’s importance, respect,
appreciate. Here I interpreted the
scripture as God saying “Josie, despite the fact that you fail to spend time
with Me, read My word, worship other gods and fail to give Me the glory that I
am so worthy of I WILL help and deliver you to show you that I AM GOD. I am faithful;
I have an unwavering commitment to you even when you are disloyal because I am
true to My word. Human beings change
their mind just as the weather changes but I do not because I am love, I bear
all things, I never stop being patient with you!”
The revelation I got brought me to my knees and reminded me of the story
of Hosea and his backsliding wife, which actually symbolizes God’s relationship
with us. God is always loyal, it’s us who become adulterous and turn our backs
on Him. Nothing else matters more to God than our relationship with Him and He
will do whatever it takes to get our attention and have our heart. Where’s your
heart at the moment? Is it in the palm of God’s hands?
Cherish Your Family
Last week I shared with you all that I was living with a Rutoman
family and well through this experience I’ve been learning so much about the
importance of family. During Bible study, I stumbled across Psalm 68:6, which says,
“God sets the lonely in families”. This is me!!! I was feeling so homesick; missing
my family and friends and without me even realizing it, God was ordering my steps
and placed me in a family. I cried out to Him and He heard me.
Staying with this lovely family has opened my eyes to a few things
too. Like I took my own family for granted. Our families are a blessing, a gift from God. For example back in England I would
stay cooped up in my room rarely socializing with the rest of my family. I got
so caught up with the things of this world that I failed to realize the
importance of ‘family time’ and enjoying their company. God did not create us
to live with our family’s yet live very separate lives failing to communicate
and socialize with them! Hebrews 10:24-25 declares that we must consider one
another in order to stir up love and good works. We must not give up meeting
together, as some are in the habit of doing, but we must encourage one another –and
all the more as the time of Jesus' return is near. 
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