My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me.
~ John 10:27
Good morning my dear sister!
Praise God for His faithfulness to us today! Praise God that He hasn’t left us clueless on how to follow Him! Praise God for His written Word, handed down through the ages and spoken to us by His own Son! Most of all, praise God that He has given us ears to hear, if we are willing!
Thank you for hanging in there with me; praying for and encouraging me as we listen for the Good Shepherd’s voice calling to us! This ‘letter’, ‘blog’, ‘email’ (I still don’t know what to call it!) marks the 100th opportunity the Lord has given me to connect with you through His Word! Can you believe it?
When Pastor G first broached the idea of writing an encouraging word to my sisters, my mind was flooded immediately with ideas! He asked me to pray about it, and I did, but the moment he opened the door to that path, I just knew it was the way the Lord wanted me to go.
However, that doesn’t mean that He whispers into my ear word by word! Every ministry, I’ve come to learn, involves certain components to achieve the desired goal. I’ll call them the “3 D’s”, although there are probably more! I’m talking about discipline, diligence and deadlines.
Working for God is serious business! I need to discipline myself to avail my ears to the Lord’s voice! I want to be diligent to handle the Word of God correctly! And, I want to get His work done in a timely manner. One might think that these constraints would make the goal harder to reach, but God has been faithful to instruct me and help me every single time!
Sometimes we worry so much about hearing the Shepherd’s voice correctly that we’re distracted or discouraged from even trying, but I’m urging you, my sister, that if God is nudging you, He will provide all that you need to accomplish His will! This 100th edition of Sister2Sister is proof of that! We need to be tuned in to hear God’s voice in whatever we’re about.
That’s the key, isn’t it? Tuned in to listen! An exhausted new mother can sleep through all kinds of clamor, yet she will hear the tiniest whimper coming from her baby in the next room! God has given us the ability to zoom in on what’s really important to us!
Although I often have many ideas in my mind about topics to write about, I have learned to listen for His voice, to allow His to be louder than the voice of my own spirit or desires. This comes with practice, sometimes trial and error. I don’t always know why I’m writing something and then someone will respond to me that it was just the right thing they needed to hear. I don’t know these things, but God does!
I am grateful for this little weekly ministry because it keeps me focused on the things of God. I am grateful for the deadline that keeps me on the right path. I am grateful for the accountability it calls me to so that I might continue to walk in a manner that is God pleasing. I am grateful that God has given me a ministry that brings joy to my heart! I have grown so much in giving these little offerings to you!
It feels awkward to me to be writing, “I,I,I” so much, but I’m writing this with the hope that “you,you,you” will be encouraged to pray and step into the ministry that the Lord has especially for you!
God has a plan for you, and it’s even better than the plan you have for yourself! There is no greater fulfillment in our short lives here on earth than walking in all the good works that God has planned for us! (Ephesians 2:10) Truly! And YOU are eligible because HE will give to you all that you need!
God bless you, my sister! Have confidence in God, The Lord is your helper, you have nothing to fear! (Hebrews 3:6)
Keep loving Jesus, trusting Him and moving forward!
With love that comes from Him, your sister, Celeste