We are into the fourth month of the decade of the 2020s. In the past there have been many doom and gloom predictions regarding the future of mankind. We are living through one of those scenarios. Yes, it is a repeat scenario from past years. Over 300 years ago, small pox and other diseases decimated the Native American population. Within the United States, there have been Spanish flu epidemics, typhoid fever and other pandemic situations.
Since we as people are more students of "The Now" we are not commonly aware of the repeat nature of such pandemics. We do not remember the health scares of the early 1900s. Within my own family are ancestors who died from the Spanish Flu and typhoid fever of the 1900s.
We also are a world where recognition of the existence of God and living the life God intended for us is not our priority. Instead we live out our lives following the principles of what we think is a successful human life. Many of those principles involve success based on accumulation of material things and how much wealth we are able to obtain. In a 24 hour day, the average devotion to God (if we measured it among all people in the world) would likely be less than 2 hours out of 168 hours in a week. Subtract 56 hours for 8 hours of sleep each week and we are left with 112 hours of our weekly time. Two hours out of 112 hours to acknowledge, thank, pray, and reflect on our relationship with God. That's about 1.7 per cent of our time devoted to God.
Yes, of course there are many exceptions. Some people likely spend over 50% and some spend 0%. Throughout our existence as people, we have been sent constant reminders of the need for us as people to get our lives together and focus on our relationship with God. The goal being to continue with a life after human death. There is more ahead of us if we decide to pursue it. Human death is not the conclusion.
This virus season is another time out warning from God. A reminder that God really is in control. Our governmental institutions scramble around trying to find the " human solution" to Covid-19. We don't realized the "solution" will be given to mankind when God wants us to have it. God wants us to each reflect on the conduct of our lives. God wants us to turn towards him, not to the human idols we have constructed. Our fascination with sports and athletes we have made our idols is one example. Have you noticed that your life is fine without the distraction of professional sports and professional athletes? Has any athlete developed a cure for Covid-19? Remember that when this pandemic ends. Remember that many professional athletes were tested for Covid-19 well before you were tested.
Maybe this season is a reminder that we as people are seriously at the breaking point of straying too far away from God. In the past year many people have memorialized personalities who have tragically passed away such as athletes and social/entertainers more than have paid attention to God. Our commercial television shows commonly feature and promote homosexual lifestyles never promoted or condoned by God as His plan for humanity. As we stray away from God's plan, do not be surprised by events such as pandemics and other events to come.
Ask and you shall receive.
Showing posts with label #godsmessages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #godsmessages. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Listening to God's Messages
Now I recall the quiet messages God was giving me in 2019. The first message that stands out now occurred in April of 2019. In December 2018, I had paid for a 10 day small group tour of China. The trip was to occur in April 2020. In April 2019, I contacted my travel agent to begin the process of arranging flights to and from China one year in advance, in order to get "good seats". My travel agent informed me that when she contacted the tour vendor she was told I was the only one signed up for the tour. She anticipated others would be joining the tour. With no one else signed up I could not make airline travel arrangements as I desired.
During the year I periodically checked back with the travel agent. I even called the tour company directly to find out when I would be given a reimbursement if they could not fill the small group with enough people to make the trip. Then in late December early January, I was given the opportunity to switch my tour date to May instead of April. They apparently had a group big enough to continue making plans for the May small group tour. I could have said yes, but a voice told me something wasn't correct and to decline the offer. Plus, I could use the money I would eventually be refunded if my April tour was cancelled. I declined the May offer. I listened to God's message.
My April tour was cancelled in early January shortly before the explosion of the news of the Corona virus in China. My money was refunded in total. I was able to pay down the debt on my main credit card. It was timely as I needed to get my debts down for another venture God was guiding me through.
A second message had been given to my wife and I in early December 2019 while on a vacation in Florida. We met a gentleman who explained how he had retired to Florida from another state. That conversation got my wife and I to thinking more seriously about pursuing a retirement home. We still did not have a clue on how to find a retirement home. What location to move to? How would we pay for it? Over a year ago I had been told about another community in Florida by a friend/former co worker. I started searching for homes in that area and the area the gentleman had mentioned also. My friend emailed me about a new community in the area he lived and I followed up to gather more information. That resulted in a planned trip to the community to see homes in person. God was giving us the answers to our retirement home questions.
My Florida travel day approached during the early stages of the Corona virus epidemic in China. The morning of my flight to Florida, I checked in at the airport for my flight. The flight departed on schedule. About 5-10 minutes into the flight, the pilot announced that the landing gear would not retract into the plane, so we had to return back to the airport. Now my mind is thinking, "Does God not want me making a move to Florida?" After the plane landed, I had the opportunity to reschedule the flight for later on that day. But, I thought about the "China message" I had been given before and decided to postpone my trip for another day.
At that point I was not sure whether to pursue finding a retirement home in Florida. So I prayed about it and continued searching for homes. I rescheduled the trip for the next week. This time the plane departed with no problems and arrived in Florida. I met with the realtors I had contacted to view several homes and the new community my friend had told me about. Within a day after chatting with my wife, we decided to go with a new construction home. I signed documents and made a deposit on the new home construction. We were able to get a lot with a prime view of vegetation without a neighbor's home obstructing the view. If I had not returned a week after my initial canceled trip, the lot we chose would have been gone.
We are scheduled to close on the home in July of this year. I had planned a trip to Florida to visit the construction site and to do some research on furniture for the new home. But the Corona virus event resulted in my canceling the trip next week. Again, I could have ignored the warnings to not travel and gone ahead with my plans. But, I remembered the prior two messages. Sometimes we as people think just because we have the ability to do what we want to do, we should take action. In my case I had to continuously humble myself and not take action just because I could. I listened to the quiet messages of God. They have all resulted in positive events. I know this doesn't mean listening will always result in getting what I originally wanted. I just need to understand that the eventual result is part of the plan for my life. God's plan, not Arnell's man made un Godly plan.
My message to you is to listen to your messages. They may not always be clear and loud. They could be subtle quiet messages directing you into another course of action. Continue to pray that you are humbled to listen and hear. Then react accordingly.
During the year I periodically checked back with the travel agent. I even called the tour company directly to find out when I would be given a reimbursement if they could not fill the small group with enough people to make the trip. Then in late December early January, I was given the opportunity to switch my tour date to May instead of April. They apparently had a group big enough to continue making plans for the May small group tour. I could have said yes, but a voice told me something wasn't correct and to decline the offer. Plus, I could use the money I would eventually be refunded if my April tour was cancelled. I declined the May offer. I listened to God's message.
My April tour was cancelled in early January shortly before the explosion of the news of the Corona virus in China. My money was refunded in total. I was able to pay down the debt on my main credit card. It was timely as I needed to get my debts down for another venture God was guiding me through.
A second message had been given to my wife and I in early December 2019 while on a vacation in Florida. We met a gentleman who explained how he had retired to Florida from another state. That conversation got my wife and I to thinking more seriously about pursuing a retirement home. We still did not have a clue on how to find a retirement home. What location to move to? How would we pay for it? Over a year ago I had been told about another community in Florida by a friend/former co worker. I started searching for homes in that area and the area the gentleman had mentioned also. My friend emailed me about a new community in the area he lived and I followed up to gather more information. That resulted in a planned trip to the community to see homes in person. God was giving us the answers to our retirement home questions.
My Florida travel day approached during the early stages of the Corona virus epidemic in China. The morning of my flight to Florida, I checked in at the airport for my flight. The flight departed on schedule. About 5-10 minutes into the flight, the pilot announced that the landing gear would not retract into the plane, so we had to return back to the airport. Now my mind is thinking, "Does God not want me making a move to Florida?" After the plane landed, I had the opportunity to reschedule the flight for later on that day. But, I thought about the "China message" I had been given before and decided to postpone my trip for another day.
At that point I was not sure whether to pursue finding a retirement home in Florida. So I prayed about it and continued searching for homes. I rescheduled the trip for the next week. This time the plane departed with no problems and arrived in Florida. I met with the realtors I had contacted to view several homes and the new community my friend had told me about. Within a day after chatting with my wife, we decided to go with a new construction home. I signed documents and made a deposit on the new home construction. We were able to get a lot with a prime view of vegetation without a neighbor's home obstructing the view. If I had not returned a week after my initial canceled trip, the lot we chose would have been gone.
We are scheduled to close on the home in July of this year. I had planned a trip to Florida to visit the construction site and to do some research on furniture for the new home. But the Corona virus event resulted in my canceling the trip next week. Again, I could have ignored the warnings to not travel and gone ahead with my plans. But, I remembered the prior two messages. Sometimes we as people think just because we have the ability to do what we want to do, we should take action. In my case I had to continuously humble myself and not take action just because I could. I listened to the quiet messages of God. They have all resulted in positive events. I know this doesn't mean listening will always result in getting what I originally wanted. I just need to understand that the eventual result is part of the plan for my life. God's plan, not Arnell's man made un Godly plan.
My message to you is to listen to your messages. They may not always be clear and loud. They could be subtle quiet messages directing you into another course of action. Continue to pray that you are humbled to listen and hear. Then react accordingly.
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