To Each His Own

It’s a wonderful time to decide how to survive! Either hunker down and hide…Or step out and thrive. Each of us get to decide. To Each His Own…

Sounds good, right? Perhaps it is on many fronts, but I’m here to tell you that a decision made in the wrong direction will create issues for personal and spiritual growth. Sometimes it’s simply about the choices we make that decides how the future will unfold.

Listen to how Solomon describes what I call choices… Yes.. He meant it differently, but I chose to think about it like this. Today.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  
2  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  
3  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  
4  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  
5  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  
6  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  
7  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  
8  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)

There is a season, and there is a time for every purpose under heaven…

Think About It

Each of us get to decide how we will react to the season and times.

To each his own… There are seasons and times for every purpose under heaven. It’s really what you “do” that makes it an important decision. What you do right now is making choices on how the future will be lived. It may be a season of personal choice…To each his own…but I know how I’m going to live!

We’ve heard a lot over the past few months about how bad it is on so many fronts, but could it be that we are facing seasons and times uniquely setup for us? It’s happened before!

Israel went to Egypt for the time and season of famine. We may not understand famine in this land, but we have experienced shortages. Running out of important and needful things due to our present situation sort of shows us we need to be better prepared. But the time will come when all we’ve stored up will be used up…

Then what?

Israel heard of Corn in Egypt (Genesis 42) and they sent themselves to buy what was needed. Before them, God had established Joseph… But there came a time when Joseph was gone.

All of Israel moved to Egypt, and extended their stay by 400 years. Gone were their freedoms and liberties. What God had chosen for them led them into a future none of them would have chosen.

You may say, I’d never do that!

Until you are in the valley of decision (Joel 3:14), you have no idea what path you will choose.

In his journey, Paul and Barnabas separated, and Paul chose Silas to go with him next.

He’s headed for Asia.

Why? Maybe it was logical to the times and calling of God, but there was a constraining of the Spirit.

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia,
and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, (Acts 16:6, KJV)

What do you do when the Holy Ghost tells you no? Perhaps you pout, “But I wanted to go there!” Or you sulk, “Look at the opportunity we missing!” Or, you simply allow God to set the tone for the next part of your journey. Maybe you must wait awhile…even do more preparations for the unknown future.

Whatever it is, you can assure that we all respond different… To Each his Own. So, Paul and Silas continue a journey not of their choosing…

God closes another door.

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. (Acts 16:7)

Now what? Give up?

There’s an old song we used to sing in the choir when I was just becoming a teenager…

Give up, let Jesus take over, Oh, give up, let Jesus take over, oh yeah And He’ll make a way for you

Well, if you’ve got mountains that you can’t climb, Oh, and if you’ve got rivers that you can’t cross, And if you’ve got valleys that you can’t span, Let Jesus, let Jesus take a hold of your hand

Now if you got burdens too hard to bear, Oh, and if you load is more than your share, Kneel, kneel down, talk to Jesus because I, I know and I know He cares, And He’ll, He’ll make a way, make a way for us somehow

Sing it together, sing it, let Jesus take over, Oh, give up and let Jesus take over, Oh, give it up and let Jesus take over, And He’ll make a way, say He’ll make a way, He’ll make a way for you

Here’s Paul…

Can’t go to Asia, and he’s not allowed to continue his present path…

What to do, what to do, what to do?

Paul gets a vision in the middle of the night, or perhaps a dream.

 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night;
There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying,
Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
Acts 16:9 (KJV) 

A vision? Not a Word from God? Not a knock at the door like Peter in Acts 10? You and I would want to know more, right? Some would say it’s a nightmare, bad dreams, or what I had for dinner disturbing my sleep.

To each his own, I guess… Paul, what will you do?

And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia,
assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Acts 16:10 (KJV)  

Was the timing wrong? Did he not hear correctly? For God to point you into a new direction, you must already make up you mind that you are going to move! That’s what Paul and Silas were doing… Let’s do our mission trip, no matter where God sends us!

I believe God sets us up for our future…

Sometimes so quickly our head spins… Even with advance warning even when you have no clue what’s around the corner, or over the horizon.

I wrote a blog – Okay… I had to get that in! It was in between my sisters passing and my dad’s hopeless diagnosis by the doctors.

Last October I wrote:
“All around me I sense the storms of life that are roiling through my world that threaten Peace.
It’s not political, nor environmental, the race for the pennant (Go Astros!)
nor is it familial due to our recent tragedy. What is it?
I know it’s the mother of all storms brewing over the horizon and it will threaten and intimidate.”

I did not see Covid, nor did I see dad’s death…You can be like Frank Sinatra and sing, “I just want to curl up in ball and die!” Or stick your head in the proverbial sand…

But when God gives you a hint, vision, dream, or a word about something that’s brewing…

To each his own, but I want to get ready!

Back up to the story of Israel for just a moment… 400 years have passed and a deliverer comes on the scene. We know his name. Moses, But he’s not perfect. Born and immediately set adrift on the river of chance, found by the Pharaohs daughter, Moses now lives with the “best” of both worlds. Not only was he trained in the best of homes, education, finery and riches. He was also raised by his natural mother. (Exodus 2) We don’t know his Hebrew name, by the house of Egypt called him Moses. (Drawing out (of water)… Rescued!) He flees from a crime, and finally finds God in the middle of the desert (Exodus 3)

Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.  (10)  Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.  (11)  And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Exodus 3:9-11 KJV 

The exit begins, Israel sins, and God has them wandering for 40 years… The prior generation dies off, they younger one are now following Moses and God. Moses is not allowed to cross over, but Joshua becomes their leader…

When it’s time…. To each his own…

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15 KJV 

If I could but camp out here for a while… Would it make a difference? Perhaps…. But listen to Joshua’s comment…

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.  (20)  If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. Joshua 24:19-20 KJV 

Choose wisely, but keep your promise! For such a time and season as this, God has placed us here… Not to quit, but to develop our strength.

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  29  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  30  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31 (KJV)

To each his own, but I’m going to be part of the “But they”…

They that wait on the Lord! Dig in? Sure. Hide? Perhaps. But there is strength to be gained in the times and seasons we are facing!

Who’s with me?

We’ve heard the phone recordings from the passengers on Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania when the terrorist took over the plane on 9/11… Todd Beamer, on a call routed to GTE Airphone Supervisor, Lisa Jefferson, and with the FBI listening in, Todd explains what’s happened and how they intend on forcing the terrorists hand.

Todd leads others in “The Lord’s Prayer” and the “23^rd Psalms” and asks those in the background, “Are you Ready? Let’s Roll…”

I believe we have abdicated our position to the terrorists that are threatening us. The devil of this world is halting our progress, or so he thinks. But in the Secret Place of Prayer (Day 6), the church is taking ownership of their place and preparing to storm the gates….

To each his own, but I know what I’m going to do!

Dig in and Pray!
Find God and Worship!
Reach the lost and witness!
Strengthen the body with every ounce of know-how I have!
Not look back! But look forward! He’s leading! I’m following!

Are you with me? Let’s Roll…