Category Archives: Risk

Oct20

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart. (Picture by Lisa R)

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Samuel 8. “And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.’ So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. And he said, ‘This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.  He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day'” (Verses 7, 10-18). Ever read the side affects of a prescription? Often times it makes you wonder if it isn’t better to just stay sick and let your body heal itself. These verses read to me like medicinal side affects. Israel cries out for a king, which seems silly since God was their ruler. Why would you forsake the maker of the earth, of you, for someone as limited as yourself? God surmises, that they had rejected Him. God relents, but then tells Samuel let the people know exactly what they are signing up for. He tells them this: basically the king will take the best of their things for himself, and not really give them anything on return. Uhmmm… that doesn’t sound like a fair exchange. Your are leaving, God, that gives you everything freely, for an earthly king that will take everything? Here’s the thing with medicinal products the side affects happens to less than one percent of the population that use the product, therefore the benefits outweigh the risks. However, when Samuel informed the people about the ways of the king, the behavior was not a one percent change, it was a FACT. The king WOULD do everything God prophesied. Here the risks outweighed the benefits by A LOT. Be careful what you ask for, anything over God is just not worth it. The side affect: “The Lord will NOT hear you.”

Jun8

DAY 158 (2014)

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New roads on the journey are a gift from God. Don't be afraid to travel them. (Picture by Lisa R.)

New roads on the journey are a gift from God. Don’t be afraid to travel them.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Today I was not going to post. I felt tired and my brain was NOT in the mood to share, much less learn. Thank goodness God does NOT work according to my feelings. I posted recently that I bought a book titled, Take The Risk. It was a coincidental purchase. However, this book that I purchased by “chance” on a night that I was about to NOT hang out with a friend, who talked me into meeting anyway (and said everything I needed to hear). This book has been an instrument in the hand of God to not only break me, but to also remind me that I have a personal responsibility in God’s plans for me. I have been avoiding my dreams for a while. because to me the likelihood of achieving them seemed to be such a risk, not just for me, but my family. I have been worried that I if I tried and failed, that we would have to live under a bridge and dumpster dive for food. Today I realized that all I have seen is the risk of failure, I have never really thought about what would happen if I succeeded. Weird, right? My risk analysis only asked “what’s the worst that could happen”? It at no point has asked, “what’s the best thing that could happen”? Well the best thing is success, what if I try and succeed! Today as I read my “by chance” book, God told me it was time to put the effort in. It was really time to TAKE THE RISK. If I didn’t do it now, the chance would not present itself again. He promised that if I put the effort in, He’d bless it. God directs our path, this is true. But we have the responsibility of walking the path.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

So what’s the plan? Go.

Jun1

DAY 151 (2014)

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It's not that God's not talking. It's that we are NOT listening.

It’s not that God’s not talking. It’s that we are NOT listening.

So as you all know (those of you keeping track). I am having a a hard time with a decision that I am making. Technically it has already been decided I am just diligently looking for ways to get out of it. Which is odd because normally when God says jump, I jump (I don’t even ask how high because once I jump He’ll get me as high as I need to be). This particular journey has me a little stumped because there is so, so, so much risk involved. If the risks only involved me I’d still be apprehensive, but less so because, well, it just affects me. But this risk involves my family. So I have questioned and re-questioned God. In fact recently I realized that my desire to find a way of escape has caused me to kind of ignore God, maybe ignore is not right; more like dodge God. You know that proverbial walk in the other direction when you see “that” person coming. Well, that’s what I have been doing to God. But despite it all God has been talking and not subtly at all. For you to get the full effect of just how much God will continue to talk even when we are trying NOT to listen I am going to take you back a couple of days. On Friday, I made plans to meet up with my friend Jackie at Barnes and Noble. I needed godly advice (translation: I wanted her to say, “Don’t do it… she didn’t do what I wanted :'( ). I got there before her so I decided to peruse the books (I LOVE the feel, and smell of REAL books). I stumbled on a book that peaked my interest, my area of study is neurological in nature and as such the author was what caught my eye. The author, Dr. Ben Carson, world famous neurosurgeon and humble man of God. I started reading the back it looked interesting so I carried the book with me to our meeting spot and sat to talk with my friend. She did not sugarcoat anything (one of the reasons I adore her), she told me straight out, “All I hear out of your mouth right now is me, me, me, and I, I, I, What about God, God, God?” (she makes me itch…). We wrapped up our “conference” that’s what we call our get togethers. I purchased the book and went home. Today I picked up the book, turned over the cover and this is what I read: TAKE THE RISK. HAHAHA! God’s got jokes, the title of the book is, “Take The Risk.” It is NOT a question. It is a statement of action. Here’s a simply truth: God is always communicating, always talking. He is not trying to hide His will from us the bible says so. We are just not listening (uhmm, the bible also says that).  So today I made a decision to listen. Why? I’ll let Dr. Carson answer that question. “No risk, pay the cost. Know risk, reap the reward.” I’d rather reap than pay (I’m stingy like that 😀 ).

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

So what’s my plan? Take the risk 😀