Training to receive

 God's provisions in adoption

Chapter 2: Training to receive the provisions

Have you ever tried to throw a ball to your toddler?  How about the child who has enrolled in baseball, football, or basketball and been faithfully going to practices for years?  We must train to receive.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19

When your family grows, so do your needs. There are more mouths to feed, more clothes to buy, more appointments to schedule, more time to give. It’s easy to look at all that and feel stretched thin—financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

But what if the stretching is the very place God wants to show Himself strong?  The very way that He wants to increase your faith?  You may be thinking you've reached your limit in all things, but have you felt this way before?  Take some time to reflect on times you thought you just couldn't answer the next..... were there times that you called out to God, and saw Him answer?  We too easily forget when the problems are miraculously solved, or dissolved.  Consider the Israelite's in their 40 years of wandering the desert.  They got hung up on little things, instead of worshiping the God who would lead them to the promised land.  If you want to get to the promised land, stop spending so much time on the little things of this world and spend more time worshiping Him- thanking for what He's already done and is leading your to.  Asking Him for wisdom and discernment for how you handle the day and the duties of the day, as well as the discipline of your children, is much more profitable than continuing to do the same crazy thing you've been doing.  (I keep telling myself!)

Here are some ways to shift what you're doing:

• Wake up 15 minutes earlier-making that designated bible study and prayer time; and protect your time with the Lord.  Every additional 15 minutes I give to him in my early morning time is definitely worth it.  I may get up tired, but He gives me the energy and focus for the day.  It's one way of showing Him I trust Him and I want Him first.
• Play worship music throughout the day.  Find the style that most speaks to you and brings out the worship He deserves.  Play the songs that bring out worship from the kids.  My big kids have gotten into some -what I might call southern rap worship- that really is quite good when you listen to the lyrics.  I hope that the songs I post on these devos would open you up to some great artists and genres.  
• Put up reminders, verses, and signs that point you to God and the hope you have in Him throughout the day.  I've mentioned the time on the clock trick, here's a few more:  
• Repeated numbers we pray/praise for our house/car depending which one we're in.  
• Numbers that begin and end with the same (like 1:21) I pray for bonding with my kids- especially the ones I'm not naturally bonded to.  
• Numbers that end in 11 I pray for helpers- those that have and will help us, that our eyes would be open to see, our hearts open to accept and our hands open to receive and give.  We also pray for rescue workers who risk their own lives to help others, and the military. 
• A run of numbers (like 1:23, 3:45), I pray/praise for my husband.
• Whenever we hear sirens we pray for the rescuers and those who need rescued, as well as their family, and that all would come to know you through the instance.
• We  made stop signs out of paper and a popsicle stick to remind ourselves to "Stop, Breathe, Hug".
• Verses posted in places we pass often, in the car by the radio, or in a pocket.
• Objects that remind who is in control, and to praise Him
• Animals, such as squirrels, rabbits, or something that particularly speaks God's love and provisions to you.

When you take on more, God not only provides, but He puts you through the exercises to make you stronger and ready to receive.  Don't refuse the exercises!  Every morning I not only get up for time with Him, but also to get a workout in.  Just 30 minutes (with a little warm up and cool down).   People ask me how I stay in physical shape:  I stay committed to my physical exercises, and I push myself, lifting heavy weights.  I am careful throughout the day what I put in my body, and I try to take every opportunity to move instead of being still.  It takes discipline.  Cookies, and carbs do the same thing to me that they do to most people who are struggling metabolically.  

My time with the Lord has grown to about an hour in the morning (dedicated), and the rest of the day I'm doing all those things I listed.  It really doesn't take extra time, as they're things I do while I'm going, to invite Him in and recognize Him.  Listening to things that do not glorify God, meditating on what is wrong, and letting myself get paralyzed by fears, worries, and being overwhelmed does the same thing to me as it does to most people who struggle with procrastination and destructive choices.   I have to train my body and my mind.   In the same way we need to be careful what we listen to, speak out loud and repeat in our mind, and watch. (Philippians 4:8-9)

What feels like impossible, when you trust God and go through, is like the physical exercise of making yourself go through more reps, heavier weights, or more miles.  If you don't do it, or think doing the same thing you've always done will reap the same rewards, you will in time find yourself wondering why you're no longer feeling so strong.  Why does it seem like God is not so close?  Is it because you've passed up what He had set before you to draw you closer?  Did you insist on your own way?  Have you been trying to do things on your own, putting off Him or His desires?  When we don't see what He's doing it might be because we're not walking in His presence

When we said “yes” to adoption, we didn’t just welcome a child—we welcomed an invitation to trust by engaging in relationship with the one who gave us the child. We have to trust Him.  Because every adoption story begins and continues with this truth: God brought the child to you, and God is the Provider for your and that child.  

What He brought you to, He'll see you through. 

 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  because of your partnership (it is a committed pursuit) in the gospel from the first day until now,  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.(Phillippians 1:6)

Commit to Him (Isaiah 12):

1  In that day you will say:
“I will praise you, Lord.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

He has become my salvation, I want for nothing else... when you say this and believe it, and live like it is true, everything else will fall in order. (Isaiah 12:2)

Read Psalm 27, and meditate on it 

Say with Paul: I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.  2 Timonthy 1:12

Check this out:
"I beat my flesh into submission" is a quote from the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27, which means he disciplines his body and brings it under control through self-mastery and disciplined behavior to avoid sin and disqualification. This isn't typically a literal act of physical violence but a metaphor for rigorous self-control and a disciplined life, comparable to an athlete training for a competition, to achieve spiritual goals. Have you continued to press into Him?  

What does this look like? 

• The Metaphor of an Athlete: Paul uses the comparison of an athlete who trains relentlessly to win a prize to illustrate the level of self-discipline required for a spiritual life. 

• Self-Control and Purpose: The phrase emphasizes the importance of controlling one's desires and impulses to serve a greater purpose, such as staying faithful to God's path.

 • A Call to Action: It's an active commitment to say "no" to the body's desires and to live a life of obedience, preventing oneself from being disqualified from spiritual goals. 

 - Ways to Interpret and Apply This Concept 

 • Spiritual Discipline: This can involve practices like prayer, fasting, or setting aside personal desires to focus on spiritual goals. 

• Overcoming Temptation: It means consciously choosing to act according to one's values and beliefs, even when the "flesh" (body or worldly desires) tempts one to do otherwise.  

• Focus on Spiritual Goals: Just as an athlete focuses on their physical training, a person applying this principle focuses on achieving spiritual growth and serving God.

Where have you taken yourself out of the training required to run this race?  Where do you need to find a mentor or coach who will help you identify and train through the hard stuff? Fasting has often gotten me through a dry spot- extending my fast and submitting to God.