Kate, from @ladyandlaurakate, is back today to finish up our Guest Blogger posts. (HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL THE LADIES WHO GUEST BLOGGED!) She's sharing something God laid on her heart and it includes a great challenge for each of us. Plus, she's created a beautiful 8x10 and 4x6 printable for you to use as well!
Hey there Shape Her reader! Kate here again, I’m so excited to be sharing something God pressed on my heart recently. Do you ever feel as though you need to get back to the basics? Dumb it back down as if you were being introduced to something for the first time? I certainly do.
As believers, I think it’s natural for us to always want to know God more and to be in awe of Him. Sometimes in my pursuit of that, I forget the foundational promises He’s made to me as His daughter. So that’s where I am right now, and I’m reminding myself of them through reading my Jesus Storybook Bible (yep, the one intended for little kids). Recently my pastor mentioned in a sermon that when he gets asked the question “how long do you read your bible for each day?” he says that he reads until he finds a promise to proclaim or a sin to confess. I love that! And wouldn’t you know that in just about every story in the Jesus Storybook Bible I’m finding an area that I need to confess or a promise that I’m clinging to?!
One morning I was reading of Abraham, I’ve always loved Abraham. While his story shows that God keeps His promises to us, no matter how farfetched they seem, that’s actually not what captures my attention the most. It’s Abraham’s obedience and readiness when God calls him that I admire the most of the story. In Genesis 22:1 it says:
"After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ' Here I am. I have to stop and wonder how often I’ve actually responded to God in that way. If I’m being transparent my track record isn’t looking all that great. I usually have an excuse lined up on why I can’t respond to His call immediately. I have to “clear my schedule” to fit the harder things He has called me to in.
I read a term from Hilary Rushford called “Create Providence”, it means making space for God to move. How often do we get in our own way? I know I’m in my own way 95% of the time. I pack my schedule to a point where it’s so full I feel as though I barely have time to wash my hair more than once a week! It results in this formula: Me being in my own way by having a packed schedule = not being ready to be obedient when He calls = a tougher time than necessary for Kate (and maybe you too).
Therefore, I’m praying that God would give me the courage to free up my time, to say no to some things (and be okay with that), and more importantly: instill in me an obedience like Abraham’s. This year I’m going to do the work to create providence so when He’s ready, I can respond with “here I am”.
I’m a person who needs to be reminded a lot. So, I created these printables for me and you! It’s hanging up in my closet so that every morning as I get dressed, I’m reminded to have a heart, and mind (and schedule) ready for when God moves. In the PDF you’ll find two sizes. One 8x10 to hang up somewhere in your home and two 4x6’s to place on your desk at work, your car, your fridge, your locker, wherever you find will be the place for this sweet little note (and you can give the second one to a friend)! To download the PDF document, simply click the image below to be taken to the downloadable PDF.
May we create providence and have obedience hearts, let’s let God fulfill His promises in our lives just like he did with Abraham.
All my love sweet sister,
Kate
As believers, I think it’s natural for us to always want to know God more and to be in awe of Him. Sometimes in my pursuit of that, I forget the foundational promises He’s made to me as His daughter. So that’s where I am right now, and I’m reminding myself of them through reading my Jesus Storybook Bible (yep, the one intended for little kids). Recently my pastor mentioned in a sermon that when he gets asked the question “how long do you read your bible for each day?” he says that he reads until he finds a promise to proclaim or a sin to confess. I love that! And wouldn’t you know that in just about every story in the Jesus Storybook Bible I’m finding an area that I need to confess or a promise that I’m clinging to?!
One morning I was reading of Abraham, I’ve always loved Abraham. While his story shows that God keeps His promises to us, no matter how farfetched they seem, that’s actually not what captures my attention the most. It’s Abraham’s obedience and readiness when God calls him that I admire the most of the story. In Genesis 22:1 it says:
"After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ' Here I am. I have to stop and wonder how often I’ve actually responded to God in that way. If I’m being transparent my track record isn’t looking all that great. I usually have an excuse lined up on why I can’t respond to His call immediately. I have to “clear my schedule” to fit the harder things He has called me to in.
I read a term from Hilary Rushford called “Create Providence”, it means making space for God to move. How often do we get in our own way? I know I’m in my own way 95% of the time. I pack my schedule to a point where it’s so full I feel as though I barely have time to wash my hair more than once a week! It results in this formula: Me being in my own way by having a packed schedule = not being ready to be obedient when He calls = a tougher time than necessary for Kate (and maybe you too).
Therefore, I’m praying that God would give me the courage to free up my time, to say no to some things (and be okay with that), and more importantly: instill in me an obedience like Abraham’s. This year I’m going to do the work to create providence so when He’s ready, I can respond with “here I am”.
I’m a person who needs to be reminded a lot. So, I created these printables for me and you! It’s hanging up in my closet so that every morning as I get dressed, I’m reminded to have a heart, and mind (and schedule) ready for when God moves. In the PDF you’ll find two sizes. One 8x10 to hang up somewhere in your home and two 4x6’s to place on your desk at work, your car, your fridge, your locker, wherever you find will be the place for this sweet little note (and you can give the second one to a friend)! To download the PDF document, simply click the image below to be taken to the downloadable PDF.
May we create providence and have obedience hearts, let’s let God fulfill His promises in our lives just like he did with Abraham.
All my love sweet sister,
Kate
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