Heavenly Perspective

Sometimes I get upset about the times that I am living in and the things going on in the world around me that I don’t take time to stop and think of what God's plan and purpose is for my life.  So often, we forget that individuals that we read about in the Bible had to come to terms with God's purpose, which was greater than the actual times they were living in.  In fact, it is the times we are living in that should inspire our soul to search to make a difference.  However, the difference we might be inspired to make needs to have a God-view of things, not a world-view of things.  This requires the mind and heart to ponder and discern the things that are on God’s heart.
Noah saw a vision to build a boat without ever seeing rain.  Daniel and Esther had visions of changing the world around them by being involved with the reigning government officials.  The Apostle Paul had a vision to communicate the wonderful new birth of the church everywhere he went.  Abraham left his family and started a whole new life to remove himself from idol worship and move into worship of the one true God.  These are just a few examples that might inspire us to stop and ponder what God is saying to us today.  When you read the following verses, I pray you are inspired to stop, pray, hope, and activate a Holy Spirit passion for the world around you through a heavenly perspective.
“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews.  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish.  And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?’"  Esther 4:13-14
Just like Esther, as a believer in Jesus Christ today, I am not immune to problems and challenges that are a part of living in the world.  I have also been ridiculed because of my belief.  The fact that I am part of a church does not protect me from those problems.  So I can identify with Esther that there are many times in my life that I am living at a time in history that God has prepared ahead of time for His purpose which He planned for me.  What about these verses?
“But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.  Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials.”  “Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.  The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service.  As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.”  Daniel 1:8-9, 18-21
Daniel made a connection for himself and his health to his being able to build his communication skills of hearing and discerning the purpose that God had for him.  His friends made that choice with him with the same results.
With all this said, we pray you are inspired to stop, pray, hope, and activate a Holy Spirit passion for the world around you through a heavenly perspective.  We encourage you to take a two-point approach to this.  One is to take a personal inventory of your life and passions.  Two is to find a church with people you can surround and encourage the God-inspired spiritual growth in you.
Today, I leave you with this verse as well:  “’For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’”  Jeremiah 29:11-14