Power of Being SET

Key Scripture: "I have set The Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."  Psalm 16:8

Power Point:

     My grandson JD, is only 11.  Its just been discovered that he has Type 1 Diabetes.  My precious family is living in the midst of a horrible hurricane of epic proportions.  Every single thing in their lives has been affected; the way they eat, the things they do, the way they spend their time, the dreams they dream.

     My friend Karen, was doing just fine thank you, and then one day the doctor gave her the bad news that she had ovarian cancer. In the last four months she's endured chemo and now surgery and then she faces more chemo.  The earth has definitely shaken under her.

     My friends Julie and David, suddenly had a law suit thrust upon them; a totally unfair, unjust law suit which has carried on for over two years. It's been draining in many ways.

    I could list many wonderful people I know who've seen cracks develop in the once solid earth under their feet. I bought a card for JD recently and it said, "Wouldn't it be nice if like were like a DVD and you could fast-forward through the hard parts?"  Yes. It would. And yet. Even in the wilderness times of life, God is with us and He is our Shepherd.  Shortly after my husband died, Holy Spirit led me to a passage in Isaiah 54.   It says, "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, BUT MY kindness shall NOT be removed,"   And it never has been. I'd like to have "fast forwarded" through the hard parts, but if I had, I would never have understood the kindness of God to the extent that I do now.  I would never have stretched my mind around the extent of His faithfulness and His love. And His preparation for the tempests.

     He promises in Psalm 23 to prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies, I've come to understand that in a whole new light.  In this recent season of strong winds, before it even began, Jesus prepared the table. I found myself hearing two phrases being repeated over and over, probably more than twenty times in the last month.

Set your face.

I've got your back.

     I was reminded of Jesus life and how He had to make the choice every day to keep His face set toward His Father. He had to keep His face set toward all that the Father had for Him to do and for all that He had promised. In Gethsemane, knowing what lay ahead, He struggled with His soul; His mind, will, and emotions, but never with His Spirit. His Spirit was set on the Father's face. He knew that the Father had His back.

Dave Hamon

      In every situation in our lives, God has prepared a table for us. The settings are already in place but you get to help Him fill the plates.  Where you heart is set, that is what will set your table.  You can set it with good food or bad food. What you believe about what God has promised you is what will fill your plate. If you are full  of doubt and fear, that is what will fill your plate. If you believe and refuse to doubt, faith will fill your plate.  What you digest, is what will feed you, for better or for worse.

     When you set your face toward Him, it removes all the distractions from your peripheral view.

When you set your table and sit down to eat with Him, be sure to fill your plate with the good things He offers. He promises to feed His flock like a Shepherd.  He promises to come with His strong arms to rule in your situation. He comes with tables filled with the rewards of your faith. When you prepare the way for Him, your table will be prepared with all the food that you need to strengthen you to be carried through and carried forward.

     The friends,(and family), I mentioned above have found surprisingly good things on their tables.  They are sitting with Jesus, at His table, right in front of the enemy.  There were many times when they wanted to FAST FORWARD, but they've chosen to push "play", (though they were strongly tempted by "delete"). They've chosen to trust God to fill their plates with whatever they need for their journey.  Peace?  Definitely.  Hope?   Absolutely.  They've given Him a lot to work with. They've prepared a place for faith to fill their plates.  They've decided to taste the Goodness of God.  They've set their faces toward Him. And they are sampling delightful food that they didn't even know was there before.

Power Thought:

    What you set your heart on is what will fill your plate. He's got your back, Beloved. Feed on that.

copyright (c) 2014 Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work.