One day last week, I had a moment. Well, truthfully, it was more than a “moment.” It was more like a few long hours when something I had been looking forward to and was excited for turned to disappointment; then the disappointment took an unexpected turn and became hurt; then the hurt gave way to anger. Within a few hours of the day I experienced excitement, disappointment, hurt and anger. It was an emotionally exhausting day. I was glad to see my husband, Pat, walk through the door after work, so he could be my venting station. I’m not so sure he was as happy as I was that he was the man for the position, but he was able to help me work through some of the emotion. When we left for midweek service at church, I should have expected that God would be waiting for me. He was right there, ready to speak to my heart and give me a fresh perspective and understanding of my crisis of the day.
While at church, our Pastor spoke about pressing ahead, moving forward, letting go of what was in the past and leaving the past behind us. Words from Philippians 3:13-14 which Paul wrote, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward” (AMP). It became clear to me, as he shared, that I was trying to pick up something I had done in the past. I was trying to take up again what God had removed once before; when I discovered my schedule wouldn’t allow it I became disappointed. My mistake wasn’t in my disappointment; the mistake was the way I handled myself in the disappointment. I failed to trust that God was in the circumstance and if He wanted this for me, it would have worked out. My mistake was allowing my emotions control over the situation and they were able to conceal the fact that God is the One Who works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Far too many times we become disappointed when a plan we have made fails to work out the way we hoped; and then, rather than trust God has something different, or better, in mind for us, we become angry and accusing.
For a few days prior to my emotional outburst, I had this statement rolling around in my mind. It was a phrase that caught my attention every time I heard it, and I seemed to hear it a several times a day, so I knew the Lord wanted me to take notice of it. Are you ready? This was what I heard: “there’s an APP for that.” Strange? I thought so too, which is why I ignored it, until my “moment” caused me to seek understanding as to why, “there’s an APP for that” continually ran through my mind. Here’s what I believe the Lord wanted to show me.
I looked up the definition of APP and discovered this: “APP, a self-contained program or piece of software designed to fulfill a particular purpose; an application, especially as downloaded by a user to a mobile device.” (http://goo.gl/sXXO3z) So an APP is something designed to fulfill A Particular Purpose. God has designed circumstances that He intends to use to fulfill A Particular Purpose in my life. As I was rehashing last week with Him, I began to wonder how different that day may have been if I had said, “There’s an APP for this”, and simply asked Him to show me what it was. How different would our days be if we responded to every irritation, frustration, or uncomfortable situation with: “There is an APP for this, A Particular Purpose, which He intends to fulfill.” Even in the great moments of life we should be able to recognize that God has an APP for them too.
I wonder if we would react to the pressures of daily life differently if we took the acronym for APP and made it a regular part of our day, in three different steps.
Step one would be to Recognize that we are walking through something designed to fulfill A Particular Purpose. Good OR bad all things have purpose. Remember Romans 8:28 says: “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” (AMP). So, acknowledge to the Lord that there is an APP for the struggle you are in and then move on to step two…
Once we acknowledge there is A Particular Purpose for the situation, we will begin to seek God’s Word for our next APP…A Prayer Promise. Praying the Word of God, in the midst of the battle, is effective and powerful. Psalm 138:2 reveals to us that “He magnifies His Word even above His name.” Find the APP that holds God’s promises for you and your situation. God always has a verse for us to hold on to for each and every trial we face. Once you have discovered the APP to cover the struggle you are in, it’s now time to move on to step three...
Use the next APP, A Praise Point, often. God is worthy to be praised (2 Samuel 22:4). In First Chronicles 16:8-9 we are told to “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts (NIV). God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). According to Strong’s Concordance, inhabits is translated, “to dwell, remain, sit, abide” (http://goo.gl/YcRduK). Through every struggle and in every success, God is to be praised. With each disappointment, we should praise Him for the delight to come. When we praise Him, He dwells there. We must make it a point to praise the Lord. I confess I am guilty of forgetting to even thank Him, much less make it a point to praise Him.
You are more than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:37) so be determined to trust the Lord in all situations and remember...there is an APP for that.
A Particular Purpose
A Prayer Promise
A Praise Point
While at church, our Pastor spoke about pressing ahead, moving forward, letting go of what was in the past and leaving the past behind us. Words from Philippians 3:13-14 which Paul wrote, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward” (AMP). It became clear to me, as he shared, that I was trying to pick up something I had done in the past. I was trying to take up again what God had removed once before; when I discovered my schedule wouldn’t allow it I became disappointed. My mistake wasn’t in my disappointment; the mistake was the way I handled myself in the disappointment. I failed to trust that God was in the circumstance and if He wanted this for me, it would have worked out. My mistake was allowing my emotions control over the situation and they were able to conceal the fact that God is the One Who works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Far too many times we become disappointed when a plan we have made fails to work out the way we hoped; and then, rather than trust God has something different, or better, in mind for us, we become angry and accusing.
For a few days prior to my emotional outburst, I had this statement rolling around in my mind. It was a phrase that caught my attention every time I heard it, and I seemed to hear it a several times a day, so I knew the Lord wanted me to take notice of it. Are you ready? This was what I heard: “there’s an APP for that.” Strange? I thought so too, which is why I ignored it, until my “moment” caused me to seek understanding as to why, “there’s an APP for that” continually ran through my mind. Here’s what I believe the Lord wanted to show me.
I looked up the definition of APP and discovered this: “APP, a self-contained program or piece of software designed to fulfill a particular purpose; an application, especially as downloaded by a user to a mobile device.” (http://goo.gl/sXXO3z) So an APP is something designed to fulfill A Particular Purpose. God has designed circumstances that He intends to use to fulfill A Particular Purpose in my life. As I was rehashing last week with Him, I began to wonder how different that day may have been if I had said, “There’s an APP for this”, and simply asked Him to show me what it was. How different would our days be if we responded to every irritation, frustration, or uncomfortable situation with: “There is an APP for this, A Particular Purpose, which He intends to fulfill.” Even in the great moments of life we should be able to recognize that God has an APP for them too.
I wonder if we would react to the pressures of daily life differently if we took the acronym for APP and made it a regular part of our day, in three different steps.
Step one would be to Recognize that we are walking through something designed to fulfill A Particular Purpose. Good OR bad all things have purpose. Remember Romans 8:28 says: “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” (AMP). So, acknowledge to the Lord that there is an APP for the struggle you are in and then move on to step two…
Once we acknowledge there is A Particular Purpose for the situation, we will begin to seek God’s Word for our next APP…A Prayer Promise. Praying the Word of God, in the midst of the battle, is effective and powerful. Psalm 138:2 reveals to us that “He magnifies His Word even above His name.” Find the APP that holds God’s promises for you and your situation. God always has a verse for us to hold on to for each and every trial we face. Once you have discovered the APP to cover the struggle you are in, it’s now time to move on to step three...
Use the next APP, A Praise Point, often. God is worthy to be praised (2 Samuel 22:4). In First Chronicles 16:8-9 we are told to “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts (NIV). God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). According to Strong’s Concordance, inhabits is translated, “to dwell, remain, sit, abide” (http://goo.gl/YcRduK). Through every struggle and in every success, God is to be praised. With each disappointment, we should praise Him for the delight to come. When we praise Him, He dwells there. We must make it a point to praise the Lord. I confess I am guilty of forgetting to even thank Him, much less make it a point to praise Him.
You are more than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:37) so be determined to trust the Lord in all situations and remember...there is an APP for that.
A Particular Purpose
A Prayer Promise
A Praise Point
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