You Have A Compelling Story.

For the past couple of weeks I have been catching up on the Olympics. In times past

I never really watched it. I would watch a race here and there but that was it. I was

never really interested in Olympics as a whole but this year has been different.

I have been engaged and I am enjoying it so much. A few days ago I was wondering

why I enjoyed it so much and it came down to one thing – the compelling stories.

No matter the discipline there is a compelling story to follow. That was what has kept

me engaged and on the edge of my seat. For example, the men and women’s

BMX Freestyle competition. There have been some amazing stories on both the men and women’s side

but I want to focus on the women.

First of all, this was the debut of BMX Freestyle. That was history in the making.

Then Charlotte Worthington from Great Britain won the gold medal which was amazing

but her story continues. The way she won was even more amazing.

She successfully attempted a backflip 360 which has never been done in any women’s

competition ever. On the biggest stage in the world she did a backflip 360 for the first

time ever, landed it and won the gold. Talk about a compelling story!

And as I listened to compelling story after another I thought about you and me as sons

and daughters of God.

Do we have compelling stories too?

And the answer is a resounding yes. God has a compelling story for you and me.

Jeremiah 29:11 confirms this truth,

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you a hope and a future.”

I think about Nick Vujicic who was born without arms and legs and in the beginning he struggled

to reconcile why he was born and tried to take his own life but God intervened and turned his

life around. Nick has travelled the world encouraging and inspiring people with his story.

What a compelling story right…

In the word of God I think of Esther. She had no parents and was raised by her uncle but God

used her to save an entire nation!

I also think of Paul who hated Christians and did his best to exterminate them. He imprisoned them

and killed them but God stopped him and turned his life around. He gave him a new purpose and

new direction and used him to bring the word of God to the Gentiles and so much more.

I share all those stories to encourage you that God has amazing plans for your life. He has a

compelling story for you.

But it doesn’t end there. You have an enemy who doesn’t want you to accomplish God’s purpose

for your life. He is trying to stop the compelling stories God has written for you from happening.

There is a war.

You need to stand up and trust God with everything within you.

You also need to stand up and do your part by taking the steps of faith He is leading you to take.

This is a bit of what makes up a compelling story.

You need to be strong and courageous like Joshua as he led God’s people into the promise land.

God kept telling him to be strong and courageous and not to be afraid.

So as you walk in the amazing purpose and plans God has for you remember that He is with you.

He will never leave or forsake you and will bring your compelling story to completion.

He is fighting on your behalf.

Put all of your trust in Him and step out in faith as He leads because He has a compelling

story for you.

Bless you friends

Rolain

The last say.

“When the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, 

and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and by force and power

made them cease. 

Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It stopped until the second 

year of Darius [1] king of Persia.” 

Ezra 4:23, 24 

It seemed like the enemy had won over the people of Israel by stopping the building of the temple.

It seemed like he delivered the deadly blow. But as I read the rest of the story I realized something that

brought me some encouragement that I want to share with you.

The enemy is constantly trying to stop us. “he roars around like a lion” the bible tells us. he may appear

powerful but he is not. It may have appeared like the enemy was powerful when he stopped the building

of the temple but that’s not the case.

God has the last say on all things and that’s what really matters.

It seemed like the enemy had the last say when the building of the temple was stopped but God was the

One who had the final say.

The building would continue and be completed! (Ezra 6:14, 15)

As I read the story I know God spoke to me. The enemy doesn’t have the last say in our lives.

It may appear so but the truth is, he is not powerful enough to have the last say.

What the Lord has started in us He will complete. The enemy will make us fall at times but the Lord

will pick us up always.

What has the enemy seemed to stop in your life?

What has he seemed to put a period to in your life?

his periods are really comma’s in our sentence of life.

Keep believing. Keep trusting. Keep hoping.

If you are in a place where the work in your life has seemed to come to a standstill know there

is so much more the Lord needs to do that no one can stop.

His plan for you hasn’t stopped just because the devil has thrown a spanner in the works.

Setbacks will be overcome and that’s our story!

Be blessed friends!

Rolain