Sticky Notes From Heaven

Lamentations 3:22-23 "[Through] the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning; Great [is] Your faithfulness."

Zephaniah 3:17 - "The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet [you] with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."


The other week as I awoke from sleep and started to get ready for work, I was in our computer room area and noticed a pad of sticky notes on the desk. Deciding I wanted to surprise my wife and bless her morning when she got up, I decided to write/draw "I love you" in different ways on multiple sticky notes. I then went about placing them in the house on areas that she would see but would still surprise her (bathroom mirror, computer monitor, Brita water container in the fridge, etc.). Now I am not the most romantic guy nor the greatest husband out there, but I wanted to once again let her know that I love her, this time through the creative use of sticky notes.

Upon driving to work, the Lord started to remind me of the "sticky notes" He often sets up for me to see and be reminded how much He loves me. These range from beautiful sunrises that promise a new day of blessings to the rainbow that promises no further global floods to cool breezes that remind me of the Spirit's work in my life, and ultimately the cross that displays His sacrificial love for me. Everywhere I look, if I will only take the time to look, I can easily find these "sticky notes from Heaven".

We can get so caught up in life and our stresses and problems that we tend to forget the great love God has for us. The very same love He showed by sending His Son to the cross for us and that great love displayed in while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Instead of focusing on the "mountains" of worries around you, take time to pause and look for the sticky notes Jesus has placed around you to say "I love you". They won't be hard to find and they won't disappear.

My wife continues to keep my sticky notes up just so she'll be reminded of my love everyday as she walks around the house as well.

Does the Lord do "Better Works"?

Ever hear how one church is exploding at the scenes and hear how the Lord must be doing a "better work" or "greater work" over at that church? Or maybe a ministry is seeing great fruit and you hear that same phrase used? Or someone leaves the church to go some place where God wants to do a "better work"?

Can God do a "better work" than what He is doing somewhere else? Can God be better than what He is? Can God be "greater" than He already is?

Well for the latter questions, no, God cannot be better or greater than what He is right now because He is the best and greatest that He can possibly be which is far more than we could even comprehend.

So if He is perfectly complete, could He do something better/greater elsewhere than He is currently doing? Again the answer is no. He is either working or He isn't working. If He is working, then what He is doing is great. If man is doing all the work and trying to get all the credit, then God probably isn't working which is why there can be burnout and stress. If He's not working, examine why (sin, not seeking Him, carnal means of work, etc.?) then pray for Him to do the work and let Him do the work.

Now one may argue John 14:12 about "greater works" but one must remember that Jesus, incarnate in the flesh, could only be one place at one time, but with the Holy Spirit now "greater" works can be done because He empowers believers to do works everywhere.

We also must remember that we compare things based on man's interpretation of greatness. For instance, we may say a megachurch ministry is a greater ministry than a congregation of 50 people because we see the numbers. Yet, if God is at work in the lives of that small congregation, then great things are equally going on. We must not judge success by numbers but by fruit. A huge congregation with shallow lives isn't a "great" thing at all.

So if you are doing ministry and not seeing the numbers but are seeing lives changed & fruit grown, even if it is in just a handful of people, God is doing great things in your midst. Do not be discouraged but praise the Lord for the good He is doing. If you are doing ministry where you may not see the fruit right away (such as children's ministry) and you are dependent on the Lord, seeking Him in all you do there, then have faith that God is doing a great work. Don't look for numbers to determine greatness - for the most part, people can bring numbers into the doors by silly promotions or stunts - for large numbers don't equal large fruit.

The work God has given you right now - be it full time ministry, a normal job (but where you strive to be a light to the world in that job), "simple" (as people may call it) service in the church (cleaning, parking lot attendant, etc.), a great father/mother to your kids, etc. - is the great work He wishes to do through you.

He does not work "greater" elsewhere if He is working right now. Don't give into comparisons because God doesn't judge based on man's assessment of situations. You serve the Lord and let Him do the work. If you are letting God use you, then He is using you in a "greater" way than you can even imagine!