As 2011 comes to a close I've found some perfect verses to sum up the last year;
Micah 7:7-10 -- As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him. But after that, he will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The Lord will bring me into the light and I will see his righteousness. Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side. They will be ashamed that they taunted me saying, "So where is the Lord-- that God of yours?" With my own eyes I will see their downfall; they will be trampled like mud in the streets.
Micah 7:15 -- "Yes," says the Lord. "I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt."
Micah 7:19-20 -- Once again you will have compassion on us, You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
This has been a year full of pain, heartache, hard work, excitement, desperation, unspeakable joy, blessings, provision, and simply everything you can expect from following the King.
A year ago I never could have known I'd be where I am now, and for that I am truly thankful. Jesus has provided for my every need and so much more. I stand in awe of how amazing he is and how willing he is to direct me on His path.
So, thank you 2011 for being the hardest year to endure...but so, so worth it. And here's to 2012 for the abundance of blessings that Jesus has promised. I can't wait to see what is in store.
2 Corinthians 9:15 -- Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Freedom reigns;
This afternoon I was reading through the beginning of Isaiah 9, and this verse stuck out to me in particular:
Isaiah 9:4 —You will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
I began to think over the last couple years of my life and the different things that have chained me down, kept me stagnant, and caused great fear in my heart. And then I remembered how each of those things had been knocked down, pushed away, and annihilated with each step closer to Jesus. He brings freedom.
Fear constantly held me back. But God is bigger than all of my fears. (Eph 3:20)
Doubts flooded my mind. But God is constant and faithful to His promises. (1 Thess 5:24)
Timidity overtook my spirit. But God gave me a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Tim 1:7)
His strength and power has given me hope. He has made me bold and firm in His word.
I have been rescued from the depths of despair and loneliness; restored on a firm foundation filled with joy unspeakable because Jesus Christ is who he says he is and he can do what he says he can do. I am in absolute awe of his sovereignty. His name brings warmth to my heart because all that he promised me, all that he asked of me, all that I have done in his name...has never ever been useless. He knows what he's doing (Jer 29:11).
So, Merry Christmas! 2011 has been a year of exponential growth in my life. And 2012 only promises even more of it. I am enjoying every moment of God's crazy, spontaneous plan for my life. After all, it's ALL about him.
1 Thessalonians 2:4b — Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.
Praise his name on this glorious day! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
(:
Isaiah 9:4 —You will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
I began to think over the last couple years of my life and the different things that have chained me down, kept me stagnant, and caused great fear in my heart. And then I remembered how each of those things had been knocked down, pushed away, and annihilated with each step closer to Jesus. He brings freedom.
Fear constantly held me back. But God is bigger than all of my fears. (Eph 3:20)
Doubts flooded my mind. But God is constant and faithful to His promises. (1 Thess 5:24)
Timidity overtook my spirit. But God gave me a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Tim 1:7)
His strength and power has given me hope. He has made me bold and firm in His word.
I have been rescued from the depths of despair and loneliness; restored on a firm foundation filled with joy unspeakable because Jesus Christ is who he says he is and he can do what he says he can do. I am in absolute awe of his sovereignty. His name brings warmth to my heart because all that he promised me, all that he asked of me, all that I have done in his name...has never ever been useless. He knows what he's doing (Jer 29:11).
So, Merry Christmas! 2011 has been a year of exponential growth in my life. And 2012 only promises even more of it. I am enjoying every moment of God's crazy, spontaneous plan for my life. After all, it's ALL about him.
1 Thessalonians 2:4b — Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.
Praise his name on this glorious day! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
(:
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Ultimate Gift.
I've been thinking lately about how amazing God is. Sounds cliche, but there is so much more to it. Here's what I've been thinking...God loved each of us so much that he sent his one and only son down to Earth to save us. That's what we celebrate on Christmas...we all know at least that much, but here's the part that really rocks my socks off...this was undoubtedly the ultimate gift. Can you think of a better gift than salvation from our sins? Would you like anything more than redemption from your old self? Eternity in heaven with the King of Kings?
Yet beyond that gift, a gift that can never be matched, God continues to pour out his blessings in our everyday lives. He didn't stop at the gift of salvation and redemption, even though that was the biggest gift he could ever give. That's what amazes me about my Jesus.
This leads me to share what he's done in my life recently. About 5 months ago I went away for college. I was terrified, timid, and questioned myself with each step. I had heard God's voice so clearly tell me that CSU Monterey Bay was the school that he wanted me at even though it was not my dream school. I had wanted so desperately to attend California Baptist University, but God told me to trust him. So I did. I trusted him, which led me to Seaside, CA.
Days before I left, I came across the blog of a pastor from Vancouver, WA who just happened to be moving down to California to be a pastor of a small church in none other than Monterey. (Read about that in this post.)
Within three days of living on campus I ran into a girl named Savannah, who was planning on leading a bible study for girls in her dorm room. I hung out in her room pretty frequently and she and I ended up having more in common than I've had with anyone I've ever met! Over the last five months she has become one of the closest friends and is such a constant blessing on my life.
Together, Savannah and I attended Pastor Barry's first service at Living Hope. We fell in love with the atmosphere and friendliness of the congregation even though the church is very different from both of our church's back home...(and yes, Barry the church was really really really small).
One weekend Savannah and I packed up and drove to Modesto on a whim so that I could be baptized. That night our church had one of the girls from VanGo present to talk about what her and her friend Jenna do on a daily basis. (Check out their blog.)
God used that night to weave a passion and mission within mine and Savannah's hearts for our time in Monterey. We flipped through passage after passage telling us to 'go' and follow God with all of our hearts. (Yeah, there's a post about this one too...) So we met with Pastor Barry and told him we wanted to start a youth ministry at Living Hope. In case you couldn't guess, Savannah and I are both very easily excited and urgent people!
So, we began a ministry called 'Victorious!' Which came from the verse 1 John 5:4 -- For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. We moved our meeting times around a few times until we reached a decision to meet right after service on Sunday mornings. By the end of our semester there were four of us consistently coming and on good days there were about seven.
So...the rest of the story?
Well, within weeks of arriving at CSU Monterey, we found that I would not be receiving the financial aid we were planning on. We had to pull out loans very quickly and let's just say the school was not very helpful throughout the tedious process that had to be done quick because of the late notice they gave us. Needless to say, it was stressful. Especially since my mom and I were trying to figure it all out while not in the same place.
This sparked the idea of a 'new plan'. Not only because of financial reasonings, but the desire in my heart for CBU still hadn't left. I became more and more sure that I would like to work in ministry if God would allow me to do so. So, my mom and I began to change the plans. First, I told her I wanted to transfer to CBU. But, we decided to be more 'logical' (because that's how my Mama is...she's the smartest, most logical woman around...I am more like the girl with her head stuck in the clouds who doesn't understand why she can't just do whatever the heck she wants to do) So our next plan was for me to move home, get my GE at the local junior college and then transfer to CBU. But I still wasn't quite satisfied with this plan.
I'll add more to the way that God was entangling my heart with CBU. Savannah, the awesome friend I mentioned earlier, yeah, she's from Corona, CA. Her house is about 30 minutes away from CBU. She was in the process of planning her move back home while I planned mine. Two friends I haven't mentioned yet, Jasmine and Janelle, (they are twins!) were also planning on leaving. They live in Riverside, CA. And actually live about 5 minutes away from CBU. God used all three of these girls to comfort me in my time in Monterey, but also to string my heart closer to Southern California.
He was moving and I could hear him telling me to be bold, but I wasn't sure how. Veterans day weekend is when it all came down. You see, up to this point I had not even seen CBU I had just heard great stories and felt a connection immediately, mainly because of my awesome friend Kylie. Well, I went home for the weekend with Savannah, Janelle, and Jasmine. I visited CBU for the first time, and just like I thought I would, I fell in love with it. Not only that, but I fell in love with Savannah's church, family, and awesome friends. I knew I couldn't wait two years to go down there. There was an urgency placed on my heart.
So, when we arrived back at school...I immediately applied to CBU for the Spring semester "just to see". When I told my mom, she thought I was crazy (which I don't blame her for because I kinda am...) But my mom is an amazing woman and she prayed about it. She told me that I needed a plan...so I called CBU nonstop about scholarships and details. I did countless equations of math to see if I would be able to do it. I had plan after plan after plan. I was willing to do whatever I could, of course my mom pointed out 'whatever I could' only included going...it didn't really include community college..but hey, I really wanted this.
The night came when I received my full financial aid from CBU and I was bummed. It was soooo not as much as I was expecting it to be. You see, I had been praying, "God provide all of the money so I can go." I figured that was the only way I would be able to go because the whole point of leaving Monterey was to save money and I didn't think my parents would go for it if CBU wasn't basically free. I made the dreaded phone call letting my mom know the financial aid wasn't as much as I expected and she said her and my dad would call me back later to talk about the details. I felt a little defeated, called up my friend Matt, and his response surprised me...I told him I received my financial aid and it only covered about half of the tuition (I said it with a really upset voice, too...) and his response? "Wow, that's awesome! God provided half of the tuition!" That was a stab to my heart (in a good way...can that be in a good way?). Let's talk about a humbled heart...seriously that one hit me hard. I was not pleased with God because he hadn't answered my prayer in the way that I wanted...I immediately changed my focus and thanked him for all he had done because I know that he is faithful to his promises and he is smoothing out my path (Isaiah 26:7).
The dreaded phone call came around. My parents called and we began to talk about the details and everything that came along with moving down there and I assumed the conversation wouldn't end happily for me. I was so ready for that moment. But it never came because my mom said, "we are on board". I didn't even know how to react. My mom basically just told me that all of my dreams were coming true. Even though God hadn't answered my prayer the way I thought he would...he still kept his promises. I'm still in awe of his goodness.
I guess this was my long way of saying that God is constantly moving in each of our lives and blessing us whether we can see it or not. We can choose to stomp our feet when things don't go our way...or patiently endure and wait to see what he will do in us and through us.
I am so thankful for my journey to Monterey. How crazy intricate is his plan? He sends Savannah up to Monterey for a semester...and me...we meet and now we are moving on to our next adventure together...7 hours south. It's crazy how sovereign he is!
Proverbs 3:5-6 -- Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 -- God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
Psalm 37:4 -- Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 23:5 -- You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
Isaiah 26:7 -- But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them.
My advice is to search for ways to thank Jesus rather than constantly asking and expecting. I know that lately he is teaching me to move beyond myself and learn more about Him and about others. Our response to his never-ending gifts and mercy should be thanksgiving. Nonstop praise! He is holy and mighty and able to do all things if only we are bold enough to ask! Trust him as he guides you each moment!
Psalm 100:4-5 -- Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
P.S. Thanks for reading this....it's pretty lengthy....
Yet beyond that gift, a gift that can never be matched, God continues to pour out his blessings in our everyday lives. He didn't stop at the gift of salvation and redemption, even though that was the biggest gift he could ever give. That's what amazes me about my Jesus.
This leads me to share what he's done in my life recently. About 5 months ago I went away for college. I was terrified, timid, and questioned myself with each step. I had heard God's voice so clearly tell me that CSU Monterey Bay was the school that he wanted me at even though it was not my dream school. I had wanted so desperately to attend California Baptist University, but God told me to trust him. So I did. I trusted him, which led me to Seaside, CA.
Days before I left, I came across the blog of a pastor from Vancouver, WA who just happened to be moving down to California to be a pastor of a small church in none other than Monterey. (Read about that in this post.)
Within three days of living on campus I ran into a girl named Savannah, who was planning on leading a bible study for girls in her dorm room. I hung out in her room pretty frequently and she and I ended up having more in common than I've had with anyone I've ever met! Over the last five months she has become one of the closest friends and is such a constant blessing on my life.
Together, Savannah and I attended Pastor Barry's first service at Living Hope. We fell in love with the atmosphere and friendliness of the congregation even though the church is very different from both of our church's back home...(and yes, Barry the church was really really really small).
One weekend Savannah and I packed up and drove to Modesto on a whim so that I could be baptized. That night our church had one of the girls from VanGo present to talk about what her and her friend Jenna do on a daily basis. (Check out their blog.)
God used that night to weave a passion and mission within mine and Savannah's hearts for our time in Monterey. We flipped through passage after passage telling us to 'go' and follow God with all of our hearts. (Yeah, there's a post about this one too...) So we met with Pastor Barry and told him we wanted to start a youth ministry at Living Hope. In case you couldn't guess, Savannah and I are both very easily excited and urgent people!
So, we began a ministry called 'Victorious!' Which came from the verse 1 John 5:4 -- For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. We moved our meeting times around a few times until we reached a decision to meet right after service on Sunday mornings. By the end of our semester there were four of us consistently coming and on good days there were about seven.
So...the rest of the story?
Well, within weeks of arriving at CSU Monterey, we found that I would not be receiving the financial aid we were planning on. We had to pull out loans very quickly and let's just say the school was not very helpful throughout the tedious process that had to be done quick because of the late notice they gave us. Needless to say, it was stressful. Especially since my mom and I were trying to figure it all out while not in the same place.
This sparked the idea of a 'new plan'. Not only because of financial reasonings, but the desire in my heart for CBU still hadn't left. I became more and more sure that I would like to work in ministry if God would allow me to do so. So, my mom and I began to change the plans. First, I told her I wanted to transfer to CBU. But, we decided to be more 'logical' (because that's how my Mama is...she's the smartest, most logical woman around...I am more like the girl with her head stuck in the clouds who doesn't understand why she can't just do whatever the heck she wants to do) So our next plan was for me to move home, get my GE at the local junior college and then transfer to CBU. But I still wasn't quite satisfied with this plan.
I'll add more to the way that God was entangling my heart with CBU. Savannah, the awesome friend I mentioned earlier, yeah, she's from Corona, CA. Her house is about 30 minutes away from CBU. She was in the process of planning her move back home while I planned mine. Two friends I haven't mentioned yet, Jasmine and Janelle, (they are twins!) were also planning on leaving. They live in Riverside, CA. And actually live about 5 minutes away from CBU. God used all three of these girls to comfort me in my time in Monterey, but also to string my heart closer to Southern California.
He was moving and I could hear him telling me to be bold, but I wasn't sure how. Veterans day weekend is when it all came down. You see, up to this point I had not even seen CBU I had just heard great stories and felt a connection immediately, mainly because of my awesome friend Kylie. Well, I went home for the weekend with Savannah, Janelle, and Jasmine. I visited CBU for the first time, and just like I thought I would, I fell in love with it. Not only that, but I fell in love with Savannah's church, family, and awesome friends. I knew I couldn't wait two years to go down there. There was an urgency placed on my heart.
So, when we arrived back at school...I immediately applied to CBU for the Spring semester "just to see". When I told my mom, she thought I was crazy (which I don't blame her for because I kinda am...) But my mom is an amazing woman and she prayed about it. She told me that I needed a plan...so I called CBU nonstop about scholarships and details. I did countless equations of math to see if I would be able to do it. I had plan after plan after plan. I was willing to do whatever I could, of course my mom pointed out 'whatever I could' only included going...it didn't really include community college..but hey, I really wanted this.
The night came when I received my full financial aid from CBU and I was bummed. It was soooo not as much as I was expecting it to be. You see, I had been praying, "God provide all of the money so I can go." I figured that was the only way I would be able to go because the whole point of leaving Monterey was to save money and I didn't think my parents would go for it if CBU wasn't basically free. I made the dreaded phone call letting my mom know the financial aid wasn't as much as I expected and she said her and my dad would call me back later to talk about the details. I felt a little defeated, called up my friend Matt, and his response surprised me...I told him I received my financial aid and it only covered about half of the tuition (I said it with a really upset voice, too...) and his response? "Wow, that's awesome! God provided half of the tuition!" That was a stab to my heart (in a good way...can that be in a good way?). Let's talk about a humbled heart...seriously that one hit me hard. I was not pleased with God because he hadn't answered my prayer in the way that I wanted...I immediately changed my focus and thanked him for all he had done because I know that he is faithful to his promises and he is smoothing out my path (Isaiah 26:7).
The dreaded phone call came around. My parents called and we began to talk about the details and everything that came along with moving down there and I assumed the conversation wouldn't end happily for me. I was so ready for that moment. But it never came because my mom said, "we are on board". I didn't even know how to react. My mom basically just told me that all of my dreams were coming true. Even though God hadn't answered my prayer the way I thought he would...he still kept his promises. I'm still in awe of his goodness.
I guess this was my long way of saying that God is constantly moving in each of our lives and blessing us whether we can see it or not. We can choose to stomp our feet when things don't go our way...or patiently endure and wait to see what he will do in us and through us.
I am so thankful for my journey to Monterey. How crazy intricate is his plan? He sends Savannah up to Monterey for a semester...and me...we meet and now we are moving on to our next adventure together...7 hours south. It's crazy how sovereign he is!
Proverbs 3:5-6 -- Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 -- God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
Psalm 37:4 -- Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 23:5 -- You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
Isaiah 26:7 -- But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them.
My advice is to search for ways to thank Jesus rather than constantly asking and expecting. I know that lately he is teaching me to move beyond myself and learn more about Him and about others. Our response to his never-ending gifts and mercy should be thanksgiving. Nonstop praise! He is holy and mighty and able to do all things if only we are bold enough to ask! Trust him as he guides you each moment!
Psalm 100:4-5 -- Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
P.S. Thanks for reading this....it's pretty lengthy....
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Drop your stones;
Lately I've been making my way through the book of Luke and, as with every other book I've read lately, it's becoming my favorite! Chapter 6 stood out to me.
Luke 6:37-38 -- Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full- pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.
These two verses tackle so many things we overlook.
Judging others. How often do we judge each other? We don't have to admit to doing it because we all know we do...sometimes we don't even know we do, but we are constantly judging others. The outfit someone wears may lead us to categorize them, or perhaps a tattoo, piercing, hair style, car, bicycle...you name it and we can judge someone for it. Sometimes we judge people based on their Facebook statuses, friends, laughs, or the school they attend. No matter what our reasoning behind our judgement...it's still wrong. I often find myself judging people based on the way that they've treated me. If someone has hurt me they move into the 'Keep your distance' category and stay there for safe-keeping. I mean, no one wants to get hurt again, right? But, doesn't the Jesus I serve preach about forgiveness and redemption?
The truth is (for all of us who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ) you are not who you used to be. You have been made new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 -- This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Christ's forgiveness and love know no bounds...so why do we tell ourselves it's okay for ours to reach only a certain point? I don't know about you, but I am so convicted by this reality. The way I treat others is not okay...even if it's only within my thoughts. I have allowed myself to get so wrapped up in the idea that some people in my life haven't lived up to Jesus' standard. Weird, eh? People didn't live up to Jesus' standard...because that's what people were meant to do...because I have met this standard...(hope you're catching the sarcasm here...)
Here's how Jesus loved,
John 8:3-11 -- As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."
I need to drop my stones. I need to thank Jesus for refusing to throw a stone at me, the only One who had the right to, and he didn't do it. His message was of never-ending grace and mercy. The ultimate gift.
Thank you, Jesus. Teach me to love as you have loved me!
Luke 6:37-38 -- Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full- pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.
These two verses tackle so many things we overlook.
Judging others. How often do we judge each other? We don't have to admit to doing it because we all know we do...sometimes we don't even know we do, but we are constantly judging others. The outfit someone wears may lead us to categorize them, or perhaps a tattoo, piercing, hair style, car, bicycle...you name it and we can judge someone for it. Sometimes we judge people based on their Facebook statuses, friends, laughs, or the school they attend. No matter what our reasoning behind our judgement...it's still wrong. I often find myself judging people based on the way that they've treated me. If someone has hurt me they move into the 'Keep your distance' category and stay there for safe-keeping. I mean, no one wants to get hurt again, right? But, doesn't the Jesus I serve preach about forgiveness and redemption?
The truth is (for all of us who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ) you are not who you used to be. You have been made new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 -- This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Christ's forgiveness and love know no bounds...so why do we tell ourselves it's okay for ours to reach only a certain point? I don't know about you, but I am so convicted by this reality. The way I treat others is not okay...even if it's only within my thoughts. I have allowed myself to get so wrapped up in the idea that some people in my life haven't lived up to Jesus' standard. Weird, eh? People didn't live up to Jesus' standard...because that's what people were meant to do...because I have met this standard...(hope you're catching the sarcasm here...)
Here's how Jesus loved,
John 8:3-11 -- As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."
I need to drop my stones. I need to thank Jesus for refusing to throw a stone at me, the only One who had the right to, and he didn't do it. His message was of never-ending grace and mercy. The ultimate gift.
Thank you, Jesus. Teach me to love as you have loved me!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
To my heart...
To my heart you have spoken. You spoke so clearly and sweetly. You whispered to me the direction in which I should travel. You taught me to risk everything for the sake of your name. You granted me the courage to fall wholeheartedly into your plan. You taught me to surrender my worries, cares, dreams, hopes, and disappointments to your precious name. You crucified them with your son. You took care of all my sorrow, pain, worry, and fear. You overcame my world. You overcame the world. You took the humble position as a slave. You constantly remind me what it means to be humble. You have taught me to love as you have loved me. You expect me to give as freely as I have received. You provide for me in every instance that has come about. You continually renew my strength and are my rock and my refuge. You are holy and mighty. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. Be my everything.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Great and precious promises;
2 Peter 1:3-11 -- By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We have to increase our faith with goodness, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love for everyone.
Goodness: 2 Thessalonians 1:11 -- So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
Knowledge: 1 Corinthians 8:2-3 -- Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn't really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
Self-control: Galatians 5:16 -- So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
Patient endurance: Hebrews 10:36 -- Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
Godliness: 1 Timothy 4:8 -- Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.
Brotherly affection: Romans 12:10 -- Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Love for everyone: 1 John 4:11-12 -- Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
We must constantly be at work to improve each of these things-- the moment our faith becomes comfortable is the moment we should be concerned. We must always strive for more. We need to have faith in impossible circumstances.
Hebrews 11:1 -- Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about the things we cannot see.
Nothing is impossible with God. Not convinced?
Luke 1:37 -- For nothing is impossible with God.
Matthew 17:20 -- "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."
Luke 18:27 -- He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God."
We need to put our faith in Him, in His word, and in the desires He places in our hearts. We need to be in tune with him and know that he will not lead us astray. He wants to bless us and care for us...it's in his nature. We need only ask.
Matthew 7:7 -- Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
Confidently take your worries, cares, plans, dreams, aspirations, doubts, fears, hopes, anxiety to the foot of the cross. Place it there. Because God sent his son Jesus Christ to carry your burdens. It is no longer your responsibility to carry them around; you are His responsibility. He will take care of you. He will care for you. He will argue your case. He will take your side (Psalm 119:154). Fix your eyes on Jesus and He will carry you along and save you. Seek him in all you do and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:6). He is smoothing out the path ahead of you as we speak (Isaiah 26:7). He is bigger than your perception of him-- and he never gets tired of you. He never stops wanting to bless you. He never stops loving you. He never misunderstands you. He always loves you, always cares for you, and always wants to lead you along the right path. Cease striving and fall wholeheartedly into his open arms of love (Psalm 46:10). Give him your burdens. And truly let him have them. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). Our God is greater. Trust him (Proverbs 3:5).
1 Peter 5:7 -- Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
Isaiah 46:4 -- I will be your God throughout your lifetime-- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
We have to increase our faith with goodness, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love for everyone.
Goodness: 2 Thessalonians 1:11 -- So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
Knowledge: 1 Corinthians 8:2-3 -- Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn't really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
Self-control: Galatians 5:16 -- So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
Patient endurance: Hebrews 10:36 -- Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
Godliness: 1 Timothy 4:8 -- Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.
Brotherly affection: Romans 12:10 -- Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Love for everyone: 1 John 4:11-12 -- Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
We must constantly be at work to improve each of these things-- the moment our faith becomes comfortable is the moment we should be concerned. We must always strive for more. We need to have faith in impossible circumstances.
Hebrews 11:1 -- Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about the things we cannot see.
Nothing is impossible with God. Not convinced?
Luke 1:37 -- For nothing is impossible with God.
Matthew 17:20 -- "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."
Luke 18:27 -- He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God."
We need to put our faith in Him, in His word, and in the desires He places in our hearts. We need to be in tune with him and know that he will not lead us astray. He wants to bless us and care for us...it's in his nature. We need only ask.
Matthew 7:7 -- Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
Confidently take your worries, cares, plans, dreams, aspirations, doubts, fears, hopes, anxiety to the foot of the cross. Place it there. Because God sent his son Jesus Christ to carry your burdens. It is no longer your responsibility to carry them around; you are His responsibility. He will take care of you. He will care for you. He will argue your case. He will take your side (Psalm 119:154). Fix your eyes on Jesus and He will carry you along and save you. Seek him in all you do and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:6). He is smoothing out the path ahead of you as we speak (Isaiah 26:7). He is bigger than your perception of him-- and he never gets tired of you. He never stops wanting to bless you. He never stops loving you. He never misunderstands you. He always loves you, always cares for you, and always wants to lead you along the right path. Cease striving and fall wholeheartedly into his open arms of love (Psalm 46:10). Give him your burdens. And truly let him have them. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). Our God is greater. Trust him (Proverbs 3:5).
1 Peter 5:7 -- Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
Isaiah 46:4 -- I will be your God throughout your lifetime-- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
My God will come through;
Romans 5:2-5 -- Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
As I randomly came across this passage, Always by Kristian Stanfill began playing on my iPod, I'm going to include the lyrics here because God just tied some uneasy knots in my heart and has reminded me that my help comes from Him alone:
As I randomly came across this passage, Always by Kristian Stanfill began playing on my iPod, I'm going to include the lyrics here because God just tied some uneasy knots in my heart and has reminded me that my help comes from Him alone:
My foes are many, they rise against me
But I will hold my ground
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the way
Oh, my God, he will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always
Troubles surround me, chaos abounding
My soul will rest in You
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the way
Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
From you Lord, from You Lord
Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always
Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always, always
Monday, December 5, 2011
One ♥ & One purpose.
Jeremiah 32:39 -- And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of their descendants.
Have you been wondering what your purpose is? There it is...worship God. That's what we are called to do in our time here on Earth.
Not feeling it? Don't worry...he will place the desire to worship Him in your heart...
Jeremiah 32:40 -- And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.
Jeremiah 33:3 -- Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.
How amazing.
Jeremiah 32:38 -- They will be my people and I will be their God.
So much time is spent wishing and hoping for a perfect love story...planning your ideal wedding...looking for the right guy, but I think we forget the REAL love story is already written on these pages...
1 John 4:10 -- This is real love-- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:16-17 -- We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgement, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
1 John 4:19 -- We love each other because he loved us first.
Jesus Christ died for our sins.
Isaiah 53:5 -- But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
That is love. God is love.
Ecclesiastes 5:7 -- Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.
Ecclesiastes is such a wonderful reminder of how short our time here on Earth is and just how meaningless we can allow it to be. This book will humble you right up.
Ecclesiastes 7:13 -- Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
Lately I have found two methods of prayer to be very beneficial. The first method includes prayers of thanksgiving. Rather than allowing myself to ramble on to God about all the things that I would like for him to do, I decided (or force myself?) to thank him for all the things that he has given me. Each time I'm surprised at how long and detailed the list is and how thankful I truly am for all of it! The second method includes prayers of who He is. This will never fail to put me in my place. When I begin to doubt that he is sovereign or that he is powerful enough to do what he says he will do...praying who he is only makes me sit in awe of how little I know and yet how smart I think I am.
1 Peter 5:6 -- So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
I don't know about you but sometimes I start to think I'm way better than I really am. I get so distracted by how awesome I think I am that I forget how great God is. It's disappointing really, but the truth is...that's why Jesus died. He died because I can't do this on my own and he knew that, but he still loves me. He still loves you.
I recently came across this picture and it captured my heart pretty deeply...
Have you been wondering what your purpose is? There it is...worship God. That's what we are called to do in our time here on Earth.
Not feeling it? Don't worry...he will place the desire to worship Him in your heart...
Jeremiah 32:40 -- And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.
Jeremiah 33:3 -- Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.
How amazing.
Jeremiah 32:38 -- They will be my people and I will be their God.
So much time is spent wishing and hoping for a perfect love story...planning your ideal wedding...looking for the right guy, but I think we forget the REAL love story is already written on these pages...
1 John 4:10 -- This is real love-- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:16-17 -- We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgement, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
1 John 4:19 -- We love each other because he loved us first.
Jesus Christ died for our sins.
Isaiah 53:5 -- But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
That is love. God is love.
Ecclesiastes 5:7 -- Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.
Ecclesiastes is such a wonderful reminder of how short our time here on Earth is and just how meaningless we can allow it to be. This book will humble you right up.
Ecclesiastes 7:13 -- Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
Lately I have found two methods of prayer to be very beneficial. The first method includes prayers of thanksgiving. Rather than allowing myself to ramble on to God about all the things that I would like for him to do, I decided (or force myself?) to thank him for all the things that he has given me. Each time I'm surprised at how long and detailed the list is and how thankful I truly am for all of it! The second method includes prayers of who He is. This will never fail to put me in my place. When I begin to doubt that he is sovereign or that he is powerful enough to do what he says he will do...praying who he is only makes me sit in awe of how little I know and yet how smart I think I am.
1 Peter 5:6 -- So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
I don't know about you but sometimes I start to think I'm way better than I really am. I get so distracted by how awesome I think I am that I forget how great God is. It's disappointing really, but the truth is...that's why Jesus died. He died because I can't do this on my own and he knew that, but he still loves me. He still loves you.
I recently came across this picture and it captured my heart pretty deeply...
God has never and will never regret dying for our sins. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). If it were necessary, he would die for our sins again tomorrow. His love will never be understood by our frail human minds, but that's the beauty of it.
2 Corinthians 12:9 -- But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
No matter what we do, who we have been, where we are going, how often we mess up...Jesus Christ loves us just the same. He wants us to draw close to Him. He wants us to surrender our hearts and lives to him.
He has given us one heart and one purpose: to worship him forever.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Peace that exceeds understanding;
Just read an awesome post from the CBU website about finding God's peace.
Click here to look at the actual post (I highly recommend that you do!)
I enjoyed all the scripture included within the post---
Click here to look at the actual post (I highly recommend that you do!)
I enjoyed all the scripture included within the post---
Isaiah 48:22 -- "But there is no peace for the wicked," says the Lord.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 -- Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
Isaiah 26:3 -- You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.
Romans 5:1 -- Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
John 14:27 -- I am leaving you with a gift-- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.
John 16:33 -- I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
Psalm 85:8 -- I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.
Romans 8:6 -- So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 -- Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live n Christ Jesus.
James 3:17-18 -- But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and wiling to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 -- Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
Isaiah 26:3 -- You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.
Romans 5:1 -- Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
John 14:27 -- I am leaving you with a gift-- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.
John 16:33 -- I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
Psalm 85:8 -- I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.
Romans 8:6 -- So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 -- Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live n Christ Jesus.
James 3:17-18 -- But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and wiling to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Thank you...?
Philippians 4:6-7 -- Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
I always "tell God what I need", but I manage to forget the next step (which is so much more important). I often forget to "thank him for all he has done". I am so caught up in the GIVE ME GIVE ME GIVE ME attitude that I forget to give him the glory his name deserves.
I say to him, "because of all that you have done for me I know that you can do these things". But why would he want to do anything for me if that's how I treat him? That's treating him like a very high end vending machine...Put in the request...get what I want...walk away....come back when I need something else.
What a disgusting attitude to have.
Ephesians 2:5-8 -- You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.
Wow. He deserved everything in the world because he was God, but he took the humble position of a slave. I deserve nothing and yet I have trouble taking the humble position of a slave.
He did all of this in response to his love for US. His love for me...yet here I am slapping him in the face and treating him like Santa Claus. I'm appalled at my own heart.
Romans 7:21-15 -- I have discovered this principle of life-- that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
May he continue to free me and work in my heart despite the impurities and wrong motives. But he can clean, restore, and create a new foundation.
Psalm 51:10 -- Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
He is bigger than all of my sins, in fact, they have nothing on him because his Son already took care of them. His grace is enough.
Romans 8:38-39 -- And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels more demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I always "tell God what I need", but I manage to forget the next step (which is so much more important). I often forget to "thank him for all he has done". I am so caught up in the GIVE ME GIVE ME GIVE ME attitude that I forget to give him the glory his name deserves.
I say to him, "because of all that you have done for me I know that you can do these things". But why would he want to do anything for me if that's how I treat him? That's treating him like a very high end vending machine...Put in the request...get what I want...walk away....come back when I need something else.
What a disgusting attitude to have.
Ephesians 2:5-8 -- You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.
Wow. He deserved everything in the world because he was God, but he took the humble position of a slave. I deserve nothing and yet I have trouble taking the humble position of a slave.
He did all of this in response to his love for US. His love for me...yet here I am slapping him in the face and treating him like Santa Claus. I'm appalled at my own heart.
Romans 7:21-15 -- I have discovered this principle of life-- that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
May he continue to free me and work in my heart despite the impurities and wrong motives. But he can clean, restore, and create a new foundation.
Psalm 51:10 -- Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
He is bigger than all of my sins, in fact, they have nothing on him because his Son already took care of them. His grace is enough.
Romans 8:38-39 -- And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels more demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Last year...
Reading blog posts from last year...
"As you strive to TRUST in him with all your strength and life, you will see him bring change to your heart and life and friendships. You will find yourself equipped with his peace, mercy, and love. You will be amazed with his blanket of love over you.
"As you strive to TRUST in him with all your strength and life, you will see him bring change to your heart and life and friendships. You will find yourself equipped with his peace, mercy, and love. You will be amazed with his blanket of love over you.
BASK IN GOD'S UNQUENCHABLE GRACE AND MERCY.
Okay, is that not THE BEST word to explain his grace and mercy? And even his love for us.
It's unquenchable.
A little more than a month ago I prayed a prayer regarding this verse:
Psalm 51:12 -- Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obeyyou.
I repeated to myself, "Restore, Joy, Salvation, Obey."
And I took a leap of faith in what I felt God was telling me to do.
I've had my moments of doubt, regret, and fear.
But when I put my trust in him...he doesn't allow me to 'make the wrong choice'.
His dream for me is to learn and grow in him.
So, I must take each day one day at a time and trust that he knows what's best for me."
This is still true. He has a dream and he will fulfill it. He will also restore your life. I'm truly amazed at all he has done for me in the last year. I love reading these old posts that were full of pain and uncertainty and seeing how God has moved in each area of my life since then.
God is GOOD even when I decide to feel like he isn't.
Submit.
To learn to be led...
Job 22:21 -- Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.
I need to learn how to truly submit my will to His and follow Him no matter where He leads and no matter how I perceive what He is doing. It shouldn't matter how my timeline sees what He is doing...all that should matter is that He loves me, and He loved me enough to save me. He rescued me from the depths of despair, yet here I am worrying that He won't do what He says He can do...Who am I? Who am I but His servant?
Matthew 23:11-12 -- The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Practicing this actively now will also (possibly...) make it easier once I hit this step...
Ephesians 5:22 -- For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
Because I want to embody Proverbs 31....and this verse in particular...
Proverbs 31:12 -- She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
I have so much I want to do and feel led to do, but God brings everything together at the right time and I must wait on Him. I must stop asking Him to bless what I want and get on board with what He is doing...
Psalm 62:5 -- Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
Ephesians 1:10 -- And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ -- everything in heaven and on earth.
1 Peter 4:19 -- So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
Job 22:21 -- Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.
I need to learn how to truly submit my will to His and follow Him no matter where He leads and no matter how I perceive what He is doing. It shouldn't matter how my timeline sees what He is doing...all that should matter is that He loves me, and He loved me enough to save me. He rescued me from the depths of despair, yet here I am worrying that He won't do what He says He can do...Who am I? Who am I but His servant?
Matthew 23:11-12 -- The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Practicing this actively now will also (possibly...) make it easier once I hit this step...
Ephesians 5:22 -- For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
Because I want to embody Proverbs 31....and this verse in particular...
Proverbs 31:12 -- She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
I have so much I want to do and feel led to do, but God brings everything together at the right time and I must wait on Him. I must stop asking Him to bless what I want and get on board with what He is doing...
Psalm 62:5 -- Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
Ephesians 1:10 -- And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ -- everything in heaven and on earth.
1 Peter 4:19 -- So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
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