That's been my heart's prayer for the last 3-4 months. Empty me. Empty me of EVERYTHING that is not YOU.
This prayer was based out of a song that God used greatly in my life by a group called Tenth Avenue North. The song is called "Empty My Hands." One verse of the lyrics really hit me:
But if I let these dreams die
If I lay down all my wounded pride
If I let these dreams die
Will I find that letting go lets me come alive?
Empty my hands
Fill up my heart
Capture my mind with YOU.
God has been showing me how tightly I've been gripping onto things in my life. My time, my possessions, my friends, my education, my church, my mentors, my goals....have you noticed all of the "my's" in that list? Truth is, there isn't anything intrinsically wrong with any of those things, or the value I have placed on them. What's wrong is that I often find my self valuing them more than I value God & His plans for my life. Of course I wouldn't go around proclaiming "I love/value _____ more than I love God." I would get a lot of frowns from that. But the way I spend my time & thought life betrays what I value most. But one of our great comforts & encouragement in our Christian life is the promise God has made to us in Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
I've heard it said many times, God loves us as we are, but too much to leave us that way. And God has definitely been changing me in some pretty, well, unexpected ways. In the midst of everything that was going on about a week ago, I had typed out a blog post entitled "A Series of Unfortunate Events." No, I wasn't retelling the story of 3 little orphaned children who get into all sorts of mishaps orchestrated by a mysterious & creepy Count Olaf. But it was the tale of the past 2 weeks of my life. I decided not to post it because of everything that God has taught me through the events, my other post had a tone of dissatisfaction & complaint. God has taught me so much through it though, I would still like to share. I will forgo giving all of the details, but I'll give you a brief overview of a few of the events.
The first shock was finding out our Pastor of 15 years had decided to resign & would be leaving at the beginning of this month. Since this is really the only church I have ever gone to, Pastor Schmidt is the only pastor I have ever known & he & his wife have had an immense impact in my life, our church family, & the entire community. It was a difficult, but also an exciting goodbye. I know that the Lord has great plans for them & I am anxious to hear how they'll be used in the lives of others.
The day I said a tearful goodbye to them, me & one of my best friends, Krystle, drove back to school to begin another semester. Got all unpacked &...sprained my finger! Ok, for people who are normal, this isn't a big deal, but as a piano major with the daunting task of learning, memorizing, & performing a movement of a Beethoven sonata in a mere 12 weeks, this was a BIG problem....cue frustration. Lol.
Thankfully, my finger was mostly healed by that weekend, just in time to get the flu. I was stuck in bed with a high fever & unrelenting cough for 2 full days. Being the stubborn person I am, I insisted on trying to go to church on Sunday; no, not because I'm super spiritual, but because I was bored of being stuck in the dorm...greeeeaaat reason, huh? Yeah...anyways, I got about 15 minutes in & had to leave. On the way back to school, my car broke down. Oh yes, in the middle of winter, me & the 2 girls with me were clueless as to what to do. Thankfully, a very nice couple came to the rescue. I had no voice, so it was very difficult to try to explain everything to my dad & the guy helping me, but it worked out nonetheless. Unfortunately, that little escapade put me in bed again the next day...all day. So I had to take class cuts for the whole day. I was still stuck in the room when I received the news that my favorite music professor would not be back after this semester. Later that day, I also found out that my personal piano instructor made the difficult decision that God was leading her to another ministry. Again, it is exciting to see God working & leading in the lives of others, but it is difficult to say goodbye. Especially with professors with whom I have spent so much time one-on-one. I called my mom just sobbing. My voice still sounded like a frog that had spent too much time around bonfire smoke, so I'm sure it was an interesting sounding conversation. But I was heartbroken. In the past week, I felt like I had lost my pastor, my ability to play the piano, my voice, my car, & now my two most beloved mentors at school. I really didn't know what to do.
But God wasn't far away. He truly drew near to me & revealed His purpose in allowing those things to happen. I can't explain it, but I was filled with such a deep, sweet peace. And then joy! God had answered my prayer to empty me of those things that I so often held above Him. He had also answered a major & specific request that I had been praying about since my time in Haiti last August. (More about that later...it's too soon now, but I PROMISE you'll know ASAP =). Thankfully, we also had Heart Conference last week. It was an incredible blessing! If you have never heard Phil Hunt & Will Galkin speak, you are missing out. Will Galkin taught about reclaiming the purpose God has for us that has been overshadowed by our pursuit of "The American Dream." That one pierced me deeply. Although my idea of what is truly important has changed A LOT over the past couple of years, I still identified with many of the points. I pursue comfort; I'm afraid of getting out of my box & witnessing to others; I have a hard time fully ministering to others because I constantly get pulled down by focusing on my own weaknesses & insecurities. I am ready to be who God desires me to be. I am ready to stop focusing on what I don't have & start focusing on the One who has me. God's strength is sufficient for anything He desires of me, so I need to stop making excuses. He has given me a clear burden for the next year & I'm anxious to share more with you when I know more =) I'm so thankful that Christ identifies with me in my weakness, but He still molds me & makes me more like Himself. Even when I am initially hurt & confused by "God's Chisel." I hope that you will also take a moment to pray & really consider what things you are holding onto that are preventing you from completely surrendering. It's never easy to give it up, but always worth it. Anyways, that's just what's been going on with me lately! If you stuck in there & read all of that, you must really be a great friend =) haha! But all of that just to say this; God truly is good ALL of the time. Even when we don't understand, and we are hurting & confused. He is there, & He loves us & is changing us for our good & His glory.
"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life." 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Showing posts with label God's promises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's promises. Show all posts
Feb 10, 2011
Feb 2, 2010
Lessons from the Cross
Recently I have been praying about something I've been struggling with. Maybe it seems like a little bit of an oxymoron unless you've been there yourself, but I was praying about prayer. I've had some difficult situations take place in the lives of myself, some of my friends, & also my family members lately. I know that in Matthew 5:45 it says that "rain falls on both the just & the unjust" & also in James 1:2 it says that we are to count it all joy when we fall into trials because the testing of our faith produces patience & perseverance. So I know that God has a purpose in every hardship that He allows, but I was kind of struggling because it almost seemed like God was just refusing to answer prayer. I hate seeing the people that I love in the midst of situations where they are hurting & crying out to God & it appears as if God has forsaken them. I know that it is not wise to question God, but I was honestly just struggling with this & I was to the point where I was pretty much challenging God to show Himself clearly in my life & in the lives of my loved ones who were hurting.
How foolish I am. God always answers prayers. Of course He has already shown Himself in my life time & time again, & I realized this. I just wanted to feel Him now. But thankfully we serve a God who is eternally gracious, loving, & Who shows unmerited favor for His children time & time again.
It is amazing how God speaks so clearly through scripture. In my devotions over the past week, it seems as if certain passages were written just for me. So when I was really questioning God about why He was doing something a certain way, I "just happened" to come across these passages. I'll let you in on a little bit of what was taking place in my head:
Me: "Lord, I don't understand! Why are you letting this situation take place in my life right now? This is not a good way to help me grow. Don't you know that my life is crazy enough? This is not what is best for me!!"
Isaiah 45:9 “Woe to you who strives with Him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?"
Me: "Well Father, I wouldn't put it that way exactly. I mean, I wasn't really asking you what you're going to make out of this situation. I guess I was just...well, isn't there a better way? Less painful perhaps? Couldn't you do it, um, my way?"
Isaiah 55:8 "My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord."Me: "I know that, Lord. I understand that Your ways are above my understanding, but would You be willing to hear me out if I made a few suggestions on Your course of action?"
Christ was willing to do whatever it took to fulfill the will of God, even though it meant He would surrender His life. He didn't take the easy way out.
Job 38:4-6 "“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"Me: "Ok, I wasn't there when You created the world. In fact, I haven't even been on earth for 20 years. I know that You know best, I just....Lord I need to understand why I can't see Your hand at work in the situations that my friends & family are going through."
God wasn't silent at this point, but I don't think I was truly listening for His voice. I was trying to walk by sight, not by faith. And as Hebrews 11:6 states "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him."
But again, God is faithful. As I did my devotions in Matthew the other day, God used the story of Christ's persecution in a way that I have never experienced before. As I read through Matthew's account of the crucifixion, I took note of Jesus's prayers to His heavenly Father. In the last hours before His capture, we see Jesus crying out to His Father in the garden of Gethsemane.
In chapter 26, verse 39, Christ is aware of the pain & humiliation He is about to face. "And going a little farther He fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'"
If it was possible, but it wasn't. There was no other way that we could be redeemed & that God's will be done other than this Perfect Man to die in our place. Jesus Christ, the Son of God was crying out asking God if there was some other way for His will to be fulfilled. Just as I had been praying for a different way for God's will to be accomplished in my life. But there is a major difference between my prayer & Christ's prayer; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.
Christ was willing to do whatever it took to fulfill the will of God, even though it meant He would surrender His life. He didn't take the easy way out.
I was hoping that God would provide an easy way out of a difficult time, both in my life & the lives of my loved ones. But when has "easy" ever taught us anything? How much do we depend on God for strength when we feel like we've got everything under control?
But my learning wasn't done yet. As I continued reading the rest of the story through my tears, I noticed some other people who questioned God's ways.
In chapter 27:42-43, as Christ lay on the cross, drawing shallow breaths, the Roman soldiers & angry crowd taunted Him: “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
I suddenly realized my actions in demanding that God prove Himself in my life were very similar to those of the soldiers who crucified Jesus Christ. What if God did follow human's silly whims? What would have happened if God would have accepted their challenge"prove" Himself on that day? The consequences are unimaginable!
If God had indeed delivered His Son from the cross, we would be without a Savior. Think about it. It must have seemed insane & incomprehensible to the bystanders on that day that God was allowing His Son to be pierced & bruised by the hands of men. It didn't make sense that an all powerful God would allow His Son to die. What good, & what purpose could possibly be found in that?
If God had indeed delivered His Son from the cross, we would be without a Savior. Think about it. It must have seemed insane & incomprehensible to the bystanders on that day that God was allowing His Son to be pierced & bruised by the hands of men. It didn't make sense that an all powerful God would allow His Son to die. What good, & what purpose could possibly be found in that?
But thankfully God's ways are not our ways. He is so far above us in every way, & He used a seemingly tragic & hopeless situation to bring hope, life, & salvation into a desperate & dying world. All because He chose not to answer some prayers & challenges in the way that most of us would have expected. He had a purpose that could not be seen in the midst of the pain, but is clearly displayed now in the beauty of His love. If you are struggling with God's purpose in allowing pain into your life, have patience, keep the faith. God's hand is always at work even when we cannot see it, & He never wastes our tears. Persevere; God will reward you. Love you all!!
Dec 31, 2009
Dear World...
I'm writing this letter to tell you goodbye. More specifically, I'm writing this letter to the ruler of this present world; I want you to know that we're through. Satan, I've bought into your empty promises for far too long. All of the glitz & glamor that you so proudly display is nothing but a masquerade that weakly veils the true pain that you are so full of. All these years you have tried to seduce me into your way of thinking, & guess what? You succeeded...for a while. Your whispers led me to believe that I could gain happiness through material things. I became full of greed & grew jealous of what others had; so I hoarded my own money for no other purpose but to spend it on myself. Selfish envy infiltrated my life & my dissatisfaction was apparent. I wanted more! You knew this. You were well aware of the emptiness that my heart held. Happiness is not found in things, of this I was sure. But where then? You had an answer to this as well. Every waif of a model & stick thin body of a celebrity screamed your answer to me: You are not good enough as you are!! You will never achieve happiness until you attain an acceptable standard of beauty! This made me hate myself. So I decided that starvation was the answer. My body was obviously disgusting by the world's standards, why shouldn't I change it? I need to fit in! I need happiness! You were so close to achieving your goal of destroying me. I can almost imagine your face twisted into an evil grin of victory. You had succeeded in turning me focus so wholly on myself that I was totally unable to accomplish anything for the kingdom of God. In fact, I was not only abusing my body; God's temple, but I was also incredibly angry with my Maker. how could God have done such a horrible job in creating my body? Depression & inferiority became deeply rooted in my life. If only someone truly loved me! If only someone could reassure me that I wasn't completely unattractive. I only there was that one person who could sooth my irrational fears.
I gotta hand it to you Satan: Once again you & your worldly influences had an immediate answer for me. A boyfriend! You've seen the movies; everyone that has a boyfriend is perfectly happy. A prince charming will fix all of your troubles! I believed it, & I succeeded in finding myself a guy. A great guy who would take care of me, value my feelings, & fix my life? No. He called me beautiful, he went through some of the motions that are expected of a boyfriend. He said the right things, but he took so much. Satan, this lie hurt me deeply. I thought he cared, & I began to trust this man that I thought would make things better. But he failed because he only cared about his own desires. We were both selfish & we both got hurt. If I had made the choice that you offered me, I could have destroyed my life in that relationship, but it didn't happen! Satan, your grand scheme that you had been weaving for years was about to collapse. You know the rest of the story; you hate this part of the story. It was exactly this time last year when a real prince charming came into my life. He showed me the saving power of my salvation. My salvation that I had neglected for so long while I was chasing after your worthless lies. This Prince revealed to me the distinction between His Father's pure, beautiful promises, & the filthiness of your destructive lies. His name is Jesus Christ. Yeah, go ahead Satan, hide yourself in fear; the True Ruler of this earth came down from heaven to save me from the pit that you kicked me into.
I longed for peace & happiness; Christ satisfied me.
He showed me in His word that I have been created in the image of God. I am His masterpiece & I was made for a specific purpose.
I craved love & acceptance; God demonstrated His incredible love for me & how much He desires a relationship with me-- a silly human!
In Isaiah 43 He quiets my fears & comforts my soul as He describes His unending devotion for me. "Fear not, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name, you are Mine. You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you!"
The God of the universe loves me! I don't deserve it. I have already failed so much. I can never earn it, but guess what Satan? You can never take it away from me. Never! Because God has made a single promise that is infinitely more powerful than all of you lies combined. I am His, & He is mine.
Romans 8:38-39 says it perfectly, so listen closely. "I am convinced than neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
That includes you Satan. So stop trying to make me feel guilty for all of the mistakes I've already made in my life. Yes, I am a sinner, & I will always be one. But Christ, in His unimaginable mercy, chose to become sin for me & to take my punishment. He declared that it was finished on the cross. And unlike you, He doesn't lie! Just like in Zechariah 3, you stand on the sidelines & accuse me; you try to paralyze me with shame. But the angel of the Lord has graciously taken my embarrassing, filthy garments & replaced them with pure & righteous robes. I am no longer a slave to my fleshly desires because Christ overcame my sin when He rose from the grave. He's beaten you Satan-- you've lost!
Christ's mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness reaches to the skies. I have victory & strength in Him, so you can't control my life anymore. I love my true Prince Charming & He has promised to always be with me. So you can take your money, it means nothing to me. You can have your superficial beauty, my Savior's scars are more beautiful than anything imaginable. You can keep all of your prince charmings, I have my own. His name is Pure and Holy. Emmanuel; God with us. He suffered & died for me while I still hated Him, yet He loved me enough to save me from my sins; to save me from myself. He loved me enough to save me from you! Jesus has stolen my heart, my life is His & His alone. I was meant to live for so much more than the empty pleasures you have offered me. So that is why I write you this letter; my faith is in God. I don't want your lies anymore. Goodbye forever.
~Alicia
I gotta hand it to you Satan: Once again you & your worldly influences had an immediate answer for me. A boyfriend! You've seen the movies; everyone that has a boyfriend is perfectly happy. A prince charming will fix all of your troubles! I believed it, & I succeeded in finding myself a guy. A great guy who would take care of me, value my feelings, & fix my life? No. He called me beautiful, he went through some of the motions that are expected of a boyfriend. He said the right things, but he took so much. Satan, this lie hurt me deeply. I thought he cared, & I began to trust this man that I thought would make things better. But he failed because he only cared about his own desires. We were both selfish & we both got hurt. If I had made the choice that you offered me, I could have destroyed my life in that relationship, but it didn't happen! Satan, your grand scheme that you had been weaving for years was about to collapse. You know the rest of the story; you hate this part of the story. It was exactly this time last year when a real prince charming came into my life. He showed me the saving power of my salvation. My salvation that I had neglected for so long while I was chasing after your worthless lies. This Prince revealed to me the distinction between His Father's pure, beautiful promises, & the filthiness of your destructive lies. His name is Jesus Christ. Yeah, go ahead Satan, hide yourself in fear; the True Ruler of this earth came down from heaven to save me from the pit that you kicked me into.
I longed for peace & happiness; Christ satisfied me.
He showed me in His word that I have been created in the image of God. I am His masterpiece & I was made for a specific purpose.
I craved love & acceptance; God demonstrated His incredible love for me & how much He desires a relationship with me-- a silly human!
In Isaiah 43 He quiets my fears & comforts my soul as He describes His unending devotion for me. "Fear not, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name, you are Mine. You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you!"
The God of the universe loves me! I don't deserve it. I have already failed so much. I can never earn it, but guess what Satan? You can never take it away from me. Never! Because God has made a single promise that is infinitely more powerful than all of you lies combined. I am His, & He is mine.
Romans 8:38-39 says it perfectly, so listen closely. "I am convinced than neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
That includes you Satan. So stop trying to make me feel guilty for all of the mistakes I've already made in my life. Yes, I am a sinner, & I will always be one. But Christ, in His unimaginable mercy, chose to become sin for me & to take my punishment. He declared that it was finished on the cross. And unlike you, He doesn't lie! Just like in Zechariah 3, you stand on the sidelines & accuse me; you try to paralyze me with shame. But the angel of the Lord has graciously taken my embarrassing, filthy garments & replaced them with pure & righteous robes. I am no longer a slave to my fleshly desires because Christ overcame my sin when He rose from the grave. He's beaten you Satan-- you've lost!
Christ's mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness reaches to the skies. I have victory & strength in Him, so you can't control my life anymore. I love my true Prince Charming & He has promised to always be with me. So you can take your money, it means nothing to me. You can have your superficial beauty, my Savior's scars are more beautiful than anything imaginable. You can keep all of your prince charmings, I have my own. His name is Pure and Holy. Emmanuel; God with us. He suffered & died for me while I still hated Him, yet He loved me enough to save me from my sins; to save me from myself. He loved me enough to save me from you! Jesus has stolen my heart, my life is His & His alone. I was meant to live for so much more than the empty pleasures you have offered me. So that is why I write you this letter; my faith is in God. I don't want your lies anymore. Goodbye forever.
~Alicia
Nov 29, 2009
Lord, teach us how to pray.
I just want to share something that God has put on my heart lately. Last weekend I was able to come to Chetek & visit my family & my home church. Pastor Schmidt has been teaching a series entitled "Steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding." It is based out of Ephesians 6 & it has been such a blessing! Well, last Sunday we were in verse 18 which says "Praying always in the Spirit, with all prayer & supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints."
As soon as Pastor Schmidt read that verse I felt conviction. God has been dealing with me on this subject for several months. I do not spend nearly enough time in prayer every day. Prayer is much harder for me then spending time in God's word. When I am reading the Bible, I feel a sense of (for lack of a better word) accomplishment when I have finished. But in prayer, I share my burdens & requests with the Lord & then I have to wait. I hate waiting. I want things to be fixed immediately. I like to have a part in helping with a problem, I don't like leaving things up to others. So to ask God to take care of something & then wait on the Lord's timing is very difficult for me. Isn't it crazy that I, as a financially broke, worn out college student, would try to fix a problem before I take it to almighty God & ask for His help? Yeah, it is very crazy! Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think. And John 11:22 says "But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” So, I want to challenge you to join me as I purpose to spend more time in prayer every day & to trust God more!
And can I challenge you with one more thing? Pray for others! I know that we all have so many issues in our own lives. Stressful situations, & other things that we worry about. But everyone around you has just as many things going on. I don't think any of us realize the difficult situations that go on in the lives of others.
God has really been burdening me about this recently & I think that every one of us can spend more time in prayer for these people especially:
I don't think that any of us stateside believers can even imagine the kind of trials that missionaries face every day. Not only do they devote their lives to reaching others with the gospel, but they are often thousands of miles away from their family & friends. I know how much I miss my family & my home church when I am at college, but missionaries spend years away from their loved ones. They face challenges day after day on the field, whether it is government opposition to their ministry, or a strained budget. Medical care is usually not up to par & groceries are expensive. Add that to all of your 'normal' challenges that are part of the ministry. They counsel many new believers & they are in charge of all of the church activities & services. Missionaries need our prayers! Pray that they would have strength to accomplish everyday tasks. Pray for their safety as many of them minister in dangerous areas of the world. Pray for encouragement as they spend years away from their family & friends. Pray for provision, especially as the American economy is struggling, many missionaries are losing financial support. Pray for grace as they face many trials. Pray for compassion as they witness to others. Pray for wisdom as they counsel with many new believers & struggling Christians.
There are so many others in our lives that need prayer, so I encourage you to just take the time to ask people how they are doing...& mean it!! Don't just let them tell you "I'm fine." We need to share each other's burdens, & what better way to do it than on our knees, in prayer! Thank you so much for stopping in, & please feel free to leave any prayer requests you might have.
As soon as Pastor Schmidt read that verse I felt conviction. God has been dealing with me on this subject for several months. I do not spend nearly enough time in prayer every day. Prayer is much harder for me then spending time in God's word. When I am reading the Bible, I feel a sense of (for lack of a better word) accomplishment when I have finished. But in prayer, I share my burdens & requests with the Lord & then I have to wait. I hate waiting. I want things to be fixed immediately. I like to have a part in helping with a problem, I don't like leaving things up to others. So to ask God to take care of something & then wait on the Lord's timing is very difficult for me. Isn't it crazy that I, as a financially broke, worn out college student, would try to fix a problem before I take it to almighty God & ask for His help? Yeah, it is very crazy! Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think. And John 11:22 says "But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” So, I want to challenge you to join me as I purpose to spend more time in prayer every day & to trust God more!
And can I challenge you with one more thing? Pray for others! I know that we all have so many issues in our own lives. Stressful situations, & other things that we worry about. But everyone around you has just as many things going on. I don't think any of us realize the difficult situations that go on in the lives of others.
God has really been burdening me about this recently & I think that every one of us can spend more time in prayer for these people especially:
- Our church leaders
- Our Missionaries
I don't think that any of us stateside believers can even imagine the kind of trials that missionaries face every day. Not only do they devote their lives to reaching others with the gospel, but they are often thousands of miles away from their family & friends. I know how much I miss my family & my home church when I am at college, but missionaries spend years away from their loved ones. They face challenges day after day on the field, whether it is government opposition to their ministry, or a strained budget. Medical care is usually not up to par & groceries are expensive. Add that to all of your 'normal' challenges that are part of the ministry. They counsel many new believers & they are in charge of all of the church activities & services. Missionaries need our prayers! Pray that they would have strength to accomplish everyday tasks. Pray for their safety as many of them minister in dangerous areas of the world. Pray for encouragement as they spend years away from their family & friends. Pray for provision, especially as the American economy is struggling, many missionaries are losing financial support. Pray for grace as they face many trials. Pray for compassion as they witness to others. Pray for wisdom as they counsel with many new believers & struggling Christians.
Nov 1, 2009
An Amazing Gift of Forgiveness
So I've been feeling quite restless lately. Not just physically restless, but spiritually as well. I don't know how else to describe it, it has just been a constant feeling as if I need to find out more about God & also that I need to be going for 5 mile runs so I have alone time to think about everything I'm learning! Lol!
But honestly, I've had a lot to sort out since last time I posted. For those of you that don't know me terribly well; I'm the kind of person that always needs to know 'why' I am doing something. I really had a challenge to my faith last weekend & not in the form that you would normally suspect. The challenge came while I was reading a book about a legendary missionary named Adoniram Judson. I'm sure many of you have heard about him. For those of you that haven't, I'll give you a brief description of this amazing guy:
He was born & raised in the home of a Pastor but he did not come to know Christ as his Savior until he was around twenty years old. When he did get saved he was absolutely on fire for God. He determined to go where no white-believer had ever gone before & he & his wife went to Burma, Asia. To make an incredible (but long) story short; he had a very rough time on the field. He went six years before he saw a single convert, he spent 20 months in a torture prison, three of his wives & several of his children died on the mission field, & he endured severe problems with his health for his entire life.
This is when I started questioning; Why would God let this happen to a man who was so clearly dedicated to furthering the Gospel? Yes, in spite of all of these trials he eventually saw thousands of Burmese people come to know the Lord & he translated the entire Bible into a language that had previously not even had a genuine book in print. But couldn't he have done even more for the cause of Christ if he had not been afflicted with so much suffering? Why would God allow such harm to come to a man that loved Him so dearly? Why do I love & serve a God that would let this happen?
Wow. I didn't even know where that thought came from. I'm at a Bible college, determined to serve God with my life & here I am questioning why I even love him? This is insane to me. As 1 Corinthians 10:12 says "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." Despite the questions that were running through my head, I know that the Word of God is true, & I have experienced the love of God so clearly in my life that I know NOTHING can come between me & the love of my Heavenly Father. But the questions were still there. Why? So I prayed about it, & as He has promised to do, God gave me peace & assurance.
God loves every person on this planet so much that He will do anything it takes to bring as many people as possible out from the bondage of their sin & into His love & salvation. No, we will never know the exact reason behind everything God does in this lifetime. We have to trust His sovereignty. He knows the thoughts, struggles, & every detail of every person intimately. Therefore, He knows exactly what situation each person needs in their life to bring them closer to Himself. I know there have been trials in my own life that other people could look at & question God as to why He would allow that thing to come into my life. But after experiencing those trials I know that without them, I would not depend on Christ, or have a close walk with Him. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 illustrates this perfectly:
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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
What need would we have for God if our lives were perfect? What compassion would we have? What consequence would there be for sin if nothing bad ever happened? Truth is, I serve a Holy & Sovereign God who would rather see people suffer for a short time on this earth, realize their need for Him, & accept the gift of His salvation, than see them spend an eternity in hell; separated from everything that is good & comforting.
Not only that, but God knew exactly what He was doing when He put these trials into my own life. I have had an open door to talk with many girls who would have otherwise completely shut me out. Why? Because I had experienced similar hurts & I could now identify with them. They could also see that God had done a work in my life & given me victory despite my circumstances. This is the power of God & (for lack of a better word) the amazing-ness of His will!It was once said "God never wastes our tears." He knows what He is doing. Everything He does is for His glory & for the good of others.
So how does all of this tie in with my title of Forgiveness? Quite simply: because I am a sinner & I can't believe how complete God's love for me is. Isaiah 53:5 says "But He was wounded for our transgressions;He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and by His stripes we are healed."
God is all-knowing. He knew every sin I would ever commit. He knew all of the times I would choose to go against His Word. He knew every time I would bring His name down by making selfish choices for my own pleasure. He knew every time I would ever think an unrighteous thought. Every time I would look down on other people. Every single time I would choose to sin because I didn't trust that God's plan for my life was good enough. He even knew that I would doubt Him last weekend, even after the countless times He has demonstrated His perfect love for me in amazing ways. All of that & He CHOSE to die for me. This is when I should really be asking "WHY?!"
Why would Christ choose to experience a horrible death on the cross to redeem people that hated Him? Micah 7:18 says
"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love."
I honestly cannot answer why God loves us silly humans so much. In our selfishness & foolishness, He still delights in showing us a steadfast love that cannot possibly be explained. It is nothing we have done or could ever do to earn it; it is who He is. God IS love. God=Love. There is no way to explain it. So all we can do is rejoice in it & try to show that love to others. What a great gift, huh? Hopefully this is something we can all think about a little more this week & do a little happy dance about (just do it sometime when you're all alone, lest anyone point out your lack of dancing skills =)
But honestly, I've had a lot to sort out since last time I posted. For those of you that don't know me terribly well; I'm the kind of person that always needs to know 'why' I am doing something. I really had a challenge to my faith last weekend & not in the form that you would normally suspect. The challenge came while I was reading a book about a legendary missionary named Adoniram Judson. I'm sure many of you have heard about him. For those of you that haven't, I'll give you a brief description of this amazing guy:
He was born & raised in the home of a Pastor but he did not come to know Christ as his Savior until he was around twenty years old. When he did get saved he was absolutely on fire for God. He determined to go where no white-believer had ever gone before & he & his wife went to Burma, Asia. To make an incredible (but long) story short; he had a very rough time on the field. He went six years before he saw a single convert, he spent 20 months in a torture prison, three of his wives & several of his children died on the mission field, & he endured severe problems with his health for his entire life.
This is when I started questioning; Why would God let this happen to a man who was so clearly dedicated to furthering the Gospel? Yes, in spite of all of these trials he eventually saw thousands of Burmese people come to know the Lord & he translated the entire Bible into a language that had previously not even had a genuine book in print. But couldn't he have done even more for the cause of Christ if he had not been afflicted with so much suffering? Why would God allow such harm to come to a man that loved Him so dearly? Why do I love & serve a God that would let this happen?
Wow. I didn't even know where that thought came from. I'm at a Bible college, determined to serve God with my life & here I am questioning why I even love him? This is insane to me. As 1 Corinthians 10:12 says "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." Despite the questions that were running through my head, I know that the Word of God is true, & I have experienced the love of God so clearly in my life that I know NOTHING can come between me & the love of my Heavenly Father. But the questions were still there. Why? So I prayed about it, & as He has promised to do, God gave me peace & assurance.
God loves every person on this planet so much that He will do anything it takes to bring as many people as possible out from the bondage of their sin & into His love & salvation. No, we will never know the exact reason behind everything God does in this lifetime. We have to trust His sovereignty. He knows the thoughts, struggles, & every detail of every person intimately. Therefore, He knows exactly what situation each person needs in their life to bring them closer to Himself. I know there have been trials in my own life that other people could look at & question God as to why He would allow that thing to come into my life. But after experiencing those trials I know that without them, I would not depend on Christ, or have a close walk with Him. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 illustrates this perfectly:
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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
What need would we have for God if our lives were perfect? What compassion would we have? What consequence would there be for sin if nothing bad ever happened? Truth is, I serve a Holy & Sovereign God who would rather see people suffer for a short time on this earth, realize their need for Him, & accept the gift of His salvation, than see them spend an eternity in hell; separated from everything that is good & comforting.
Not only that, but God knew exactly what He was doing when He put these trials into my own life. I have had an open door to talk with many girls who would have otherwise completely shut me out. Why? Because I had experienced similar hurts & I could now identify with them. They could also see that God had done a work in my life & given me victory despite my circumstances. This is the power of God & (for lack of a better word) the amazing-ness of His will!It was once said "God never wastes our tears." He knows what He is doing. Everything He does is for His glory & for the good of others.
So how does all of this tie in with my title of Forgiveness? Quite simply: because I am a sinner & I can't believe how complete God's love for me is. Isaiah 53:5 says "But He was wounded for our transgressions;He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and by His stripes we are healed."
God is all-knowing. He knew every sin I would ever commit. He knew all of the times I would choose to go against His Word. He knew every time I would bring His name down by making selfish choices for my own pleasure. He knew every time I would ever think an unrighteous thought. Every time I would look down on other people. Every single time I would choose to sin because I didn't trust that God's plan for my life was good enough. He even knew that I would doubt Him last weekend, even after the countless times He has demonstrated His perfect love for me in amazing ways. All of that & He CHOSE to die for me. This is when I should really be asking "WHY?!"
Why would Christ choose to experience a horrible death on the cross to redeem people that hated Him? Micah 7:18 says
"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love."
I honestly cannot answer why God loves us silly humans so much. In our selfishness & foolishness, He still delights in showing us a steadfast love that cannot possibly be explained. It is nothing we have done or could ever do to earn it; it is who He is. God IS love. God=Love. There is no way to explain it. So all we can do is rejoice in it & try to show that love to others. What a great gift, huh? Hopefully this is something we can all think about a little more this week & do a little happy dance about (just do it sometime when you're all alone, lest anyone point out your lack of dancing skills =)
Aug 13, 2009
Draw near to Me.
Most of us have read, or heard James 4:8 "Draw near to God, & He will draw near to you."
But how many of us really believe that? I have been so burdened lately because of a number of girls that have recently asked me why they don't feel like God cares about them. Or why they feel such a need to have a boyfriend, or they are desperate for attention from a guy because they just don't feel like God is enough.
I have been there. Not that long ago actually. Last year, I went through this exact same thing, I really doubted that God cared all that much about me. Well, I knew He loved me, & He had loved me enough to pay the penalty for my sins. But it almost seemed to me like thats where His love for me had emptied out, on the cross. Now I was left to get through the rest of life by myself.
At the same time, I really did believe in what the Bible said, I just wasn't 'drawing near' to God. As in seeking after Him, & getting into His word to find out more about His true character. As with any relationship, how can you love or trust someone if you have never really gotten to know them? God has promised us so much more than a 'surface' relationship with Him, but we often don't look to Him to fill His promises, we look other places instead.
Think about it, so many girls need attention from guys, or need to be in a relationship to get a sense of security. What do they do when they begin dating a guy?
That's just it, they go on dates! Lol. No trick questions here. ;)
They want to get to know the guy, see what kind of person he is & all of that mushy stuff.
Now stick with me, but it's kind of the same principle with your daily devotions. I think alot of times we think of devotions as a time where we read our required chapter a day or whatever, then we list off our requests to God. But how would it be if we did that in our relationships, even with friends & family? Can you imagine just walking up to the person, you've read their facebook info or whatever, so you figure you know enough about them, no need to really ask them questions about themselves, or try to find out what they're really like. Great! Now you can move on to asking them to take care of some things for you.
Probably wouldn't get a great response from that, huh? Of course not! Sometimes we have to work to develop good relationships.
So I want to encourage you, seek out God! He has promised to draw near to you! And guess what? God never leaves us either! I have found that whenever there are times I don't feel as close to God, it is never because He has changed, or that He gone somewhere else, it is ALWAYS because I have taken my focus off of Him. So turn around, God is waiting for you right back where you left Him.
There are SO MANY verses that have to do with God's love for us, I just want to share a few that I have found especially encouraging. I really want to challenge those of you ladies who may think that you will not feel whole or loved unless you have a boyfriend to really, honestly meditate on some of these verses & just ask God to help you to rest in His love. He loves you more than any guy ever could!
Psalm 36:5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from far away. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."
Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.
1 John 4:16 So we have come to know & to believe the love God has for us. God is love, & whoever abides in love abides in God, & God abides in him.
Did you catch that? God is love! And He abides in us if we have asked Christ to be our Savior! He will never leave you or forsake you. He has promised that in His word, & it says in Hebrews 6:13-20 that it is impossible for God to lie. He can't do it! Which means He is faithful & He will fulfill His promises to us. Ok, so heres the last passage I'm going to share with you all for today. It is one of my favorites because it reminds me that I am never alone, no matter what I go through in this life. Christ is with me, & He will protect me.
Isaiah 43:1-5
But now, thus says the Lord,
He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel; "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; & through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, & the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush & Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in My eyes, & honored, and I LOVE YOU! I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you."
WOW! I can't help but have peace after I read that. God, who created everything on this earth, cared so much about me, that He chose me, He called me by name to make me His own. He is more powerful than anything our minds can fathom, yet He promises that He will be with us through every little trial, every little heartache. He even tells us that He would give all of Egypt, Cush, & Seba (some extremely wealthy countries at the time) in exchange for us. But He ended up giving something infinately more precious, His only Son, to pay the ransom for our sins. God tells us that we are precious in His eyes, & that He loves us!!
I don't know about you, but I don't believe that there is a guy, or any person for that matter, on this earth that can match that kind of love. And they shouldn't have to try, because God is enough! No, it is not a bad thing to want a relationship & eventually marriage someday,that is great. But it is so important to get in your Bible & find out who God really is, & have a personal realtionship with your Savior before you go searching for a guy to try to fill the emptiness you feel. No guy can fill it, & it is unfair to put that kind of pressure on anyone. You are so valuable in Christ's eyes & He loves you & wants to help you. Draw near to God, He WILL draw near to you!
But how many of us really believe that? I have been so burdened lately because of a number of girls that have recently asked me why they don't feel like God cares about them. Or why they feel such a need to have a boyfriend, or they are desperate for attention from a guy because they just don't feel like God is enough.
I have been there. Not that long ago actually. Last year, I went through this exact same thing, I really doubted that God cared all that much about me. Well, I knew He loved me, & He had loved me enough to pay the penalty for my sins. But it almost seemed to me like thats where His love for me had emptied out, on the cross. Now I was left to get through the rest of life by myself.
At the same time, I really did believe in what the Bible said, I just wasn't 'drawing near' to God. As in seeking after Him, & getting into His word to find out more about His true character. As with any relationship, how can you love or trust someone if you have never really gotten to know them? God has promised us so much more than a 'surface' relationship with Him, but we often don't look to Him to fill His promises, we look other places instead.
Think about it, so many girls need attention from guys, or need to be in a relationship to get a sense of security. What do they do when they begin dating a guy?
That's just it, they go on dates! Lol. No trick questions here. ;)
They want to get to know the guy, see what kind of person he is & all of that mushy stuff.
Now stick with me, but it's kind of the same principle with your daily devotions. I think alot of times we think of devotions as a time where we read our required chapter a day or whatever, then we list off our requests to God. But how would it be if we did that in our relationships, even with friends & family? Can you imagine just walking up to the person, you've read their facebook info or whatever, so you figure you know enough about them, no need to really ask them questions about themselves, or try to find out what they're really like. Great! Now you can move on to asking them to take care of some things for you.
Probably wouldn't get a great response from that, huh? Of course not! Sometimes we have to work to develop good relationships.
So I want to encourage you, seek out God! He has promised to draw near to you! And guess what? God never leaves us either! I have found that whenever there are times I don't feel as close to God, it is never because He has changed, or that He gone somewhere else, it is ALWAYS because I have taken my focus off of Him. So turn around, God is waiting for you right back where you left Him.
There are SO MANY verses that have to do with God's love for us, I just want to share a few that I have found especially encouraging. I really want to challenge those of you ladies who may think that you will not feel whole or loved unless you have a boyfriend to really, honestly meditate on some of these verses & just ask God to help you to rest in His love. He loves you more than any guy ever could!
Psalm 36:5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from far away. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."
Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.
1 John 4:16 So we have come to know & to believe the love God has for us. God is love, & whoever abides in love abides in God, & God abides in him.
Did you catch that? God is love! And He abides in us if we have asked Christ to be our Savior! He will never leave you or forsake you. He has promised that in His word, & it says in Hebrews 6:13-20 that it is impossible for God to lie. He can't do it! Which means He is faithful & He will fulfill His promises to us. Ok, so heres the last passage I'm going to share with you all for today. It is one of my favorites because it reminds me that I am never alone, no matter what I go through in this life. Christ is with me, & He will protect me.
Isaiah 43:1-5
But now, thus says the Lord,
He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel; "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; & through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, & the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush & Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in My eyes, & honored, and I LOVE YOU! I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you."
WOW! I can't help but have peace after I read that. God, who created everything on this earth, cared so much about me, that He chose me, He called me by name to make me His own. He is more powerful than anything our minds can fathom, yet He promises that He will be with us through every little trial, every little heartache. He even tells us that He would give all of Egypt, Cush, & Seba (some extremely wealthy countries at the time) in exchange for us. But He ended up giving something infinately more precious, His only Son, to pay the ransom for our sins. God tells us that we are precious in His eyes, & that He loves us!!
I don't know about you, but I don't believe that there is a guy, or any person for that matter, on this earth that can match that kind of love. And they shouldn't have to try, because God is enough! No, it is not a bad thing to want a relationship & eventually marriage someday,that is great. But it is so important to get in your Bible & find out who God really is, & have a personal realtionship with your Savior before you go searching for a guy to try to fill the emptiness you feel. No guy can fill it, & it is unfair to put that kind of pressure on anyone. You are so valuable in Christ's eyes & He loves you & wants to help you. Draw near to God, He WILL draw near to you!
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