A Reflection and Looking Ahead

"And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." -Colossians 1:17

2011 has been a year where my cup has overflowed. God has blessed me beyond comprehension with some wonderful gifts, and the most precious gift I could have ever received aside from my salvation, my incredible husband, made just for me. And the way in which He answered prayers, like that for a husband, were above and beyond all that I could have imagined or hoped for (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Throughout this year God has not only blessed me abundantly, but has, in His love, sanctified me in a variety of ways. I have seen His hand reveal areas of weakness in my life, and have felt the Spirit's strengthening power to run this race harder. This year my prayer was two-fold with regard to my own sanctification; that I might know Him better and that I might comprehend the weight of the Gospel more. I am an eternity from the total fruition of these prayers being answered, but can truly say that He has allowed me to see Jesus as more glorious and great this year, and He has made the Gospel more real in my life. For that, I am so thankful.

As I look back on this year, I am humbled and in awe of God's faithfulness. I wonder why I ever distrust such a perfectly sovereign and good God. Despite the suffering, trials, and daily battles I have faced, I have realized more than ever the goodness of the Great God we serve! His immutable faithfulness is dumbfounding, characteristics that I never grow weary of praising Him for.

I believe as Christians it is a good thing to look back over the year, whether full of blessing or trial, and stand in awe of our great God. When you begin to examine the days of the year, you can't help but find yourself thanking Him for His constant love, steadfast protection and provision, and grace in your life. You see more clearly His sustaining power in all things in your life. And recognize that it is by His grace you were given another year.

And as we reflect and bring Him glory, we prayerfully anticipate the next year, 2012. There are countless unknowns and the great possibility that we may see Him face to face this year! There is a vital need to pray, to entreat the mighty God, and expectantly hope in this year, knowing that whatever His will is for it will be good, perfect!

I am beyond excited for 2012, despite the unknowns, because I have a great Father in heaven who holds all things in His hands! It is another year to know HIm more, to bring Him more glory, and to enjoy the good gifts (like my sweet husband), that He has blessed me with!

Thank you Jesus for 2011, I trust you with 2012!

The Gospel's Power to Humble

The human heart, by nature, is selfish and proud. Although it may be disguised at times in self pity or selfishly motivated humility, we must admit that being humble does not come "natural". And in a country and culture where self-worth, self-esteem, and pride is esteemed, being humble is all the more of a struggle. Yet, for the Christian, it is a command. Jesus himself called for a denial of self in order to be one of His disciples. And He goes further in summing up all the commandments into two; love Him first, and then love others...making you and me, number three. I'll be the first to admit that both of these characteristics that should define a Christ follower are struggles for me daily. My flesh is weak and although the Spirit is willing and able, I so often fail to draw from Him, and end up falling prey to my own fleshly wants and desires. I find myself like the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 saying, " For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing" (v19). And yet there is one thing that can humble me to my knees, one thing I must meditate more and more on, and preach continually to my heart- The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As Christmas comes this week I have been daily reminded of the Gospel. I can't think of the little baby in the manger without immediately thinking about the man on the cross. I am dumbfounded when I recognize the weight of what happened during the transaction that day. And I am humbled beyond understanding when I recall the events of Christ's birth, life, and death. The God of the universe, coming to earth as a baby, in a stable? It sounds foolish. And then He goes further, purposefully planned, and dies the most heinous death possible, never once opening his mouth in rebuke or wrath. That kind of humility is out of this world, it is perfect in every way. It demands my worship, adoration, living.

And the message as Paul calls it in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God", is truly the most humbling. It forces a sinner to their knees, to a recognition of the true state of self, and to a humbling reality that there is no hope within the human race. It demands repentance. And yet, while devastating the pride of the individual and humiliating the person to their knees, it offers the sweetest of promises, the greatest of joys, and the most wonderful of hopes. It is humbling, but in the most satisfying way. A salvation that is solely His to give and freely ours to cling to. How precious, how great is this Truth.

My heart's hope is that this Christmas season will spur on a year of continual reflecting on the Gospel message. It is the only message that will bring about true humility as we live for Him each day, and enable us to selflessly live a life for the glory of His name!

A Sobering Reality

Death is a sobering reality, a reality we often forget. We often live day by day with a sense of immortality in our minds. And although we aren't to live in fear, there is a Truth Scripture exhorts us towards, a Truth that reminds us of where our focus must be during all of life's seasons.

In Ecclesiastes 7:2, the wise Solomon speaks this weighty words:

"It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart."

I can remember it like it was yesterday. Before I even got to the hospital I knew, I knew I would never see my grandpa this side of heaven again, and the pain of that was unbearable. I don't think I have ever cried so hard in my life, a sort of weeping that pains every fiber of your being, my heart literally hurt. And yet, in the midst of it all, I had an indescribable peace and joy that I couldn't explain. It didn't remove the pain I was enduring, or stop the tears I shed for days, but it shifted my focus from the temporal to the eternal. In that season I was struck head on with a reality I had never had to face before, that reality that Solomon speaks of in Ecclesiastes 7, that death is real, and for every person that ever walks the face of this earth.

In the midst of all the tears I was reminded of two crucial things; his salvation (and mine), and the reality of the Great Commission. The joy and burden of both weighed heavy on my heart. It was almost if I had been jolted into the realm of reality I hadn't wanted to face. The fact that I didn't have "forever", and the need for purpose in my pursuit of this life. Why was I here? Merely to bring glory to God through the exclamation of His precious and powerful Gospel, the hope that is found in Jesus Christ alone. My grandpa had been saved for less than a year when He went home to be with His Savior. He had heard the Gospel countless times in his 60 some odd years and rejected it again and again, and yet by the sovereign hand of the Almighty, He had been sustained, God's patience had endured until the day He was given eyes to see and a heart to respond. The power of the Gospel was displayed in the death of my grandpa. There was true joy in knowing I would see Him again.

So what's the point of all of this you might ask? The point is that we MUST refocus our minds and hearts on the eternal. We must realize that death is imminent for all men and we don't know the timing of the Almighty for each individual, it could be today, it could be tomorrow, or it could be in 50 years from now. But regardless, as believers we have been given a commission, to use TODAY to be a light for Him, to take the opportunities to share His Truth, to pray for the lost and unsaved in our midst, and to trust the God who is mighty to save. Marvel at the life you have been given because it is the grace of God, and only that, that sustains your every breath. Stand in awe of the salvation which He has graciously given you, and don't take that for granted. Be reminded in life and death of the reality of the temporary and the eternity of the eternal...and live for what is imperishable not for what moths and dust will destroy. Think on these things regularly, and never lose sight of the hope on which you stand.

And for the unsaved, let death be a wake up call to you. Recognize the reality that you are hanging by a mere thread over the pit of hell and it is but by the mercy and grace of God that you still live and breath. KNOW that He is ready to save you, His love seen through the Gospel of Jesus Christ enables your sin to be forgiven and for the perfect righteousness of Christ to be put on your account. In a moment your destiny can change. Don't believe the lies of the enemy that you have more time. Time is in the hands of the One who made you, and death is real, and never timely. I plead with you to repent, to turn from your sins and to put your trust and confidence fully in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Your eternal destiny depends on it...

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter,and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." - 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

An Infant God?

"Why did Jesus have to be God?"...I think as believers we have all faced this question, especially during Christmas. For whatever reason, people have a really hard time understanding how on earth a baby in a manger was the God of the universe, the One who created everything! It might be easier to believe He was God when He was out and about performing miracles, or even when He rose from the dead, but when He was lying in a manger? When he was a toddler walking around the home of Mary and Joseph? As a school aged boy playing with his friends? Was He really God, and did He even have to be at that point?

Well think about this for a moment...

A perfect, holy, Creator, God makes man who in turn is also blameless and living in perfection. In the sovereign plan and design of that holy God, man falls, disobeys, and sin enters the ENTIRE human race. From that point on, there is no longer fellowship between the two (God and man), it seems from the perspective of creation, to have forever been marred. YET, God had a greater design, a more perfect plan then anyone could fathom. His glory would be displayed in an indescribable and unfathomable way. God would make a way, a way for man to restore the relationship, to be cleansed from their iniquity forever, and to enjoy eternity in heaven with Him. The solution? Jesus Christ, His perfect Son, God in the flesh.

The incarnation of Christ baffles the human mind. In order to save us God had to become man. The Son assumed a genuine human nature in order to: perfectly obey God’s law (in order to fulfill the covenant of works), suffer and die on the cross as a vicarious atonement and rise again victorious over Satan, sin and death. It is a tremendous blessing to us that the Mediator will forever and ever be both God and man. For eternity we will be able to look at the scars in our Lord’s hands, feet and side. His glorified human body will be an eternal testimony to His supreme love; the love that caused Him to descend from the room of heaven to the filthy manger in Bethlehem and the painful road to Golgotha.

So there you have it, the answer to an age old question. Was Jesus God in that manger...yes, and more importantly, did He have to be...yes. He CHOSE to submit, to love, to redeem, to reconcile, to restore, and to one day glorify.

As we reflect this month on the true Christmas story, stop and marvel at the reality of the incarnation...be amazed once more, glorify the risen Christ with the angels in heaven, and remember why it had to be, and more importantly why He did it.

Kept

When I spend time studying the Word of God, I tend to be drawn to passages in Scripture that are very practical; whether that be exhortations from the epistles, or commands from the Lord Jesus Himself-I like application, application pertaining to how to live a holy life (what to do). And, although application to my pursuit of holiness is a necessary and fruitful aspect of studying the Word of God, I often times neglect some pieces of Scripture that remind me of Gospel Truths. I forget to spend time meditating on the cross and the power of the Gospel and all that it means for me, a child of God. My work towards holiness sometimes becomes more of habit or have to rather than of love and get to. The Gospel, for the believer, is the precious Truth that must be meditated upon continually, lest we forget.

Psalm 46:10 is one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture- "BE STILL/CEASE STRIVING, and KNOW that I AM GOD!" This powerful sentence has ministered to me in the deepest of valleys and on the highest mountain peaks during my walk with the Lord. I have found a common theme in my life, no matter where I am...HE IS GOD, YOU ARE HIS, REST IN THAT. There is power in that reality. Knowing that the favor and love of God I experience was eternally mine through the work of Christ is incredible. Nothing I do, or don't do is going to increase or decrease the love I receive. The work He did on the cross, accomplished it all, it is finished. He chose me from before the foundation of time, He called me as I walked this life, and He will never let me go!

As I started thinking about this and spent time reflecting on the cross, I remembered a message I heard from C.J. Mahaney from the small book of Jude. In it he read the following:

"Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by[a] Jesus Christ:

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." (Jude 1-2, 24-25)

His message? You WERE called, you ARE loved, and you WILL FOREVER BE kept by Christ. Reading this passage in Scripture brings so much joy and peace to my heart. HE called me, because HE loves me (not because of some amazing person I was or would be), because He saw me through Christ and the cross. And it is HIM, and HIM ALONE who will keep me from falling, from stumbling...He alone will be the one who will bring me before the Father, Christ alone, and present me as blameless, BECAUSE OF HIS WORK ON CALVARY. So what then? Jude's response is right on- TO GOD OUR SAVIOR BE ALL GLORY AND MAJESTY AND POWER FOREVER!!!

We often tend to gauge our favor with God based on how holy we are or how obedient we are being. But are we obeying Him because we want Him to love us more, because we have to, or because that's what a Christian does?? OR are we obeying Him because we love Him? Because we are simply responding to the Gospel, to the cross?

I guarantee if we spent 5 minutes every morning reflecting on the work of Christ on the cross, excavating the depths of Truth in the Scriptures pertaining to this, our days would look very different. When you are aware of the Gospel, you walk differently, you talk differently, you love differently. When you are aware of the cross, you are humbled and amazed and can't help but respond with adoration, glory and honor to the King.

So I challenge you, as I have myself, to spend time each morning reflecting first on the cross before you get into your day, or even before you get into other parts of Scripture pertaining to life; ask the Lord to make you more aware of the Gospel, the power it truly has, and what it has done for you. Dig deep into the Truth of the ultimate love story on Calvary and ask the Lord to help you to see more clearly. The reality of the Gospel is something that should never become old and should continually spur praise and thanks, it should be continually in focus as we live our lives for Him!

Thanks Giving

Although every day should be a day of "thanksgiving", this time of year seems to draw up more gratitude then any other time. Giving thanks seems to be the message from every corner of society for a short week in November. The lists people compile always seem to include similar things, things we daily take for granted, and yet for a moment, stop, and recognize the reality of the blessings they really are. If we honestly took ten minutes to reflect on our own life and compile a list of blessings, we'd find that ten minutes wasn't enough time, the list could go on and on and on.

But then Thanksgiving ends and Christmas and then the new year rolls around and the attitude of gratitude fades from society almost immediately, and unfortunately, even amongst Christians. We find new reasons to complain and daily disappointments and frustrations seem to fill our lives once more. What a terrible truth this is. What a terrible witness to the world we become.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that thanksgiving seems to fade from the Christian as it does from the world, but rather the reality of that thanks is often forgot. Think about it this way for a moment...the house you gave thanks for is now a source of complaint because of the constant fixings it needs; or maybe the job you gave thanks for becomes a source of discontentment when you don't receive the raise you had so hoped for; or the thanks for a healthy body seems to be forgotten when the sniffles come around. How often we forget, and how often we neglect to realize HOW MUCH we should be giving thanks. As believers, it should continually be on our lips.

I too have fallen prey to forgetting and have found myself yet again this season reminding myself of the need for continual thanksgiving in my life, every moment of every day. As I sat and thought about the list I could compile I realized that what made my #1 spot was something that despite the lack of anything else in this world would and should fuel thanksgiving in my heart for eternity...the GOSPEL. And because I have heard it so many times, I admit, I often neglect remembering the realities and beauty of it, so I began to preach it once again to myself...

The reality that In the beginning GOD...created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) is mind boggling. And then God, the Maker of the universe, the always existent One, created man in his image. And when man, under the sovereign plan and will of God, chose to disobey, to sin, to pridefully believe he knew better than the perfect God, God wasn't surprised. In fact, He had a beautiful story that had just begun to unfold. Through the sin of one man, all were now born into sin...me, you, every individual who has ever crossed the face of this earth. Although a moralistic society can curb some of the wickedness of man, all are depraved, and as Romans 3 says, "There is NONE who do good, no not one". And the Bible goes on to teach us that because of this reality of sin, all are headed for eternal destruction, all deserving hell. A holy God must punish sin, and no matter what the sin, how small or how great, one sin makes you entirely imperfect, and demands punishment.

Yet this holy, majestic, all powerful, God of the universe who could NEVER be in a relationship with any individual who was imperfect exhibited the most PERFECT LOVE we will never comprehend. In His grace, in His mercy, in His love, He made a way for the relationship between himself and man that had been marred by the reality of sin, to be made new, to be made right. It wasn't through the "good" he saw in certain individuals, or the good works that they did for him. It wasn't through the religious rituals that certain people performed. It wasn't through anything that any person could ever do...nobody could EVER merit the favor of God!

Instead, in His perfectly divine love, He did the unthinkable...what you and I would never do, He gave up the most precious thing to Himself...His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. His love went a distance we can't even fathom. Jesus Christ, came down in human form, humbling himself in ways we can't even comprehend, and lived a perfect life we could never live; never once sinning. And then, He faithfully submitted himself to the will of the Father and was nailed to a cross of wood. The physical pain was brutal, unfathomable, gut wrenching awful; but that wasn't even close to the emotional and spiritual turmoil He endured. For a brief time, which must have felt like an eternity, He was cast out of His Father's presence as he bore the WRATH of the Almighty God FOR ME...for you. HIS FATHER CRUSHED HIM ( "Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, " -Isaiah 53:10). For every sin I ever would commit, He paid the price, undeserving of it all, in fact He deserved only glory. And during that time, He thought of me, even though I wasn't born yet (2000 years ago). He had planned to call me to be His, not because I was some amazing person, in fact I was the exact opposite, a vile and wretched sinner. He had planned to call me simply because He chose to love me, and to glorify Himself through His redemption of me. As Hosea 13:14 says, I will ransom them and redeem them from the grave! WOW...

And then in His glory He conquered sin and death once and for all and rose victoriously from the grave! And it was finished, redemption for the souls of His children had been accomplished. What an incredible Truth! 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, "But thanks be to God, which give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.".

And He caused me to believe, to repent, and to put my faith and trust solely in Him. For that I am eternally grateful. For the Gospel, for the cross, for my Jesus...this is EVERYTHING to me. Oh how grateful I am. Oh how often I neglect to remember the weight of it all.

As believers, our lives must be marked with thanksgiving 365 days a year, not just during Thanksgiving, and that thanks must always start with the Gospel. When you stop and remember, and marvel once again at what the Lord Jesus did for you, how can you not give thanks!!

"For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the one he loves." -Ephesians 1:4-6

"...because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." -Hebrews 10:14

"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. " -Isaiah 53:5

"For if, by the trespass of the one man (Adam), death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ." -Romans 5:17

Commissioned

I'm humbled. I'm amazed. I'm strengthened. I'm dependent. I'm encouraged. I'm hopeful. The excitement inside of me is overwhelming at times. The fact that the Almighty chooses to use me is dumbfounding. I am nothing apart from Him, and yet it is HIM who lives in me and enables me to do and be what I could never be on my own. It is in the littlest of victories that I find myself reminded of how powerfully sovereign our good God is and how providential His workings are.

As believers we have been commissioned with a task that is IMPOSSIBLE. We have been told to "make disciples", a feat no human can achieve. And yet, God commands. It is a challenge, at times a daunting reality, and yet there is promise-promise that God DESIRES to use YOU (if you are His child) as the very tool that brings sinners to repentance and faith. And I'll say it again, I'm humbled.

What amazes me even more about this Truth is that HE provides the platforms, the opportunities, the relationships, the words, the grace and the means for it all. He ordains the opportunities, we simply obey.

If I am honest I have to admit I have failed to take many of those opportunities. There have been many times when the Spirit was tugging on my heart to speak Truth to a lost soul and my pride and fear has kept my mouth silent. I've walked away ashamed. And although God doesn't need me to bring someone to Himself, the disobedience in those acts is unexcused.

But then, there are those times when you have been praying for an opportunity, praying for the soul of an unsaved friend, family member, coworker, employer etc., and God opens the door of opportunity and you take it. The Spirit enables you to speak and seeds are planted. Joy overwhelms you, excitement fills your heart, and the result is peace. Although most of the time those conversations don't end with an automatic conversion, there is rest in knowing that the Word was spoken and God is at work and HE has the power to save! Only time will tell if the seeds take root and grow, but trusting a sovereign God brings such satisfaction in the waiting.

There is joy in knowing the Spirit provided you with the strength to obey the commission and take the opportunity. And continued joy and fervent prayer as you trust the providence of His hand. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 3: 5-7 which says, "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." We are simply called to be faithful, to go out and speak, to take the sovereign opportunities, and then to trust and pray knowing God is at work.

Be amazed at the commission you have been given fellow believer, it is nothing to take lightly or for granted...it is a gift, a high calling, a true joy to be used as a tool in the Redeemer's hand.


"The Redeemer turns rebels into disciples, fools into humble listeners. He makes cripples walk again. In him we can face life and respond with faith, love, and hope. And as he changes us, he allows us to be a part of what he is doing in the lives of others. As you respond to the Redeemer’s work in your life, you can learn to be an instrument in his hands.” -Paul David Tripp

Complaining

Every time I read about the children of Israel in the Old Testament, I am so amazed by HOW MUCH they complain and HOW QUICKLY they forget! It is almost unbelievable. It seems like a few days don't pass without something they "need" or something they are frustrated by. My heart goes out to Moses and Aaron, as they attempt to lead a people who are so quick to speak negatively about everything, how frustrating it must have been. And yet, the more I read about this stubborn and forgetful nation, the more and more I see how I so often resemble their behavior in my own life; oh how often do I complain?!

Complaining is such a common part of our culture and our own lives that we as Christians often forget what it truly is. Complaining is not to be overlooked or accepted, but rather must be viewed as God views it...as sin. Every complaint, whether big or small, is an offense to a holy God. It is a selfish belief that you know better, that God has not given you what He knows to be the best for you and what is good for you, but rather that He has messed up in some way. What may have seemed like such a "respectable'' sin, is in reality, revealing the wickedness of our flesh.

Paul, in Philippians 2:14 says, "Do EVERYTHING without complaining or arguing."

The word complain in the original language is the word goggysmos which means: a murmmer, muttering, a secret debate, a secret displeasure. Interesting that the Old Testament describes the complaints of the nation of Israel as "murmers or muttering", it simply was a constant complaining.

The believer must ask himself/herself...do I complain? I would venture to say that the answer from 99.9% of you would be yes, and for the majority of you it would be a daily struggle. We complain about the weather, about waking up, about traffic, about the spilled coffee, about the service we received at the store...and the list goes on. Complaints become a normalcy in our speech, in our attitude, and in our heart. This is unfortunate, and I beg you to examine your heart, examine your thoughts, examine your behavior, and measure it to the command of the Lord; do you do EVERYTHING without complaining? If you have answered no, then you are not alone, I stand beside you and admit my weakness in this area, as shaming as it is. But there is great hope in the Gospel of Jesus and the power of the Spirit living within.

So what are we to do to battle the sin of complaining?

RECOGNIZE and REPENT
As with all sin, we need to recognize it. If we don't call sin sin, we will fail to notice it more and more in our daily lives and begin living in consistent disobedience to the Lord. We must pray for a sensitivity to the sin in our lives and call it what it is. Once we recognize it, we can then repent of it. God calls us to repent, to turn away from, the sin that so easily entangles us. We must pray and fight to notice complaining in our lives and repent of it when it happens.

REMEMBER
A great way to guard against the constant complaining is to remember the faithfulness of God in our own lives and in the lives of those in the past (like that of the nation of Israel). The more we remember His goodness, His providence, His faithfulness, ultimately His character, the less likely we will be to complain.

GIVE THANKS
Gratitude should be a mindset for the believer. We have SO much to be thankful for and yet we instead take things for granted. We need to turn our complaining into thanksgiving. Instead of recognizing the cup as "half empty", let us see it as "half full". A heart full of gratitude leaves little room, if any, for complaining.

With that said, may our hearts be full of joy and thanks continually, through the power of the Spirit living within us. Let our light shine before men through the way we speak and behave. In a world full of constant complaints, may we be one who gives constant thanks!

The 3 P's of Prayer

Prayer is vital to the Christian. Just as someone who is living must breath, someone who has been made alive in Christ MUST pray; not out of duty or obligation, but rather as a natural response to a humbling and awe-inspiring Gospel. If we are honest with ourselves, many of us, myself included, will admit that our prayer life is not consistently where it should be. There seems to be a desire, and yet in those precious moments when we sit down to focus and talk to our Savior, the phone rings, the baby starts crying, or the to-do list for the day comes into our minds. And then there are those moments where we actually DO focus, and begin praying and yet fail to pray in accordance to the Father's will. Our agenda takes a front row seat to what God wants, and somewhere in the midst of it all the focus has been taken off of Christ and put on us...what a shame.

So the next time we go to sit and talk with our Father, let's realize what exactly is going on and seriously evaluate our own prayer lives according to the Word of God. Here are three things God has really impressed upon my heart in relation to my own prayer life...I hope they will encourage you in your pursuit of your own understanding of yours.

(1) PRIVILEGE of Prayer

Stop for a moment and recognize WHO you are talking to when you pray...are you humbled? When a child of God comes to the foot of the Father's throne, he/she is in the presence of the One who created ALL the universe. What an astounding thought. What a privilege. We not only get to talk to the King of Kings, but HE listens and responds. What an amazingly incredible reality that is for the child of God. Each time we come into His presence in prayer, it should bring us to humility; like Isaiah we should recognize who we are coming before and rightly worship. And beyond that, we should express never ending gratitude to Christ for the intercession He provides so that we CAN come before the Father in prayer. We have a one-way line of communication...what a privilege. I love the Psalmists recognition of this powerful truth as displayed in Psalm 116:1-

"I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy."

Oh believer, what a privilege we have...the Lord hears us!

(2) PURPOSE of Prayer

Why do we even pray? Often we pray because of OUR wants or needs, and although there is nothing wrong with this, this must not be our focus. Prayer was never intended to be a one way communication to the "santa claus" in the sky, instead, it was meant to be a vital life line to our Father in heaven to sustain us during our earthly pilgrimage. We pray for the glory of God, we pray that His will might be done, and we pray to communicate with Him! Our hearts should be like that of the disciples in Luke 11:1:


". . . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . ."

Oswald Chamber said it well, "God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature." May we pray that we would be conformed more into the image of Christ and desire more of what His will each day.

(3) PATTERN of Prayer

There is so much we could say about "how to" pray. The Bible is full of examples of what to pray for and how to pray, and although these are useful resources and encouraging exhortations, I believe Jesus himself gave us a very specific command when it comes to prayer, and precious promise in that he says in John 14:4,

"Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"

This verse, and similar ones, have been taken so far out of context to give people the assumption or assurance that they can ask God for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they want and as long as they say "in Jesus name", they are guaranteed it. What foolish and sinful thinking. Jesus is not commanding or promising anything of the sort, instead, he is teaching the disciple that prayer should be focused on HIS WILL. When we ask God for something, it should be directed toward the glory of HIS name and the purposes of His plan, not our own. We can rest assure that when we pray in this way, HE WILL DO IT!

So believer, let's throw off everything that hinders us or distracts us from this precious privilege and purposefully pray according to the pattern laid out in Scripture...and then stand back and watch God work!

Find Rest in HIS Solution

We live in a society with 'quick fixes' and 'microwave solutions'. We like 'how tos' and 'three easy steps' for everything. And if a book, movie, or even a sermon doesn't captivate our attention or benefit us in 5 minutes or less, we turn it off, either physically or mentally. And somehow we have allowed that mentality to infiltrate our thinking as believers, even when it comes to fighting sin and running the race we have been called to. The problem is, it doesn't work. And because it doesn't work, we find ourselves discouraged, beaten, and sometimes defeated. And this my friends, is exactly where the enemy wants us to be; because let's face it, if he can't win our souls, he will make sure that we are as ineffective as possible to win another. So what do we do, to fight the temptation when things get tough?

During Jesus' earthly ministry, He spoke often about the "Christian" life. Two statements, seemingly opposing, yet perfectly harmonious, teach us exactly what we need to renew our strength as we run this race.

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says to His disciples...

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

This is COUNTERCULTURAL today, just as much as it was back then. There is no denial of self proclaimed in modern society, in fact it is the exact opposite. BUT, we must come to realize it is EXACTLY the fuel we need to ignite our passion, to spur us on, and to aide us in fighting the good fight. When we realize that we have been called to DENY ourselves, we are immediately pointed away from within and towards Christ. There is no pleasure principle here, there is no comfort, but radical obedience and humble following. When we focus on the Truth of this, we realize that it isn't easy, in fact it goes against EVERYTHING not only our culture is telling us but also what our body, our flesh, is telling us.

When the fight of sin is hard- we can find strength in knowing the Spirit is working in and through us, and know we are doing exactly what we are called to do- DENY SELF!

When the trials in our lives are discouraging- we can find joy and hope in knowing that God is sovereign and working in and through it to make us more like Christ as we DENY ourselves, our comforts, wants, desires, in order that His glory might be shown.

When we lack desire to run hard- we can remind ourselves that it is not about US, but rather all about DENIAL of our desires, wants, and feelings.

The thought of denial, although tough, is actually incredibly motivating and powerful to the believer...REMIND yourself of it daily!

Secondly, Jesus says the following in Matthew 11:30,

"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

What?! Didn't you just say that the Christian life was all about denial, and that seems HARD, not easy. Yes, exactly. But what we must come to realize is that what Jesus is speaking here is not what you might think-being a Christian is not EASY from a wordly standpoint. But our eyes must not be fixed on the world, on what is temporal, but rather on the eternal, we must be heavenly minded. The yoke Jesus calls us to "bear" is one that is lined with love. Matthew Henry said it well when speaking of the "yoke" believers bear, "Such is the nature of all Christ’s commands, so reasonable in themselves, so profitable to us, and all summed up in one word, and that a sweet word, love. So powerful are the assistances he gives us, so suitable the encouragements, and so strong the consolations, that are to be found in the way of duty, that we may truly say, it is a yoke of pleasantness. It is easy to the new nature, very easy to him that understandeth, Prov. 14:6. It may be a little hard at first, but it is easy afterwards; the love of God and the hope of heaven will make it easy."

And the burden...light? You might be thinking, you have no idea what burden I have had to bear, or am bearing. But Christian, Jesus is not negating the fact that you may suffer affliction for His precious name, but rather that it is light and momentary- as the Apostle Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians where we read about the lack of comparison of the trivial trials on earth to the glory we will one day behold; or in Philippians 1 where we read, "to live is Christ and to die is gain". Our eyes must always be fixed on the eternal, never the temporal, and in the hope and glory that is to come!!

Here we can be encouraged, no matter where we may be in life, with the precious promise, that the life you have been called to is easy because Christ is leading and carrying you along the way!

So believer, find rest for your soul...we don't need a quick fix, or a how to in three easy steps...we simply need the Words of our Savior to find peace and instruction in the midst of it all, to live a life that is for Him and for His glory. Find rest in His solution...the cross of calvary, and run towards Him!

"The truths Christ teaches are such as we may venture our souls upon. The affections find rest in the love of God and Jesus Christ, and meet with that in them which gives them an abundant satisfaction; quietness and assurance for ever. And those satisfactions will be perfected and perpetuated in heaven, where we shall see and enjoy God immediately, shall see him as he is, and enjoy him as he is ours. This rest is to be had with Christ for all those who learn of him." -Matthew Henry

The GOODNESS of God

Do you ever have those moments when the reality of God's goodness hits you like a ton of bricks?! You stand amazed, humbled, and so thankful. If I'm honest, these moments are not as often as they should be and result in a lack of true, heartfelt gratitude and praise to the King. And yet, as I ran around today chasing after a precious little one year old in the rain, I stood humbled, and dumbfounded at how blessed I truly am. This inspired me to make a list, to count my blessings so to speak...obviously it isn't comprehensive because I could go on for pages and pages, but it is just a start and it has left me praising God in a way that He deserves, but in a way I can neglect.

In sharing with you 'my' blessings, I pray that you might be encouraged or inspired to look around, look inside, and reevaluate the goodness of our Lord in your life, and too glorify Him with all that is within you. For as Jerry Bridges said so well, "Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God."

10 Things I'm Thankful For:

(1) Salvation- It all starts here with my new birth as I was given the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to respond...for this I am eternally grateful.

Ephesians 1:3-6 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."

(2) Sanctifying Grace- The ongoing work of the Lord Jesus in my life, DAILY!

Romans 6:22- "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life."

(3) My Husband- The second greatest treasure in my life. For His love, leading, friendship, and encouragement I am so thankful!

1 Corinthians 11:7- "For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man."

(4) The Body of Christ- My true family, the ones who I will spend eternity with, who encourage, spur on, and compel me to love Christ more.

Romans 12:5- "so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

(5) Creation- Every sunset, every raindrop, every mountain, ocean, and flower...I truly am amazed by it all. It is such a picture of the beauty of Christ.

Isaiah 40:26- "Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing."

(6) My Job- I get to spend my days with a precious 16 month old who reminds me to "stop and smell the roses". He reveals to me the intelligent design of our mighty God, the reality of our sinful condition apart from Christ's saving work, and the powerful witness we have in all the world. Not to mention he is pretty darn cute and can always make me smile :)

Matthew 5:16- "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

(7) Kindred Community Church- It is a gift to attend and serve at a church that teaches the unfailing Word of God with boldness and conviction.

Colossians 1:17-20- "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

(8) My Blood Family- I am so grateful for my parents who raised me to love and fear God and for a little brother who spurs me on!

Ephesians 6:4b- "...bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."


(9) Provision- From a roof over my head to the shoes on my feet, God takes care of my little needs and then some!

Matthew 6:26- "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

(10) Enjoying Life- I am so thankful that God has given us good things to enjoy, gifts, such as vacations, and walks on the beach...thank you Lord!

James 1:17- " Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

May your hearts be refreshed by the goodness of God!!

He Does ALL Things Well

I have been so excited to write this blog since I received the devotional from "grace gems" last week. There are some things in God's economy that send my mind into a whirlwind because no matter how hard I try to comprehend them, well, I just can't. One of those is the providence of God. Isn't it amazing how God works in the lives of His children?! It excites me every time I think about it. I can sit down and think back on the last 24 years of my life and see God's providential hand in so many things, some of which I totally understand now, and some of which I don't fully grasp, but know and trust happened because of His providence. I guess you could call those a mystery.


I think I get so intrigued by providence because I am a very curious person by nature. I like to KNOW, and I like to try and put all the pieces together and figure out what's going on in every situation. God, in His love for me however, has decided that in order to humble me and keep me dependent upon Him, the way I figure out things will never be the way they really are, well most of the time anyway. You see, He wants us, His kids, to remember Romans 8:28 constantly, in EVERY situation and outcome of life-"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God--to those who are the called according to His purpose." Easier said than trusted. His providential hand is enacting EVERY event of your life, down to the smallest detail to make it WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD for you. What good? The Christ likeness He is molding you into.

The original language in this passage is quite unique. When Paul says we "KNOW" he is speaking in definitive terms. It isn't an "I hope so" or "most of the time" it is a FOR SURE. When he says "ALL" it is comprehensive from the largest to the smallest, EVERYTHING! And as the great puritan John MacDuff said, "And they all work together in the most complete and beautiful harmony. The various wheels in the great machine of divine Providence, may appear to be opposed to each other; and yet every movement is directed by infinite wisdom, and tends to the accomplishment of the end proposed. And what is that end? "For good to those who love God." What an incredible Truth! This reality, although incomprehensible, should drive us to our knees in worship and leave our hearts at peace, in rest, trusting the all powerful and perfectly sovereign and GOOD God!

Providence is a glorious reality, a precious promise that we as believers can cling to in a world or even a life that seems to be filled with confusion and broken puzzle pieces. God is at work, ALWAYS, and in EVERYTHING, for YOUR GOOD!

"And when the books will be opened;
and when all the mysteries of Providence will be solved;
and when the whole of our own history will be explained;
and when all the turnings of the wilderness will be accounted for;
and when all the dangers to which we have been exposed will be made clear;
oh, we shall then be astonished beyond measure! And if its greatness will allow us to give expression thereto--our adoring cry will also be, "He has done all things well!""

Fruit

'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree'...we've all heard this trite phrase countless times and well most of the time it stands true. There seems to be something so foundational about the roots in which one comes from, and in all honesty it makes sense. But this becomes even more real and so much more crucial when we look at the Biblical picture of this idea. You see as Spurgeon said, "The fruit of the branch is directly traceable to the root", and if we are united with Christ in God than it would only be logical to conclude that the fruit that we produce should be a reflection of that root.

Jesus brings this illustration to life in John 15:4-11:

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

When I go to an apple orchard and see the countless rows of trees I expect to see apples on those trees. The same goes for the Christian. When someone claims to be a Christian, we should EXPECT to see fruit reflecting the new birth. Now I am not saying that there will be perfection by any means, for until we come into glory with Christ in heaven we will still be marred by the sinful flesh, BUT, there will be CLEAR evidence that a transformation has happened. And the fruit will be produced throughout the life of the believer.

We must realize that our fruit is only produced because of the precious union we have with Christ. For He is the source by which all fruitfulness will flow. It is by His grace that we bear fruit to reflect Him. Our fruit, although inwardly occurring, manifests itself externally. We began to have new desires, we began to show new characteristics, and we begin to walk differently. And God is our gardener in it all. He is the vine dresser who will prune when necessary in order that fresh, beautiful fruit might abound.

So do I reflect Christ in who I am in, in how I live/walk, in how I talk, in what I think etc.? Is the master gardener working in me to produce fruit? Is it visible? Has the apple fallen far from the tree?

A Pointed Finger

"Every time you point a finger there are three fingers pointing back at you," said the sixth grade student last Sunday morning. Although the saying might be trite, the truth is something that hit me heavy. In that moment the Lord reminded me of a vital principle found in Matthew 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."

You see it is so easy to point the finger-to notice the sin of another individual. It isn't a new concept, in fact, it began way back in Eden when Adam and Eve both pointed the finger instead of humbly confessing their own part in the sinful act. And as many times as I have heard this Truth exhorted, I so easily forget. It is so much easier to recognize the err of the other and not my own. But why?!

Truth be told, we are still encased in a fleshly body, that despite regeneration and sanctification, is marred until the day we are glorified. Christ promises us the ability to say no to sin, that we might sin less, but on this side of heaven, we will never be sinless. Jeremiah recognizes the sinfulness of the heart in chapter 17, something we too must constantly remind ourselves of. Although we are redeemed, we still have a bent towards pleasing ourselves, satisfying our cravings, and believing the best about who other than ourselves. And what is even more, Christians seem to want to believe that because we have been saved we are somehow "good". A wrong view of ourselves as believers will lead us to pointing the finger at the wrong person. It should be pointed right back at you.

If we would only take the time to ask the Spirit to humble us so that we might recognize our err in situations FIRST, much hurt because of further sin will be avoided. If we would humble ourselves to say sorry first, to recognize responsibility, and to seek reconciliation FIRST, Christ might receive that much more glory!

Let us take a lesson from a sixth grader, but more importantly from the Word of God, and stop, search our hearts, and seek God's strength before we ever point a finger.

The Mundane

The mundane...we face it almost everyday. The routines, the schedules, the to-do lists...things that never seem to go away.

Being newly married the things that many find "mundane" are very new and fresh and even exciting for me. I guess I am still in that honeymoon phase where sweeping the floor can be fun. However, the more I think about it, and the more I pray about it, the more I realize how much I need to guard against my heart attitude toward these "mundane" tasks. I am not too naive to recognize that after deep cleaning the bathroom for the hundreth time, I might, in my flesh, find it much more "mundane" and purposeless.

As I have been thinking about these very things, and the reality of the mundane in each of our lives, the Lord has put a couple verses on my heart over and over again: 1 Corinthians 15:58- "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." AND "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24). These verses convict, exhort and encourage EVERY believer, that no matter what your callings are in life, to always be working as unto the Lord.

You see each of us, as His kids, have been given tasks to complete for His glory. Some of us have been called to full time ministry in the church, some of us to business jobs, some of us to classrooms, some of us to motherhood; whatever the calling, it is not by chance that you have been placed there. And moreover, it is not for yourself that you are working, but for the Lord. God sees every thing you do and more importantly He sees your heart behind it. You may do excellent work, but if you have become bitter with it in your heart, and have done it with a bad attitude, or to get some recognition or glory for yourself, you have not done what you have been called to do.

The mundane will never end this side of heaven. There will be tasks to get done, the 8-5 workday will stay the same, and the cleaning cycles will continue on; therefore we must guard against our heart's attitudes toward the mundane things in our life. We must continually refocus our hearts and the purposes we have in the callings we have been given. We must never forget that our labor is not in vain, never forget that God is sanctifying us through it all, and never forget that God is using us in it. We must fight for joy in the mundane, for the pursuit of excellence in all we do...never for our own glory, but for the glory of our great God!

He Sees It ALL

How is it that so often the fear of man drives us to obedience rather than the fear of God? Why do we choose to refrain from sinful behavior or speech in the presence of others and yet indulge in it when we are alone, in the quietness of our own hearts and minds. Is it odd to you as a Christian that the fact that God is ALWAYS there and watching doesn't seem to be a big enough deal at times to say NO to that temptation. Instead of saying, "What would God think of this", we might say, "What would my pastor/parent/spouse/friends etc. think of this". The more I think about this reality, the more ashamed I am, and the more I realize the need I have to comprehend who God is and the fear of Him.

I recently read a Grace Gems on this very topic that was convicting and challenging. The Puritan writer James Smith exhorts his reader to think about the TRUTH of the human heart as described in Jeremiah 17:9 "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked! Who really knows how bad it is?" God knows. Think about that for a second. God knows who wicked YOUR heart is. He knows every fleeting thought, every defeated temptation, every indulgent pleasure, EVERY sin. He knows it all. He sees it, and yet He still loves YOU believer. That is just dumbfounding.

If our family and our friends, whom we often hide sin from, saw what God sees, if He revealed that concealed sin to the world, what would they think then? You see we may worry about what others think, but our focus shouldn't be on them, for they see only part of our sinfulness, of who we truly are, if that. Rather, we should fear what God thinks because He sees it all. Smith says, "How kind it is of our gracious God, to conceal from others--what He Himself sees within us; and which if known by others--would alienate them from us, and fill them with disgust! What contemptible creatures we would appear to our friends--if they knew all about us! "

What a truly gracious and loving God we serve, who loves us IN SPITE of our sin. But may that grace we receive never give us a license to indulge in sin, may we never forget that He is always watching...and knowing those two truths MUST transform our lives!

These Were Written For Your Example

There is something so sweet about knowing that we have the whole counsel of God in His Word, and because of that, the ability to learn from the past in order to avoid the consequences and peril of sin today. Throughout all of the Word, we constantly read "these were written for your example"...a phrase that is becoming more and more precious to me throughout the years. The cultural idea of learning from your own mistakes (aka sin) is anything but a biblical principle and should be cast out with every other crazy idea that society tries to bombard us with. Instead we should read the Word, study it and LEARN...learn from the past so that we might most importantly bring glory to the name of God (not shame) and avoid the pain sin brings. As believers we are called to diligently study the Word of God and allow it to transform our hearts and our lives. If we would only spend more time seeing what God's will for our lives is rather than seeking it on our own, much pain (from the consequences of sin) could be avoided. We need to stray away from the cultural norm of learning in our own ways, and learn the Biblical way, from God, His Word, and His people.

This brings me to 1 Corinthians 10, I am in the book of 1 Corinthians and learning so much from this church. Paul doesn't seem to avoid speaking of any and every area of sin that this church committed in order to not only call them out, but also to admonish, and furthermore, exhort us. In this specific part of Corinthians, Paul is reminding the Church of Israel's failures and mistakes and exhorting them to learn from them. Look at verse 6, "Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as (I)they also craved." The examples set before us are in order to curb our sinful flesh and point us towards righteous living.

But it is in verse 13 that we see something so powerful, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." Paul explains to the church here that there will be no temptations that they will face that are new, they have all been experienced. He goes on to remind them that God will never allow one of His kids to be tempted in a way in which they can not flee from it, He will always provide a way to say no, to obey, and to glorify Him. The temptations are "common to man", think about that for a moment...that means that whatever difficult temptation you may face, chances are someone in Scripture, or another believer you know, has walked down that road. The encouraging thing then is that you can find Truth in the Word of God, and/or spoken from other believers, to encourage and admonish you to flee that temptation. You can learn the Godly way instead of the "hard" way.

You might be saying, well that's great and all, but I'm just one of those people who has to learn on my own. What I would say to you is, that is sinful thinking. God does not encourage that, or even excuse that kind of behavior. He has commanded you to walk in obedience to Him, in newness of life; putting off the desires of the flesh and putting on a spirit of righteousness. He has given you the wisdom in Scripture, and set forth examples, as His Word says, to learn and to do what is right in His eyes.

And if that's not convincing enough, take a look at verse 31 of this chapter, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." That means that IN ALL THINGS you are to glorify Him. There is no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You are called to a life of holiness, to bringing Him glory.

But remember, all of this is not only for His glory, but for YOUR good. He is intimately concerned with His children and desires to protect you from the harmful and damaging effects of sin. He has given us His Spirit, His Word, and the encouragement of other believers to point us in the way in which we should walk. Trust Him...He is good, He is faithful, He is loving, and He KNOWS what's best! Therefore, as you read through the Word, and walk through life, remember..."these things were written for your example".

"Christian Freedom?"

I recently read a pretty powerful blog from John MacArthur. Although encouraged by many youth of today who are pursuing Christ passionately, grasping the doctrines of Grace, and motivated by writings and sermons from reformed authors of the past, he sees a tragic pattern, one in which must be addressed. To read his blog follow this link: http://www.gty.org/Blog/B110809 . I highly recommend you reading it.

Although JMac tends to speak most directly to alcohol, he is really speaking to a much greater issue... "Christian liberty"; I put that in quotes because the liberty my generation is speaking of, is anything but what the Bible speaks about when it comes to Christian liberty.

Throughout the new testament there is a clear distinction made...we are now FREE in Christ. There is no more bondage to the Law, no more ceremonial patterns that must be kept, and no more sacrifices that need to be made...the Law has been fulfilled IN and through Christ's death and ressurrection. The reality of this Truth is powerful. Knowing that we are no longer slaves to sin (once redeemed), and that grace covers us until the end is amazing to cling to.

Yet somewhere in the understanding of Christian freedom, as Paul talks about in Galatians, Romans, and other places in the N.T., something went awry. Christians began to take legalism to a whole new meaning...it became legalistic to call gray areas sin, and even some clear areas of sin, sin. What one must realize is that legalism is simply this- a reliance on oneself, keeping of the law, for a right standing before the Holy God. It has nothing to do with calling out sin among the brethren, or speaking of convictions which may convict other believers in turn.

"Christian liberty is giving up one's freedoms." (JMac) You see, Christian liberty is recognizing that we are called to bring glory to God in ALL things, and to be a light, an example, an encouragement, and anything but a stumbling block to both brethren and nonbelievers. If we are striving to do these things, many of the "gray areas" in life soon become quite clear, black and white. Selfish pride is what robs us of seeing clearly and allowing our hearts to make decisions that go against our conscience and even conviction. We begin to justify sinful attitudes and actions by our Christian freedom in order to fit in with the culture, or to even "reach" the culture. What a false perspective this is, and a damaging one at that. People will often say "Jesus hung out with tax collectors and sinners and participated in what they did", but this is FAR from the Truth. Yes, Jesus ministered to these kinds of people, sinners, but did so with one purpose, to share the Truth by calling out sin, telling them to repent and giving them the hope of the promised ressurrection. He DID NOT do what they did or behave the way they did when it came to "gray areas" or sinful behavior. Many of these things, like today, are things that were keeping these unbelievers in bondage, why would he encourage and spur on that sin? If anything he called it out. We are never once in Scripture called to become like the world to win the world, rather the opposite is true...we are to be set apart in this world, beaming brightly for Jesus.

As we grow in our knowledge of Jesus, and the Word, we must grow in our desire to glorify Him. We must be willing to lay aside ANYTHING that might misrepresent Him, entangle us, mislead an unbeliever, or criple a brother in the Lord. We MUST be willing to lay aside so called "freedoms" for the Gospel, seeing if they truly are honoring to the Lord, or rather, just honoring to our flesh and this world. JMAC says it well, "It should not take a doctor of divinity to notice that Scripture consistently celebrates virtues such as self-control, sober-mindedness, purity of heart, the restraint of our fleshly lusts, and similar fruits of the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work in our lives. Surely these are what we ought hold in highest esteem, model in our daily lives, and honor on our websites, rather than trying so hard to impress the world with unfettered indulgence in the very things that hold so many unbelievers in bondage."

Run Together

I have the privilege of not only being able to read the Bible each and every day, but alongside my husband. There is something so sweet about being in the Word TOGETHER. We each gain perspective we may never have seen without the other, and encouragement and exhortation as we sharpen one another.

It has got me thinking about how vital it is to run this race WITH other believers...we can't do it alone. We are swimming upstream, against the currents of the culture, people, and Satan. Trying to do that alone will leave you weak and discouraged. Yet we often try to run alone, not because there are no believers among us, but rather because in our pride we become "self sufficient" and "self reliant"; we think we can do it. Truth be told we weren't meant to walk this life, set apart, alone. There are countless pictures throughout Scripture of this from David and Jonathan to Jesus and His disciples to Paul and Timothy...believers stuck together, encouraging one another and exhorting one another throughout their earthly ministry.

Proverbs 27:17 may be a familiar verse to most of it but look at it for a moment and pause...ask yourself, do I live this out?
"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. "

If we seek to sharpen one another we will be more effective not only in our pursuit of holiness but in our ministry of the Gospel and showing the glory of God. We must seek opportunities to spend time in the word together, to pray together, to serve together, to serve one another, to love one another, to run together!

TRUE Love

Do you ever read a passage in Scripture and feel like it will be impossible to master the exhortation (in this life that is)?! Of course there are countless I can think of, but one that has recently been a burden on my heart, and a consistent prayer is that of 1 Corinthians 13- the infamous passage on love. Love is described in detail, in specifics, in character, in a way that brings Christ into better view; because He was and will always be the only would who could perfectly exhibit love.

Unfortunately our culture has taken that passage and distorted its meaning. Culture has taken away the weight of the Truth within it; love has become something wishy-washy, mixed with feelings, and swaying with every circumstance and situation. Conditions are put on every relationship where love is involved, and the word itself has become trite. What a tragedy.

As believers we MUST understand what TRUE love is, and we MUST pursue exemplifying it. Our love will set us apart in this world. Take a look at the characteristics of TRUE, Godly, Bibilical, Christ-like love...

"Love is patient,
love is kind,
and is not jealous;
love does not brag,
and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly;
it does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

When I take a look at that list I am humbled in a way I cannot even explain. My love, even for the ones whom are closest to me doesn't measure up to this standard. Some areas are easier than others. Each of us has our weaknesses and it is in those areas that we must strive to mortify our flesh and put on Christ, to grow in godliness. It is not am impossible feat. This kind of love is NOT a choice for the believer-it is a command, an exhortation, a charge. This kind of love for the believer is not exemplified in our strength, but only by the Spirit's transforming work in our hearts and lives. This kind of love mirrors Christ's perfect love, and is a picture continually of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to all we love (both the lovely and the unlovely). When we love like Christ, we bring Him much glory. It is our calling, let us walk in it.

It is my prayer that as I pray through 1 Corinthians 13 daily, and seek to grow in areas where I am weak, and to strengthen the areas I am growing in already, that I will truly love more and more like Jesus. I will trust in HIS power and working in my life and pray for Him to glorify Himself through my love. Praise God who works in us to make us more like Christ!

Stop and See

The past two weeks of my life have seemed like a fairy tale; not only did I marry the One my heart loves (and adores more than anything), but I gotto experience bliss in "paradise" with him. I am truly blessed and beyond grateful for the gift of marriage our precious God created and ordained.

And now, it's "back to reality", or so it seems. Life seemed to slow down and almost stand still for those two weeks and taught me an important lesson- to enjoy each moment, every day; from the mundane to the surreal, because each one is a manifestation of the grace of God, a gift, a treasure.

So often we are always looking forward to the next big thing, rather than enjoying and being faithful with the moment, the hear and now. How many opportunities do we miss to see the beauty of God's creation, to speak Truth, to show love, to pray (and the list goes on)...if only we would stop and enjoy. In James 1:17 we read, " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change", what deep and rich encouragement. If we would recognize each day as a gift, each unplanned event, each conversation, each sunset, each and every breath...an ordained treasure and evidence of God's goodness to us.

My prayer is that I would seek to see God's goodness and faithfulness in EVERY moment and in everything. That my heart would fix itself continually on praising and glorifying Him for who He is and for the abundance of blessings He has bestowed upon me. Life won't ever "slow down", but our observation, perception, and perspective can...and because of that I will glorify God for He is good!

Called, Loved, Kept

I had the privilege of attending the Resolved Conference once again this year (resolved.org). As I sat and thought about the weekend, and what really impacted my personal growth the most, two thoughts continued to swarm in my mind...

(1) Because of His love He called me before the foundation of time
(2) He will be faithful to keep me until He brings me home in glory

No matter how many times I have studied the doctrines of grace, or how much I can attest to believing in them, I needed this reminder, and often do. The tendency my pride has to usurp the glory of God and to question His faithfulness is quite frightening. Although I KNOW He is the one who called me from before the foundation of time, do I always behave that way? The answer sadly is no. So often I look to myself for personal holiness and think that I can somehow merit more of His love and favor with more of a righteous and obedient life. Now although holiness and obedience are fruits of salvation, they are only by the grace of God through the sanctifying power of the Spirit within us. God's love for us was not, is not, and never will be conditional; based on some obedience we do or do not possess. That is a powerful Truth to lay hold of. To see and know and live reminded of your calling as a child of God is life changing, humbling, awe-inspiring. The holy God of the universe, from BEFORE time even existed, chose me. Not because I was some super amazingly spiritual individual, not because He saw that one day I would choose Him...no, He chose me simply because He chose to love me. Why me? I have no idea, but the reality of this calling leaves me speechless. The weight of this calling leaves me transformed. The power of this calling leaves me purposed to live for Him. You see the Christian brings nothing to their salvation apart from the sin that was nailed to Christ on the cross as His blood was shed for you and for me. How can we not cast our crowns and rejoice.

Back to the "KNOWING" of these Truths versus the actual living them out: you see, the moment I take my eyes off the cross and start looking at myself I am discouraged. Why? Because wretched I am. Apart from the redeemed nature within me, I am still encased in a fleshly body that has yet to be fully glorified, therefore I still sin, and that is heartbreaking. Untrue thoughts of why would God love me if I keep sinning at times flood my heart and mind. But the reality goes back to the cross, it has NOTHING to do with me. Just as He is the one who did the calling, He is the one who has promised to do the keeping until the end. That means that from before the foundation of time, my name was written, and it will never be removed. The hand that plucked me from the pit of hell is the same hand that will guide me in this life and never let me go. He is the one who will call me into glory and perfect me on that Day. The One who called is the one who will keep me, there is nothing to fear because it is not dependent upon me! Praise God for that Truth.

The more I think about it, the more I am amazed. If you are a child of God you should be too. My prayer is that we, as His beloved, would never become numb to these radical Truths but rather that they would transform our worship, our living...all of us. How could I not fall face down in worship realizing that He called ME...a wretched, vile, worm of a sinner, simply because He loved me, and that no matter what He will keep me forever. All I can say is "thank you, Jesus".

God's "Good" Gifts

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." -James 1:17

This past weekend Pastor Philip De Courcy (Kindred Community Church) was talking about the goodness of our heavenly Father. I was challenged and encouraged as the Truth was proclaimed from the Word with regards to what His goodness looks like. You see, often we think of "good" or "perfect" from the world's perspective; maybe that means a new career that we've been praying for, a spouse, or an amazingly successful ministry. Each one of these things, good in and of themselves, yes, but maybe not good and perfect for each and every person.

Our heavenly Father is working in our lives with one purpose, our Christlikeness (aka our sanctification). To become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is not a process that comes without pain, suffering, trial, and tribulation. Without these precious gifts, yes gifts, we cannot become more like Jesus. It is in the darkest moments of our lives, when we truly cling to our Father in heaven, when we see our dependence upon Him for what it truly is, and when we are humbled to the foot of the cross with no where else to turn. How sweet are those times. I know I can look back on my life and see that in those dark moments, God was at work in a way only time would reveal.

When God promises to give His children "GOOD" gifts, he promises just that, gifts that are for our good and of course as a direct result, for His glory. The problem lies within us. In our flesh, we don't see certain "gifts" as being good. We question, wonder, and beg God to bring us to the top of the mountain when we are in the deepest valley. And yet God reminds us in those times to wait, to trust, to hope and to remember that He is working everything, yes even the pain, together for our good. How incredible is that?! Only a Soveriegn God could turn ashes into beauty.

And isn't it true that those valleys prepare us to appreciate the mountain tops? The sweet blessings that come in triumph and happiness are gifts we appreciate so much more once we have experienced the good gifts in trial. We are able to look back and see how those valleys prepared us for the mountain tops.

How truly precious are the GOOD gifts our heavenly Father gives us, no matter in what form or shape they may come.

"How can all things be worked together by God for good? The answer is at hand. It is because God's ultimate purpose is to make us like Christ. His goal is the complete restoration of the image of God in His child! So great a work demands all the resources which God finds throughout the universe, and He ransacks the possibilities of joys and sorrows in order to reproduce in us the character of Jesus." -Sinclair Ferguson

Rest

"If you look at the world you'll be distressed, if you look within you'll be depressed, but if you look to God you'll be at rest!" -Corrie TenBoom

The reality of Corrie's quote above is powerful. When I think about the changing world around us, both here in our backyard we call America, as well as across the rest of the planet, I see despair. A world that is seeking to be self-sufficient, a world that has taken its eyes of its Maker, a world that is experiencing chaos...and why? Because the eyes of its people are fixed on the wrong thing. Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us to FIX OUR EYES on the author and perfector of our faith. To fix your eyes on something means that they DO NOT move! I looked up the word fixed in the dictionary and loved this definition, "to become stable OR permanent". Think about that for a moment, to fix your eyes on Jesus PERMANENTLY. How radically would our thoughts, our behavior, our very lives change.

Robert McCheyene said, "For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ". I know that I often struggle with this. I so often tend to look at my performance, at how I am doing as a "Christian" and become discouraged and depressed knowing I am far from perfect despite my being redeemed. It is not God's intention for us to scrutinize our every thought and action, instead He wants us to admit to our sin, repent of it and then LOOK AT HIM. Look at who He is, what He has done and rest in the precious grace and mercy that a child of God has. This brings Him ultimate glory.

May our hearts be refreshed by these truths and may it spur us on to looking PERMANENTLY at Jesus so that we may rest.

"Be still (Cease Striving) and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10

Two is Better than One

Being that I am getting married in about a month, marriage is heavy on my heart and my mind...in fact it consumes much of my prayers, thoughts, and energy. I am more than excited to marry the love of my life and my best friend, and yet at the same time realizing more than ever the weight of the calling that I am stepping into. It is a time of much anticipation, great joy, and eager expectation as we walk into marriage together.

During the past 9 months of our engagement we have went through a handful of Christian books speaking to marriage and the pursuit of holiness in our lives individually and together. During that time we have also spent countless hours with married men and women who have offered counsel, wisdom, encouragement and exhortation with regards to marriage. As with any season there will be new excitements, triumphs, and blessings, and of course much sanctification. I am more than eager and beyond excited for it all. The greatest part about this new journey, is that I won't be at it alone; I will have my best friend right by my side, running along the way with me. What a powerful Truth and a precious provision from our good God.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reads,
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

Although this passage could be applied to many facets of life, looking at it from a marriage stand point brings much encouragement. Here Solomon is exhorting us all that two is better than one in life. In fact, think about the practical illustrations he provides and you can't get around the fact that two (or more) is truly better than one. And that is exactly where I am at. I get the privilege (in a months time), to walk hand in hand in with the most Godly man I know, for the rest of our earthly lives. We together will be a tool used by the hand of God to bring glory to Him. We together will be the hand that reaches down when the other falls, the exhortation and wisdom when faced with satan's schemes, the precious companion to alleviate one's loneliness, and the greatest tool of sanctification in this life for the other. What an amazing concept, what an exciting journey!

Disciplined by Grace

"God's blessing does not depend on our performance. " -Jerry Bridges

In His acclaimed book, The Discipline of Grace, Jerry Bridges attempts to compel the true believer to relying more on grace (the reality of it) and showing that it is that grace that spurs on discipline in holiness. Two things that same to be so far from one another are grace and discipline. One is a gift and requires nothing, the other is a pursuit, a practice and requires every ounce of strength and energy. As a believer, I have struggled through the years to resolve the two. I have found myself at times erring on one side; either trusting too much in my own pursuit of holiness and forgetting my utter dependence on HIS grace, or negating my responsibility to pursue holiness while using grace as an excuse for laziness in that area. It is a battle I find myself in consistently, and yet a battle we are called to fight.

In Romans 7, Paul talks about his own struggle with sin. The reality that he has died to sin, as all believers have, and has the power of the Spirit to live a holy life, doesn't negate the fact that there is still a war waging within his flesh daily, one that requires vigilance and attack. I too see this often. I find myself wondering why I am doing the very things I hate, the very things Jesus Christ paid for. And yet, in those moments what do I do? Where do I turn? Bridges' quote at the beginning of this post was powerful for me. God's blessings DO NOT depend on my performance. Now before I address that, please don't hear me wrong, I am not negating my responsibility, or using grace to sin, but simply reminding myself, and you as well, of the Gospel and the power therein.

Bridges goes on to explain this idea of "good day" and "bad day". When we have had a "good day", or so we would say, having had a good quiet time, a purposeful prayer time etc., we somehow think God loves us more and we are more deserving of His blessings. And the opposite with a "bad day". Regardless of our performance, we are always dependent on God's grace, His undeserved favor to those who deserve His wrath. There is no good day/bad day, we are always in need of grace.

With that said, we must not believe or think that our performance allows us to have a better standing with God. We must instead return daily to the Gospel. "We need to continue to hear the gospel every day of our Christian lives. Only a continuous reminder of the gospel of God's grace through Christ will keep us from falling into good-day-bad-day thinking, wherein we think our daily relationship with God is based on how good we've been. " When we remind ourselves of the Gospel, we remind ourselves of reality; that we have been redeemed, purchased, and are being made more and more into the likeness of Christ. Through the Gospel we are humbled, brought back down to reality, and propelled to live a life set apart for Him and His glory. We will find ourselves desiring to honor Him, to discipline ourselves in holiness, to glorify Him...not because we are so disciplined, but rather because His grace working within us is disciplining us in holiness. We can now see that it is all of grace, and nothing of ourselves.

In the end it comes to beholding the glory of Christ in the Gospel that will radically and continually change us and our lives for the glory of His name.

God's Perfect Plan

This week marks the end of a very long journey for me as I finish the credential program I started a year and a half ago. Looking back I remember many times thinking this day would "never" come and now I can't believe it's here, and that it came so quickly. I can't help but reflect on why God had me go through this program, and more importantly what He taught me and how He grew me through it.

From the time I was able to write I became a "teacher". I can remember vividly the countless hours I spent playing school making seating charts, tests, and assigning homework. I couldn't wait for the day I would grow up and have a real classroom. The only thing I ever wanted to be more than a teacher was a wife and a mom. All those years of hopeful anticipation led me to pursuing my teaching degree in college where God threw a wrench in "my" plans and shifted my pursuit. For the first time in my life I no longer knew teaching was my calling and was asked to submit that desire to the sovereign plan of my Maker. I remember wondering why but none the less teaching was no longer the calling I was pursuing.

Time went on and I graduated college unsure of what I was supposed to do and fully broken as I waited on God's prompting and direction. Six months went by and nothing. Was He listening I remember. Psalm 46:10 became the constant prayer of my heart as I preached trust and hope daily to myself. Would I believe God had a plan, that I hadn't messed up, and that He was good? Those six months were some of the most trying, stretching, and blessed of my life to that point.

Then, in His providence, a door was reopened and the desire I had to teach returned, and this time it was as psalm 37:4 says, a desire HE had placed. God began blessing me abundantly at that point and taking me on a journey for the next almost two years that has blown my mind, my dreams, my imagination.

All that to say, here I stand, finishing up what God started and about to enter a new season yet again. I am amazed at how the lord has grown me through this time. It has been far more of teaching me than teaching others. I have seen sin I possess in a new way, and weaknesses I so badly pray I will overcome. I have found that my strength must always come from the Lord and His joy must radiate from me daily. I have failed and succeeded and yet I have come to see God's grace in a whole new light. I am desperate for it...each and every day.

Teaching may have been the profession I thought God had called me to, but instead it became the tool that started a process of sanctification to rid me of selfish pride and lead me to a pursuit of selfless humility. I have seen how much more I need to be like Jesus and of course how much I must depend on Him for that molding.

So I stand a teacher, a journey only God could have planned, and yet in HIS perfect timing. I find myself amazed that through the reworking of "my" plans and dreams and the realizing more and more my dependence on Him I have found myself more at peace and more blessed than ever before. He gives and He takes...blessed be His name.

And in less than two months the calling in which He has used everything I have went through, especially teaching, to prepare me for will become a reality. I will become Mrs. Keith Bence and begin a new role as a wife and lord willing mother one day. I pray that as I have seen Him do immeasurably more than i could ask or imagine, that I would continue trusting His plan, provision and grace to enable me. I couldn't be more excited! One chapter closes and another opens. All the glory be to Him, my Jesus, my King, my Savior, my everything!

We Must Pray...

If I'm honest, Prayer is a discipline that I have struggled with during my walk with the Lord. I'm not talking about the prayers I shoot up throughout the day, before a meal, or in those moments when I feel compelled to say a quick prayer; I'm talking about the uninterrupted, purposeful, intentional, devoted prayer we as believers are called to have each and every day. It seems simple enough, even foolish that it would be such a temptation to pass up or a struggle, and yet that is exactly what it is. But why?

A few weeks ago I was listening to a pastor speak about the necessity of prayer. As he spoke I began to realize I wasn't alone. And although fully responsible for my own sinful neglect, it seemed common for a believer to struggle at times with this prayer. As he took us to the Word I began to realize two important things, two reasons why prayer is such a challenge...

1) We are weak
2) Our enemy seeks to keep us from it!

Seems obvious, but then why do we let it hinder us?? It is a reality that we, although redeemed, are still encased in a fleshly body that falls prey to exhaustion, hunger, selfishness, pride...and the list goes on. And because of this, much like the disciples in the garden of gethsemabene with Jesus, we fail to be obedient and to do what is vital to our wellbeing. Prayer is not a "have to" it is a "get to" and we must remember how privileged we are! We must take steps to combat our weak flesh, practical things like where and when we pray. And we must guard ourselves from ourselves!

Second, the enemy is out on the prowl. He is waiting to see whom he can devour. In fact he knows that prayer is our direct line to our master and because of that he will do anything to keep us from it. We must be on guard to his clever schemes, his lies and deceptions, and the traps he lays in our path.

Knowing how necessary prayer is, and the power it truly has should motivate us to it more often. Our love for Him should be our greatest driving force. We must see however that there are obstacles to keep us from it, and resolve to do anything and everything to overcome. Remember the privilege we have as children of God to talk to Him whenever we want...treasure it!

Be Still

There are some verses that come up in your mind over and over again. Psalm 46:10 is one of those for me...

""Be STILL and know that I am God..."

And yet no matter how many times I hear it, read it, pray it, preach it to myself, or meditate upon it, it never gets old. Don't you just love that about the Word of God?! The fact that it truly is LIVING and ACTIVE piercing our hearts. It truly is incredible that no matter how many times we read a verse, a chapter, a book, or even the entire Bible, it never ever gets old. The Holy Spirit teaches us new Truth through it, and we are moved to live holy and obedient lives for Christ in fresh ways.

The entire chapter of Psalm 46 does just that, provides refreshing truth to our weary souls, it truly is incredible. We are reminded of the reality that God is our refuge, our fortress, and our strength. It is HE who sustains us, HE who protects us, HE who empowers us, and HE who protects us, in and through all things. Therefore why should we fear? This chapter reminds us that we NEED a refuge, and that refuge we need is found only in our Father above. We need that moment of quiet solitude before and with the Lord each day. We need to "cease striving" as the NIV says, and to "be still" as the ESV says, before the Lord.

And it is in those moments that we remember who our God is. He is the ONE who will be exalted above all the nations. He is the ONE who is sovereignly in control of ALL things. He is the ONE who is moving actively to fulfill his plans and purposes. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the great I AM! He is GOD!

Therefore, if we know these things, we shouldn't fret. We have nothing to fear. No matter how much chaos surrounds us in our world, our sphere of influence, or our own personal lives, there is One who is all powerful, almighty, and actively orchestrating. The One who spoke everything into existence, is the same One who calls us to be still, to cease striving, to KNOW, or remember that HE IS GOD! May we remind ourselves to do that daily, to take the time to stop, to humble ourselves before Him, to be still, and KNOW that He is God!

This hymn reminds me of this reality, be blessed by it:

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!