God speaks to me!

The realization of this hits me every now and then.

I have the very words of God, THE God, the only God, the One who created the entire universe including me... I have his words in a book in my lap.

How crazily incredible IS that?!?!?
And it's all about how he loved the world SO much that he sent his Son Jesus to save the entire world from their sins.  And that whoever believes that can spend eternity with God in heaven.  That's the whole story of the Bible--salvation.  It's amazing!!

Today's Joy Dare is to find "3 blessings from God's Word."
Well.  That's not too hard! :)

In my Christian Doctrine (specifically Lutheran doctrine) class this morning we were talking about the Holy Spirit.  Several passages from John were particularly wonderful:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor--to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:16-17
I find so much comfort in this.  Jesus was preparing his disciples for his death and eventual ascension into heaven, which meant he no longer would be physically with them.  But Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit--the Counselor, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth.  And that same Spirit lives in and with me.


Another passage from the same chapter (it's a discourse that includes quite a lot on the Holy Spirit) is verse 27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
Oh, I worry and fear so much.  I let Satan take away the peace that God longs to fill me with.  I worry about the future, about finances, about health, about so many things...but God has that all under control.  He doesn't want me to worry about it because I don't have to.  Instead, he wants to give me his peace.  Such grace!

A Bible verse that came to mind today is actually from Esther.  Her cousin Mordecai told her of a plot that a Persian official had against the Jews, Esther's people.  Esther had been made the Queen of Persia, Xerxes' wife, and she was the only one who could interfere in order to save her people.  Mordecai said to her, "Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14b).  I'm not in royal position, but I think God puts us in certain places for very specific reasons.  Not all the time, perhaps, but certainly some times.  Today I realized one reason he had me sit beside someone in a class last year.  This girl and I have become very good friends, and we understood today one extremely important reason why God brought us together: he knew we would really need each other, and that we could be a mutual comfort, encouragement and support to one another.

God's Word is SUCH a blessing...and those are some of the ways he blessed me with his Word today.

Linking up with Women Living Well and  Deep Roots at Home