Too often I find myself looking at life from a "me-focused" perspective:
"What should I do?"
"What can I do?"
"What should I not have done?"
This tends to make me frustrated and worried, because it's a law-based perspective. I'm constantly putting myself down from not living up to my own expectations.
Obviously, living with this perspective is not the way to be content and joyful in life. Rather, I need to keep my focus on Christ:
What has he done for me?
What is he doing in my life right now?
What has he promised for my future?
In terms of my eternal state ("What has God promised for my future?"), that's something for which I fully rely on God, not on myself. I have been made of a child of God by his grace and saved through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, which is a gift of God. My eternal salvation is not in question, and it is secure in Christ.
It's the day-to-day life that's a struggle, not my hope for the future. Satan tries to tear me (all of us) down: "You're such a terrible person. You never get anything right. God is so disappointed in you."
To counter this, we get to live in the knowledge that we are forgiven. God gladly and willingly forgives all our mistakes--even the ones we might think are unforgivable--and helps us turn away from our sins, repent, and turn back to him.
When I feel like I'm a "terrible person" or a "bad Christian," I remind myself that God sometimes works in and through me despite me! The Holy Spirit, living within us, enables us to live a life that's obedient to God and that reflects his love to those around us.
The ability to live a "good Christian life" is not something we find within ourselves. It's something God gives us freely, as a father gives good gifts to his children.
We cannot trust our feelings in this. Whether I "feel" like I'm a terrible person or not, that doesn't change what God has done for me. Our forgiveness is not based on our feelings. Neither is our salvation. We are saved and forgiven because of God's great love for us, shown in Christ's death and resurrection.
This is what I want to be the focus of my life!
Not me. Not my actions.
God--and his great love for me.
Showing posts with label God's grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's grace. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Offensive Grace
I don't like being told I'm helpless. That I can't do anything to save myself. I like feeling self-sufficient and independent. I like feeling in control.
Linking with: Upward not Inward, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, We are THAT Family, Messy Marriage, Graced Simplicity
The thing is, I'm not. I'm not really in control of my life. I don't have control over my future. And I certainly have no control over my life or how long it will last (ruling out suicide; that's an entirely different discussion).
God is in control of my life. He gave me life, and he decides what will happen in it, and how long it will last. And most importantly, God has guaranteed that I will not die eternally.
God has taken the responsibility for my salvation on himself. I can do absolutely nothing about it. No amount of good that I do has any bearing on my place in eternity. Jesus took the punishment for MY sin on himself, and gave me his holiness and purity as a free gift. I did not die for my sins. I cannot claim the reward of salvation on my own because I do not deserve it. I can only accept it because Jesus earned it for me and has given it to me freely. He suffered an unbearable death on the cross in my place, and in the place of all other people who have ever lived. He took the worst possible punishment--separation from God himself--on him, so that we would never have to experience it.
To many, many people, this sounds ridiculous. "What does some Jewish teacher who lived two thousand years ago have to do with me? How does his death guarantee my salvation? Why do I even need salvation? Why shouldn't I be able to earn it on my own?"
We don't like owing things to people. We don't like to admit that we can't do everything for ourselves.
This is why the Gospel is foolishness to so many. This is why grace is offensive.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
"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....Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
"Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength...God choose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)Grace is a gift. Plain and simple. It's not something we deserve, it's something God gives to us because he loves us.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Linking with: Upward not Inward, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, We are THAT Family, Messy Marriage, Graced Simplicity
Monday, April 8, 2013
God is Number One
Mondays are Marriage Mondays at Living in the Light. If you're a new visitor (especially if you're visiting from the Challenge)--welcome!! I'm so happy you're here. Check out my "About Me" page HERE, some of my favorite posts on marriage HERE, and my two most popular posts HERE and HERE.
If I was ever asked to give just one tip for making marriage great, it would be this:
Make God #1.
In your marriage, in your life, in your thoughts and actions.
When God gave the Ten Commandments, he began like this:
If I was ever asked to give just one tip for making marriage great, it would be this:
Make God #1.
In your marriage, in your life, in your thoughts and actions.
When God gave the Ten Commandments, he began like this:
And God spoke all these words, saying,
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me." Genesis 20:1-3
Having "no other gods" doesn't simply mean not worshiping false idols or the gods of other religions. It means not putting anything in one's life before God--and that includes one's spouse!
In the book of Matthew, a lawyer questioned Jesus and asked
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40
What are we to do above everything? Love God with all our "heart, soul, and mind." In other words, with everything we have in us. And second, we are to love those around us as we love our spouses.
I don't want this to be all about what we do. Because ultimately, life isn't about us. Marriage isn't about us. It's about God. Life is a gift from him. Marriage is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest gifts God's given us in this life. In marriage, God has given us a picture of the kind of sacrificial, selfless love he has for us. Of course, marriage doesn't always perfectly reflect that love--in fact, no marriage is ever perfect. That's because all marriages are between two sinful human beings. But God shows us grace, and blesses us despite our failures and shortcomings. He continues to pour out his love abundantly on us and our spouse, even when we don't deserve it. And God's love for us enables us to love one another.
The best thing any person can do for their marriage is to focus on God. Our spouse will fail us, and we will fail them. But God is always faithful, and we can trust that when we do fail, he will forgive us and renew us and our marriage.
What do you think? Is this a helpful suggestion for marriage? What's the one best tip for marriage you would give?
Linking with: The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, Yes They're All Ours, What Joy is Mine, The Alabaster Jar, A Proverbs 31 Wife
Linking with: The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, Yes They're All Ours, What Joy is Mine, The Alabaster Jar, A Proverbs 31 Wife
Friday, March 29, 2013
The best of all Good days
This is the best of all good days.
It's Good Friday. The day when Christians all over the world remember the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps this doesn't seem like it should be a good day. It certainly wouldn't have seemed good for the followers of Jesus. Their Lord, the one they believed to be the Messiah, had been betrayed, arrested, tortured, mocked, and condemned to death. Finally he was nailed to a cross.
And he died. He really, truly died.
It seemed as if the Messiah wasn't who everyone thought he had been. "If you are the Son of God," the soldiers and religious leaders taunted, "come down from there!"
I'm sure his mother, his disciples, those who loved and followed him, wondered why he didn't come down from the cross.
Why he endured unimaginable suffering. Why he responded to their angry jeers with sad silence.
They couldn't know, then, the magnitude of what he was doing. The Messiah, the Savior, suffered in near-silence, speaking only to utter words of forgiveness, words to fulfill prophecies made about him hundreds of years before... with the weight of the world's sin on his sinless shoulders.
He suffered so that we would not have to. He took on himself what we deserve and endured separation from God himself so that we would never experience such grief, such guilt.
That's why today is called Good...
Because we know that on another Friday, so long ago, Jesus paid the price for our sins. He took our guilt and punishment on himself so we would know his forgiveness. So that we would not die eternally, but would instead spend eternity with him in heaven.
It's Good Friday. The day when Christians all over the world remember the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps this doesn't seem like it should be a good day. It certainly wouldn't have seemed good for the followers of Jesus. Their Lord, the one they believed to be the Messiah, had been betrayed, arrested, tortured, mocked, and condemned to death. Finally he was nailed to a cross.
And he died. He really, truly died.
It seemed as if the Messiah wasn't who everyone thought he had been. "If you are the Son of God," the soldiers and religious leaders taunted, "come down from there!"
I'm sure his mother, his disciples, those who loved and followed him, wondered why he didn't come down from the cross.
Why he endured unimaginable suffering. Why he responded to their angry jeers with sad silence.
They couldn't know, then, the magnitude of what he was doing. The Messiah, the Savior, suffered in near-silence, speaking only to utter words of forgiveness, words to fulfill prophecies made about him hundreds of years before... with the weight of the world's sin on his sinless shoulders.
He suffered so that we would not have to. He took on himself what we deserve and endured separation from God himself so that we would never experience such grief, such guilt.
That's why today is called Good...
Image credit: Iamnee via www.freedigitalphotos.net
Because we know that on another Friday, so long ago, Jesus paid the price for our sins. He took our guilt and punishment on himself so we would know his forgiveness. So that we would not die eternally, but would instead spend eternity with him in heaven.
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul,
What wondrous love is this, O my soul?
What wondrous love is this,
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul?
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
How I was saved, and how you were, too!
This post was inspired by this salvation story on natashametzler.com. Reading Natasha's post and responding to it got me thinking about my own salvation story!
The story of my salvation doesn't start with me. It starts with God. God, who created heaven and earth and everything in them. God, who from the beginning of the world had a plan to conquer sin and death (Genesis 3:15). God, who sent His Son to earth to become a human baby, who would grow into a sinless human man, who would die for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16).
Image Credit: bela_kiefer via www.freedigitalphotos.net
My salvation starts with the incredible love of God. It's because God loves us--all people--so much that He has a plan for all of us to spend eternity with Him.
He gives us faith. We become His children. We believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, and the fact that Jesus' death paid the price for all the wrong we ever do. We live a brief life on earth, obeying God and loving Him according to His Word and in response for the gifts He constantly gives us (in addition to the gift of faith in Him! Wow!). Then, when our sinful, earthly bodies die, our sinless souls are united with God in heaven, and spend eternity joyfully with Him in paradise.
This is what God did for me. He made me his child just four weeks after I was born into this world. In my baptism, the Holy Spirit came into my heart by the power of God's Word, and gave me faith. It wasn't necessary for me to understand what that meant, because my saving isn't about me. It's not anything I do. God saves us, God makes us His children. It's kind of like how we become our parents' children. We don't have any choice to become their children. And they don't love us because of anything we do. They love us simply because they are our parents. God loves us because He is our Father.
So I became God's child through the miracle of baptism. As I grew, my parents taught me, using God's Word, how much God loves me, and what Jesus did for me. And I knew for sure that I was God's child. I knew that whenever I died, I would be in heaven with Jesus. I knew that I was sinful, and did bad things, but I also knew that God forgave those sins when I asked Him to, just as my parents told me they forgave me when I disobeyed them.
Now that I'm an adult, I'm still constantly learning what it means to be God's child. How does that play out in my everyday life? God reminds me daily to trust Him in everything. He has to keep teaching me how to accept His forgiveness, because I struggle with remembering that. Satan is constantly working to try to pull me away from God, but I know that because the Holy Spirit lives in my heart, Satan can't hurt me. Jesus has already defeated him and his power, and I have nothing to fear.
So my salvation story doesn't end with me, either. It ends with the ultimate gift from God--eternal life in heaven. It will end when my sinful body dies, and my eternal, holy, sinless soul is taken to heaven by Jesus, where I will live with Him forever. There no one will be sad or in pain. There will be no death, no grief, no discomfort. There will be joy, peace, love, and light, and it will be more wonderful than we can ever imagine, until we actually get there.
God wants everyone to be in heaven with Him. He has created you just like He did me, and He loves you, too, more than you will ever understand. I hope you know my Jesus, too, and know that He is your Lord and Savior--and how much He loves you. You can spend eternity in heaven, too, because Jesus paid the price for your sins as well as mine. Try saying this to God, your Father--you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain:
"Dear God, I know you love me. I know you sent your Son, Jesus, to pay the price for my sins. I acknowledge Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for giving me faith in you and in what Jesus has done for me. Now, as your child, I give my whole life to you."
Linking up today: A Holy Experience, Upward Not Inward, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers, We are THAT Family
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Forgiven: Knowing it, believing it, living it.
I'd like to do a little soul-baring with you, my dear readers. Perhaps one of you has had an experience like mine, so I hope that sharing my own story will bless you, as well.
For much of my life I've had what you might call a legalistic mindset. I've always understood about grace, don't get me wrong. I know Jesus died for my sins, I know that because of him I'll have eternal life, I know that God has forgiven every sin I've ever committed or will ever commit. I know I don't have to DO anything at all for my salvation--Jesus has done it all.
But I struggle with applying what I know in my head, to what I truly believe in my heart. I've never struggled with faith in Christ, but I've struggled with letting go of my sin. With accepting the fact that God's forgiveness erases that sin from my life.
It's not like I've done anything "majorly wrong." I've never done drugs, smoked or gotten drunk. I was a virgin when I got married. I've avoided swearing and bad language. I've never broken a federal law. My parents raised me to be a good, honest, obedient and law-abiding person.
But I'm just as sinful as anyone else, and I also happen to have a bit of a "guilt complex." Or, as my husband says, an overly active conscience. I struggle with letting go of my own sins.
I struggle with forgiving myself, and accepting that through Christ, God has forgiven me.
Does this sound like you? Have you ever had a struggle like this?
Whether you have or not, perhaps what I've learned will be helpful for you.
Since I started dating Joshua, he has been a powerful voice of forgiveness in my life. He easily and quickly forgives me when I sin against him and ask his forgiveness. He's reminded me time and again of God's forgiveness. And I'll remember that, and know it, for a while. But then that little voice inside me pulls up a wordless doubt, one that darkens the cheerfulness I usually feel, and makes me feel sorry for myself. "I'm just not good enough. I'll always have to struggle with this. The consequences will always be part of my life. I don't deserve forgiveness."
I read a blog post today where the author talked about forgetting. She asked God to remove memories of past sins, so that she wouldn't dwell on them anymore. This, I realized, is what I needed to do-forget about those sins. Dwelling on my sins, hanging on to that guilt, and refusing to forgive myself, is actually sin in itself. It's letting the law take over my life, instead of filling my life with the Gospel. Then I read another blog post with a similar message, and tonight Joshua and I watched the movie October Baby. It's about a teenage girl who discovers that she's adopted...and that her birth mother had attempted to have her aborted, but the abortion failed. The girl also had a twin brother, and although they were both born alive, her brother died. She struggled to forgive herself for living when her brother died, to forgive her birth mother for trying to kill her, and to forgive her adoptive parents because they had kept the truth from her for a long time.
In the movie there is a powerful message of forgiveness--that because God has forgiven us, we have the ability and the power to choose to forgive others. Including ourselves.
As the movie was ending I dissolved in tears...because for the first time in a long time, I felt truly at peace with myself. I realized that I was damaging myself by refusing forgiveness. And so I let go. I let go of the guilt I've been clinging to. What a self-centered thing I had been doing. It's not like it consumed my life...but it would come up at times, and I wouldn't just let it go. But I believe God spoke to my heart today. And so I've let go of the past, those sins that no one else would blame me for but for which I've been blaming myself. The sins that Satan's been using to hurt my heart.
I read a Scripture verse on a blog today, and it applied so well to my blog, but also to God's gentle message to me today. It's at the top of this page. Scroll up and read it.
It's especially the last sentence of that verse that really means a lot to me right now.
I also love these other words of God about forgiveness:
What God's given me is eternal life. And grace, forgiveness, and everlasting love.
There is no reason for me to hang onto my guilt. There is no reason to deny myself forgiveness, not when God has forgiven me long ago. I am a saved, baptized, forgiven child of God.
And just as Jesus died to save me from MY sins, so he died to save you from yours. Remember that verse at the top of the page? That's for you, too. When we repent of our sins--turn away from them--God is quick to forgive, and remind us of how much he loves us.
And he loves us so very much.
I hope you know that. If you don't, please talk to me, or talk to a pastor or another Christian you know, who is walking with Jesus. If you don't believe in Jesus in your personal Lord and Savior, he wants you to, so much! He wants you to know that you are his child.
It's amazing how much Jesus loves us. I've been reminded of that today, yet again, and I hope you know that in your heart, too.
Linking with: Growing Home, Heavenly Homemakers, Time-Warp Wife, Exceptionalistic
Image courtesy of David Castillo, www.freedigitalphotos.net
But I struggle with applying what I know in my head, to what I truly believe in my heart. I've never struggled with faith in Christ, but I've struggled with letting go of my sin. With accepting the fact that God's forgiveness erases that sin from my life.
It's not like I've done anything "majorly wrong." I've never done drugs, smoked or gotten drunk. I was a virgin when I got married. I've avoided swearing and bad language. I've never broken a federal law. My parents raised me to be a good, honest, obedient and law-abiding person.
But I'm just as sinful as anyone else, and I also happen to have a bit of a "guilt complex." Or, as my husband says, an overly active conscience. I struggle with letting go of my own sins.
I struggle with forgiving myself, and accepting that through Christ, God has forgiven me.
Does this sound like you? Have you ever had a struggle like this?
Whether you have or not, perhaps what I've learned will be helpful for you.
Since I started dating Joshua, he has been a powerful voice of forgiveness in my life. He easily and quickly forgives me when I sin against him and ask his forgiveness. He's reminded me time and again of God's forgiveness. And I'll remember that, and know it, for a while. But then that little voice inside me pulls up a wordless doubt, one that darkens the cheerfulness I usually feel, and makes me feel sorry for myself. "I'm just not good enough. I'll always have to struggle with this. The consequences will always be part of my life. I don't deserve forgiveness."
I read a blog post today where the author talked about forgetting. She asked God to remove memories of past sins, so that she wouldn't dwell on them anymore. This, I realized, is what I needed to do-forget about those sins. Dwelling on my sins, hanging on to that guilt, and refusing to forgive myself, is actually sin in itself. It's letting the law take over my life, instead of filling my life with the Gospel. Then I read another blog post with a similar message, and tonight Joshua and I watched the movie October Baby. It's about a teenage girl who discovers that she's adopted...and that her birth mother had attempted to have her aborted, but the abortion failed. The girl also had a twin brother, and although they were both born alive, her brother died. She struggled to forgive herself for living when her brother died, to forgive her birth mother for trying to kill her, and to forgive her adoptive parents because they had kept the truth from her for a long time.
In the movie there is a powerful message of forgiveness--that because God has forgiven us, we have the ability and the power to choose to forgive others. Including ourselves.
As the movie was ending I dissolved in tears...because for the first time in a long time, I felt truly at peace with myself. I realized that I was damaging myself by refusing forgiveness. And so I let go. I let go of the guilt I've been clinging to. What a self-centered thing I had been doing. It's not like it consumed my life...but it would come up at times, and I wouldn't just let it go. But I believe God spoke to my heart today. And so I've let go of the past, those sins that no one else would blame me for but for which I've been blaming myself. The sins that Satan's been using to hurt my heart.
I read a Scripture verse on a blog today, and it applied so well to my blog, but also to God's gentle message to me today. It's at the top of this page. Scroll up and read it.
It's especially the last sentence of that verse that really means a lot to me right now.
I also love these other words of God about forgiveness:
"I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of the greatest," declares the Lord. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Jeremiah 31:33b-34
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:8-14God doesn't remember my sins. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross took care of that. God has removed my sins from me; they are no longer part of my life. He is gracious, not "fair"--I don't get what I deserve. I deserve eternal punishment.
What God's given me is eternal life. And grace, forgiveness, and everlasting love.
There is no reason for me to hang onto my guilt. There is no reason to deny myself forgiveness, not when God has forgiven me long ago. I am a saved, baptized, forgiven child of God.
And just as Jesus died to save me from MY sins, so he died to save you from yours. Remember that verse at the top of the page? That's for you, too. When we repent of our sins--turn away from them--God is quick to forgive, and remind us of how much he loves us.
And he loves us so very much.
I hope you know that. If you don't, please talk to me, or talk to a pastor or another Christian you know, who is walking with Jesus. If you don't believe in Jesus in your personal Lord and Savior, he wants you to, so much! He wants you to know that you are his child.
It's amazing how much Jesus loves us. I've been reminded of that today, yet again, and I hope you know that in your heart, too.
Linking with: Growing Home, Heavenly Homemakers, Time-Warp Wife, Exceptionalistic
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Saved by Grace. This is what matters.
My friends, it's a blessed but weary morning. Most days I'm ready to jump out of bed and start my Bible reading, make breakfast, write a post if I haven't already.
Today I'd love to go back to bed, but this house needs my attention, and so do you. And you and I both need a reminder of the big picture--what life is all about, what the most important thing is. (And I'll tell you what, it's not the fact that I have a lot of picking up to do around here.)
It's this:
Ephesians:
2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [Emphases added] [Source]
This is what matters. We can't expect perfection from ourselves, because we're not perfect. We needed saving--which means at one point, we were lost. Specifically, dead (see v. 1). But in our baptisms, God made us one with Christ--one in his death, and one in his resurrection, so both Jesus' sacrifice and righteousness count for us, too. God made us alive with Christ. He has given us the promise of eternal life with Jesus, and because of his grace has given us faith (again, through our baptism and in the Word) which saves us.
Can I add a note here? Perhaps you don't believe the truth of these things. You might have heard about them, but not made them a part of your life. If you don't know who Jesus is, or if you've heard of him but don't believe in him as your Lord and Savior, please, email me (jaimie dot ramsey at cune dot org) and we'll talk. This message is for you, too, because Jesus also died for and loves YOU!
Our salvation is not contingent upon anything we do or don't do. That would make even salvation from sin into a law. But it's not.
Our salvation is entirely about Jesus, and what HE has done for us.
We are children of God and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, enabling us to live obedient lives to God. Because of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, God no longer looks at us and sees sinners. He looks at us and sees Jesus. He knows we're sinful, but he also knows Jesus has already paid the price for that sin. He has already forgiven us for everything we have done or will ever do that is against his will for us. There is no more price to be paid, no more punishment to be taken. Oh, we experience the temporal consequences of bad decisions. Sometimes those consequences are acutely painful. But they don't affect our eternal state--our soul has been ransomed by Jesus Christ, and nothing in this world can touch it.
Ah...yes. This is what's important. God doesn't love me more if my house is clean. He doesn't look at my homemaking skills or my good grades and say, "Well done, Jaimie, you've just made your salvation more sure." That would be ridiculous. God doesn't depend on us for our own salvation. He just asks that we don't throw away the faith in his Son that he's graciously given us. And I'm not about to do that.
Today, you and I can rest in the knowledge that God loves us, no matter what our house looks like, no matter how we do in our job or our studies or whatever vocation we're in. Remember that you are saved by grace through faith, and this is NOT of your own doing. It's a gift from God.
Linking today with Upward not Inward, Exceptionalistic, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers
Today I'd love to go back to bed, but this house needs my attention, and so do you. And you and I both need a reminder of the big picture--what life is all about, what the most important thing is. (And I'll tell you what, it's not the fact that I have a lot of picking up to do around here.)
It's this:
Ephesians:
2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [Emphases added] [Source]
This is what matters. We can't expect perfection from ourselves, because we're not perfect. We needed saving--which means at one point, we were lost. Specifically, dead (see v. 1). But in our baptisms, God made us one with Christ--one in his death, and one in his resurrection, so both Jesus' sacrifice and righteousness count for us, too. God made us alive with Christ. He has given us the promise of eternal life with Jesus, and because of his grace has given us faith (again, through our baptism and in the Word) which saves us.
Can I add a note here? Perhaps you don't believe the truth of these things. You might have heard about them, but not made them a part of your life. If you don't know who Jesus is, or if you've heard of him but don't believe in him as your Lord and Savior, please, email me (jaimie dot ramsey at cune dot org) and we'll talk. This message is for you, too, because Jesus also died for and loves YOU!
Our salvation is not contingent upon anything we do or don't do. That would make even salvation from sin into a law. But it's not.
Our salvation is entirely about Jesus, and what HE has done for us.
We are children of God and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, enabling us to live obedient lives to God. Because of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, God no longer looks at us and sees sinners. He looks at us and sees Jesus. He knows we're sinful, but he also knows Jesus has already paid the price for that sin. He has already forgiven us for everything we have done or will ever do that is against his will for us. There is no more price to be paid, no more punishment to be taken. Oh, we experience the temporal consequences of bad decisions. Sometimes those consequences are acutely painful. But they don't affect our eternal state--our soul has been ransomed by Jesus Christ, and nothing in this world can touch it.
Ah...yes. This is what's important. God doesn't love me more if my house is clean. He doesn't look at my homemaking skills or my good grades and say, "Well done, Jaimie, you've just made your salvation more sure." That would be ridiculous. God doesn't depend on us for our own salvation. He just asks that we don't throw away the faith in his Son that he's graciously given us. And I'm not about to do that.
Today, you and I can rest in the knowledge that God loves us, no matter what our house looks like, no matter how we do in our job or our studies or whatever vocation we're in. Remember that you are saved by grace through faith, and this is NOT of your own doing. It's a gift from God.
Linking today with Upward not Inward, Exceptionalistic, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Abraham: Living by Faith
This week for my Bible study I've been reading in Genesis, chapters 12-22. These are the ones about Abraham and Sarah. I haven't really pondered their journey recently, and reading this story anew brought things to light that I hadn't thought about before.
First, Abram and Sarai (their original names) traveled with Abram's father and family from Ur to Haran-- quite a long way. Then when Abram was seventy-five and his wife was sixty-five, God called them to leave their family behind and move again, this time all the way to Canaan. (Click on this link to see a map of their journey.)
God made a promise to Abram before they left Haran:
2 "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3
Shortly after their arrival in Canaan they traveled to Egypt to escape a famine (Gen. 12:10-20). Pharaoh tried to make Sarai part of his harem because Abram lied and said she was his sister (see 20:12). Pharaoh found out and was not happy, but gave them riches and servants anyway and sent them on their way.
They went back to Canaan where Abram parted ways with his nephew Lot, who had been traveling with them. Lot got into trouble with local kings and Abram had to rescue him (Gen. 13-14). Abram and Lot were successful, and once again God blessed them through their enemies. God renewed his covenant with Abram, promising him the land in which he lived would belong to his descendants, of which there would be more than there were stars in the sky (Gen 15).
However, Abram and Sarai were getting old, and Sarai doubted that she would be able to have a child. So she gave her servant Hagar to Abram to conceive a child, which Hagar did, bearing Ishmael. Unfortunately, as soon as Hagar became pregnant, Sarai was jealous of her and treated her poorly (Gen 16).
Not long after that, God and three angels appeared to Abraham (whose name God had changed) in the form of human men. They told Abraham that in a year's time, his wife would bear a son. God had already informed Abraham of this (17:15-22), but this time it was in Sarah's hearing (18:1-15). Her response was the same as Abraham's when he heard: She laughed.
Later, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot and his family were living. Only Lot and his two daughters escaped, and they did not live God-pleasing lives (Gen. 19).
Another king, this time Abimelech king of Gerar, tried to make Sarah part of his harem and God spared him punishment (Gen 20).
Finally, Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac was born, fulfilling God's prophecy (Gen. 21). Then when Isaac was in his teens, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham was about to do it when God stopped him and provided a ram for the sacrifice instead, rewarding Abraham for his faith and obedience (22:1-19).
Isaac, of course, was the father of Jacob, who had twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel. From Abraham the entire Jewish line was descended, and through his son Ishmael the Arabian tribes descended (Muslims trace their heritage back to Abraham as well as Jews and Christians). But Abraham and Sarah couldn't see how God's promises would be fulfilled, hundreds and thousands of years into the future. They both struggled to trust. They lied, doubted, tried to do things their own way, and laughed at God's words.
Despite all of this, Abraham was praised by the writer of Hebrews as a man of faith (Hebrews 11:8-12). This passage says that Abraham trusted God "by faith," and that even Sarah "considered [God] faithful who had made the promise." And that was after Sarah had laughed at God's prediction of her conception!
In 1 Peter 3 we read that the holy women of the past used to make themselves beautiful with "the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" (1 Peter 3:4).
I think too often we read the Genesis passage in light of the Hebrews one. Abraham was a man of faith, so those things he did in Genesis weren't as bad as they really seem. Well, they really were bad! Abraham was a sinner, just like you and me. But when we look at the Hebrews passage in light of the Genesis one, we see God's grace. We see that God counted Abraham and Sarah righteous, and faithful, not by anything they had done, but because of God's grace and mercy--because of Jesus and what he did for them.
The same is true for us. We are sinners, yes, but because of Jesus, God looks at us with love and grace. He does not look at the sinful things we have done or count them against us, because Jesus has paid the price for those sins. God looks at us as perfect and holy, because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross in our place. He died for us and for all people who have ever lived (including Abraham and Sarah) so that we don't have to die eternally, but can look forward to eternity in heaven with Jesus.
Therefore, like Abraham, we may live by faith--by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Can you relate at all with the struggles of Abraham? How do you see God's grace working in your life?
Linking today with Upward Not Inward, Exceptionalistic
First, Abram and Sarai (their original names) traveled with Abram's father and family from Ur to Haran-- quite a long way. Then when Abram was seventy-five and his wife was sixty-five, God called them to leave their family behind and move again, this time all the way to Canaan. (Click on this link to see a map of their journey.)
God made a promise to Abram before they left Haran:
2 "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3
Shortly after their arrival in Canaan they traveled to Egypt to escape a famine (Gen. 12:10-20). Pharaoh tried to make Sarai part of his harem because Abram lied and said she was his sister (see 20:12). Pharaoh found out and was not happy, but gave them riches and servants anyway and sent them on their way.
They went back to Canaan where Abram parted ways with his nephew Lot, who had been traveling with them. Lot got into trouble with local kings and Abram had to rescue him (Gen. 13-14). Abram and Lot were successful, and once again God blessed them through their enemies. God renewed his covenant with Abram, promising him the land in which he lived would belong to his descendants, of which there would be more than there were stars in the sky (Gen 15).
However, Abram and Sarai were getting old, and Sarai doubted that she would be able to have a child. So she gave her servant Hagar to Abram to conceive a child, which Hagar did, bearing Ishmael. Unfortunately, as soon as Hagar became pregnant, Sarai was jealous of her and treated her poorly (Gen 16).
Not long after that, God and three angels appeared to Abraham (whose name God had changed) in the form of human men. They told Abraham that in a year's time, his wife would bear a son. God had already informed Abraham of this (17:15-22), but this time it was in Sarah's hearing (18:1-15). Her response was the same as Abraham's when he heard: She laughed.
Later, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot and his family were living. Only Lot and his two daughters escaped, and they did not live God-pleasing lives (Gen. 19).
Another king, this time Abimelech king of Gerar, tried to make Sarah part of his harem and God spared him punishment (Gen 20).
Finally, Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac was born, fulfilling God's prophecy (Gen. 21). Then when Isaac was in his teens, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham was about to do it when God stopped him and provided a ram for the sacrifice instead, rewarding Abraham for his faith and obedience (22:1-19).
Isaac, of course, was the father of Jacob, who had twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel. From Abraham the entire Jewish line was descended, and through his son Ishmael the Arabian tribes descended (Muslims trace their heritage back to Abraham as well as Jews and Christians). But Abraham and Sarah couldn't see how God's promises would be fulfilled, hundreds and thousands of years into the future. They both struggled to trust. They lied, doubted, tried to do things their own way, and laughed at God's words.
Despite all of this, Abraham was praised by the writer of Hebrews as a man of faith (Hebrews 11:8-12). This passage says that Abraham trusted God "by faith," and that even Sarah "considered [God] faithful who had made the promise." And that was after Sarah had laughed at God's prediction of her conception!
In 1 Peter 3 we read that the holy women of the past used to make themselves beautiful with "the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" (1 Peter 3:4).
5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. (3:5-6)Abraham trusted and obeyed God, and Sarah trusted and obeyed her husband. No, they did not do it perfectly. They sinned. They doubted sometimes. But what does the writer of Hebrews tell us? They had faith.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)The faith in God that Abraham and Sarah had did not make them perfect. It did not make them impervious to fear and doubt. But that faith was not something that they had by their own doing. God blessed them with faith to trust in him. He blessed them even when they faltered. And God does the same with us.
I think too often we read the Genesis passage in light of the Hebrews one. Abraham was a man of faith, so those things he did in Genesis weren't as bad as they really seem. Well, they really were bad! Abraham was a sinner, just like you and me. But when we look at the Hebrews passage in light of the Genesis one, we see God's grace. We see that God counted Abraham and Sarah righteous, and faithful, not by anything they had done, but because of God's grace and mercy--because of Jesus and what he did for them.
The same is true for us. We are sinners, yes, but because of Jesus, God looks at us with love and grace. He does not look at the sinful things we have done or count them against us, because Jesus has paid the price for those sins. God looks at us as perfect and holy, because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross in our place. He died for us and for all people who have ever lived (including Abraham and Sarah) so that we don't have to die eternally, but can look forward to eternity in heaven with Jesus.
Therefore, like Abraham, we may live by faith--by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Can you relate at all with the struggles of Abraham? How do you see God's grace working in your life?
Linking today with Upward Not Inward, Exceptionalistic
Monday, August 20, 2012
Not a happy camper (but a work in progress)
My husband and I spent part of this weekend at his parents' house. We hadn't spent the night there yet this summer, and since school starts a week from today (yikes!!), we wanted to get a visit in. We also hadn't broken in our new tent (from my grandparents at Christmas) and other camping gear (from my parents this summer), so we brought the tent, sleeping bags, and air mattress and set up in the back yard.
All was fine till we went to bed. I was comfortable on the air mattress (once I added more air, because it was rather flat at first), but Joshua was not. So we deflated the air mattress. Joshua was comfortable, I was not; the ground was hard, dry, and bumpy--the result of a summer-long drought. I was not a happy camper. Literally. So we eventually hauled the blankets, pillows and sleeping bags inside and camped out on the basement floor instead. Where the ground was hard, but we had plenty of padding, and it was smooth. And level. And we slept fine and woke up happy with each other once again.
But I did not handle the discomfort well. I did not listen to my husband well. I complained. And argued. And acted like a whiny little kid.
This is not the best side of me.
By now, of course, all is forgiven, but that wasn't an isolated occasion. So far all three of the times we've slept out in a tent together, Joshua has had to deal with me being unhappy and uncomfortable at some point. (He has graciously agreed to give me yet another chance! I'll get there yet.) And I act like that in other situations, too.
This morning, this passage from Philippians came to my mind:
Oops.
I goofed...once again. Thank God (and my husband) for forgiveness. But did you see? That's not all law in that passage. I realize it sounds like IF we don't complain or argue, THEN we will become blameless, pure children of God. But that doesn't happen all by our own power!
We're children of God because God chose us in our baptisms. However, refraining from complaining and arguing is part of what happens as a result of being his child. Obviously we won't ever be completely perfect, but we can, by God's grace, live a life completely devoted to serving and obeying him. We won't do it perfectly, but Jesus' sacrifice on the cross covers us, taking away all our sin, so that we can "shine like stars in the universe." Then, as we live lives that honor and glorify God, we can "hold out the word of life," the Gospel, in witness of God's grace.
Those are a lot of good reasons for me to work on this problem of complaining and arguing.
Yet another good reason is that when I complain and argue, I'm not being obedient to or respectful of my husband. Proverbs 21:9 has this zinger: "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house [or a tent, in this case] with a quarrelsome wife." Just ten verses later, verse 19: "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife." Ouch. My poor husband would, at times, be better off either on the corner of the roof or in a desert, than living with me, the way I act sometimes.
God, in his mercy and grace, enables me to live most of the time in a way that pleases and honors him: loving, kind, respectful, obedient to my husband, and pleasant to live with. The Jaimie-in-a-tent is a side of me that needs some work. But then, I am a constant work in progress...and neither God nor my husband is going to give up on me.
Linking up to these lovely ladies, with thanks:
The Alabaster Jar; What Joy is Mine; lowercase letters; The Better Mom; Raising Arrows
All was fine till we went to bed. I was comfortable on the air mattress (once I added more air, because it was rather flat at first), but Joshua was not. So we deflated the air mattress. Joshua was comfortable, I was not; the ground was hard, dry, and bumpy--the result of a summer-long drought. I was not a happy camper. Literally. So we eventually hauled the blankets, pillows and sleeping bags inside and camped out on the basement floor instead. Where the ground was hard, but we had plenty of padding, and it was smooth. And level. And we slept fine and woke up happy with each other once again.
But I did not handle the discomfort well. I did not listen to my husband well. I complained. And argued. And acted like a whiny little kid.
This is not the best side of me.
By now, of course, all is forgiven, but that wasn't an isolated occasion. So far all three of the times we've slept out in a tent together, Joshua has had to deal with me being unhappy and uncomfortable at some point. (He has graciously agreed to give me yet another chance! I'll get there yet.) And I act like that in other situations, too.
This morning, this passage from Philippians came to my mind:
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..." Philippians 2:14-16bEverything. Without complaining. Or arguing.
Oops.
I goofed...once again. Thank God (and my husband) for forgiveness. But did you see? That's not all law in that passage. I realize it sounds like IF we don't complain or argue, THEN we will become blameless, pure children of God. But that doesn't happen all by our own power!
We're children of God because God chose us in our baptisms. However, refraining from complaining and arguing is part of what happens as a result of being his child. Obviously we won't ever be completely perfect, but we can, by God's grace, live a life completely devoted to serving and obeying him. We won't do it perfectly, but Jesus' sacrifice on the cross covers us, taking away all our sin, so that we can "shine like stars in the universe." Then, as we live lives that honor and glorify God, we can "hold out the word of life," the Gospel, in witness of God's grace.
Those are a lot of good reasons for me to work on this problem of complaining and arguing.
Yet another good reason is that when I complain and argue, I'm not being obedient to or respectful of my husband. Proverbs 21:9 has this zinger: "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house [or a tent, in this case] with a quarrelsome wife." Just ten verses later, verse 19: "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife." Ouch. My poor husband would, at times, be better off either on the corner of the roof or in a desert, than living with me, the way I act sometimes.
God, in his mercy and grace, enables me to live most of the time in a way that pleases and honors him: loving, kind, respectful, obedient to my husband, and pleasant to live with. The Jaimie-in-a-tent is a side of me that needs some work. But then, I am a constant work in progress...and neither God nor my husband is going to give up on me.
Linking up to these lovely ladies, with thanks:
The Alabaster Jar; What Joy is Mine; lowercase letters; The Better Mom; Raising Arrows
Friday, August 17, 2012
Stretching My Spirit
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on:::
Stretch…
Most mornings when I wake up, I stretch--my arms above my head, my back, my legs. It's a way of readying my body for a new day, transitioning from sleeping to wakefulness. It tells my body what my brain already knows: It's time to get up, start moving, start the things that need to be done today.
What if I stretched my spirit, too?
I confess, my spiritual habits have been lacking lately. I do devotions with my husband every single morning--I read the Scripture passages, sometimes nearly a whole chapter, he reads the devotion, and we pray together. But I haven't been reading my Bible on my own much recently. And my first thoughts in the morning aren't always prayer.
This morning my husband and I both woke up feeling way better than we had when we went to sleep. So my first thought was this morning, "Thank you, Jesus, for helping us feel better!" I was singing the Doxology in my head when I went to make breakfast.
But it's not always that way. I wish it were.
Exercise of the body takes discipline.
So does exercise of the mind--or of the spirit.
It will take discipline for me to remember to stretch myself spiritually each morning, and throughout each day.
But I know that's something God wants me to do. So when I pray and ask for his strength, his courage, and his help to do so--I know he'll answer that prayer. God wants me to be closer to him, and I know he'll help me as I seek to approach him more and in a deeper way.
Stretching my body feels so good every morning. I know stretching my spirit will be even better.
Linking up today with:
Lisa-Jo Baker (of course, with FMF); Your Thriving Family; Consider the Lilies; finding joy; Susan Godfrey
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
By God's Grace: Twenty-Five Years of Marriage
Today is my parents'
Twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
I can't tell you how happy I am, how proud, how thankful and how blessed.
 |
| In Duluth, MN, July 2009 |
My parents have been so blessed in their marriage, and they have been an incredible blessing to many people in the last twenty-five years.
They both serve in church ministry (my dad professionally, my mom on a volunteer basis) and they've both been working in marriage ministry at their church for several years now--encouraging and teaching other couples. Because my parents know how to do marriage right.
It's by the grace of God. It's with the love of God--not love that comes from my mom and dad.
They have relied on God constantly throughout their lives, and their marriage is no different.
They trust in his grace and forgiveness. They show the love of God to each other every day.
They have learned (and, as they'll tell you, are still learning) how to have a marriage that honors God.
They are my heroes, my examples, and I know Joshua and I will be like them someday.
(Because our marriage is based on the very same things.)
 |
| I'm sorry this didn't turn out. It's a high-resolution picture that doesn't upload well. |
Today, I thank God for my parents and the incredible marriage he has given them.
I thank God for his grace, love, and salvation, which have made my parents' lives and their marriage the wonderful things they are.
Congratulations, Mom and Dad! Here's to the next twenty-five years...and even more. :)
I love you both!
Linking up: To Love, Honor and Vacuum
Monday, August 13, 2012
God Gets Me {and speaks to my heart in so many ways}
"I get you," my husband told me last night. "I understand how you're feeling."
This was after I'd started crying again, that time because of the wise and grace-filled words of a friend (the first time yesterday was in the car listening to Laura Story's Blessings).
It was one of those days. Those days when worry and doubt seemed to overwhelm me. When I felt full of guilt for not being in the Word or in prayer nearly as much as I know I should be.
So, knowing my heart, and my doubts, God spoke to me in a few ways. Convicted my heart...and then encouraged and comforted it.
"We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
as if every promise from Your Word is not enough..."
Those were the words from Blessings that convicted me. Yep. That's exactly what I was doing...forgetting all of God's promises from his Word, that he would provide, that he would bless me beyond anything I deserve, that he would not forsake me.
Then, my friend wrote these words to me on Facebook:
"I've noticed that when I run into some funks [I had said that I felt like I was in a "spiritual funk"] I tend to feel guilty for not feeling repentant or loving or whatever the case may be. But I don't want to force the feeling either. I mean, God knows as well as I that it wouldn't be genuine. And I'm coming to realize more what Jesus meant when he said that where a man's treasure is, there his heart will be also. Like, my heart may not be feeling those things, but I can't change my heart's mind by willpower. Instead, I think feelings follow actions in most cases, and that where I invest my "treasure" - time, effort, energy, talents, materials - that then my heart is going to be invested over time as well...and the more I practice that, the more I am certain it is true.
And so when it comes to those funks, all I can do is be intentional about investment in the Word, etc...and then everything falls into place.
Of course, the lovely Holy Spirit is behind all of that."
"Lead your heart," Joshua told me after I read the above message from my friend.
Then later, when I was sitting on his lap and trying to explain why I'd been feeling the way I had all day, he said to me, "I get you." I realized that I hadn't been giving him enough credit...of course my husband understands me. He might not all the time, but he knows me better than anyone. I was glad to be woken up to the fact that he really did understand how I was feeling...and then it hit me.
I had, perhaps unintentionally, been assuming the same things of God--that he didn't understand what I was going through, that I had to try to carry the burden by myself, that worrying and fretting was the only way to accomplish anything... that talking to him wouldn't do any good.
It was as if God, in his immeasurable grace, said to me, "I get you. Do you think I don't understand, child? I understand exactly what you're feeling in your heart...I know what you're doing and why. And I'm still in control. You don't have to worry. You don't have to do it on your own. That's why you have friends, family and a husband who all love you. That's what I'm for. I'm taking care of you. That's not your job."
That's the message I got from everything yesterday.
And God has the same message for you. Even when it might not feel like it, God understands you. He gets you. He knows your heart even better than you know yourself!
Our Father is just wonderful. When we sin, he not only helps us realize what we're doing wrong, but he immediately reminds us that we're forgiven, and he's taking care of everything. He speaks to us through music, through the words of others, through the love of those around us. His words to us might even be audible, a "little voice" in our heads (although that's not how it was for me yesterday). But God still speaks to us. He knows what we need to hear.
He gets us.
(and just as a little reminder and encouragement for you today...the song that spoke to me yesterday and many times before...)
Linking up today:
The Better Mom; What Joy is Mine; lowercase letters; Raising Arrows; The Alabaster Jar; To Love, Honor and Vacuum
This was after I'd started crying again, that time because of the wise and grace-filled words of a friend (the first time yesterday was in the car listening to Laura Story's Blessings).
It was one of those days. Those days when worry and doubt seemed to overwhelm me. When I felt full of guilt for not being in the Word or in prayer nearly as much as I know I should be.
So, knowing my heart, and my doubts, God spoke to me in a few ways. Convicted my heart...and then encouraged and comforted it.
"We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
as if every promise from Your Word is not enough..."
Those were the words from Blessings that convicted me. Yep. That's exactly what I was doing...forgetting all of God's promises from his Word, that he would provide, that he would bless me beyond anything I deserve, that he would not forsake me.
Then, my friend wrote these words to me on Facebook:
"I've noticed that when I run into some funks [I had said that I felt like I was in a "spiritual funk"] I tend to feel guilty for not feeling repentant or loving or whatever the case may be. But I don't want to force the feeling either. I mean, God knows as well as I that it wouldn't be genuine. And I'm coming to realize more what Jesus meant when he said that where a man's treasure is, there his heart will be also. Like, my heart may not be feeling those things, but I can't change my heart's mind by willpower. Instead, I think feelings follow actions in most cases, and that where I invest my "treasure" - time, effort, energy, talents, materials - that then my heart is going to be invested over time as well...and the more I practice that, the more I am certain it is true.
And so when it comes to those funks, all I can do is be intentional about investment in the Word, etc...and then everything falls into place.
Of course, the lovely Holy Spirit is behind all of that."
"Lead your heart," Joshua told me after I read the above message from my friend.
Then later, when I was sitting on his lap and trying to explain why I'd been feeling the way I had all day, he said to me, "I get you." I realized that I hadn't been giving him enough credit...of course my husband understands me. He might not all the time, but he knows me better than anyone. I was glad to be woken up to the fact that he really did understand how I was feeling...and then it hit me.
I had, perhaps unintentionally, been assuming the same things of God--that he didn't understand what I was going through, that I had to try to carry the burden by myself, that worrying and fretting was the only way to accomplish anything... that talking to him wouldn't do any good.
It was as if God, in his immeasurable grace, said to me, "I get you. Do you think I don't understand, child? I understand exactly what you're feeling in your heart...I know what you're doing and why. And I'm still in control. You don't have to worry. You don't have to do it on your own. That's why you have friends, family and a husband who all love you. That's what I'm for. I'm taking care of you. That's not your job."
That's the message I got from everything yesterday.
And God has the same message for you. Even when it might not feel like it, God understands you. He gets you. He knows your heart even better than you know yourself!
Our Father is just wonderful. When we sin, he not only helps us realize what we're doing wrong, but he immediately reminds us that we're forgiven, and he's taking care of everything. He speaks to us through music, through the words of others, through the love of those around us. His words to us might even be audible, a "little voice" in our heads (although that's not how it was for me yesterday). But God still speaks to us. He knows what we need to hear.
He gets us.
(and just as a little reminder and encouragement for you today...the song that spoke to me yesterday and many times before...)
Linking up today:
The Better Mom; What Joy is Mine; lowercase letters; Raising Arrows; The Alabaster Jar; To Love, Honor and Vacuum
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
When You Don't Feel Beautiful
Physical beauty is pleasant to have.
Well...
That kind of beauty does not come from you.
It comes from within, yes... but from a source that is not you at all.
But by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit enables us to obey, please and honor God in our words, thoughts and actions--and God forgives us when we do fail.
It is God who makes us beautiful...inside and out.
Linking up with thanks:
Growing Home; Time-Warp Wife; Call Me Blessed; Cornerstone Confessions; Lessons from Ivy
We all like to have good hair days, clear skin, white (or mostly white) teeth, and flawless makeup, with our clothes fitting just right and flattering our bodies.
However, if you've read 1 Peter, chapter 3, you know that physical beauty isn't everything.
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4We all desire that kind of inner beauty. But what about the times when you feel like you don't have even that kind of beauty? When "a gentle and quiet spirit" is the last way you would describe your inner self?
Well...
That kind of beauty does not come from you.
It comes from within, yes... but from a source that is not you at all.
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" 1 Corinthians 6:19Your inner beauty comes from the Holy Spirit, because as you are a saved and forgiven child of God, the Holy Spirit lives in you.
"For the fruit of the Spirit is love, you, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:22-25Yes, we sin every day.
But by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit enables us to obey, please and honor God in our words, thoughts and actions--and God forgives us when we do fail.
It is God who makes us beautiful...inside and out.
Linking up with thanks:
Growing Home; Time-Warp Wife; Call Me Blessed; Cornerstone Confessions; Lessons from Ivy
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Lavish Grace of God
One of the Scripture readings in church on Sunday was Ephesians 1:3-14. A professor from our university (which is right across the street from church) had the message. Pastor Groth is one of Joshua's and my favorite professors, and this sermon was almost like a class session...I was even taking notes!
This passage in Ephesians is one I have read before, but I gained so much insight into it on Sunday, and it connected with other things God has been teaching me (see this post on God's purpose, this post on faith, and this post on God's promises that I've written in the last week).
This is the first part of the Ephesians passage:
1) God "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." EVERY spiritual blessing! God's grace is abundant.
2) Nothing that God does happens except in and through Christ. God has blessed us in Christ. He has chosen us in Christ. He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with "his glorious grace" in "the Beloved," Jesus. In Jesus we have redemption. God set forth his purpose in Christ (that's in verse 9, not quoted above). In Christ "we have obtained an inheritance," that is, eternal life.
3) We did not choose God. He chose us! How can a child choose to be born? God chose us before the foundation of the world. That's thousands of years before we were born--or even thought of by our parents! God knew us from that time on, and he chose us to be his.
4) Faith is pure gift. We didn't ask for it. God chose us to know him--we didn't ask to know him. He chose us to be redeemed and forgiven. It's all by "the riches of his grace," not by our own doing, or by anything we deserve.
5) The reason we are God's children is to serve him. He chose us "according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace." God has done millions of amazing things. He deserves for his glory and grace to be praised! That's what our lives are all about.
6) Our relationship with God is not up to us. We can stop worrying about our relationship with God, Pastor Groth said, because it doesn't depend on us. God has what it takes to keep us believing in him. He has us in his hands now, and he's not going to let us go. Also, we should stop trying to take credit for anything in our spiritual lives. If it wasn't for God, we wouldn't be able to do anything that pleases him. As it is, all we can do is thank him for the faith he has placed in our hearts, and thank him for helping us live a life that pleases him.
The rest of the passage from Sunday includes so many more wonderful things. It also includes tricky things like predestination, which I'm not going to try to explain today because I know not all of my readers share my Missouri Synod Lutheran theology (and that's absolutely fine!!). Also, once I actually complete my theology and English degrees, I'll be much better equipped to write about such things. :) For now, just read the Scripture passage yourself!
I do hope you take this from what I have been learning: God blesses us lavishly. He does everything through his Son Jesus Christ. God chose us, we did not choose him, and he did it before the creation of the world. Our faith is not dependent upon us. God has called us as his children to serve, praise and glorify him. And finally, we don't need to worry about our faith: it's in God's hands.
Linking up today:
New Life Steward; The Fontenot Four; Raising Homemakers; A Wise Woman Builds Her Home; Deep Roots at Home; Women Living Well; Live Called
This passage in Ephesians is one I have read before, but I gained so much insight into it on Sunday, and it connected with other things God has been teaching me (see this post on God's purpose, this post on faith, and this post on God's promises that I've written in the last week).
This is the first part of the Ephesians passage:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us..." (Ephesians 1:3-8)There is SO much in this passage!
1) God "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." EVERY spiritual blessing! God's grace is abundant.
2) Nothing that God does happens except in and through Christ. God has blessed us in Christ. He has chosen us in Christ. He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with "his glorious grace" in "the Beloved," Jesus. In Jesus we have redemption. God set forth his purpose in Christ (that's in verse 9, not quoted above). In Christ "we have obtained an inheritance," that is, eternal life.
3) We did not choose God. He chose us! How can a child choose to be born? God chose us before the foundation of the world. That's thousands of years before we were born--or even thought of by our parents! God knew us from that time on, and he chose us to be his.
4) Faith is pure gift. We didn't ask for it. God chose us to know him--we didn't ask to know him. He chose us to be redeemed and forgiven. It's all by "the riches of his grace," not by our own doing, or by anything we deserve.
5) The reason we are God's children is to serve him. He chose us "according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace." God has done millions of amazing things. He deserves for his glory and grace to be praised! That's what our lives are all about.
6) Our relationship with God is not up to us. We can stop worrying about our relationship with God, Pastor Groth said, because it doesn't depend on us. God has what it takes to keep us believing in him. He has us in his hands now, and he's not going to let us go. Also, we should stop trying to take credit for anything in our spiritual lives. If it wasn't for God, we wouldn't be able to do anything that pleases him. As it is, all we can do is thank him for the faith he has placed in our hearts, and thank him for helping us live a life that pleases him.
The rest of the passage from Sunday includes so many more wonderful things. It also includes tricky things like predestination, which I'm not going to try to explain today because I know not all of my readers share my Missouri Synod Lutheran theology (and that's absolutely fine!!). Also, once I actually complete my theology and English degrees, I'll be much better equipped to write about such things. :) For now, just read the Scripture passage yourself!
I do hope you take this from what I have been learning: God blesses us lavishly. He does everything through his Son Jesus Christ. God chose us, we did not choose him, and he did it before the creation of the world. Our faith is not dependent upon us. God has called us as his children to serve, praise and glorify him. And finally, we don't need to worry about our faith: it's in God's hands.
Linking up today:
New Life Steward; The Fontenot Four; Raising Homemakers; A Wise Woman Builds Her Home; Deep Roots at Home; Women Living Well; Live Called
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Simple Faith
I recently read a book by Janette Oke called A Bride for Donnigan. I won't give a full synopsis--it was just the end that really moved me yesterday. (However, I would recommend this and all her books!)
By the end of the book, two parents are trying to raise their six young children as well as they can. Neither parent was raised in a Christian family, but they believe there is a God, and that they should teach their children about Him. Slowly, through much study of the Bible, they come to understand what God has done throughout history. But there is something missing. The husband and wife are both still burdened with anger and unforgiveness as a result of their past. Finally, while talking with their children about Jesus, their little girl realized what they needed to do. "I want to tell God sorry," she sobbed. Her parents had not yet understood what it meant to pray--that they could just tell God anything--but their small daughter spoke simply to God, telling Him she was sorry for the bad things she had done, and asking Him to forgive her. When she finished, she looked up at them with a smile full of joy and peace, knowing she was forgiven.
Her parents wanted that. So, not long afterward, they each told God that they were sorry for what they had done wrong, asked Him to forgive them, and asked Him to help them live their lives in obedience to Him.
It was that simple. They, too, felt the peace and joy that their little daughter had.
Now, I know this is a fictional story. But Janette Oke is right. The apostle John wrote in his first epistle,
I've been a Christian all my life. I was baptized when I was less than a month old, and I've had saving faith in Jesus Christ ever since. I am thankful for this, but sometimes I make my faith more complicated than it needs to be. Sometimes I'm fooled into thinking I actually have to do something to earn God's forgiveness...that I have to live a perfect life in order to please Him.
Well, I would have to live a perfect life to please God...if Jesus hadn't already done it for me.
There's nothing more I have to do. Jesus has paid the price for my sins, taken them away on the cross, and provided the means necessary for my eternal forgiveness and salvation.
I don't have to try to impress God. All He wants me to do is "tell Him sorry."
Thanks be to God for His immeasurable grace!!
Yesterday, as I closed this book, I was in tears. I realized that I had been trying too hard. I don't need a big, complicated faith. Jesus encouraged His followers to have faith like a child--and that's what I need, too: a complete, unassuming faith that expects nothing of myself. God doesn't expect me to be perfect. He knows I can't be, and that I can't do anything good on my own. He is the One who gives me the willpower, strength and ability to please and serve Him.
So I asked Him for that. I asked Him if this blog is really what He wants me to do--if it's pleasing and glorifying to Him. I asked Him to help me be the best wife I can be to Joshua. I asked God to help me honor, glorify, serve and praise Him in everything I do.
Then, last night, a friend messaged me on Facebook. She said that my blog was a blessing to her, and even asked for help in coming up with an idea for a devotion.
A comment on yesterday's post suggested that I write devotions for women.
My husband reiterated once again that I am a great wife to him.
Now, it's not often that God answers my prayers quite this clearly. Sometimes I'm not sure what His answer is. Sometimes it's "No" or "I have something better for you." But yesterday, the answer clearly was "Yes." I am so very thankful to have been encouraged in this way.
By the end of the book, two parents are trying to raise their six young children as well as they can. Neither parent was raised in a Christian family, but they believe there is a God, and that they should teach their children about Him. Slowly, through much study of the Bible, they come to understand what God has done throughout history. But there is something missing. The husband and wife are both still burdened with anger and unforgiveness as a result of their past. Finally, while talking with their children about Jesus, their little girl realized what they needed to do. "I want to tell God sorry," she sobbed. Her parents had not yet understood what it meant to pray--that they could just tell God anything--but their small daughter spoke simply to God, telling Him she was sorry for the bad things she had done, and asking Him to forgive her. When she finished, she looked up at them with a smile full of joy and peace, knowing she was forgiven.
Her parents wanted that. So, not long afterward, they each told God that they were sorry for what they had done wrong, asked Him to forgive them, and asked Him to help them live their lives in obedience to Him.
It was that simple. They, too, felt the peace and joy that their little daughter had.
Now, I know this is a fictional story. But Janette Oke is right. The apostle John wrote in his first epistle,
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9).It's that simple. When we confess our sinfulness, God forgives us and purifies us from the sin within us.
I've been a Christian all my life. I was baptized when I was less than a month old, and I've had saving faith in Jesus Christ ever since. I am thankful for this, but sometimes I make my faith more complicated than it needs to be. Sometimes I'm fooled into thinking I actually have to do something to earn God's forgiveness...that I have to live a perfect life in order to please Him.
Well, I would have to live a perfect life to please God...if Jesus hadn't already done it for me.
There's nothing more I have to do. Jesus has paid the price for my sins, taken them away on the cross, and provided the means necessary for my eternal forgiveness and salvation.
I don't have to try to impress God. All He wants me to do is "tell Him sorry."
Thanks be to God for His immeasurable grace!!
Yesterday, as I closed this book, I was in tears. I realized that I had been trying too hard. I don't need a big, complicated faith. Jesus encouraged His followers to have faith like a child--and that's what I need, too: a complete, unassuming faith that expects nothing of myself. God doesn't expect me to be perfect. He knows I can't be, and that I can't do anything good on my own. He is the One who gives me the willpower, strength and ability to please and serve Him.
So I asked Him for that. I asked Him if this blog is really what He wants me to do--if it's pleasing and glorifying to Him. I asked Him to help me be the best wife I can be to Joshua. I asked God to help me honor, glorify, serve and praise Him in everything I do.
Then, last night, a friend messaged me on Facebook. She said that my blog was a blessing to her, and even asked for help in coming up with an idea for a devotion.
A comment on yesterday's post suggested that I write devotions for women.
My husband reiterated once again that I am a great wife to him.
Now, it's not often that God answers my prayers quite this clearly. Sometimes I'm not sure what His answer is. Sometimes it's "No" or "I have something better for you." But yesterday, the answer clearly was "Yes." I am so very thankful to have been encouraged in this way.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness."
When we pray, "God, please forgive me," that is a prayer He always answers with "Yes."
God keeps His promises.
Whenever we confess, He will forgive and cleanse us.
And it really is as simple as that--as simple as a child's faith.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
God Calls the Unlikeliest of Servants
The book of Judges is one of the most exciting books of the Bible, in my opinion. It's full of battles, bravery, and unlikely heroes. And more importantly, it contains stories about God's righteous judgment, His mercy, and forgiveness.
Many chapters in the book begin with the phrase, "Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord..." Over and over God's people turned away from Him and worshiped the false gods of the people in whose land they were living. Over and over God gave the people over to their enemies because they had abandoned Him. Again and again the people pleaded with God to rescue them, so He sent people to care for them, rescue them from their enemies, and lead them into victorious battles.
Only when God was in charge of the Israelites did they win those battles. And God almost always chose the unlikeliest of people to lead Israel. One of those people was Gideon. He, his family and their people were in a desperate situation. The Midianites had taken over their land, destroyed all their crops and livestock, and forced Israel to flee to caves and hideouts in the mountains for refuge. Israel was so afraid of Midian that when Gideon, the youngest of his father's sons, was given the job of threshing wheat, he had to do it in a winepress in order to not be seen by the Midianites (Judges 6:1-11).
It was this man, who had lost almost everything and living in constant fear, who God called to lead His people.
Gideon was reluctant. He protested that he was too young and weak. He asked where God had been, why He had abandoned His people to Midian (Judges 6:13-15).
God was patient. He reassured Gideon. He gave him instructions, and God also gave Gideon proof and signs that God would do what He had promised. He would save Israel.
And he did. Gideon gathered thirty-two thousand men from the tribes of Israel. In order to make clear that God would save them, not Gideon, God instructed Gideon to pare down the army from the thirty-two thousand, to twenty-two thousand, to three hundred men. Those three hundred were the men God used to rescue Israel from the Midianites.
(The battle story is an exciting one. To read the whole thing, go to Judges chapter seven!)
Gideon and the Israelites are not unlike many believers in God today. We often ignore His laws, and then question God as to why He has abandoned us--when it is not He who has left us, but we who have left Him. Then, when he calls us to serve him, we protest that we are unable, that we need more proof from God that this is really what he wants us to do.
This is exactly what Israel did, and it is exactly what I see myself doing.
I don't always obey God. Then, when I have troubles, I wonder why He's not getting me out of them. It's not that He's turned away from me. It's I who have turned away from Him!
He is gracious, and He still calls me his child. He still has work for me to do. But I question whether or not I can do it.
I'm just a young woman. I don't have much experience in anything. I don't have money to travel anywhere to share the Gospel. I'm not that good of a writer. I fail all the time as a wife.
I protest and find excuses why I'm not qualified to serve God.
Why do I think it's all about me?
God doesn't need me. He has chosen me to serve Him, and to help fulfill His purposes.
He doesn't rely on MY strength to fulfill His will. He gives me HIS strength!
No, Gideon wasn't qualified.
I'm not either.
But that doesn't matter to God. We don't get in His way.
He gives us jobs to do, and then He gives us the means to do them.
All He does is ask that we are obedient. That we listen to Him, and follow His calling.
And we can have faith that He will do what He has promised.
God will take care of us. He will provide for us. It will not always be in the way we imagine. But it will be in the way that God knows is best, and that will bring Him glory.
Have you ever heard this phrase:
"God doesn't call the equipped. He equips those He calls."
That was true for Gideon.
It is true for me.
AND it is true for you.
God has a plan for you. You are someone He has chosen to help carry out His purposes. Whatever He calls you to do, He will enable you to do it.
He is big, almighty, eternal, and all-powerful. We can trust that He will keep His promises...just like he did for Gideon.
Linking with:
Many chapters in the book begin with the phrase, "Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord..." Over and over God's people turned away from Him and worshiped the false gods of the people in whose land they were living. Over and over God gave the people over to their enemies because they had abandoned Him. Again and again the people pleaded with God to rescue them, so He sent people to care for them, rescue them from their enemies, and lead them into victorious battles.
Only when God was in charge of the Israelites did they win those battles. And God almost always chose the unlikeliest of people to lead Israel. One of those people was Gideon. He, his family and their people were in a desperate situation. The Midianites had taken over their land, destroyed all their crops and livestock, and forced Israel to flee to caves and hideouts in the mountains for refuge. Israel was so afraid of Midian that when Gideon, the youngest of his father's sons, was given the job of threshing wheat, he had to do it in a winepress in order to not be seen by the Midianites (Judges 6:1-11).
It was this man, who had lost almost everything and living in constant fear, who God called to lead His people.
Gideon was reluctant. He protested that he was too young and weak. He asked where God had been, why He had abandoned His people to Midian (Judges 6:13-15).
God was patient. He reassured Gideon. He gave him instructions, and God also gave Gideon proof and signs that God would do what He had promised. He would save Israel.
And he did. Gideon gathered thirty-two thousand men from the tribes of Israel. In order to make clear that God would save them, not Gideon, God instructed Gideon to pare down the army from the thirty-two thousand, to twenty-two thousand, to three hundred men. Those three hundred were the men God used to rescue Israel from the Midianites.
(The battle story is an exciting one. To read the whole thing, go to Judges chapter seven!)
Gideon and the Israelites are not unlike many believers in God today. We often ignore His laws, and then question God as to why He has abandoned us--when it is not He who has left us, but we who have left Him. Then, when he calls us to serve him, we protest that we are unable, that we need more proof from God that this is really what he wants us to do.
This is exactly what Israel did, and it is exactly what I see myself doing.
I don't always obey God. Then, when I have troubles, I wonder why He's not getting me out of them. It's not that He's turned away from me. It's I who have turned away from Him!
He is gracious, and He still calls me his child. He still has work for me to do. But I question whether or not I can do it.
I'm just a young woman. I don't have much experience in anything. I don't have money to travel anywhere to share the Gospel. I'm not that good of a writer. I fail all the time as a wife.
I protest and find excuses why I'm not qualified to serve God.
Why do I think it's all about me?
God doesn't need me. He has chosen me to serve Him, and to help fulfill His purposes.
He doesn't rely on MY strength to fulfill His will. He gives me HIS strength!
No, Gideon wasn't qualified.
I'm not either.
But that doesn't matter to God. We don't get in His way.
He gives us jobs to do, and then He gives us the means to do them.
All He does is ask that we are obedient. That we listen to Him, and follow His calling.
And we can have faith that He will do what He has promised.
God will take care of us. He will provide for us. It will not always be in the way we imagine. But it will be in the way that God knows is best, and that will bring Him glory.
Have you ever heard this phrase:
"God doesn't call the equipped. He equips those He calls."
That was true for Gideon.
It is true for me.
AND it is true for you.
God has a plan for you. You are someone He has chosen to help carry out His purposes. Whatever He calls you to do, He will enable you to do it.
He is big, almighty, eternal, and all-powerful. We can trust that He will keep His promises...just like he did for Gideon.
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