Psalm 89:9 [ESV] ~ "You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.
I'm thankful that even when life seems crazy, God is greater than anything I am facing.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
More Than Enough
"Enough" ~ BarlowGirl
All of You is more than enough for
All of me for every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You
Is more than enough
You are my supply
My breath of life
Still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
Worth living for
Still more awesome than I know
You're my sacrifice of greatest price
Still more awesome than I know
You're my coming King You're everything
Still more awesome than I know
All of You is more than enough for
All of me for every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You
Is more than enough
You are my supply
My breath of life
Still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
Worth living for
Still more awesome than I know
You're my sacrifice of greatest price
Still more awesome than I know
You're my coming King You're everything
Still more awesome than I know
Psalm 63:3 [NIV]: "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."
Matthew 13:44-46 [NIV] ~ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Tenth Avenue North - You Are More
"You are More" by Tenth Avenue North is one of my favorite songs. I really like this song because of the truth that it speaks about how God sees us.
This world tells us so many lies about our identity, worth, and value: that we are unlovable, that we are not good enough, beautiful enough, skinny enough, smart enough, athletic enough, the list goes on...
The opening lines to this song say:"There's a girl in the corner with tear stains on her eyes from the places she's wandered and the shame she can't hide. She says, "How did I get here? I'm not who I once was. And I'm crippled by the fear that I've fallen too far to love.""
I have been this girl. I have believed this pervasive lie and felt this way before. I've thought that a certain sin in my life was much too terrible for God to be able to forgive me and love me. The world tells us that once we reach a certain point, we've maxed out our forgiveness. But this is NOT how God operates at all!
You have never fallen too far for God to love you.
Romans 5:8 [NIV] ~ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
"You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade."
2 Corinthians 5:17 [NIV] ~ "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
"'Cause this is not about what you've done, but what's been done for you."
Jesus paid the price for our sins through his death and resurrection. We do not have to clean ourselves up before God will love us. All we have to do is accept God's free gift of salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 [NIV] ~ "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."
Romans 8:1-3 [NLT] ~ "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins."
This world tells us so many lies about our identity, worth, and value: that we are unlovable, that we are not good enough, beautiful enough, skinny enough, smart enough, athletic enough, the list goes on...
The opening lines to this song say:
I have been this girl. I have believed this pervasive lie and felt this way before. I've thought that a certain sin in my life was much too terrible for God to be able to forgive me and love me. The world tells us that once we reach a certain point, we've maxed out our forgiveness. But this is NOT how God operates at all!
You have never fallen too far for God to love you.
Romans 5:8 [NIV] ~ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
"You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade."
2 Corinthians 5:17 [NIV] ~ "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
"'Cause this is not about what you've done, but what's been done for you."
Jesus paid the price for our sins through his death and resurrection. We do not have to clean ourselves up before God will love us. All we have to do is accept God's free gift of salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 [NIV] ~ "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."
Romans 8:1-3 [NLT] ~ "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins."
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Usefulness or Relationship? -- Oswald Chambers
I was reading My Utmost For His Highest this morning and came across this devotion by Oswald Chambers:
I thought this was a really good reminder that my worth before God is not found in what I can do for Him. It's a dangerous mindset to get into when I begin to measure my "performance" as a Christian. I begin to make it about me and what I'm doing. I wrongly take the glory for myself, when it clearly belongs to God. I start relying on myself, rather than God. And then when I mess up, when I can't do all that's demanded of me, I feel that I have failed. I feel like God is shaking His head in disappointment at me.
What. A. Lie. That's not how God sees me at all! I am His daughter, and He loves me so incredibly much!
1 John 3:1 [NIV1984]: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"
Romans 8:16-17 [NIV1984]: "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
One of my favorite passages is Hebrews 4:14-16 [NIV1984]: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
God isn't mad at me when I mess up. He wants me to turn to Him for strength, for comfort, for everything.
Psalm 116:5 [CEB]: "The LORD is mericful and righteous; our God is compassionate."
Usefulness or Relationship?
"Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven —Luke 10:20"
"Jesus Christ is saying here, “Don’t rejoice in your successful service for Me, but rejoice because of your right relationship with Me.” The trap you may fall into in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service— rejoicing in the fact that God has used you. Yet you will never be able to measure fully what God will do through you if you have a right-standing relationship with Jesus Christ. If you keep your relationship right with Him, then regardless of your circumstances or whoever you encounter each day, He will continue to pour “rivers of living water” through you (John 7:38). And it is actually by His mercy that He does not let you know it. Once you have the right relationship with God through salvation and sanctification, remember that whatever your circumstances may be, you have been placed in them by God. And God uses the reaction of your life to your circumstances to fulfill His purpose, as long as you continue to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7).
Our tendency today is to put the emphasis on service. Beware of the people who make their request for help on the basis of someone’s usefulness. If you make usefulness the test, then Jesus Christ was the greatest failure who ever lived. For the saint, direction and guidance come from God Himself, not some measure of that saint’s usefulness. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him. All that our Lord gives His attention to in a person’s life is that person’s relationship with God— something of great value to His Father. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory . . .” (Hebrews 2:10)."
I thought this was a really good reminder that my worth before God is not found in what I can do for Him. It's a dangerous mindset to get into when I begin to measure my "performance" as a Christian. I begin to make it about me and what I'm doing. I wrongly take the glory for myself, when it clearly belongs to God. I start relying on myself, rather than God. And then when I mess up, when I can't do all that's demanded of me, I feel that I have failed. I feel like God is shaking His head in disappointment at me.
What. A. Lie. That's not how God sees me at all! I am His daughter, and He loves me so incredibly much!
1 John 3:1 [NIV1984]: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"
Romans 8:16-17 [NIV1984]: "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
One of my favorite passages is Hebrews 4:14-16 [NIV1984]: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
God isn't mad at me when I mess up. He wants me to turn to Him for strength, for comfort, for everything.
Psalm 116:5 [CEB]: "The LORD is mericful and righteous; our God is compassionate."
Friday, April 29, 2011
One Solitary Life
"Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was his coat. When he was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Your Love Never Fails
"Your Love Never Fails"
by Jesus Culture
"Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails
I know I still make mistakes
But You have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails
Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There maybe pain in the night but joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage
I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
Your love never fails
Verse 2:
The wind is strong and the water's deep
But I'm not alone in these open seas
Cause Your love never fails
The chasm is far too wide
I never thought I'd reach the other side
But Your love never fails
Bridge:
You make all things work together for my good"
Psalm 30:5b [NLT] ~ "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning."
Hebrews 13:8 [ESV] ~ "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Romans 8:38-39 [Amplified Bible] ~ "For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Psalm 46:1-3 [TNIV] ~ "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."
Broken Cisterns
"What does not satisfy when we find it, was not the thing we were desiring."
-C. S. Lewis
"If only you had this or that," the world lies to us, "then you would be happy." How come then, once we do achieve whatever goal we have set for ourselves, or attain whatever possession or relationship we were chasing after, that the satisfaction from it never lasts for long? We are always left wanting more.
Maybe the reason is because we thought we knew what we wanted, but actually we were way off target. Maybe what we really were desiring was fulfillment, and we thought we knew where we could find it--money, success, popularity, approval from others, a relationship, status, whatever else it may be. However, we were going to the wrong places to find this fulfillment. We thought things and people in this world could satisfy us, but in reality, these things do not have the power to fulfill us. God and God alone can give us complete satisfaction in Him.
Psalm 16:2 [NIV 2011]: "I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
In the book of Jeremiah, the people go after all sorts of other things, rather than following God. They have deserted God to chase after things that do not fulfill. It's a painful realization to see how often I can be like these people... I try to fill myself up with things that (intellectually) I know do not satisfy.
Jeremiah 2:13 [NIV]: "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
I did a little online research to find out what a cistern actually was, and here's what I found...
Cistern definition: "a receptacle for water, either conducted from an external spring or proceeding from rain-fall."
From John Wesley: "Verse 13 -- Of living waters - A metaphor taken from springs, called living, because they never cease, or intermit; such had God's care and kindness been over them. Cisterns - Either their idols, which are empty vain things, that never answer expectation, or the Assyrians, and Egyptians. Indeed all other supports, that are trusted to besides God, are but broken vessels."
In short, the people had forsaken God, and pursued idols. Just a few thoughts on idols from Jeremiah...
Jeremiah 2:5 [NLT]: "This is what the Lord says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves.""
Jeremiah 10:5 [NLT]: "Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good."
Jeremiah 10:8 [Amplified Bible]: But they are altogether irrational and stupid and foolish. Their instruction is given by idols who are but wood [it is a teaching of falsity, emptiness, futility]!
Jeremiah 10:15 [NLT]: "Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed."
"Idols always break the hearts of their worshipers."
-C. S. Lewis
I am so thankful for the way God pursues me so persistently; even when I mess up, He loves me still the same. I am so thankful for his unending mercies, so thankful for how His love never fails.
Psalm 116:5 [NIV 2011]: "The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion."
Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT]: "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning."
-C. S. Lewis
"If only you had this or that," the world lies to us, "then you would be happy." How come then, once we do achieve whatever goal we have set for ourselves, or attain whatever possession or relationship we were chasing after, that the satisfaction from it never lasts for long? We are always left wanting more.
Maybe the reason is because we thought we knew what we wanted, but actually we were way off target. Maybe what we really were desiring was fulfillment, and we thought we knew where we could find it--money, success, popularity, approval from others, a relationship, status, whatever else it may be. However, we were going to the wrong places to find this fulfillment. We thought things and people in this world could satisfy us, but in reality, these things do not have the power to fulfill us. God and God alone can give us complete satisfaction in Him.
Psalm 16:2 [NIV 2011]: "I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
In the book of Jeremiah, the people go after all sorts of other things, rather than following God. They have deserted God to chase after things that do not fulfill. It's a painful realization to see how often I can be like these people... I try to fill myself up with things that (intellectually) I know do not satisfy.
Jeremiah 2:13 [NIV]: "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
I did a little online research to find out what a cistern actually was, and here's what I found...
Cistern definition: "a receptacle for water, either conducted from an external spring or proceeding from rain-fall."
From John Wesley: "Verse 13 -- Of living waters - A metaphor taken from springs, called living, because they never cease, or intermit; such had God's care and kindness been over them. Cisterns - Either their idols, which are empty vain things, that never answer expectation, or the Assyrians, and Egyptians. Indeed all other supports, that are trusted to besides God, are but broken vessels."
In short, the people had forsaken God, and pursued idols. Just a few thoughts on idols from Jeremiah...
Jeremiah 2:5 [NLT]: "This is what the Lord says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves.""
Jeremiah 10:5 [NLT]: "Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good."
Jeremiah 10:8 [Amplified Bible]: But they are altogether irrational and stupid and foolish. Their instruction is given by idols who are but wood [it is a teaching of falsity, emptiness, futility]!
Jeremiah 10:15 [NLT]: "Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed."
"Idols always break the hearts of their worshipers."
-C. S. Lewis
Well said... If you are giving your life to something that cannot save, you are bound to be let down.
Psalm 116:5 [NIV 2011]: "The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion."
Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT]: "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning."
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Look To You
Love finding sweet OT stuff :) I really like King Jehoshaphat's prayer in 2 Chronicles 20...
2 Chronicles 20:6-12 [NLT] ~ He [King Jehoshaphat] prayed, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’
“And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”
What a sweet, honest prayer, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." [ESV]. Totally trusting that God has a plan and God will deliver them... Where is my focus, especially when there are problems in my life and I don't know what to do? Is it on me, thinking my own strength will be the solution? Is my focus on the ground, on what's in front of me right now, instead of on God--who He is, what He has done, His promises? Do I believe the lie that my problems are too big for God? Too big for a God who created everything, who loves me beyond anything I can imagine? When my focus is on myself, rather than trusting God, this essentially is what I am saying.
This reminds me of one of my favorite passages... Hebrews 12:1-3 [NIV] ~ "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
2 Corinthians 4:18 [NIV] ~ "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Back to 2 Chronicles 15-17 [ESV] ~ Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you."
"See the salvation of the Lord on your behalf." I love this... In this passage, it is talking about the specific battle that Judah was fighting, but I think it also applies when thinking about the salvation we have through Christ Jesus. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross paid it all. He paid the price I could never pay. My assurance in Christ is not about what I have done, it is solely about what Christ did for me. On my behalf.
Hebrews 7:25 [NLT] ~ "Therefore He [Jesus] is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf."
This reminds me of one of my favorite passages... Hebrews 12:1-3 [NIV] ~ "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
2 Corinthians 4:18 [NIV] ~ "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Back to 2 Chronicles 15-17 [ESV] ~ Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you."
"See the salvation of the Lord on your behalf." I love this... In this passage, it is talking about the specific battle that Judah was fighting, but I think it also applies when thinking about the salvation we have through Christ Jesus. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross paid it all. He paid the price I could never pay. My assurance in Christ is not about what I have done, it is solely about what Christ did for me. On my behalf.
Hebrews 7:25 [NLT] ~ "Therefore He [Jesus] is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf."
Friday, April 8, 2011
Beautiful Ending
“Beautiful Ending” by BarlowGirl
"Oh, tragedy,
Has taken so many.
Love lost 'cause they all
Forgot who You were.
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You.
Oh, my selfish heart
Divides me from You,
It tears us apart.
So tell me,
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful,
So beautiful?
Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of Hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat.
I'm lost without You
And dying from me
So tell me,
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful,
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful,
So beautiful
At the end of it all,
I wanna be in Your arms.
At the end of it all,
I wanna be in Your arms.
At the end of it all,
I wanna be in Your arms.
At the end of it all,
I wanna be in Your arms.
So tell me,
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful,
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
'Cause Your love is beautiful,
So beautiful"
"Oh, tragedy,
Has taken so many.
Love lost 'cause they all
Forgot who You were.
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You.
Oh, my selfish heart
Divides me from You,
It tears us apart.
So tell me,
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful,
So beautiful?
Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of Hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat.
I'm lost without You
And dying from me
So tell me,
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful,
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful,
So beautiful
At the end of it all,
I wanna be in Your arms.
At the end of it all,
I wanna be in Your arms.
At the end of it all,
I wanna be in Your arms.
At the end of it all,
I wanna be in Your arms.
So tell me,
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful,
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
'Cause Your love is beautiful,
So beautiful"
BarlowGirl's reason for writing this song goes along so well with what I’ve been reading lately, 2 Chronicles. This scenario seems to play out again and again—the leaders and kings of Judah seem to be so on track with following the Lord, He has blessed them with great ministries… but then, something happens and they turn away. They become distracted. Something else seems to become greater than God. Here is the story that sticks out to me the most right now.
King Asa’s Story:
Chapters 14 to 16 of Second Chronicles talk about King Asa’s reign in Judah. 2 Chronicles 14:2 says, “And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” He “commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment” (14:4).
King of Judah, Asa, and his army of 300,000 men are about to fight the Ethiopians’ army of a million men (14:9). “And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you" (14:11). And the Lord gave victory to Judah.
“And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought Him with their whole desire, and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around (15:15). King Asa must have hated sin and idolatry because he destroyed an idolatrous image that his own mother had (15:16). 2 Chronicles 15:17 says “The heart of Asa was wholly true all his days.” For the first 35 years of his ruling as King of Judah, Asa had followed the Lord.
The 36th year is where Asa falls into trouble. “But in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel attacked. He started it by building a fort at Ramah and closing the border between Israel and Judah to keep Asa king of Judah from leaving or entering” (16:1 [The Message]). Instead of crying out to the Lord for help, he took matters into his own hands. He sent gold and silver from The Temple of God to send to Ben-hadad, king of Syria to make a treaty with him.
2 Chronicles 16:7-9 of The Message says, "Just after that, Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, "Because you went for help to the king of Aram and didn't ask God for help, you've lost a victory over the army of the king of Aram. Didn't the Ethiopians and Libyans come against you with superior forces, completely outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked God for help and he gave you the victory. God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God's help. Now you're in trouble—one round of war after another."" King Asa had forgotten what the Lord had done for him in the past. He had forgotten how the Lord had delivered him.
And what was Asa’s response to this rebuke? Asa’s heart hardened toward the Lord. He threw the seer in prison and was cruel to some of the people (16:10). In the 39th year of his reign, King Asa got a terrible foot disease. “Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians” (16:12). King Asa, who had started out following the Lord so strongly in the beginning, lost sight of who God is, how BIG He is, how He alone is able to SAVE.
How easily I can forget who God is and how much He loves me. How easily my focus shifts from the Lord and onto myself.
How essential it is to trust in God’s character and His promises. God's character doesn't change with our circumstances. No matter what I am facing or how I am feeling, His love remains.
"Though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not." -- C.S. Lewis
Romans 8:37-39: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
"Though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not." -- C.S. Lewis
Romans 8:37-39: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Monday, April 4, 2011
Obedience
Hidden Work by Elizabeth Elliot
"Few of us accomplish without delay or interruption what we set out to accomplish. Plans are made, and they fail. We dream dreams, and they are not fulfilled. Even what seem to be soberly realistic schedules are interrupted by unforeseen demands. Often we are tempted to quit our efforts altogether, to take a careless attitude, or to give in to helplessness, despair, and frustration.
When the apostle Paul's itinerant ministry was brought to a standstill by his imprisonment in Rome, he had plenty of human reasons for giving up. He wrote to the Christians at Philippi, who themselves were suffering persecution, reminding them of the humble obedience of Christ. "You too, my friends, must be obedient, as always.... You must work out your own salvation in fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you, inspiring both the will and the deed, for his own chosen purpose. Do all you have to do without complaint or wrangling" (Phil 2:12-14 NEB).
Imprisonments, persecutions, late planes, an attack of the flu, an uninvited guest, or an unpleasant confrontation--never mind. Be obedient as always! Such a simple directive. So hard to carry out--unless we also remember that we are not by any means alone in our effort. God also is at work in us, always accomplishing what we could not accomplish if left to ourselves: his own chosen purpose."
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Made For More
In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
We were made for more than this world in its broken, sinful state. We were made to be in perfect relationship with God, our creator. As humans, we ruined this relationship because we chose to sin. But God loved us so much that He sent His only son to die in our place. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He paid the price we could not pay. His love for us is SO BIG!
I really like the C.S. Lewis Song by Brooke Fraser, and the truth it speaks... Especially the Bridge.
C.S. Lewis Song, by Brooke Fraser
We were made for more than this world in its broken, sinful state. We were made to be in perfect relationship with God, our creator. As humans, we ruined this relationship because we chose to sin. But God loved us so much that He sent His only son to die in our place. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He paid the price we could not pay. His love for us is SO BIG!
I really like the C.S. Lewis Song by Brooke Fraser, and the truth it speaks... Especially the Bridge.
C.S. Lewis Song, by Brooke Fraser
"If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary,
then of course I'll feel nude when to where I'm destined I'm compared
[CHORUS]
Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan as I wait for hope to come for me
Am I lost or just less found? On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me, is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
'Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth of who I was born to become
[CHORUS]
[BRIDGE]
For we, we are not long here
Our time is but a breath, so we better breathe it
And I, I was made to live, I was made to love, I was made to know you
Hope is coming for me
Hope, He's coming"
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary,
then of course I'll feel nude when to where I'm destined I'm compared
[CHORUS]
Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan as I wait for hope to come for me
Am I lost or just less found? On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me, is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
'Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth of who I was born to become
[CHORUS]
[BRIDGE]
For we, we are not long here
Our time is but a breath, so we better breathe it
And I, I was made to live, I was made to love, I was made to know you
Hope is coming for me
Hope, He's coming"
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Spring Break... Here and Gone!
It’s hard to believe spring break is over and I’m back at Drake again! This past week just flew by… A quick recap of my spring break:
Saturday: I had my last Upward game. This year Michaeline & I have been coaching a first and second grade cheerleading squad. It has been such a blessing & I will really miss my seven little cheerleaders!!
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| The Starlets, 2011 |
I spent the rest of Saturday packing and cleaning… not too exciting, but something that needed to be done!
Sunday: Wake up at 5:15am for my early morning flight. I had spent the night at Audrey’s house, so she drove me to the airport for my 7:10 flight.
I had a really encouraging conversation with the woman I sat next to on the airplane. :)
My cousin, Jonathan, picked me up from the airport & we went to church. It’s just really awesome to see how God is working everywhere! The message was about being “All In” for God. This is definitely something I’ve been challenged by this past year. Psalm 63:3 (ESV) says, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” Matthew 13:44 (ESV) says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” This man knew that he was getting so much MORE by giving up everything he had. God’s love does not disappoint. Ever. It can be so easy for me to look to other things to fill me up, but this is not where life is found. In John 10:10 Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Having a relationship with Christ is GREATER than anything the world has to offer.
We spent quite a bit of time with my cousin Jonathan, his wife Becky, and his ten-month-old son Jacob throughout the week. This was really awesome because we hadn't seen them for a few years!
After church I went out to eat with Jonathan, Becky, and Jacob. My family got into DC around 1:30 and we met up with them. We went to the Native American Smithsonian museum that afternoon and then to eat at the mall.
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| Jacob & Me |
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| Lukas, Eric, Rachel, Me, Becky, Jonathan, & Jacob at the Smithsonian Native American Museum |
Monday: A visit to the Washington Monument. Pretty neat to be up that high and look out the windows at the surrounding area.
The people who took this picture for us were wearing Drake apparel and were from Des Moines! Love seeing people from DSM in other places :)
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| Dad, Jonathan, Becky, Jacob, Me, Eric, Rachel, Mom, & Lukas outside of the Washington Monument |
Then we took a walk to the Teddy Roosevelt Island... And then to Arlington National Cemetery where we saw the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The beginning of lots of walking for the week! I think we walked about 8.5 miles each day--much more walking than I normally do, so I was a little sore after the first day...
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| Lukas, Me, Eric, & Rachel on the Teddy Roosevelt Island |
Tuesday: We went to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in the morning and walked around DC in the afternoon.
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| Me & Rachel outside of the Ronald Regan Building |
Wednesday: We toured the Capitol, which was pretty sweet. My mom had arranged the tour through our Representative. He was even in his office when we stopped by!
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| Dad, Eric, Me, Lukas, Rachel, Mom, Becky, Jonathan, & Jacob outside of the Capitol |
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| Representative Robert Schilling |
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| Fist Bump with Abe Lincoln |
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| Me with The Kennedys |
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| Morgan Freeman |
Thursday: We went to Mount Vernon, George Washington's home. It was really cool, and one of my favorite places that we saw. There was a tour of his home and an interactive museum with some sweet movies. The self-guided audio tour of the plantation was pretty neat too.
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| Mount Vernon |
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| Outside of the Mount Vernon Plantation |
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| Mount Vernon |
Friday: The weather was beautiful--almost 70 degrees! We walked around to all the monuments...
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| Jefferson Monument |
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| Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial |
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| FDR Memorial |
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| FDR Memorial |
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| Korean War Memorial |
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| Lincoln Memorial |
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| Walking around DC |
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| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall (My mom had a cousin who served.) |
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| World War II Memorial |
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| World War II Memorial |
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| World War II Memorial |
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| World War II Memorial |
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| World War II Memorial |
Saturday: Back to Des Moines! I had a very early morning since my flight was at 6:15am, but I made it back to Des Moines at 11:30am.
I'm really thankful that I was able to spend the week with my family. :) They are wonderful!
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