Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from Him. Psalms 127:3
Children are a gift from the Lord. Thank you, Lord, for each of my three + two gifts. While I did not know two on this earth, I will know them one day in heaven and knowing the three I have here with me, has been more than I could imagine. I pray for more children, I truly do, every single day, but if You see fit for us to have no more than the three plus two we had the privledge of having, I praise Your name for blessing us with each of their lives, however short some have been...each precious gift will never go unnoticed. Your will be done. Amen.
Showing posts with label God's way. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's way. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Forgiveness...
I often say, when upset about something someone has done to hurt me, "I will love with everything I am, until you hurt me, and then I'm done." This is not at all the truth, but when I am upset about something someone has said or done, this makes me feel more in control of the situation. I feel more powerful over the hurt.
But why would I ever persuade myself to believe that there is control in the UNforgiving? That there is power in the anger, hurt, and bitterness?
The most powerful One in all of the universe runs His whole show on forgiveness.
I have been forgiven more than I can count, by both heavenly and earthly means. So who am I to withhold forgiveness?
The One has forgiven sin so (earthly) big that I, in my sheltered life, could never even conceive of it and went to the cross for sin so (earthly) small that we've forgotten that it is sin at all, and I'm going to hold judgment and anger over misplaced words or actions from someone who is as broken as I?
What do I know of forgiveness, though? I know nothing except that I am so in need of it. I don't know how it is done. I don't even know how to begin.
Then Jesus says, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.
Isn't it such a burden to carry around this lack of forgiveness? It sure feels like it to me. "I will give you rest" our Lord says. Thankfully He doesn't ask me to get my stuff together first. He says "come to Me and I will give you rest." We simply must go to Him and He will make in us the channel of His forgiveness. Because His is the only real forgiveness there is.
And where to begin? The God of the universe chose to work through prayer. Why? I have no idea, but that is where it starts. And He is faithful and He is never-ending.
But why would I ever persuade myself to believe that there is control in the UNforgiving? That there is power in the anger, hurt, and bitterness?
The most powerful One in all of the universe runs His whole show on forgiveness.
I have been forgiven more than I can count, by both heavenly and earthly means. So who am I to withhold forgiveness?
The One has forgiven sin so (earthly) big that I, in my sheltered life, could never even conceive of it and went to the cross for sin so (earthly) small that we've forgotten that it is sin at all, and I'm going to hold judgment and anger over misplaced words or actions from someone who is as broken as I?
What do I know of forgiveness, though? I know nothing except that I am so in need of it. I don't know how it is done. I don't even know how to begin.
Then Jesus says, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.
Isn't it such a burden to carry around this lack of forgiveness? It sure feels like it to me. "I will give you rest" our Lord says. Thankfully He doesn't ask me to get my stuff together first. He says "come to Me and I will give you rest." We simply must go to Him and He will make in us the channel of His forgiveness. Because His is the only real forgiveness there is.
And where to begin? The God of the universe chose to work through prayer. Why? I have no idea, but that is where it starts. And He is faithful and He is never-ending.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
His way...
Isaiah 55:7-9
Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
""The truth, sir," I said swallowing, "is that God's viewpoint is sometimes different from ours -- so different that we could not even guess at it unless He had given us a Book which tells us such things."" Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place
God's ways are not our own. Likely the reason we have such trouble understanding why God the Father would send Christ His son to pardon us, free of charge. His ways are not our ways. It is also likely the reason we struggle with grace vs works, the fact that we cannot earn our way into Heaven. His ways are not our ways. Or when we struggle with the belief that Christ Jesus is the ONLY way. We like choices and we don't like to step on others' toes, but again, His ways are not our ways.
Was that repetitive? It was meant to be. For me as much as for anyone else.
I love getting my way. In fact, I usually feel that it is simply a matter of life and death to get my way (ask my husband). I become instantly childlike when things aren't going my way. Never fear, I have become quite good at masking it, but inside my head I am no more mature than my five year old who also believes it is a matter of life and death to get his way (only he's quite vocal about it) and when I'm willing to admit it, 33 years old and I have been vocal about my way from time to time.
If God's ways are not ours then maybe He has a different plan for me than I have for myself. The bible tells me that He is willing to do abundantly more than I can even conceive of, if I will let Him. So then why am I so reluctant to follow His way? Likely because it isn't what I would do for myself and because I must put aside myself for the sake of His way.
The God's glory part isn't that hard. I want God to get all the glory of my life...as long as He does it my way, right? As long as He consults me on what I want, and as long as He doesn't ask me to do anything too scary or inconvenient.
BUT what if I gave up my way for God's way? This way that is so alien to me. This way that goes against my flesh and fights against my selfish heart. What if "dying to self and raising to new life in Christ" isn't just something I say, but something I live daily? What if...
Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
""The truth, sir," I said swallowing, "is that God's viewpoint is sometimes different from ours -- so different that we could not even guess at it unless He had given us a Book which tells us such things."" Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place
God's ways are not our own. Likely the reason we have such trouble understanding why God the Father would send Christ His son to pardon us, free of charge. His ways are not our ways. It is also likely the reason we struggle with grace vs works, the fact that we cannot earn our way into Heaven. His ways are not our ways. Or when we struggle with the belief that Christ Jesus is the ONLY way. We like choices and we don't like to step on others' toes, but again, His ways are not our ways.
Was that repetitive? It was meant to be. For me as much as for anyone else.
I love getting my way. In fact, I usually feel that it is simply a matter of life and death to get my way (ask my husband). I become instantly childlike when things aren't going my way. Never fear, I have become quite good at masking it, but inside my head I am no more mature than my five year old who also believes it is a matter of life and death to get his way (only he's quite vocal about it) and when I'm willing to admit it, 33 years old and I have been vocal about my way from time to time.
If God's ways are not ours then maybe He has a different plan for me than I have for myself. The bible tells me that He is willing to do abundantly more than I can even conceive of, if I will let Him. So then why am I so reluctant to follow His way? Likely because it isn't what I would do for myself and because I must put aside myself for the sake of His way.
The God's glory part isn't that hard. I want God to get all the glory of my life...as long as He does it my way, right? As long as He consults me on what I want, and as long as He doesn't ask me to do anything too scary or inconvenient.
BUT what if I gave up my way for God's way? This way that is so alien to me. This way that goes against my flesh and fights against my selfish heart. What if "dying to self and raising to new life in Christ" isn't just something I say, but something I live daily? What if...
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