Thankful in my weakness

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB)

We humans like control.

Circumstances. People. God.

Control doesn't work. 

That's good!

Our Father is gracious...

*to limit our control. Nothing is ours to begin with.

*to give us weaknesses. We learn to lean on His grace (instead of reverting to works; The Law)

Precious gifts to remind us who He is and who we are.

Our Father is good...

*to give grace. We don't deserve it. Yet it's 100% enough!

*to perfect HIS power. Our weaknesses are highlighters, pointing others to Christ. He works out some crazy good in our big messes. He is The Master Artist; nothing wasted and no mistakes! 

Dear Abba God, how good and gracious You are to provide ALL I need and prove yourself through my weakness. Show me the benefit of casting all my cares to You (instead of trying desperately to control). Shine brightly through me, pointing others to Jesus. I'm in awe that You chose to work in and through me, even though I'm considered insignificant, foolish. Yet in Christ, You have highly favored and esteemed me! You cherish me! Help me cling to these truths and be grateful. Father, thanks for loving me enough to bless me with weakness so I may not stray, but instead draw closer to You. You are precious to me. In Jesus' name...

Hanging Hope on Grace

"fix your HOPE completely

on the GRACE to be brought to you

at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

- 1 Peter 1:13b, NASB

 

"set your HOPE on the GRACE to be brought to you

when JESUS CHRIST is revealed at his coming."

- 1 Peter 1:13b, NIV

I'm hanging "Hope" on a Mental Memorial

cut in the form of

The Cross of Grace.

Prophets kneel at the Cross of Grace

in praise and thanks.

God promised Grace would come.

They believed. Grace came.

Costly Grace. Beautiful Grace. Strong Grace.  

Strong enough for Hope to hang on.

One day, My Jesus will come for me and we will be united fully.

He will come for me.

Until then, His Spirit is with me.

I know this, even if I can't always "feel" Him near.

I can only see "in part", you know.

But when He comes, I'll see Him face-to-face

And know Him fully. That's a beautiful Grace to Hang my Hope on.  

Abba God, thank You for grace that's coming - You promise and You can't lie. We ask for wisdom to know how to transform our minds, instead of being conformed to this world. And for eyes that focus more on the eternal than on the physical, mental, and emotional  "stuff." Whatever we face today, please remind us all to breathe, give us courage to command our souls to trust You (Are You not faithful?), and to fix our hope completely on the GRACE that is coming - as well as the grace that You extend to us even now. In Jesus' name...

Joyful When I Feel Lost?

There’s no warm up in Psalm 33. It’s a full-blown “Hallelujah! Let’s get up and praise God!” kind of song.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the LORD…

“What about when life feels so hard? What if I don't want to? Why should I?”

 

Those days to go back to the foundational training, the questions we've all had to answer in our faith journey. Is God who He says He is? Will He do what He said He'd do? Is His Word true?

 

For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Let’s switch gears a bit… Imagine for a moment that you are a pilot. Trained by the best, and given all the resources you need to fly successfully. Each time you fly, you have choices. Do what you’ve been trained to do... or wing it. Pardon the pun. Be sure to use that instrument panel; flying by sight alone, especially in bad weather, can get you killed.

Do you see the parallel to life?

We can choose to "fly blind" by emotion or use the instruments God provides for proper perspective. He is the Master Trainer. He made the rules of the universe and knows how to help us navigate life.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap...

For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

 

Believing these verses are true, what can we do when we feel lost in a cloudy mess?

1. Breathe. Take a breath. Breathing helps us separate THIS moment from the moment we just left. It gives us a bit of oxygen to think better. Breathing is good.

2. Trust. Get your bearings and trust those instruments. Remember what God’s taught you and choose to trust Him.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

...the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

 

3. Remember grace is on-going.

From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—

he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

 

…I am confident of this very thing,

that He who began a good work in you

will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. - Philippians 1:6, NASB

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 

Somehow, in all of life's messes, Abba God meets us - FAITHFULLY. We might not FEEL peace or joy today. We don't know when we'll come through the clouds to a blue sky. Yet we have TRUTH printed on pages that we can pick up. We are held in the hands of a mighty God who is much, much bigger and stronger than any storm we face.

We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

That is why we can, and will...

Sing joyfully to the LORD...
it is fitting for [us] to praise him.
Praise the LORD…

For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

 

Abba God, You are beautiful. The way You work is beautiful. I'm so glad You know what I face and how to get me through today. Remind me when I look at the sky, that You are the One who made all I see... and when I look down, that You direct my paths. Give me the courage to praise You even in the storms. Have your way in me, Abba God. I know I can trust You. Help me live like it.Sustain those who are weary. Bind us the wounds of those who love You. In Jesus' name.

- Scripture portions from Psalm 33

He is here!

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through Him...

In Him was life...the Light of men.  

The Light shines in the darkness…

as many as received Him, to them
He gave the right to become children of God...

[HE] became flesh, and 
dwelt among us,

and we saw His glory... full of grace and truth... 

For of His fullness we have all received,

and grace upon grace...

grace and truth

were realized through Jesus Christ. from John 1:1-18, NASB

Abba God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for dwelling with us, through Jesus in the flesh and now through your Holy Spirit. How precious are You to me, Abba! Shine your light and hope brightly through me to those around me. May they see YOU and glorify your name. Season my words and actions with grace. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You. I love You, my Abba. In Jesus’ name… 

The King Knows My Heart (Warrior Princess series)

Dear friend in the faith,
I am pressed for time all around, but as there is one more Truth I learned in the recent Desert of Shame, I wanted to make sure it was sent by messenger before the next battle begins.

A Messy, Beautiful Love.

I've really messed up. I chose Easy, instead of Right. God still wants me. At this very moment. 

When I don't care about potential consequences of my actions. He desires me. At that very moment.

In my filth, He is with me, longing for me to look into His peaceful eyes. When I crossly turn away because He doesn't "fix me" or my circumstances, He doesn't force me to look and seek truth. Perfect gentleman. Patiently waiting. For me. Who else waits for me like He does? 

 

He's secured our relationship with His Spirit and through Christ Jesus. It's done. I'm His and He is mine. Why do I withhold myself from the only One who cares for me fully, infinitely more than any human can love another? 

At this moment, what will I choose? Will I turn toward my Lover or turn away? Will I hold onto my struggles instead of running into His strong embrace, trusting His real and constant provision for me? 

Whatever my choice, He chooses love - always. He waits for me. That is grace beyond my comprehension. 

Abba God, thank You for being who You are - Love. Open my eyes to see how much You love me. Give me courage to look through the glass that separates me from You - the glass of circumstances, struggles, emotions - instead of only looking at the dusty, bug-covered glass itself. Teach me what I'm to focus on and give me courage to let go of the rest. In Jesus' name... 

Romans 8, NIV & Message paraphrase

I find hope when I ponder Jesus' lineage.

Yahweh chose to include sinful people in Jesus’ lineage. 

Absurd. He includes people who don't deserve to be included. 

Noble. He helps and saves people who have so little to give back (compared to what He gives).

Humbling. I don't deserve His attention. Who am I, that He cares for me? 

Oh, sweet Abba God… Thank You for including me in Your grand story, for giving me insight into Jesus' ancestors' lives. Your ways are far beyond what I understand and I’m so glad!!! In Jesus’ name…  

I find hope... in David's story (part 4)

I find hope in the Bible when I ponder and dwell on

the example of repentance David gave, that we can experience God’s mercy and grace.

The adultery and murder of Uriah, which led David to write Psalm 51, a moving song of repentance and faith in God’s mercies.

Abba’s mercy and grace are readily available when I turn to Him. I cannot face Him and face sin. They’re polar opposites. Turning away from sin is turning to God.

David didn’t hide his struggles. He acknowledged them, and brought them back into perspective according to the truth He knew about God. This is not easy, but we must continue to learn how to fight in this way. We’re to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12) and take every thought captive according to Christ (2 Cor. 10:3-5).

There’s no condemnation in Christ Jesus – no shame. Oh, how quickly I forget! We don’t have to walk around with our heads down when we think we’ve failed. No! We walk in humility (for we once were lost) and in peace and joy (we are found & free!).

Abba God, when I remember what you did through David’s life, I’m so encouraged. I am comforted to know that You finish what You start, You keep your promises, You are close to the broken and humble. Nothing good’s in me, apart from You. Help me remember this today – and always. In Jesus’ name…  

Goodness! Gracious!

Ever say that?

"Goodness, gracious!"

I'm not sure where the saying originated - and being that I was only a southerner for a few years of my life - it's funny that I even use the term.

I used to try to make myself stop the bad habit, but one day I realized that

I need help
(I know, you're SO SURPRISED, aren't you.)

I need help to remember

God is goodness.
God is gracious. 

So, when I'm frazzled, before "Goodness..." is finished on my lips, I've recently trained myself to say to myself, "Even though I'm frazzled & things aren't going my way. It's still true, that God is good. His goodness is with me. Even now in this very instance. He says His grace is sufficient." Then, I ask for His help.

I know this isn't the best of habits, and eventually I do hope to be "mature" enough of my strong rudder of a tongue. Meanwhile, I think it's ok to use some bad habits to kick-start good thinking. My Abba's grace is greater than my weakness, and I think He's pleased that I'm trying to develop good habits to replace those bad ones.

So, fellow sistas.... how about it? Is there something you frequently think or say that could become your jump start to transformed thoughts, taken captive according to Christ Jesus?

Abba God, You are good. You are gracious. Your grace IS enough in all circumstances. I do believe, and ask for help in the places of doubt which still permeate my live. Thank You for saving me completely from all that is not of You... and for assurance that You will finish what You have begun in me. Let my lips continue to learn to finish the sentence in the moments which test me. In Jesus' name...

Weakness entrusted to a Mighty God

I find myself continually returning to the concept of abiding in Christ Jesus. Jesus is so clear in His intentions for us in Matthew 11 and John 15. He wants to work through us, to live in us, to provide a rest and peace that nothing can remove, and to produce a life full of fruit.

I'm incredibly frustrated with myself for the LACK I see. Therein is the problem. The sin. I don't want to focus on myself. I do what I don't want to do!

I have one hope. GRACE.

"[Abiding is] entrusting itself to a mighty One to be kept - the unfaithful one casting self on One who is altogether trustworthy and true. Abiding in Him is... a consenting to let Him do all for us, and in us, and through us." -Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ, p. 24

Abba God, You are trustworthy and true. We yield to You right now, trusting YOU with all of our cares and frustrations. Teach us what is reasonable and acceptable in our lives & help us (give us courage) to leave the rest alone. Show us clearly who we are in Christ and how specifically we can love those you’ve put in our lives. Speak to us; speak to others through our countenance, words, and deeds. Cause us to walk in your peace and joy, so that nothing disturbs our countenance that comes from the everlasting Wellspring of Life. Convict us when we forget how to care for these “temples” we harbor your Spirit in, ever reminding us that our bodies are also used as a living sacrifice. Thank You for your GRACE, which is always stretched out toward us. Give us eyes to see the expanse of your grace, that we would grasp the depth of Jesus’ love… we long for you to share that grace and love with others. We can’t do anything on our own & we’ve proven that quite well… but through CHRIST JESUS, who is our everything, You give us everything to do the jobs You’ve given us to do. Truly, You are the best Boss, Counselor, Father, and Friend. May You reveal yourself to our loved ones; may they ONLY see Jesus thru/in us, who is Truth in Love. In His name… 

You have been on His mind for so long, sweet be-loved sister.

He chose you in love, knowing full-well who you were (and what you’ve done), so that when the time was right (while you were still sinning) He would set you apart from the world, removing all sin stain and blemish. You see, YOU have been on His mind for so long, sweet be-loved sister.

Christ lives in you, Warrior Princess.

Welcome, Warrior Princess. May your Prince strengthen you through His Word today!

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Galatians 2:20

Christ lives in the Warrior Princess.  

Just as in the beginning, all was created in and through Jesus (John 1:3), so it is in our lives. Everything is done by, in and through Him (John 1:12-13). It is because Christ is in us that we are righteous (Romans 8:10).