Knowing God - that's eternal life I can get excited about!

"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3 NASB

Jesus gives us the greatest gift: to know Him and The Father!

God created us to know and be known. Secure, vibrant relationships - in which we are accepted and loved - are only a reflection of what Jesus knew we could have with Him and God our Father... for all of eternity.

Eternal life - not a boring time sitting on clouds, but rather kindred hearts enjoying each other. How much more with we enjoy our time with HIM who loves us so fully and faithfully supports and enables us! It is mind-boggling that we have the option to know God, who is above ALL and yet is immeasurably kind to us. Wow.

I am in awe that He would share himself with us, allowing us to know Him. Shall we celebrate by drawing close to Him in praise and gratefulness?

Abba God thank you for loving me so intimately, for accepting me as I am, and for the incredible gift of being able to know You. It baffles me that You - the Creator of all matter, the One who made all we can see from what can't be seen - that YOU choose to be known by me. Forgive me when I don't prize my relationship with you, choose not to draw near to you, or fall into temptation of believing I can manage even for a second without you. Jesus desired for you to be glorified and for me to KNOW you. Wow! When I take time to consider all you have done for me, and your character, I am repeatedly amazed at the depths you have gone through for me. Convict me when I forget or get distracted. Show me how to deepen my relationship with you; what it means for me to draw near to you. Be glorified in my life, Abba. Have your way in me. In Jesus' name...

Rejoice? Why again, exactly?

"I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,

My soul will exult in my God;

For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,

He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

Isaiah 61:10, NASB

Abba God, I admit that I don't feel like praising You. My circumstances are frustrating and I feel so stuck. BUT I choose right now to rejoice greatly in You, for You have given me all that is good. You have cleaned me and given me truth to learn from. You chose me to be your very own child and You gave me the best You had to offer - a royal robe of righteousness. Thank You for loving me so well. Give me courage to choose to rejoice all day. Teach me what your love truly means - how it's impacted my present & future. I can't fight these battles any longer as I've been trying to, so I give them to You to deal with. Do as You know best. There is none like You, and You are faithful. Surely I'm in good hands! Knowing the filth that still lingers in the flesh (there is nothing good in man), I'm again humbled by the honor of knowing You & having a clean robe of righteousness. You are clearly more good than I often consider. All glory & praise are yours. In Jesus' name...  

Confidence in The Lord = Joy

Remember contrast charts in school?

Giving Thanks, because God…

I’m sure you’ve all realized by now that Thanksgiving is approaching. Decorations and messages of Thanksgiving are all around us. What do you really cherish, way down deep? Is there anything that you hold onto that reminds you of who you are and where you’ve been? Pictures, memorabilia, collections…. What draws you to those reminders?

But, I’m not feeling thankful...

First: There is now no condemnation, so you can shake that off.  Romans 8:1, NASB, Message

We all have our periods of un-thankfulness. Emotions can't be helped, BUT you can choose your next step. 

Next step: reread some past posts and find one point to be thankful for. No excuses! Use it as a tool to springboard our way into praising our Father. We all need reminders, and that’s ok. 

Since we're called to pray without ceasing, in good and bad, with our minds steadfast on our Lord, let's pray together now. 

Father, sometimes we don't feel like being thankful. Circumstances are yucky, people are frustrating, and I just want to be grumpy. I choose to turn to you for help. Help me repent when it seems so hard. I know I ought to praise you through the good and the bad, for without you I was lost, without mercy and hope. Help me to turn my focus on what is true, good, noble, and right. Consume me with your love. Cast out all fear. Give me courage. Thank you for your forgiveness and mercy. You are good to me. You love me when I feel so unlovable. I thank you, because You are... (fill in one trait of God)  I thank you, because You have... (fill in one thing He did/does for you). In Jesus' name.