All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. The Lord remembers us and will bless us. Psalm 115:11-12
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our week may hold things we would never choose of our own accord. Things we would give a thumbs down before they could invade uninvited. Our time on earth is like that. Truly nothing happens on earth without God's permission. All that comes our way must first pass through our Saviors nail-scarred hands to fulfill His purposes in us. We do not always welcome His will or love it and In the middle of a nettlesome trial we find ourselves grumbling or our mind racing with fear. If we love God's will, we will embrace it with thanksgiving turning the evil and the good into treasures! He alone redeems our sorrows and loses and the things which are too hard for us, the things that hurt too much.... the things we cannot walk into let alone face, but for His Presence and His strength. Are we not far more likely sidetracked trying to figure out His will and why He allowed certain things to wound us deeply?
What prerogative inspires questioning God's motives? We are out of kilter when we go beyond asking 'why' to accuse Him of not caring, not being Love itself; all because we lack faith to trust Him. We who have trusted Him for salvation needs move on to trust Him daily. The disciples were crossing the sea and the Master was asleep when the tempest threatened to drown them. How could the Master sleep? It was not because He was exhausted, but because He was unafraid, He knew the end from the beginning. The disciples were, as we are, fearful. And from an earthly perspective things were out of control. Hear the accusation in their words in Mark 4:37-38:
O God, what do I see on every side, but your will that is being accomplished? Let it also be accomplished in me, Let me love it; let it make everything sweet. Let me bring my own will down to nothing. O God, may you be blessed in everything. Accomplish your will, Lord. It is yours to will and mine to give myself over completely. F.F.
Great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Jer 32:18b-19
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32
Abba, my precious One, You who hold every breath, every future moment and redeem all things for Your will and purposes, I exalt You. Holy. Holy. Holy. Majestic One, Knower of every word before it is on my tongue, there is no God but You. The treasure of Your grace and Your living Word are the only True riches. You alone lift me above all that would pull me down. You fill my heart with faith to trust You. Thank You. Although in this world You have promised us tribulations, You have overcome the world and have provided all I need to be abundantly satisfied in Christ Jesus. Oh That I would trust You for this and walk in faith and not wound You with my words of unbelief and fear. Change me! I lift my eyes to thee my beautiful Jesus and in your Name I lay this prayer before the throne. amen
Have a blessed week dear ones,
az
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our week may hold things we would never choose of our own accord. Things we would give a thumbs down before they could invade uninvited. Our time on earth is like that. Truly nothing happens on earth without God's permission. All that comes our way must first pass through our Saviors nail-scarred hands to fulfill His purposes in us. We do not always welcome His will or love it and In the middle of a nettlesome trial we find ourselves grumbling or our mind racing with fear. If we love God's will, we will embrace it with thanksgiving turning the evil and the good into treasures! He alone redeems our sorrows and loses and the things which are too hard for us, the things that hurt too much.... the things we cannot walk into let alone face, but for His Presence and His strength. Are we not far more likely sidetracked trying to figure out His will and why He allowed certain things to wound us deeply?
What prerogative inspires questioning God's motives? We are out of kilter when we go beyond asking 'why' to accuse Him of not caring, not being Love itself; all because we lack faith to trust Him. We who have trusted Him for salvation needs move on to trust Him daily. The disciples were crossing the sea and the Master was asleep when the tempest threatened to drown them. How could the Master sleep? It was not because He was exhausted, but because He was unafraid, He knew the end from the beginning. The disciples were, as we are, fearful. And from an earthly perspective things were out of control. Hear the accusation in their words in Mark 4:37-38:
And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
Feel the cutting words... How deeply we wound our Savior when we accuse Him of indifference or weakness or of acting in any way which would contradict who He is. God is Love and cannot act outside of Who He is. Ever. Period.
Things are often not as they appear. The crucifixion did not appear to have love attached to it or be the fuse of Hope and forgiveness for a world, paying a sin-debt no one outside of Christ Jesus could pay. We see icons of 'love' in our society, the heart being the most common. I see the Cross as thee greatest symbol of Love ever. In the Good Friday service as I was meditating on this and giving thanks for who He is and what He did for me. My heart was filled with gratitude for life, in particular my sons. I wept as i thanked Him for sparing my son's life the day before. "Thank you for sparing my son's life, Abba." then in the holy instant following my words, in the quiet God disclosed Himself in contrast and my heart cried out, "Oh Father, thank You for not sparing Your Son's life.. but giving Him to die for me." It is hard to even remember this moment without tearing up.
My son, an avid bicyclist, was out riding (Austin, TX) when a bee stung him in the face. He was near a park and headed to a bench. Sitting, head in hands a few people ask if he was ok and in his confusion He said he was... but he felt worse and his next conscious moment was two hours later. He called a friend while puking his insides out. He was experiencing anaphylactic shock. Face, throat, tongue swelling etc. Why did my son live through what should have killed him? God spared my son's life to accomplish His purposes. God is good and His purposes beyond understanding. But the Truth is: God is good even if my son would have died. He is good always, there is nothing but goodness in Him! Aren't You ready to dance to such a sweet, unchanging Truth we could never invent? We do not have to fear the future He is already there. We do not have to fear the past.... He will redeem all things.
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:15
This truth is such comfort and urges me to get on my face in thanksgiving.
O God, what do I see on every side, but your will that is being accomplished? Let it also be accomplished in me, Let me love it; let it make everything sweet. Let me bring my own will down to nothing. O God, may you be blessed in everything. Accomplish your will, Lord. It is yours to will and mine to give myself over completely. F.F.
Great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Jer 32:18b-19
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32
Abba, my precious One, You who hold every breath, every future moment and redeem all things for Your will and purposes, I exalt You. Holy. Holy. Holy. Majestic One, Knower of every word before it is on my tongue, there is no God but You. The treasure of Your grace and Your living Word are the only True riches. You alone lift me above all that would pull me down. You fill my heart with faith to trust You. Thank You. Although in this world You have promised us tribulations, You have overcome the world and have provided all I need to be abundantly satisfied in Christ Jesus. Oh That I would trust You for this and walk in faith and not wound You with my words of unbelief and fear. Change me! I lift my eyes to thee my beautiful Jesus and in your Name I lay this prayer before the throne. amen
Have a blessed week dear ones,
az
