Consenting to Be Loved by a Holy God

Whom have I in heaven but You?          And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.     My flesh and my heart may fail,          But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73: 25-26 My dear Sisters and Brothers in the LORD, greetings in Jesus Name, Through out time and eternity God is and has been and will be Sovereign over our circumstances and He alone can redeem every difficulty, every failure and every tear, for our good and His glory.  These words are living truth not platitudes!  Great are His purposes because He is great. Shall the wrath of man not praise Him and serve His will? Shall He neglect to comfort and transform? He has said, "All things".   All things serve Him... Psalm 119:91 niv I struggle to include my sin and failures under this divine umbrella. So many times i fail to live a surrendered life and am less than He saved me to be! Am I quick to weep over my fleshly ways? Am i  quick to learn from what God has permitted, quick to receive all He wants to teach me? As i abide in Him, do I praise Him in faith because I truly believe 'no affliction can reach me without His permission' and that He has permitted it for my own best interest? Am I quick to focus on Jesus?  I would love to shout a resounding "Yes!" but it is so easy to live by feelings missing an opportunity to prove Him faithful. That alone should cause me to weep.  "All that we pass through is that we may get a fresh view of the Lord Jesus, or a deepening of a former one; but often we are so occupied with ourselves and the circumstances, that we fail to 'behold the glory of the Lord." C.T. In our failure and rebellion (choosing our own will over His) and in disappointment, instead of humbly learning our Father's grace we naturally try and improve ourselves! The flesh avoids the cross at all costs and humbling ourself is dying to self. We soon forget that to be disappointed in ourselves is to have trusted in ourselves. We need to realize two 'source' truths:  1.The Lord Jesus is the source of my Christian life and I am complete in Him, I am a new creations in Him II Cor 5:7. Read this sentence again and hear it....   2. We are to appropriate this fact by faith and are brought into the practical reality of it day by day in our experience. He is the living Word and gave us His Word. To believe this changes everything. The scripture does not teach us to focus on our sins, our growth or sanctification, not on love, hope, or experiences; we are to focus on Jesus alone. Growth is progressing in spiritual knowledge of what we actually possess from the outset.  Since we are complete in our Lord we are not to try and add to that finished work. It is now a matter of walking by faith and receiving or appropriating from the ever-abundant source within. mjs I need reminding again and again that my part is not production but reception of my new life in Christ. This means Bible based, fact finding, faith in Him; trusting Him to work His purposes in my life, even when it makes no sense. Will you trust along with me (faith choice) that He is taking us through the necessary process to create in us the likeness of His precious Son?  I read these words in Acts 4:13  When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.  i heard Jesus question ordinary me: 'Has anyone recently been astonished at my Presence in you?' How could it be otherwise if I am abiding and beholding Him? Tears of regret are so often tears which side-track us and plunge us into self-pity. To learn grace is to expect to be blessed, though realizing more and more lack of worth. To believe and consent to be loved  while unworthy is the great secret. And to hope to be better (hence acceptable) is to fail to see yourself in Christ only. WRN  Refuse unbelief and see yourself as God sees you, in Christ.  To you (alone), O LORD I lift up my soul; in You I trust, O my God. Show me your ways... teach me your paths; guide me... for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Psalm 25:1,4-5      He is the Source of every grace, all mercy needed. His word lives and is the greatest source of Truth. Allow Him to live through you in obedience to His word. His patience and love, His peace, His strength, His joy, His wisdom, His power, His resurrection life, His fruit through you, transforming you, and astonishing others. O Love, that has no beginning, You who hung the world on nothing, i run to You! You who have loved me from eternity past, who after giving absolutely everything, You gave Yourself! i come to the God who pursued me even to the depths of my lostness where my sins had subdued me, taking the form of a slave to set me free from slavery to my sin. You died a torturous death to cleanse me from all sin. i run to You, hear my cry, 'change me!'  Forgive me for running from You, for refusing so many times the love You offer. i am worthy to be an outcast from Your Presence. Free me from trying to live in such a way as to give You cause to love me; for You are love that knows no end. You are the love that my sins could never quench. Such love terrifies me and i long to know you intimately and follow, taking up my cross, denying myself by faith. You are life and breath and I love you and invite You to cleanse and fill me.  Teach me to behold You in all Your glory. thank You i am in Christ. Praise Jesus, amen In the Love that was independent of all I am, az