Crying for a Christmas

These are the lives of the rearranged
Scattered souls who've been displaced
Nowhere else to turn
Like Bethlehem we have packed the place
Human need fills ever space
No room at the inn

Still God found a corner,
Made a bed down in the hay
Could he reappear, make his advent here
Will he still draw near today?

My world is crying,
Crying for a Christmas
Some way to know for sure –
That our God is with us
We could all use a sign
A little glimpse of divine
For a world that still cries for Christmas

Feeding trough on a dirty floor
Unimpressive welcome for
God's Almighty Son
Are we as blind to incarnation
Daily proof of our salvation
Love's already come

We are not abandoned,
All alone in our despair
He who once came down, he can still be found
Every when and everywhere

Jesus you are here, Jesus you are now
Jesus you are here, Jesus you are now

My world is crying,
Crying for a Christmas
Some way to know for sure –
That our God is with us
We can all be the sign
That his love is alive
For a world that still cries for Christmas

(Scott Krippayne Lyrics)

"They say that Aslan is on the move"

I am embarrassed to say this. As a teacher and lover of English literature, I am embarrassed to say this. I am reading through the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time. I stayed clear away from the books as a child. Despite growing up in England, I knew very little about C.S. Lewis. Not knowing much about him, and knowing that one of the characters in the books was a witch, my innocent, yet very misinformed mind decided that I would not read them. As an adult I have stayed away from them as fantasy is not a genre that I enjoy reading.

However, my husband once had me read the section in which Aslan is killed by the witch to a Sunday School class that he taught. Since then, I've been curious.

So I have begun my journey into Narnia, and I am enthralled. Realizing that the purpose of this blog is very different than that on my class website, on which I would rant on and on about literature, I will talk only of one thing: Aslan - an allegorical representation of Christ.

There are two phrases, specifically, that have captured my attention and spoken to my heart.

The first is when Aslan is playing with Lucy and Susan after he comes back to life. Joyful at finding him once again full of life, the children run after him in a loving game of chase. In this description it reads, "and whether it was more like playing with a thunderstorm or playing with a kitten Lucy could never make up her mind" (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Chp. 15). I love this picture. It reminds me of the joyous affection that Jesus has for us, but also of the power that is within Him.

The second phrase gives me hope. It is uttered after Narnia has fallen under the influence of the witch. Aslan had seemingly vacated the land, allowing her dominion. All have suffered under her reign. Even nature bore the heavy burden of a never ending winter. But there is hope: "Aslan is on the move" (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Chp. 10). Rumours of Aslan's return are whispered throughout Narnia, and creatures and nature alike start to imagine a "thaw".

I often feel as if we are living in a time of winter; a time that is characterized more by regression than growth. But Jesus is on the move, friends. It is not a rumour and it needn't be whispered. Jesus, the thunderstorm, is moving. Winter is losing its grip on Narnia. There is a battle being waged; the outcome of which we already know. Victory, we know, belongs to Jesus.

I thank you Jesus, that you are "on the move"!

He Renews Our Strength

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

- Isaiah 40:31

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel completely worn out. Life is hectic, and I often feel like I'm racing to keep up with it. Sleep doesn't come easily, because my mind is always running through all the things I have to do the next day.

That is NOT the way God designed us to live.

He wants us to TRUST Him, and He will give us STRENGTH. Isn't that encouraging?

There's a song that I've been listening to recently, and I think it really sums up what I'm trying to say here:

In the Morning by Steve Bell

In the morning
When the dew lies on the ground
And your glory’s all around
In the morning
When the sun is on the rise
And your splendour fills the skies

I look to You in the morning
To be my strength for this day
I look to You in the morning
To be my strength for this day
In the evening
When the day is almost done
And we watch the setting sun

In the evening
As we put our work to rest
Noting all that you have blessed
I look to You in the evening
And give You thanks for this day
I look to You in the evening
And give You thanks for this day

I've started waking up each morning with a prayer that God would give me the strength I need to do His will that day. If we TRUST Him, He will give us STRENGTH. We will NOT grow weary or faint.

Now that's a promise I'm going to hold on to.

The Blessed Future

I took this picture on the way to my Father-in-law's funeral in Alberta.

How hard it is to say goodbye to the ones we love....but how wonderful to know that this life is not the end!  I already look forward to that blessed day when I will hug my Lord for the first time...and hug my Father-in-law again.  What a re-union it will be!

Yesterday I was praying for some people in my life that I love dearly who are struggling with some uncertainty in their future...the Lord spoke these words into my heart.

You may not know what the future holds but you can be certain that God is in your future.


 I read these words in Isaiah 35:10

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

I remember these well loved words found in Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Precious one....the God of Peace...is in your future.

Give Thanks to the Lord

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever."
(1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1&29)

On this Canadian Thanksgiving, I'm thinking that there are a lot of people who feel thankful for a lot of things, but don't really know who to thank.

Today I'm thankful that I have Someone to thank. I know the God who has given life and breath and everything pertaining to life. The I AM, the Sovereign God who spoke all things into existence and holds all things in His hand is the God I know.

This all powerful and great God... is intimate with me and loves me. When I think of the dreadful power displayed in nature, and the vastness of the ocean and sky, and the grandeur of the mountains, and consider that the God who created all this is infinitely greater, and yet loves me... it's mind-boggling and only faith can see that as reality.

All the power and greatness and majesty of God is all wrapped up in love. God is love. He stoops down and makes Himself so small - all for love, to meet me.

I'm not just thankful... I'm in love.

Transforming and Listening

Last weekend I was at a youth retreat, and God spoke to me in an incredible way. It was Saturday morning, and we were told to go out somewhere in the camp for quiet time to be with Jesus. I decided to go up to the gazebo, because I love looking out at the lake and God's beautiful creation. At this point I had no idea what passage I would read or what God wanted to say to me. Once there, I found a plaque explaining who the gazebo was dedicated to. At the bottom was a passage: Romans 12: 1-3. So I decided to read it. It was exactly what I needed to hear, verse two in particular:

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." - Romans 12:2

I love the idea of being transformed from the inside out... God taking the way I think and making me see through His eyes. It was a call to be counter-cultural and completely changed. It had a huge impact. But that's not even the best part of the story...

After about 45 minutes, we came back to the main building to have worship and a session. Our youth pastor gets up front and tells us the theme for the weekend: Romans 12:2. I was shocked. I quickly pulled out my Bible and checked to make sure it was the same verse I had underlined half an hour earlier. It was. Boy, by then I was overwhelmed by God's power to get my attention. Wow, oh wow. So the whole weekend was based around the verse that I had "stumbled" upon at the gazebo. God is so incredible. He will never stop amazing me. I encourage you to check out the whole chapter of Romans 12. It has some powerful stuff in there. And never doubt that God's ability to speak to us. He always wants to tell us things, but we have to make sure we're listening.

Goodness...

I sing unto the Lord a song that my heart knows well...that He is Good!  Yes...so incredibly good.
Even now I count his blessings...I write them out...to recall on another day...the goodness of the Lord.

A favorite of mine right now from Isaiah 40:16

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I do
and I do not forsake them.

This is such a GOOD thing from the Lord.

 As I nod off to sleep, I repeat to myself His words and they make me smile...The Father God Himself, reveals His character, his goodness...He does not leave me to struggle through and find my own way in the dark of the unknown, the insecurities of my world....Nooooooo

He claims truth over my life and over yours...He states his promise, his very good promise, to lead, to guide, to bring light against darkness....and if that's not just "all that"...I love this part and I can almost hear him saying it in my mind..."These are the things I do...and I do not forsake them."

I love Him.

The World is Fading...

I found this amazing passage in 1 John yesterday that blew me away, so I wanted to share it with you.

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever."

- 1 John 2:15


Once I read this I realized how much I choose to love the things of this world over God. I put my focus and my passion into success, recognition, getting money and stuff, instead of having the love of the Father in my heart. And those things will not last. I've been loving temporary things that will someday fade away. Wow. What a wake up call.

Another thing I thought about is the last line. "Living forever" does not mean that we will live forever on this earth and never die, but instead, it means that we are promised eternal life with Jesus in Heaven. That's WAY better than eternal life on Earth!

So, as you go about your day today, I want you to think about the things you love. Are they the cravings of this fading world? Or are they the loves that God has put on your heart for His divine purpose? It's something to think about.

Where are you planted?

I have a beautiful friend and mentor who is 94 years old. She wrote this in a recent letter. 

"Every morning before breakfast I go out to see what new flowers have bloomed during the night. The new blooms emerge in the darkness - amazing!

So God expects us to bloom in the darkness of the world where we are planted to bring others to rejoice in the beauty of Christ seen through us."

Reflections of the Heart

"As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."
(NIV)

"As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person."
(NLT)

-Proverbs 27:19

What does your heart look like today?

Stay in the Race

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us also lay aside every weight,

and sin which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus,

the founder and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, 

and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

(who is indeed interceding for us - Rom 8:34,

with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him - 
1 Pet 3:22)

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself,

so that you do not grow weary or fainthearted. 

Hebrews 12:1-3

What We Don't Understand

Just a few weeks ago I had a somewhat traumatizing experience: I failed my driver's test. Now, for some that may seem like no big deal. Everyone fails their test once, right?? Well, for me, it was a huge deal. I was devastated. I had been all ready to go get my little car, insure it, and get out on the road by myself, and now I was still stuck with my "L". I beat myself up over the dumb mistake I made that cost me the test. I cried. I felt like my life was over.

But over time, I started to realize something. And I think it can sort of be summed up by this verse I found today:

"The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?"
- Proverbs 20:24 (NLT)



Sometimes God works in ways that we don't understand. And sometimes it hurts. I realize now that God used that test to humble me... and show me that no one is perfect. My pride definitely took a beating, but in a good way. But what I like about this verse is that we don't necessarily have to understand what God's up to. Instead, we just have to trust that He knows what He's doing. Sure, I still get frustrated that I didn't pass and that I have to wait 3 months to take the test again, but I just keep reminding myself that God had a plan when He let me fail. I may not see all of it right now, but I believe He has a plan. I know He has a plan.

I also had a song that really gave me perspective during that time of disappointment:

Blessings
by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

I pray that when God leads you on paths that may not make sense, you'll learn to trust His guidance no matter what, and that you'll see the blessings He brings through the tough times.

Do Hard Things

I just finished reading a book called "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris. It's a book written mainly towards teens, by teens, but the content applies to everyone. It's basically calling us to rebel against the low expectations society has for us, and to do hard things for Christ. The authors say that the teen years are actually the years where we have the most potential to grow and take big steps in life.

But doing hard things doesn't necessarily mean starting a big non-profit organization, or speaking in front of thousands of people. It could be a small, personal hard thing, like changing the type of people and influences we surround ourselves with, or taking a step to tell someone about Jesus.

The book is extremely challenging, and I'd encourage all of you to read it. The guys put hard things into five categories:

1) things that take you outside your comfort zone
2) things that go beyond what is expected or required of you
3) things that are too big to accomplish alone
4) things that don't earn an immediate payoff
5) things that go against the cultural norm

Doesn't sound too easy, does it?? But the stories they share in the book of other people doing hard things show how much those experiences help us to grow. Doing hard things requires character, competence and collaboration... and there are definitely challenges and failures along the way. But even then, the end result is a stronger, wiser person who has learned a lot about him- or her-self and, most importantly, God. Pretty cool, huh? I can't summarize the whole book in one post, so I'm leaving it up to you to check it out. Let that be your first hard thing: to find this book and read it :) God bless!

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14: 27

My heart is troubled today. I am claiming this verse for myself today and for you as well.

...and it passes all understanding.

A Summer's Day Prayer

Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds. Big love!

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;

your judgments are like the great deep;  beyond what we can comprehend

man and beast you save, O LORD.

How precious is your steadfast love, O GOD!

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  Such a sweet place of rest.

They feast on the abundance of your house,  

you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life, 

in your light do we see light.

Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,

and your righteousness to the upright of heart!  Ps 36:5-10

True Love

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,

and at night his song is with me.

Psalm 42:8

This verse is a love letter that I have read over and over. I never tire of reading its words.

It is a promise from the One who loves my heart deeper than any human ever could.

He sees me for who I am....knows my thoughts....my weaknesses...my imperfections...and loves me still.

How could anyone not want a love like that?

Some of you reading this today have known who Jesus is for a long, long time...but you have forgotten what it feels like to be in love with Him. You serve Him faithfully. You are committed to Him....but you need a little romance.

Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you as the deep Love of your heart. Surrender yourself to Him and tell Him you want to fall in love with Him again. Ask yourself how you can reciprocate that love back to Him....not as an act of 'service' but as an expression of deep love.

Repeat his promise and meditate on his words.

By Day the Lord commands his steadfast love,

and at night his song is with me.

(This is a recycled post)

To Joyfully Abide

I've had two words bumping around in my head for a while now.
ABIDE
and
JOY.
John 15:9-11 says,
"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.  Abide in my love."
(And I think to myself...how do I abide in the love of Jesus?)


"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."


"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."


I think of the 10 Commandments...written in stone for the life of the people...can you imagine the world we'd live in if everyone just obeyed the 10 Commandments.  But this recipe for joy and abiding in love seems deeper than that...more than just "Thou shall not steal....".

According to Blueletter Bible, the word commandment here is found in Strong's Concordance in the Greek as the word "ἐντολή entolē", which translates as 

1) an order, command, charge, precept, injunction

a) that which is prescribed to one by reason of his office

The Lord tells us to keep everything that he has given us as truth, that he has charged us 

with....and I am reminded of truth upon truth that has given me direction from his Word and I remember who I am and who He is in me...and then I also remember something else, written in Matthew 22 verse 36 and 37.

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"  And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."


Hmmm...so

Love=Obedience=Abiding=Love=Joy

The Woman

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Luke 21:1-3

I've known this story for many years, but as I read this story this time, I feel like I am finally getting the point.I have been stuck on the fact that she gave more because she gave out of poverty, so it's been the same story for me time and time again. This time reading it, however, I asked why she gave those coins when that is all she had to live on and wondered how she could do that? 

In my mind's eye, I saw her give because... she loved. She was so overwhelmed with love for God wanted to give Him something to express her love and appreciation. She was simply so happy that she at least had something to give Him! Do you think this could have been her motivation? 

If she was motivated by love because she knew God's love for her - then how she could do it makes sense.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18a

She wasn't afraid and might not even have had one thought about her personal welfare. Jesus is the one who points out that these small copper coins were "all she had to live on." Isn't it interesting that Jesus is the one who sees her and brings her to the attention of the disciples - and to our attention? Jesus saw her act of love. 

The story ends there, but do you think that Jesus walked away then and that was that? If we recall what God says about himself in His Word, what do you think He did for her? Did He provide for her? Did He bless her?

I like this woman. I want to meet her one day. But for now, I want to be like her. She was a widow. That means her husband had died, and she knew pain and sorrow. She was poor. And yet, she LOVED God and had a grateful heart. I want to be like that.

"Father God, I want to love you like this precious woman. I know that I won't be able to though, unless You continue to reveal who you really are so that I will love you more fully. Grow that love so that I don't have fear or reservations. Grow that love so that I trust you like she did. Thank you for sharing that story with us so that we know that you are totally aware of who we are, you're aware of our situations, and you know our hearts.  And you even honour us. That's hard to comprehend. You are amazing and are so worthy of our praise."

Our Calling

"And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed."

- Titus 2:12-13 (NLT)

Enough said.

Fearless Queen

I've recently been reading through the book of Esther. Even after having read it many times, I'm still amazed by the story. A young girl is chosen to be queen and God uses her to save her people, the Jews, from horrible slaughter. I try to imagine myself in that situation... and I know for a fact that I would be terrified. Even Esther did not want to do it at first, fearing for her own life. But in the end, she asked the Jews to fast and pray for her, and in faith she went and told the king of Haman's plans. Wow. I don't think that kind of courage could come from anywhere except from God. If I was Esther, would I have that kind of faith and trust in the LORD? Would I allow Him to help me overcome my fears? It's something I've been challenged with a lot this past week.

We all have fears. We are afraid of our loved ones dying, of being hurt, of natural disasters... some of us are even afraid of making mistakes. And I think a lot of the time we choose to let those fears sit inside us and eat us up. What I've learned from reading Esther's story is that God wants us to call to Him, just like Esther did by fasting and praying. If we give up all our fears to God, He can release us from those chains. I believe that God calls us to face our fears with Him at our side... to be fearless queens.

I Will Trust Him Today

Each day...full of gifts.  Two in particular, that I love and share life with...grown from the love of two, so imperfect people, that began a life together twenty years ago.  The oldest is home...sick.  He makes me smile every day with his strong but tender heart.  The younger one, gone on a special trip with my parents...I'm homesick for.  Never have we been so far apart, for so long.  I feel like the three weeks  she'll be gone, are sure to do me in.  I ask the Lord how I will survive...my heart aches so bad for the one I miss laughing through the house.  And I think of dear women that have had to say goodbye to their babies  until they meet them again in eternity....and that grace that gets them through each day of missing...and then I stop, because I don't want to think about it....and that fear in my heart begins to swell....

Letting go.

That tight fist that clings within my heart that says, "Please, God...I'm not ready to let go."

Can I trust Him? 
Can I trust Him with the one who's sick?
Can I trust him with the one that I miss?
Can I unclench that hand that wants desperately to hold on tight to what I can't control...

Is He or is He not...the Lord of my heart?  Is He not the Lord of the World?

He is.
I claim Him.
Lord of my heart and Lord of this World.
He is the Giver of every good gift.
He is the Lover of my soul.
He provides...He protects...He comforts...He creates...
He Lives and Breathes His own Spirit within me.
I will trust Him with all that I can't trust myself with.
 I will trust Him with my heart, with my mind, with my beloved gifts...
a son and a daughter, born of love...from us and from Him.

I will trust Him today.
And tomorrow, when I wake up, I will trust Him again.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?

Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Luke 12: 6-7

His eye is on the sparrow, and He watches over me.

I am thankful today for a God who listens.

I am thankful today for a God who speaks.

I am thankful today for a God who loves without favorites.

I am thankful today for a God who forgives.

I am thankful today for a God who provides.

Blessed be His Holy Name...Great and Wonderful is He...
Light of the World and Lord of my Heart.
More precious than all creation.

Beautiful, beautiful

I just wanted to share the lyrics of a song I really like by Francesca Battistelli...

Don’t know how it is You looked at me
And saw the person that I could be
Awakening my heart
Breaking through the dark
Suddenly Your grace

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need
You are so
Beautiful, beautiful

Now there’s a joy inside I can’t contain
But even perfect days can end in rain
And though it’s pouring down
I see You through the clouds
Shining on my face

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need
You are so
Beautiful, beautiful

I hope it encourages you like it did me :)

Come to Rest

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30


I wrote a couple of weeks ago about Jesus speaking to me about learning how to live in "his rest".  I can honestly say that this has been such a new thing for me that I am still in awe, still changing, still growing!  I know that I have experienced "pockets" of his rest at different times of my life.  Some of those times I believe He just shielded me and put me there in my desperation because I did not know how to get there myself.  Other times, I allowed the Holy Spirit to guide me there but I did not realize that it was a place that one could actually stay and live.  I am sure that I have had a pattern of anxiousness and striving for about 40 years now and so I know that old habits are a little hard to break.  But you know...even in this last little while...I am aware.  Aware when I slip back into old patterns.  Aware that the peace and rest of my Saviour is always available. 


 Isaiah 30:15  "....in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength."


When the weight of the world feels like it's resting on your shoulders...and your burdens seem too much to bear....when your heart is heavy and you can't sleep because your mind just won't stop worrying like a ferris wheel going round and round...when you strive and strive and strive to make things happen and it feels like waste...


Return dear one....Focus your eyes on the One who Redeems...the One who Saves...trust His precious heart that is full of grace and truth for you.  Give Him the burdens of your heart and mind...Repent and let go of what you need to...and take His hand.  Listen to His words....and let them sink in.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Your Love

Your Love

I rest in it

no more reaching

just resting

looking up

warmth shines

wind caresses

love surrounds

I float in it

breathing deeply

we both smile

God is my Rest

I have been seriously intrigued by this truth...that God is my rest.  I have been convicted, I have been encouraged and inspired even more to know this God and the "rest" that He speaks of.


This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
   “In repentance and rest is your salvation,
   in quietness and trust is your strength,
   but you would have none of it.  Isaiah 30:15


Oh, Father....I have lived so many years on a roller coaster of peace and anxiousness, up one day and down the next, my emotions controlled by my fears and insecurities.  I have not lived in the "rest" that you offer. 

You have been calling me to your "rest".  I see you as my Shepherd.  You call me into the sheepfold.  Inside, I am safe.  I am not confined.  I am not alone.  I can sleep and I can live without fear.  Because, You Lord, are the door.  Nothing and No one can get inside to harm me.  

Outside, my fears and my anxieties wait to devour me in their hunger.  Outside of your Rest...I am lost.  I am easy prey.

In returning to you...in repentance and your rest...I am saved.

In quietness and trust...You are my Strength.

I just fall more in love with you everyday.  There is always more wonderfulness of you to know.  I can't help it...I don't want to go back...to my old ways.

I want you Jesus.  I want to live in your Rest.  Everyday.

Hope and Rest

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.   Psalm 33:22

Julie quoted this verse in her post yesterday when she was talking about Jesus - our Hope.
This verse inspired such imagery in my heart as I read it.  Let's visualize what David is saying in this verse about God and us. We can do this together.

Picture this:  God's unfailing love resting on you. Sounds lovely doesn't it? It's not just lovely... it's absolutely true.

His love -
God's unfailing love ... His unfailing love ... His unfailing love
r e s t i n g  upon me!


What is God placing upon me?  His unfailing love.
Is that what you usually see God placing on you?
Do you sometimes see something else? What?

Listen to His heart and His words. It's not guilt; it's not shame; it's not judgement, and it's not blame nor anger. It's love. It's unfailing love based on Him and Who He is. It's not based on us. We often make it about us though, don't we? Sisters, it's not based on what we are prone to do/think/say or what we don't do/think/say.

God's unfailing love rests upon me.

Why?

Because we place our hope in God and we now belong to Him - through Christ Jesus. And because that's just the way He is - it's just Who He is. It's about Him after all.

Here again is one of my favourite verses that has helped me grasp this truth that it's about God doing and not about us doing anything but placing our hope in Him.

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength..."  Isaiah 30:15

Father God, I need your Spirit to lead me into truth. The enemy lies continually to me and messes with my head so that I don't believe in my heart that what you say is true. Holy Spirit, make my heart and mind aware when I'm buying into the lies that diminish who You are and what you say. I want to know You for Who you really are - for Who You say You are. You are gracious and good, loving and kind... to me. Thank You.

He is our HOPE

I met the most beautiful woman today while I was at work.
She was buying a little sign with the words Hope written on it.
I told her that I liked what she had picked out because we all need hope....and then I asked her a personal question.  I asked, if she had hope.
She looked me in the eyes and gently told me that she did have hope because she knew Jesus.
She then briefly shared a little bit of her heart with me and the painful journey that she has been on.

Ohhhh....what a divine moment it was for me and her to stand their together.  Two sisters...we don't know each other...but we know Hope....we know Jesus.  We know that He is bigger than every hurt in the world and that He is the only One that can save us.

When we feel like our boat is sinking and we don't know how on earth we are going to hang on...He's not only the lighthouse but he's the coastguard!  HE IS HOPE!

Listen to me sisters....whatever is going on in your life, Jesus is your Hope.  When trials come, and they always do, we think to ourselves, "well, if only this would happen, or that didn't happen, or if I had this, or I didn't have that, then everything would be better and I would be happy".  You forget that.  Jesus is our Hope.  We get stuck.  He is our only Hope of getting free.  We get hurt.  He is our only Hope of being healed.  We have needs.  He is our only Hope of true provision.  We are lied to.  He is our only Hope of truth.  He is Truth.

Jesus is our Hope.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him."

Jeremiah 17:7

"My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word."Psalm 119:81


"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,"Psalm 146:5


" May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."Psalm 33:22

Let us keep our eyes on Jesus....the Hope of Everything.