June 24, 2011
"You will receive unexpected support over the next week" Monday's fortune cookie.
I asked the question on fb "Can God speak to me through a fortune cookie?" I had four fortune cookies that day, but this fortune was the first one I read & I felt that it was for me. Thursday it came true.
I got off early Thursday & so I went to the library until it closed. I was walking down the plaza, planning to get some dinner, anticipating another lonely night. As I was walking, a girl meet me & extended her hand & her name. She told me she believed God loved me very much & asked if I wanted a ride to church. She looked pretty harmless & I took her up on the offer. I told her my story, how I was lonely & kinda asking God for some people, told her about the bible study happening on that Wednesday but how that person never got back to me. She told me she was an intern at her church & was running errands for her mentor who was speaking that night.
Gaby, her mentor told her as she was praying to look for a girl & invite her to church. Bri said something in her heart compelled her to stop & rush over to talk to me. We both realize now it was God. I spent the night in church singing my heart out & being encouraged by the message. God used the message to remind me who I am. I am who God says I am, not who others wrongly judge me as, not who cultural or the devil says I am, who God says I am. This is what God says of me in 1 Peter 2:9
"I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. God's own special person, that I may proclaim the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light"
God poured His grace upon me that night & reminded me that He hears me, I am not alone, I am His & He is very near. Nearer than I thought.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
God's Will
June 15, 2011
"That you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom & spiritual understanding" Colossians 1:9
God has a will. His will will be done, there is no question about that. But the struggle is do we understand & have the knowledge that it's for His glorious power & His glorious power is good? Will we wait with joyful patience knowing that His will is good? Can we rejoice in His will? Can we thank God for His will? Can we see that His will is full of knowledge & wisdom & spiritual understanding?
June 16, 2011
Speaking of wisdom...
"In wisdom You have made them all" Psalm 104:24
"filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom" Colossians 1:9
I see that all of creation is so good. All the flowers, grass, hills, snails, clouds, air, beauty, variety. Creation is magnificent to behold, to take in. Creation is God's will & His will is wise. God knows how this world works, He made it & it is splendid. If I can see God's wise will in creation, can I not trust Him enough to run the little circumstances in my life? I don't decide the weather, the type of bird that flys past me, or the colors of the sunset for the day & yet, they all please me very much. Why should I decide what will happen when or why should I be disappointed when what I expect does not happen? Why can't God have His way in my life just as He does in creation? The truth is God does have His way in everyone's life, I guess the question is rather why can't I be delighted with whatever happens in my life just like I am delighted with whatever happens in creation?
"That you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom & spiritual understanding" Colossians 1:9
God has a will. His will will be done, there is no question about that. But the struggle is do we understand & have the knowledge that it's for His glorious power & His glorious power is good? Will we wait with joyful patience knowing that His will is good? Can we rejoice in His will? Can we thank God for His will? Can we see that His will is full of knowledge & wisdom & spiritual understanding?
June 16, 2011
Speaking of wisdom...
"In wisdom You have made them all" Psalm 104:24
"filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom" Colossians 1:9
I see that all of creation is so good. All the flowers, grass, hills, snails, clouds, air, beauty, variety. Creation is magnificent to behold, to take in. Creation is God's will & His will is wise. God knows how this world works, He made it & it is splendid. If I can see God's wise will in creation, can I not trust Him enough to run the little circumstances in my life? I don't decide the weather, the type of bird that flys past me, or the colors of the sunset for the day & yet, they all please me very much. Why should I decide what will happen when or why should I be disappointed when what I expect does not happen? Why can't God have His way in my life just as He does in creation? The truth is God does have His way in everyone's life, I guess the question is rather why can't I be delighted with whatever happens in my life just like I am delighted with whatever happens in creation?
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Joy in the Fellowship of God
Psalm 63
My Version
Lord life is a desert without You
I'll always be hungry & thirsty if I look for something other than You
Lord the place I truly long for is where You are
Knowing You is better than living
With my lips & hands I'll talk about You all day
You give me a feast for my soul
When I talk about You it will only be good things because I like You so much
I think about You all night
You've helped me
When You protect me I am so secure & happy
I follow after You & You bring me up next to You to hold Your hand
Those who are against me having nothing on me
Everyone who has God on their side will be joyful
Those who don't will not be able to make it.
My Version
Lord life is a desert without You
I'll always be hungry & thirsty if I look for something other than You
Lord the place I truly long for is where You are
Knowing You is better than living
With my lips & hands I'll talk about You all day
You give me a feast for my soul
When I talk about You it will only be good things because I like You so much
I think about You all night
You've helped me
When You protect me I am so secure & happy
I follow after You & You bring me up next to You to hold Your hand
Those who are against me having nothing on me
Everyone who has God on their side will be joyful
Those who don't will not be able to make it.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Fire
There was a point in my life where I was ready to be purified. I knew it was going to be hard. In fact the theme of 2009 was a year of purification; Lord, break my heart into surrender. I knew all the ugly stuff was going to come out & I was going to have to deal with a lot of bondage & sin that I was trying to cope with on my own. It was true, it happened & it wasn't pretty. During every sermon, every song, every book, every conversation I was very attentive to the topic of fire. I have so many quotes about fire & refinement that "I just so happen to stumble upon." What I didn't expect was what happened next.
Three months into the year I heard a sermon. When I heard "fire" my ears perked up. This sermon was the turning point for me. One of the lines of the sermon was "The fire that burned us is going to be the light that will guide us". And guide me where? To green pastures & still waters, to restoration, on the paths of righteousness. This light was going to lead me to healing. At that time, something changed, no longer was there this breaking, burning, painful purification, but I discovered what was on the other side of it: mercy & goodness all the days of my life. It was then that God spoke the balm of Gilead over me. Balm: a healing medicine, the warm anointing that pours out forgiveness & health. God was the one breaking me but what I was so surprised to see is that He was the one healing me. The fire that once burned me became the fire that brought me healing. That was good news indeed. God became to be as Henri Nouwen calls hims, the wounded healer. Such mercy & grace that I never knew. You see I know I deserved the fire, looking at myself I knew I was selfish, sinful, prideful & spoiled. God was disciplining me, but what was so amazing to feel was God's love.
So faithful blog reader, the God who is disciplining you will be the God who will comfort you.
May the One who purifies you, be to you also the One who heals you.
Three months into the year I heard a sermon. When I heard "fire" my ears perked up. This sermon was the turning point for me. One of the lines of the sermon was "The fire that burned us is going to be the light that will guide us". And guide me where? To green pastures & still waters, to restoration, on the paths of righteousness. This light was going to lead me to healing. At that time, something changed, no longer was there this breaking, burning, painful purification, but I discovered what was on the other side of it: mercy & goodness all the days of my life. It was then that God spoke the balm of Gilead over me. Balm: a healing medicine, the warm anointing that pours out forgiveness & health. God was the one breaking me but what I was so surprised to see is that He was the one healing me. The fire that once burned me became the fire that brought me healing. That was good news indeed. God became to be as Henri Nouwen calls hims, the wounded healer. Such mercy & grace that I never knew. You see I know I deserved the fire, looking at myself I knew I was selfish, sinful, prideful & spoiled. God was disciplining me, but what was so amazing to feel was God's love.
So faithful blog reader, the God who is disciplining you will be the God who will comfort you.
May the One who purifies you, be to you also the One who heals you.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
More than One Thought
I wanted to post these thoughts but they are too short to stand on their own, so here they are all in one.
The Intersection
"Blood & water. Bread & wine." Andrew Osenga
May 27, 2011
It is through Jesus that the spiritual & physical intersect. Jesus redeems the physical so that everything becomes spiritual. For the Christian, everything we do has an eternal weight in the spiritual realm.
On Reading the Minor Prophets
May 25, 2011
The Lord warns, explains, reasons, implores the ones who have betrayed, violated & ruined everything He has created for good.
These are the books of the prophets-the minor prophets are God's mercies.
God's delayed judgement is His mercy so we can repent & turn back to Him. He waits so He can be good.
God has every right to zap us all & destroy us at the first sign of rebellion, but He doesn't. The amazing thing is that He doesn't.
We're All in this Together
May 16, 2011
It's weird this life- we all wake up each day trying to figure out who we are & where we're going.
We're all on this journey of life & no one knows exactly where we're going or how to get "there," despite how confident & secure we seem.
The Intersection
"Blood & water. Bread & wine." Andrew Osenga
May 27, 2011
It is through Jesus that the spiritual & physical intersect. Jesus redeems the physical so that everything becomes spiritual. For the Christian, everything we do has an eternal weight in the spiritual realm.
On Reading the Minor Prophets
May 25, 2011
The Lord warns, explains, reasons, implores the ones who have betrayed, violated & ruined everything He has created for good.
These are the books of the prophets-the minor prophets are God's mercies.
God's delayed judgement is His mercy so we can repent & turn back to Him. He waits so He can be good.
God has every right to zap us all & destroy us at the first sign of rebellion, but He doesn't. The amazing thing is that He doesn't.
We're All in this Together
May 16, 2011
It's weird this life- we all wake up each day trying to figure out who we are & where we're going.
We're all on this journey of life & no one knows exactly where we're going or how to get "there," despite how confident & secure we seem.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Lamb for All
Luke 2:22-24
Mary & Joseph couldn't afford a lamb to bring for an offering. They were too poor. But they were given the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
Mary & Joseph are a picture of you & me, too weak, too poor to offer God anything. We can't offer what we don't have. "All our righteouness is as filthy rags."
For this very reason God came down, for all the Mary's & Josephs (the Hebrew meanings of Mary & Joseph: may God give the increase despite bitterness & suffering) who are too poor to offer anything of worth to God.
When we couldn't do it- & there is not one who can- God did on our behalf. Oh lamb of God ... sweet lamb that brings redemption- that buys back what was forever lost.
Now nothing is ever lost, now I'm rich in Christ- because of Christ.
Mary & Joseph couldn't afford a lamb to bring for an offering. They were too poor. But they were given the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
Mary & Joseph are a picture of you & me, too weak, too poor to offer God anything. We can't offer what we don't have. "All our righteouness is as filthy rags."
For this very reason God came down, for all the Mary's & Josephs (the Hebrew meanings of Mary & Joseph: may God give the increase despite bitterness & suffering) who are too poor to offer anything of worth to God.
When we couldn't do it- & there is not one who can- God did on our behalf. Oh lamb of God ... sweet lamb that brings redemption- that buys back what was forever lost.
Now nothing is ever lost, now I'm rich in Christ- because of Christ.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)