Encouragement

I really love opening up my Bible and be encouraged by what I find.

A lot of times, when I'm reading my Bible (if I'm not using the app on my phone), I like to turn to the New Testament or to Psalm and Proverbs and just read whatever I turn to.

Tonight, I came across some great verses in Romans that really spoke to my heart with where I am right now in life.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Romans 15:13)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

(Romans 8:28)

It's always such a blessing to me to know that God's Word will help and encourage me in whatever situations I'm facing in life.

And tonight? I just needed to be reminded of a few of His promises.

Promises

I've had a lot of good conversations this week with some women whose opinions and wisdom I truly respect and appreciate.

I came to the realization earlier this week that my life has been really good lately. I haven't had a lot of issues (minor setbacks here and there), I'm really happy with my marriage and my job and my social life, and I'm getting to do a lot of fun stuff. But, then something else hit me...a thought I was not prepared for...

Am I happy because I'm living my life the way I want to, or am I happy because I'm living a life worthy of my God?

And the answer to that was definitely not one that I was happy to admit.

I am getting too comfortable in life. I have things under control right now. Things are going good. I am having a lot of fun...but where does God fit into all of that?

He's been getting my leftovers lately...and I'm really not ok with that.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

(John 16:33b, NIV)

It's a verse that kept coming to my mind this week. We are not promised a cushy, cozy life full of beautiful and wonderful things. We are pretty much promised we will go through crap...and that we will endure persecution and hard times (though that doesn't mean that God won't turn the crud into something beautiful...because He does say He will work for the good of those who love Him - check out Romans 8:28).

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV)

So when my life starts to feel too cushy, too comfortable...I start to wonder if I'm really living life the right way. Because Christ calls us out of our comfort zones and into a life of dependency on Him...a life that isn't always going to feel good to us...but a life that truly glorifies Him.

I would much rather live that kind of life than live a life that only calls attention to myself and what I can do...because I can't do very much at all on my own strength without Christ...and that's the way it's supposed to be.

Sacrifice

Tonight was really powerful at church.

We have been studying Matthew in depth for almost a year now and are nearing the end of Jesus's life.

We talked about the last supper tonight and the meaning behind passover.

Even though I've read these passages over and over, and heard sermons about them many times, it just hit home in such an impactful way tonight.

On the night of the original passover, when the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, God told Moses to have the Israelites prepare a feast with a male lamb. They were to eat the whole lamb, saving the blood to smear on their doorposts, so that when God passed through the land to kill all the firstborn males of Egypt, His people would be spared. This was how God freed His people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt (see Exodus 12).

Then you have Jesus. God's only son (male lamb) whose blood was shed for us to free us from the bondage of our sin. Now those who believe in Him are spared from God's eternal judgment.


It's amazing to me how perfectly God's plans fit together. The first passover was not random. Even Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac was not random. Nothing is ever random. God has it all planned out...and it's always perfect.

I struggle a lot of times with doubting God's promises or His plans for me...especially when they seem extremely out of reach or unlikely. Yet, He never broke a promise in all of the Bible...so why do I doubt His abilities now? After all, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8).

I am so thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made for me...and for you. I don't know where I would be without Him. To think of how many sacrifices I would have to make each day for all of my screw ups...it makes me sick to my stomach. I am so grateful Jesus was the final sacrifice...the perfect one...so that we don't have to worry about all those sacrifices any longer.

Thank You, God...from the bottom of my heart.

Promises

So our weather has been crazy...like it's been everywhere.

We went from thunderstorms and lots of rain this weekend to 80 degree days...which feel really hot compared to what we've been experiencing.

Anyway, the hubby and I were driving to the store on Saturday, while there was a little break in the rain, and noticed a beautiful piece of a rainbow in the sky. It wasn't all the way across, just one little side of it. But, it was beautiful nonetheless.

When we got out of the store, the rainbow was bigger and brighter...and stretched all the way across the sky. It was amazing. My hubby grabbed my phone and took a couple of pics of it while we were driving home.


Beautiful.

As I admired this rainbow, I couldn't help thinking of God's promises. The rainbow is the evidence of His promise to never flood the whole earth again. Yet He promises us so much more.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 10:10)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16)

Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.
I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
he promises peace to his people, his saints—
but let them not return to folly.
Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
(Psalm 85:7-9)

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
(Psalm 145:13)

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.
(John 14:15-16)

Without weakening in his faith, he [Abraham] faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
(Romans 4:19-21)

See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life.
(1 John 2:24-26)

Of course, there are many other promises in the Bible. Just read through the Old Testament!

I am just so thankful that I serve a God that keeps His promises.

Trust

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this. Psalm 37:4-5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

I did a search on Biblegateway.com tonight with the word Trust. I wanted to see if there were more Scriptures that had to do with trusting God than the obvious Proverbs 3:5-6 (which happens to be my favorite verse). I found many more than what I included here, but these ones really stuck out to me. I have a hard time letting go of control in my life. I want to be able to control what happens and what doesn't. And, when I am not able to do so, life is a lot harder for me. Learning to trust God (and trust that what He has planned for me is best) is one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life. It's been a constant battle, since I was in jr. high and figured out what it truly meant to call myself a "Christian". It's a battle I fight every single day, and one that gets harder and harder, it seems. I needed to look up these verses tonight to remind myself that I NEED to trust God. He is faithful and He keeps His promises (the word promise comes up 221 times if you search for it on Biblegateway). I know this to be true, but I have to keep trusting in Him that the things He's promised me will come to fruition. God, help me to let go and let You do what You will in my life...