God's mercy.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1
In view of God's mercy... How can I not try to please my God with my life?
In view of God's mercy... How can I not show gratitude towards Him, when He has given everything for me?
In view of God's mercy... When we truly consider how His mercy was shown and what it has done to our lives, how can we respond in any less of a way than "Here I am, Lord send me." Hands held high, opened wide, and full of surrender.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8
Then Noah built an alter to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, He sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though all inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. Genesis 8:20, 21
God, how wonderful You are! PLEASE let my sacrifice to You be a pleasing aroma.. Let it cause Your heart to remember Your promises and Your covenant to all of mankind. Let it bring a smile to Your face, Jesus.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Take heart!
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wastelands. Isaiah 43:18-19
"This dry and desert land. I tell myself keep walking on..." All My Fountains, by Chris Tomlin
Have you been having a hard time with life lately? Been confused? Feel alone and like no one understands? Wondering what's next? What is God doing? WHY is He letting this happen?
You might be asking... Why did my boyfriend break up with me? Everything seemed fine. I really cared about him and told him I'd wait for him. But then out of no where he said he didn't want to be with me anymore.
And..How come my dad doesn't care about me the way the other dad's do. He never spent time with me when I was little and still doesn't try to today. I just want him to love me.
Or...I hate being sick. I never get to do normal things. I'm in constant pain and absolutely no one understands. I wish I could just get better and then things would go back to the way they were.. WHY ME?
This is what I'm asking.. God what are you doing? I know You love me and make all things work together for my good.. But why this way? I'm trying to trust You and to not worry because You are ultimately in control, but can't You give me a little hint of what You want with my life? I'm tying to follow You and to do Your will but it's so rough and dark. I feel like I'm wandering around.. lost in the desert. Thirsty and hungry for more of You, Jesus.
This is where it gets good, sweet child. I LOVE the book of Isaiah for this reason: He conveys the hope we have in Christ. Not just some God, but THE God who desires to know us and love us intimately.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, people in exchange for your life. Isaiah 43:4
I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42:6
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16
Isaiah 42:6 is God talking to Jesus.. But I like to think of it as a Daddy writing a letter to His Son. Or daughter :) It's such a precious thought of God holding Jesus' hand. I like to think He wants to hold mine and lead me in His way. A lot of time we question, "Why me?" "God.. why is this happening?" I think a lot of things are unclear to us a lot is so that we depend on God. HE is our strength. HE is our hope. HE is our life, because His love is better than life! God leads us with blind eyes, taking our hands and saying, "Follow me." He doesn't tell us where we are going or what exactly that means, but that's where faith comes in. He is holding our hand.. Our eyes are closed and we notice things are rough.. We get hurt. We get confused. We want answers to our problems immediately. But He is quietly whispering.. Hold on. It's dark. It's cold. It's lonely. You can't see anything. You don't know where you are or what's happening.. Take heart. Keep the faith. He is making the rough place smooth.. and The darkness is turning to light, because He is the light to us! He is revealing Himself to us.
SO.. Take heart. Even when you feel lost, unloved, misunderstood, angry, depressed, and alone. Because God is taking you somewhere special.. He's holding your hand.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
"This dry and desert land. I tell myself keep walking on..." All My Fountains, by Chris Tomlin
Have you been having a hard time with life lately? Been confused? Feel alone and like no one understands? Wondering what's next? What is God doing? WHY is He letting this happen?
You might be asking... Why did my boyfriend break up with me? Everything seemed fine. I really cared about him and told him I'd wait for him. But then out of no where he said he didn't want to be with me anymore.
And..How come my dad doesn't care about me the way the other dad's do. He never spent time with me when I was little and still doesn't try to today. I just want him to love me.
Or...I hate being sick. I never get to do normal things. I'm in constant pain and absolutely no one understands. I wish I could just get better and then things would go back to the way they were.. WHY ME?
This is what I'm asking.. God what are you doing? I know You love me and make all things work together for my good.. But why this way? I'm trying to trust You and to not worry because You are ultimately in control, but can't You give me a little hint of what You want with my life? I'm tying to follow You and to do Your will but it's so rough and dark. I feel like I'm wandering around.. lost in the desert. Thirsty and hungry for more of You, Jesus.
This is where it gets good, sweet child. I LOVE the book of Isaiah for this reason: He conveys the hope we have in Christ. Not just some God, but THE God who desires to know us and love us intimately.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, people in exchange for your life. Isaiah 43:4
I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42:6
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16
Isaiah 42:6 is God talking to Jesus.. But I like to think of it as a Daddy writing a letter to His Son. Or daughter :) It's such a precious thought of God holding Jesus' hand. I like to think He wants to hold mine and lead me in His way. A lot of time we question, "Why me?" "God.. why is this happening?" I think a lot of things are unclear to us a lot is so that we depend on God. HE is our strength. HE is our hope. HE is our life, because His love is better than life! God leads us with blind eyes, taking our hands and saying, "Follow me." He doesn't tell us where we are going or what exactly that means, but that's where faith comes in. He is holding our hand.. Our eyes are closed and we notice things are rough.. We get hurt. We get confused. We want answers to our problems immediately. But He is quietly whispering.. Hold on. It's dark. It's cold. It's lonely. You can't see anything. You don't know where you are or what's happening.. Take heart. Keep the faith. He is making the rough place smooth.. and The darkness is turning to light, because He is the light to us! He is revealing Himself to us.
SO.. Take heart. Even when you feel lost, unloved, misunderstood, angry, depressed, and alone. Because God is taking you somewhere special.. He's holding your hand.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
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