That WE Can See

So last year in November, God blessed me with an amazing small group— it was a total God thing how it came about. The group of young people in it have been the most incredible blessing to me and God has used it greatly in my life these past few months to show me more about Himself and to strengthen my walk with Him!

Right now, we are studying through the book Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (and if you have never read it, DO IT! Go out right now and grab this book! I’ve grown up in a Christian home and good solid Bible churches that preach heavy doctrine and STILL, with every sentence my MIND. IS. BLOWN!). I am having a hard time getting caught up to where I should be in my readings because everything is so deep I get too excited about it lol.

As I was reading it yesterday, it got me thinking a few things, and I just wanted to share a little bit with you all today!

I am (finally rofl) in ‘book 2, part 2, The Invasion’, and Lewis writes,

“Besides being complicated, reality, in my experience, is usually odd. It is NOT NEAT, NOT OBVIOUS, NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT…” (all-caps clearly mine ;) ). 

He is speaking in relation to Christianity more complex than we might expect it to be, but I had just had a conversation the other night with a dear friend along these same lines, just in a “life” context.

I first read these words, my mental Katie-response was, “yeah NO JOKE!” L. But Lewis wasn’t finished. He goes on to say, “…for instance, when you have grasped what the earth and the other planets all go round the sun, you would naturally expect that all the planest were made to match—all at equal distances from each other, say, or distances that regularly increased, or all the same size, or else getting bigger or smaller as you go further from the sun.” And then, THEN he lays the big one on us. “In fact, you find no rhyme or reason (THAT WE CAN SEE)…”

*stops * whooooaaaa

So let’s take this out of a theological discussion mindset, and apply these statements to every day life. My friend and I were just discussing last night how our lives have turned out to be nothing like we always expected they would be like when we were little; how life has taken Michigan lefts on us; we are not doing what we thought we would be doing at our age, not who we thought we would be, not possessing or doing what we have dreamt of for oh-so-long. In a way (and even though we know better), we feel jaded. And I feel like a lot of us feel this way. What Lewis says is so so true.

LIFE is complicated. Life is odd. It is not neat, not obvious, and for so many of us, it is definitely not what we always expected it would be. We can find no rhyme or reason. There is no rhyme or reason for why we have not gotten what we have prayed for for so long. There is no rhyme or reason for us not being where we thought we would, for not accomplishing what we thought we would be; no reason.

That we can see.

When I read that little parenthetical statement, so close after my salty inner response to the earlier quote, it hit me hard.

There is no rhyme or reason that we can see (now); but God DOES SEE, and He knows exactly what He is doing.

And I know we know this. And I know it annoys us. Because the way we see it, Him knowing the big picture doesn’t help us here and now :P

But it should.

Let us let it encourage us today, sweet sisters

(brothers too, if any are reading !!)

We don’t see any rhyme or reason for what we are walking through (or what we’re not) but God does. And it is a beautiful harmony to Him, a complex satisfying plot, and it is far more amazing and meaningful that anything we could ever hope for or imagine (Eph 3:20). Just imagine for a moment the people God is using you to reach, the lives He is touching and impacting through you right now because you are not where you thought you’d be, but because you are where He has you. Imagine the glory, the intricate, half-step-details, He is working out for us in the background right now as we serve Him in this messy, muddy, unexpected place.

God knows why you are here and why you are waiting.

And He is doing something amazing with it!!!

So trust the process sweet sister! He is already there, at the end of this time, with the solution, waiting for you to arrive but simply relying on and obeying Him. 

I will leave you with this thought: He walked this earth, as yes, wholly God, but also wholly man; the Bible tells there is nothing we experience that He did not as He walked this earth. So these feelings of heartache, anger, frustration, of being cheated? He is not just ‘oh whatever, deal with it’. He intimately understands those feelings. You’re struggle is not lost on or insignificant to Him (Heb 4:15). It is important to your story, and He is infinitely proud of you for sticking with it. Rest in Him today, sweet sis (or bro!)

Life is not neat, not obvious, not what you expected it to be. There is no rhyme or reason to what you are experiencing or have not experienced yet—that you can see.

Today rest in and thank God that HE can see and that He is working out an even bigger and more beautiful rhyme and reason than we could ever imagine.

Love you all!

Quick Update!

Hey all you lovelies! 

I felt the need for an update ;) No, my blog hasn’t turned from a devotional type blog to a book review blog ;) However, I have done a LOT of changing since this blogs conception and after struggling with it for a while, I realize that letting the blog change with me is OKAY :D <3 After all, it is still my God-scripted story and my desire to share and encourage others walking their own…. That story just looks and feels a loooot different than it ever did or I ever expected it to lol ;) But (shocker!) that’s how God works ;)

I would like to change the theme/design of the blog for sure, to sort of ‘update’ it--to have it be more relevant to these changes (so if anyone is an expert at or enjoys doing blog art/design—or knows anyone who is— please feel free to contact me!!! :D )

I do have certain topics dear to my heart and current situations I would like to write about…. But A) they are still so raw and fresh that I don’t have the application or endings/answers yet… and B) are so deeply personal I wonder if it is “okay” to share, or if anyone will care (which I realize is not the point at all, but just being honest here ;) So if anyone has any ideas or topics they’d like to see discussed, feel free to share those in the comments below as well!! 

Being Wearied with The Journey

"Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well." {John 4:6a}

So....

We {the ladies of our awesome little church!} had our Ladies Fall Fellowship/Bible study last week. It was such a blessing, and full of laughter, but when my pastor's wife began to bring the devotional, I was totally not paying attention. 

"Wanna know why?"

Because after we'd turned to the Scripture from which God had led her to bring our study, God arrested my attention so completely, inspiration hit, and I was scribbling this from-God's-heart-to-mine encouragement in my journal before I lost it! 

(Don't worry! What God gave me actually had a lot to do with our Bible study anyway :) And my pastor's wife forgave me ;-)

But here are those notes, from my heart to yours. Not sure if they are all doctrinaly sound lol but it was if a light-bulb clicked on and I was seeing this Scripture in a slightly different hue than normal!

"Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well." {John 4:6a}

(seriously. that small, simple sentence was all God needed to use to encourage me and inspire three pages of writing. Isn't He amazing??? <3 )

"It stuck me as my pastor's wife read this verse aloud that John would include that Jesus-- king of the Universe; wholly mighty in strength-- became weary. 

Weary is a word I know well. Too well. 

Maybe you as well are far to familiar with that word :( 

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, I thought. 

But...

Maybe not.

Maybe, God wanted us to know that it's okay to be tired. 

He knows. He gets it. He KNOWS where we have been and where we are. 

It was Jesus' journey that caused Him to become weary. 

Could we, perhaps, use this as a parallel to our spiritual lives? 

Jesus understands.

Could we also equate this with our daily walk in general??

Jesus gets it. He got tired. 

So He sat down. 

Maybe God put a subtle hint in here that in our life's journey, when we get tired that it's okay to sit down, to take a break... 

as long as we don't intend to QUIT!!!

{{ouch!!}}

Jesus was planning only on taking a break. Not on STOPPING!

Also this break Jesus was taking? 

It didn't stop Him from encouraging  another even when He was tired. 

Maybe we can even encourage others better when we're taking a break. because at that point?? HE GOT IT! He "got it" well! He was taking a break at the time! So maybe we can encourage others better during or after that break because "we've been there too" and therefore are better equipped to encourage them. 

Another thing. We know as believers that because He took this break, a woman's-- a TOWN's-- spiritual needs were met. 

We know it was a scheduled divine appointment on His part ;-) 

Maybe God slows us down-- has slowed YOU down-- allows struggles, sorrows, trouble, depression, discouragement, unfair/overwhelming circumstances because we can reach certainpeople during our hard spots, because of our trials, that we may never have been able to reach had everything continued to be hunky-dory, smooth-sailing. 

We (YOU!!!) can meet the spiritual needs of others because we've had this struggle, because we're going through this problem

It's okay to be tired.

It's okay to take a break!

Just take that break intending to get back up after you are rested!!!

Take that break cognizant of the fact that others need breaks too!!!

Take that break knowing that because you're taking it, God may be able to use you in a way He never could have otherwise!!

Knowing that God can use that break to encourage someone else down the road. 

You can encourage someone from a sitting position! ;-) 

First picture mine, edited from movie Mom's Night Out; rest of pictures courtesy http://www.freebibleimages.org/

The Answer to Hopelessness

Yesterday morning, during my time with Him, God gave me something that I hope, by His grace, I can adequately share with you all. If you have your Bibles handy, why not grab them and do your devotions with me? :D (However, if your Bible isn’t close by, you can hover your cursor over the Scripture references I have listed, and a tiny window should show up with the Bible verses I’m speaking of there for you!! :D)

My current devotional material had me read Ruth 1:19-22.

“So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them and they said, Is this Naomi?” Ruth 1:19

I got this far and then stopped. :D You see, I am a habitual cross-referencer, so when I got to the phrase, “Is this Naomi?” and there was that tiny reference letter above it, I turned to the two Scriptures that my Bible listed. They were Isaiah 23:7 and Lamentations 2:15. Now, these verses might make little sense or mean very little to others; but during our time of (nearly) nightly family devotions, our family has just struggled through the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and we are now in Lamentations, so I had recent insight as to what was going on and when the prophets were referring to in the Scripture I cross-referenced.

You see, the entire book of Jeremiah is about God’s people, the Jews, rebelling against Him and going after other gods, and the Lord pleading with them to repent and return to Him; He warns them time and time again, through Jeremiah, His prophet, that if they do not abandon their evil ways that He will be forced to punish them. Despite chapter after chapter after chapter of pleading and warning, God’s people continue to rebel, rebuff Jeremiah, and ultimately, God is forced to punish them by allowing them to be taken into captivity. He loves them dearly and wants to bless them, but their behavior is wrong and so God’s plan is to refine them and draw them back to Him through captivity.

Isaiah 23:7 and Lamentations 2:15 are verses containing the raucous laughter of the heathen, or unbelievers, to the children of Israel after they were taken into captivity. They’re basically laughing at the Israelites in their humbled position saying, “Hey! Aren’t you that great nation who supposedly served the True and Mighty God? Well, where is your God now? You’re not so high and mighty any more! Where is all that ‘glory’ you used to take such pride and joy in!? Oh how the mighty have fallen!”

Basically, they’re kicking God’s people while they’re down.

Ever been there, Princess?

But when I read Lamentations 2:15, I could not stop. I read all the way to the end of the chapter, and into the next. Lamentations 2:15-22 pretty much encapsulates the Israelite’s punishment as I mentioned above; but the tone changes somewhat when I got to Lamentations 3:1-19. 

And it broke my heart.

Why?

Because I've been there

I’m still there

That’s where I am

I’m not so sure I’m being punished for any wrong decisions—perhaps you’re not either.

But tested?

YOU BET

“He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his had against me all the day…” Lamentations 3:2-3

I am with Jeremiah when he says in verse 8, “Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.”

(I would like to point out that, unlike Israel, the prophet Jeremiah has stayed faithful to his God, and has not sinned, yet he has to be punished along with the rest of them :( That is why it is so unfair!)

I identified with Jeremiah... until he got to verse 21. He is remembering all these terrible things he’s been made, seemingly at the hand of the Lord, to suffer, and he feels hopeless and shut off. But then he says,

“Remembering mine affliction and my misery… My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in my. This I recall to my mind, therefore HAVE I HOPE.” (Lamentations 3:19-21)

Umm… whoa. Affliction and misery I get. Humbling I understand. Depression and discouragement and despair I can identify with. But somehow getting HOPE out of all of the misery and affliction!? Where did that come from!?

If we continue reading, we now come to some of the most familiar and comforting/reassuring of all Scripture. There’s even an extremely common hymn taken directly from this passage that you probably sing all the time. 

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.

For the Lord will not cast off forever:

But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of this mercies.

For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,

To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,

To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approveth not.” Lamentations 3:22-36

Did you catch it?

Did you catch where that seemingly elusive hope comes from?!?!

The answer is found in verse 24: “therefore will I hope in Him.”

Our hope is to come from Him. 

Even when it feels as though He is against us!!! :(

His compassions fail not" even though it feels as though we are being consumed. (verse 22)

We are to hope in Him 

To wait and seek for him

because "the Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh him." 

As you "hope and quietly wait"; As you "bear the yoke in your youth"; as you sit and suffer alone; please, suffering sister, (or brother!) remember these verses! 

"The Lord will not cast off forever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of me...To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not." (Lamentations 3:31-36)

Memorize them. Post them on your mirror. Quote them often to yourself. By God's grace, draw that hope from them-- from God.

I know I need to. 

I hope this encourages you today. 

In the Night Seasons...

(BEFORE YOU BEGIN: I do realize this is rather a lengthy post. :D But if you have time—especially if you are hurting or going through a season of darkness or a night season spiritually—please stick with me! Lol)

Perhaps, if you are observant, you have noticed my lack of posts here lately. *winks*

Okay. You do not even have to be observant! Any little kid could look at the date of my last post and say, “Wow! This lady hasn’t posted in months!”

Some of you have still checked up regularly for anything new—and you have no. idea. what ‘behind-the-scenes-encouragement’ that has been to my soul! (but more on that soon!). Just know for now that I've greatly appreciated that.

But others may be wondering where I've gone.

I've got a comparison for you today…

Usually, I write posts based on what God gives me and excites me with (or ‘ouches’ me with) during my quiet time alone with Him.

Well, you know how my blog has had this…’lovely’…dry spell?

Yeah. :( :(  So has my walk with Jesus.

Hence the absurd lack of posts.

Someday I may (honestly hope) to get into ‘how’ and ‘why’, but that as well is for another post. Er… posts. 

But I did have something I wanted to share with you today.

Some of you may have deep, intimate walks with the Lord, and some of you may be new to talking to and hearing from Him daily. Whichever girl you are, if you’re anything like me, you’re prone to bouts of discouragement. The discouragement could be little “bummer days” or it could be full-blown dark spells of depression.

It doesn't matter how significant or insignificant your discouragement may seem to be—the important thing is that you feel it. And it hurts.

So often when I would experience these times, Titus-2 women in my life would point me to Psalms because, while we think of him as this great mighty warrior-king who did fantastic things for God and was a perfect man after His own heart, David had these seasons of discouragement too! In fact, I’ve gotten pointed there so often that it just got plain annoying. I got so deep into discouragement that it was like ‘I’ve read the Psalms. I know David felt depressed, too, but at this point NOTHING HELPS!’ In fact, nothing seemed to help. The Bible was dry, and God seemed so. far. away. I wasn’t deep into sin or anything, but it felt as though God had turned His back on me.

And yes! Of COURSE I knew better. Still, didn’t help the cold, frightening feelings of utter desolation go away.

Maybe you’re there, sweet sister. ((Pulls you into a tight hug)) Maybe, while you’re not that down in the dumps, you can at least relate. Or perhaps, you’ve never felt this before ((stop right now and praise Jesus for that fact and ask Him for the strength to not let go to Him if it should ever happen!!!!)) but you may know someone who does.

May I say something to you?

Did you know, that even though you’re in the absolute dark and you can’t see Him for the trees, Jesus is visiting you during this season (yes, this hideously ridiculous) season of darkness??

I found an index card in my Bible I had written on one night while I quickly, but finally, did my devotions.

This is (basically lol) what it said:

Psalm 17:3 “thou has visited me IN THE NIGHT” (cross references with Psalms 16:7 “in the NIGHT SEASONS”—it would be interesting to see what that meant in the Hebrew. “Seasons of darkness” maybe???”

So, of course, I looked it up just before beginning this post, and was surprised at what I discovered. Basically, the word for “night” in Psalms 17:3 and “night season” in Psalms 16:7 means/refers to “a twist (away of the light)… figuratively {meaning} adversity… (mid-)night (season).”

Deeper study into those words gave the picture of a twisting stairwell, and I had the mental picture of someone holding one of those antique-looking brass candlesticks in a dark stairwell, and as they turned around and ascended the rounding steps, taking the meager light farther and farther away.

Maybe that’s how you feel. I know I did/do. :( I felt as though it was Jesus with that candlestick, twisting Himself away from me and hiding the light from my face :(.

But of course, He hadn’t… that’s just how it FELT. And we as ladies know how to not allow ourselves to be overcome by our feelings… … right…?? (*Cough, cough* yeah right!!! ROFL)

Psalms 17:3 says that God had proved David’s heart and that God HAD VISITED HIM IN THE NIGHT {SEASONS} when it felt as though He were nowhere to be found!!!!! Verse 7 of chapter 16 tells us that the Lord had given David counsel, and that his “mind, or interior self” had given had instructed him in those night seasons.

Perhaps I was so {inwardly} focused on how much I was hurting and on how much I felt like Jesus was not there to actually take the time to inquire, to see that He really was there.

Please sister—don’t do that! :( It hurts. So. Bad. Does it hurt!

But (of course!) the verse doesn’t end there! David goes on:

“Thou has visited me in the night; though has tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”

…

… …

“And shalt. Find. Nothing.”

Nothing.

Nothing for God to reproach him with.

I know that when God tried me, when trials came and God checked on me, He found P-L-E-N-T-Y He could reproach me with.

During the night season:

I stuck to it for a good long while (only by His grace), but eventually I gave up on reading my Bible.

I did it diligently every day (again, by His grace alone), but eventually I gave up deep thorough praying as well.

I kept going (thanks to my parents lol) but I didn’t even want to go to church!

Yeah.

Lots God could’ve reproached me for. I was quite far from the example David somehow set. My card went on:

“God, while at one point in my life {in this night season} I may have been able to say this with the Psalmist… I no longer can :(. If you were to “try me”… :( you’d find plenty to disappoint you; plenty of things to find that I’ve been doing wrong, not doing right, or not doing well enough or with the right motives. Or at all. :(”

What is really cool, really comfortingly wonderful, is this:

That God we feel has turned away?

Yeah. HE SPECIALIZES IN THE IMPOSSIBLE. HE’S THE GOD OF 2^ND, 3^RD, 40^TH, 60^TH, AND 189^TH CHANCES! HE LOVES US WITH AN EVERLASTING PERFECT LOVE! He DOES. NOT. HATE. YOU. And you are NOT. BEYOND. HIS. HELP or REACH! He misses you, but He LOVES you! According to Hebrews 4:15, He GETS IT! HE UNDERSTANDS what you are going through!

“But I keep messing up!” you tell me. “I keep falling back into this black whole or getting sucked into it!” “How can He still love me after I’ve totally failed His testing me?!”

First of all, what you see as failure did NOT take Him by surprise. It doesn't make it right, but you didn't surprise Him one bit.

Secondly, I recently heard on a wonderful movie that God is able to love us so passionately, so relentlessly, even when we give up on Him (or even purposefully leave or abandon Him :( ) because His love is NOT DEPENDENT on us or on our actions.     Wow.

My devotional card for that night went on, though. And Lord willing this can help you. Even if it is the smallest measure of help:

“Psalm 17:5 “Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.”  This needs to be my prayer, 24/7/365. (Also see Psalm 119:133) Verse 15 of Ps. 17 says “as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” This verse cross-references with Psalm 16:11, “…in thy presence is fullness of joy…”

During these two separate times of darkness for David, he came to realize, (right at the end was when he noticed it though! :D) that even in the darkness it was in the presence of his GOD that he found Fullness of Joy.

These verses don’t say that “in the presence of those who encourage or give me Godly counsel” is fullness of Joy. {Although HE in whose presence IS fullness of joy CERTAINLY uses and works through those wonderful people!} Fullness of Joy wasn't found in a host of other material things we may use to distract ourselves from the pain of the darkness. Nope.

Fullness of Joy, even in the darkness, is found in HIS presence.

HIS PRESENCE presents us with the FULLEST measure of Joy. The best :) of happy.

Thank you Jesus!

The one drawback about this simple yet profound ‘being in His presence’ thing is that it can be hard, especially when you’re hurting. But can I tell you a secret?

Even if it doesn't’t “work” right away, (as in magically making it all go away) It certainly helps!

Sister—perhaps, brother—you are not alone. And you are not without hope. God’s love for you is NOT dependent of you. Remember, while she surely felt most alone, it was during the NIGHT SEASON that David says the Lord “visited” him.

As alone as you feel, HE IS with you, and in His presence is FULLNESS OF JOY.

WHY People Flocked to Him (Part Two)

(That was mean of me to leave y’all hanging on that last post, wasn't it!? :D :D Bwah-ha-ha!)

At the end of my last post, I posed this question: Even though many of Jesus’ followers eventually turned away from Him, not all did! Many people received His message and flocked to Him--- WHY!?!?

My answer?

Because His message was different

Different.

Different than the hard, cold, dead religion they heard preached and saw exemplified in the religious leaders of their day.

-Because His message was different—it offered hope

-Because His words were laced with kindness—THEY WERE DIFFERENT!

-Because His heart, His eyes, His words, His actions were (undoubtedly) overflowing with a palpable COMPASSION—compassion they could not find anywhere else! (Certainly not from the Pharisees)

-Because His mighty acts of power were different—He could do things nobody else could! Things everyone felt were impossible!

-Because His love was evident—blatant—obvious—THAT was DEFINITELY different!

-Because His life was different!!! (Mark 1:35)

-Because He had authority—He WAS Authority- where others did not, no matter how much they pretended to the contrary—and that was different! (His genuineness as He spoke. He lived what He taught, unlike the religious leaders.)

Are we sensing a theme here? :D

Jesus’ life, words, actions, attitude, lifestyle was different~~ and it was obvious~~ from that/those of the world’s. And that OBVIOUS DIFFERENCE ATTRACTED SINNERS TO HIM. And when they came to Him—out of need, intent search, or simple curiosity—He was able to give the GOSPEL (Mark 1:15) whether or not they stuck with Him after that…whether or not they chose to believe the Gospel… because of His obviously different, yet attractive life, people heard—and often received!! :D His Message!

And why is that such a big deal???????

Because that is how my life, YOUR LIFE, by His grace and only for His glory, should look! Attractively different! To allow Jesus to seep out of me and draw others to Him! To bless others through me! That’s now it should be!!!

There can be this mixed up message in modern Christianity today that says “in order to reach the (lost and dying) world, we need to act, behave just like them We need to wear what they wear—we need to enjoy what they enjoy. In order to reach them, we need to listen to and sing their genre of music. We need to accept societies rules and conform to them instead of seeking to reform them. We need to conform to these societal norms so that they will see that we’re not a threat—we are no different from them and that there’s no need to be “freaked out” by our “religion”.  :(

WHAT!? >:(

Jesus never did that!!!

And yet… people flocked to Him!

Why?!

Because…

Jesus was different, but that difference was joy, LOVE, health, compassion. That difference was TRUTH.

Difference doesn't have to be stifling

            Difference doesn't have to be frumpy.

                        Difference doesn't have to be forced, religious, or legalistic.

Difference needs to be genuine.

                                                Difference needs to be Joy :D :D :D

Difference needs to be Jesus living through us and loving others through us 

(not condemning them though, because Jesus doesn't condemn us!)

<3 <3

People Flocked to Him... Why? (Part One)

I am someone who nearly always focuses on the negative. Last week, I went into my Bible reading with the mindset that Jesus was “despised and rejected”—that “He came unto His own and His own received Him not—that nobody listened to Him or appreciated His message.

And all of these things are true!!

His own did reject Him…

                        At least initially. While His own brothers and family members portrayed animosity towards Him during His earthly ministry, at least one of them (perhaps two. At this uneducated, un-studied out further state, I’m not quite sure) eventually became one or two of His most avid believers, even penning one, perhaps two, books of the New Testament! (I’m speaking of James and possibly Jude.)

            And certain people (read Scribes, Pharisees, Rich-Young-Rulers lol) most definitely did not appreciate His message.

            And He was despised and rejected of men…

But not ALL men!

As I read through the first chapter or so of the Gospel of Mark, I began to realize that (at least at first, and perhaps then only because of the miracles He did) EVERYBODY FLOCKED to this Man!!! In verses 16-19, the disciples “straightway” dropped their work and followed Him. His fame was noised abroad “throughout all the region round about Galilee” in verse 28. In verse 33, “all the city was gathered at the door” of the house of Peter and Andrew where Jesus was; in verse37, “all men sought Him”! When instructed to keep quiet, the healed leper “BLAZED ABROAD” the matter of Man Who had healed Him :D LOL :D! In fact, it got so ‘bad’ that Jesus couldn’t go into that city anymore (or at least for a while) because they thronged Him so much! They came out of the woodwork— “out of every quarter” (verse 45) to see Jesus. And in chapter 2, when Jesus went back into Capernaum, after a few days it was “noised” (someone let the cat out of the bag—lol) that He was there and right away, so “many were gathered together” so much so “that there was no room to RECEIVE THEM!!! NO, not so much as at the door!” (Verses 1-2) Verses 3-4 tell of the palsied man having to be let down through the roof because they couldn’t get to Him by way of the door!!!!! :D

I mean

WOW

(That’s our God, btw :D)

And, yes, I know we learn that eventually “many of His disciples turned away from following after Him” :D But not all did! Many people received His message and flocked to Him.

WHY!?!?

(To be continued… :D :D)

Think about it! From the examples given, and even from what you know of Jesus and the Gospels, why do you think people flocked to Jesus?

A Verse for the Day... (that you've heard 100 times...)

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

(Proverbs 3:6) 

God desires to be acknowledged in ALL your ways—every seemingly silly, apparently trivial detail of your life!

ALSO! This verse doesn’t read, “and He shall direct thy paTH" … It’s “and he shall direct thy pathS" – He’s going to direct me and you over and over and over and over and over and over again, every single time we come to Him, acknowledge Him, for direction!!!

Praise the LORD and Thank GOD for the promise and provision of his guidance!!!

Trust: A Matter of the Heart

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

I need and am supposed to trust in the Lord with all my HEART ♥. Not all my MIND! While, yes, it is a good thing to have, a “head knowledge” is NOT ENOUGH!!

It’s not!

It’s a matter of the heart! ♥♥

Finding Favor (Part 2)

 Yesterday, we looked at Proverbs 3:3-4 in reference to how we ‘find favor’ in God’s sight. But let us look at these verses again! J

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4) 

Not only does this verse promise favor with God if we apply verse 3, but it actually tells us that we SHALT find favor in the sight of man!!!!

While this verse says you SHALL “find favor in the sight of…man”, it doesn’t say what type of “man”—lol.

Ever notice how your church family can be all warm, supportive, and encouraging when you do something for Jesus, or something you believe God has called you to do? But over that same decision, others can be rude, cold, unsupportive and standoffish?? Obviously you haven “found favor” with that second group! J lol. But most likely, when this verse says you’ll gain favor in the sight of men, it’s speaking of Godly men and women (People whose good opinion is actually worth having because of their walk with GOD) (***what is your opinion about this?? I’m curious to know??*** J) And, occasionally, even thought unsaved people may oppose and disagree with you for a certain decision, they WILL RESPECT you for making and standing by it!!

(ALSO! What is your Biblical ‘opinion’ about this verse’s principal? I’m curious to know! J If you feel like sharing your thoughts, simple leave them as a comment below! J)

BUT!

My/your/our ultimate goal should NOT BE to find favor in the sight of any man or woman—Godly or not!!! Our main objective needs to be to find favor in GOD’S sight by keeping His Word’s not anyone else’s! No one else’s respect or recognition should matter!!!

However, Not only do we find favor in the sight of God and man if we “let not mercy and truth forsake us, bind them about our necks and write them upon the tables of our hearts” (verse 3), BUT! We will find GOOD UNDERSTANDING in the sight of God and man!!! Not sure if that means that we will be “greatly understood”, but I imagine not lol. (Again, your thoughts please!!! J) Probably refers to possessing good, Godly wisdom (or possessing good, Godly knowledge and then having the discernment and know-how to apply that knowledge which equals wisdom!) how to serve and obey God, and how to relate to others. Even more amazing, is the fact that it will not simply be “understanding” that we will obtain—but GOOD understanding!! As James tells us, if we only take a moment to ask God for wisdom—He WILL give it to us… liberally!!!!! (YAY!!!!! JJJ) (James 1:5) And guess what?! That’s another promise!!! J

So perhaps, before you continue with your day, you may take a moment to pray and ask God for wisdom to attain favor with Him and man—to endow you with the wisdom to obey Him and relate in a Godly way to others you deal with today! 

Finding Favor (Part One)

“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”  (Proverbs 3:3-4)

{found via Google Images}

If you and I, as young ladies, obey the advice laid out in verse 3, I will find FAVOR with God and Man. This is an actual promise from the Lord!

With Christmas so rapidly approaching, surely we've heard Gabrielle’s famous proclamation to Mary quoted at least once! Mary, at a young age, had not let mercy and truth forsake her. She had “bound them about her neck”. She had “written them upon the table of her heart.” Then, out of nowhere, an angel brings her the astonishing news that she of all women is honored with the privilege of carrying, giving birth to, and rearing the Messiah! After she voices her humble “why me!?” Gabrielle informs her that she had “found favor with God.”

Not by doing any huge extra-Godly act—but by a lifetime of humble, faithful obedience.

Sometimes, in trying to please other people and finding it impossible, we may subconsciously decide God is impossible to please as well. L

But thanks to the Biblical account of Mary we (you!) may rest assured, dear sister that just as Mary did it is possible to obtain favor with God!!!

AND! Before you even begin to even set up that ‘spiritual gymnastics routine’ to obtain that favor with God, let me stop you… (And stop myself as well). While we should strive to attain favor with God, there are no phenomenal, nearly impossible feats we must first accomplish in order to do this! (Ever notice that the SILENCE in the Scripture in reference to a detailed description of Mary or her spiritual “accomplishments”?? Maybe God left it that way for a reason!)

Perhaps the best way to “find favor with God” is by daily simple and humble obedience to God’s mercy and truth as written in His Word—not any type of ‘performance’ we must do before we can be ‘excepted’ or ‘a good Christian’.

So today, focus on that, dear sister. God loves you for who you are in and by Him—not because of what you do!!!!!