I woke up this morning to a beautiful day. I looked outside and the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and there is a semi-warm breeze in the air. It just feels like spring to me. As I was thanking for another beautiful day here on earth, I began to think about all the things that spring represents as a season of the year. We also have seasons in our Christian walk. There are dark winters where we feel blocked in and desperate, mysterious times of fall when things are changing (transition, moving), and bright shining summers that are full of blessing and joy. However, spring is the time of renewal. Babies are being born, flowers are blooming, and everything becomes NEW again. I love spring because the sun is not too bright to burn my skin, but it is not cold and dreary either. Spring brings hope of something new and better still yet to come! Spring is a time of expectation and a sigh of relief after enduring the harsh winter.
I have been through each of the seasons in my Christian walk, more than once...
Right now, I am in a season of spring renewal to match the physical world around me. There seems to be a tug-of-war in the earth that happens when winter is moving into spring. Some days are cool (or cold) and downright dreary, while other days are bright and the sun is shining on our faces. It can be a difficult season because we can see the light ahead of better days coming, but we still feel stuck in the past. That's exactly how I feel right now about my life in Christ. The past has been dark and depressing, cold and harsh. The future I anticipate is brighter than anything I have ever known before. I know God is doing new things, taking us into new places, and our future is bright...but those dark days of winter still want to keep me feeling lost, lonely and depressed. It takes faith and trust in God to step out into the Light, not knowing where the path may lead...
I realize that part of this spring season is about renewal, transformation and building up my character to look more like Jesus. I keep seeing my old ways, my old nature wanting to spring back up in me and cause trouble. It truly is a struggle. I have been inundated with foolishness in my past and I am always asking God for more wisdom, so I don't make decisions that will hurt anyone (including myself). I have been praying the prayer of Jabez lately over my life, not because it is a popular fad in Christianity, but because the words ring true about my heart's desire at this time in my life.
1 Chronicles 4:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.
Oh, that God would grant me the words of this prayer. To bless me, to enlarge my territory (influence), but even more so that His hand would be with me and keep me FROM EVIL, that I MAY NOT cause pain!
Even though I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and I love God and seek to follow His will in my life...I often make mistakes and find myself broken before Him. I am weak without Him. I still make mistakes daily and I want Him to forgive me for my great foolishness. I desire for Him to keep me from evil mostly so I will not hurt others. It is one thing to hurt myself, and we often care less about ourselves than we do others, but I desperately do not want my foolish mistakes to hurt those I love (or anyone).
I am thankful that God's love for me is not dependent on me being perfect. His salvation, grace and mercy in my life do not depend on what I have done, but rather the finished work of what Jesus has done for me. He has taken my punishment, the rightful lashings that I deserve for all the times I have hurt people around me. His blood shed on the cross for my redemption is real in my life. He has taken from me the shame of my foolishness. Trying to stand on my own good works to be "good enough" will never suffice. Only through His love and forgiveness have I been able to truly experience LIFE. His grace really is enough for me. And...it always will be.
Thank you Lord for all you have done for me. Thank you Father for sending Your only Son to die for me and take my shame, my punishment, and the life (or lack thereof) that I deserved and nailing it to the cross. I can't explain how you were able to save me from all that I was, but like the season of spring...You made all things new again. I am so glad that I could have a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and so on, chance to be free from the guilt and weight of sin. Thank you for making everything new and for letting me start fresh with your mercy each and every day.
My Living Water for today:
Lamentations 3:22-23
1 Chronicles 4:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.
Oh, that God would grant me the words of this prayer. To bless me, to enlarge my territory (influence), but even more so that His hand would be with me and keep me FROM EVIL, that I MAY NOT cause pain!
Even though I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and I love God and seek to follow His will in my life...I often make mistakes and find myself broken before Him. I am weak without Him. I still make mistakes daily and I want Him to forgive me for my great foolishness. I desire for Him to keep me from evil mostly so I will not hurt others. It is one thing to hurt myself, and we often care less about ourselves than we do others, but I desperately do not want my foolish mistakes to hurt those I love (or anyone).
I am thankful that God's love for me is not dependent on me being perfect. His salvation, grace and mercy in my life do not depend on what I have done, but rather the finished work of what Jesus has done for me. He has taken my punishment, the rightful lashings that I deserve for all the times I have hurt people around me. His blood shed on the cross for my redemption is real in my life. He has taken from me the shame of my foolishness. Trying to stand on my own good works to be "good enough" will never suffice. Only through His love and forgiveness have I been able to truly experience LIFE. His grace really is enough for me. And...it always will be.
Thank you Lord for all you have done for me. Thank you Father for sending Your only Son to die for me and take my shame, my punishment, and the life (or lack thereof) that I deserved and nailing it to the cross. I can't explain how you were able to save me from all that I was, but like the season of spring...You made all things new again. I am so glad that I could have a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and so on, chance to be free from the guilt and weight of sin. Thank you for making everything new and for letting me start fresh with your mercy each and every day.
My Living Water for today:
Lamentations 3:22-23
New King James Version (NKJV)
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
2 Corinthians 5:17
New King James Version (NKJV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Isaiah 43:19
New King James Version (NKJV)
19 Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
New King James Version (NKJV)
Everything Has Its Time
3 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.
His beloved,
Sarah
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