Newsflash: I am lacking... :)
Big lesson of the week: I am lacking.
Is this shocking to anyone other than me?? No? Right. :) So, this week I've had to learn the hard way that I am not enough. I don't have enough patience. Insight. Love. Patience. Wisdom. And, oh yea did I mention patience? Dealing with stressful situations is not my strength. And dealing with stressful relationships-yea, I stink. So this week I decided, in light of the fact that I'm horrible at handling stressful-well anything, that I would go it alone. I would forgo my daily Bible reading. Nix my times of prayer. And completely forget about reflecting on God's blessings and promises. I know, you're think "great idea"-NOT! And yet, here I sit. Exhausted, spent, worn down-with nothing left for anyone!
So, this is where my Lord found me this morning. I hobbled to my usual spot-pen and journal in hand; Bible open before me. And I sighed. Do you know what I'm talking about? When you sigh so long and so hard that you're pretty sure anything that's not nailed down will be blown away? That was me this morning. And as I began to write (journal; talk with my Lord) He felt closer and closer. Until there He was, taking my "burdens", self-imposed or otherwise. And I began to feel lighter! I felt my patience begin to return. My heart began to fill-up with joy and out of that joy came perspective and LOVE! Gratitude. And as I turned to my scripture reading this morning I was gently reminded why. Why it is so important for me to remain. Remain connected; instep with my God. My reading 2 Peter 1:3-11 (NIV)
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Message: (3-9)
3-4Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.
5-9So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
Praise God! Do you know that we serve a God that desires for us to know him personally; intimately? Seriously! This God who orchestrates the universe wants me to sit with him and to KNOW him! The title of this blog is an expression of that hope for me. That one day, after leaving this earth, I will see him. And not just "see" him-I will look on his face and he on mine!! Oh what a day that will be, right! But, until then I will meet with him here. In this space and for this time because without him, I can do nothing. I am impatient. Short on love; wisdom and insight. But with Him... with Him and I can do it. I can do this thing He has called me to. And not just do it, but do it WELL! (Praise God!!)
So my prayer for us today is this: That we wouldn't find-out "the hard way" that we NEED our God daily! And that we would remain in Him; abide in Him and instep with Him. Knowing that, by doing so, we are more than able to do this thing He has called us to. And not just do it but do it WELL!!
Loving you all today!
Is this shocking to anyone other than me?? No? Right. :) So, this week I've had to learn the hard way that I am not enough. I don't have enough patience. Insight. Love. Patience. Wisdom. And, oh yea did I mention patience? Dealing with stressful situations is not my strength. And dealing with stressful relationships-yea, I stink. So this week I decided, in light of the fact that I'm horrible at handling stressful-well anything, that I would go it alone. I would forgo my daily Bible reading. Nix my times of prayer. And completely forget about reflecting on God's blessings and promises. I know, you're think "great idea"-NOT! And yet, here I sit. Exhausted, spent, worn down-with nothing left for anyone!
So, this is where my Lord found me this morning. I hobbled to my usual spot-pen and journal in hand; Bible open before me. And I sighed. Do you know what I'm talking about? When you sigh so long and so hard that you're pretty sure anything that's not nailed down will be blown away? That was me this morning. And as I began to write (journal; talk with my Lord) He felt closer and closer. Until there He was, taking my "burdens", self-imposed or otherwise. And I began to feel lighter! I felt my patience begin to return. My heart began to fill-up with joy and out of that joy came perspective and LOVE! Gratitude. And as I turned to my scripture reading this morning I was gently reminded why. Why it is so important for me to remain. Remain connected; instep with my God. My reading 2 Peter 1:3-11 (NIV)
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Message: (3-9)
3-4Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.
5-9So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
Praise God! Do you know that we serve a God that desires for us to know him personally; intimately? Seriously! This God who orchestrates the universe wants me to sit with him and to KNOW him! The title of this blog is an expression of that hope for me. That one day, after leaving this earth, I will see him. And not just "see" him-I will look on his face and he on mine!! Oh what a day that will be, right! But, until then I will meet with him here. In this space and for this time because without him, I can do nothing. I am impatient. Short on love; wisdom and insight. But with Him... with Him and I can do it. I can do this thing He has called me to. And not just do it, but do it WELL! (Praise God!!)
So my prayer for us today is this: That we wouldn't find-out "the hard way" that we NEED our God daily! And that we would remain in Him; abide in Him and instep with Him. Knowing that, by doing so, we are more than able to do this thing He has called us to. And not just do it but do it WELL!!
Loving you all today!
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