Thursday, October 28, 2010

Faithful God

Right now, I'm reading through the Bible.  Honestly, it's one of the best things I've ever done.  The Lord is so faithful to fill me to the brim with His joy.  It's amazing how in the darkest times, when the world seems to be crashing down all around me, the Joy of the Lord is my strength.  Joy is something that is deeply rooted in who we are a Christians--it's something that remains through all circumstances.  Why?  Because we serve a Risen Lord who does not grow tired and weary.  We serve a God who sympathizes with us and whom suffering is not foreign to.  It just brings a smile to my face--I hope it does to yours.

So today, I was reading through 2 Timothy, and I came across a verse that I've never noticed before:

"Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself."
~2 Timothy 2:11-13

Does that just strike you as incredible???  The first three things are things that have a directly proportional relationship.  If we do one thing, God replicates it.  If we exhibit certain behaviors, our reward/consequence is in direct relation to our actions...until it comes to faith.  This verse says that if we are faithless, God remains faithful.  Have you ever been at a place in your life where faith was hard to come by?  Some people have the gift of faith--believing and trusting come easily for them.  For me, faith is something that does not come naturally.  I tend to worry about the smallest details, and stress about what is to come.  I tend to doubt God's ability to come through, and sometimes even expect that He won't.  It's really an expression of my pride--believing that I have a better solution than the Creator of the universe...crazy huh?

And then I read this verse, and I am reminded that even in those moments, God remains.  He remains my Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  My Deliverer, my Rock, my Redeemer.  God is faithful to who He is.  He cannot change, He endures forever.  And in those moments when my faith is small, He still sees me as His child, and claims me as His own.  Isn't that amazing?

I want to remind you today, that when your faith is small, God remains.  He is not dependent on our beliefs to exist in all His splendor.  So today, as you go about your normal routine, I pray that you don't lose sight of our Faithful God.  In fact, I pray that this God that we worship would be at the forefront of every decision, every word, every action that we make.  And as we strive to have faith in our God, I pray that He is glorified above all.  
Blessings,

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Prayer

So...I've been busy.  Yup.  That pretty much sums up my life for the past three weeks and the next three weeks!  I have not had any time to post, which makes me sad...I haven't posted in so long 1. I forgot my password and it wouldn't let me log in, and 2. I forgot which email address is connected to my account (home or school).  That tells you a lot because, quite frankly, I have a fantastic memory.  Ugh.

Anyways, I don't really have anything profound to say.  I'm kinda at a loss for words.  The only thing I can think to do is to ask you to be praying for lots of people in my life.  You know when you care for someone so much that your heart is just so heavy because theirs is heavy?  Yeah, that's how I'm feeling.  I have countless people in my life that just need prayer--for comfort, for the Lord's presence to be made known, for peace that surpasses all understanding, for trust in the Lord's faithfulness.  And to be honest, you could pray those things for me too, because I find myself wondering "Why God?" in many circumstances.  But I'm trusting that His plan is sovereign.

I can't really give names, but I'll make a general list of prayer requests:
-For one of my best friends who is wondering if life is really worth living
-For provision for an amazing family of seven whose house burnt down 2 weeks ago
-For my best friend, who is looking at the next two weeks wondering how everything is going to get done
-For my dad who is traveling to Saudi Arabia for 2 weeks [minimum] for business
-For my uncle who is recovering from back surgery and still continues to fight bone cancer
-For [multiple] friends who are struggling to break the chains of various addictions
-For [multiple] friends who are working on trusting the Lord for financial provision
-For patience for all of them and me, as we wait on the LORD and trust in His faithfulness

That's the list for now.  God is faithful.  He answers prayers in His timing.  He is close to the brokenhearted and fights for the poor in spirit.  And above all, He is good.

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope.  With less of you, there's more of God and His rule."
~Matthew 5:3 The Message

Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Supremacy of Christ

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  

For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and things on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers, or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.  

He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.  

And He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross."  Colossians 1: 15-20

Holy cow!  Our God is amazing!  This week has been so busy for me (hence, not blogging).  Also, this week has been draining.  There have been times filled with most amazing blessings--like our first d-group meeting (YAY!), Disneyland with amazing people, and really good roomie talks.  And there have been times where the world seemed to crumble...just a little bit.  And then there's this passage.  It reminds me of how great God is in times of joy and in times of sorrow.  In times of pain and in times of pleasure.  It reminds me that through all this "stuff" we call life, God goes before it and before us.  He makes the way "right."  And sometimes "making the way right" doesn't mean making it easy--it just means making it in perfect alignment with God's holy and flawless will.  

Anyways, just my thoughts for this lovely Saturday. Wherever you are, wherever you're going, no matter how painful it is/may be...God has already gone before you and will continue to uphold you.  Be encouraged.  Be joyful.  And don't forget to bask in the presence of God.

"The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you."  
~Author Unknown

Blessings,