"They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink." -Luke 5:7
Don't we all too often put man made limitations on what the Lord can and will do? Don't we create a box in which we believe his blessings for us will fit? In Luke 5, the fishermen, soon to be disciples, question Jesus when he tells them where to put their nets...."Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!" (Luke 5:5), then two verses later, Jesus is sinking their boat with blessings.
We serve a God of mind blowing and boat sinking proportions. Expect big things from him!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
I Found You!
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." -Luke 15:6
What an amazing picture of Jesus. This familiar scene has developed in my mind where I leave the love and acceptance of his arms, wandering off to the worthless ways of the world and getting hurt as always. Then I just see Jesus, noticing I've strayed from his flock. He, urgently gets up and begins to GO towards me. He doesn't stand there ringing a dinner bell waiting for me to follow it back to him. He doesn't cross his arms and say "how many times do I have to tell her that when she leaves she'll get hurt? This is the last straw, I'm not bailing her out any more". No, not at all. In fact, even when I willingly walk away, even when I go seek to please my flesh repetitively, he COMES and finds me...joyfully. I think that's what I can't wrap my mind around. I see myself hiding in the midst of some mess I've put myself in because I chose not to living according to the freedom that was secured for me on the cross, and there comes Jesus...AGAIN, smiling, bringing me into his arms, and then rejoicing as he tells "his friends and his neighbors."
Our Savior is so incredibly personal and merciful!
What an amazing picture of Jesus. This familiar scene has developed in my mind where I leave the love and acceptance of his arms, wandering off to the worthless ways of the world and getting hurt as always. Then I just see Jesus, noticing I've strayed from his flock. He, urgently gets up and begins to GO towards me. He doesn't stand there ringing a dinner bell waiting for me to follow it back to him. He doesn't cross his arms and say "how many times do I have to tell her that when she leaves she'll get hurt? This is the last straw, I'm not bailing her out any more". No, not at all. In fact, even when I willingly walk away, even when I go seek to please my flesh repetitively, he COMES and finds me...joyfully. I think that's what I can't wrap my mind around. I see myself hiding in the midst of some mess I've put myself in because I chose not to living according to the freedom that was secured for me on the cross, and there comes Jesus...AGAIN, smiling, bringing me into his arms, and then rejoicing as he tells "his friends and his neighbors."
Our Savior is so incredibly personal and merciful!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
What if we took it seriously?
"Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them." -Joshua 1:6
The Lord is calling us to this today...right now. There are so many people out there waiting on the promises of our Heavenly Father. They are waiting to inherit the land, but no one has lead them into it, so they miss that it even exists. How many people on a daily basis do we interact with who are totally unaware that the Lord has life and life abundant ready for them in the form of his son?
And there we are, trying not to hurt anyone's feelings or offend other people's beliefs, mostly because of our own selfish desire to stay comfortable. I'm calling it how I see it brothers and sisters, and I'm calling it like that as a fellow offender of ignoring God's calling to be strong and courageous, but it's time this stops. Author and speaker, David Platt puts it this way in reference to how others will know about salvation through Jesus Christ, "church, we are the plan of God, and there is no plan B."
Let's go friends, be strong and courageous, die to self, and show a dying world the name that is life eternal...Jesus Christ!
The Lord is calling us to this today...right now. There are so many people out there waiting on the promises of our Heavenly Father. They are waiting to inherit the land, but no one has lead them into it, so they miss that it even exists. How many people on a daily basis do we interact with who are totally unaware that the Lord has life and life abundant ready for them in the form of his son?
And there we are, trying not to hurt anyone's feelings or offend other people's beliefs, mostly because of our own selfish desire to stay comfortable. I'm calling it how I see it brothers and sisters, and I'm calling it like that as a fellow offender of ignoring God's calling to be strong and courageous, but it's time this stops. Author and speaker, David Platt puts it this way in reference to how others will know about salvation through Jesus Christ, "church, we are the plan of God, and there is no plan B."
Let's go friends, be strong and courageous, die to self, and show a dying world the name that is life eternal...Jesus Christ!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Overtaken
"And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God." -Deuteronomy 28:1-2
We serve a great God who desires to overtake us with blessings. Try to wrap your mind around that.
We serve a great God who desires to overtake us with blessings. Try to wrap your mind around that.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Pray Like Hannah
"And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked for him from the Lord." -1 Samuel 1:20
Pretty boss story right here in first Samuel. Hannah desires something (to be with child), so she asks the Lord for it. I'm struck by her boldness and trust that the He will provide. We get to verse 20 and see the result of her seeking the Lord through prayer. While I find the phrase "in due time" to be key because the Lord's timing is perfect, and he makes all things beautiful in his time (Ecclesiastes 3:11), it's encouraging to witness his faithfulness in Hannah's life.
Do you have something in your life that you're waiting on the Lord for? What if we prayed like Hannah?
Pretty boss story right here in first Samuel. Hannah desires something (to be with child), so she asks the Lord for it. I'm struck by her boldness and trust that the He will provide. We get to verse 20 and see the result of her seeking the Lord through prayer. While I find the phrase "in due time" to be key because the Lord's timing is perfect, and he makes all things beautiful in his time (Ecclesiastes 3:11), it's encouraging to witness his faithfulness in Hannah's life.
Do you have something in your life that you're waiting on the Lord for? What if we prayed like Hannah?
Friday, July 20, 2012
"Or Current Resident"
"I have called you by name, you are mine" -Isaiah 43:2
In the pile of mail on our kitchen counter, I came across an ad from some jewelry company that was addresses to my mom, but by her name, it was also addressed to "or current resident." I think it's interesting how the world tries to sell us stuff without even knowing who we are, however, our amazing heavenly Father knows us on the most intimate level, and gifts us something totally for free, the payment for our sins, Jesus!
In the pile of mail on our kitchen counter, I came across an ad from some jewelry company that was addresses to my mom, but by her name, it was also addressed to "or current resident." I think it's interesting how the world tries to sell us stuff without even knowing who we are, however, our amazing heavenly Father knows us on the most intimate level, and gifts us something totally for free, the payment for our sins, Jesus!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Moving Sidewalks
"Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let know inquiry get dominion over me." -Psalm 119:133
Do our daily walks make sense in light of God's promises of salvation, strength, courage, love, forgiveness, and freedom? This verse reminds me of those moving sidewalks at the airport. They keep steady your step. Once you're on, there's no changing direction. Unfortunately, our human nature likes to change direction in life. I love the cry of the psalmist's heart in this verse that the Lord would keep him from straying and set him to step within what makes sense in light of the gospel.
The second part is interesting as well. Don't we have hang ups in life? It's like encountering someone who stands on those moving sidewalks instead of walking or coming up behind a stray suitcase. We get caught up on these inquires (fears, confusions, frustrations, questions), and they keep us from being most productive for Jesus and from living in the fullness of joy that he came to bring.
Let us pray in a way that shows that we expect great things from a God who keeps our steps steady and whose sovereignty clears the inquires that obstruct our view of him!
Do our daily walks make sense in light of God's promises of salvation, strength, courage, love, forgiveness, and freedom? This verse reminds me of those moving sidewalks at the airport. They keep steady your step. Once you're on, there's no changing direction. Unfortunately, our human nature likes to change direction in life. I love the cry of the psalmist's heart in this verse that the Lord would keep him from straying and set him to step within what makes sense in light of the gospel.
The second part is interesting as well. Don't we have hang ups in life? It's like encountering someone who stands on those moving sidewalks instead of walking or coming up behind a stray suitcase. We get caught up on these inquires (fears, confusions, frustrations, questions), and they keep us from being most productive for Jesus and from living in the fullness of joy that he came to bring.
Let us pray in a way that shows that we expect great things from a God who keeps our steps steady and whose sovereignty clears the inquires that obstruct our view of him!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)