Where God's Word Meets My Mess
I know God never promised that I would marry Sean or that I would become a published author or that I would find the perfect church. And He never promised that you would accomplish _____ goal or have _____ desire met. But that doesn’t mean His back is turned away from you. In fact, the opposite is true.
Friend, take heart that your feelings do not determine the truth. Be encouraged that every moment you do feel like a lost, blind wretch is a moment God can use to draw you closer to Himself. But also be encouraged that every moment you don’t feel like a lost, blind wretch is still a moment God can use to draw you closer to Himself.
I knew my mom had been in excruciating pain for the past year and a half. Her tongue cancer made it difficult for her to swallow. But until today when I saw how long it took for her to undergo radiation and chemo, I didn’t understand how much pain she really felt.
The following is written from God's perspective, not my own. Of course, I'm not trying to put words in His mouth or add to the Bible. These words are just my ideas of what He might tell you if you are...
I believe God has convicted me that, deep down in my soul, I treasure these people and things more than Him. Yes, I still know Him. Yes, I still love Him. Yes, I still belong to Him. But I've been chasing my fleshly desires.
Church…blah, blah, blah.
Bible study…blah, blah, blah.
Prayer…blah, blah, blah.
Worship…blah, blah, blah.
Quiet time…blah, blah, blah.
Do you ever feel like you’re living a blah spiritual life?
I definitely do. I’ve been a Christian since I was a little girl, so I’ve learned how I should act and what I should do as a Christian. But sometimes I feel tired of doing the "right" things.
I wanted to be freed from the constant lies I heard in my mind and the constant insecurity I felt in my heart. My desires seemed perfectly acceptable. Nothing is wrong with desiring heaven, right? However, I realized that I had fallen into a common trap. I was longing for the peace of heaven but not the Maker of heaven.
An unstable ruler. A young rival. Chases, escapes, battles. That’s what I’ve been reading about. And no, it’s not an action novel--it’s the book of 1 Samuel. Though I’ve read it a few times before, I’ve never been so gripped by the drama as I have in this reading.
You may be spiritually dry, but you aren’t spiritually dead, thanks to Christ’s death and resurrection. As a Christian, you can still feel distracted and far from God and spiritually dry.
Every experience happens to Christians for a reason. Maybe you’ve experienced a trial to help someone else get through it.
There is no room for coincidences here. There’s no room for cosmic mistakes or luck or fate. Think of every tiny good thing as a blessing from God, and thank Him for it. Pay attention to the pink sunsets and colorful leaves and roaring ocean. Don't overlook them or their Maker. Enjoy them and thank Him for such lovely creations.
You aren’t getting weaker as you wait. Your faith is getting stronger because you’re depending more on Jesus and less on yourself. When you wait on God, you’re waiting on the most dependable One you possibly could. He’s a lot more dependable than we are. Just think of all the promises you’ve broken and all the promises He has kept.
I know I haven’t written a post for over a week. I’ve been experiencing something very painful called writer’s block. I haven’t been in my writer’s groove for a while. What do I write about?
Kids just love fireworks. They love the noise and the color and the sparkle. It draws them in. They can stare at fireworks in amazement. If only we could be in such awe of our Savior.
He’s given you so many good gifts. Choose ten (of the million He gives) every day and thank Him for them. Things might start looking a little brighter.
