Astonishing Discovery

COMMENTS

Most of us are familiar with Psalm 139:14.  That’s the verse that says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  I usually hear that in reference to pregnancy or newborn babies.  However, the Lord gave me a new frame of reference for that verse this morning.  It came with an astonishing discovery:  I like me!

NOTES

I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant.  But I have to tell you, that’s a startling and remarkable statement!  I’ve spent the majority of my life NOT liking myself.  Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying that I like everything I say and everything I do.  I’m not saying I’ve got it all together.  God still has a lot of work to do!  I think the thing I’ve “discovered” is that I’ve finally accepted Psalm 139:14 and other verses like it in the Bible.  God made me.  God loves me.  God thinks I’m wonderful!  Even though He hasn't yet finished His work on me, He’s done amazing things in me.  As I’ve said in previous posts, I’m not who I was.  I’m changed.  And I like me.

As I process that, I realize that says more about God than it does about me.  He’s been trying to pound into my head how much He loves me, how much He’s done for me, how much He longs to use me.  He’s been calling me to Himself and to His point of view.  It’s ironic that in my self-centered little world, I focus on myself.  In my perfectionism I see my flaws and feel like a lousy human being.  But when I focus on my Lord, I see myself through the eyes of the Perfect One.  I see one who is accepted, and I can accept myself.  I can even accept the flaws because I know that my God has accepted me just as I am but is not going to leave me that way.

Satan has really done a number on us.  We think that we need to focus on our sins, but God calls us to repent and focus on our forgiveness.  We think humility is "putting ourselves down", but God says that humility is seeing ourselves as He sees us even as we recognize our own unworthiness.  Satan has convinced too many of us that “groveling” is humble and righteous.  I believe that living in the victory He has purchased for us is the only way that we can find true humility and righteousness.  Then, we can see everything—even ourselves—as He does.  And we can like what we see ;-).

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  (Psalm 139:14)

Silence

COMMENTS

The Lord has been silent over the last several days.  Well, either He’s been silent or I haven’t been hearing Him.  I’ve experienced this before.  To be honest, I don’t like it.  I long to hear His voice again, to be awed and inspired by something new and fresh, to share it with you.  Maybe that’s the purpose behind the silence—to make me hungry for Him.

NOTES

This morning, I was drawn to Psalm 25:4-5.  Actually, it’s pretty funny the way it happened ;-).  I was praying and reading my Bible, and I looked around the room.  As I looked, I decided I didn’t like the way the wall hangings were arranged.  (Have I mentioned that I’m sometimes easily distracted?)  Suddenly, I remembered that my good friend had given me a new one for my birthday and that I hadn’t yet hung it.  So, I retrieved it.  (Remember, I’m supposed to be having my quiet time!)  Guess what verse was on the plaque she’d given me?  Psalm 25:4-5!  God can even speak to the wandering mind of His restless servant ;-).

Anyway, back to Psalm 25:4-5.  I don’t really have any exciting new thoughts about these verses, but I just find the words very encouraging.  I want to share that encouragement with you.

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5)

I had just been praying that I would honor the Lord in everything I do today and found the same desire in this psalm that David wrote thousands of years ago. 

Lord, I long to do what You want me to do.  I long to be who You want me to be.  As David said, “Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.”

You are my guide, Lord.  You are my teacher.  YOU are my hope.

This Just Doesn't Make Sense

COMMENTS

There are things that happen in this world that just don’t make sense.

NOTES

It happened yesterday.  The text and then the phone call.  A young man that I met in recent months tried to end his life.  He’s a fine, Christian young man.  A good friend to his friends.  Nice-looking.  Smart.  Kind.

The obvious question that we all ask is “why?”  I don’t know him well, and I have no idea what’s going on in his life that prompted him to try such a drastic measure.  Even if I knew, I wouldn’t say here—that’s private.  I do know, however, that, unfortunately, I hear news like this way too often these days. 

Being a teenager is tough.  I remember it all too well.  As I’ve mentioned before, I was bullied, insecure, and felt worthless.  Being young and inexperienced, I believed the lie.  Tragically, most young people believe the lies Satan tells them, often using other people who are also young and inexperienced.

The TRUTH needs to be emphasized over and over and over to these young people—actually, to “young people” of every age who feel less valuable than they are.  What is the truth?  It’s that God’s opinion is the only one that matters!  Why is it so easy for me to believe a lie I tell myself or that another human being tells me instead of a truth that God tells me?  Does having “skin” make a statement more valid?  I’d think that being too big for skin would make what’s said more important and more believable.

What does God say to this young man and to all of us?  He says:  “You are significant.  You are beautiful.  You are accepted.  You are secure.  You are loved.  You have incredible value.  You are worth everything I sacrificed.”  Then He adds, “Don’t believe the evil that is said to or about you by anyone!”

We were never promised that this life would be easy, but He did promise that He will be with us every step of the way.  He gives each of us a purpose.  YOU have a purpose, and this world will not be what it should be without you.  Don’t deprive the world of the gift of you.

That’s the truth.  Now, go out there and share it.

God, You Are.... More

COMMENTS

Since my last posting, I’ve been thinking a lot about the attributes of our God.  I’ve realized that those attributes fall into two categories:  WHO He is at His core—His Being—and Who He is to me and in my life.  He challenged me to seek Him from A to Z—in both classifications.  The list below is just a few of the characteristics of our undefinable God.

NOTES

A = God is ALL-KNOWING. He is my ANSWER.

B = God is BLAMELESS. He is my BOUNTY.

C = God is COMPLETE. He is my CARETAKER.

D = God is DIVINE. He is my DEFENDER.

E = God is EVERLASTING. He is my EXAMPLE.

F = God is FAULTLESS. He is my FOUNDATION.

G = God is GOOD. He is my GLORY.

H = God is HIGH. He is my HOPE.

I = God is IMMORTAL. He is my INTERCESSOR.

J = God is JEHOVAH. He is my JOY.

K = God is KIND. He is my KEEPER.

L = God is LIGHT. He is my LAUGHTER.

M = God is MASTER. He is my MOTIVATOR.

N = God is NOBLE. He is my NURTURER.

O = God is OMNIPOTENT. He is my OVERCOMER.

P = God is PERFECT. He is my PEACE.

Q = God is QUICK TO FORGIVE. He is my QUIET.

R = God is REDEEMER. He is my REASON.

S = God is SANCTUARY. He is my SECURITY.

T = God is TRUTH. He is my TREASURE.

U = God is UNEQUALED. He is my UNDERSTANDING.

V = God is VIRTUOUS. He is my VICTORY.

W = God is WORTHY. He is my WEALTH.

X*= God is CHRIST. He is my CHRIST.

Y = God is YAHWEH. He is my YES.

Z = God is ZEALOUS. He is my ZENITH.

God is all this—and so much MORE!

*My research indicates that “X” has been used for “Christ” since at least the 15^th or 16^th century.  Some relate it to the Greek alphabet and some to the letter’s resemblance to a cross.  It is historical and not an attempt to keep Christ out of Christmas or any other aspect of Christianity as some believe.

God, You Are....

COMMENTS

I usually start my “quiet-time” prayers by acknowledging God—who He is.  Some days the list of His attributes is quite long—powerful, just, righteous, holy, provider, protector, sustainer.  The list, like He, is infinite.  Today, I couldn’t get past the first word I said….

NOTES

Awesome.  God, you are awesome!  It’s like everything else You are falls under that description.  Awesome—beyond comprehension.  Awesome is defined as “inspiring awe or admiration or wonder”.  That should say “and”, not “or”.  You inspire awe AND admiration AND wonder in me.

I’m not highly intelligent.  Oh, I made very good grades in school—to the point of receiving honors at college graduation—but I’m smart at books, not at original thoughts.  Had I not married my deep-thinking husband, it never would have crossed my mind to wonder how I got here.  It was he who wondered how the universe came into being or if it was always here.  It was he who questioned if there was a Creator.  It was he, with his scientific mind, who reasoned that all of this couldn’t have just happened!  Of course, it was God who made him and his beautiful mind and inspired those thoughts and questions.  And it was God who gave him the answers, taking them beyond the mind and into his heart, revealing Himself as not just the Creator but as a very Personal God.

I find that AWESOME.  I, the “acceptor” of circumstances and worlds, would never have been able to experience this awe and wonder had I not seen the depth of God in my husband’s journey.  And when I see how awesome my God is, I realize how small I am.  My mind cannot even comprehend the greatness of God; how can I think myself so important?  I can do nothing of what He does.  I can’t keep the planets in place or the earth turning.  I can’t bring rain or snow or sun.  I can’t cause plants and flowers to grow.  I can’t create new life—a tadpole or a duckling or a fawn or a human baby.  I can’t orchestrate lives and bring good out of evil.  Only God, the Creator—my Creator—can do such wonders.

But my Creator reminds me that I’m important to Him—important enough that He died for me.  That’s the most awesome thing of all.