Thursday 21 July 2016

His Word Is Truth

It was the summer when I was 18 years old that God brought me to Germany to teach me one of the most important lessons of my life. I was going through a hard time in University and my self-image was at an all time low. I was part of a church fellowhip and had been nurtured well in my Christian faith there. One woman from the church offered me the opportunity to go to 'Love Europe' OM Summer Missions. My church sponsored me to go. I was to travel across Europe on a bus. I remember thinking 'what do I think I'm doing?' and 'how could I share my faith in Christ with others, when I didn't have confidence in my own faith in God?'
However God had plans for me there. One evening the main speaker challenged us to question if we put barriers between us and God that were preventing us moving forward in our faith. The conviction I was under was real and the burdens I had been carrying around with me became very heavy. There was an opportunity to pray with counselors afterwards and I took the plunge and responded.
I was asked to think on a verse; that verse was Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

The questions I was asked with regard to the verse were; 'Did I believe this verse?' and 'Did I believe God loved me this much?'. I had until the next morning to ponder these questions and then I was to meet up again with the same women as the previous night. That night I couldnt sleep, there was a stirring in my soul and an over riding conviction of unbelief in God's Word. Did I believe what this verse was saying and if I didnt, did I not believe in the word of God? How had I not realized that until then!
The next morning I wearily met up with the ladies, we talked long and deep and I poured out my troubled heart to them, which at the time was alot. At the end of my time with them I was beginning to understand that maybe God did really love me.The ladies prayed for me and then it was my turn to pray and repent of my unbelief in God's Word and ask God for a revelation of his unconditional love. Amazingly God answered that prayer in that moment. The love of God washed over me, what Jesus had done for me was re-realised and I came away changed. I believed  Zephaniah 3:17 and nobody or anything could have convinced me otherwise. 
Its a long time ago now, over 20 years and that lesson has always stuck. I have let my emotions get in the way since, but God brings me back to this verse time and time again to firmly remind me that He is God and that He loves me so much He rejoices over me with singing. 
God's word is truth and in Him are no lies!

Thursday 14 July 2016

Lies, its all lies

I'm reading a book at the moment called Lies Women Believe (And the truth that sets them free) by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. (Thankyou to a good friend who introduced me to this book) As I journey through the book I am amazed at the insight from God the writer has and the honesty with which she writes.
I am reminded about how far short I fall in terms of repenting from my sin and seeking God's forgiveness and grace through his son Jesus Christ. Then I wonder why I struggle with so much but particularly at the moment I'm struggling with my own lack of worthiness. But if I'm not spending time with Someone who deems me worthy, how can I expect to be a confident child of God. I mean really, what do I expect??!!
I really need to read His Word, and focus on scripture that lifts me closer to God. Simples!!
I came across Psalm 147: 10 & 11 today and it was perfect for what I needed to hear from God.

10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.

  How often I can compare myself to others; how often I find so much fault in myself, I'm not a good Mum or such and such is a better Mum than me, and especially at the moment such is such is a better writer than me, such and such is a better Christian than me. And the list goes on and I hate that I have a list of this kind at all. Stop!! Wait a minute!! God doesnt expect me to have a list like that where I'm comparing myself to others. 'He does not delight in' outward appearances, all He is concerned about is where my heart lies, do I 'fear Him' and 'hope in His mercy'. God does not compare me to others, His main concern is that I have accepted His Mediator, Jesus Christ in my heart which was what happened when I became a Christian at 15 which is 26 years ago (Wow). In all those years God has taught me so much and re-taught me so much and for that I am in awe of how graciously He deals with me daily.
Let us not forget that He takes pleasure in our hearts, hearts that have committed to following Jesus and daily we need to be pouring out ourselves to Him (giving Him our all).

Think About;

Am I struggling through today in my own stength or in God's?
Do I truly believe in Jesus as my Lord & Saviour?
What do I need to leave in God's hands today? What do I need to repent of?
 





Thursday 7 July 2016

Nothing can seperate us



In the past week I've been focusing on these verses in Romans 8 : 35-39
'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

There is so much in these verses I really don't know where to start apart from saying read over these verses a few times and soak them in.

I am a terribly distracted woman. I hate the things that can stretch me away from God , for me that can be endless , my ill health is very good at taking my focus from God, so also is any anxious thought.
 I am such a worrier. I worry about everything at times, my husband's health;my son's education; my son's future; my future; what's for breakfast, lunch or dinner; do I have somewhere to go this week? ;
Am I well enough to go anywhere? Will I have enough energy for a bath?; and the list is endless. Do I have energy to worry about all these things? Simple answer is no, of course not. Does my own self rationale make me stop? No!

Only focusing on God and His word makes a real difference. (Just to note when I refer to God, I refer to the trinity, God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit)
It's so easy to reflect on tribulation, distress, peril, death, present or future and think the worst but when you are a true Christian we have Jesus Christ rooted in our hearts and the word is clear. Nothing can separate us from God's love. We must believe this!

Think about

What distracts you from your daily walk with God?
How do you respond to the fact that nothing can seperate us from God's love?
Ask God to help you believe and soak in this passage of scripture !