Keep Your Life Free

Beginnings are extraordinary. This week, the start of my fifth semester of college, I am opening a new study/reading of the book of Hebrews. Already, God has spoken through the reading of this New Testament book. I am looking forward to what God is going to do with this study. It could not come at better time.

Although I am planning on reading through the book several times, I finished it today. This is some of what I read:

5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6 So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear;what can man do to me?"

Lately, I have found myself desiring material things: clothes, shoes, computers, etc. This exposes my heart; I am not satisfied enough in Christ. In other words, I am trying to satisfy my soul with money and possessions instead of satisfying it with Christ. Here is where Hebrews comes in. “Free from love of money,” says the author, “Be content with what you have.” Why? “He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So now we can say with confidence, “God, You are my helper. You will take care of me! Why should I fear? “What can man do to me?” And there it is. Why do I struggle so much with loving money and things? I fear man more than I fear God. May God show me my sin and not leave me in my fear.


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Wonderful, Merciful Savior

Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and friend
Who would have thought that a lamb could
Rescue the souls of men
Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost the way
Oh, we hopelessly lost the way

You are the one that we praise
You are the one we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we're falling before Your throne

Dawn Rodgers and Eric Wyse (emphasis added)

So Walk

I am so thankful for what God has done this summer in my life in spite of my failures. God transformed and quickened my walk with Him, and the best part of it is He is not done yet.

I've learned (though still "prone to forget") too many lessons to share all of them, but I will share a few:

1) My spiritual growth depends on my obedience to God. This includes obeying his commands, doing his will, and not neglecting spiritual disciplines. So often, I almost think that waiting on God is waiting on God to work, when in reality God's power is always available (Phil. 2:13). It is me who necessitates a heart yielding obedience to the Spirit, for the same power of God that was in Abraham, Moses, and Jeremiah is available to me. Oh, how often I blame my lack of growth on God and circumstances while overlooking my desperate weakness and disobedience. Father, let me yield to Your working.

2) Trusting God means I place no trust in myself. I have repeatedly said, "I trust God, but I just do not trust myself." Now I see how this is actually not putting my full trust in God. If I put my trust in God as the my creator, I would trust Him for my weaknesses and failures (1 Cor. 12:9). Thus, I would be confident even joyful in my deficiencies. Father, let me know Your faithfulness over my spiritual infidelity.

3) Feelings can be misleading, and decisions should be made based on the premise of truth, not emotions. This is not to say that God does not employ our emotions in life, but that feeling alone should never determine our actions. My mind must meditate on things that are true (Phil. 4:8). Father, let me live in Your truth, not in my fleeting emotions.

4) Only God satisfies (Psalm 73:24-25). "It is not that we don't want God," says Josh Harris, "but we want God and something else." Below are some lyrics from a popular Christian song by Chris Tomlin (1,4 - picked up from Josh Harris):

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can say
You are more than enough for me

Father, let me be satisfied in Your presence alone.

5) God is good all the time (Psalm 84:11). Whether sunshine or rain, God loves with a pure love. Thus, I should trust him no matter where I am, what I am going through, or how I am feeling. Father, let me appreciate Your goodness to me.

Thank You, O God, for changing me this summer. Now, help me not to live in the past, but in the present realizing "obedience is never a permanent state." And so let me walk. Crown Him with many crowns. Amen.

"As ye have therefore receive Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him." Col. 2:6

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

How does God take my failures and make them His victories? I have no idea, but He does.

Glory to God!!! This is amazing! I am so thankful to God that he takes my shortcomings and produces a beautiful picture of His faithfulness and providence. Even this weekend I have seen mistakes in my every day conversation where God has taken sinful motives and desires and used them for His ultimate glory. Yes!

I am a fool, but God is good, powerful, and all-wise!!! Why don't I trust Him?

Old hymn of the faith (pumps me up!):
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou for ever will be

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me
Great is thy faithfulness

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Give me wisdom, O Lord.