I have been reading in the devotional My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. And I thought that the readings are timely for all of us, especially in the middle of the cold and snowy winter months. What I'm about to share is directly from Oswald Chambers and I can take no credit for it.
"Arise from the dead....." (Ephesians 5;14)
Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Some may say to you, "Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard-just do what needs to be done!" That's what we mean by ordinary human . But when the Spirit of God comes to us and says, "Get up and get going," suddenly we find the initiative is inspired.
We have many dreams and aspirations but many times we find ourselves powerless to do them or we say, "It's too late." We can not do what we dream when we think our dreams are dead. But when God says, "Arise from the dead..." it comes to us with such miraculous power we are able to "rise from the dead" and do the impossible. The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we "get up and get going." God does not give us overcoming life-He gives us life as we overcome!
God does not make us get up. We must do that on our own. This means excepting Jesus into our lives! Once we have done that our dreams and aspirations are possible. Jesus told him, "'If you are able?' Everything is possible for the person who believes!" (Mark 9:23) Are we able and (I would like to add) willing?
So, "Stretch out your hand." (Mathew 12:13) Has soon as the man did his hand was healed. But he had to take the intuitive.
I can relate to this when I run. I have been convicted by the Lord to start running. Not only because I want to be healthier, but I would love to use this opportunity to raise money for Samaritans Purse. I dream of completing a marathon. I don't like to go out and run, but once I get started and take the intuitive I find myself loving to run. I find I'm closer to God and it has become "medicine" for my soul. It's true that God gives us life as we we overcome!
Friday, February 20, 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
I have been thinking about God's Grace. What is Grace? First grace is a gift given only from God. We all experience it every day.
Grace is a kind jester from another person. It's admitting you were wrong even if you don't want too. It's making mistakes and asking for forgiveness and it is given. Grace is going through difficult times and you are better for it. Grace is when your car slides through an intersection on a red light and you are not hit. Grace turns the ugly in to the beautiful. Grace is Love-Love is Jesus-Jesus is God.
I always imagine grace as being a ballerina dancing gracefully. There have been a lot of ugly events in my life some of my own doing and some done to me, but God has always been there giving me Grace. I danced through it spinning and twirling, jumping and leaping. Most times not even knowing God was doing this for me.
If I accept God's love and forgiveness my life is just as graceful as that ballerina, flowing through life with peace.
It may look horrible on the outside but with God the inside is ok and I can remember the it's by Grace I am saved. By the blood of Jesus I am a child of the living God and I have been righteous and holy. I can not be made this way by my own will, but by God's will. Since Jesus is my Lord there is nothing I can do that would separate me from Him. Then I can see myself has God sees me. He made me! Just like Geppetto made Pinocchio. Geppetto loved Pinocchio even though Pinocchio made lots of bad choices. I love this story because it's a great parallel to how God works. Geppetto loves and never gives up on Pinocchio. Jimmeny Cricket is like to Holy Spirit always there to guide us. Geppetto is the Father in Heaven. And the fairy is like Jesus, making us whole. (except she did not die on a cross) but there is Grace. She gives Pinocchio a second chance. When Pinocchio finally excepts the gift of grace he is made real. Just like we are made "real" who we are meant to be just the way God created us.
Because I am made right by God I no longer have to worry about what other's think about me. I am FREE to be ME! My old self had died away! Amen to that :)
Grace is a kind jester from another person. It's admitting you were wrong even if you don't want too. It's making mistakes and asking for forgiveness and it is given. Grace is going through difficult times and you are better for it. Grace is when your car slides through an intersection on a red light and you are not hit. Grace turns the ugly in to the beautiful. Grace is Love-Love is Jesus-Jesus is God.
I always imagine grace as being a ballerina dancing gracefully. There have been a lot of ugly events in my life some of my own doing and some done to me, but God has always been there giving me Grace. I danced through it spinning and twirling, jumping and leaping. Most times not even knowing God was doing this for me.
If I accept God's love and forgiveness my life is just as graceful as that ballerina, flowing through life with peace.
It may look horrible on the outside but with God the inside is ok and I can remember the it's by Grace I am saved. By the blood of Jesus I am a child of the living God and I have been righteous and holy. I can not be made this way by my own will, but by God's will. Since Jesus is my Lord there is nothing I can do that would separate me from Him. Then I can see myself has God sees me. He made me! Just like Geppetto made Pinocchio. Geppetto loved Pinocchio even though Pinocchio made lots of bad choices. I love this story because it's a great parallel to how God works. Geppetto loves and never gives up on Pinocchio. Jimmeny Cricket is like to Holy Spirit always there to guide us. Geppetto is the Father in Heaven. And the fairy is like Jesus, making us whole. (except she did not die on a cross) but there is Grace. She gives Pinocchio a second chance. When Pinocchio finally excepts the gift of grace he is made real. Just like we are made "real" who we are meant to be just the way God created us.
Because I am made right by God I no longer have to worry about what other's think about me. I am FREE to be ME! My old self had died away! Amen to that :)
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