Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, failure, Faith, Fear, Forgiveness, Life Inspiration

He Understands the Mud

Déjà vu

It seems like the story of my life. Déjà vu – I’ve seen this before. I make the same mistakes again and again and I wonder, “Why does God tolerate me the way He does?” Certainly because His ways are not my ways, else I’d already be before the throne and waiting for my beating. But God doesn’t live in our realm, nor does He think in our realm. His ways are so much higher. And praise His Holy name that they are!

A HIGH PLACE TO CRY

Psalm 61:2

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Even on the days when I feel too unworthy to cry to Him, He hears my cry from the unspoken inward parts of my soul. That is a feeling experienced only by a child of the Living God. Who when the world overwhelms me, there is a Rock that I can stand on where even the highest wave cannot overpower me when I am there.

A HIGH PURPOSE TO BELIEVE

Psalm 89:27

Also I will make him my firstborn, Higher than the kings of the earth.

Though I know in my heart that God can control the saved and the unsaved of this earth if He so chooses, (Proverbs 21:1); that does not always convince my head. I allow fear and suspicions to control my mind and take it to the dark places that Satan would have me live. Satan will fill my mind full of worry and doubt and I will allow it to overshadow why Jesus was born and what He died for. God’s first and only Son, born in a lowly manger, experienced the lowest part of the earth, so that He could ascend to the Highest with the power of those things in His hand. How dare I take them back… and yet I do.

A HIGH POWER TO SEEK

Isaiah 55:9

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I have limited wisdom to say the least. But, I am the child of a bottomless well of wisdom that is at my beckon call. However, I neglect to tap into it the way I should.

The girls and I discussed at Bible Journaling class last light how we desire so much to obtain a place in life where we can just serve God, uninhibited by the world around us. Just live Jesus. But this sin cursed world distracts and entices and I fall, and fail, and God forgives. And I don’t understand why, I’m just grateful He does.

A HIGH PRIEST TO PROPITATE

Hebrews 7:26

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners , and made higher than the heavens.

It’s Christmas time! The Christ Child is on my mind a lot. I imagine Him as a child, making mud pies and having that Déjà vu moment of when He and His Father created it all.  He knew, that much like that dirty, stinky mud, there would come a need for a cleansing of my soul for which I could not. And He became the sacrifice so that I might live free from sin. And yet I don’t. And He still loves me, and I don’t understand why. His ways are not my ways, or His thoughts, my thoughts.

I am loved. So are You. Enjoy this season with that thought in the forefront of your mind.

 

Posted in Grace, Life Inspiration

The Bringing in of a Better Hope

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There’s nothing quite like waking up at that the beach to get a full understanding of the fullness of God, the vastness of His creation. The very fact that man in all is wisdom, which is not as much as a grain of sand in comparison to the Lord, cannot explain His Creation nor understand His redemption. We’re grateful for it… but when it comes to forgiveness we as mere mortals have to forgive again and again and again to keep the slate clean for those we love. We forgive… Satan reminds us… we forgive again because we love them. God just simply… forgives. We have lofty expectations of those we love, and yet expect God to turn a blind eye to our short comings. We’re fickle with our love for the most part. There are a few in our circle  that we love regardless of their faults and failures, but we love none like God loves us… endless.

Hebrews 7:15-19

Another Priest

15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

Not as the priests of Old Testament times who sacrificed the blood of animals on the altar for the sins of man, only to have to repeat the process again because that atonement didn’t last. But the blood that one drop of would have cleansed the world forever, and yet He was willing to shed it all. Men and their works could not do what Jesus did. We don’t have the power to forget. We have a bucket ability… our limits of forgiveness and tolerance are about a bucketful. We empty it and then have to refill with the grace of Jesus when He reminds us that we too are broken.

Another Commandment

16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Those commandments and laws that the Old Testament priests tried to keep and to preach are not void, they are God’s expectation of holiness, but unattainable in the our sinful state without the redemption of Jesus Christ. I have a hard enough time being good with the Holy Spirit dwelling within me, I cannot imagine having to live making animal sacrifices for my mistakes… there’s not enough critters on the earth.

17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

Another Hope

19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

That bringing of a better hope!! Oh my starts what a thought that is this morning; that for every wave that crashes onto the shore, there is a better hope in Christ Jesus. For every mistake I make, for every time I want to stand accusingly and point my finger at someone for their mistakes, God’s endless supply of grace reminds me that I have no right. He has given me an endless forgiveness. For all the millionth chances God has given me, how can I not give someone else another chance? Praise God I have a hope! That when I mess up I haven’t cut myself off from God, but just as the endless view on the ocean shore, that’s how far God casts my sins.

I hope this morning finds you and I both ready to give someone else another chance…