"Glass half empty" today? Even so, we CAN be COURAGEOUS!
I desperately need the Holy Spirit to take this heart, the one that needs grace in order to be joyful, and I need Him to throw down grace. I need to be hands and feet of Jesus right now in order to distract this human brain. This brain is so often tricked by what I see and know. God sees and knows everything, and has it all mapped out. It's so much bigger than these 24 hours/days/weeks...I know that DAVID wrote it out until the writing turned around. He never left a psalm undone, and we can never leave a day undone. His glory is reflected when His love flows through us to the broken, from the broken to the broken. He was broken for us, wasn't He?!
How do I turn this around? It is selfish to just let it churn into the monster it can become, the aching empathy, the empathy that Jesus came to carry so that I would not ache from it. Yes, empathy has it's place, don't get me wrong. But there's place I know I go, where I have to say, OK, enough, TRUST MY MAKER! Why do I think warmer temps and sunny days will be the answer? Yes, those are gifts of spring, and they are made especially sweeter by the bitter harshness of winter. But the seasons don't change the world, God changes the world. The seasons don't change the heart, God changes the heart.
I've been around the barn enough to know that I need to open my Bible, not that I haven't been! But right now, yeah, right now, I need to open the Word, heart open to His hands, and hands open to His heart. I'm just taking you on the ride, you can jump off any time.
I've been listening to John Piper's sermon about abiding in the Word for years.
http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/if-my-words-abide-in-you--2
I play the first 15 minutes over and over. It's on days like these that God pulls those truths to the surface. I must start with Romans 5:1-8
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
I have to recognize that while I may be "wired as a deeply empathetic" person, it is wrong of me to think that God should change circumstances in my life or anyone else's that are ultimately working out endurance, character, hope, life! I mean, look at verse 7! "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." If God was willing to die for the sins of the world because He had a plan of restoration that would ultimately glorify Him, and HE endured the wrath of the Father for that, then I think I should trust that - right?
I am praying for my family, my friends, the ministries, the persecuted church, the lost, for all of us to find our HOPE in HIM EACH DAY. THE ONLY LASTING JOY WILL COME FROM GOD. It won't come from a workout, an outfit, a healing, the sunshine, time to slow...only HIM. Can we imagine being left with only HIM and that being the ultimate? That is why HE gives grace, HE gave HIMSELF.
Then there is just the raw honest truth that praising God lifts our gaze and our spirits. Psalm 103 is one of my favorites. It is in the mix of those John Piper passages so it comes to mind easily. Here's just a sampling...you finish the chapter! (smiley face)
Psalm 103:1-5
"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
The rest of the chapter is so comforting. I'm going to add the link to Ann VosKamp's Courageous Prayer. I've prayed it with her every morning on my ipod, and when her voice cracks at the end, the very end, mine does too. Because I need to pray that courageous prayer every day! I need to speak in love to my kids, and as I plead for God to let my words settle into their hearts in HIS own way, I also ask HIM to redeem the words that were my mere flesh, "let them forget those words God." I can't speak truth and then worry about it, or I am not living the truth I speak. Make sense mamas? Sisters? Friends? The lie is that because we see our own sin, we can't be a vessel, but that will paralyze us, BECAUSE WE SIN! But God in His love towards us, redeemed us from the wrath to come and justified us from before we were born. Psalm 139, oh the beauty of Him knowing us before time...
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=IFPRAY703
Each day we confess, praise, intercede, and live for His glory. Even when my soul limps along in the middle of winter, HE COMES. It can be a major hardship, or just the winter blues, it doesn't matter. Go to HIM and just tell HIM and ask HIM so show HIMSELF to you. HE promises to do that! Psalm 138, all of it, soak it in.
Psalm 138
"I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands."
We can't let us keep our wrongs from doing right. I love this Lauren Daigle song, How Can It Be?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt5X91ciE6Y
Sarah Reeves, Psalm 139
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KGK7zaO5dE
Sarah Reeves, Broken Things
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGINgKPBa80&list=RDqGINgKPBa80#t=122
https://www.jeasmus.blogspot.com
Several days after posting this entry to my blog, I came across this. I had to add this instagram post from Ann Voskamp. She is in Israel right now, where Jesus walked. Her posts are so moving. This is one of them, it particularly mentions the "empathy of God":
How do I turn this around? It is selfish to just let it churn into the monster it can become, the aching empathy, the empathy that Jesus came to carry so that I would not ache from it. Yes, empathy has it's place, don't get me wrong. But there's place I know I go, where I have to say, OK, enough, TRUST MY MAKER! Why do I think warmer temps and sunny days will be the answer? Yes, those are gifts of spring, and they are made especially sweeter by the bitter harshness of winter. But the seasons don't change the world, God changes the world. The seasons don't change the heart, God changes the heart.
I've been around the barn enough to know that I need to open my Bible, not that I haven't been! But right now, yeah, right now, I need to open the Word, heart open to His hands, and hands open to His heart. I'm just taking you on the ride, you can jump off any time.
I've been listening to John Piper's sermon about abiding in the Word for years.
http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/if-my-words-abide-in-you--2
I play the first 15 minutes over and over. It's on days like these that God pulls those truths to the surface. I must start with Romans 5:1-8
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
I have to recognize that while I may be "wired as a deeply empathetic" person, it is wrong of me to think that God should change circumstances in my life or anyone else's that are ultimately working out endurance, character, hope, life! I mean, look at verse 7! "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." If God was willing to die for the sins of the world because He had a plan of restoration that would ultimately glorify Him, and HE endured the wrath of the Father for that, then I think I should trust that - right?
I am praying for my family, my friends, the ministries, the persecuted church, the lost, for all of us to find our HOPE in HIM EACH DAY. THE ONLY LASTING JOY WILL COME FROM GOD. It won't come from a workout, an outfit, a healing, the sunshine, time to slow...only HIM. Can we imagine being left with only HIM and that being the ultimate? That is why HE gives grace, HE gave HIMSELF.
Then there is just the raw honest truth that praising God lifts our gaze and our spirits. Psalm 103 is one of my favorites. It is in the mix of those John Piper passages so it comes to mind easily. Here's just a sampling...you finish the chapter! (smiley face)
Psalm 103:1-5
"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
The rest of the chapter is so comforting. I'm going to add the link to Ann VosKamp's Courageous Prayer. I've prayed it with her every morning on my ipod, and when her voice cracks at the end, the very end, mine does too. Because I need to pray that courageous prayer every day! I need to speak in love to my kids, and as I plead for God to let my words settle into their hearts in HIS own way, I also ask HIM to redeem the words that were my mere flesh, "let them forget those words God." I can't speak truth and then worry about it, or I am not living the truth I speak. Make sense mamas? Sisters? Friends? The lie is that because we see our own sin, we can't be a vessel, but that will paralyze us, BECAUSE WE SIN! But God in His love towards us, redeemed us from the wrath to come and justified us from before we were born. Psalm 139, oh the beauty of Him knowing us before time...
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=IFPRAY703
Each day we confess, praise, intercede, and live for His glory. Even when my soul limps along in the middle of winter, HE COMES. It can be a major hardship, or just the winter blues, it doesn't matter. Go to HIM and just tell HIM and ask HIM so show HIMSELF to you. HE promises to do that! Psalm 138, all of it, soak it in.
Psalm 138
"I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands."
We can't let us keep our wrongs from doing right. I love this Lauren Daigle song, How Can It Be?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt5X91ciE6Y
Sarah Reeves, Psalm 139
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KGK7zaO5dE
Sarah Reeves, Broken Things
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGINgKPBa80&list=RDqGINgKPBa80#t=122
https://www.jeasmus.blogspot.com
Several days after posting this entry to my blog, I came across this. I had to add this instagram post from Ann Voskamp. She is in Israel right now, where Jesus walked. Her posts are so moving. This is one of them, it particularly mentions the "empathy of God":
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