Posts

The Lord Has Made All

Proverbs 16:4 “The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes even the wicked for the day of doom.” The other day I was lamenting why God would make such bugs as termites, cockroaches, spiders and other creepy crawlies that seem to serve no purpose other to annoy me. When my teammate seriously challenged me to ask God, This seemed really silly to me, why would He care to answer such a silly little question. Well I finally decided to ask Him, and I really believe He gave me the answer in the form of this verse. My teammate also pointed out that before sin was brought into the world these creatures probably did do something worth while. Anywho, back to this verse, I prayed and then opened my bible app to find the above verse. Stating that God really did make all things and creatures for Himself, even the wicked He made for the day of judgement. Now this may seem extremely controversial, Why would a good God make bad things? Well the answer is very simple really, it goes ba
Post a Comment
Read more

Blessed are Those Who Wait...

Isaiah 30:18 The Lord will be gracious Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Blessed are all those who wait for him, what a profound statement! Yet so easily put aside. I know I don't like to wait, because waiting for God makes me feel like I'm not in control. Which, in the end, is true; I'm not in control, God is. He wants to show us His graciousness, He loves to give us opportunities to trust Him so He can bless us for our faith. That is so mind blowing to me! First God is in control so I don't have to be, second He doesn't need me for Him to do anything, third He loves me so much that He wants to bless me even when I literally have no part in helping Him. He sets up opportunities for me to trust Him just so He can bless me. How awesome is that! My Father wants to bless me so much so that He fi
Post a Comment
Read more

Walk in Love

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. To walk in love oh such a sweet sentiment, one which flies right out the window when things get tough, or someone says a harsh word. When these situations come around we want to react in the flesh, want to lash out "an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth" but that's not what Jesus has asked of us. He has asked that we walk humbly with Him, that we let Him be our avenger (Romans 12:19) and let Him do the talking so that we may walk in peace and grace being a light to point others to the cross. This all sounds nice and wonderful and ideally that's how it would be. But we are human, prone to human mistakes, and outrages. As Paul said, “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15) it is not easy to obey the will of God but thankfully we don't have to do it on our own! We need only yield our lives to
Post a Comment
Read more

Crucified With Christ

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. This is a verse that a lot Christians know by heart. We know it because it states what we should be and I, for one, am often convicted by it because It makes be see how much I have picked up my old life and begun to drag that dead man around again. I want desperately to live a life on fire for God, to live as one who never faltered, to be perfect in God’s eyes but I know that is completely out of my reach. Not only does my old man need to die but I still have to live in this fleshy world. It would completely impossible for me to do this aside from God’s saving grace. I must be crucified with Jesus that he may be allowed to live and operate through me. That no trace of my former self would be evident in anything I do. A common theme in my life has
Post a Comment
Read more

The Peace of God

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The peace of God often seems so far away, and so unattainable. However, right here Paul in his letter to the church in Philippi states that the peace of God will surround our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. So what gives? Why do we feel stressed, and ill at ease? I think the key phrase here is “in Christ Jesus” I have talked a lot about the importance of being in Jesus’ presence and I think this verse only strengthens my case and my words back at my own heart. I have noticed over and over again how I see the importance of being in the presence of the all mighty but I don’t act on what I’m seeing or writing in my IBS’. Honestly I’m not quite sure how to get there. Being in God’s presence requires, in my mind, spending time with Him, building a relationship with Him. I’ve felt the need to read my bible more but I often find mysel
Post a Comment
Read more

Whoever Finds His Life...

Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. As we prepare to leave Cambodia I was struck by this verse. When I got here I was expecting to run hard and to do everything I could in my own strength to bring glory to a God I barely knew. This season has been the complete opposite. I have had to sit still and let God walk before me. I have literally had to die to myself and my ideas, everything I thought this time would be. I've had to daily lay down my pride and anything that wreaks of me; I have had to ask God to stand in my place. Before Ignite I thought I had found my life only to realize I had completely lost it. Through my time here in Cambodia God has been revealing to me His truths. He has showed me the path I thought I'd left. My world has literally been flipped upside down. (Or rather, I suppose, right side up.) Things I thought I was good at, I realize now are actually some of my bigge
Post a Comment
Read more

Heirs of God

Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. God never promised us life would be easy. In fact Jesus said we would be persecuted because of Him. However, he has made us His sons and daughters so we are now also made heirs to everything God has. We have access to our Heavenly Father at all times through His Holy Spirit. It says in James that we should rejoice whenever trials and tribulations come our way because it only increases our reward in heaven. I am called to pick up my cross and follow Jesus with all that I am for the rest of my life. This will require many hard days, hard weeks, and hard years to come but I am assured through all these things God will be right by my side through every trial and tribulation. I am reminded by this verse that it is all for good that I go through trials. I know in the end I will be lifted up with Him who died to
Post a Comment
Read more