Has it really been a week since my last post? Wow that's a first. I've had a bit of writer's block I guess. It's not that there hasn't been anything inspiring going on around me, I've just been overwhelmed lately. I've been brought low in my circumstances and it has been all I can do to encourage myself and walk with the Lord. Guess there hasn't been enough to go around.
Which brings me to my blog post today. I've been a big fat baby. Seriously! I finally woke up out of my daze and realized "Hey! This life, this relationship with God, this hope thing, it's work sometimes!" I gotta get busy.
My thoughts are a bit muddled right now so let me do my best to explain. In many areas of my life, all along the way I've wanted God to be my magic genie and step in, snap His fingers and save the day. You know what? He has saved the day but rarely has it happened like that. It takes work on my part too. When I was in the deepest darkest pit, living fear, He stepped in, scooped me up and brought light to my life. But it was a daily process and took a lot of effort on my part too. Prayer, and lots of it. Trust, by the bucket loads. And now I'm learning about hope.
In my discipleship group hope has been one of the main topics and in the women's retreat I just attended it was the theme. I don't want to go all into that here but the main thing I discovered was that just like everything else, I have to do something. Wallowing in self-pity or self-whatever and crying out "Why God?" isn't enough. I know He hears my cry and He has mercy and favor for me but He's called me to do something too.
The bottom line? Nothing I've gone through is anything compared to what Christ went through for me. It's like He called to me this weekend "Man up girl!" Man up in Him. He's the man. I needed a spiritual "Hulk-up" so to speak.
Hebrews 12 MSG
1-3Do you see what this
means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering
us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start
running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep
your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.
Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was
headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with
anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in
the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves
flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that
long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline
into your souls!
Discipline is a long distance race. You gotta come prepared and you need "power-ups" a long the way. On your own you'll never make it. His grace is new each day. He gives us daily bread. His love is never ending. Hope in Him, the God of hope. That takes something, it takes action, effort. It means reminding yourself of all He's done, of His promises. It means being thankful. It means filling yourself up with His Word and when you've done all you can do, you stand. Ephesians 6 NASB 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore....
