How lovely You are, Oh Lord!
I am reminded daily by what I see, hear and witness happening in the world, how vital it is to have faith, trust in God, lean fully into Him! I cannot and will not make it a day in this life without knowing I have a Savior. Many of you have followed my blog and walked with us through some very difficult days, and I stop breathless, unable to speak except to say the name "Jesus!" when I hear of another dear friend's struggle in this life. How do we cope? How do we move forward? How do we rise above what seems to be insurmountable, impossible, inescapable? I received this wonderful passage of scripture via email today and it was like cool water to my soul, needed refreshment!
Psalm 84:1-2 (NLT) How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
I long, yes, I faint with longing
to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
I will shout joyfully to the living God.
In the worst of times, in the best of times, let's enter His courts with praise! No matter what we must face today, embrace the Lord fully and determine to shout joyfully throughout your day! He is good, He will take care of You, He will provide, He is our Hope and Salvation! Where is our hope if not in Him? How lovely He is!
Somehow the hardest times are softened, muffled when we choose to let it fall away and fall into the arms of the Father! I need that every day, don't you?
Ryan and I have been on a journey, and as we have come away with lessons learned, experiences worth cherishing and some otherwise unforgettable, we choose to move forward, embrace the calling He has placed upon our lives from the beginning. There were days I honestly was ready to hang up my hat, walk away from church, and I told God, "I am so weary, so tired of being hurt, disappointed, disillusioned by what Your people are doing with what You've entrusted them to do as Your Bride! I can't do this anymore, ministry-it's just too hard. I don't want to be part of something that is so broken." So, you know what God has been speaking to my heart in response? I hear Him saying, "I get it. I know your hurt all too well. I understand what you have experienced and endured. But I also know far better than you do, what you are capable of, what you are called to, and what you are destined to become! Embrace the calling that I've placed within your heart from the very beginning! I am not finished with you yet!"
Life is hard, we are going to be hurt, disappointed, disillusioned, and we will reach what feels like the very edge of our endurance. It is at that edge, we have a choice to step out into the great unknown, risk it all and for what? For Christ and for His Kingdom. For my brothers and sisters, who some I may not like very well sometimes, and I may not get along with every single one of them, but I can let go of my inhibitions and expectations and embrace the attitude of Christ. I can love and care for even the worst of humanity, because Christ does. I can give above and beyond what I think I am capable of, because Christ did. God didn't send His Son to die on the Cross for a select few-He did it, He died for all! We have a brief time on this earth to impact the lives of so many so that they can know and embrace salvation in Christ. I am thankful, despite my inadequacies, my failings, my stumbling through life at times, that God still has hope in me. Because He has hope in me, I have hope in Him! Because of how much He has given to me, I will give all I can for Him. Let's make a choice daily to dwell in His courts, make the most of our time in this life! It won't be easy but I guarantee it will do your heart good!
Living life with a bit more hope today than yesterday. Let's get out there and give God our best!
Psalm 84:1-2 (NLT) How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
I long, yes, I faint with longing
to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
I will shout joyfully to the living God.
In the worst of times, in the best of times, let's enter His courts with praise! No matter what we must face today, embrace the Lord fully and determine to shout joyfully throughout your day! He is good, He will take care of You, He will provide, He is our Hope and Salvation! Where is our hope if not in Him? How lovely He is!
Somehow the hardest times are softened, muffled when we choose to let it fall away and fall into the arms of the Father! I need that every day, don't you?
Ryan and I have been on a journey, and as we have come away with lessons learned, experiences worth cherishing and some otherwise unforgettable, we choose to move forward, embrace the calling He has placed upon our lives from the beginning. There were days I honestly was ready to hang up my hat, walk away from church, and I told God, "I am so weary, so tired of being hurt, disappointed, disillusioned by what Your people are doing with what You've entrusted them to do as Your Bride! I can't do this anymore, ministry-it's just too hard. I don't want to be part of something that is so broken." So, you know what God has been speaking to my heart in response? I hear Him saying, "I get it. I know your hurt all too well. I understand what you have experienced and endured. But I also know far better than you do, what you are capable of, what you are called to, and what you are destined to become! Embrace the calling that I've placed within your heart from the very beginning! I am not finished with you yet!"
Life is hard, we are going to be hurt, disappointed, disillusioned, and we will reach what feels like the very edge of our endurance. It is at that edge, we have a choice to step out into the great unknown, risk it all and for what? For Christ and for His Kingdom. For my brothers and sisters, who some I may not like very well sometimes, and I may not get along with every single one of them, but I can let go of my inhibitions and expectations and embrace the attitude of Christ. I can love and care for even the worst of humanity, because Christ does. I can give above and beyond what I think I am capable of, because Christ did. God didn't send His Son to die on the Cross for a select few-He did it, He died for all! We have a brief time on this earth to impact the lives of so many so that they can know and embrace salvation in Christ. I am thankful, despite my inadequacies, my failings, my stumbling through life at times, that God still has hope in me. Because He has hope in me, I have hope in Him! Because of how much He has given to me, I will give all I can for Him. Let's make a choice daily to dwell in His courts, make the most of our time in this life! It won't be easy but I guarantee it will do your heart good!
Living life with a bit more hope today than yesterday. Let's get out there and give God our best!
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