Today I am thankful for: Darrin feeling better (nursing a sick boy meant no post yesterday), getting all my prep done for Radiant Moms tomorrow, yummy dinner, my hubby, Madi's sweet scent, an awesome church service (even though I watched online), worship music, joy in the Lord!
Today Pastor Chuck delivered an incredibly hope-filled sermon on freedom. He is beginning a new series called "Jubilee" and kicked things off today with an overview of the series and the basics of having freedom from all sorts of woe. I know that it's easy as a believer to tune in and agree with what the pastor is saying--we obviously have the same outlook on things since we are Christ-centered in the way we live our lives. Not everyone agrees, however; many believers are still caught up in themselves. Though they may have made heart-felt commitments to Christ in the past, they have continued to live for themselves as though they're just waiting for God to make it all better rather than radically changing their focus heavenward and seeking for God to show them how to live. But today's message was a wonderful reminder of the power and wisdom of God and how simply submitting to Him can bring freedom from the bonds of this earthly life.
I read Proverbs daily. I love beginning my quiet time with the divine wisdom of the book of Proverbs. I love committing the words to heart and really meditating on the messages and lessons shared by the authors. There is so much encouragement and conviction there, and it keeps me in check with my focus and my attitude towards so many daily things--my work, parenting, interacting with others, etc. I also love that, as I read other books of the Bible, I see these bits of wisdom being illustrated--either in good ways or bad ways. And all of the themes are the same: God is wisdom, following God's ways is life, choosing all else is death. Could it be more simple?! Maybe it's just my own gift of faith that I can rely so heavily on my Lord and His wisdom, and maybe that's why things seem so clear to me. I just wonder why the rest of humanity apart from (and even within!) Christianity struggles and suffers and refuses to see what I do; when you follow Him, things just go more smoothly. That doesn't mean there won't be trials and times of trouble--that is how we are tested and refined and made stronger--but it seems that, overall, our interactions and choices work out for the better when we follow God's wisdom.
This is what Pastor Chuck shared today. He had some really wonderful examples and illustrations of God's wisdom and why it's still relevant today. I gave my hi-lighter a workout as he taught this morning! And I'm left wondering just how many people will get it; how many will really listen and realize that God is simply calling us to trust and obey because He loves us and wants what's best for us? When I sat down tonight to read in Proverbs, everything I recalled from this morning was affirmed. I read chapter 8 tonight which is all about Wisdom. Proverbs 8:6 says "Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things." For those who will listen, "wisdom" only gives truth and good advice! Everything that "wisdom" has to share with us is for our benefit, to give us life to the fullest; "wisdom" only comes from God alone. Proverbs 8:22-23 "The Lord possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth." God is the only being that existed before all else; He is I Am as well as Alpha and Omega. So if wisdom was there before the foundation of the earth than it must be from God; this tells us that our God is a God of wisdom, that wisdom is a major attribute of our Lord. Our God created everything in His infinite wisdom and urges us over and over to rely on His wisdom alone to live our lives. How can I argue with that?
I know not everyone would agree with me, with my Pastor, with God and His word. I know that many won't even agree that there is a God to be writing about. But if He isn't real, if His wisdom is archaic and not relevant to today's society, I still have nothing to lose by following it. From what I've read in the Bible, nothing God ever said was a trick or meant to cause harm to those who obeyed Him. And there is much evidence that obedience brought blessing upon blessing! I am incredibly blessed. I know I obeyed God when I didn't understand, when I really didn't do it consciously with a specific goal of being obedient for His glory. I obeyed out of faith without even much focus on Him at times in my youth, and I can look back and see His guiding hand and the fruit of His blessing on my life. And now that I stand in a much stronger relationship with Him, urgently seeking Him all day, every day, I am seeing even stronger evidence of His presence and blessing because of my obedience and trust. Is He real? Is His wisdom outdated? I say no to both, but if I'm wrong I sure like being wrong!
Abba Father, thank You for the gift of faith! I thank You that I've been able to experience Your blessing even when I wasn't intimately seeking You, when I was obeying out of an immature faith. I don't want to live life "waiting for the other shoe to drop" since it seems like we've weathered the storms of life so well; I just want to rejoice in You, praising You for your mercy and grace, Your unfailing love and the comfort that Your Spirit gives when I'm in need. I know that I am no better than anyone else in this world, nor am I more "holy" or loved by You. I stand in awe of the blessings You've so freely given to me, to my family; we are unworthy of such lavish affection! I thank You for eyes that are able to see Your hand and know Your goodness even when our situation seems bleak. I don't think our lives are any more blessed than the average person, I think we are just able to praise You when they don't; to thank You when they ask "why me." It is by Your grace that we can stand in Your presence daily and know that You are life; You are the reason we wake, we breathe, we plan for a future! I pray that You help us to lean only Your wisdom as we daily live. Be our sole focus, our anchor; I pray that every decision we make finds us turning to You for an answer. I know You are good, I know You are holy, and I know that I deserve nothing for I am nothing without You; yet You bless us if we just trust You and obey. Thank You, merciful Lord! Help me to remain obedient to You always as You said You would! In Your precious name, Amen.
(Just a brief plug here for anyone who might read this--we attend Crossroads Christian Church led by Pastor Chuck Booher. It is an amazing place to worship, diverse and beautiful as a congregation, dynamic in all ways and completely genuine in service and faith to God. You can watch the weekly sermons online nearly anytime by visiting the church website and clicking near the top on the "media" tab (sermon notes and videos are listed by date and title), and you can watch live on Sundays by clicking on the online campus button at the top. If you are every in the area, the experience is awesome so come by!)
Today Pastor Chuck delivered an incredibly hope-filled sermon on freedom. He is beginning a new series called "Jubilee" and kicked things off today with an overview of the series and the basics of having freedom from all sorts of woe. I know that it's easy as a believer to tune in and agree with what the pastor is saying--we obviously have the same outlook on things since we are Christ-centered in the way we live our lives. Not everyone agrees, however; many believers are still caught up in themselves. Though they may have made heart-felt commitments to Christ in the past, they have continued to live for themselves as though they're just waiting for God to make it all better rather than radically changing their focus heavenward and seeking for God to show them how to live. But today's message was a wonderful reminder of the power and wisdom of God and how simply submitting to Him can bring freedom from the bonds of this earthly life.
I read Proverbs daily. I love beginning my quiet time with the divine wisdom of the book of Proverbs. I love committing the words to heart and really meditating on the messages and lessons shared by the authors. There is so much encouragement and conviction there, and it keeps me in check with my focus and my attitude towards so many daily things--my work, parenting, interacting with others, etc. I also love that, as I read other books of the Bible, I see these bits of wisdom being illustrated--either in good ways or bad ways. And all of the themes are the same: God is wisdom, following God's ways is life, choosing all else is death. Could it be more simple?! Maybe it's just my own gift of faith that I can rely so heavily on my Lord and His wisdom, and maybe that's why things seem so clear to me. I just wonder why the rest of humanity apart from (and even within!) Christianity struggles and suffers and refuses to see what I do; when you follow Him, things just go more smoothly. That doesn't mean there won't be trials and times of trouble--that is how we are tested and refined and made stronger--but it seems that, overall, our interactions and choices work out for the better when we follow God's wisdom.
This is what Pastor Chuck shared today. He had some really wonderful examples and illustrations of God's wisdom and why it's still relevant today. I gave my hi-lighter a workout as he taught this morning! And I'm left wondering just how many people will get it; how many will really listen and realize that God is simply calling us to trust and obey because He loves us and wants what's best for us? When I sat down tonight to read in Proverbs, everything I recalled from this morning was affirmed. I read chapter 8 tonight which is all about Wisdom. Proverbs 8:6 says "Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things." For those who will listen, "wisdom" only gives truth and good advice! Everything that "wisdom" has to share with us is for our benefit, to give us life to the fullest; "wisdom" only comes from God alone. Proverbs 8:22-23 "The Lord possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth." God is the only being that existed before all else; He is I Am as well as Alpha and Omega. So if wisdom was there before the foundation of the earth than it must be from God; this tells us that our God is a God of wisdom, that wisdom is a major attribute of our Lord. Our God created everything in His infinite wisdom and urges us over and over to rely on His wisdom alone to live our lives. How can I argue with that?
I know not everyone would agree with me, with my Pastor, with God and His word. I know that many won't even agree that there is a God to be writing about. But if He isn't real, if His wisdom is archaic and not relevant to today's society, I still have nothing to lose by following it. From what I've read in the Bible, nothing God ever said was a trick or meant to cause harm to those who obeyed Him. And there is much evidence that obedience brought blessing upon blessing! I am incredibly blessed. I know I obeyed God when I didn't understand, when I really didn't do it consciously with a specific goal of being obedient for His glory. I obeyed out of faith without even much focus on Him at times in my youth, and I can look back and see His guiding hand and the fruit of His blessing on my life. And now that I stand in a much stronger relationship with Him, urgently seeking Him all day, every day, I am seeing even stronger evidence of His presence and blessing because of my obedience and trust. Is He real? Is His wisdom outdated? I say no to both, but if I'm wrong I sure like being wrong!
Abba Father, thank You for the gift of faith! I thank You that I've been able to experience Your blessing even when I wasn't intimately seeking You, when I was obeying out of an immature faith. I don't want to live life "waiting for the other shoe to drop" since it seems like we've weathered the storms of life so well; I just want to rejoice in You, praising You for your mercy and grace, Your unfailing love and the comfort that Your Spirit gives when I'm in need. I know that I am no better than anyone else in this world, nor am I more "holy" or loved by You. I stand in awe of the blessings You've so freely given to me, to my family; we are unworthy of such lavish affection! I thank You for eyes that are able to see Your hand and know Your goodness even when our situation seems bleak. I don't think our lives are any more blessed than the average person, I think we are just able to praise You when they don't; to thank You when they ask "why me." It is by Your grace that we can stand in Your presence daily and know that You are life; You are the reason we wake, we breathe, we plan for a future! I pray that You help us to lean only Your wisdom as we daily live. Be our sole focus, our anchor; I pray that every decision we make finds us turning to You for an answer. I know You are good, I know You are holy, and I know that I deserve nothing for I am nothing without You; yet You bless us if we just trust You and obey. Thank You, merciful Lord! Help me to remain obedient to You always as You said You would! In Your precious name, Amen.
(Just a brief plug here for anyone who might read this--we attend Crossroads Christian Church led by Pastor Chuck Booher. It is an amazing place to worship, diverse and beautiful as a congregation, dynamic in all ways and completely genuine in service and faith to God. You can watch the weekly sermons online nearly anytime by visiting the church website and clicking near the top on the "media" tab (sermon notes and videos are listed by date and title), and you can watch live on Sundays by clicking on the online campus button at the top. If you are every in the area, the experience is awesome so come by!)
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