To God Alone - Aaron Shust

Romans 8:28, 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him...”  We may not be able to see this truth through the pain of watching a loved one, or ourselves, suffer a horrible illness, to the point of it looking like it might be the end. But by our faith, I pray we rest in knowing that God still sits on His throne. And the best part of knowing this, and being a Christian, is knowing that one day we will be with Him in paradise.

When I see things like this happen to those who are so in love with Jesus, always bringing glory to His name, even in the shadow of death, it just humbles me. Do I ask why? Yes I do. Do I think it’s fair, or makes any sense at all, no. But I know God understands my humanness.

The lyrics of this song says, 

“Can you use me as I am? Break me into what you want me to be... When the time is finally right, will you open up my eyes and show me everything you want me to see? This life is not my own, to God alone be the glory. Everything I say and do, let it be all for You. The glory is Yours alone.”

Our lives are not our own. Jesus tells us “we must be born again,” meaning you must give your life back to Christ, that was given to you. Believing He paid for our sins by His death, and asking Him to be in charge of your life, you are then reborn spiritually. Our lives are then used as an offering to God. He uses our lives in any way He chooses, to build His kingdom, and bring glory to His name. Can you give Him every part of you? I know that I fear some things that could be allowed to happen to me, and I know God understands that about me. I am His child, and I have to trust that He knows what I can take, and what I can’t take. He will break me into what He wants me to be to glorify His name.

There is a reason behind every lesson. He will gently teach us to trust Him, and hold His hand even tighter with each lesson, as He grows us in Him, and Him in us.

I read a scripture today in John 17:24 where Jesus says, “Father, I want those You have given me, to be with me where I am...”  When I pondered on this, I thought how our prayers for ourselves, or a loved one, can pull against what Jesus is praying for. He may want to take us, or a loved one home sooner than we wanted it to happen. God sees the future that we don’t see. He knows when and why the time was right. Could it be maybe He knew we wouldn't be able to stand what He saw in the future?  It is truly very hard for us to pray that God’s will be done, and leave it at that. Usually we will go on to ask for what we really want. I guess because we think we have to make sure God knows that. I am so glad He understands our humanness and loves us through it.

By faith in the life after, God will help us to hold tighter to Him, as we let our loved one go home.

The most difficult part of suffering is time.  Whether you are watching someone go through it, or it is you yourself. Sorrow that drags on, causes our hearts to lose strength. I don’t know how anyone can get through any of life’s pain without the grace of God.

“We will rise, and we will fall, but He remains after all.”

Kim

Your Presence is Heaven to Me - Israel Houghton

I've learned in this life, it’s up to me how much of Jesus I want. He is ALWAYS near, but where do I go sometimes?  When I feel less of Jesus presence, I appreciate the fullness of it so much more. (Selah)

Who is like our Lord in all the earth? Who can match His love for us? “Nothing in this world will satisfy, because Jesus is the cup that won’t run dry.”

Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”  An everlasting love, no matter where we've been, or what we've done, He loves us, and just waits for us to cry out to Him. To humble ourselves, and realize how much we need Him.

Have you ever had a time where you've felt a refreshing deep within your heart, soul, and mind? No matter how many people you've talked to, and prayed with, you know that it is His presence alone that is bringing all of heaven right down to your situation. 2 Chronicles 6:18, ”The heavens, even the highest heavens, can not contain you.”  If you continue reading through to verse 31, you will see how God waits to hear from us. I especially love verse 26 and 27, and how the heavens felt shut up because of the peoples sins. But when they felt convicted, they turned from their sin and prayed to feel God’s presence. 

Sin separates us from the most heavenly feeling on earth. But even in our weakness, He is merciful. He is the redeemer of our past and present wrongs. Holder of our future days to come.

I know most of us have experienced the feeling of God being far from us. Sometimes we bring this upon ourselves. Just know that He stands ready to hear from us, to forgive our sins, and restore us back into a relationship with Himself. We are responsible for confessing our sin, and recommitting ourselves to obey Him, and walk in His ways. No situation is too extreme for God. He cares, and He hears us. Don’t wait to experience His loving forgiveness, that brings you back to the presence that is heaven dwelling with you on earth. “But will God really dwell with men on earth?” 2 Chronicles 6:18. Yes He does, in the gift of the Holy Spirit, "[that] will teach you all things..." (John 14:26). This truth should make all the difference in our lives, realizing that He dwells within us.

“His presence is heaven to me” in all my circumstances.

I pray He is the treasure of our hearts and soul.

From the Inside Out - Phillips, Craig and Dean

The other day I was talking to a friend about love and marriage. I thought it was so cute how much she said she loved her husband. She said, "I loved him so much, I wanted to jump inside him." She said her husband came before everything, to the point that he became her god. When he died of an illness, she said that's when she found the Lord. She had nothing else to reach out to, and that's when she reached for Jesus.

What a loving, patient God. When we exhaust everything else, He's still there with arms open wide.

We all know that it's not possible to jump inside another person, but spiritually, it is possible. When invited, the Holy Spirit, (God in three persons) will come make His home inside you. Consuming you "from the inside out." The Spirit transforms us, but it is a process. So don't get discouraged, or question yourself if you fall. Keep looking to Jesus, don't make excuses. Change should be the desire of our hearts.

The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, and the new has come." So why does the old keep showing itself in our lives? In Romans 8:5, it talks about being controlled by our sinful nature, and having, "[our] minds set on what that flesh desires.  But those who live in accordance with the Spirit, have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." We should not be controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.

Romans 12:2, tells us to, "not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This is a willing process to give God full control, consuming you from the inside out. The old nature will keep trying to show up again, but remember we are a work of art... "we are God's workmanship..." (Ephesians 2:10).  To lose our old self, and the new nature of Christ will be portrayed more and more through us.

Even when we fail Him, His mercy remains. And if you should stumble again, and again, His grace is everlasting.

Jesus wants to be the love of our lives. He wants to make His home in us. Won't you invite Him in?

Kim