His amazing love.

This weeks scripture is one of my favorite scriptures. It’s all about His love this week. If you are like me, then you need some reminding once in awhile about how much He actually loves you. This great big God has His great big love directed towards us. That’s the best thing to think about this week. His amazing love.

    The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
(Psalm 103:6-13 ESV)

He loves Us!

Forgiven

I let myself slip, I let myself stumble.

With everything that’s been happening in my life, I just let go. I can’t really give any excuses because I know my choices are what matter most in my life and I made the wrong ones. Don’t get me wrong, I am not beating myself up or feeling sorry for myself. I just know a lot more was expected of me. I expected more from myself and I just didn’t deliver. People are always talking about Go’s grace like it’s supposed to okay our sinful nature. Constantly trying to grey the black and white to suit or needs when the truth is clearly written. God expects a lot from us. Yes, He ha this amazing grace that covers us, but we should also remember that He sees our hearts and knows our intentions. We can go around acting like we don’t know when we clearly know what is right and what is wrong.

I hear a lot of people talking about, “only God can judge me” like He’s not going to. Do we really know the meaning of that? Do we really understand the implication of God’s judgement? He is an amazing God that forgives, and understands our weaknesses but our weaknesses cannot be our excuse to act as we please.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
(Romans 6:1-4 ESV)

He knows us better than we could ever know ourselves, and loves us with an everlasting love. We can not misuse or abuse that love by being dishonest with ourselves. Try, try, try again to do right. No matter how many times you fail don’t quit trying. Do NOT be fooled to think that you can do whatever you wish and it will all be okay. Do not be fooled to live a life less than the one intended for you. I have fallen a couple of times, but I repent, I pick myself up and I try again. Life is short, the temptations will end and when it’s all over I refuse to be found on the wrong side.

What about you? Will you give up? Will you choose to give in to temptations that only give short term gratification? Or will you choose life? We can’t have both. So what is it going to be? You have to choose. Every single day, every moment of your life is a choice you’ve made. So choose. He’s waiting for you to.

It’s not so random.

Everyone of us is governed by circumstances, we all have something weighing us down. No matter how good someone’s life may appear to be.

Today, I just want to remind you that, it’s not about what you think or what you see in others. Show care and concern no matter what. The person you meet today with the brightest smile, may be on their way to a suicide or planning to commit some other horrible self or public act. All because they feel no one cares. Love all, give a smile to that random stranger, say hi. (and anyway, how can you identify a criminal later, if you don’t even glance at the person seated next to you on the bus or wherever?). It doesn’t take much to show kindness but, it makes a really big difference. Seriously, pass that love around, someone out there needs it more than you can imagine.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
(Colossians 3:12 ESV)

Random acts of kindness, should not be random. It should be intentional and continuous, never stopping. Love never stops being love, it will never cease to exist or run out. So we have no excuse for not spreading it around generously.

“He who withholds kindness from a friend
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
(Job 6:14 ESV)

Midweek confessions

What’s the one thing that you have learned this year?

I’ve been trying to be open minded and humble enough to try new things and it’s been quite a challenge. Every time I think I got the humility thing down, something happens and my pride shows itself, loud and proud. Being humble is hard. I am irked by a lot of things too nowadays, but the one one thing I’m disappointed about is my reactions to situations after my pride reveals itself. My lack of patience and compassion(in some cases) has been really shocking to me. It’s hard being nice. Just when I thought I had it all together, when I thought I was on that good path,  I let it all just fall apart for the sake of my pride.

The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
(Proverbs 8:13 ESV)

I’ve prayed about humility for a long time, and I will admit I’ve made progress but I find myself in situations that really make me wonder who on earth I think I am. Pride, is a sign of self importance. A form of selfishness, and conceitedness. So here I am, thinking that I deserve more because of bluh, bluh, bluh, when in reality I deserve absolutely nothing. Being impatient towards someone when they mess up, when I mess up all the time. It’s insane, it makes me really sad that I still have to struggle with that today, but I have learnt that I can either chose to be impatient and curse under my breath or, I can count to 10 and not react until my head is on straight. It’s not easy, but I am trying. Praying for humilty in all I do, it’s hard like I said but I know eventually I will overcome.

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

(1 John 2:16 ESV)

My  lesson is, I am still very far from where I should be. I need my heart to be pure, and sincere. To love and give grace without questioning or seeking validation. I want to be joyful in my heart, I want be like Christ from the inside out. I am learning to be humble each day, in each moment because that’s the only way I learn. That’s the only way I grow.

 

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
(Mark 7:20-22 ESV)

What’s your lesson for the year? What have you been struggling with?