words of encouragement...

I had my ipod on shuffle the other day and this song came on. It's one of my favorite Waterdeep songs and God used this song as an incredible reminder of how BIG God is and how BIG his love for us is.

Below are the lyrics...
Big Enough to Hold Me by Waterdeep
The space in my mind is too small for You
The space in my heart is too small for You too
And all of things of the earth that I know
Are too small for all of the greatness You've shown
But in all of this I'm still facing my needs
And I'm scared of how big they feel to me

I know You, You
You are big enough to hold me
I know You, You
You are big enough to hold me
I know You Lord, yeah You
Will carry me through

The space between stars is billions of miles
The space for the famous and millions of eyes
But not all of the stars in the Heavens and Earth
None can compare to Your infinite worth
And I still get lonely and wonder out loud
If anyone notices me in a crowd

I know You, You
You are big enough to hold me
I know You, You
You are big enough to hold me
I know You Lord, yeah You
Will carry me through

How great, how high
How deep, how wide is Your love

Nothing can separate from the love of Christ
All heights and depths, things past and things to come



"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:38-39

words of encouragement...

Good old Oswald Chambers challenges me again :) In yesterdays devotional, He is talking about adversity and the role it plays in our lives. He talks about how as Christians we can be confused that believing means we are going to be delivered from all adversity, but it in fact means we are going to be delivered IN all adversity.  It was such a good reminder of how present Jesus is when I am at my lowest. I don't always know it or sense it in those times, but looking back at a tough time there is no doubt in my mind he walked through it with me and gave me the strength to endure. I liked this part especially...

"God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength....If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God."

So encouraging to be reminded of what God CAN do and what he DOES do in times of our adversity. We just have to trust that He's there, He's giving us the strength we need....whether we can see it or not.

"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"  —John 16:33

words of encouragement...

I was reading ahead a bit in My Utmost for His Highest (by Oswald Chambers) and was really struck by this entry for tomorrow. It really challenged me. I am a planner and constantly thinking ahead and looking forward. It made me wonder...how many times have I missed an opportunity right in front of me because I was pressing forward to the next thing? how often do I walk right past the chance to see God at work because my eyes are on MY goal, not his? I want to be present. Right here, right now.  I liked this part....
"God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God."
I don't want to miss seeing Him "walking on the sea" because I was looking for what he was walking toward or leading me to when the whole purpose is to know that He is walking on the sea!  Father God, help me to be present. Help me to see the process as the purpose. Help me to see what you are doing right now as the goal. Thank you for being so present with us that each moment is an opportunity to know you better and be closer to you.

words of encouragement...

a favorite verse to share.....

"The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing"    
Zephaniah 3:17

Such a beautiful picture of who God is...a mighty warrior who saves, always with us, and taking great delight in us. Thank you Father God for such great HOPE that you give us in your love and in who you are!

a favorite verse...

This verse has been a long time favorite of mine that really came alive this last year during the study of Isaiah at BSF. I came to understand the verse so much more and it became that much more meaningful.

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"    Isaiah 30:18

Read in the context of the rest of the book of Isaiah, it is just amazing HOW full of grace this verse is.  It's a promise to Isreal that despite their unfaithfulness and in the midst of their hardships the Lord IS faithful, He is gracious, and He is just.

words of encouragement...or in this case, challenge!

I came across this passage today and felt compelled to take a closer look. I think I've looked over this passage (even though it's a favorite of mine) or just saw it as a vague encouragement that everything was going to be ok (in whatever situation at the time). But, today I felt like I needed to break it down, take a closer look, take it more seriously. So, I did. Here was my challenge (or rather God's challenge) to myself as I read over and prayed about this throughout today. Hope you can be challenged by it as well...

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:4-7

Challenge 1: Rejoice. Not because of my circumstances but regardless of my circumstances. Rejoice because my Lord is GOOD. He is faithful and true.
Challenge 2: Let my gentleness be evident to all. Even when the car in front of me is turning WAY to slow. Even when that guy just cut in front of me in a long line. Even when Sydney is testing my patience. Even when I feel like they don't deserve it. Even when I'm tired, angry, hurt, or upset. To all. At all times.
Challenge 3: Do NOT doubt where God is. He is near. ALWAYS.
Challenge 4: Do not be anxious. about ANYTHING. Remind myself who is in control (Hint to self: it's not me)
Challenge 5: Pray. Talk to God. Bring everything to Him and bring it with THANKFULNESS. Thankfulness that he hears my prayers, that He's a mighty and yet still personal God, that He knows me better than myself.
Challenge 6: TRUST that God's peace, that surpasses my understanding, will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Father God, THANK YOU for your Word. Thank you for truth that penetrates my heart no matter how many times I read it. Thank you for walking through life with me, challenging me to be better when I'm patient enough to listen. Thank you for being faithful when I am unfaithful. Help me to trust your peace. Help me to trust that I have nothing to be anxious about because YOU are in control. In Jesus name, Amen.

taking every thought captive

 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. "  2 Corinthians 10:5

A good friend of mine shared this verse with me when I was going through an incredibly difficult time and struggling with a lot of anger and hurt. At the time it felt like that verse was written for me and that particular situation because it was exactly what I needed to do; what I HAD to do. I was paying so much attention to my thoughts. I had never realized the power our thoughts had on our lives until I was overwhelmed by my own. I became so sensitive to the Spirit of this verse and fully recognized my deep need to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. At that time it was more than an encouragement, it was an element of spiritual survival.

As time passed, the urgency of the situation slowed, my anger and hurt gently lifted, and because my circumstances changed the verse unfortunately seemed less relevant and I took thoughts captive less and less. Now months later, it seems I've forgotten how to do this all together. What a shame, what a tragedy for me to think that I don't need this, that I somehow could handle my thoughts on my own, that I didn't need to make them obedient to Christ...as if I had trained my brain to be on autopilot and do it on it's own without any intention or effort on my part. You know what the result of that is...a confused mind and spirit, anger seeping out of the cracks I've allowed, a perfect habitat for Satan to come on in and make a nest of lies. All because I stopped, I got lazy, I got busy, I forgot....whatever excuse I want to put there.

This verse came up yesterday as I was reading My Utmost for His Highest (the Lord sure knows how to use Oswald to get my attention). We all have to take each thought captive and MAKE it obedient to Christ. He won't do it for us, it is our task to do. We have to CHOOSE to abide in Him. We have to CHOOSE to fill our minds with truth, to weed out lies. If we don't, they creep in. They make a home. The lies take over and they convince us THEY are truth. They become what guides us, motivates us, where we speak from. I don't know about you, but that terrifies me. I don't want to live in anything but PURE TRUTH. I have seen the damage lies can do and I refuse to risk letting them rule. So today I choose truth. I choose to abide in Jesus. I choose to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."  Philippians 4:8

today's WORDS of encouragement...

I was evangelized to by a couple Jehovah Witness ladies today. They went through their spiel and I told them that I knew Jesus and was familiar with all the information on the tract they handed me (to which they seemed disappointed. hm, not the reaction I was expecting). One of the ladies, Gail, had actually stopped by one day before when I was sick and said she would come back (and she stuck to her word!). Anyway, their visit wasn't all that enlightening but she did read me a verse of encouragement from Isaiah that stood out to me because I studied that book all year in BSF (if you don't know what that is, you NEED to check it out. GREAT study!) It made me miss studying Isaiah, a book that became almost like a friend. When I came back inside from talking to the ladies I just had the urge to read through some of my favorite verses from the Isaiah study.....

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" Isaiah 30:18

"See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:10-11

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."  Isaiah 58:9b-12

"The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.  "   Isaiah 25:8

" But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;  the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior" Isaiah 43:1-3

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."  Isaiah 61:1-3

I learned so much through this study but what stood out to me most was that our LORD is faithful, He loves us so perfectly, and there is GREAT hope to be found in Jesus.