Holy Spirit Make Me New

May we really desire that these words are true in our lives, souls, and hearts.

Unfailing Love

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because he loved us first. 1 John 4:18-19

 

Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins.

^{1 Peter 4:8}

 Definition: Love, whether used of God or man, is an earnest and anxious desire for and an active and beneficent interest ins the well-being of the one loved.

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. 

It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad

 about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, 

hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 

                                                              1 Corinthians 13:4-8

But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7

 Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. Romans 12:9-10

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3, ESV

The love of God is ridiculous in the eyes of men. It does not make sense. It goes outside of human logic and feeling, but it is so good, so amazing, so pure, so unconditional, so deserving of our gratitude and thankfulness. When I get just a taste of God's love, I desire to love in return. It is a compelling force that spurs one on to live for the Lord and love others. I challenge you to dig deep and dive into the love of God. It is intense and amazing. It should change us forever!

Lessons From Exodus

When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. (Exodus 14:10, ESV)

I came across this yesterday. This verse struck me in a new and different way. The Israelites had just left Egypt where they had been enslaved, abused, and misused.  They had a terrible life of extremely hard labor forced on them by a cruel Pharaoh. They had been in bondage to a nation who didn't care about their well being. Their right to practice their religious traditions had been taken away. The Lord had just delivered them from this plight. He had shown them His power with 9 terribly powerful plagues, the last taking many lives of the Egyptians first born children. He had spared the lives of those who had obeyed the command to apply the blood of a lamb to their door post. Now He was guiding them through the wilderness with a pillar of smoke by day and one of fire by night. Hear that? A pillar of fire!!! 

After all of these amazing acts of God's power, and midst His presence, the Israelites see mere men as reasons to fear. The sight of the Egyptian army coming gave them reason to complain against Moses and God Himself. As I read this, I asked the question: Why? Why would they so quickly take their eyes off the Lord and His provision of deliverance and promised safety? What could make the people who were in the visual presence of God begin to shake and tremble with fear? How does this happen? But then I took a glance at my own heart. I too have been guilty of this very thing. The Lord has promised to be with us. He is faithful. He has proven it over and over again. I can read the history of Israel and see it for myself. He always provided for them. He was constantly showing His mercy and grace. 

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exodus 14:13-14, ESV)

So as the people are getting all freaked out about their situation, Moses responds to them. He has his eyes on the Lord no doubt. They just needed to shut their mouths and watch the Lord work. He would deliver them. He had already promised to do so over 400 years ago. Moses obviously knew the Lord and trusted Him at His word. Oh, what a convicted heart I have. I confess to doubting this so often. It is sad to admit that my heart often questions whether the Lord really will do what He says. It isn't an open, rebellious questioning, more of a sub conscious doubting. It comes out in my responses to trials and difficult circumstances. It comes out in discontentment and complaints. These are accompanied with thoughts of worry and fear, instead of trusting the Lord has His reasons and purpose behind what is happening in my life. 

The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” (Exodus 14:15-18, ESV)

I love reading this part. It takes the focus off of me and puts it back on the Lord. Why does He allow such things to happen? The Israelites where backed into a corner. This was it, or so they thought. All they could see was imminent danger and doom. To the people this was an unnecessary end. Why would the Lord have brought them all this way just to die by the Egyptian sword? Clearly God had no intention to let His people die. He did however want their trust. He also wanted the glory. The Lord wants our attention and worship to be on Him. He is not willing to share the spot light. Even the Egyptians would have to acknowledge that the God of the Israelites is Lord. Can you imagine? You are in a situation where there is no way out. It is hopeless and helpless. Or so it seems. Then the impossible happens. The Lord delivers to complete safety. Who gets the glory? Only the Lord can. There is nothing that any one of those people could lay claim to. They had no power, no bragging rights. The Lord received all of the glory. Rightly so! 

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. (Exodus 14:30-31, ESV) 

Oh Father, please help me to take these things to heart.  I desire to trust you in everything. In times of struggle and great trial, help me to turn my eyes to you. Help me to be silent and wait for your deliverance. May I believe you and take you at your word.  Lord help me to see you for who you are. Thank you for drawing us to yourself. Thank you for proving yourself over and over. You are great and greatly to be praised.

Amen

Precious Stone or Rock of Stumbling?

         So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

          As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”

and

“A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. (1 Peter 2:1-8, ESV)

I was so blessed by this passage that someone shared on Sunday morning. It was like I had never even heard these words before, though I can say I have heard them several if not many times. The idea of Christ being a rock is not foreign to me. It is something often talked about in churches. The problem is that I always saw the rock as a large stone, granite perhaps. It was nothing special, nothing precious, but this passage clearly states that the Lord is a precious stone. 

So I sat there listening to this passage and it was as if the words were jumping off the pages. The Lord is a chosen and precious stone to those who believe in Him. Precious stones are very valuable and rare. They are considered treasure and are sought after. So therefore the Lord is our treasure. He is the most valuable precious stone. That is something to lay a foundation on! It just reminds me of how great our inheritance is in the Lord. He is the only reason we are able to have an inheritance from God. 

Now take a look at what He is to those who reject Him, a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense. So to those who do not believe, it is as if they are building and a huge rock is in the way. It is something they must remove in order to continue building. It takes work, money, and time to remove. The job would be strenuous and tedious. The rock is of no value.

Who is the Lord to you? Is He your greatest treasure and a wonderful foundation that you are building on, or is He a giant stone in the way of what you want to do in life? Is He someone you build on, or someone who you are trying to rid your life of? I am so thankful that the Lord is my precious stone! What a wonderful Savior! 

Camp Life

I have been busy. It is hard to believe that it is almost July already. The summer is passing quickly and I feel like I am not getting to much of my to do list. I spent two weeks in June volunteering at a Teen Bible Camp. It was extremely rewarding, but ridiculously exhausting. I am still trying to catch up from the craziness! It was so apparent that the Lord had a place specifically laid out for me in advance and it was such an honor to be able to serve Him there. I am ever thankful for His leading and faithfulness in all situations. He never leaves us hanging. It was a time in the Word. The messages were amazing. If only to learn what was being taught, then it was worth every minute. I realized in working at the camp that I am much removed from the pressures of teenage life. In all reality, I might just be a little too naive! They face more challenges and temptations than we would like to admit. It deeply saddens me to see how much a typical teen has to face each day. Yet, they are resilient. Unfortunately, I don't forsee things getting a whole lot better in the future. I would be lying if I said it doesn't make me anxious for my own children. It is going to be a challenge to raise them in this world, but thankfully my Lord is faithful and ever present. Whom or what shall I then fear?

Under His Wings

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91
The Psalms are going to become favorite passages of mine. I can already tell as a few days in have lead to great blessings and deeper appreciation for my Heavenly Father. I can relate to David so much in so many of his writings. I am thankful that God worked through David so that we can see that we all struggle and are all weak. I used to think weakness was a bad thing for a christian to be, but in the last year or so the Lord has shown me that it is exactly what he wants me to be. When I am weak, then he can be strong! Paul's writings have been a huge encouragement to me as well because this is the exact thing that he learned.

When I know God's strength and dwell under his wings of protection, then there are many blessings that come. He says he will deliver me from the evil things. He will cover me with his wings and I will have refuge. He will shield me with his faithfulness. I can know that God will be true to his word each and every time. What protection and hope! I will have no reason to fear anything if I cling to this truth. No evil or plague is allowed to come upon those who fear the Lord and take refuge in him! What wonderful words of encouragement.

The next truth in this passage is something I have been clinging to for some time. I have been feeling oppressed and afflicted. I had lost hope and was feeling defeated, but then someone shared this truth with me. God will command his angels concerning me! God, the commander of angel armies will command them to guard me. They will fight on my behalf and be a protection. This is so comforting in times of distress. We will be able to face things that seem impossible because we know that the God of angel armies is on our side! He is so good to his people! I hope you know this. I pray that we will all understand these truths and hold on to them for dear life. May we stand firm because God is on our side, and we have found refuge under his wings!

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Grumbling about the Weather?

Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

he gathers the outcasts of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars;

he gives to all of them their names.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

his understanding is beyond measure.

The Lord lifts up the humble;

he casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

make melody to our God on the lyre!

He covers the heavens with clouds;

he prepares rain for the earth;

he makes grass grow on the hills.

He gives to the beasts their food,

and to the young ravens that cry.

His delight is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,

but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,

in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

For he strengthens the bars of your gates;

he blesses your children within you.

He makes peace in your borders;

he fills you with the finest of the wheat.

He sends out his command to the earth;

his word runs swiftly.

He gives snow like wool;

he scatters frost like ashes.

He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;

who can stand before his cold?

He sends out his word, and melts them;

he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

He declares his word to Jacob,

his statutes and rules to Israel.

He has not dealt thus with any other nation;

they do not know his rules.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 147

I have been admonished by the Lord this morning. The weather this year in the North has been incredibly strange, unseasonably cold, and we are getting antsy for change. It has been a hard year with the weather being so harsh. My response? A bit of complaining and grumbling. I am not alone, but still, it is something the Lord chose to deal with today. Do you see, complaining, whether we feel it is justified or not, is still complaining. The real target of my complaint? God himself. Do you see how he is the creator of even the weather every day? He sends the rains, the snow, the frost, the winds, and the springtime thaw. It is he who is over all. Instead of complaining about the weather, I should be praising my almighty God! Attitude check! The power of God should bring worship and praise, not grumbling and questions of his goodness. 

God delights when we are humble before him and fear him. He does not delight in the strength of man physically or mentally. We can be so stubborn and self reliant. God takes joy in a humble heart, a heart that acknowledges who he is and who we are before him. How can I think that any strength I can muster up would bring joy to God almighty? It is ridiculous! Only my heart being humble before the Lord can be pleasing to him. Lord, humble my heart. Create in me a spirit that fears you and you alone. 

God cares so much for us. It blows my mind everytime I get even a glimpse of the love he has for us. He is so good! He heals the brokenhearted and binds the wounded. One thing to realize however is that in order for the healing of my heart to come, I must first be broken. This comes from the realization of who God is and who I really am deep down. Oh when I see his face! It breaks my heart each and every time. It is then that he offers healing and applies ointment to my wounds. What love! The God who named the stars and knows them by name also knows me by name. He cares about me and loves me with a love I can't begin to understand or comprehend. Bless the Lord my soul!!!