And, God sees so much more! Often we can view ourselves one way, but God goes deeper. He not only sees the right now, but He sees what can be. He created you, loved you, and brought you through. He sees the potential, the gifts, and the anointing He has placed on your life. What God sees in us and for us is far more important than what we see in ourselves.
“We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,” Hebrews 4:15a
Jesus knows what living in the flesh feels like. Walking up and down the shores of Galilee, He didn’t let His holiness withhold Himself from our infirmities. He hungered as we did. He wept when sadness invaded His heart. He justifiably angered at the thoughtlessness of men. He knows.
Jesus knows. He knows suffering. He knows the temptation of life. He knows what it is to care when no one else does.
He knows what it is to be chased, used and despised. His ears have felt the sting of gossip and have heard the song of ridicule. He’s heard the taunting of the nay-sayers and the tsk- tsk- tsk- of the unapproving.
Aching limbs, sore feet, and a thirsty tongue – He knows. Jesus knows disappointment at the carelessness of others. He knows desperation over the plight of the lost soul. He knows of the crown of thorns His life is leading Him to.
Jesus knows everything because He is divine. Jesus has experienced everything because of His humanity.
Isn’t it nice to know that not only do we NOT carry our burdens alone, but we have a Savior that knows what those burdens feel like? Out of the depths of sorrow and pain – He knows. Through the roads of striving and the paths of hatred – He knows. During the darkness of nights, He already knows. Our weaknesses have become His; He knows them, has lived through them and has borne them. Jesus knows!
Worship is how we honor God,
taking the mind off of self.
It’s the moving of the soul and spirit,
of His goodness and praises to tell.
Worship is how we lift Him up,
to the place where He belongs.
In worship, we close our eyes to the world
to sing our heavenly song.
Worship gives Him the glory
that is due His holy name.
With all the hosts of heaven enjoined,
in Him our salvation we claim.
Darkness and troubles try to trample it out
but my worship still remains.
Through rain and floods, and storms a gale
my worship is still the same.
Through trials and tests, pain and sorrows,
it causes my worship to grow.
Hard nights and long days,
praise in my life I do sow.
No matter what’s going on around you
God is still worthy to be praised.
With hearts bowed down and eyes closed
with my hands, do I raise.
Stepping into worship I empty my heart
of all my cares and woes.
For He is the One who brings me out.
Of this, I surely know.
Getting rid of all the strife,
in worship do I release.
Putting Him on a pedestal
as my whole, my centerpiece.
God is good and God is great,
in worship, that’s what we do.
By and by, life goes on.
But won’t you worship Him, too!
“Give unto the LORD the glory due His name,” Psalm 29:1
Those moments when in a daze and your imagination captures you. You begin to wander around a new world of possibilities; traipsing through fields overgrown with hope and aspiration. A mind laden with dreams is a wonderful place to be.
Oh, to dream. To let the fanciful travel beyond the eyes of reality breathes freshness in the stagnation of life. It’s reaching into the realm of “Why not?”
Why not you? Why not now? Why not dream?
This makes me wonder about one of our most familiar Bible “dream” stories. Did Joseph’s brothers ever have a dream? I’m not talking about visions like Joseph himself experienced, but did they hope for something beyond their reality? Did their hopes mixed with Joseph’s ability to dream and see more incite their jealousy and bitterness? Hmmm…
It’s hard to see others reaching for more when you can’t see yourself doing the same. “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick,” (Proverbs 13:12a). When the heart longs for something that doesn’t ever seem to grow and come to fruition, it can leave a feeling of brokenness on the inside. When that hurt takes over it can shadow one’s thinking, distorting the truth, relationships, and life.
“But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life,” (Proverbs 13:12b). When that thing that is hoped for comes to pass it lifts the soul to the higher, bringing forth healing. But, if hope is given up on; if dreams are vanquished so goes with it that genuine aspiration to see life for more beyond the here and now.
Don’t be content to just sit on the sidelines and watch others dream! That’s no life when God designed you for more! You have it in you to do the same!
Don’t give up on dreaming! Don’t give up on hope! Let it breathe in you and through you. Let it grow until it produces the fruit of what the seed inside you aspires for. Nurture it that it does not die off.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t see it in the natural right this minute. Romans 8:24 reminds us, “Hope that is seen is not hope.” If you keep nurturing your dreams, you will keep moving closer and closer to the goal you are stretching out for.
You have to keep climbing for it until you reach your summit. You have to keep dreaming. Don’t end up in bitterness and jealousy, with no life like Joseph’s brothers. They ended up wanting to get rid of he who did dream. That’s no life. That’s not a way to live.
God designed us for so much more. We are made to be overcomers. We are built to be conquerors. We have hopes and dreams on the inside that’s waiting to be manifested. The world is waiting for that special thing God planted in you!
Hope for it. Dream about it! Don’t give up on it!
Be blessed because it feels good to dream 🙂 !
I have learned, that as humans, we don’t really know what we want some of the time. Oh, we have goals, desires, and aspirations, but often how to attain them becomes skewered in our thinking. We may pray for God to move this obstacle out of the way or transfer that particular issue over there, and when He does, we are just not happy or totally satisfied with the results. Sometimes things don’t look or feel like we thought they should.
That’s because as humans we have to realize our limitations. We are not all-knowing. We can barely get through one day with all our faculties intact, let alone for us to try to tell our own end from the beginning and what we think our tomorrow and future should look like.
We can pray about things that bother us and concern us but ultimately we have to be willing to let God lead. And, sometimes we even have to pray that He would help us to follow that leading. When He leads, we don’t always understand the outcome, but then again, if we did, it wouldn’t be the walk of faith, filled with trust in our God that we are called to walk.
Our thoughts can lead us into the land of wondering, but it is our daily prayer that our hearts will follow God in the pursuit of what He has in store for our lives. The Bible tells us, “The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile,” (Psalm 94:11, NKJV). Some other translations relate that word “futile” found in the NKJV as “worthless” (NLT), “vanity” (KJV), and “meaningless” (HCSB) just to name a few.
In other words, our thoughts about a situation compared to God’s cannot be matched. Did not the Bible tell us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts,” (Isaiah 55:8-9)? What He knows about a circumstance far surpasses anything our intellectual capabilities can begin to even imagine. With that being said, our thoughts take a back seat to His sovereign leading.
As hard as it may be to let go of the wheel and allow God to steer, it is something we must do if we are to drive in the right direction and course for our best and most successful life in Him. We have to end the constant back and forth tug of war for control of our lives and submit to the One who is in control of our lives.
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If I choose to be silent I could
be viewed as weak or wise,
depending . . .
If I choose to fight I could
be viewed as aggressive or brave,
depending . . .
If I choose to hope I could
be viewed as naive or optimistic,
depending . . .
Father God, depending on where life takes me I pray that you would help me to handle this daily life with the same grace You give. With every step, help me to choose to look to You, O heavenly Father because I want to be wise, I want to be brave, and I want to expect the best of every day You give. Amen!
Inspiration for choosing to look to God and let Him have control of this day:
“Let God have your life; He can do more with it than you can.” – Dwight L. Moody
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” – Jeremiah 29:11
“Trusting in the Lord means every decision you make is done with Him in mind.”– Bernita Weston
“Let your life reflect the faith you have in God. Fear nothing and pray about everything. Be strong, trust God’s word, and trust the process.” – Germany Kent
“Allow God to take control in your life, so the enemy will have no control over you.” – Gift Gugu Mona
“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” – Job 12:10
Dealing with defeat is more than just being discouraged. Defeat has a way of getting deep down within the spirit of man and making them feel crushed beyond measure. It’s more than a heavy load. It’s carrying the weight of disappointment, hopelessness, and pain without seeing any real way of being able to experience the least bit of victory in the end. Therefore, the shoulders slump forward without the strength to be lifted up.
How does one go on when they think they have no more power for the press of this life? There is nothing you and I can do to overcome on our own. A humanistic way of thinking will formulate plans over and over again but they come to naught. Or, any measure of peace we think to feel becomes fleeting and never lasting.
In Jesus Christ, we have our ultimate source of victory. He said, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” HE IS THE DEFEATER OF DEFEAT. He is the power that stands aright with no competition to put Him down. He is our way when there seems to be no way. Our comfort when the love of people is few and far between.
There is NOBODY like my JESUS! Ain’t that the truth! He’s my comfort when I am comfortless. He’s my fortress when I am surrounded by enemies. He’s my strength when everything within me feels weak. He has overcome anything and everything this world has thrown at Him and He stands ready to overcome for you, too.
We are far from defeated. We are more than conquerors. Everything that tries to convince us otherwise is a bald-faced lie from the enemy. We are secured in Christ. Christ has already won all the competitions of this life. He has already overwhelmed the enemy. He has taken this world by storm and we rest in the realm of His power, strength, and love.
To say that Christ has won is an understatement. He has literally crushed, obliterated, and stands on the head of every adversary we may face today. The world may think they have won but Jesus will flip the script on them every time and show who He really is. He has “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross,” (Col. 2:15; NIV). His enemies are being made a footstool at His feet (Hebrews 10:13; NIV). He is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords and will conquer everything and everybody that tries to war against Him (Revelation 17:14).
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, WE ARE ON THE WINNING SIDE! There is no defeat for a child of God. We have too much victory available to us through the name and the blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Victor.
He has already overcome and we will overcome with Him! Be of good cheer.
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You could’ve taken off like a rocket ship with tanks of fuel lighting your tail, sending you fast to reach the stars. Yet, God chose a different journey; one with a paced climb, step by step, your path ascending a little higher each day.
Sometimes it seems slow. Painfully so. But, have you ever considered it just means the potential on the inside is powerful. Therefore, great care has to be taken in developing, caring, and raising your growth inch by inch.
Shooting high and shooting fast – the world has enough of that. Superstars with no substance are all they are. But, God made you to be a champion.
So what’s the big deal?
Champions create change. Champions endure – they tough it out. They fight the cause with the very last breath, staking their all to see victory come to its best. They are a peculiar creature not willing to forgo the promise or give up too quickly on the process. There’s a hope and a knowing that if they just stay on the wheel a little while longer the Master will develop a treasure from this little lump of clay.
Your value is too precious to be rushed. Let those who will zoom if they please. But you, my friend, take joy in knowing there is great care being taken in making you who He wants you to be. So, let Him have His way and perfect the precious in you.
Spotlight creepers. Thrill seekers. This course is not for you. Only champions, whose heart will bend to His molding; who will ride the wheel to impact lives will understand this can’t be rushed. They are created for more and with that, embrace the process of being shaped, knowing dear champion, that’s who God wants you to be.
“. . . Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand . . .” Jeremiah 18:6
One of the events most etched in people’s minds and history when recalling the events surrounding Jesus’s last week on the earth was the cleansing of the temple (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46). It was during this time when Jesus had had enough! It was time to get the house of God cleaned up! Unashamedly and without regard for roving eyes and the tsk tsk tsk of the people’s lips, He flips tables over and starts throwing people out to get His Father’s house back in order. With holy force, He sought to reclaim what was rightfully God’s.
But can I tell you, His fight didn’t stop there. He wanted more than a building to reclaim for God, He wanted people that rightfully belonged to Him. He wouldn’t gain that by flipping over tables, rather He flipped over the gates of hell. He wouldn’t get there by driving people with wrong intentions away, but with force, He drove the enemy of our soul away and crushed him under His feet. He wanted to win the temple of people’s hearts for His Father and this fight could only be won on the cross.
The whips that were used against Him were nothing in comparison to the sting He was delivering to the enemy. The ridicule He experienced couldn’t overshadow the words of comfort and the prayers of forgiveness He offered as He hung there. The thorns that were placed on Him and the sword that pierced His side couldn’t contend with the piercing plea of souls searching for everlasting freedom the cross could provide. On the cross, He would remain until the victory to reclaim the lost and hurting world to His Father was won. On the cross, He would stay until the temple of the one who would believe in Him could be cleansed and made new that true worship and true fellowship with the Father could be restored.
When Jesus stepped in the place for us, He cleansed our temples with the only thing that could work: His Blood. His blood is the only thing that could turn the enemy of our soul upside down. His blood is the only thing that could deliver from the eternal death to come. His blood is the only way to reclaim the hearts of the people; the temple of their souls for the Father.
When Jesus cleaned our temple, He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. More than a building was rightfully returned to God. You and I and everyone who believes were won by the cleansing power of the cross.
When Jesus cleansed our temple He did more than flip over tables. He took who we used to be and made us brand new. He turned our world upside down and gave us entrance into the kingdom of God, and we are so glad He did.
“Religion says earn your life. Secular society says create your life. Jesus says, ‘My life for your life.” – Timothy Keller
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
“Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us, yet if we withhold ourselves from that blood, we will be unclean forever.” – Aiden Wilson Tozer
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5
“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” – Robert Lowry
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
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There is so much that goes on inside of us, outside of us, and around us, that can literally make our heads spin. There are so many if’s, and’s, and but’s that we deal with daily making us feel deflated, depleted, and downright drained. Sometimes, it just seems that things are out of control and we can’t get a handled on anything and we have mastered or accomplished nothing.
But, I take comfort in the words God spoke from the midst of the burning bush to Moses, His prophet. He said, “I AM THAT I AM,” (Exodus 3:14) and I am drawn into a world of sweet wonder at the love my God has for us.
The human heart can get so muddled and become so bogged down to the point that it can’t even express properly how it feels or what it wants to say. But, the great “I AM” doesn’t need our proper articulation of words to understand our deepest needs on the inside. In His beautiful care for us, He needs only to take a peek behind the scenes on the inside of our being to see what cares we bear.
He is our perfect heart inspector. When you feel like you can’t get it out – seek Him out because He already knows, in His loving sovereignty, how to deal beautifully with you.
God can be absolutely anything we need Him to be. But, God already is the great “I AM.” Those two words with only three letters cover us, lives inside of us through His Spirit, and helps us in our most desperate need.
So, if it’s tears that’s on the menu of your heart today, that come without explanation, the great “I AM” is the perfect set of shoulders to unload the heaviness of it all. If life just seems overwhelming at times. The great “I AM” is, well, greater than anything, any plan, or any thoughts against you. Whatever may seem to overpower us will never take over Him. He will always be in control. During every waking moment or any sleeping night, the great “I AM” will always be standing watch, guarding, and keeping us at those times when we can’t keep ourselves.
I smile when I think of the wonder of it all – the sweet wonder of Him. He really is the lifter of heart, mind, body, and soul. He is beyond anything we need Him to be. God, is simply, the great “I AM.” With a period at the end of it, it closes the case on exactly who He is.
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