As I sat reading my Bible this morning, I had to keep praying for wisdom and focus and then re-read the verses yet again to try and get a better understanding. My "assigned" reading this morning was Hebrews 6:1-12. I guess I'm not the only one who has trouble following this, though, as apparently this particular passage of scripture can be considered pretty controversial. Can a saved person lose their salvation? I personally think no - not if one is truly saved and comes to God with a humbled heart filled with repentance.
I guess this makes me think of my own life. I said the sinner's prayer on Februray 3, 1991. I was almost 10. In fact, it was my dad's birthday. I went to my preacher after talking with my mom about being saved (she drove me to church early before that evening's service). I spoke with Preacher Ricky and my mom, he went through the Roman's Road to salvation with me, I said the prayer and that was that. I was baptized a week later. I remember feeling good, knowing that I had done something good, but looking back on it, I didn't really "get it." I didn't have a full understanding of sin and God's grace and putting your faith in Jesus Christ. Because of this, of the fact that my heart wasn't really changed, I don't really think I was saved because I didn't understand what I needed saving from.
As I grew, instead of maturing in my faith, I flat out rebelled. I went to church because my mom made me go, not because I wanted to go. I did stupid, but unfortunately typical, teenage stuff. I lied to my parents without so much as a moment's hesitation (lucky for me, I was a terrible liar and my parents found out about stuff before I got myself into too much trouble - although there was a car incident that had could have cost me my life). I eventually quit going to church altogether because it cut into my social time. I worshipped my own agenda rather than Jesus. I went to college with this mentality and it just went south from there.
Finally, at 20 years old, I'd had my heart broken. Partying no longer made me happy and I hated picking up drunk "friends" from bars in the middle of the night when they didn't want to call a cab. I had put my faith in people who failed me, and had done some things that I will forever regret. I guess this was my "rock bottom." I started going to a church that had a great group of other 20-somethings. I began to read my Bible again. I started to actually hunger for some purpose to my life and began to really understand what my life was missing. I remember the day I fell on my face before God in my room and asked Him for his forgiveness and for Jesus to come and live through me. I hungered for God's Word and drank it in. I stopped trying to find my own fulfillment in others and started looking to Jesus. For the first time in my life, I was truly a child of God. I received salvation from my sins because I put my faith in Christ as my only hope in this life and life eternal.
Back to my life now - I went for a few years where I forgot about that thirst and hunger and let other things take its place. However, God has continued to bless me and love me even when I let Him down - I would be reminded of Jesus and pray to Him sporadically. Barry and I began searching for a church home a couple of years ago and have finally found where we belong. The hunger for Jesus was there all along, it seems - I just got in my own way and didn't continue to mature in my faith. I was stagnant. I don't believe for a millisecond that I had lost my salvation, though. The change in my life after I accepted Christ was too big.
Maturity in faith, to me, means striving each day to be better than the day before in terms of my relationship with Jesus. The milk of the gospel is no longer enough - I need more to grow and learn. Proof of this growth will be seen in the the fruit I bear for Jesus. My goal each day should be to reach others for Him, whether it's here in my own home with my children or out in the world through the people I meet.
God, I thank you again for my salvation and for the forgiveness you offer for the times I still fail you. I pray, as I mature, that you grant me wisdom and the opportunity to reach others for you. Give me the ability to love and serve others in a way that glorifies you. Guide me where you want me to be. Help me to bear fruit here in my own home as a mother and a wife, as well. Thank you, Father, for providing the guidebook through your Word and help me keep my focus on you so that the hunger I feel for the Bible never fades. In Jesus's precious and holy name, Amen.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
"I will love them freely" Hosea 14:4
I absolutely love the fact that, as I spend time reading the Bible, God speaks to me in some form or fashion. Whether it's to thump me on the head and remind me of what I should be doing (but often times, have not been doing), or to remind me of God's riches (His love, mercy, and grace), I get some sort of message sent directly from heaven to my heart.
Today, it's a little of both. I read through Hosea 14 this morning. This chapter is all about returning to God - the very story for the backslidden Christian. Unfortunately, I've been there. I knew what God wanted from me when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. For a while, I was on fire for God. However, it's remarkably easy for sin to creep back into your life - and for pride to keep you from acknowledging that sin. Having that sin, as one writer puts it, allows us to gradually drift away from God. It causes us to lose our desire to spend time in the Bible or in prayer, and in doing so, we forget our purpose: to glorify Him in all we do and say.
Hindsight, unfortunately, is 20/20. I can see clearly now (and yes, now, I'm humming that tune in my head! LOL) the things that I did that drove me farther from God. It's the small decisions that made a big (NEGATIVE) impact on my relationship with Christ. In fact, it drove me away from Him. I am also reminded of sin I still struggle with daily - my attitude and words, my temper. However (I am glad that there's a "however" here), God is always willing to forgive and He accepts me back with open arms when I asked Him for forgiveness. He loves us even when we don't love ourselves that much. Our unworthiness makes His grace and mercy that much more precious - and we don't have to do anything to earn it. When our load is to heavy or the guilt of our sin too much to bear, God is there to relieve us. His word reminds us that He loves us anyway, just as we are.
God, thank you so much for loving me freely. I don't have to do anything to make you love me - you just do. You know my imperfections and my struggles and yet your arms are still open to me. Thank you for the mercy and grace you show me daily. Father, please forgive me for my sin and help me as I go throughout this day to remember the love you offer and to show that to others. Help me to not sin in anger and to keep my tongue in check. Help me teach my children daily about your love and guide them to you. Grant me patience, Lord, as I go through our daily routine - I get tired and snap sometimes. Let me be mindful in what I do and say so that I set a good example for them to follow. Help me support my husband and build him up. Guide him, Lord, as the head of our family. Thank you for giving me him as my mate in life - I can see in the little things of our relationship that you had him planned for me from the start.
Heavenly Father, please be with my friend who is battling cancer and thank you for already watching over her as she recovers from surgery. Lord, I ask that you also be with another friend who has a daughter undergoing tests for a tumor they found on her kidney. I pray that it's benign, but if not, I pray for healing for that little girl and for peace for her parents as they undergo this scary journey.
I pray for my church, that you continue to guide me in what I need to do as a member and that you be with those who lead us. I pray that you allow our church to grow and that we reach others for you. Thank you for leading us to West Ridge and for the people we have met so far.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Well, my children are up and at 'em, so I need to go and tend to them before they tear the house down! There's already some sort of emergency involving a spider that I must go squish with a shoe!
Today, it's a little of both. I read through Hosea 14 this morning. This chapter is all about returning to God - the very story for the backslidden Christian. Unfortunately, I've been there. I knew what God wanted from me when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. For a while, I was on fire for God. However, it's remarkably easy for sin to creep back into your life - and for pride to keep you from acknowledging that sin. Having that sin, as one writer puts it, allows us to gradually drift away from God. It causes us to lose our desire to spend time in the Bible or in prayer, and in doing so, we forget our purpose: to glorify Him in all we do and say.
Hindsight, unfortunately, is 20/20. I can see clearly now (and yes, now, I'm humming that tune in my head! LOL) the things that I did that drove me farther from God. It's the small decisions that made a big (NEGATIVE) impact on my relationship with Christ. In fact, it drove me away from Him. I am also reminded of sin I still struggle with daily - my attitude and words, my temper. However (I am glad that there's a "however" here), God is always willing to forgive and He accepts me back with open arms when I asked Him for forgiveness. He loves us even when we don't love ourselves that much. Our unworthiness makes His grace and mercy that much more precious - and we don't have to do anything to earn it. When our load is to heavy or the guilt of our sin too much to bear, God is there to relieve us. His word reminds us that He loves us anyway, just as we are.
God, thank you so much for loving me freely. I don't have to do anything to make you love me - you just do. You know my imperfections and my struggles and yet your arms are still open to me. Thank you for the mercy and grace you show me daily. Father, please forgive me for my sin and help me as I go throughout this day to remember the love you offer and to show that to others. Help me to not sin in anger and to keep my tongue in check. Help me teach my children daily about your love and guide them to you. Grant me patience, Lord, as I go through our daily routine - I get tired and snap sometimes. Let me be mindful in what I do and say so that I set a good example for them to follow. Help me support my husband and build him up. Guide him, Lord, as the head of our family. Thank you for giving me him as my mate in life - I can see in the little things of our relationship that you had him planned for me from the start.
Heavenly Father, please be with my friend who is battling cancer and thank you for already watching over her as she recovers from surgery. Lord, I ask that you also be with another friend who has a daughter undergoing tests for a tumor they found on her kidney. I pray that it's benign, but if not, I pray for healing for that little girl and for peace for her parents as they undergo this scary journey.
I pray for my church, that you continue to guide me in what I need to do as a member and that you be with those who lead us. I pray that you allow our church to grow and that we reach others for you. Thank you for leading us to West Ridge and for the people we have met so far.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Well, my children are up and at 'em, so I need to go and tend to them before they tear the house down! There's already some sort of emergency involving a spider that I must go squish with a shoe!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Learning to do good
Well, this week went by fast and I realize that I have skipped a couple of days in my blog. I'm sure this sort of thing will happen, since my usual quiet time is sometimes not so quiet with Hailey and Heidi running under foot (or, as was the case this week, coming to my bed in the middle of the night and trampling any hope of me sleeping soundly - that's hard to do with you have feet in your kidneys!). I have to be honest - one of those days didn't get spent with God at all...and it was a cruddy day. I'm trying my best, though, to have my DAILY quiet time with God - even if the blogging portion of it takes a hit now and again.
Today, I read chapter 1 of Isaiah. To be honest, I didn't get much out of it the first time through. Upon research, though, it's clear what this passage is trying to say - stop with the hypocrisy and stop sinning! God is telling Israel that her sacrifices are no good if there is no change in the heart of her people; if there's no repentance and true turning from sin, sacrifices are null and void. I think what God is saying here is, "What good is forgiveness if someone is going to keep hurting me by blantantly thumbing your nose at me over and over again with no real feeling of remorse?"
I guess this hit home for me - how many times have I gone and "got some church" on Sunday, only to go on sinning as usual on Mondays? God really thumped me in the head this morning. Going to church isn't going to make any difference if my heart isn't humbled and changed - if I don't lay my sin at the cross, repent, and let Jesus live through me. Does this mean I need to be perfect? No. Building that relationship with God and loving Him with all of my heart is what He wants...and through that, God will teach me how I need to become. Since my focus has been on Him, I find myself hearing those little whispers when I mess up - and I cringe and ask for forgiveness. It isn't a lack of sin God expects because he knows we are human; however, He does expect me to not ignore the problem. He expects me to seek Him - as Isaiah 1:17 states, I should learn to do good and seek justice. I learn by following examples set out in God's word. That's why it's so important to read it, and read it often.
The most wonderful part of this chapter, in my mind, are found in verses 18: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. God promises forgiveness of sins. Where would we be without this? I can't imagine a more hopeless existence. I'm so thankful to God for His love and mercy!
Prayer - Dear God, Thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for your Word and for the lessons you have provided. Thank you for your mercy and your grace. Thank you for your forgiveness!! Thank you for my husband and our time together - and for my family, who helps out with my children so that Barry and I can reconnect. I am so thankful for my friends, Lord - they are blessings. They bring such joy to my life. Please be with my dear friend who is recovering from surgery - have your hand on her family, as well. Grant the doctors wisdom as they try to fight the cancer in her body. Give her strength, as well, to fight. I ask all of this in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Today, I read chapter 1 of Isaiah. To be honest, I didn't get much out of it the first time through. Upon research, though, it's clear what this passage is trying to say - stop with the hypocrisy and stop sinning! God is telling Israel that her sacrifices are no good if there is no change in the heart of her people; if there's no repentance and true turning from sin, sacrifices are null and void. I think what God is saying here is, "What good is forgiveness if someone is going to keep hurting me by blantantly thumbing your nose at me over and over again with no real feeling of remorse?"
I guess this hit home for me - how many times have I gone and "got some church" on Sunday, only to go on sinning as usual on Mondays? God really thumped me in the head this morning. Going to church isn't going to make any difference if my heart isn't humbled and changed - if I don't lay my sin at the cross, repent, and let Jesus live through me. Does this mean I need to be perfect? No. Building that relationship with God and loving Him with all of my heart is what He wants...and through that, God will teach me how I need to become. Since my focus has been on Him, I find myself hearing those little whispers when I mess up - and I cringe and ask for forgiveness. It isn't a lack of sin God expects because he knows we are human; however, He does expect me to not ignore the problem. He expects me to seek Him - as Isaiah 1:17 states, I should learn to do good and seek justice. I learn by following examples set out in God's word. That's why it's so important to read it, and read it often.
The most wonderful part of this chapter, in my mind, are found in verses 18: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. God promises forgiveness of sins. Where would we be without this? I can't imagine a more hopeless existence. I'm so thankful to God for His love and mercy!
Prayer - Dear God, Thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for your Word and for the lessons you have provided. Thank you for your mercy and your grace. Thank you for your forgiveness!! Thank you for my husband and our time together - and for my family, who helps out with my children so that Barry and I can reconnect. I am so thankful for my friends, Lord - they are blessings. They bring such joy to my life. Please be with my dear friend who is recovering from surgery - have your hand on her family, as well. Grant the doctors wisdom as they try to fight the cancer in her body. Give her strength, as well, to fight. I ask all of this in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
