Saturday, April 28, 2018

Beauty For Ashes

When you feel like your sin will define you forever, trusting that He will make beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3) is difficult.

I grew up in Washington State. I saw the devastation of the eruption of Mount Saint Helen's only a few years later as a little girl. Ash everywhere. Fallen trees. Destruction. Death. 

Yet, there were shrubs and green leaves popping through the piles of ash.  

That image of life amid destruction has stayed in my mind for years whenever I heard that He will give you beauty for ashes.  It shouldn't be though.  He doesn't promise in Isaiah that He will create beauty in between ashes, He says He will REPLACE your ashes with beauty.  

There are people who come to Mount Saint Helen's and remove ash from the area. They then put it through a refining process and create these hand blown ornaments full of color and beauty.  If you were to see an ornament, you would not even realize the ash was in there.

That's what God wants to do for you.

Maybe you are in a situation where the pressures of poor choices made has created an explosion that threatens to choke the life out of you. Perhaps, remnants are still falling. Piles, still smoldering.  All you can see around you is loss. And you wonder how anything good can come out of so much hurt.

BUT you trust God. You know that His word is true. His promises, secure. 

He says to you, "Give me all this...leave none behind. This pain you feel right now is because you are being refined.  All the impurities are being taken away, sifted out and tossed.Your world may seem to be spinning out of control, but it's just Me, holding you and guiding you through the fire. Turning your destruction into a beauty to behold."

So that sin that you think will always represent weakness and shame, that sin will instead reflect His craftsmanship.  People will not even recognize your sin when they see you. Your mistakes will be refined in the fire and all that will remain of that pile of death is the beauty of His handiwork.




Sunday, April 22, 2018

Fully Giving

Sometimes you need to just let go. Let go of the past and the things that hinder you from moving forward. Let go of the future and the things that worry you to the point of mental paralysis. Let go of the background noise in the present that distracts you from your priorities.  

Sometimes you need to have a "come to Jesus" moment and realize that the only "things" that matter are the truly important things. For me, that's my relationship with Christ. My marriage. My family. Wholesome and fulfilling relationships. Ministry.

Friends, we cannot fully live if we don't fully give. Fully give our desires to His control. Fully give ourselves to our marriage so that He can make us fully one in Him. Fully give our attention to our children. Fully give quality time to the relationships that God wants in our lives. Fully give ourselves over to God so that He can make us into all that He wants us to be for His purpose.

Fully giving is fully scary for those who feel vulnerable and exposed when they let down their guard. I'm not suggesting you lose yourself and give up your dreams or goals. You shouldn't become a doormat for people to wipe their emotional needs all over you.  

Fully give so that you can fully live...a full life of joy and contentment in Him. A full life of hardships and trials...and of mercy and grace. 

We get one chance to leave our mark in this world...to leave His mark in other lives. Let's make it a great one. Where others see Him in us. Where those we love really know that we love them. Where the people we minister to see our hearts align with His.

Fully surrender so that you can live a live with arms wide open to whatever He has in store for you. 

Fully giving is fully living in Him.

I'm tired of being mediocre. Today, I choose more. Today, I choose to fully embrace Him.  Today, I choose to fully give all areas of my life to Him. Today, I choose to fully live.

"Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this - heart and soul - will ever regret it." - Romans 10:11



Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Run To Him

"Her mommy was so happy to see me. It was like you were there!"

Sweet girl was speaking of her friend's mom who saw her on a field trip that I couldn't attend.

The declaration blessed my heart.  My girl had joy in her soul because someone saw her and made her feel valuable.  So much so that she felt her presence was as precious to this woman as it is to me.  That God would do that for her, makes me cry.  That He would do that for her in my absence, makes me sing praises to my King. 

Isn't that what we all long for?  To feel loved?  To understand we are valued?  To know that people are happy when we are near?

Do you complete daily tasks feeling lost and unseen?  Wander to and fro while wondering if anything has value?  Wrestle with to-do lists while refusing to rest?

All the while, He waits. 

His word promises that He rewards those who come to Him:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  (James 4:8)

Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 90:1)

He defines your worth.  

He declares your value.  

He longs for your presence.  

As you lean in, He smiles and welcomes you into His dwelling place.

Don't over-complicate His truths. When you seek Him, you will find Him.

 Run to the One who will run to you.

Run into his presence like my boy chased down his favorite mouse in this video.  I like to think the excitement my little guy felt in his presence, is the excitement God feels when we desire to be with Him.