♫Your Grace is Enough♫

Don't you wish you could just totally depend on God all the time? Where you had no questions in your mind on what lies ahead. No fear in your heart on the road that is at your feet. Where you could totally say, "God, you are in control, do Your will!" And that was the end of it. I know I do! But that's not how He does things. Because through those hard times, He wants to teach us to put our life totally in His hands. He is so kind though! He promises never to leave us!

Right now, my favorite song is by Chris Tomlin, Your Grace is Enough. 

Great is Your faithfulness, oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart


So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise, oh God


Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me


Great is Your love and justice, God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along


Yeah, Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me


God, I see Your grace is enough
I'm covered in Your love
Your grace is enough for me, for me

Something I need to be reminded of daily. His grace is all we need! Funny thing is, I googled to see if there was a verse that went with this song, and the verse that came up was the very verse I have been memorizing! "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9) 

What a God moment! Don't you feel God is speaking to you in those moments? When you are reading, or in my case, listening, and God keeps showing you things one after another that goes right along the same line. What peace that brings to my wondering heart!!! He leads us by still waters, and nothing can keep us apart! Your grace is enough for me!!!

Psalm 103

I have been going through Psalms for well over a year now. I haven't been reading it once a day like I planned... but as I have gone through it, God has shown me He had a plan for me going through the Psalms. Every time I sit down to have quite time.... sometimes I read the Psalm where I left off, or another passage God has lead me to. But it never fails. The passage I read was what God wanted me to read for that day! Don't you love it when He does that? I feel as if He is speaking to me right there in person. When He does that, through out my day I am reminded that He cares for me. I know I need to feel that everyday... but I don't.

This morning, as I sat down for my quite time, I read Psalm 103 (ESV). And again, God clearly wanted me to read it for this day! Also, the Morning and Evening I read for today, was right on the same line! God's steadfast love.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heaves are about the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from
everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!"

Psalms 90

I am making my way through Psalms... still. And last week I read chapter 90, From Everlasting to Everlasting. I loved it and thought I would share it. I really loved the verse 2. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, for everlasting to everlasting you are God." He amazing is so amazing!!!

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!"
For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!"

John 15:4-5

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Isn't that so true? We can do nothing apart from him! He allows us to breathe, He allows us to swallow, He allows us to walk and sit and stand. The little things we don't think about during out daily lives, He allows to happen. Isn't He amazing?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I really like this passage.
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (ESV)

Meant To Be Broken

A few weeks ago, my dad had a Bible study with the fam. He was talking about God's laws, the commandments. He reminded us that God created the laws for us to not keep them... to be broken... so we could identify sin.
Well, for a while, I had been slacking on reading Pierced By the Word every night, really for a few weeks. I wasn't beating myself up about it, but just kinda disapointed that I hadn't been staying on top of it like I was.
I love how God works! Cuz that night after Dad had his talk, I got ready for bed, and picked up the book. And what do you think John Piper was talking about? How does the Law help me know my sin? This very thing happened just a few weeks before this! And it's not luck, or faite, or destiny. It's God! He had a plan for me not reading my book!
At the start of the chapter, Piper puts up a few verses.
"What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no meants! Yes if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, producecd in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead." -Romans 7:7-8
Apart from the law, sin lies dead. That's right to the point. Think about it. How would you know what was sin if we didn't have the law? How would you know if you saw someone had a new car, and you really wanted that car, and burning inside because you didn't have that car. How would you know if that was sin if we didn't have the law? We wouldn't. Without the law, "You should not covet", we would have no clue.
I don't know about you, but this makes me think, He is in control! He's got everything undercontrol! And what a wonderful thought that is!

♫Undying Love♫

As of last weekend (Easter weekend) I have been hooked on John Mayer... but I am also hooked on something totally different than John Mayer when it comes to music: Sovereign Grace. Very interesting mix, I know. Mayer and Sovereign Grace don't go... at all... but it's what I have been in the mood for. This post thought, I am not wanting to talk about John Mayer.
To go into a little more into detail, I've been listening to a lot of Sovereign Grace's cd Sons and Daughters (one of my favorites). Song #9 is called Undying Love, and this is the song I have on repeat. Here are the lyrics.

My ears had heard of You, now I have seen
This bitter sweetness in Your agony
My heart was far from You, but You drew me near
With loving kindness dried every tear

And I can see You
Bearing all my shame on the cross
I can hear You cry out, “It is done”
O Jesus, Your sacrifice was more than enough
In Your death I see undying love

My heart is broken and I’m down on my knees
To see my Savior suffering for me
But You descended, lifting me up
Washing my feet, filling my cup
It's a short song when it comes to the lyrics, but what a deep song it is! My heart overflows with joy everytime I hear it. And I'm not kidding when I say I have it on repeat.
My ears had heard of You, now I have seen! My heart was far from You, but You drew me near! Lately, and I'm not sure if it's cause of it being Easter season or not, but I've been very greatful for His work on the cross. On the way to Baton Rouge, I read Matthew 27:24-61, and started to get chocked up in the car. The part that I really got chocked up was Matthew 27:46 when Jesus says "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It just really hit me, he did that for me! He took my place on the cross. How greatful I am because of it! "It is done"!!!! Isn't that something to sing about?
I've had conversations in the past where people have said, "it was such a horrible thing. How can it be happy?" Yes, I do agree, it was very horrible. Someone having nails drived into their hands and feet to a wooden cross, beaten, cut, peirced by a crown of thorns... and stay up there for hours. That's very horrible! But the good and wonderful thing about it is, he did it for me! He did it for you! And not only that, but he rose again! He defeated death! What an amazing thing that is! His sacrifice was more than enough!

Hebrews 4:12

I'm starting to read John Piper's book, Pierced by the Word, and on the opening page he gives a verse. And what an amzing one it is! It's found in Hebrews 4:12.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Humility (Chapters 1 & 2)

This past Sunday, I bought Humility: True Grateness by C.J. Mahaney and Pierced by the Word by John Piper. I was pretty excited about getting them. Monday, I started reading Humility, and today I read the 3rd chapter and it's been very humbling.  C.J. Mahaney is my favorite auther, I love the way he writes.

I struggle with pride more than anything else. A few weeks ago I posted a post called "Identified in Christ", talking about how I find joy in being known as something other than being found in Christ. In chapter 2 he say "The real issue here is not if pride exists in your heart; it's where pride exists and how pride is being expressed in your life. Scripture shows us that pride is strongly and dangerously rooted in all our lives, far more than most of us care to admit or even thing about." Pride is in us all, John Stott says "Pride... it is itself the essence of all sin". That is something to think about, and very true. Think about it, if you lie, pride is the root of it because you don't want who ever you are lying to to know what every you know.

He also gave another quote from John Stott. "At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend." At every stage. Some are more mature in this area than others, but humility is something that you are always maturing in. Mahaney gives the definition of humility, "Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness." Later he goes on to say, " But though He's aware of everything, He's also searching for something in particular, something that acts like a magnet to capture His attention and invite His active involvement. God is decisively drawn to humility. The person who is humble is the one who draws God's attention, and in this sence, drawing His attention means also attracting His grace-- His unmerited kindness. Think about that: There's something you can do to attract more of God's gracious, undeserved, supernatural strength and assistance!" Wow! What a thought! In chaper 1 he says "humility draws the gaze of our Sovereign God". Scripture even says it, like James 4:6 "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." His grace is an amazing thing!

"Why does God hate pride so passionately?" C.J. asks, "Here's why: Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him. Charles Bridges once noted how pride lifts up one's heart against God and "contends for supremacy" with Him. That's a keenly insightful and biblical definition of pride's essence: contending for supremacy with God, and lifting up our hearts against Him." The next page he goes on to say "Pride takes innumerable forms but has only one end: self-glorification. That's the motive and ultimate purpose of pride -- to rob God of legitimate glory and to pursue self-glorification, contending for supremacy with Him. The proud person seeks to glorify himself and not God, thereby attempting in affect to deprive God of something only He is worthy to receive. No wonder God opposes pride. No wonder He hates pride. Let that truth sink into your thinking."

I can totally relate. I played basketball for 5 years. My junior and last year playing was my best year. I was starting point guard, voted team captain, and very prideful. I loved to tell people what I did, just to get their response and most of the time they asked questions about how good I was, and I loved to share. And there is nothing wrong with me telling people I played basketball, because that was what I was into and did, but it was the matter of the heart for me. I looooooved being known as "the basketball girl". But I was robbing God of glory. I really wish I would have read this book back then.

C.J. gives the scripture Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Then he continues with, "The warnings from Scripture about pride could not be more serious and sobering. And they're an expresion of God's mercy, intended for our good." Issues came up, and I was not able to play my senior year, which was always something I dreamed of. Pride comes before the fall. You always here that saying, and pay no attention to it (atleast I did). But I experienced it. This was an "expresion of God's mercy", I see that now. And how thankful I am for it looking back.

Identified in Christ

The other day, my dad was encouraging me in ways I could mature in. I wasn't in the greatest of moods, so I kinda wanted to cut it short. But, I haven't really been able to stop thinking about what he said.

When hard seasons come my way, most of the time I don't deal with it to well. In 2008, I was going through a tough season with basketball stuff, I got sick and had to go to the doctor a few times because of it. I also fell away from God. Then when we moved here in 2009... what happened? I got sick. I really had a hard time with trusting God, and was very rebellious.
Early 2010 God really did a great work in my life, but I did go thru another storm, I didn't get sick, but I struggled with God for a few days, but then realized he had a great plan.
Then back in November, when my boyfriend broke up with me, I got sick and didn't trust God. It felt like my life was over, and God had ruined my life.  I hate to say it, but this is really how I felt. This was the hardest season I ever went through.

My dad asked me why this keeps happening. I said because I haven't been putting my trust in God, but he also said because I'm looking to be identified by other things. I'm must say I did find joy in being known as "the basketball girl" or "Mark's girlfriend", but you know, that's not how it needs to be. I need to be identified in Christ alone.

I love the song "In Christ Alone". The first verse says "In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my is my light, my strength, my song. This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace. When fears are stilled, when striving cease. My comforter, my All in All. Here in the love of Christ I stand."
He is the only solid ground! My All in All. He is the only one I need to be identified in.

Paul says in Philippians, "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God depends on faith - that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
Philippians 3:7-11

Please pray that God will give me guidance through this. I want to be "found in him" and count everything as loss like Paul. He was truly a man after God's own heart. Isn't he a great example on how to serve our amazing God?

Preaching the Gospel to Yourself

Have you ever heard this phrase before? Growing up in a Sovereign Grace chruch, you hear it quite often. But what does it really mean? "Preaching the Gospel to yourself"? Well, think about it. Just because we are Christians, does that mean we don't need the Gospel?
I'll answer for you... yes, you do. We need to be reminded of what Christ did for us everyday! And if you are like me, with all the things going on in the day, you tend to forget.
C.J. Mahaney says in "Cross Centered Life" that we need to preach it to ourselves daily.
On the cd inspired by the little orange book, "Songs for the Cross Centered Life" by Sovereign Grace Music, the cd opens up with the song "the Gospel Song". Even tho it's just over 1 minute long, it tells the Gospel:
♫Holy God, in love, became
Perfect man to bear my blame
On the cross he took my sin
By his death I live again♫
I love that, "By his death I live again"! Isn't that an amazing thought?

Also in the book, C.J. Mahaney gives a few verses that you can memorize and use it to preach the Gospel daily. One that really stands out is Romans 5:6-11 (All scripture I have is from the ESV.)
"6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ
died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person -- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even die -- 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
Here are some others he gives;
- Isaiah 53:3-6
- Romans 3:23-26
- Romans 8:32-39
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
- Galatians 2:21
I'd encourage you to at least take one of these, and memorize it. I took the Romans 5:6-11, wrote it on index cards and have it on my wall. Keeps me reminded. I'm doing better than I don't deserve!

Philippians 4:4-7

This week, I read the book of Philippians. And what a great book it is! God really used Paul in an amazing way!
I really like what Paul said in chapter 4.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Love

This is something that has been on my heart for a while. The past few months, God has been showing me what it means to love someone. This is not just the kinda love you have for a boyfriend or husband. I'm talking about everyone... dads, moms, sisters, brothers, friends, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, along with boyfriends and husbands.

Love isn't just about being around a person, and enjoying their company, or you like who they are as a person, and they don't annoy you... and don't do anything "wrong" and are just perfect! Just a little news flash.... only one is perfect! So if you think someone is perfect, they really aren't. You are probably seeing them for who you want to see them as. God is the only one who is perfect. Love is loving someone for who they really are. Even tho they do things you don't like, or something that annoys you, you still love them. Just think of what Christ did. He came down, to be with us who hated him. He even died for us... took our place on the cross! Now don't get me wrong. I am one of the worse when it comes to loving others. If someone does something against me, or something I think is "against" me, let's just say you don't wanna be on my bad side. And I'm talking little things too. For example, if I ask my brother to fix me a drink, and he says no... well let's just say I don't show him the love he deserves. But do we deserve love after all?

No we don't, but God showed us grace by sending his only son to die in our place... loving us the way we don't deserve.

I like what it says in Matthew 5:43-48;
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rian on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

As believers we must be as Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may descern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." People in the world love one another, right? But we must love even when wrong is being done to us, pray for those who do so! If you get annoyed with some little thing someone is doing, so what! Love them anyways... extend grace to them!

1 Corinthians 13 says;"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. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoings, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child. I thought like a child, I reasonded like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

This is something I really need to work on. Loving others. If you think about me, please pray that God will give me the grace I need to work on this.

In closing I'd like to leave one more verse. 1 John 4:16."So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."
God is love. And what an amazing God he is?!

Hearing and Doing the Word

When we were in VA, I saw a picture GG had with James 1:22 written. My dad has thought us not to just read a verse, but read the verses around it to get the full meaning. So that's what I did.

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger: for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and a keep oneself unstained from the world."
-James 1:19-27 (ESV)
(I looked these scriptures in my dad's ESV study Bible, and orphans and widows is referring to the oppressed.)

Since I have been going thru this storm, I haven't been a doer... I haven't been extending grace to others... or loving them like I should. But this really convicted me. In the ESV study Bible, it says, "1:23-24 Looking intently at his natural face in a mirror and then forgetting what he was like demonstrates the folly of examining oneself in God's "mirror" of the "implanted word" (v.21) and then doing nothing about it (v.22). When one sees imperfections (as when looking in a mirror), common sense says something should be done about it." I want to look in God's "mirror" and do something about it, but only he can give me the grace to do it. This is definitely an EGG.