He Brings Grace and Truth

"For the law was given to us through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17

Wow! This verse pretty much sums up the whole Bible. God's law was handed down through Moses and his descendents. Jesus was born and replaced the old law. He brought grace to the world simply by having faith in the Lord.

So simple and beautiful. 

Live Like there's No Tomorrow

Love this song by Jason Gray "Good To Be Alive". It came to mind the other day at MOPS where the theme this year is Plunge based on 1 Peter 4:8 "love as if your life depended on it."

"I want to live like there's no tomorrow, love like I'm living on borrowed time"....beautiful lyrics! 

Though I have "down days" there really isn't time for self-pity, guilt or anxiety. I really just need to plunge into life and live like I'm on borrowed time. All the time God has given us here on Earth is a precious gift.

Delight in the LORD

I continue my slow progress on Jonah: Navigating A Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer. I felt defeated this morning when I realized I didn't feel well enough to attend church. I decided that I would not neglect my special Sunday morning time with the Lord and dug out my Jonah study.

I often think that I am very much like Jonah. Could I sleep in a boat in the middle of a storm to avoid facing my disobedience? Umm...probably. I'm actually very good at trying to "sleep away" things. It never seems to work. Life and God catch up with me.

A few points from today's video really struck home. First, Shirer said that sometimes the enemy entices us to do "good things" to avoid doing "God things". In other words, you might be doing some sort of serving (food pantry, Sunday School volunteer, etc) but it's not where (different country, different community, etc.) or with whom (with children, with Women, etc.) God wants you to serve. You are using another "good cause" to ignore God's command to "Arise" and "go" do what he commands. 

The other point that struck home with me was attitude. Jonah didn't really change his feeling toward Ninevah. Even when he finally went to Ninevah and followed God's will he didn't really want to go and help these people know the Lord. Shirer tells us to be like David and ask God to change our hearts.  
"Delight yourself in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart." Ps. 37:4 
Shirer tells us this verse means we should ASK God to help us change the desires of our hearts to meet what the Lord asks us to do. We can do this through delighting in the Lord...submerging ourselves in his Word.

The third and final point that really caught my attention was how you know you are doing God's will. I have been struggling with this a lot lately. I'm very much a YES gal, so when people ask for help I have a hard time saying no. I have slowly learned to say "I will think about it" and pray before saying yes. Okay...so how do we know we're doing God's will? Shirer says that God gives us things that are challenging (outside our comfort zone) BUT that he will provide us the tools we need to get the job done.

I have felt the calling to be a nurse since I was in high school. However, I felt that it should come easy and I wouldn't have to work hard. I also thought it was a good career move because of job stability and pay. Don't get me wrong, I did care for people, but that wasn't my main focus back then. I have tried a few times to become a nurse and each time I hit a road block and ran the other direction. However, I have asked God to direct me these last few years. I've been praying for guidance and strength. I acknowledged that if this is the path He has for me that I can only do it with His help. Amazingly...doors are opening to me. It is still a challenge for me but things are falling into place. It is amazing how things change when you try to give it over to God and put it in His hands.

Dear Lord,
Please guide me and open my heart and mind to the task you have laid before me. Let me know that the journey will not be easy, but that I will have everything I need to serve You.
Amen.