Summer Days!!
 |
This summers reading list or reading log. I love summer!! I love diving into a good book- Drawing near to the Heart of God! I love doing a study that challenges me - hoping for something BETTER! I love having a reading plan that lasts all year - My Daily reading! I love having a study I do with my best friend of all times, my hubby- Downpour!! What I love best of all is that with each study I learn more and more about The Lord Jesus!
I love how His Word is alive and active. I Love how each time I sit down and clear my head of my to do list, I see with new eyes what He has for me, what genuine faith looks like. I was reading in Acts the other day and found myself staring off and pondering the faith the disciples had to speak in Christ's name for healing the first time. I missed this the first 10 times I have read it. I mean imagine for a minute, you said to a crippled person "Get up and walk" and you put out your hand to help them walk. They have not walked their whole life and just like that they walk! I mean really would you have second guessed yourself for a minute? I would of! Tell a dead person to get up? Oh my! The faith the disciples had. The faith I yearn after. To know Jesus in such a way.
The story is in Acts 3.
I love reading the parenting advise David gives to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.” “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.
The Lord has chosen you believer to build His church. What if we told our kids a paraphrase of this regularly. "Know God the Father, serve Him with a whole heart and willing mind. For the Lord knows your heart and knows your intentions. If you seek Him, He will be found. If you deny Him, He will reject you! The Lord has chosen you! Be strong and courageous! Do not fear! The Lord Your God is with you! He will not fail or forsake you! He will be with you until your work is finished!!" I may need to write each of my kids a note with these instructions on them! What better advise/direction could a parent give to their child.
This summer the message is clear to me - know Him more, draw closer to Him, live a life that has faith not unbelief.
So how do you know your faith is real? Well perfect chapter in "hoping for something BETTER" Nancy says we need to talk about and share what we are learning. So that's what I am doing! After all, this is the reason for my blog, for me to get out what is in my head. The more I can talk about it, the more it will stick into this ADD head of mine.
"The first indicator that our faith is growing is our relationship with the Lord." So I think- Do I spend as much time in the Word as I do getting ready for my day (my looks)? As much as I do exercising? As much as I do watching TV? Why do I not think twice about sitting for a 2 hr movie, but refuse to sit at the Lord's feet for two hours? Or serve my family without complaining in my heart? or plain serve in a way that is not fun, exciting or pleasing to my self? And which one has eternal value? "No appetite for God's word, no delight in chewing on His words, no enjoyment to all the Lord's riches. We would have to ask ourselves if we have really joined ourselves in a love relationship with Him."
Nancy says if our faith is real it should be growing. Am I growing in the Lord? Am I more sensitive to my sin? Cynthia Hearld says "Measure your growth by your sensitivity to sin".
Thinking about us not being able to fall from God's hand once we are a Christ follower gives my heart comfort for what David tells Solomon. In order to Be strong and courageous we must know that God will not let one perish! He has a firm grip on us! He will not let us go! The Lord of the universe wants you, me, our children to grab hold of His promises in this world full of broken promises. Our strength is not in ourselves but in God who has us tight! We must search for Him to find Him and His strength.
I am so encouraged today by these words and want everyone to hear them. I so desperately want my children to hear and believe. My family to hear and believe. The God of this universe loves us so much that He would sacrifice His Son so that we do not have to sacrifice on a daily basis and knowing we will never be good enough without Him. He is the ONLY way to life eternal.
I leave you with Nancy's words the end of chapter 5 - "You can trust the promises of God are strong and sure enough to hold you. Trusting in God's promises is the thrill of a lifetime and evidence that the faith you claim is for real. Let your confidence in his promises give you the courage to grab on to the hope He offers. He will not let you fall."
Trust In Him!!
Comments