What has God done for you?

  “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. ~Luke 8:39

'Praise God from whom all blessing flow.  Praise Him. all creatures here below. Praise Him, above ye heavenly host.  Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

I remember singing this hymn in church and it is so fitting for the overwhelming gratitude that I have for God.  As the scriptures says ..tell how how much God has done for you and that's what I'm going to do today.

First, He saved my life by dying on a cross and rising again.  He gave me a new name and a new identity that is found in him alone.  He allows me to be in relationship with Him and He is a friend like no other.

Second, He heals me.  I put that in present tense because I have an autoimmune disease that creates issues of various kinds, but every time I ask for a healing and relief, my God comes through.  Just this weekend, my eye was red and in pain.  Light aggravated the pain.  I prayed and asked for prayers from the intercessors in my church.  On the third day, I was healed.  Praise God.   He heals me from my anxiety and allows me to function and work.  I made to the end of another school year.  Year 30 for me.  Isn't God good.

Third, He has blessed me grace and favor.  Not just me, but my family. He has proven to me over and over again that His promises are "Yes and Amen".  He does this daily.  He is with me at all times, good or challenging.  He sees me through and He takes care of my family, nuclear and extended.

There are more than a million things that God does for me. From helping me locate crucial documentation that I thought was lost to letting me receive confirmation that I'm doing the right thing. He is a gracious Father and I love Him.  I just wanted someone to know.

Lord, thank You for blessing me and keeping me.  Thank You for love.  May I testify of your goodness.  In Jesus name.  Amen

Who owes who?

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. ~Ephesians 2:8-9

Yesterday, I was reminded of something very powerful.  God can never and will never be indebted to me.  Hearing these words took me back to a point in my life where I turned away from God because I unknowingly had this mindset.  

I looked at my life and saw personal relationships crumbling and blamed God.  I thought that since I was doing things "the right way" that it somehow would exempt me from hardships.  I thought God owed me when the reality is that I owed Him everything.  I still do.

Christ died on the Cross for me while I was yet a sinner.  He loved me before I loved Him.  He loves me even when I go the wrong way.  He loves me enough to correct me and bring me back to Himself restoring the relationship that we have.

The "work" I do and the holy life I tried to lead is my reasonable service to God.  It is my duty that I do in response to His great love for me.  It is not done for recognition or praise.  I can't earn my salvation.  I can't earn my freedom.  That is a gift given freely by God because of His grace and mercy.  The blessings I receive are a bonus and I am grateful.

Lord, thank You for Your word and Your truth.  Help me to have the right heart posture and mindset towards You and the work I do in Your Kingdom.  Keep me humble and bowed before You.  May You alone receive the glory. In Jesus name.  Amen.

Give Thanks

 "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." ~Psalm 9:1-2

This week I got a letter from my future me.  It was a email I wrote in December to be delivered in 

May.  It said  "Look at God.  Give thanks.  The Lord has brought you this far. 

With all your imperfections, God loves you. You have made an impact.  Don't give up. "

As my school year winds down I can look back and see all the ways the God has kept me and my 

students.  As the psalmist says, I recount all His wonderful deeds.  I remember His faithfulness and

His promise to never leave me.  I recount His promise to give me rest.  I remember His grace and

His mercy.  I remember the opportunities He gave me to be a witness to my students and 

colleagues.

God is great and greatly to be praised.  He is to be worshipped with a whole heart.  He is deserving

of my thanks and gratitude.  Thank You Jesus.  Thank You Lord.

Father, I thank You for your covering.  I thank You for blessings and goodness You have shown

to me.  I give You thanks and I give You praise.  In the holy name of Jesus. Amen

Confessions

 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  ~Hebrews 10:25

Today's blog is a big ouch for me as I am convicted of this very thing.  I am a believer who loves the Lord and His people, but I find myself avoiding the attendance of church.   I have my reasons, but God is clear, we are to meet up and assemble.  We do this to encourage one another.  I know this to be true because when I do go I am encouraged by  seeing my sisters in Christ worship the Lord.  The sweet aroma of Jesus is all around and it nourishes my soul.

I know this to be true, yet I still have little desire outside my want to please God to go. While I am actively involved in ministries at my church, something is missing.   There is a disconnect.  I love the Lord and I know that He is good. I watch sermons from other pastors.  Guess what they talk about the assembling of the saints too.  So I know God is talking to me.  Yet I stay stubborn. What does this say about me?  My mind can go down a rabbit hole, but I know that I am loved by God.  He is working on my heart and my mind.  He's not letting me get comfortable with this sin.

Why am I sharing a dark corner of my soul?  I am  sharing it because I need to walk in the light of God's truth. I need to expose it so I can come to a point or repentance.  I want to be with like minded hearts so that I can be strengthened in the battle.  

Lord, I know better, yet week after week I fail.  I know its only hurting me so I pray for forgiveness.  Help me to not isolate, but rather insulate myself with my fellow brother's and sisters.  Help me to honor Your word.  In Jesus name. Amen

Run the race

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ~Hebrews 12:1

This past weekend my church celebrated Women's Empowerment.  The theme was "Women Running to Win".  Our background scripture was 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  We had two dynamic guest speakers and there were some things that stood out to me.  One was the admonishment to get in position.  When I think about position, I think about posture.  In a race where runners sprint,  they often get into starting blocks to set their feet right into a position where they can spring into action.  Whereas in a long distance race, the runners angle their body with one forward, again ready to spring into action.  So what is the position of a believer who is running the Christian race?  I believe its one of prayer as our hearts are yielding to God and getting the strength to spring into action.  To put one foot in one of another.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24 it tells us to run in such a way as to get the prize.  You can get the prize if you do not finish the race.  The race we run as believers is not a sprint, but a marathon.  Legs get tired, breathing can become labored, but that's why we train.  We stay in the word so we can get our second wind.  We stay connected to the Spirit so that we can receive strength and power to endure.  We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.  We remember the those that have come before use and finished the race in faith.  They encourage us to stay strong, to keep moving.  I might be the tortoise, but I will finish the race.

I have been waking up feeling absolutely physically and mentally drained.  I wanted to quit today, but I pressed on and prayed for energy.  I can tell you that walking in the will of God energizes you and reminds you to stay in the race.  As one pastor noted, you have to start the race to run it and as the elders have said "I think I am going to run on to see what the end will be".  I'm laying down fatigue and breathing in Jesus.  I am laying down the lies of the enemy saying I can't do it.  I'm laying down any sin that would add unnecessary weight to me.  I am in position; seeking God's face and wisdom.  I am springing into action.  I aiming to win the prize.   

Lord, I thank You for Your Word that reminds me to run the race and finish strong.  I pray for those that have not yet begun the race, may they enter in relationship with You and gain the best coach ever.  May those of us running the race endure until the end.  May we win the prize.  May our running making an impact on the lives of others.  In Jesus name I do pray.  Amen