Category: Bible

From my earliest memories, I was a teacher’s pet.  I loved the feeling of answering my teacher’s questions and hearing, “Good job, Kim.  You’re so smart.”  I loved receiving the end-of-year awards, walking with pride across the stage.  I wanted desperately to be admired, to be important, to be valued.

As I grew older, I found my approval in boys.  When I was 13, I had my first boyfriend.  He was just the first in an unending series of boys, one after another, who I thought could fill a void in my life.  Boys made me feel pretty, attractive and valued.

I see now that that void was never meant to be filled by any man or the praises of any man.  I see now that no matter how hard I tried, no matter how good my grades were, or how high my ACT score was – it was never enough.  I could never score high enough to be “enough.”  There was always someone quicker, someone smarter, someone better.  No matter how much of myself I’d give away, no matter how hard I tried to please the guy I was with at any given moment – it was never enough.  There was always someone prettier, someone funnier, someone better.

Till I found Jesus.  Jesus loved me just the way I was, and He loves me now for just who I am.  I don’t have to try harder, do more, or be better.  I don’t have to “make Him like me.”  God has already demonstrated His immense love for me, in that while I was STILL a sinner, He sent His own son, Jesus Christ, to die for me. (Romans 5:8).  Jesus deeply values me, paying the price for my sins by His own death on the cross.

This, friends, is love.  This is love.  This is true love.  This is love without conditions.  This is love that truly is unending, unfailing and forever.  It began before I was born, and it will continue even after I’ve left this earth.

And do you know what’s even more incredible?  This love isn’t just available to me. It’s available to YOU.

You don’t have to be the smartest or the prettiest.  You don’t have to be better at all.  This love isn’t only available to “the few, the proud, the Marines.” It’s available to you.

Jesus doesn’t just love ME, friend.  He loves YOU.  And He longs for you to love Him back.

I’ll leave you with a song by Phil Wickham that has me in tears, “Till I Found You.”

“Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your many blessings, see what God has done.”

When my oldest two children were preschoolers, we’d drive around town in our Toyota van singing along with catchy Christian children’s songs, like this one.  This idea of “counting my blessings” has further been encouraged by the current gratitude journal craze, where I’m encouraged to number out the blessings of my day.

So, I begin.  “Thank you, God, for mymany blessings …”

1. Jesus

2. Bill

3. Emily

4. Nick

5. Noelle

6. Daniel

But, wait, there’s something missing from this list … or, rather, someone missing.  In fact, two names are missing from this list.

Where are my two babies who died before they were born?  Where is my “baby #1,” miscarried just months after we were married?  Where is my son, Tommy, born still 20 years ago today?  Why aren’t their names on this list?  Why is it so easy for me to skip over their names when I’m counting my blessings? I know that the scriptures tell me to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a). So, what should I do?

I choose to make myself look up with eyes open wide for God’s hand carrying me through each day. I choose to look ahead, looking forward to the coming rewards like Moses who “considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:26).  Like Hebrews 11:6, “without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

These coming rewards may take the form of earthly blessings, like Job being blessed with more cattle and more children after he’d lost them all.  Or they may take the form of heavenly rewards, like those referred to in 1 Corinthians 3:14.  Or they may take the form of greater faith and confidence in God, like James 1:2-3, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”  We may not “count it all joy” for the trials, so much as finding joy for the result of them.

I, for one, know that my faith has grown deeper and stronger because of Tommy’s untimely death. That baby’s short life — and painful death — began a new trajectory in my life.  I wanted Heaven to be real more desperately than ever before.  I watched for God’s hand in my daily life more than ever before.  I searched the scriptures because they were bread for my soul, like never before.

Look up, look forward and look back.  God is with you.  Look for him.  Keep your eyes wide open and see Him work!  God is keeping count of your tears in a bottle. (Psalm 56:8 ESV).  He has not forgotten you.  “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” (Isaiah 49:15-16a ESV)

Let me leave you with two songs.  “Counting Every Blessing” by Rend Collective; and “Blessings” by Laura Story

For more, check out my website at www.AChildofPromise.org

I’ve been working through Kelly Hall’s excellent study guide, “Courageous Faith.” Today I’m pondering this question: “Is my faith FOUNDATIONAL or CONDITIONAL?” Kelly writes, “Foundational faith believes God’s character remains unchanged regardless of our changing circumstances.”

Today I choose to put my faith in God even when it’s hard, when the days are long and my prayers are not answered immediately. I believe that God is real, that He exists and that He knows me. I believe that He will never leave me or forsake me. I believe that He is able to do more than I can ask or imagine.

How about you? How can I pray for you? Are you struggling today to believe that God sees you, hears you and knows your every innermost need? How can you choose today to make your faith foundational, rather than conditional?
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#foundationalfaith #courageousfaith #faith #evangelicalatheisttoevangelicalchristian

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?” – Isaiah 40:12-13 ESV

I am 20 pages into, “None like Him,” by Jen Wilkin. It is reminiscent of “Knowledge of the Holy,” by A.W. Tozer, an all-time favorite of mine.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Wilkin’s words, “Who has measured everything? God has. Who has measured God? No one.” Let that sink into your heart and mind.

I must accept that, like all of God’s creations, I have limits, and boundaries, places I cannot reach. I cannot be two places at once. I cannot hear a thousand distinct voices at once. I cannot accomplish a multitude of different tasks at once.

But, God can. And He does.

God is without limit, infinite, immeasurable.

And, yet, He loves us. And, yet, He loves ME. He enters into time and space to show His love and goodness to His finite creation.

And all that I can do in response is praise Him.

Would you praise Him with me?

TWIG

This testimony resonated in my heart for so many reasons.
1. I am a former atheist.
2. I have a deep love for the Chinese people.
3. God uses His people and His Word to turn hearts.

How often do we toil all night, like Peter did, and catch no fish?

And how often do we not want to listen to the Lord because we’ve already been toiling so much and we’re worn out from all our striving?

Friends, as we cast all our cares on Him, as we take up our cross and follow Him, as we take His yoke upon our own shoulders and learn from Him, we can be co-laborers with God. Wow!

I pray we would all remember what a great privilege and responsibility it is to be laborers in the Harvest. I pray we would also remember that He is the crew chief, the great Shepherd, the Lord and King over the harvest. He is who tells us where to go and He is ultimately who causes the fruit to grow and the fish to fill the nets.

TWIG

Yesterday afternoon I enjoyed a “Family Lunch” with many in my church family. At the lunch I was visiting with my new friend, Dean Nicholson. She was sharing how she felt that God’s word was a treasure.

It reminded me of Psalm 119:11 that I have hidden (stored up) God’s word in my heart that I might not sin against him.

As I’m meditating more on this, consider the words of Psalm 19:7-10 (ESV)

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Then I was having some rest time and reading a book by Mark Cahill titled, “The Watchmen.” It is a super encouraging, and convicting, read. He wrote,

“People traveled all across America to get to the West Coast for the Gold Rush, but would you walk two steps over to your bookcase and crack open the eternal Word of God which is more precious than gold?”

Which reminded me of Luke 16:13,

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

How often are we choosing the pursuit of money over the pursuit of God?

To be honest, I don’t think I’m often caught by the money bug. For me, I’m more often caught by the fear of man and by simple selfishness.

Which reminds me of God’s word to the angel of the church in Laodicea, in Revelation 3:15-21

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

I give thanks to God for inviting me to His table and I look forward to that day when I will be honored to sit with Him at His throne, but in the meantime I want to be about my Father’s business of making disciples. And I can only do that if I am faithful to His Word, myself.