"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:7-8

Friday, November 2, 2012

Soothing Words

It has been a tough week as a mom and teacher. I'm not gonna lie. I'm tempted to wallow in the mistakes, failures and difficulties. That's just how I'm wired and have to fight against it! I could blame it on many different things and make all sorts of excuses. However, these words from my devotional remind me that I must look forward and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. I'm SO encouraged by the Spirit leading me to these truths. I hope it encourages you too.

From Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling" devotional written as if Jesus was 
speaking to YOU and ME. (Excerpts from two different days.)
"Do not be discouraged by the difficulty of keeping your focus on Me. I know that your heart's desire is  to be aware of My presence continually. This is a lofty goal; you aim toward it but never fully achieve it in this life. Don't let feelings of failure weigh you down. Instead try to see yourself as I see you. First of all, I am delighted by your deep desire to walk closely with Me through your life." Sarah Young

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." 
Hebrews 4:14-16

"Grow strong in the Light of My Presence.  Your weakness does not repel Me. On the contrary, it attracts My Power, which is always available to flow into a yielded heart. Do not condemn yourself for your constant need of help. Instead come to Me with your gaping neediness; let the Light of My Love fill you. A yielded heart does not whine or rebel when the going gets rough. It musters the courage to thank Me even during hard times. Yielding yourself to My will is ultimately an act of trust." 
Sarah Young

"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:19-20

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." Isaiah 30:15

After a rough week and feeling stuck in the trap of ungratefulness and whining, how perfect that God points me back to this verse from Isaiah that I've been meditating on in 2012!!! This time, what sticks out to me is "quietness." Being a verbal processor, I am NOT quiet. I grumble and complain when things don't go the way I want. Oh how I know God would be blessed if I would submit to Him in the hard times and demonstrate my trust with a quietness that is so unlike me. Hoping and praying He teaches me how to do this. His word is so refreshing to my soul. 

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