The Tram Ride

So i've been in Albuquerque the past three days visiting the Stoltzfus family, and it's been so uplifting!  Being in a Christian environment is so refreshing.  Megan, Brennan, and Barbara are all a joy to spend my time with.  Yesterday, we went skiing and then on a tram ride to the top of Sandia Peak.  From the top, you could see all of Albuquerque.  We were priveleged with perfect timing, having it light on the tram ride up so we could see the mountains, the sunset while we were at the top, and darkness with the city lights for the ride down!  How beautiful!  While we were on the tram on the way down, we had just seen the most beautiful sunset over the mountains, and i was amazed at God's creation!  As it got darker, and we could see the city lights, i was noticing the cars and how tiny they looked.  You just barely could see white lights moving one direction and red lights moving the other way.  It made me realize how small the cars are from up there, and how much smaller I am.  We were only in one city, in one state, in one country, in comparison with the world!  And though my life is so tiny in comparison with our big world, God cares about the details of my life, the desires of my heart, and loves me more tenderly than any love I've ever experienced.  It also showed me my self-centeredness, when my life is so small!  So often I get so caught up in thinking that everything revolves around my needs and wants...  I'm so thankful for the fellowship and enjoyment I've had the past few days, and for the salvations of all who are in this house!  Friendships that are centered around Christ are lasting, enduring, and loving... how blessed I am to have a number of these!   :)

Psalm 95:3-4  "For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.  In His hands are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.

Psalm 33:6,9 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth.  For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.

What is Trust?

What does it look like to trust completely in God?  Not trust mostly, or in almost every situation, or with almost everything in my life, but COMPLETELY.  I was really learning about the importance of trust this past week at NYC.  I have to trust Him that nothing in my life has been by accident, His plans for me are good, plans to help me and grow me.  I know there are scriptures that confirm this, so I have to believe it. 

Jer 29:11-13  “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” 

·      Do I truly believe that some of the things that have happened to me were truly a part of God’s plan for me?  Do I see the good that has come from them?  If yes, do I rejoice in my trials?  If no, do I pray that God shows me the purpose of my trials?  Am I confident that His plans for me prosper me, even if I don’t understand how at the time?  Am I seeking Him with all my heart?

Rom 8:28   “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…”

·      All things work for the good, not all things are good.  God has allowed it to happen.  He has ultimate authority, and He allowed it to happen for some reason, that is for our own good.  This is where trust comes in.  There are endless possibilities of purpose behind trials, and we are called to trust Him that He has purpose behind everything, even if it seems that nothing good could possibly come out of it. 

Gen 50:20  Joseph says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

·      It may seem that it is only harmful, and something from another person may have been intended from them to harm us, but God allowed it to happen because He intended that harmful situation for good.  He always has purpose.  Nothing is just by chance, God is working in our hearts to advance His kingdom.

John 14:1  Jesus tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in Me.”

·      Trusting in God is not optional, it is commanded by Jesus Christ himself.

Prov 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”

·      Trust Him not just sometimes, or mostly, or with almost everything, but with ALL YOUR HEART. I cannot lean on my own understanding, because so often I am seeing out of the lens of a small child, and it is my Father who knows what is best for me.  I have to trust that He will take care of me and that His understanding is far greater than my own!

 God, I pray that You help me to trust in You completely, and to have confidence in You through all places in my life.  Through the highs and the lows, Lord You are working for my good through everything… not most things- but everything.  Convince me of this!  I love You.  Amen.

Heheee

God, thank You for laughter, for senses of humor, and for being able to goof around and find fun in doing "the smile."  hahahaaaa   

Fighting Sin

I have really been struggling with fighting sin recently.  It’s like Paul talks about in Romans 7, when I “do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.”  Especially in the moment, I get so tempted!  My flesh is so good at tempting me with what seems to be so appealing!  But the other day, I was listening to some worship music, and one line in particular stood out to me.  It said:  “my sin weighed upon His shoulders.”  I got a very vivid image in my head.  Jesus has been beaten and tormented, and is extremely weak.  He is trying to carry His cross, but is falling underneath its weight.  He is struggling to get up.  That’s where I come in… MY sin is weighing Him down, is upon His shoulders!  My choices, my thoughts, my actions-  He died for that.  I burdened Him.  My name was written in His blood.  That sacrifice was personal.  When I think of myself pushing him down as he tries to get up, it brings tears to my eyes.  I have to ask God to help me fight my sin, and to learn to hate my sin and see it as He does.  I have to ask Him to make me new even though my flesh fails every single day, to cleanse me of my dirty heart, to make me clean in Him.  I love Him and want to fight my sin for Him, but I cannot do it on my own!  I thank Him for the power of the Holy Spirit, that lives inside me and helps me to do these things that I cannot do on my own.  I have to ask Him to convict me of my sin, help me to see it as painful for Christ, as disgusting in His sight, as something that separated me from Him, and to help me commit to fighting my sin every single day, that it is important to me in every single moment.  When I am tempted, and the image of my sin seems so appealing to me, I have to learn to replace that image with the image of Christ struggling to get up with His cross, and MY SIN weighing down upon His shoulders.  With that image in mind, my sin disgusts me, and I have motivation to fight it with every ounce of strength inside me.  Thank You, Jesus, for taking my punishment for me, and making me free in You!