Just Breathe

Matthew 24:36

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

 

I love serving a God who keeps track of every tear that rolls down my cheek, and while I am crying, He picks me up into His arms and lets me cry out to Him on His shoulder. My “issues” aren’t too menial, and He isn’t too busy to listen to me. I am so thankful for my Savior.

You are so good to me. Thank you for always listening to me and hearing my cries no matter how big or how small. You are always there for me, and I take comfort in the fact that instead of venting my feelings or botteling them up within myself, I can PRAY my feelings to you, and You my Father are there listening with open arms. 

You are perfect. 

True Conviction or True Condemnation

Tonight I got a text from someone I have only met twice that read this: “I feel like God is saying that it’s okay to keep your eyes on the prize, because that isn’t what is keeping your faith strong. What keeps you close to God is that He loves you, so you simply love Him back. And Jesus has gifts for you because of your obedience. God wants to give you something and it’s yours to have but the enemy is trying to trick you with a conviction that really is just condemnation, and he is a liar.”

Now, I first want to restate that I have met this girl twice, and very briefly at that. She literally knows nothing about me. The fact that this is one hundred percent dead spot on is kind of scary and amazing at the same time. It’s cool to think God see’s my struggles and cares about them so much, that He laid it on this girl’s heart to tell me all of this. 

The Lord told me something very specifically and clearly almost two years ago that I have been praying about ever since. It hasn’t been a smooth ride the whole time, and I know the Lord is changing things in me and preparing me for my future because of it. However, there is one thing in my life I just can’t seem to shake because I literally can’t do it. I’ve struggled with it for a long time and the amount of shame and guilt I feel because of it is sometimes too much for me to handle. In the past few months I have been letting the enemy feed me this lie that God is going to take back this promise because of how long I’ve been struggling. 

However, I now feel like I can finally rest in the fact that I don’t have to earn His blessings in my life. Just like 1 John 4:19 says “we love because He first loved us”, it’s nothing I can earn, it’s something He gives. Yes, I strive to be a true woman of God because I want to make my father proud, and His heart happy but when I fail (and He knows I will) it doesn’t mean that I’m losing out on what He has for me. He knows my heart and He see’s me striving and trying to change. He see’s my obedience and the fact that I want Him to change me. I am focussed on finishing well, but if I fail, I’m forgiven because I serve an understanding grace filled God. 

Thank you for your promises Father. Thank you for seeing my heart before my works, and my works before my sins. Thank you for the freedom you have given me tonight that I am no longer in condemnation of my own faults, but rather living day by day in your light and promises. I love you and I want you more than anything. You fill me up. 

Psalm 32:1

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

John 1:16
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

Psalm 3:8
From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah