CRAZY TRUTH

I AM SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, NOT BY MY OWN DOING, BUT BECAUSE OF THE MERCY OF JESUS. I AM WEAK, INCONSISTENT, SINFUL, JUDGMENTAL, HYPOCRITICAL, AND SELF-SEEKING. LUCKILY, THERE IS A SAVIOR WHO DIED FOR ME EVEN WHEN I WAS SINNING. HE KNEW HOW MANY TIMES IN MY LIFE THAT I WOULD REJECT HIM, HE KNEW HOW OFTEN I WOULD CHOOSE TO WORSHIP THE WORLD OVER HIM. HE IS PATIENT, GRACIOUS, CONSTANT, FORGIVING, KIND, POWERFUL, ALL-KNOWING, AND MERCIFUL. THERE IS NOTHING I COULD DO TO EARN HIS LOVE, YET HE CONTINUES TO LET ME COME RUNNING BACK TO HIM.

THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO TO EARN HIS FORGIVENESS OR HIS LOVE BESIDES SURRENDERING OUR LIFE TO HIM. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE THAT HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL SATISFY- THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BRING US FROM DEATH TO LIFE, AND THEN REPENT FROM OUR SINS. WE WILL NEVER BE PERFECT, WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE, BUT WE MUST LET HIM BE THE LORD OF OUR LIFE. WE MUST LET GO OF THE THINGS OF OUR FLESH AND RUN TOWARDS HIS WILL FOR OUR LIVES. JOHN 7:17 SAYS "IF ANYONE'S WILL IS TO DO GOD'S WILL, HE WILL KNOW WHETHER THE TEACHING IS FROM GOD OR WHETHER I AM SPEAKING ON MY OWN AUTHORITY."

HOW DEEPLY HE KNOWS US

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Psalms 139: 1-12, 16 NIV

JESUS IS PERFECT AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND YET HE SEARCHES US. HE DISCERNS OUR THOUGHTS FROM AFAR AND HE KNOWS US SO DEEPLY. WE CANNOT ESCAPE HIS PRESENCE. WE DO NOT NEED TO "GET OUR ACT TOGETHER" BEFORE RUNNING TO HIM BECAUSE EVEN OUR DARKNESS IS NOT TOO DARK FOR HIM. HE IS SO RIDICULOUSLY FORGIVING AND WE ARE SO LUCKY TO EXPERIENCE HIS PRESENCE.

AN ALMIGHTY GOD KNOWS ME FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

AN ALMIGHTY GOD WANTS ME.

AN ALMIGHTY GOD SEARCHES ME.

AN ALMIGHTY GOD YEARNS FOR ME.

COME AS YOU ARE

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

AS BROKEN HUMANS, WE THINK WE NEED TO GET OUR LIVES TOGETHER BEFORE COMING TO JESUS. WE AVOID PRAYER WHEN WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF IT BECAUSE WE WORRY THAT OUR PRAYERS WON'T SOUND "GOOD ENOUGH" FOR GOD TO HEAR THEM. WE MISS THE POINT OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHEN WE ARE SO FOCUSED ON OURSELVES.

I THINK WE JUST CONFUSE OURSELVES. WE KNOW HOW UNWORTHY WE ARE OF KNOWING HIM BUT WE ALSO THINK THERE IS A WAY TO MAKE OURSELVES WORTHY. WE TRY TO DRESS OURSELVES UP FOR JESUS WHILE HE IS WATCHING US DO IT. ISN'T IT FUNNY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT? HE KNOWS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR THOUGHTS, SINS, TENDENCIES, AND DESIRES- YET WE STILL TRY TO HIDE OR PUT ON A MASK. THERE ARE NO FANCY, RIGHT WORDS THAT WILL MAKE US CLOSER TO HIM BECAUSE HE ALREADY KNOWS OUR HEART- HE ALREADY KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT US- HE ALREADY CHOSE US. THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE DIED FOR US WHILE WE WERE SINNING AND HAS NEVER CHANGED HIS MIND. WE CANNOT SURPRISE OR SHOCK HIM.

SO LET HIM IN, LET HIM KNOW YOU, LET HIM IN TO ALL OF YOUR BROKENNESS . LET HIM HOLD YOU IN THE MIDST OF YOUR MESS. HE IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN YOUR SIN AND HE IS SO EAGER TO TAKE AWAY SELF- CONDEMNATION AS YOU REPENT.

BOASTING IN OUR WEAKNESSES FOR HIS GLORY

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV

WHEN WE BRUTALLY CONDEMN OURSELVES FOR OUR WEAKNESSES & SINS, WE DIMINISH WHAT JESUS DID FOR US ON THE CROSS. THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE SHOULD ABUSE HIS GRACE OR WILLINGLY SIN, BUT IT MEANS THAT WHEN WE SIN "He gives more grace" (James 4:6). THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONVICTION AND CONDEMNATION- JESUS WANTS OUR HEART TO BREAK FOR WHAT BREAKS HIS HEART- BUT OVERALL GOD WANTS US TO GLORIFY HIM IN OUR BROKENNESS & WORSHIP HIM FOR HIS UNDENIABLE PERFECTION.

THE EMPTINESS OF BEING DESIRED BY THE WORLD :

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

James 4:3-4 ESV

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “No one 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.”

Matthew 6:21, 24 ESV

THIS IS ONE OF MY BIGGEST SIN STRUGGLES. I WANT TO BE WANTED. I WANT TO BE NOTICED AND SEEN AND DESIRED AND IMPORTANT. I WANT TO BE SEEN AS WISE, SUCCESSFUL, IMPORTANT, FUNNY, ETC. I KNOW MY OVERALL WORTH IS FOUND IN JESUS, BUT I WASTE A LOT OF TIME CARING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS. CONTINUOUSLY, I TRY TO FILL THE VOID WITH TANGIBLE THINGS ON EARTH AND BECOME A FRIEND OF THE WORLD/ AN ENEMY OF GOD.

HOW LUCKY AM I TO BE DISAPPOINTED BY THE WORLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN? EVERY TIME I TRY TO FEED MY NEED TO BE DESIRED, I AM REMINDED THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO SATISFIES. I HATE WHEN I RUN AWAY FROM GOD, BUT I AM SO THANKFUL FOR HIS FORGIVENESS! HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO SATISFIES AND THANKFULLY I CAN STILL GLORIFY HIS GOODNESS IN MY WEAKNESS!

THE PEACE OF JESUS

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4, 6-7 ESV

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Matthew 6:30 ESV

JESUS IS FAITHFUL TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS IF THEY ARE GLORIFYING TO HIM. HE IS SO GRACIOUS TO LET US SEE HIM WORK. I OFTEN SPEND MY DAYS TRYING TO HAVE CONTROL OVER MY CIRCUMSTANCES. I NEGLECT GOD'S WILL SO THAT I CAN TRY TO FULFILL MY OWN. TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I END UP SUPER ANXIOUS AND ALSO LACKING PEACE. BUT WHEN I LET JESUS IN AND ALLOW HIM TO HAVE A VOICE IN MY LIFE, HE IS SO FAITHFUL TO LET ME WITNESS HIS UNEXPLAINABLE PEACE AND WISDOM. HE IS SO MAGICAL IN THE MIDST OF OUR UNWORTHINESS.