Posts Tagged ‘Live’
No Matter What the Cost
Posted on: 7-15-112015
Most of us, as Christians, would die for Christ without hesitation. The question we have to ask ourselves is, “Will we live for Him without hesitation?” Dying for Him is not our problem…it’s living for Him that we tend to struggle with. We may adamantly declare our devotion to Him, but are we really willing to live for Him no matter what the cost? What if the cost to live for Him is to love our enemies…those who have hurt us, harmed us, and would destroy us without one ounce of remorse? What if the cost to live for Him is forgiveness…even when the one who receives our forgiveness doesn’t even care that they hurt us? What if the cost to live for Him is living a life without prejudice of any kind? What if the cost to live for Him is humility…always considering others ahead of ourselves? What if the cost to live for Him means walking by blind faith instead of by sight? What if the cost to live for Him means giving up our plans to follow His? What if the cost to follow Him means a life with no room for bitterness, anger, resentment, or jealousy? What if the cost to follow Him means giving up our pride and arrogance? What if the cost to follow Him means dying to our self…crucifying our own wants and desires in order to make room for His will? Is Jesus worth the cost? Are you willing to pay the price for Him? How can we not? After all, He has certainly paid an even greater price for us than we will ever be called to pay for following Him.
“He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Mark 8:34
God’s Great Sacrifice
Posted on: 7-15-112015
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we have had four family members pass away in recent months. On the night before my dad passed away, a family member and I stayed up all night watching over him. We spent some time talking about my dad, as well as the three other family members who passed away before him. One of the things that we talked about was the fact that, if we could have, we would have gladly taken any one of their places. If losing our life would have kept them alive, we would have done it in a heartbeat. Most of us feel that way about our loved ones. We wouldn’t even have to think about it. We would sacrifice ourselves in the blink of an eye. While sacrificing myself for my loved ones would come easily, I have to ask myself if I would sacrifice myself for my worst enemy. Would I be willing to die in their place? Probably not! Now, let’s take this one step further…would I be willing to sacrifice my child for a loved one? Would I be able to give him/her up so that another loved one could live? Those are tough questions. I wouldn’t be able to do it as easily as if I were sacrificing myself, and to be completely honest, I don’t know if I could ever do it. What about my worst enemy? Would I ever be able to sacrifice my child in order for my worst enemy to live? My mind cannot conceive any scenario in which I would give up my beloved child for my enemy. However, isn’t that just what God did for us? Didn’t He sacrifice Jesus for us without hesitation? Didn’t He turn His back on His Son so that He never had to turn His back on us? Didn’t He allow Him to die so that we could live? And He allowed Him to die in our place even when we were His enemies. I don’t know if I will ever be able to fully grasp how He did it or truly appreciate how hard it must have been for Him. What I do know is that it was the greatest sacrifice ever made and I need to live my life every single day being grateful for the price that was paid for me.
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Posted on: 7-15-112014
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My ten month old grandson has recently started taking a few steps at a time. We are all so excited and spend a great deal of time watching him practice his new skill. When he takes a few steps and falls down, we clap and cheer for him and he just flashes us the biggest grin. We applaud every effort he makes. When he falls down, we simply pick him up, hug him, help him get his balance, and encourage him to do it all over again. We would never think of condemning him for falling or for only being able to take a step or two. We know this is new territory for him and he has not mastered this milestone just yet. In much the same way, God watches us as we take new “steps” of faith. We can find ourselves in new territory that we have not yet mastered. Our new territory may be a new job, the death of a loved one, a broken marriage, health problems, or anything that takes us out of our comfort zone. Our steps are very unsure and we can fall down more than we can stand when we encounter these new situations. However, we can rest assured that God is standing by watching us as we take each step in faith. He applauds our efforts and praises every victory. When we fall down (and we will), He doesn’t condemn us for falling. Instead, He gently picks us up, dusts us off, helps us to regain our balance, and encourages us to take another step. He knows our steps of faith are a work in progress and He patiently and lovingly guides us each moment of the way.
“For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our Guide even to death.” Psalm 48:14
First Steps
Posted on: 7-15-112014
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A few weeks ago someone told me I had to understand that some people had “real” problems. I’m not sure what kind of problems she thinks I have (or don’t have), but I can assure you they are very “real”. They may not be the same as the problems she is having, but they are definitely real. Every single one of us can attest to the fact that we face problems in our lives. Sometimes those problems are minor, but sometimes, they are earth-shattering! Sometimes those problems are resolved quickly and sometimes those problems linger for what seems like an eternity. Sometimes those problems can be resolved with little effort, but sometimes resolution comes only after much pain and heartache. No matter what kind of problem we are facing, we have a Father who is ready, willing, and able to come to our rescue and help us make it through. He gives us the strength we need to keep on going when we think we cannot possibly go on one more step. He gives us the courage to face our trials head on instead of allowing them destroy us. He gives us the grace we need to endure those trials even if He just gives it to us one breath at a time. No matter where you are right now, God’s grace can and will find you and it is more than enough to carry you through whatever you’re facing.
“Your Grace Finds Me” by Matt Redman
It’s there in the newborn cry
There in the light of every sunrise
There in the shadows of this life
Your great grace
It’s there on the mountain top
There in the everyday and the mundane
There in the sorrow and the dancing
Your great grace
Oh such grace
[CHORUS:]
From the creation to the cross
There from the cross into eternity
Your grace finds me, yes your grace finds me
It’s there on a wedding day
There in the weeping by the graveside
There in the very breath we breathe
Your great grace
The same for the rich and poor
The same for the saint and for the sinner
Enough for this whole wide world
Your great grace
Oh such grace
There in the darkest night of the soul
There in the sweetest songs of victory
Your grace finds me
Yes your grace finds me
Your great grace
Oh such grace
Your great grace
Oh such grace
So I’m breathing in Your grace
And breathing out Your praise
I’m breathing in Your grace
Forever I’ll be
God’s Grace Will Find You
Posted on: 7-15-112014
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“Sometimes when you wonder why you can’t hear God’s voice during your trials, remember the teacher is always silent during a test.”
I’ve seen the quote above many times, but when I came across it a few days ago, it really jumped out at me. Recently I have been going through some trials in which I feel like God is keeping completely silent. I keep begging for answers, but feel like I am getting no response. I keep waiting for Him to reveal His plan to me, yet no plan has been shared with me as of yet. Some moments, I dig deep and hold on in faith waiting for Him, while other moments I fall completely apart. Tonight is one of those nights when His silence is deafening! I am more than ready for this “test” to be over and for my Teacher to give me the answers I am seeking. However, it is apparent that God isn’t ready to give me those answers just yet. Maybe I’m not ready for the answers He is going to give me, so He’s waiting until I am able to handle it. Maybe He’s working in not only my life, but the lives of others as well, to pave the way for His plans to come to pass. Maybe He’s teaching me to pry my grip off of things that I have no control over and trust Him to take care of it. Maybe He’s going to use this difficult time in my life to equip me to help someone else down the road. Who knows what God is up to? I certainly don’t! However, what I do know is that, even in His silence, He is present! He has not left me or abandoned me! I do know that, even in His silence, He has a purpose and a plan being carried out, and I know that His purpose and His plan will never fail me. I know that everything He does is for my good…even when it feels like it is going to destroy me! I do know that, even in His silence, He hears me and He knows every moment of my struggle. I also know that, even in His silence, His grace is enough to see me through!
“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
When God is Silent
Posted on: 7-15-112014
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Yesterday at church, my pastor told us about a sinkhole in Bowling Green, Kentucky that had caved in beneath the National Corvette Museum. At one point, 8 Corvettes had fallen into the sinkhole. Museum personnel have been working with a team of excavators to try to recover these automobiles whose value has yet to be determined. They have successfully recovered 5 of the cars at this time, but 3 remain trapped in the sinkhole. A spokesperson for the museum reported that one of the cars that remains in the sinkhole had an estimated value of one and a half million dollars. Right now, the museum personnel is at a standstill in determining how to proceed because the team of excavators doesn’t want to continue the recovery process. They are afraid that any further recovery efforts may cause the sinkhole to cave in even more. Understandably, they don’t want to risk their lives in an attempt to recover these cars, no matter how valuable they are. Our pastor used this story as a symbol of how we’re all in a sinkhole on the verge of collapse…the sinkhole of our sin. As I thought about this analogy, I had to agree that we are all trapped by our sin with no way out on our own. However, unlike these Corvettes, there is Someone who was willing to brave the “sinkhole” in an effort to save us…Jesus! He looked upon us in the deepest, darkest sinkhole of sin that we could get ourselves in to and He knew that He couldn’t leave us there. He knew He had to come and rescue us…even if it cost Him His life, which it did. He knew that we would be rescued from the “sinkhole” of our sin, but He also knew full well that He would die saving us. He knew that the full weight of our sin would fall upon Him and crush Him. Knowing all of this, He still willingly went to the cross to rescue us for, unlike the Corvettes who can have a monetary value placed upon them, we are of infinite value to Him.
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
Trapped in a Sinkhole
Posted on: 7-15-112014
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Yesterday, my 7 month old grandson and I walked in our first 5K, which is a little over 3 miles. When I signed us up for the race a couple of weeks ago, I set a goal for us to finish in under 45 minutes. Now, on my own, I knew that I could walk it in under 45 minutes, but pushing him in a stroller and having to take into account whether or not he was going to cooperate was a different story. He and I have been walking together since he was 3 days old, but he usually is ready to get out of the stroller after about 2 miles, especially now that he’s crawling everywhere. He likes to be on the move and being confined in a stroller doesn’t always fit into his plan. Thankfully, he made it the whole way without any difficulty! I had to stop a couple of times to readjust his toys, but other than that, I didn’t have any problems. I am very happy to say that we beat our goal with time to spare and were the first walkers to finish. I am proud that we beat our goal and am already working on setting a new goal for our next 5K in May. As Christians, we need to set a goal for ourselves as well…the goal of becoming more like Christ each day. It doesn’t happen overnight…it is something we have to work on each day. Just as my grandson and I had to get out and walk every day in order to prepare for the 5K, we have to practice being Christlike each day. It takes effort because it doesn’t come naturally to us. We have to purposefully choose to allow Him to change our actions, our attitudes, our thoughts, our beliefs, and our emotions. We have to purposefully spend time with Him each day so that we truly know Him, for if we don’t know Him, we have no hope of being transformed into His image. We have to decide to lay down our own wants and desires and allow Him to replace them with His own. None of this is easy…it takes diligence and perseverance. We have to keep our eyes focused on the prize of being made more like Him. Just like there were days I really didn’t feel like walking, there are days we just don’t feel like being a reflection of Christ. It’s more convenient to just be our natural selves. However, when we keep our eyes focused on Him, it becomes easier and easier each day. The longer we walk with Christ, the more natural it is for us to be like Christ. When the going gets tough, focus on Him. He will give you everything you need to finish the race with an amazing victory!
“Not that I have attained or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12 – 14
Pressing Forward to Meet the Goal
Posted on: 7-15-112014
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Recently, one of my best friends welcomed her first grandbaby into the world. It was a very exciting time and they were very thankful to God for their new addition. In the same week, someone I know suffered the loss of her father. Although it was a very difficult time, the family was very thankful to God that he was no longer suffering. In both of these instances, thanks was given to God for His hand at work in each situation. We often see the evidence of God’s work in the “big” things in our lives…births, deaths, weddings, holidays, etc, but it’s not always so easy to see that He is working in the everyday things. We see God is at work when someone is healed from cancer, but do we consider Him to be at work when we get over a cold? We give Him credit when He feeds 5,000 with a few fish and loaves, but do we give Him credit when someone pays for the groceries of the young mother in front of them at the grocery store when it’s evident that she doesn’t have enough money to cover her bill? We praise Him when child graduates high school/college, but do we give Him praise when our child passes one test? It’s easy to dismiss God’s hand at work in the things we consider “small” or “ordinary”, but the more we get to know Him, the more we realize that He’s there every minute of every day in every detail of our lives. He doesn’t just show up for the grand things of life…He’s here for all of it. He wants us to recognize Him in every aspect of our lives. He wants us to know that He is with us through it all!
“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
In the Big and the Small
Posted on: 7-15-112014
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One of my husband’s greatest pleasures in life is getting a back massage. Most nights, he lays across the foot of our bed and I rub his back with my feet while we watch TV. Last night, however, one of the very feet that usually bring him so much joy caused him a stab of pain. As he flopped across the end of the bed, he somehow managed to slide his back across the top of my toes. The toenail on my big toe scraped about a 3 inch mark on his back. He shrieked in pain and just knew blood was gushing out. Fortunately, it was just a scrape, but I know it hurt nevertheless. As I thought about what had happened, I thought about the fact that my foot had the potential to bring both pleasure and pain. Our words are no different. We can use our words to bring joy or pain, peace or chaos, hope or despair, encouragement or discouragement, and love or hate. We can use our words to build others up or tear them down. We can use our words to teach others or to lead them astray. We can use our words to encourage others or to discourage them. We can use our words to further God’s kingdom or to hinder it. The choice is ours! Too often, I fail to recognize the power I possess in my tongue. I am guilty of speaking without allowing Christ to season my words with His grace and mercy. I am guilty of using words based on my opinions, judgments, and limited knowledge rather than using words based on His truth. Every single time we open our mouths to speak, we have the potential to bring life or death. This is an incredible responsibility! Think about the words you’re speaking…are you bringing life or death?
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
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