Colliding

Earlier this week I came across a post that really packed a punch. You should go over and check it out!

I think I have mentioned it before....I am definitely a doer. I know that my works don't save me. I know that I could have died the day after I got saved and I would have just as much of God to enjoy for all of eternity.

BUT. I get caught up in the doing and being something "amazing".

In reality, even with all of my trying and thinking and studying, I'm something pretty NOT amazing.

I get tired. I get sick. I get grumpy. I snap at people and lose my patience. I get lazy.

God is constantly reminding me of two things:

Who He is

Who I am not

As I see my sin and His glory, I see because of Christ.

In Christ, I must keep looking. In Christ, I see what I am through Him and I see that I have all that I need.

There is one verse that I have in my head but apparently I didn't memorize it quite right because I can't seem to find it right now. I did find this one though....

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." 2 Peter 1:3-4

The point is this, whoever we are, wherever we come from, in Jesus Christ we have been given all that we need. We are complete. We are ready to treasure God right now and forever.

God is pleased with me because He is pleased with Christ. End of story, beginning of an amazing eternity.

So, as Amanda said in her post, this week, be the woman God knows you to be.

God knows you and He knows you in Jesus. Just rest in being that lady.

Let what you are trying to be and who you already are collide so that your striving would be a joy. Get in the Word and let it fill you with hope in Christ and faith in all that He has promised.

Acts 20:24 Explained

Through this verse, God showed me that He enables me to live a life of purpose.

That is: A life that testifies to the gospel of the grace of God. 

In order to testify, one must acknowledge something. Living a "Christian" life is not enough. I must also acknowledge that this Christian life is a product of the great I AM that is living within me. 

Acts 20:24

But I do not count my life as of any value nor as precious to myself,

if only I may finish my course and the ministry 

that i received from the Lord Jesus Christ,

 to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

1 Corinthians 15:10 Explained

God used this verse from 1 Corinthians 15:10 to show me that He is my righteousness. With my mouth I say the good I do is to glorify Him, but unless I beleive that with all of my heart my lips are lying. 

The truth is, I found that I had stepped away from loving and glorifying Him alone because I had become caught up in the actions themselves. Like the Old Testament saints, I was "serving" God with empty obedience rather than loving Him with a humble heart. 

The process was all wrong. Actions mean nothing if they are not rooted in a love for God.

The solution: Take my eyes off of "i am" and place them on the great I AM. 

1 Corinthians 15:10

By the grace of God I am what I am, 

and His grace toward me was not in vain. 

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, 

thought it was not I, but the grace of God that is within me. 

Pondering the Old

God has been reminding me of a lot lately. Not surprisingly, it's all related!

The Lord has pointed me towards a series of verses over the course of the last few days and together they speak these things:

He is I AM and i am not. (See the book on my shelf)

i exist to point those around me to Him. 

my existence is worthless unless it is in Him. 

Whatever righteousness i seem to have is actually Him shining through me.

In this new year I'm going to seek to show others I AM by first reminding myself that i am not. 

Want more? Check out the Scriptures I'll be posting over the next few days.