Plans

Scripture: Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Observation:
The word "commit" has several different definitions.  And in the context of this verse, it could really mean two different things:

• This verse could mean "Commit (be devoted to) the Lord whatever you do (your actions)."
• It could also be interpreted "Commit (relinquish) over to the Lord whatever you do (your plans)."

I would say that both interpretations are truthful and in keeping with the rest of scripture.  But for some reason the second one is resonating with me today.  I often tell people that I am a "Recovering Type A."  I like to have a plan and know exactly how things are going to play out.  But this verse says commit/ entrust/ relinquish those plans over to God.  Notice it doesn't say "make plans and then check with God to make sure he's okay with them."  It says "WHATEVER YOU DO, wait for the plans God has for you." Yikes!  That's hard.  I want to see the next step before I take this one.  And that's not always how God's plans work.

But although the first part of this verse is a command, the second part is a promise-- God will establish your plans.  God will work things out.  In other words, you can trust him with the "whatever" of your life, because even though you don't know what's around the next corner, he does.

Application:

Why does committing my plans to the Lord work better than establishing my own?

• He works all things for the good (Romans 8:28).
• He has immeasurably more than I could ask for or imagine in mind (Ephesians 3:20).
• The purpose of his plans is to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
• He already had plans for us before we were ever created (Jeremiah 1:5).
• When we wait for his plans, he renews our strength to get through the hard stuff (Isaiah 40:31).
• He can make a way out of no way (Isaiah 43:19).
• He's got the big picture perspective and we can only see one tiny part (Isaiah 55:80).
• Waiting for God's plan builds our reliance on and faith in him (Romans 5:2-4).

Prayer:

God, you are so awesome!  I want so badly to do things your way.  I just keep making a mess of life by trying to be in control.  I surrender my day to you, Lord.  Please help me to wait for your plans.  Help me to trust you more.  Help me to get out of your way so you can work through me.  I want to make an impact for you.  In Jesus' name! Amen!

Confident in this...
Miranda

Are You Sure?

This week at FpStudents, we are starting our "Godfidence" series.  This series is meant to help students clearly define what they believe and help them express those things to their friends.  Many times we are afraid to engage in conversation about the Lord with nonbelievers because we don't know why we believe what we believe, and we fear they will trip us up.  As 1 Peter 3:15 states, we need to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have," not neglecting the mandate for gentleness and respect.  So let's look at some big questions.

Was Jesus God?

Yes!  God is one being with three parts- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

• God the Father created us and desires a relationship with us.  He cares about us, has a plan for us, and is actively involved in our daily life.  
• God the Son is Jesus.  He came to earth as a human and lived a perfect life.  He died on a cross in our place so that we could spend eternity with God in heaven.  
• God the Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus when we went back to heaven after rising from the dead.  We hear the Holy Spirit as a voice inside of us that guides and directs our lives.

John, one of Jesus' disciples who spent the most time with him while he was here on earth writes about Jesus being one with God in John 1: 1-5 and 14.  He describes Jesus as the Word and says "The Word was God" (John 1:1) and "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14).  In other words, God became a person and lived with us here on earth.

Is believing in God and having a relationship with Jesus the same thing?

No.  Lots of people believe that there is a God that created the universe.  Fewer believe that He is actively involved in our daily lives.  And even less have a relationship with Jesus.  But Jesus is the only way to spend eternity with Jesus.  When we are talking to people about our faith, some will admit to being "atheist" or having no belief in God at all.  Others will claim to be "agnostic," claiming that there's no hard proof as to whether God exists or not.  But a majority of people that you talk to will say that they believe in God.  The problem is that just believing in God doesn't guarantee that someone is saved.  That's where we have to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), which brings us to the next question...

Why do we need Jesus?

We are all sinners. That's hard to get a grip on and if you open with that line, the person you are talking to is probably going to shut down right there.  Don't start your conversation with, "Hey, guess what… You're a sinner and you're going to hell."  Instead, its really important that we point to the brokenness in the world (in a nonjudgemental way) and say… There's a lot that's messed up in the world… a lot of pain… a lot of things that seem confusing because they don't seem like things that a good God would let happen.  But all that is just evidence that our world is broken.  And that brokenness is because we are separated from God.  God is perfect… and he created us to be perfect.  But he loved us enough to let us make our own choices.  He allowed us to choose knowing that we would choose to turn the other way.  And because of that we were separated from God.  That state of separation is called sin.  We often confuse "sin" with making mistakes or bad behavior but what it really is is being separated from God because we've fallen short of his perfection (Romans 3:23).

The consequence of this sin is death-- permanent separation from God (Romans 6:23).  But God wanted to make a way for us to be with him.  So he sent Jesus to live a the perfect life that we couldn't live and then die on the cross in our place (Romans 5:8.)  When he died, he took on the consequence of sin for all of us so that anyone accepts this gift can spend eternity with God (Romans 10:9.)

Why is my testimony important?
"The Bible says":
Have you ever tried to use the old "the Bible says" line on a nonbeliever?  How'd that work out for you?  When we were little kids if you told someone "the Bible says," they are all "yeah… I believe Jonah got swallowed by a big fish" or whatever but with teenagers and adults they usually don't have such childlike faith.  If they don't believe in Jesus yet, they probably don't accept the Bible as credible or valid.

"You just have to believe":
Furthermore, those people generally don't want to listen to you if you say, "I just believe it… you have to have faith."  That's true.  There are things about God that we just can't explain and we have to accept as beyond our understanding (Isaiah 55:9.)  But that's generally not a starting point for faith.  A nonbeliever, especially one who has really thought through reasons for their unbelief, they need to see real word evidence… and that's where our testimony comes in.

"Because listen to what Jesus did in my life":

Sharing your testimony basically means telling the story of how Jesus changed your life.  As the verse above tells, it is essential that we have practice telling the story of what life was like before Jesus, how He got your attention, and how life has changed since then.  Sometimes this means talking about when God saved you for eternity and other times it means talking about how He brought you through a really hard time.  Either way, your story is a concrete example of how God loves us, has a plan for us, and is still alive and active in our world.

Why does the verse above say "hope" instead of "beliefs"?

Because HOPE is what people really need in this broken world.  Almost everyone has some situation in their life that seems hopeless (apart from God.)  When we are witnessing to people, we shouldn't be listing a bunch of rules to follow or even truths to believe.  We should be introducing them to our source of hope-- Jesus.  We should be showing them a relationship with someone who's grace is irresistible.  They aren't going to fall in love with "beliefs;" they're going to fall in love with a Savior who gives hope.

How can I lay the groundwork for this type of conversation?
Be a friend.  Build trust.  Love them the way Jesus loved us-- sacrificially and selflessly.  Tell them your testimony casually in conversation.  Let Jesus be a part of your daily vocabulary.  You don't have to be pushy… just be authentic.  As you are seeking the Lord more in your daily life, His truths will come out more in your conversation.

Then, pray like crazy.  For all the effort we might put in to sharing Christ with a friend, only the Holy Spirit can move hearts.  So we have to be obedient in playing our part is sharing Christ, but we have to ask the Lord to make the difference in that person.  And when we are all prayed up and "prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have," then you share the greatest love story ever-- the story of Jesus love for us and explain to them how they can spend eternity in the presence of that kind of love.

"FULL of GRACE and TRUTH"

Scripture: John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, FULL of GRACE and TRUTH.

Observations:
In yesterday's post, I looked at this scripture as it teaches us that Jesus was God in the flesh.  However, after that I listened to an Andy Stanley message online and realized that I missed a hugely important point on this verse.  It is an essential theological concept in understanding who Jesus is and one that I've struggled to understand in the past.  I would encourage you to listen to the entire message yourself because the Lord gave Andy Stanley such amazing insight in this, but I'm going to attempt to summarize it here as well.

At times, I must admit I have looked at Jesus' words or actions and thought, "Really?  That seems so inconsistent with who I thought you were."  We watch his interactions with people and sometimes they are so forgiving while other times they seem to hold people accountable for their sin.

• Sometimes what Jesus requires seems easy (for example, Jesus offering heaven to the criminal on the cross who made a death bed confession in Luke 23:43), while other times it seems so hard (like when the rich young ruler is asked to give up everything to follow Jesus in Mark 10: 21).  
• One moment he seems to be pointing to our sin (for example, in John 4:17-18 he tells the woman at the well all about her multiple husbands and living with a man she's not married to) but the next moment he seems to forgive that same sin in others (like in John 8:11 when he does not condemn the woman caught in adultery.)

Application:

I've looked at his behavior and tried to reconcile those two things.  I've tried to "clean up" who Jesus is by picturing him as a BALANCE of truth and grace.  But in this verse, John says, "No, that's not quite right… I've witnessed who he is… I've seen his glory in person… and he wasn't just a balance of those two things.  Jesus was FULL of GRACE and TRUTH."

He's not 50/50 grace and truth.  Jesus is simultaneously 100% GRACE and 100% TRUTH.  And this is a reflection, a personification, of who God is.  Jesus points to our sin and holds us accountable (truth) but makes a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to God (grace.)  Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  It is that easy after all-- confess the truth of our brokenness, accept his grace.  

Still Jesus was complex-- an equation that doesn't add up according to our math.  And if we try to simplify him to one that we can conceptualize, we miss out on that one-of-a-kind glory that John got to see.  Part of his splendor is that he can be both full to the brim of truth and full to the brim of grace.  Behold his glory!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, you are so full of glory and GRACE and TRUTH.  These are all little words with HUGE meanings that I can hardly comprehend.  But Lord you are wholly both.  Help me to quit trying to wrestle who you are into one category or the other.  But instead help me to see a clearer picture of a savior who points to my sin but then forgives it.  God help me to be more like Jesus-- sharing both his truth and grace in full measure.  In his name I pray!  Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda

"The One-of-a-Kind Glory"

Scripture: John 1:1-5 and 14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Observations:
This week in FpStudents we are starting a new series called "Godfidence."  This series is going to help us understand some theological truths that will prepare us to do what 1 Peter 3:15 says:

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

This first week, we'll be answering the question, "Was Jesus God?"  This question caused a lot of issues when Jesus was walking on the earth.  He claimed to be God (John 10:30) and the religious people took quite a bit of offense to that.

Looking at today's scripture, we find several truths that will be an important foundation for this series:

• Verse 1-
• Jesus was there at the beginning of time.
• Jesus was with God.
• Jesus is God.
• Verse 2-
• Jesus was with God at creation.
• Verse 3-
• Jesus the personification of the Creator.
• Verse 4-
• In Jesus we find life- both at creation and for eternity.
• In addition to providing us a way to be with Him for eternity, Jesus also was a light, showing us how to live here on earth.
• Verse 5-
• Jesus came to light up the earth, which is under the power of darkness.
• Jesus' light wins over darkness EVERY TIME.
• Verse 14- 
• Jesus was the one and only Son of God.
• God sent Jesus as the personification of himself.
• Jesus came to offer two things: Grace to live with Him for eternity and truth for living here on earth.

Application:

This whole business is hard to understand-- Jesus being the Son of God but also the Son being a part of the Trinity.  In other words, Jesus is one aspect of God himself.  It's just about more than I can wrap my brain around.  But here's what's important for me to remember, God had a perfect plan since creation.  The Complete God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- was there before creation, created us, watched us sin, revealed the law to Moses, walked with the Israelites in the desert, pointed us towards our need for a savior, made a way for us to be saved through Jesus, and still does life with us every day.  We think of different aspects of God doing different parts of those things.  But in all, that is God living out His love story with His people.

I love the Message version of John 1:14...

"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish."

We desperately needed to see God's one-of-a-kind glory, and so God suited up in human skin and came to save us.  And he was perfect, and holy, and glorious and human all at the same time.  And he offers us a relationship with him.  He made a way for us to see his one-of-a-kind glory right here while we're on earth (through the Holy Spirit) and for eternity in heaven. 

Prayer:

God, you are beyond our understanding.  Your ways are amazing.  And Lord, I want so badly to be ready when someone asks me the reason for the hope I have.  So Lord, please reveal your truths to me during this study.  Today, I pulled apart individual truths from your Word, but Lord, I pray that over the next few days as I study this huge question, you would weave those truths together and help me to see a more complete picture of You.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda

(After writing this post, I watched a message that made me realize I had missed a huge, important truth in this scripture.  Check out this post to hear about it.)

Those Who Hope

Scripture: Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Observation:
This verse came to mind this morning because I am running my second half marathon tomorrow.  And in this instance, I am squarely in the middle of the category of "those who hope."  I am hoping I can haul myself 13 miles.  I am hoping none of my joints give out.  I am hoping that my inconsistent training was enough.  In the words of Bon Jovi, I'm going to be "livin' on a prayer" tomorrow (which by the way is one of the songs on my running playlist.)

But I have a feeling this is not exactly the kind of hope that Isaiah is talking about here.  Several times in the new testament, the Bible calls life a race:

• 2 Timothy 4:7- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
• 1 Corinthians 9:24- Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
• Philippians 3:14- I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
• Hebrews 12:1- Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

And sometimes our race feels impossible to finish.  We run completely out of strength.  But looking at the Isaiah verse, we see exactly when our strength will be renewed… when we hope in Him.  Other translations say when we wait on Him.  Our strength won't be renewed when we push ourselves a little harder.  Our strength won't be renewed when we try to control life a little more.  Because our strength is not within us… it is in the Lord.  So when we hope… when we wait… when we trust… when we surrender… that is positioning ourselves for the Lord to renew our strength.

Application:
I love the word "soar" here.  To me, it is symbolic of weightlessness and freedom.  That's exactly what I want to feel.  I want the Lord to take the heaviness of trying to do life myself off of me.  I want the exhaustion of trying to fix things in my own strength to be lifted.  And God is making that promise right here.  He says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

He tells us that when life speeds up to an unsustainable pace, he will sustain us.  But what about when life slows back down to a walk?  That's when I am tempted to try to rely on my own strength again.  God reminds me here that he wants to carry me at whatever speed life is moving.  He wants to be my strength all the time.  He promises to help me soar if I will just surrender my hope to him.

Prayer:
Lord, you are amazing.  Thank you for promising to be my strength.  God, I want to stop fighting you on that.  There are several situations in my life that I just continue to try to carry in my own strength.  So I pray that you would reveal those areas of my life to me so that I can surrender them to you.  I know that you have "immeasurably more" for me if I will let you work through me.  Thank you for Jesus!  In his name…. Amen!

Confident in this…
Miranda

People Pleaser

Scripture: Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or of God?  Or am I trying to please people?  If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Observations:
This scripture came up Tuesday night at my adult small group and then again last night at FpStudents, so I decided I better take a closer look at it.  A couple of years ago, when I first started having a real, regular quiet time, I came across this verse and thought, "Why have I never noticed this before?"  In fact, I have the word "WOW!" written in the margin.  I remember thinking, "Is it really all or nothing?" And over the past couple years, God has shown me that it really is.

Last night, Jayson really explained it well by saying that we are trying to please people, we are setting them up as an idol.  And of course, that means we have put them before God.  He went on to say that we become a slave to that person we are trying to please.  And that's really what this verse is saying, isn't it?  We can't serve two masters (Matthew 6:24)-- we must either choose wholehearted devotion to Christ's commission for our lives or to try to please people.

"Servant" here is also translated as "bondservant."  Under Mosaic law, if an indentured servant loved his master he could opt to stay his servant for life even after his period of slavery was over.  This is choosing to be enslaved-- choosing to belong to someone else.  But the thing is, if we don't choose to allow ourselves to belong wholeheartedly to Jesus, we are still enslaved-- but enslaved to people instead.

Application:
I am a people pleaser.  I am almost addicted to the rush of words of affirmation from others.  But like an addict, the rush doesn't last for long and then I go right back to looking for my next high.  It can consume me, and it can suffocate me.  It's a cheap thrill… a deceptive imitation of the affirmation I was created to thrive on.  God, created me for something so much better.  He created me exactly the way he wanted me to be.  He says, "You are enough because you are mine."  If I'll "fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith" (Hebrews 12:2), I'll see that I am adored and affirmed and approved by God… so much so that he gave his son to be with me.  And that's not a cheap thrill-- it is very costly.  But it is also living water-- I don't need to keep looking for another "hit."  It is enough.  He is enough.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, please take this need to please from me.  Help me to know that I am enough in your eyes.  Help me to focus my whole heart on you.  I am so tired of seeking approval from other people.  I am so tired of chasing my next fix.  I can't live that way anymore.  Fix my eyes on you, Lord.  I want to be your servant.  I want to do your will for my life.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

"When My Heart Is Overwhelmed"

Scripture: Psalm 61:2
From the end of the earth will I cry unto you, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Observation:
This verse is a desperate cry.  It is obvious that it's writer is at wit's end.  He's tried everything with in his power, but still ended up completed overwhelmed.  And he's reached the point that all he can do is say, "Carry me, God.  Fix my eyes on you.  Get me over this mountain… Or be with me while I sit here in the valley.  I'm at the end of my strength.  But you are my rock."

And let's not forget how the Lord answered when Paul prayed a similar prayer: "My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Application:
This time of year is testing season in the education world.  In most classrooms, the brakes have been put on great instruction in favor of practice tests and bubble sheets.  And as I talk to nervous kids about doing their best and minimizing anxiety, I am reminded of the time I was in my ninth grade math class taking a test on parabolas.  I didn't understand the first question and so I panicked.  I went into an irrational mindset and couldn't make myself move on to the next question.  I started to shake and then cry.  And when I finally stood up at the end of the class period with my blank test, I fainted out cold in the floor.  Needless to say, I have some test anxiety.

That same feeling of panic, of loss of all senses, threatens to take me over again right now because of situations that are completely overwhelming.  This morning, all I can do is lift up these things to the Lord and say, "I can't.  But you are higher."

• I'm lifting up a family member is who hurting herself and everyone she loves… And I'm lifting up my other family members who's hearts are breaking because of her.
• I'm lifting up a friend and her family who are going through an absolute nightmare with their teenager.
• I'm lifting up a friend who is adjusting to a huge life change and feels overwhelmed and insufficient.
• I'm lifting up a teenage girl who's parents absolutely hate each other right now…. And several other of my girls who's families are just a constant source of anxiety.
• I'm lifting up a friend's relative who is trying his best to figure out what life will look like without drugs… and for my friend as she tries to guide him.

My heart is overwhelmed.

(To the friends mentioned above, please don't read this as you are overwhelming me or that you are burdening me. I am humbled and honored that you allow me to be broken with you. We are called to love each other through these times.)

So I cry out this verse.

Prayer:
Lord, it seems like so many people that I love are just suffocating in their circumstances right now.  My heart is broken.  God, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Carry me… I'm not strong enough.  Carry those that I love.  Lead them to the rock.  Let me be a light to them.  Show me how to point them to you.  Thank you that you care for us as we navigate the brokenness of this life.  And thank you for the hope that we have that this life isn't all.  I thank you for making a way for me to spend eternity with you, My Rock.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…
Miranda

What Exactly Is My Worth?

Scripture: Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Observations:

Yesterday, in The Elusive Second Handful, I looked at being content with who God made me and believing I am who God meant for me to be.  About thirty minutes later I received an email with this week's Group Guide for FpStudents and it was all about "self worth."  Isn't that just like God to show us different aspects of the same topic by weaving together different parts of our lives?  He is so awesome!  But as I reviewed the group guide, I decided that today I want to look at just what exactly is my worth?

My daddy has taught me many things, one of which is-- The worth of something is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it.  He is a realtor and I've seen him deal with this issue over and over again: the seller usually has a higher idea of the worth of their house than the buyer.  The seller will recognize that other houses with a similar price-per-square-foot seems a little high, but because of their emotional attachment to their house, it seems like a reasonable price for their own home.  However, it doesn't really matter how high they set the price if not one will buy it at that price.  Instead, the actual selling price is determined by how much a buyer is willing to pay for the house.

Just like the houses, our worth is determined by how much someone was willing to pay for us.  And Christ was willing to give his whole life (Romans 5:8.)  God was willing to give his only son (John 3:16.)  That's an amazingly high price!

But here's the other thing-- He was willing to pay that price for us even though we were supposed to be his in the first place.  In the book of Hosea, God calls Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer.  (Whaaa?)  This is for real-- look it up!  Well, he marries her but after a while Gomer runs off and starts selling herself again.  In chapter 3, God tells Hosea to go get her back.  Now, she's already his wife but he ends up having to pay her pimp a bunch of silver and barley to buy her back.

Application:
The same thing happened with us and God.  He created us in the first place but the devil moved in and took us over.  Have you ever heard of squatter's rights?  It is my understanding that here is the great state of Tennessee, if you live in a place that doesn't belong to you for a certain amount of time, you can actually be given the rights to that property.  It's called "adverse possession."  The devil took "adverse possession" of us.  He is a squatter!  God created us to be His, but the devil moved in.  And because of our sin, death had possession of us (Romans 6:23).

But our worth was so high to God that he purchased us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20)-- a high price!  He was willing to pay the price of His son's life so that he could spend eternity with us.  So if we we ever wonder what our worth is in God's eyes, there it is.  While we were still sinners (in other words, even though he knew how screwed up we would be), he sent Jesus to pay the price for our sin.  Praise God!

Prayer:
Dear God, you are so amazing!  What a crazy story your love is!  I just can't even comprehend how much I must be worth to you for you to send Jesus to take my place in death.  It is unfathomable.  But I thank you for loving me that way, Lord.  Please help me to believe and live like I believe that my worth is in you.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…
Miranda

The Elusive Second Handful

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:6
Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

Observation:
This scripture is all about being content with what you have and who you are.  But it's contrary to "the American Dream" and to our human nature to do this.  We have a tendency to want more.  We have a tendency to say, "If only."

Girls (and women) tend to really struggle with this.  Instead of accepting our one handful with tranquility we look at the two handfuls that other people seem to have and take on unnecessary toil in order to try to attain something that isn't ours.  Solomon called this "chasing after the wind."

Isn't that an accurate picture of what we do?  We "if only" ourselves to death.  We compare ourselves to others so much that we forget that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14).  And we don't realize that the second "handful" is an illusion.  And so often that person who seems to have it all is chasing after the wind for some elusive other handful too.

Application:
Yesterday I posted the following on my Facebook and Instagram:

"I need some ladies to get real with me for a minute. This quote from this sweet and funny memoir really resonated with me because I can remember feeling this way in several relationships with other girls over the years. Ladies, did you ever feel this way? Is this a feeling common to girls who tend to be the more introverted one in the friendship? Or does the more extroverted girl feel this way too? I'm just interested to hear some prospectives from other people. I think so many of us have secret thoughts like this but are afraid to admit to insecurity. It's good to know I'm not the only one who's ever thought this. So I'd love to gather some thoughts to pass that message on to my girls."

Several of my friends responded with such profound truths that I want to just share their words as they wrote them:

Isn't this amazing?  We all have that insecurity.  We all think we're missing out on something when we compare ourselves to other people.  One thing that I noticed in these answers is that both personality types tend to see the other as more secure.

• Introverts think, "She must be so much more confident to put herself out there like that.  I wish I could be more like her."
• Extraverts think, "She must be so much more comfortable in her own skin since she doesn't feel the need to show off or speak out.  I wish I was that comfortable with myself."

But there's a certain inauthenticity to both sides.  Both are compensating for insecurity.  As I'm thinking about this the Sara Evens song "I Keep Looking" keeps playing over and over in my head.  Sorry for the twang, but this describes our condition perfectly!  

Psalm 46:10 says, "Cease striving and know that I am God."  In other words, "Quit chasing the wind and know that I made you on purpose and for a purpose."  

Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."  In other words, "Trust me that I knew what I was doing and that you are exactly what I meant to create."

Prayer:

Lord, you are perfect and everything you created was on purpose.  And you call me your masterpiece!  Help me to believe it, God.  Help me to stop chasing the wind.  Help to to stop trying to be someone else.  Help me to be content with who you made me.  Lord, thank you for your love.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda

"Even If He Does Not"

Scripture:  Daniel 3:17-18
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

Observations:
In yesterday's A New Thing post, I looked at the importance of hope and trusting God's promise to do a new thing in situations we have prayed over for so long.  But one little thing was still niggling at the back of my mind: Not every prayer gets answered the way we hope it will.  I have to be careful talking about this scripture.  I am tempted to allow this to be a cop-out for whole-hearted faith.  But that is not what is going on in this story.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were about to get thrown into a huge bonfire for not worshiping King Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue.  And these two verses are their response to the king.  There are three important parts to this response:

• "The God we serve is able to deliver us"- See?  This is how we know their faith never faltered.  They didn't say, "God might choose to deliver us."  They said, "Whether or not he does, he is able to.  They fully trusted in his power whether or he answered their prayer the way they hoped.
• "He will deliver us"- They were speaking life over the situation.  They were "believing and receiving" as Pastor Chris would call it.  They were claiming their streams in the desert!
• "But even if he does not"- They acknowledged here that sometimes God has a plan that we cannot understand and that there was a possibility that God was going to use this situation for his glory without saving their lives.  And they choose to worship Him alone anyway.

Application:

Too often, when we don't see changes in our desert situation, we start this terrible script in our minds-- "I must not be praying hard enough… God doesn't hear me… God must not love me… I guess I don't have enough faith… God can't change this situation… it's been this way too long… This situation is what I deserve… I am all alone."  These are lies from hell!  

Instead we have to train our hearts and minds to follow the script of these three faithful guys in the face of the blazing furnace:

• "God, you are able to change this situation.  I don't know if it's part of your plan to change it.  You may have immeasurably more than I can imagine (Ephesians 3:20) that you are going to do right here in the wilderness.  But you are all-powerful, in control, and completely able to change it."
• "You will work in this situation.  You have a plan for the person I love that is far from you.  You love her more than I do.  You are doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:18)."
• "Even if I never get to see the change that I have been praying for, I know that you are working all things for the good (Romans 8:28).  I know that your ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:9).  I know that you are good, and I will worship you.  I want to glorify you."

Prayer:

God, you are all-powerful!  You are in complete control.  Thank you for your promise to make a way in the wilderness.  Lord, I pray that you would help me to trust you more.  I pray that I would learn from the time I spend in the wilderness waiting for your path.  And I pray that I would have the confident assurance that you are right here with me the whole time.  I pray that no matter what the outcome of this situation, you would use my life for your glory.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda

"A New Thing"

Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

Observation:
The word "hope" has been weighing heavy on my heart the past couple of days.  On Wednesday night at FpStudents, I got to hang out with a different small group than I normally do.  I walked away heartbroken after hearing more stories of families who are beyond broken, girls who aren't sure who to trust, and situations that feel hopeless.  This theme of hopelessness is recurring in all of the groups I've talked to… including my adult small group.  In each group, I've heard someone say, "It's just hard to believe anything will ever change when this has been going on for so long."

I'm in the same boat.  There's a situation in my family that I've prayed for over and over for about 2/3 of my life.  I know how hard it is to keep believing-- to keep hoping.  I know what it feels like to think, "Oh, I think something's shifting a little bit.  Maybe this time will be different," only to have that hope dashed again.  Some days it's hard to even formulate the words of this worry into a prayer.

But in this verse, God asks us to let hope in again.  He says, "Trust me.  I've got a plan in the works.  Expect something new.  Don't be afraid to believe things can change.  I can make a way out of no way.  I can make water rush through the desert.  I can do the impossible."

Application:
Whew!  I could use some hope that a stream is going to rush through a quench my desert situation, couldn't you?  We've got to believe that he can do a new thing.  We've got to know he still works miracles.  We have to trust that even if we're still waiting out in the wilderness right now, he's here with us... and this time in the wasteland isn't wasted.  He's using this to deepen our relationship with him.

So in these situations that seem hopeless, let's claim this promise.  God IS doing a new thing!  So let's keep expecting it.  On the days that it is hard to say another prayer for that situation, know that "the Spirit himself intercedes with wordless groans" (Romans 8:26).  God is our only hope… and he's already got a plan in motion.

Prayer:
Lord, you are worthy of our hope!  You are a promise keeper.  I claim this promise right now.  Lord, please do a new thing in my desert situation.  As I look back on all the years I've prayed for this, I see you were with me in the wilderness all along.  You have used this so many times to teach me different things.  I know you are in control and that you have a plan.  Lord, help me to keep hoping that you can make a way out of no way.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…
Miranda

(I ended up adding a follow-up to this post.  Check it out: "Even If He Does Not".)

"Undivided Heart"

Scripture: Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, Lord,
That I may rely on your faithfulness;
Give me an undivided heart,
That I may fear your name.

Observation:
This is a prayer of David-- a cry out for God in the midst of struggle, and a word of praise through his pain.  This context provides us an understanding of why we might cry out these same words to God.

"Teach me" sounds academic to me.  It sounds like a brain thing.  It sounds like it's referring to rational understanding.  But as we read on through the verse, we learn that it's not "head knowledge" that David is referring to here.  He is begging God not only to show him the right path to take but inviting the spirit of God to direct his heart and lead him down that path.

And then he goes on to ask God for an undivided heart.  I know what he's talking about here.  I feel the tear of a divided heart every day.  Paul described this feeling in Romans 7:15 saying, "I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."  This divided heart is such a struggle.  War is being waged constantly within us.  Our flesh, our worldly desires, our human instinct rebels against God.  But our hearts, created in the image of God, long for His way.  

When I was a little girl, we would sing a song before bedtime each night.  One of our very favorites was "Light the Fire." It's been a long time since I've sang that song, but the this verse reminded me of those lyrics:

I stand to praise You,
But I fall to my knees.
My spirit is willing,
But my flesh is so weak.
Light the fire
In my soul,
Fan the flame,
Make me whole.
Lord, You know
Just where I've been,
So light the fire in my heart again.

Application:
In Jeremiah 32:39, God promises to "give them singleness of heart and action."  That's what I want!  I want the desire of my heart to be God's will such that his Holy Spirit directs my action.  Lord give me an undivided heart!  Unite YOUR will with MY actions!

In order to know how to apply this verse in our own lives, we need to look at the posture David is taking here.  This is a prayer of surrender.  David is turning over his whole heart to God… not just the part that is easy to surrender.  He's giving Him his rebellious heart.

I need to take a lesson from David here and just surrender.  God wants my whole heart.  He wants to give me an undivided heart… one that is surrendered completely to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  He wants me to rely completely on his faithfulness.  And "he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).  God is a promise keeper!

Prayer:
God, you are holy!  Your ways are amazing!  I want your way for my life.  But God, I need you to give me an undivided heart that is set on your ways.  I am weak and I so often let my rebellious heart lead my actions.  I want a heart that is wholly set on you!  Transform me.  Teach me… but not just in my head… direct my heart.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…
Miranda

Coffee, Sin, and Grace

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9
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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Observations:
The summer after I graduated from high school, I worked at a Young Life camp in Colorado.  It was one of the most challenging summers of my life but also the one where I grew the most.  I spent the majority of each day serving other people in the humble position of "tawashie" which basically means changing bedding, vacuuming floors, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, and generally keeping the cabins from stinking while the campers are out having the time of their lives.  There were three things that I experienced in a way I never had before while I was on that mountaintop:

• Coffee- As I look back now through the lens of a mother, I realize I didn't know what tired was when I was 18.  But nonetheless, I thought I was exhausted because that was literally the first time in my life I didn't consistently get 8 or 9 hours of sleep.  So each morning I would roll out of bed, walk down the hill to the kitchen, fill up my mug with coffee (and two packets of French Vanilla creamer), and sit on the side of the mountain with Jesus.  
• Sin- Maybe it was because I was in a place where I had lots of time to reflect while working or maybe it was because, for the first time, I was starting to make decisions that would profoundly impact the rest of my life… but that summer I came face to face with the reality of sin.  Before that, I had the fluffy, disconnected idea about sin… everyone sins… humans are broken… Jesus died for everyone's sin.  But sitting on top of a picnic table and looking out on a huge mountain one morning, I realized that I was sinful… That I had done things that I could never take back… That I had broken God's heart.  
• Grace- My friend, Jill, had sent me to camp with a jar full of little slips of paper.  Each morning, I was to pull out one piece of paper from the jar and read the Bible verse that was written on it.  (Sidebar: FpStudents, Jill was exactly that kind of friend we talked about last night.  You need to find you a Jill.)  A few days after that morning on the picnic table where I confronted the reality of my sin, I pulled out 2 Corinthians 12:9- "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

This verse has played in my mind almost daily for the past 12 years.  In the interest of boasting in my weakness, I'll admit I go back and forth struggling to be enough on my own (pride) and believing that grace is enough (doubt).  In both cases, I have wrestled many battles that Jesus already won.  As we started the Four Cups series at FP this week, I have started reflecting on the four promises of Exodus 6:6-7: salvation, deliverance, redemption, and fulfillment.  

The promise of this one verse in 2 Corinthians is revealed in layers as I think about in light of the Exodus promises.

• Salvation- "My grace is enough to save you.  My blood covered your sin.  Forever."
• Deliverance- "My grace is enough to set you free from that sin that continues to enslave you.  My power shows up in full force when you're at rock bottom."
• Redemption- "My grace is enough that you don't have to stay in guilt anymore.  You are freely forgiven and fully empowered to move on from your past."
• Fulfillment- "My grace is what makes every day worthwhile.  Let me work in you.  You don't have to spin your wheels anymore trying to be enough.  My power is enough.  My grace is enough."

Application:

Rest in grace.  Stop trying to be enough.  Stop doubting his power in the form of trying to do it on your own.  Stop questioning whether I am who he says I am.  I just really needed to re-confront this truth that the Lord spoke to me 12 years ago in order to prepare my heart to drink deeply from the four cups during this series.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, your grace is enough!  You are all-powerful!  And I know you can display your power in me when I stop wrestling you for the power.  So God help me to rest in your grace.  Help me to know I am enough because of the blood of Jesus.  Let me find my confidence in you.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident In This…

Miranda

"One Mind and One Voice"

Scripture: Romans 15:5-6
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Observations:
This is part of our supporting scripture for tonight's small group discussion at FpStudents.  As part of our We Can't Stay Here Series, we will be talking about praying as a group.  Most of our discussion will be focused around unity in our prayers but I wanted to take a minute to pick this verse apart because it is about unity in more than just prayer.

When we pray together, God has one purpose: to corporately grow us toward Him.  Our mindset is usually that we are praying together so that God will answer our prayer.  We have the mistaken impression that God is more likely to answer if more people are asking for something.

Last night, my adult small group did Part 1 of the Four Cups series that our church is doing as a small group alignment right now.  One of the questions in the discussion was something to the effect of "Do you see God working more in your circumstances or in your response to your circumstances?"  Think about that for a minute.  Most of us emphatically said B!  So often, God changes are hearts instead of changing our situation.

When we pray together as a group, our purpose is not to pray loud enough for God to hear or to pester him enough to change his mind.  God cannot be manipulated through us ganging up on him.  Instead, he has a better purpose for our unified prayer.  Romans 14:19 calls it "mutual edification" but it simply means "building each other up."  God uses our prayers as a group make us all more like Jesus.  And as our hearts mature, we begin to desire his will for our lives.  Thus our prayers are answered, if not through a change in the situation, then through a shift in our hearts.

Application:
Let's refocus the purpose of our corporate prayers onto God's purpose: Glorifying him with one mind and one voice.  What if each time we prayed, we were begging God to do his will in our lives, mature our faith, and use us to glorify Him?  I don't know about you, but my prayers are usually a lot more selfish than that!  Thankfully, He understands our human limitations, and He works His good purpose in our lives anyway.  But what amazing changes might we see in our group if we were praying in unity for his will?  There's one thing I know for sure… We can't stay here!

Prayer:
Lord God, I am so excited to see what you are going to do at FpStudents tonight.  I pray that you would give the girls a heart to listen and hear your truths during the message.  I pray that our small group discussion would be rich and focused.  Most of all, Lord, I pray that you would help us to refocus our purpose on mutual growth so that we can glorify you.  This is a very complex concept and I pray that you will give every girl there the ability to comprehend it in her heart.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…
Miranda

"Back from Captivity"

Scripture:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on 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. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.

Today we are finishing up our series looking at the context surrounding one of our favorite verses.  Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted scriptures in all of the Bible because it's so jam-packed with hope and encouragement straight from the Lord.  It points us to a God who loves us and is in complete control amidst the chaos of our lives.  If you missed the other posts in this series, check them out.

Part 1: "When Seventy Years Are Completed"

Part 2: "Fulfill My Good Promise"

Part 3: "With All Your Heart"

Part 4: "Back from Captivity"

Observations:
We took a look at the eternal perspective on this captivity (or time away from our homeland in Part 1.  Today, I want at the things that are holding us captive here on Earth.

In John 8:31, Jesus tells his boys, "Very truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin."  Well that's all of us!  We are all slaves to something.  For some of us, as soon as we accepted Jesus, we shed that captivity and never looked back.  But more often than not, we still live in slavery to an old habit that the enemy tries to use to make us feel like we're in captivity even though in John 8:36, Jesus continued, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

The chains of sin have already been broken, but we continue to live like we're in captivity.  In our neighborhood, there is a cat named Nigel.  He's a very special cat because he walks on a leash.  (Yes, you read that right.)  I don't know how many of you have tried to put a cat on a leash before, but the instinctive response is not to walk around proudly.

Image source: https://ruthsgleanings.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/cat-on-a-leash.jpg

Not only does Nigel walk on a leash but he also hangs out in the backyard on one of those tie cables that is staked into the ground.  I can imagine the taunts and insults of the other cats in the neighborhood as they look out their windows and see Nigel in his captivity.  (Ironically, the other cats are all indoor cats and don't realize the confinement of their own "castles.")  But on the rare occasion that I've seen Nigel outside without his leash, he stays within the radius of his cable anyway.  He doesn't realize it when he is given freedom because he's so used to being tied up.

We're the same way, aren't we?  Jesus already paid for our sin and offered us freedom, but we keep ourselves in captivity.  What's keeping you captive?

• Bitterness?
• Guilt?
• Anger?
• Anxiety?
• Insecurity?
• Money?
• Substances?
• Doubt?

Application:
The Bible says we have to start being the captor instead of the captive if we want to be the victor instead of the victim.  In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul writes, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Instead of allowing an old sin to keep us captive, we must take our thoughts captive.  Because as Pastor Chris says (and now that I've Googled it I realize its an ancient Chinese proverb too), "Our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, our actions become our habits, our habits become our destiny."  Therefore, the beginning of freedom is taking our thoughts captive.  Because Jesus already paid for freedom!

Prayer:
Dear God, thank you so much for sending Jesus to pay for my sin.  I know that I am forgiven and that any captivity I still experience is me allowing something else to have control of my life.  I want to live in YOUR freedom, Lord.  Help me to let go of anything that is holding me back from freedom in you.  Thank you for Jesus!  In His name! Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda

With All Your Heart

Scripture:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on 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. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.

Today is Part 3 of our series looking at the context surrounding one of our favorite verses.  Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted scriptures in all of the Bible because it's so jam-packed with hope and encouragement straight from the Lord.  It points us to a God who loves us and is in complete control amidst the chaos of our lives.  If you missed the past two days, check them out.  And please come back tomorrow as we finish out the series!

Part 1: "When Seventy Years Are Completed"

Part 2: "Fulfill My Good Promise"

Part 3: "With All Your Heart"

Part 4: "Back from Captivity"

Observations:
Verses 12 and 13 say, "Then you will call on 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."  Verses like this one as well as Luke 11:9, "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you," always bugged me a little bit.  My thoughts were, if God is listening and wants to answer our prayers, why do we have to wait for him to answer.  I've wondered-- if what I am praying for is his will, why hasn't he answered me yet?

For example, one of my friends has been praying for months that one of her colleagues would come to know Christ.  She's told him about Jesus numerous times and has brought him to church a couple of different times when the gospel was powerfully presented.  But still he has seemed, for the most part, unaffected by what he's heard.  My friend's heart is breaking for this person.  And it's hard not to wonder why God hasn't answered already.

Let's look again at the context of this verse though.  God began in verse 10 talking about bringing his people back to himself.  I believe that is one of God's main purposes in postponing answers to our prayers.  He wants to bring us closer to him in the process.  Friday night at The Well at FpBlount, Matt Grimes put it this way, "God delights in our prayer because our prayer produces devotion to Him."  He quoted Luke 18:1-6 and pointed out that God invites us to pester him and bother him with our prayers because it builds our devotion… draws us close to the thrown of heaven.

Application:

As much as I've ever wanted anything I've ever prayed for, I want even more to be close to God.  I want him to have "all my heart."

I love how The Message translates Romans 5: 1-5:

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.  There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Isn't that so true?  When we focus on what our patience has yielded, we can't even measure the blessings he has poured out!  I want to be closer to God and to experience the fulness of His abundant plans.  So I pray that God would give me the courage to keep knocking in faith that he does "know the plans he has for me" (Jeremiah 29:11)… and that they are "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20.)  And he literally wants "all my heart!"

Prayer:
Dear God, thank you so much that you love me enough to draw me to you by any means possible.  I want to experience your plans for my life to the fullest.  So please help me to be patient and keep knocking.  Grow me toward you!  In Jesus' name! Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda

"Fulfill My Good Promise"

Scripture:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on 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. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.

Today is Part 2 of our series looking at the context surrounding one of our favorite verses.  Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted scriptures in all of the Bible because it's so jam-packed with hope and encouragement straight from the Lord.  It points us to a God who loves us and is in complete control amidst the chaos of our lives.  If you missed yesterday's post, check it out.  It really lays the groundwork for a shift in perspective about Jeremiah 29:11.  And please come back for the rest of the series!

Part 1: "When Seventy Years Are Completed"

Part 2: "Fulfill My Good Promise"

Part 3: "With All Your Heart"

Part 4: "Back from Captivity"

Observations:

What is the "good promise" that God says he will fulfill?  "To bring you back to this place."  If we keep with yesterday's parallel between bringing the Israelites back to the Promised Land and bringing us home to heaven, we see a major insight into the heart of God right here: His ultimate goal is to see every heart come back to him.  He wants to bring us all home to heaven.

1 Timothy 2:4 tells us that God "wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."  If this is the case, why did God ever give us choice in the first place?  Why didn't he just make it impossible for us to sin?  Here's an analogy that helps me understand:

Which would you rather have-- an arranged marriage or a marriage of choice?  Would you rather have someone force you to marry a guy for the purpose of family or political alliances or would you rather choose to marry the person you've fallen head over heals in love with?  I think the vast majority of us would choose Option B there.  And we want someone to CHOOSE us!  We don't want to be someone's obligation; we want to be their choice.

Genesis 1:27 says that we are created in God's image… and this is just one example of a way we are just like our creator.  God wants to be chosen too.  So before creation he came up with this amazing master plan.  He decided he would:

• Give us choice.
• Allow us to fall.
• Show us a need for a savior through an imperfect law.
• Send us Jesus.
• Let him die for us.
• Raise him back to life.
• Give us time to choose life in him.
• Send him back for us.
• And then recreate heaven and earth- this time with all of us fully knowing the consequence of sin and what separation from God feels like- and CHOOSING to be with him!

Application:

2 Peter 3: 9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."  God desperately wants every heart!  And he has done EVERYTHING he can do to fulfill his good promise of bringing us back to him.  He even went as far as giving us Jesus to take our place.  

But he loves us enough to give us the choice.  So what is our response?  "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).  Call out!  That's all we have to do.  He has taken care of EVERYTHING else in an effort to fulfill his good promise!

Prayer:

God, you are good!  Your promises are good!  You keep everyone of them!  Thank you so much for the amazing, divine plan that you had from the beginning of creation.  It's beyond our understanding.  Lord, thank you for saving me through Jesus.  And thank you that I am going to get to spend eternity with you!  Lord, give me a heart to share this truth with others so that they can live with you forever too.  In Jesus' name! Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda

"When Seventy Years Are Completed"

Scripture:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on 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. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.

Verse 11 is probably one of the most quoted scriptures in all of the Bible because it's so jam-packed with hope and encouragement straight from the Lord.  Many of my girls consider it their life verse because it points us to a God who loves us and is in complete control amidst the chaos of our lives.  But it is even more powerful in context of the surrounding verses.  So for the next few days, I want to pull out 5 powerful parts of Jeremiah 29:10-14:

Part 1: "When Seventy Years Are Completed"

Part 2: "Fulfill My Good Promise"

Part 3: "With All Your Heart"

Part 4: "Back from Captivity"

Observations:

When we read Jeremiah 29:11, we usually neglect to read the verse right before it… the one that starts with "when seventy years are complete."  How much is seventy years?  It's about one lifetime.  God promises hope to the Israelites-- but it's a lifetime away.  They know right then that they will be away from home for an entire lifetime.

How does this parallel to us?  We're away from home for a lifetime too.  We were created to be in perfect unity with God… our bodies for Eden… our hearts for heaven.  We spend a lifetime here on this messy earth surrounded by pain and brokenness.  It doesn't take long for us to get homesick for heaven.  Romans 8:23 says, "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies."  We know we aren't at home here in our own Babylon.  

Realizing this is the context for the Lord's promise of hope totally changes my perspective on this verse.  God is in control and has a plan for my life, but the picture here is much bigger.  That is only the worldly perspective for his promise.  I want to look at the eternal perspective.  God is promising a much better future than what we are hoping or imagining when we read Jeremiah 29:11.  He's promising an eternal hope!  Whatever happens here on earth… we are promised heaven.  However lonely we feel… we are promised His presence for eternity.  No matter how jacked up we are here on earth, we've got redemption waiting on us "when seventy years are completed."

Application:

In Hebrews 11, we see a list of people who demonstrated true faith in action.  There is a whole paragraph dedicated to Abraham, highlighting one step after another he took in faith.  Verse 10 explains why he was able to step out in faith so many times, "For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."  

If we are going to trust God completely, we must trust that our Jeremiah 29:11 promise is not just for this lifetime.  A few months ago, Pastor Chris asked us to take a "Thought Audit."  

Since then, I have been hyper-aware of how "worldly-minded" I am.  I've also realize how much the Bible talks about setting your eyes on the eternal. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18).  Our hope is far beyond any blessing we will receive in this world.  Our hope is in the promise of an eternal home with God which was purchased for us in Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

Dear God, your promises are so amazing-- so far beyond what I can imagine.  Lord, my hope is in you… and in the promise of our forever home in heaven.  Help me to focus on that.  Help me to set my eyes on heaven.  You've promised me abundant life here but you've promised me perfect life forever in heaven!  Thank you, Lord!  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda