"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 6:19-20
Recently I have been studying Hebrews, which I love, I think it is one of my favorite books. This morning I was in chapter six and was really encouraged by it.
It starts by encouraging believers to not fall away, talking about diligence as a way to "make your hope sure" and to "inherit what has been promised".
The interesting thing about this book is that the writer never says something without backing it up; they never assume that we take God's promises, hope, or faith as a given. The next section goes on to explain why we have reason to have hope in God's promises, the title of it is "The Certainty of God's Promise"... I like that. Anyway I thought it was really cool so I'll share what God showed me through it.
God showed me that we can trust in His promise because: He has no greater name by which He can swear by than His own. And because an oath assures us that His words are trustworthy. (Hebrews 6:13-17)
I never really understood the significance of an oath until I looked up the definition. It is defined as "a solemn appeal to a deity, or to some revered person or thing, to witness one's determination to speak truth, to keep a promise." The idea is that no one swears by God unless he is absolutely determined to speak the truth. Since God has no greater name by which he can swear we can trust his promises.
Jesus once talked about a man's oath saying "Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black." (Matthew 5:34-36) That really put the significance of the word in perspective for me! We do not even have the ability to keep a promise the way God can because we are so much more limited than Him. We cannot even swear by our own head without relying on God because He makes our hairs white or black and He created all things that we might swear by.
And in another place Paul talks about it like this:
" Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless, he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself."
2 Timothy 2:11-13
The saying is trustworthy because God cannot deny himself, His name is higher than all names and He cannot break a promise without denying His very nature.
I love how God's trustworthy nature is called "an anchor for the soul". It's so true! If there is one thing in life we can really rely on it is God, we can anchor ourselves to His promises and never be let down! That is awesome... it's a promise within a promise, God will keep His word. And it is the whole reason we have to be diligent in following him, it gives us reason to hope and to have faith. I'm encouraged, how about you?? :)
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Join Me!
Hello friends! It's been so long! I'm gonna keep this short and sweet though. I've recently been led to start a new prayer habit and I am looooooving it. It's only been about a week or so but I've been committing to daily praying for the nations by following the Wycliffe Prayer Blog. It has been AWESOME. So I decided to exhort anyone who is led to join me!
Today I met with a couple of girlfriends to talk about prayer and, of course, to pray! We discussed some common challenges that people have with prayer. Some problems were about how we don't know how to pray or what to pray for and that we are often praying for our will because that comes easiest to us. I think we can solve some of these problems by standing with the Lord in interceding for His will for His kingdom!
So let's do it! You don't have to use the same prayer blog as I do, or even use any guide at all, but please join me in lifting up our missionaries and the millions of itching ears around the world that have yet to hear of the glory of God!
Today I met with a couple of girlfriends to talk about prayer and, of course, to pray! We discussed some common challenges that people have with prayer. Some problems were about how we don't know how to pray or what to pray for and that we are often praying for our will because that comes easiest to us. I think we can solve some of these problems by standing with the Lord in interceding for His will for His kingdom!
So let's do it! You don't have to use the same prayer blog as I do, or even use any guide at all, but please join me in lifting up our missionaries and the millions of itching ears around the world that have yet to hear of the glory of God!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
His Banner Over Me is Love.
This morning God brought me to Psalm 60, I feel like it was no coincidence that He led me there. I was so blessed by it, so I had to share it with you all. God had me dig into this verse (4):
"But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow." Selah
God has brought my family and I into a season of faith building recently; seasons like this are confusing in that they can be hard, but also can be very blessed. I've felt the evidence of this over the past week. Every day isn't wonderful, but I feel such an assurance that God is good. When I read this verse I felt so excited that my God is my protector and that He loves me so much! God brought to mind another verse: "He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love." Song of Songs 2:4
I love that God's protection of us isn't detached. When He fights for us He does it from a place of fierce devotion and love. God's love is the one thing that strengthens my faith in Him. Anyone can believe that the God who hung the stars CAN do all things, but faith really comes down to will He? Will God fight for me when I really need Him to? God's love tells me that yes He will, and that whatever comes my way has not been unnoticed by Him.
This morning I've come to realize once again my love for Blue Letter Bible. I looked up the definition of the word banner and found this:"God's setting up or giving a banner imports his presence and protection and aid extended to his people." They referenced both of the verses above. God's love and his protection go hand in hand!
The last verse referenced in this definition says: "We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand." Psalm 20:5-6
Amen. I will shout for joy when He is victorious. To God be the glory.
Here is a sweet treat for you my friends, this song is wonderful. Tonight is the Potter's field presentation at Calvary, I've never seen it before...I can't wait, it should be amazing!
"But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow." Selah
God has brought my family and I into a season of faith building recently; seasons like this are confusing in that they can be hard, but also can be very blessed. I've felt the evidence of this over the past week. Every day isn't wonderful, but I feel such an assurance that God is good. When I read this verse I felt so excited that my God is my protector and that He loves me so much! God brought to mind another verse: "He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love." Song of Songs 2:4
I love that God's protection of us isn't detached. When He fights for us He does it from a place of fierce devotion and love. God's love is the one thing that strengthens my faith in Him. Anyone can believe that the God who hung the stars CAN do all things, but faith really comes down to will He? Will God fight for me when I really need Him to? God's love tells me that yes He will, and that whatever comes my way has not been unnoticed by Him.
This morning I've come to realize once again my love for Blue Letter Bible. I looked up the definition of the word banner and found this:"God's setting up or giving a banner imports his presence and protection and aid extended to his people." They referenced both of the verses above. God's love and his protection go hand in hand!
The last verse referenced in this definition says: "We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand." Psalm 20:5-6
Amen. I will shout for joy when He is victorious. To God be the glory.
Here is a sweet treat for you my friends, this song is wonderful. Tonight is the Potter's field presentation at Calvary, I've never seen it before...I can't wait, it should be amazing!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Worship Him in Humbleness.
This last week at Calvary we had our annual seven days of fasting and prayer. To be honest, going into this week, I was not excited. I was ready to sit this one out, and I had every excuse ready for doing so. But God had other plans and He actually had me fast for the entire seven days. I had never fasted for seven days before and my past experiences with fasting last year and the year before were really hard, but God met me in such an incredible way this week and He gave me so much strength, energy and joy!
The first day of the fast was funny because that morning at church there was a lot of talk about how this fast was going to be about humbling ourselves, and my first thought was, "no... I don't think that's what God has for me this week.."
Hmmmm..... one sign that you need to be humbled: thinking that you don't.
I went into last week with a couple of things on my heart that I wanted God to hear and answer but a word that was spoken over this fast was: God you always hear me. Help me hear you.
God spoke to my heart this week about striving. Striving in our Christianity without really even knowing we're doing it. Confession: I am a striver! Sometimes I feel my heart is right behind it because I want to know the Lord so much, but God helped me recognize that there is a difference between being steadfast and striving. He spoke to me that He is God and I am man so I should let my words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2). I shouldn't come into His presence with an agenda because He is Holy! I'd been bypassing the peace of God, He told me to just enjoy Him.
He brought to mind the story of Mary and Martha at the beginning of the week and I didn't think too much of it until I realized what He was saying. It's funny how the very things we are striving for God is so willing to give us if we humble ourselves. I so long to be Mary in this story, there is such beauty in the passion she poured out at Christ's feet. So I strove to be like her. But God gently reminded me that Mary didn't strive to be passionate, it overflowed from a place of peace and intimacy with God.
This week was so different than how I expected it to be. I expected a big epiphany, one big giant move from God. Instead God quietly spoke and worked and sustained. I started this week feeling like something was holding me back from being able to fully enter into God's presence, God humbled me and filled me afresh with his Spirit. He reignited my passion for Him. I feel joyful, new, and free. This is SO long, I'm sorry, and I still feel like I can't really put words to what God has done this week.
Here is the verse I feel on my heart walking away from this week:
"He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19
Flashback! So this song played this morning and it brought me back to the good old days, Aquire the Fire in junior high. Plus it's beautiful, so I thought I'd share. :)
The first day of the fast was funny because that morning at church there was a lot of talk about how this fast was going to be about humbling ourselves, and my first thought was, "no... I don't think that's what God has for me this week.."
Hmmmm..... one sign that you need to be humbled: thinking that you don't.
I went into last week with a couple of things on my heart that I wanted God to hear and answer but a word that was spoken over this fast was: God you always hear me. Help me hear you.
God spoke to my heart this week about striving. Striving in our Christianity without really even knowing we're doing it. Confession: I am a striver! Sometimes I feel my heart is right behind it because I want to know the Lord so much, but God helped me recognize that there is a difference between being steadfast and striving. He spoke to me that He is God and I am man so I should let my words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2). I shouldn't come into His presence with an agenda because He is Holy! I'd been bypassing the peace of God, He told me to just enjoy Him.
He brought to mind the story of Mary and Martha at the beginning of the week and I didn't think too much of it until I realized what He was saying. It's funny how the very things we are striving for God is so willing to give us if we humble ourselves. I so long to be Mary in this story, there is such beauty in the passion she poured out at Christ's feet. So I strove to be like her. But God gently reminded me that Mary didn't strive to be passionate, it overflowed from a place of peace and intimacy with God.
This week was so different than how I expected it to be. I expected a big epiphany, one big giant move from God. Instead God quietly spoke and worked and sustained. I started this week feeling like something was holding me back from being able to fully enter into God's presence, God humbled me and filled me afresh with his Spirit. He reignited my passion for Him. I feel joyful, new, and free. This is SO long, I'm sorry, and I still feel like I can't really put words to what God has done this week.
Here is the verse I feel on my heart walking away from this week:
"He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19
Flashback! So this song played this morning and it brought me back to the good old days, Aquire the Fire in junior high. Plus it's beautiful, so I thought I'd share. :)
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