The following verses have set my heart on fire this week. Each a firecracker of joy and hope - building momentum until my heart has nearly burst. I realized it was too much for me to keep to myself...
My blog has been quiet. I suppose you're starting to get used to that because my posts are so sporadic...this last period of silence has been the longest, but was a God thing I believe - about which I'll tell you later. (So suspenseful of me) *wink, wink
But today? Today I hope my fingers can keep up with my brain as I type out my gratitude for three unshakable things that I am so renewably thankful for and that have changed my life.
1) The one and only True Love.
*I Corinthians 12:31b *I Corinthians 13:4-7
"And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
It does not envy.
It does not boast.
It is not proud.
It is not rude.
It is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
But rejoices with the truth.
It always protects.
Always trusts.
Always hopes.
Always perseveres."
I have known these verses since my youth. Different circumstances in my life, at various times in my life, have revealed missing pieces to the love I myself display. I'm so thankful for grace. Not cheap grace mind you, but grace that says, "I have sent my Son as a sacrifice so that you can be free from your sinful flesh that lives in opposition to Me." Grace that knows how much my sins - whether attitudes of the heart - or my actions - hurt me and therefore sets me on a path to free me from them, never condoning them. Grace that - when I can't fully understand the extent of just how sinful I am - and especially in my early immaturity as a new believer - because of the blood of Jesus, covers me. This Love. This Love that loved me at my darkest. *Romans 5:8 This love that cannot be removed and is for everyone. *Romans 8:38-39 *John 3:16 This Love that faithfully and lovingly and patiently has guided me, and still does, by means of loving discipline *Proverbs 3:11-12 and conviction. Love that will not let me go. This love and grace that will cover me when I stand before my God. A fresh new wave of "I WANT TO KNOW MORE OF THIS LOVE THAT IS INCOMPREHENSABLY WIDE AND LONG AND WIDE AND DEEP" *Ephesians 3: 18-19 has hit me this week.
Confession: there are times that I want to highlight in all capitol letters one or two (or more) of these sentences that appear to be missing when I'm observing the love I see in others and pass them on to them in a note. I suppose we've all been guilty of this? Maybe? :) But, I couldn't help but wonder this week which ones would be highlighted for ME by those who know me well if I was the recipient... I will never achieve perfection, but OH, that my life would display HIS love that points others to Him, and no other false imitation. True love is not always accepted, but it's the only love that truly changes the world.
2. Rainbows and what they truly stand for - a covenant of mercy and the faithfulness of God.
*Genesis 6 -9 (for the whole story)
*Genesis 8:20-22
*Genesis 9:8-16
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you - the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you - every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
Revelation 4 (for the whole holy and humbling peek into the throne room of God)
Revelation 4: 2b-3, 5, 8
...and there before me was a throne in Heaven with Someone sitting on it. And the One who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder...
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
"Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."
I will most likely never forget when at my grandpa's funeral several years ago, a friend of his shared that not long before grandpa passed away he had gone to visit him. When he arrived grandpa was sitting out back on the porch and was facing away from him. Grandpa's friend said he was looking up at the sky, so he in turn glanced up to see what he was looking at. He didn't see anything specific, so he asked grandpa what he was looking at? "I'm just waiting", grandpa replied. Expectantly and longingly waiting for Jesus to come and take him home. Good grief, talk about a tear jerker. I have to admit I smiled at the picture, but at the same time a fresh wave of tears spilled and dripped off the bottom of my chin. Grandpa had commented to family more than once that he just wondered and wondered what it was going to be like... [in Heaven] Well grandpa, at 97 years of age you went Home to see - I for one now wonder the same thing. I know for a fact that you are experiencing more delight and beauty than you ever could have imagined.
But for now, we have glimpses from God's Word. Like this sha-mazing picture into the throne room. (Yes, I just said sha-mazing. I feel like my kids would say I'm too old to say that or that it sounds weird for me to say it? But scenes like the above warrant such comments) :)
Pure Holiness. The kind that knocks a person flat on their face in worship.
God is perfect holiness. *I Samuel 2:2 *Psalm 77:13 *Psalm 99:9 (and many more)
I have been awash in new amazement and gratitude for the beautiful reminder that comes whenever the beautiful colors of a rainbow are illuminated in the sky - God. keeps. His. promises. To see that a rainbow is positioned in the throne room is such an amazing picture to me as well - how can a rainbow not also remind us of His holiness?!
The Bible says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The same grace that I mentioned above. Grace that set Noah apart and made him stand out in a world full of wickedness. I'm thankful for Noah's faithfulness and his example. When we begin to glimpse just how holy God is, His love that is patient and longsuffering toward us and our imperfection becomes even more amazing, as well as His desire to have a relationship with us. May His light shine through us, illuminating a beautiful rainbow of colors that is like a magnet to those we come in contact with.
3. True freedom.
*Psalm 119:32
I run in the paths of Your commands, for You have set my heart FREE.
This weekend my family and I will celebrate July 4th. We enjoy giving thanks for the freedom we enjoy, the sparklers and fireworks, and remembering the good things God has done in this country. But my celebration level for these things is very low compared to the freedom that I have in Christ. I don't mean that in a cliché, cheesy, I need to insert that to make sure I don't sound like I love this country and life too much. It is truth - the freedom I have in Christ has rocked my world and is what I live for.
For these truths, I celebrate!
Sometimes in Bible study and communing with Him, God amazes us with a new truth or insight. But sometimes He draws us back to the basics and the beauty in them to bring refreshment.
In the midst of riding some waves of anger and sadness of heart towards the deception the enemy weaves about the things of God, God anchored my heart and buoyed it with reminders of His unshakable and unchangeable power. May He do the same for you!
I'm wondering what you feel needy for today? More boldness in sharing God's truth? Courage to stand up for Him in love when you feel alone in doing so? A heart on fire where apathy is taking control? Maybe a fresh anointing of His perfect love to fill you and balance out the parts of love you're weak in? Maybe in a world where sources are available to back pretty much every opinion under the sun about pretty much every subject under the sun, including the Bible - you'd like wisdom to know the truth in a certain area? Maybe you need peace and courage where fear and dread seem to be winning out? Trust instead of doubt? Gentleness in your words and actions? Humility where a Pharisee attitude is popping up? Maybe you need a boost of strength and perseverance to keep loving the lost until they surrender? _____________? (fill in the blank)
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". *Romans 15:13
May you be filled up to overflowing as you bring your need(s) before Him. The righteous, just, and true Judge over all is a Wonderful Counselor - and He stands with arms open wide to receive you and to share His Truth and love that will never pass away. Ever.
I'll be right beside you,
Jules
