New Each Morning

I am still working through Beth Moore's Breaking Free, but haven't blogged directly about it for a while.  However I feel the need to share chapter 32, as it reinfores my recent conviction of seeking the Lord more consistently and daily.  At the beginning of the chapter Moore makes the point that the Lord's plan for our lives is not just to do "ok" but to really glorify Him and live an abundant life in Him. 

LAMENTATIONS 3

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.”

 ²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
   to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
   for the salvation of the LORD.

She acknowlages that we stumble so frequently when we chose to walk away from the Lord.  According to Scripture as cited by Moore, there are 5 Big Results from Daily Walking with the Lord.
1.  God gives us strength.
   Do you ever have days when you have nothing left? Like you have given EVERYTHING and that you have nothing left to give?? Life takes us from trial to trial, but the Lord can be our Rock and give us strength.     
      PSALM 84
 ⁵Blessed are those whose strength is in you...
⁶As they go through the Valley of Baca
   they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
⁷They go from strength to strength.

2.  Daily time with the Lord gives us His sure foundation.
  "On Christ the Solid Rock, I stand/All other ground is sinking sand"
   Each time we build our day on anything but the Lord (be it family, work, school, pleasure, etc...) by the end of it we will be missing something.  The Lord is the only thing that will endure the test of time.  Today may be a good day, but tomorrow a storm may come.  Will you be standing on a sure rock foundation or sinking sand? (matthew 7)  Too many days I stand on stand or try to build with it.... I always fail, but thank God He never does. 

           ISAIAH 33:6
        "He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure."

3.Daily God has the wisdom and knowlage that we are seeking.
    God's word gives us light to the path that is best.  We do not know the future, but the Lord does, why would we not want to consalt Him before making in major (or small) decisions. Honestly, I know nothing about what to do half the time or where to go, thank God again that He does!!
    
PROVERBS 3

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart

   and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways submit to him,

   and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

4.  God and His Word are fresh every morning.

   If we begin our day listening to Holy Spirit and listening to the Lord, we have not gone the wrong way yet.  Everyday is a new day with new possibilities and new blessings.  Start your day with a fresh new outlook on the amazing gift of LIFE and LIVE!

5.  God gives us victory over Satan and evil.

   Most days I think we all encounter negativity, obstacles, warfar, attacks, pain, etc.  The Lord provides protection from these things when we turn to Him.  It doesn't mean bad things won't happen during our day, but our perspective of them will be Godly and the Lord will be right there with us fighting for us.

ROMANS 8

 "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies."

   

God wants to walk with you every minute, every second, every hardship, every blessing, every falter, every triumph of each day--- so let Him!!

"You are more than the choices that you've made.  You are more than the sum of your past mistakes.  You've been REMADE."

ISAIAH 50

 

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
   I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
   and I know I will not be put to shame.
⁸ He who vindicates me is near.
   Who then will bring charges against me?
   Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
   Let him confront me!
⁹ It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
   Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
   the moths will eat them up.

 ¹⁰ Who among you fears the LORD
   and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
   who has no light,
trust in the name of the LORD
   and rely on their God.

HELP!!!! S.O.S!! I AM LOST!!!!!

Ever feel so far off? So lost?  Like you wake-up one day and wonder how things got this far.. how you let things get so out of control. ... or where did the time go?  and where in the world is God? 

I have been feeling so so sooo far from the Lord the past few weeks.  Each week since the beginning of the semester I have found myself falling further & further away----
business of my daily routine has clouded my days... the more I put on my plate the less God filled me day.  I felt myself slipping-- less daily time with the Lord-- "oh I will read my Bible tomorrow"-- God understands.... next thing I know it's 3 weeks later and I am crying 3 out 7 days in the week.  I feel so overwhelmed with school, responsibilities, work, marathon training, friends, family, church, crusade.... EVERYTHING.  all of it feels like it's crashing down on me. I feel like my chest had a ton of bricks on top and I feel like I can't breathe... panic attackish?? I think yes.

Feelings of guilt and shame and pain that I don't understand are overwhelming me.  I hurt so deeply and I don't know why.  I feel so alone.  Like my life is out of control.  Where is God!?!??!!??! Why did He leave me?


and then I see the light.  I left Him. 

"I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

 By minimizing Him more day by day-- the Cross seemed smaller and "little" idols like school work or even leading a Bible study or pleasing my friends take over my heart.  and I feel so unfullfilled-- so empty.
well duh.  when we aren't turning to the giver of life we have no life.
I spent the entire last night & morning crying.  I confess that I have been very overwhelmed and lost the past few weeks.  I don't know where I am right now, but I am crying out.  After listening to Pastor Bob Turner's sermon this morning http://www.portagechurch.org/?cat=35 (The Disciple that Obeys)... I realized that I have been building my "house" or life on sand these last few weeks and now when small storms or trials are coming into my life... everything is falling apart...
then I sit there in self-pity.. and wallow-- okay WAKE-UP KATHERINE!!
I am going to get lost -- I am going to stumble-- I'm human-- I'm a wreck 99.9% of the time-- I am never going to be perfect, but Christ is.  I am convicted that when I cry out He hears me.  It is o.k.  I feel the Lord near me now & my heart is calm.  His love & grace are so amazing! 
According to Job 23:10 "But he knows the way I take"... Beth Moore makes a good point that because Christ knows when we wonder off the path-- He knows where we are AND how we got there.  He is faithful and He will come to us.  I love her quote:

"Stand still and cry out, and bid Him to come to you! He will lead you on from there... Never will He hold your hand more tightly than when He is leading you through the dark."

In the past 12 hours God has already come to me.  He has begin to show me why I feel so lost.. I stopped having quiet times and going to Him first. I am holding onto idols in my everyday life.  I have been building my days on sand and not on the ROCK which is His word.  I feel guilt and shame because I haven't been giving Him my whole heart and soul and because I have been walking away from the God who loves me oh so much.  Often I beat myself up over this--but that's not what the Lord wants for me.  All He asks is that I turn in His direction and back into His arms.  That starts with one step at a time.  Today I see how important it is to spend time with Him everyday. When we wonder away-- we hurt ourselves and miss out on all the benefits that the Lord sows. To build my days starting with Him, ending with Him, and filled with Him.  and for me that is not church activities or "Christian" time.. it means real intamacy with Him-- daily obediance.  Oh how He loves me.  I'm so glad that I have been found.  Lord, Lord-- I desire to truly know you! 

What are YOU building your house upon today?

Matthew 7:21-27

True and False Disciples
    ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

    ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”