St Augustine prayed, ‘Lord… you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.’ God is the source of all good things. (From Nicky Gumbles’ Bible in a Year)
Spend time with him through the scriptures. Talk with him. Listen for his voice guiding you in daily life. Obey him in all he says. Love him and make him your primary delight.
We all carry scars with us. But do we remember the pain, or have we received Gods great unconditional love.
Whatever you’ve been through, God carries you.
We need to see our scars through a new light. The invisible scars of our painful experiences don’t exclude us from receiving God’s love – his grace is sufficient – our scars can draw us closer to Jesus, who has the scars of the cross on his hands and feet.
Scars qualify you – they don’t disqualify you from God and his work in the world. We see this in the bible stories of Moses, David, Jacob, Hannah, etc.’
Psalm 34:18 tells us ‘the lord is close to the broken hearted and those with crushed spirits’
We have to know difference between wounds (that still need healing) and scars (that are already healed) and invite Jesus in time heal and restore our lives.
Scars remind you of whose you are – in John 20 Jesus shows his scars to the disciples – he is reminding them that he was wounded for their salvation. Jesus scars remind us he is God who died to save and restore us.
Have you been broken or wounded by the world? God is very close to you. His heart of love is wide open to you – receive his love today. Pray to him and listen for his voice. Stop and wait for his healing presence. He is close to the broken hearted and those who have been crushed in the world.
In psalm 84 David expresses his heart for the presence of God. He says:
“Better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than live in the tents of wicked people.”
Psalms 84:10
Do we yearn for God like this? Are we wanting to be close to where God is?
David is happy to have even one day on the presence of God than none ever. He would rather live at the threshold, the doorway, the edges, of Gods presence than to live anywhere else.
Notice also that David isn’t saying he wants God to be where he is – he wants to be where God is. There’s a world of difference in these two desires.
Where is our longing for Gods presence today?
Where is our desire to be where God dwells?
Will we seek the presence of God in our lives today?
Ever felt like you are stuck in a dark place? Then this post is written just for you….
Gods first words in the human story were words spoke in the darkness – words from the darkness. Spoken by God. Spoken to breathe life into the darkness.
Out of the darkness these words were uttered:
“Let… there… be… light!”
And there was light. The first light in the universe came from the voice of God in the darkness. Gods first breathe in the universe created light.
This was the beginning. The first beginning. The first of many beginnings. This is the work of God in our lives. God enters into the darkness, unperturbed or disturbed, to bring light, growth, love, joy, peace that surpasses understanding, and all other manner of blessings as he wills.
Whenever God wants us to grow he leads us into the darkness where we are led by the spirit into the place of deepening faith and holy trust. And into our darkness He speaks ever so gently… let there be light, and Christ enters our darkness. He walks in it with us to lead us through the dark wilderness into his promised land for our lives.
Where there is darkness today God is already at work. New life will spring up at the sound of his gentle voice. Do not listen for a booming voice in the darkness. Look for the still small voice of the Spirit speaking and breathing the new life of God. God is speaking light into your darkness.
There’s a guy in the bible called BARNABAS – he had a great reputation. Why? Because he was a great encourager.
To encourage someone us to give them strength and courage. It is to lift them up.
How can we encourage those around us?
Here’s three ideas:
1. Pray for them
2. Help them practically
3. Give them your time and positive words
What are some other ways can we be great encouragers?
So often we rush through life not paying attention to how we live it. We rush from one situation straight into the next circumstance.
Why not take a moment today just to stop and choose how you will live today? We might not be able to choose our mood, but we can choose our attitude. How is your attitude to life today?
I recently had a major upset and disappointment in my career journey. I decided early on that I would not let it define me, but rather I would embrace the situation and navigate through it with my head held high, and my eyes on a more positive journey. I have listed some of the things that helped me. What would you add to the list, and what resonates with you?
1. When knocked down – Get up again every time!
2. Be positive – negativity helps no one!
3. Surround yourself with support – listen to those who say you can!
4. Believe in yourself – it helps those around you to believe in you!
5. Remember failure is not the end – it’s part of the journey of life
6. Learn from failure – but move on from it!
7. Keep on keeping on – your perseverance will be worth the effort
8. Be positive – negativity helps no one! 😉
9. Take advice – and filter it down to what helps
10. Accept help – the world is full of amazing, gifted people who can give you strength
11. Don’t be an egotist – remember we still need to look out for those around us
12. Identify your purpose – and move in that direction
13. Have faith.
14. Write down every idea you have – act on as many as you are able
What would you add to the list and what resonates with you?
