On Striving. and Holiness

Jesus says,

I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have pulled you out of the mire and muck of your sin-laden life. I have redeemed you, dressed you in my purest garment, and written your name in the Book of Life. Never will I forget you or forsake you. 

Look at Israel. She was a nation with the most predictable cycle of sin. I would rescue her. She would serve me. Hard times would come. She would reject me. I would pursue her heart. She would come back to me begging for forgiveness. 

And I never loved her any less. She was my precious child--the one set apart for my purposes. 

You are now a part of my family. I created a new covenant so that you could enter into this beautiful relationship of love and mercy, of worship and holiness. All I ask of you is that you be consecrated unto me--set apart for my sacred use. I will do great things with your life if you let me. 

Love me with all of your heart and the obedience will follow. You will never be able to earn my acceptance, so stop striving. Know my love as yours and float in it, worship me for it, honor me because of it. 

You needn't worry about your eternal destination. If you confess with your mouth I am Lord, and you believe in your heart that my death and resurrection cover the cost of your sin you are saved.  

With an unquenchable passion for me, holiness will be your pursuit.

On His Leading

Jesus is calling, saying, "My child, don't look to the left or to the right. I am leading you along a path which is for you alone. No one else will ever experience what I have in store for you. All I need from you is your hand tightly in mine, your eyes fixed on me. It may seem difficult to be living in a way that is becoming more and more set apart from this world. This is not cause for fretting--that only leads to evil. Your path will increasingly diverge from that of others. But you know what? This actually gives you even more freedom to love people. 

Today, stop and take the opportunity to rejoice in the intimate communion we share. Experience my peace and be filled with eager expectation of losing yourself in Me."

On Setting Aside Busyness

From December 19 Jesus Calling

Do not be weighed down by the clutter in your life: lots of little chores to do sometime, in no particular order. If you focus too much on these petty tasks, trying to get them all out of the way, you will discover that they are endless. They can eat up as much time as you devote to them.

Instead of trying to do all your chores at once, choose the ones that need to be done today. Let the rest slip into the background of your mind, so I can be in the forefront of your awareness. Remember that your ultimate goal is living close to Me, being responsive to My initiatives. I can communicate with you most readily when your mind is uncluttered and turned toward Me. Seek My Face continually throughout this day. Let My Presence bring order to your thoughts, infusing Peace into your entire being.

Proverbs 16:3

Matthew 6:33

On Jesus, Always

Jesus says, "Why do you rely on imperfect human beings to fill and support and strengthen you? There are so many reasons you know this to be an unwise decision. First, it is unfair to put such a burden on them. You know and they know there's no way they can be your everything, all the time. People fail. So why place your trust in them? 

I beseech you to trust in me. My deepest desire is that you would long to spend every minute you are drawing breath with me. I know you love your husband. That is so good. I am honored by the cherished relationship the two of you share. You seek me together. You build one another up. You are a positive example of marriage and thus of the Bride of Christ and My Father. 

But. 

No matter how much you love you husband, you cannot look to him to sustain you. You mustn't place your need for security and peace in his power. Yes, he will do his best to provide for you and he does deserve your trust. But, daughter, I will never fail you. You know this, don't you?"

Yes, Jesus. I know. 

"Then come to me. Turn your needs over to me--I will fill them to overflowing. I will give you purpose. I will give you peace. I will always listen. I will never fail."

Jesus, I'm so sorry. I know you deserve my everything. You shouldn't just be a priority in my life. You should BE my life. I want to make YOU the one I long to spend every waking minute with. I want to think of you first when I have exciting news or a devastating blow. Forgive me for replacing you. Be my everything. Now. 

On Individual Purposes

Jesus says,

"I know you because I formed you. I knit you together in your mother's womb. Your life has a great purpose. Though you are unable to see what I have in store for you, it is great. My plans are far more astounding than you have ever thought or imagined. The only stipulation is that you stop trying to out-do me. You know better, my child. You have seen me provide for you, protect you, preserve you over and over again. You have been thrilled with my work, so you must stop worrying. 

The plan I have for you life is completely unique. You are not meant to live in another's shadow or follow in someone else's footsteps. Look to me. Hold tightly to my hand. Sink deeply into my arms and you will not be led astray. Yes, your path may seem strange at first, even to you. Others may criticize you or question you, but remember Noah and Moses and remain faithful to me. 

In the end, after we have taken every road you never would have anticipated, through the bushwhacking, the low visibility, the rough terrain, the blue skies, and the sunsets, we will have reached the top of one of the mountains and you will see WHY. Breath in the glory around you and take me with you tomorrow." 

On the Beauty of a Woman

Jesus says, 

"I created you.

I had a plan and a purpose for you life even before you were a dream in your parents' subconscious. 

You are beautiful. 

You are wonderfully made.

I knit you together, stitch by stitch, placing every limb, every bone, every organ, exactly where I wanted them. 

I make no mistakes. 

When I was forming the land and the sea, 

the birds and the fish, 

the sun, moon, and stars, 

the animals and plants, 

I wanted to save the best for last.

I created man in my image, but I knew it was not good for him to live on his own. 

Though Adam knew no different, I knew he would not be complete without a counterpart. 

Together, the two would more perfectly display my qualities. 

He would be strong. 

She would be sensitive. 

He would rule with power. 

She would reign with grace.

They would fit perfectly together and, in my image and because of the capacity I gave them to love, they would be given the ability to create life. 

And so, I created you. 

As a woman, you came from man, because the two of you were made to be reliant and inseparable.

You were given my image, my glory. 

It is in you that I display my breathtaking beauty. 

You are the crown of creation. 

And only then did I say, 'It is very good.'

Yet you reject the very body I created. 

You look in the mirror and ignore all that is perfect and look only at what you wish to change. 

You see flaws. 

I see unique beauty. 

You complain. 

You believe the lies Satan whispers in your ear, telling you how ugly you are, how you are too fat or too skinny, or how you'd be better if only you had that jean size or that cup size or that hair color. 

And the more you listen to his deceit, the more difficult it becomes for you to hear my gentle voice. 

I weep when I see you degrade yourself. 

I am saddened when you don't trust my Truths. 

I make no mistakes. 

I made you wonderfully--exactly as I intended. 

What right does the creation have to question the wisdom the Creator? 

NONE! 

Believe me when I say I take great delight in you. 

I rejoice over YOU with singing.

Embrace my all surpassing love. 

Know it as yours and float in it." 

And today I offer this prayer for each one who knows the lies all too well. 

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 

may have power, together with all the saints, 

to grasp how wide 

and long 

and high 

and deep is the love of Christ, 

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Eph.3:16-19

--Learning to embrace my beauty,

Melanie

On the Foresight of Jesus

As I opened my favorite devotional (Jesus Calling) today, I read these words that went straight to my heart:

"Be willing to follow wherever I lead. Follow Me wholeheartedly, with glad anticipation quickening your pace. Though you don't know what lies ahead, I know; and that is enough! Some of My richest blessings are just around the bed: out of sight, but nonetheless very real. To receive these gifts, you must walk by faith--not by sight. This doesn't mean closing your eyes to what is all around you. It means subordinating the visible world to the invisible Shepherd of your soul."

Oh, Jesus, how perfect those words fit into my spirit today. 

By now, you may have noticed the trend in the words I've used to describe my life. I'm giving up my rights. I'm following Jesus no matter what the cost. (Or at least I'm striving to do that wholly.) I'm no longer letting myself get bogged down with the demands and expectations this world has for my life. I'm listening closely and looking intently at Jesus as He leads me down this path for His name's sake.

Today Jesus reminded me of these things...

...that He knows exactly what's coming and because of that, I don't have to even think about it. I can just follow along for the ride. And along with that, my heart was convicted--to live in this present moment--not for what may or may not come in the future. But the best, most glorious promise I was met with today was that what is awaiting me is an extravagance I cannot imagine. God has some of his richest blessing waiting just ahead. 

My job? To focus on the life He brings to me today. To be specially attuned to His voice so I don't miss a turn. To be joyful up the mountain side when I could give in to fear, and then when I can see His plan clearly to be perfectly content and truly thankful.  

And really it all begins with thankfulness. 

I am thankful for this new day. 

Thankful for God's omniscience. 

Thankful for His faithfulness. 

Thankful for His peace. 

Because when I pray for His peace, I'm not asking for Him to become what I need Him to be. No, I should be thanking him for being Peace and asking for the grace to experience what He has been to me all along.