Seeing everything in life as an opportunity to worship God!
I don’t know if you are in that “dry” place right now, a place where you don’t have much more to give. Are you exhausted, maybe you have received a diagnosis that you weren’t prepared for, maybe you are having marital issues that can’t seem to be resolved, the list goes on and on and on! But I do know the One that you can call on which will be your help in a time of need, His name is Jesus Christ.
I believe most of us can relate to the first couple lines of our song today, “God, I’m on my knees again, God I’m begging please again. I need You, Oh I need You!” Sin is a very present reality in our lives, and the battle against it can be very fierce at times, but the reality of forgiveness actually has the potential of allowing us the ability to overcome those nagging sins in our lives!
This week I am inspired to trust more fully in the Lord my God, and I hope to communicate that with you and to encourage you to place all of your faith and trust into Jesus Christ our Savior no matter what you may be facing in your life! He is so faithful, and wants to be that safe place for you to come and find solace!
Have you ever found yourself saying, “God, I need You!” I know that I have many times in my life, and I have never once regretted it! I am going to share my testimony now, and I do want you to consider skipping over this section if you have ever been a victim of physical abuse. I would never want my testimony to deter you from having a relationship with Christ, or growing in your walk with Christ, but I do feel that it is necessary to share my story because our testimonies can help people understand how to overcome life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups and how God can help us do so. Some parts of my story are graphic, so please read with grace.
If you have wandered from God, please hear His words in Jeremiah 2. Please understand that He misses you and desires to be reconciled to you through your decision to devote yourself to Him and His ways again. Repent, confess your sins, and walk in His closeness again my friend. He loves you! For that we can all be grateful during this Thanksgiving season!
God is our Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer, Hope, Peace, Healer, Comforter, Truth, Holiness, Friend, Brother, Helper, Wonderful Counselor, Provision, Source, and so-on. Of which of these are you in need right now, and what is stopping you from crying out to Him while you look for that attribute of God to fill a need in your life? He is calling to you and telling you that it is ok to come to Him at all times to find grace in your times of need. So, go to Him and seek Him for the mercy and grace that you are in need of right now! He loves you and is sympathizing with you!
I can remember reading Psalm 42 & 43, along with a Sermon Series from the Pastor of my previous church, and being gripped by the honesty of David as he cried out to the Lord in desperation. He starts with saying that he is thirsty for the living God to show up (Ps. 42:1)! When was the last time you told God that you need Him to show up for you just like a deer needs the waters to be there when it goes to a stream for something to drink. Without His presence, we will not be able to continue on just the same as an animal deprived of water will not be able to survive. Is God’s presence that important to you? What are you willing to do to sense His presence and continually press into that presence? I am reminded of Moses telling God that unless He go with them, the Israelites will not go (see Exodus 33:13-17), and I hope that we will all be this honest about our need for God’s presence to be with us as we live out our lives by faith!
Colossians 3:13 (NET) “bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.” As we have been discussing the articles of spiritual clothing that we are to “put on” each day, this article called forgiveness seems … Read more
We need to understand that unconfessed sin sucks the life out of us (Ps. 32:3-4) and distances us from God. So, if we are trying to get close to God through worship we will inevitably be frustrated with the results if we are refusing to be authentic and truthful with Him about our sins. Start today, confess your sins to God and allow the refreshing water of forgiveness to bless you and restore you. Humility before God is a sweet thing that will always be received and honored by God. Isn’t that what we want? So, let’s do it!