To ____ Be The Glory

To whom or what have you given the most glory lately? The "church" answer is, of course, God - as it should be.

Prove it.

Take the next five minutes and list the ways you have glorified Yahweh or Jesus Christ. And be honest. He knows your heart. If your not sure of your own true intentions, ask the Spirit to reveal it to you. Psalm 139:23

Dear Father, let this never be said of me...  "For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened." Romans 1:21

On The Tail Of The Titanic

Have you ever felt as though you were on a sinking ship?

Sometimes it's obvious to those around us: Health issues, job loss, death in the family, etc. Other times no one may know: Emotional distress, family disagreements, complacency, and such.

My sinking ship really just has a slow leak. For the last several months I've been in a "dry season", "dark night of the soul", "slump", or whatever you want to call it. I've just had a hard time connecting with God. As a result, I've found that I'm having to rely more on faith and less on feeling. I know God is there- Matthew 28:20. I know He is faithful- Exodus 15:13. So the question I've had to answer is, "When I don't feel it at all for long periods of time, what am I going to do about it?"

I'm going to keep seeking Him with everything I have. I know He wants me to come to Him, so He'll give me the strength to do it, if that's truly my heart's desire.

I'm picturing it like the movie Titanic. They main characters did everything they could to get off the boat, yet in the end they had to run to the back of the ship and ride the tail to the water in order to stay afloat as long as possible. The only difference here is that I know He'll teach me to walk on water when there is nothing earthly left to stand on!

What I Have Learned

What has God been teaching you this summer?

I've learned...

   that when I forget to read my Bible I tend to pray less and miss Him more.

   His patience is amazing. He doesn't force me to come to Him, but waits lovingly. That makes me love and want to please Him even more.

   I must be vigilant in order not to fall back into my old ways. When we start dabbling in gray it quickly consumes life's color scheme.

   He is everywhere and cares about the smallest details and prayers in our lives. Even down to the "Please Lord let no one come home covered in ticks..."

  

But what I've learned most is that I can do NOTHING without God in my life: I can not seek Him, love Him, take care of my family, take care of my health, wake up, fall asleep, or have a good laugh without Him. Through good times and bad, He gives me the only peace, joy, love, security, and hope I've ever known. I can not love my family without the love He gives and teaches me. I can not think straight, reason, or comprehend. There is no song of praise or joy in my heart without Him placing it there. 

This summer I have learned that I am nothing without Jesus Christ.

...yet, through Him, I can do anything.