I Needed That

For the past couple of weeks, I have been in a rut. Nothing really significant has happened to me to make me feel a little down in the dumps..........I have just not felt like myself. I know that part of it is a certain preschooler who has been trying to assert his own will when it conflicts with the will of his parents. I know that I have been a little homesick, too. It has been 7 months since I've seen my parents, family, and friends back in Texas. I have also had some concerns that my thyroid medication is not right.

But, I think the real reason I have been feeling down is because a couple of Saturdays ago, I stopped doing my daily Bible reading. And, I have really missed spending that time in His word. And then today during Bible class, the teacher read this verse, one of my favorites (and an Acapella song!):

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 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.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

I am so thankful for the Spirit of God that gives us strength! And how AWESOME is the love of Christ!

I hope that if you are feeling a little down today, that you will look to Him for strength. He loves you so much and can do way more than you can ever ask or imagine.

Have a blessed week,

Manda

See what HE did!

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:1-10

Recently, I have been reading a book called The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller (l-o-v-e having a hubby in a ministry training program because I get to read all his neat books!). The book addresses some of the age old questions skeptics ask when they are struggling with belief in God. It was a good read, but as always, you have to chew up the fat and spit out the bones.

One statement on page 19 of Keller's book really caused me to stop and think:

"God's grace does not come to people who morally outperform others, but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior." Timothy Keller in The Reason for God pg. 19

Our Christian faith centers on our belief that we are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus as seen in Ephesians 2; NOT because we are better than non-believers. My brain has comprehended this fact for a long time, but I am sorry to admit, my heart and actions have many times failed to follow suit.

We need to pray.......I need to pray that God will change my heart in the way I view others. I need to remember that I was dead in my sins and needed so desperately a Savior to reconcile me to God.

If you are already a Christian reading this, I ask that you evaluate the way you view and treat those without Christ..........we were in the same mess they were before we found Him.

If you have not given your life to Him because you don't think you are good enough or that you think you can't live the life He calls you to live........know that it is His grace that will save you through your faith in Him. He will help you live for Him if you will only give your life to Him. The Bible teaches that He made you to perform His will in Christ Jesus! If I can help you learn more about that, please let me know.