Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a fantastic thanksgiving!
So for the past several weeks since I posted my last blog I have known exactly what the Lord has wanted my next post to be about..I just was really lazy and chose sleeping over writing one blog post over a topic I know is so prominent in our walk with the Lord.
And that is suffering.
I've been waiting to post on suffering and as I've been waiting I've been procrastinating. But tonight the Holy Spirit threw an awesome passage with two awesome little words embedded inside that verse at me.
"Praise the Lord, O my soul
and forget not all his benefits-" Psalm 103:2
So I discovered Psalm 103 just a few days ago. When I find new passages that I really like, I'll usually read it once and then flock back to it multiple times in my quiet times days after discovering the verse. So I've read this passage before. But as I was reading the passage it was like the words "forget not" jumped off the page, and I really started thinking about their meaning.
Wow. I don't know about you guys, but I am so forgetful.
October was a rough month for me. The Lord took away. It was a season of hurt that I had felt from actions of some people I was very close to, a season of disappointment where goals I desperately wanted to attain were not met, a season of being stretched through the call to forgiving others (and myself) and it was a season of so much pain and a lot of just awful junk in my life.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trails of many kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" James 1:2
That verse in James has always been a verse that has popped into my mind when I think about suffering...But when I'm actually in the midst of hard times, it is insanely hard to keep the James 1:2 mindset. You guys, when I was going through all that craziness in October, I guarantee you that I was not considering my suffering "pure joy". No, I was asking God why. I wanted to know why I was suffering and why He was allowing his own daughter to go through so much hard stuff.
Well then he brought me to Hebrews 12.
"Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If youa re not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline) then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" -Hebrews 12:7-10
In my suffering I was asking the wrong question. I was asking why instead of how.
God, why are you letting this happen?
vs.
God, how can you use this storm to make me look more like you?
And there, friends, is the beauty of suffering. That is why James told us to have joy in our suffering. We were destined for life separated from God because of our sin. But God came and saved us and through his blood ALONE tore the veil and we can now spend eternity with Him. We deserve nothing good in this life on earth or our life eternally. But God not only chooses to shower us with blessings, but he takes our suffering and turns it into something beautiful.
He uses our suffering to show us that he redeems all things.
He uses our suffering to remind us that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" -Romans 8:38
Who are we to deserve a God who can take the suffering we rightly deserve and use it to make us more resemble His son who came and died for us? We are called to be joyful in our suffering because the ability to be transformed in hard times is such a testament to the unfathomable love the Lord has for his children.
That is why God commands us to "forget not". In the middle of our suffering, if we remember how Great our God is we can choose joy in knowing that the Lord has an ultimate purpose to mold us into the likeness of our redeemer.
And how cool is that?
-Hannah
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Seeking Approval
Hello everyone!
So these past couple of weeks God has really been pressing on me on an area of my life that I know he wants to fix and work on-and that is my problem with wanting to please people-constantly.
Right now God is simply pointing out to me all of the places that I am looking towards the approval of man, as opposed to His.
Basically that's like, every moment of my life.
Here's a fine example:
Roughly two weeks ago I had my first round of region auditions for choir. Basically it was an audition TO audition for region. So what happens is you learn a few songs and the region chair picks cuts from some of the songs and you sing it for judges-you're singing behind a curtain so they can't see you, and they rank you. In order to advance to the next round, you have to place well enough up against your competition.
So for this first round I was at all I had to do was be in the top 23 in my room (there were around sixty people in the room total-they just took 23). I went in and auditioned, came home and waited for the results to be posted later on that night.
I got ranked 16th out of 23. So I advanced! Good, right?
Ya'll I cried for like an hour. And I might as well be completely honest.I didn't cry because I knew I could have done better MYSELF. I cried because I was worried about what all my choir friends would think about how I did. I Know it sounds petty but that's really the extent of how much I cared about what my friends thought of how I performed, as opposed to me caring about singing to the very One who gave me the gift of my voice in the first place.
That was all rooted in a need for me to try and find approval in other people.
"This is what the Lord says,
Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength,
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives."-Jeremiah 17:5-6
God is not beating around the bush in that passage there. If you just look at the words He is using-"cursed, wastelands, salt land"- God really means business. But He has so much truth in those two verses-obviously..because He's GOD! But think about it: When I hear things like "parched places of the desert" and "He will be like a bush in the wastelands" I don't think of a dude who's satisfied. I don't think of someone whose thirst is quenched. I think of someone who is UN-satisfied. Which is so true. It's like as humans we are always looking for the person that will cater the most to our constant need of being loved or approved of, when in reality no human will ever love us perfectly! People are going to fail us whether they mean to or not. So when one person (or even thing) fails us, what do we do? We jump to the next person that could possibly, just maybe, offer us fulfillment. And it's awful because that cycle never stops-we will continue to search until we are satisfied.
That's what God is telling us in that passage up there that I posted! We will not find rest if we are constantly searching for approval from men-because they will never satisfy. But God will.
God then says,
"BUT blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted b the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes,
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought,
and never fails to bear fruit." -Jeremiah 17:7-8
There's God's beautiful promise right there. He promises us that if we run to Him we will never be thirsty. Why? Because God loves us unconditionally. Don't believe me? Check out the cross. Better yet, check out the empty grave. Because He didn't conquer death for you to run to things that will not ever satisfy! I feel like God looks upon me sometimes with complete bewilderment because how can I think that any broken human's opinion could EVER match up to the one who gave his life to me? I feel so much conviction reading this chapter in Jeremiah because God is so clear in his love for us. He promises us that should we look to Him and Him alone we shall NOT be shaken. That doesn't mean that hard times will never come, but it does mean we have a rock immovable that we can cling to-one that will not fail.
One more verse I want to bring up:
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ." -Galatians 1:10
All over Romans Paul talks about being a slave to righteousness. And being a slave to righteousness is so cool-because it means we are following the Lord, intent upon becoming more like Him.
But what is this verse in galatians saying? While we are still trying to please men, we are allowing us to be bound in chains to something that is not the gospel. If we constantly worry about pleasing others and winning the approval of those around us, our life's purpose ceases to become to pursue the Lord. Instead of becoming a slave to righteousness, we become a slave to others opinions. And I believe that breaks the heart of the Lord. Because we already HAVE his approval. So why are we searching? We were approved the day that Jesus took his final breath.
Love you guys.
So these past couple of weeks God has really been pressing on me on an area of my life that I know he wants to fix and work on-and that is my problem with wanting to please people-constantly.
Right now God is simply pointing out to me all of the places that I am looking towards the approval of man, as opposed to His.
Basically that's like, every moment of my life.
Here's a fine example:
Roughly two weeks ago I had my first round of region auditions for choir. Basically it was an audition TO audition for region. So what happens is you learn a few songs and the region chair picks cuts from some of the songs and you sing it for judges-you're singing behind a curtain so they can't see you, and they rank you. In order to advance to the next round, you have to place well enough up against your competition.
So for this first round I was at all I had to do was be in the top 23 in my room (there were around sixty people in the room total-they just took 23). I went in and auditioned, came home and waited for the results to be posted later on that night.
I got ranked 16th out of 23. So I advanced! Good, right?
Ya'll I cried for like an hour. And I might as well be completely honest.I didn't cry because I knew I could have done better MYSELF. I cried because I was worried about what all my choir friends would think about how I did. I Know it sounds petty but that's really the extent of how much I cared about what my friends thought of how I performed, as opposed to me caring about singing to the very One who gave me the gift of my voice in the first place.
That was all rooted in a need for me to try and find approval in other people.
"This is what the Lord says,
Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength,
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives."-Jeremiah 17:5-6
God is not beating around the bush in that passage there. If you just look at the words He is using-"cursed, wastelands, salt land"- God really means business. But He has so much truth in those two verses-obviously..because He's GOD! But think about it: When I hear things like "parched places of the desert" and "He will be like a bush in the wastelands" I don't think of a dude who's satisfied. I don't think of someone whose thirst is quenched. I think of someone who is UN-satisfied. Which is so true. It's like as humans we are always looking for the person that will cater the most to our constant need of being loved or approved of, when in reality no human will ever love us perfectly! People are going to fail us whether they mean to or not. So when one person (or even thing) fails us, what do we do? We jump to the next person that could possibly, just maybe, offer us fulfillment. And it's awful because that cycle never stops-we will continue to search until we are satisfied.
That's what God is telling us in that passage up there that I posted! We will not find rest if we are constantly searching for approval from men-because they will never satisfy. But God will.
God then says,
"BUT blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted b the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes,
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought,
and never fails to bear fruit." -Jeremiah 17:7-8
There's God's beautiful promise right there. He promises us that if we run to Him we will never be thirsty. Why? Because God loves us unconditionally. Don't believe me? Check out the cross. Better yet, check out the empty grave. Because He didn't conquer death for you to run to things that will not ever satisfy! I feel like God looks upon me sometimes with complete bewilderment because how can I think that any broken human's opinion could EVER match up to the one who gave his life to me? I feel so much conviction reading this chapter in Jeremiah because God is so clear in his love for us. He promises us that should we look to Him and Him alone we shall NOT be shaken. That doesn't mean that hard times will never come, but it does mean we have a rock immovable that we can cling to-one that will not fail.
One more verse I want to bring up:
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ." -Galatians 1:10
All over Romans Paul talks about being a slave to righteousness. And being a slave to righteousness is so cool-because it means we are following the Lord, intent upon becoming more like Him.
But what is this verse in galatians saying? While we are still trying to please men, we are allowing us to be bound in chains to something that is not the gospel. If we constantly worry about pleasing others and winning the approval of those around us, our life's purpose ceases to become to pursue the Lord. Instead of becoming a slave to righteousness, we become a slave to others opinions. And I believe that breaks the heart of the Lord. Because we already HAVE his approval. So why are we searching? We were approved the day that Jesus took his final breath.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Ask, Receive, Knock
Boy, I go too long without posting...
I want to share a CRAZY story that happened a few weeks ago.
So one of the only downsides of summer camp is the nostalgia you experience all schoolyear long when coming home..I know when I come home from camp I miss it like CRAZY! But some days are worse than others. So for a week or so I just started to feel a lot of sadness in just missing Sky Ranch and ESPECIALLY the people there-be it counselors from sigma, counselors from quest, or counselors from the past..or fellow campers! So yeah, I would just feel down, and during my quiet times I would pray about it. I would usually say something like, "God I really miss so-and-so" or "I'm really sad that I haven't talked with this person in awhile". It was sort of like I was complaining to God..Not that God doesn't want to hear everything we have to say, because he DOES..But That's all I would pray.
So during that week or so, school started getting crazier. And for me, the crazier life gets, the more I usually miss camp. So I was in theatre first period one day that week and I started telling God how much I missed camp. I told him how much I would love to just hear from SOMEONE at camp.
"Hannah, why don't you just ask me?"
God asked me that very question, and literally I had one of those "duh" moments. So I did just what God told me to do. I asked Him to just hear from one person, anyone, from camp. Now i know this probably sounds weird but it had been a super hard week and some of the best encouragers I know are the people I met from Sky Ranch! So I ASKED.
That was first period. I'm going throughout my day, and after hearing God's voice telling me to ask this of Him, I really did have faith that I was going to receive. But as I passed through second and third period out of my four classes I have each day, I had not heard from anyone. It was weird though..even though I hadn't heard from anyone, I didn't ever get angry with God for not delivering..I just continued asking. But as I continued asking, my prayers changed, along with my heart. When before I wanted to hear from people for my own benefit, I suddenly found myself praying and asking that this only be done if it were his will, and if I were to have contact with anyone from camp, it would be something I would blatantly be able to use for God's glory...But I still didn't hear for anyone..I just thought God had wanted to teach me a lesson through this, and it wasn't in his plan for me to talk to any sky ranch counselors or campers that day.
Well.
I get to fourth period English, my very last class of the day. And I still don't receive a text. But as the dismissal bell for the end of the day is ringing, I check my phone and I have a text from my old camp counselor of two years, Krista. Guys, of all people-I had not talked to Krista in around a month/month and a half. So I sort of just stare at my phone pretty awed-out by Jesus, when I finally open the text message. I was expecting a message saying something such as, "Hi! How are you?" or whatever..But it was a link to a website I have NEVER heard of. Just a link! So I click on it, and it takes me to this BEAUTIFUL poem about the concept of God's grace-and how we attempt to earn it ourselves..This is something I have always struggled with, and it was like God was sending me a little reminder in the craziness of my week.
Maybe I didn't do a very good job of telling the story on this blog, but to me it was a total God-moment. And the funny thing is that this 'God-moment' is so simple in concept, but so crazy hard for me to understand.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:9-10
That is SUCH a crazy promise the Lord is making there!!! God promises to provide! I used to get really tripped up over this verse. Because I know I've been praying for a long time that chipotle will deliver and that STILL hasn't happened! I've asked-so why haven't I received? But it brings me back to my story. God would still have been just as sovereign as He always has been if I had not received that text from Krista during fourth period. Who are we to say when God should give us what we want? I don't even think we know what we want! God promises that in all things he works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I believe in a God who will not let us settle for what we think is best. That doesn't mean we will always be happy with what He gives us and does not give us..But guys think about what would happen if we started to pray boldly! Do you ever sit in church and hear a sermon that's super convicting-but you don't pray about it? I know I do that all the time! I know I tell God so often how much I wish there would be a revival at my school-but how often do I ASK Him to change the hearts of the students around me at school? If we as a body of believers begin to pray boldy and ask for things such as zeal for His kingdom and crazy love for others and growth and healing and sanctification I know he will provide! He may not provide when we want him to or in the way we want Him to- but I feel like in so many situations God is up in heaven wondering why we simply don't ask for the things we yearn for.
But we need to BELIEVE that God will answer.
"But when he asks he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord, he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does."-James 1:6-8
God desires a heart of faith, and a heart of submission! By trusting that the Lord will provide, it leads us away from worry and His desires are made our own! Pray boldly, because Abba Father will answer!
Praying for you guys always!
I want to share a CRAZY story that happened a few weeks ago.
So one of the only downsides of summer camp is the nostalgia you experience all schoolyear long when coming home..I know when I come home from camp I miss it like CRAZY! But some days are worse than others. So for a week or so I just started to feel a lot of sadness in just missing Sky Ranch and ESPECIALLY the people there-be it counselors from sigma, counselors from quest, or counselors from the past..or fellow campers! So yeah, I would just feel down, and during my quiet times I would pray about it. I would usually say something like, "God I really miss so-and-so" or "I'm really sad that I haven't talked with this person in awhile". It was sort of like I was complaining to God..Not that God doesn't want to hear everything we have to say, because he DOES..But That's all I would pray.
So during that week or so, school started getting crazier. And for me, the crazier life gets, the more I usually miss camp. So I was in theatre first period one day that week and I started telling God how much I missed camp. I told him how much I would love to just hear from SOMEONE at camp.
"Hannah, why don't you just ask me?"
God asked me that very question, and literally I had one of those "duh" moments. So I did just what God told me to do. I asked Him to just hear from one person, anyone, from camp. Now i know this probably sounds weird but it had been a super hard week and some of the best encouragers I know are the people I met from Sky Ranch! So I ASKED.
That was first period. I'm going throughout my day, and after hearing God's voice telling me to ask this of Him, I really did have faith that I was going to receive. But as I passed through second and third period out of my four classes I have each day, I had not heard from anyone. It was weird though..even though I hadn't heard from anyone, I didn't ever get angry with God for not delivering..I just continued asking. But as I continued asking, my prayers changed, along with my heart. When before I wanted to hear from people for my own benefit, I suddenly found myself praying and asking that this only be done if it were his will, and if I were to have contact with anyone from camp, it would be something I would blatantly be able to use for God's glory...But I still didn't hear for anyone..I just thought God had wanted to teach me a lesson through this, and it wasn't in his plan for me to talk to any sky ranch counselors or campers that day.
Well.
I get to fourth period English, my very last class of the day. And I still don't receive a text. But as the dismissal bell for the end of the day is ringing, I check my phone and I have a text from my old camp counselor of two years, Krista. Guys, of all people-I had not talked to Krista in around a month/month and a half. So I sort of just stare at my phone pretty awed-out by Jesus, when I finally open the text message. I was expecting a message saying something such as, "Hi! How are you?" or whatever..But it was a link to a website I have NEVER heard of. Just a link! So I click on it, and it takes me to this BEAUTIFUL poem about the concept of God's grace-and how we attempt to earn it ourselves..This is something I have always struggled with, and it was like God was sending me a little reminder in the craziness of my week.
Maybe I didn't do a very good job of telling the story on this blog, but to me it was a total God-moment. And the funny thing is that this 'God-moment' is so simple in concept, but so crazy hard for me to understand.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:9-10
That is SUCH a crazy promise the Lord is making there!!! God promises to provide! I used to get really tripped up over this verse. Because I know I've been praying for a long time that chipotle will deliver and that STILL hasn't happened! I've asked-so why haven't I received? But it brings me back to my story. God would still have been just as sovereign as He always has been if I had not received that text from Krista during fourth period. Who are we to say when God should give us what we want? I don't even think we know what we want! God promises that in all things he works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I believe in a God who will not let us settle for what we think is best. That doesn't mean we will always be happy with what He gives us and does not give us..But guys think about what would happen if we started to pray boldly! Do you ever sit in church and hear a sermon that's super convicting-but you don't pray about it? I know I do that all the time! I know I tell God so often how much I wish there would be a revival at my school-but how often do I ASK Him to change the hearts of the students around me at school? If we as a body of believers begin to pray boldy and ask for things such as zeal for His kingdom and crazy love for others and growth and healing and sanctification I know he will provide! He may not provide when we want him to or in the way we want Him to- but I feel like in so many situations God is up in heaven wondering why we simply don't ask for the things we yearn for.
But we need to BELIEVE that God will answer.
"But when he asks he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord, he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does."-James 1:6-8
God desires a heart of faith, and a heart of submission! By trusting that the Lord will provide, it leads us away from worry and His desires are made our own! Pray boldly, because Abba Father will answer!
Praying for you guys always!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Useless Chains
Hi! I'm sorry about the lack of posting...I'm gonna go on ahead and use the typical excuse of being busy because of school..which this past week was kind of crazy, but I don't want business to stop me from sharing what God is teaching me.
So picture this:
There's a guy in doctors office who discovers that he has a terminal, incurable disease. The doctor basically tells him to go home and be with family for his last month or so before he passes. So the patient goes home, begins the grieving process, and basically gets ready for his last days...But one morning, a few weeks into coping with the news, he gets a frantic call from his doctor to come into the office right away. The man goes to the hospital and the doctor delivers news that a cure has been formulated, and it has a 100 percent guarantee to take away this man's illness in a matter of minutes. The doctor is practically elated after telling the terminally ill patient of the cure. But the man simply looks at the doctor, and in a matter-of-fact tone says, "It's okay, I can cure myself!" and walks out.
"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees. "If you are willing, you can make me clean" Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing" he said. "Be Clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured." -Mark 1:40-42
So the first story I typed up there was made up- I haven't ever heard of anything like that happening in a doctors office..I also don't know of a cure to any disease that works in a matter of minutes..BUT I do know that spiritually, in our walk with the Lord, that scenario is all too present. I know, because I've been there.
We are messy beings. We sin. I once read a prayer that confessed that even when PRAYING we don't have the right intentions with the Lord. We have all fallen short of His glory..And that deserves punishment-and our punishment is to live with our sin and eventually spend eternity separated from God.
In Romans 7, theres a passage that Paul writes about his sin and about his sinful nature and his flesh and the fight between that. He says that what he wants to do he does not do, but he hates what he does. he also talks about how in his INNER being he delights in God's law..but He can't seem to shake all this crap sin out of his fleshly nature.
Newsflash...And I know Paul knew this. We can't heal ourselves. WHich is why the Lord provides Paul with beautiful words right after this statement of Paul's:
"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!" -Romans 7:24-25
I love that Paul calls his body a body of death..Because that parallels not only to my little doctor story above, but also to the story of Christ healing the man with leprosy. As sinners, our body is literally, as Paul says, a body of death. Think about it: Our flesh is sinful in nature...And God is too holy for sin..So therefore because of our sin we are deserving of death, because of the deeds of our sinful nature. And we will continue to sin. Hear me out guys. I have TRIED and TRIED and I"m being completely honest. There is no way for us to heal ourselves. We are broken sinful beings that repeatedly turn our backs on our creator. Imagine if that verse above stopped at "WHo will rescue me from this body of death?" I get chills (and not the good kind) when I think about the reality that, if it were not for Jesus, we would have no hope at all.
Here's the way cool thing about Jesus though! Not only HAS he saved us but he was willing. Just as you look at Jesus healing the leper (along with several other stories in the Bible) Jesus is longing to save us, not only because he knows we are hopeless on our own, but because of his crazy insane love for us. In Isaiah (Forgive me for not knowing the exact passage!!) The Lord tells us that when we need his grace, he is EXALTED! He gets glory when we admit that we need Him. As a body of Christ, we need to let go of our chains we are holding on to and run towards freedom. Do you know how sweet of a deal this is guys? Being saved took no effort of our own. Just acceptance in the gospel and in God's truths. And now suddenly we are allowed free pardon from our sin, HEALING, and most importantly a relationship with Him...A relationship we did not deserve one bit. But understand this: I truly believe that to really be cured you have to allow the healer to do His work. I'm not saying that you shouldn't push yourself and resist temptation, but you can't go around trying to earn a gift already given to you! Let the reality of this drive your affections for the Lord-He takes you just as you are. You do not have to be afraid of failure, because great are the mercies of the Lord! He will not let you fall, and your salvation is secure. Rest in that, sisters and brothers in Christ, because the HEALER is worthy of praise! Don't try and fix yourself, that's just allowing yourself to succumb to useless chains.
So picture this:
There's a guy in doctors office who discovers that he has a terminal, incurable disease. The doctor basically tells him to go home and be with family for his last month or so before he passes. So the patient goes home, begins the grieving process, and basically gets ready for his last days...But one morning, a few weeks into coping with the news, he gets a frantic call from his doctor to come into the office right away. The man goes to the hospital and the doctor delivers news that a cure has been formulated, and it has a 100 percent guarantee to take away this man's illness in a matter of minutes. The doctor is practically elated after telling the terminally ill patient of the cure. But the man simply looks at the doctor, and in a matter-of-fact tone says, "It's okay, I can cure myself!" and walks out.
"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees. "If you are willing, you can make me clean" Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing" he said. "Be Clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured." -Mark 1:40-42
So the first story I typed up there was made up- I haven't ever heard of anything like that happening in a doctors office..I also don't know of a cure to any disease that works in a matter of minutes..BUT I do know that spiritually, in our walk with the Lord, that scenario is all too present. I know, because I've been there.
We are messy beings. We sin. I once read a prayer that confessed that even when PRAYING we don't have the right intentions with the Lord. We have all fallen short of His glory..And that deserves punishment-and our punishment is to live with our sin and eventually spend eternity separated from God.
In Romans 7, theres a passage that Paul writes about his sin and about his sinful nature and his flesh and the fight between that. He says that what he wants to do he does not do, but he hates what he does. he also talks about how in his INNER being he delights in God's law..but He can't seem to shake all this crap sin out of his fleshly nature.
Newsflash...And I know Paul knew this. We can't heal ourselves. WHich is why the Lord provides Paul with beautiful words right after this statement of Paul's:
"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!" -Romans 7:24-25
I love that Paul calls his body a body of death..Because that parallels not only to my little doctor story above, but also to the story of Christ healing the man with leprosy. As sinners, our body is literally, as Paul says, a body of death. Think about it: Our flesh is sinful in nature...And God is too holy for sin..So therefore because of our sin we are deserving of death, because of the deeds of our sinful nature. And we will continue to sin. Hear me out guys. I have TRIED and TRIED and I"m being completely honest. There is no way for us to heal ourselves. We are broken sinful beings that repeatedly turn our backs on our creator. Imagine if that verse above stopped at "WHo will rescue me from this body of death?" I get chills (and not the good kind) when I think about the reality that, if it were not for Jesus, we would have no hope at all.
Here's the way cool thing about Jesus though! Not only HAS he saved us but he was willing. Just as you look at Jesus healing the leper (along with several other stories in the Bible) Jesus is longing to save us, not only because he knows we are hopeless on our own, but because of his crazy insane love for us. In Isaiah (Forgive me for not knowing the exact passage!!) The Lord tells us that when we need his grace, he is EXALTED! He gets glory when we admit that we need Him. As a body of Christ, we need to let go of our chains we are holding on to and run towards freedom. Do you know how sweet of a deal this is guys? Being saved took no effort of our own. Just acceptance in the gospel and in God's truths. And now suddenly we are allowed free pardon from our sin, HEALING, and most importantly a relationship with Him...A relationship we did not deserve one bit. But understand this: I truly believe that to really be cured you have to allow the healer to do His work. I'm not saying that you shouldn't push yourself and resist temptation, but you can't go around trying to earn a gift already given to you! Let the reality of this drive your affections for the Lord-He takes you just as you are. You do not have to be afraid of failure, because great are the mercies of the Lord! He will not let you fall, and your salvation is secure. Rest in that, sisters and brothers in Christ, because the HEALER is worthy of praise! Don't try and fix yourself, that's just allowing yourself to succumb to useless chains.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Combatting Lies
I'm just going to jump right in..No clever little analogy or anything(:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
So I don't mean to get real weird real fast, but right there Paul is talking about spiritual warfare...So yeah...Satan..and demons and stuff.
As Christians, I think we all can agree that the only thing that makes us strong is the blood of Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit through us. The cool thing is that-that Holy Spirit-the one who is living in us- is all powerful...The same God that raised from the dead and conquered sin is inside us, and will work through us. We have been redeemed, so we are called to redeem.
If I were a "ruler of this dark world" that would scare the poop out of me. I know and believe that my salvation is secure, and I KNOW Satan knows that too.. so I think he will do everything in his power to keep me from spreading and furthering the gospel.
So, how does he do this?
Jesus is described in the Bible as the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)
Truth, when looked up on google is defined as "the quality or state of being true." So if Jesus is TRUTH, then he is always true. Following me? (Lecrae has an awesome song called truth, I'll post lyrics at the end)
Now, here's what the Bible has to say about satan...
"...He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44-45
Complete, polar opposites. Which, makes sense...
Do you listen to the lies of the enemy? Guys, I don't mean to sound creepy but I'm just trying to be real. like it says earlier in my post, our struggles are against the authorities of this dark world...Maybe these are some lies that the enemy tells you:
-You're not good enough.
-You won't amount to anything.
-You're not attractive-nobody would ever want you.
-You're not skinny enough.
-You are not good enough for a savior.
-There IS no savior.
-You will only be happy if you get 'x' amount of money or 'x' amount of friends.
-You have to be perfect.
Those are the lies of the enemy. Those are things that trip us up, that keep us from running light towards the Lord.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." -Hebrews 12:1
So how do we throw off these lies?
Ya'll, dig into the WORD! All those lies up there that I listed-I guarantee you that every single one of those can be combatted with truth that can be found none other than in the word of God. So I have a little challenge for anyone reading this.. Maybe there's something on that list up there that sort of strikes a chord in ya'll..A lie that you know you are believing. Or maybe there's something not listed..Even so, search and dig into the word to find truth to combat the lies. The Bible says that "the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."-Hebrews 4:12
The Bible is literally God's prime way of communication with us. It's HIS words in there...and His Spirit that gave those words to the people that literally wrote it. And remember, the spirit that gave words to those people also lives inside of us..and that SAME spirit conquered the grave 2000 years ago, is coming back on a white horse, and will reign victorious. He.Is.Powerful. WAY more powerful than any ruler or force of this dark world. But we need to take advantage of the tools-of the ARMOR that God has given us so graciously. Beat that stinking devil with a Bible Verse. he doesn't stand a chance against the victorious one. The battle is WON, guys...But we can't just be passive and not fight back when we hear the lies of the enemy.
"Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, an d after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:13-20
Praying for you guys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDHxnd6VFWs - Lecrae's 'Truth'
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
So I don't mean to get real weird real fast, but right there Paul is talking about spiritual warfare...So yeah...Satan..and demons and stuff.
As Christians, I think we all can agree that the only thing that makes us strong is the blood of Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit through us. The cool thing is that-that Holy Spirit-the one who is living in us- is all powerful...The same God that raised from the dead and conquered sin is inside us, and will work through us. We have been redeemed, so we are called to redeem.
If I were a "ruler of this dark world" that would scare the poop out of me. I know and believe that my salvation is secure, and I KNOW Satan knows that too.. so I think he will do everything in his power to keep me from spreading and furthering the gospel.
So, how does he do this?
Jesus is described in the Bible as the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)
Truth, when looked up on google is defined as "the quality or state of being true." So if Jesus is TRUTH, then he is always true. Following me? (Lecrae has an awesome song called truth, I'll post lyrics at the end)
Now, here's what the Bible has to say about satan...
"...He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44-45
Complete, polar opposites. Which, makes sense...
Do you listen to the lies of the enemy? Guys, I don't mean to sound creepy but I'm just trying to be real. like it says earlier in my post, our struggles are against the authorities of this dark world...Maybe these are some lies that the enemy tells you:
-You're not good enough.
-You won't amount to anything.
-You're not attractive-nobody would ever want you.
-You're not skinny enough.
-You are not good enough for a savior.
-There IS no savior.
-You will only be happy if you get 'x' amount of money or 'x' amount of friends.
-You have to be perfect.
Those are the lies of the enemy. Those are things that trip us up, that keep us from running light towards the Lord.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." -Hebrews 12:1
So how do we throw off these lies?
Ya'll, dig into the WORD! All those lies up there that I listed-I guarantee you that every single one of those can be combatted with truth that can be found none other than in the word of God. So I have a little challenge for anyone reading this.. Maybe there's something on that list up there that sort of strikes a chord in ya'll..A lie that you know you are believing. Or maybe there's something not listed..Even so, search and dig into the word to find truth to combat the lies. The Bible says that "the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."-Hebrews 4:12
The Bible is literally God's prime way of communication with us. It's HIS words in there...and His Spirit that gave those words to the people that literally wrote it. And remember, the spirit that gave words to those people also lives inside of us..and that SAME spirit conquered the grave 2000 years ago, is coming back on a white horse, and will reign victorious. He.Is.Powerful. WAY more powerful than any ruler or force of this dark world. But we need to take advantage of the tools-of the ARMOR that God has given us so graciously. Beat that stinking devil with a Bible Verse. he doesn't stand a chance against the victorious one. The battle is WON, guys...But we can't just be passive and not fight back when we hear the lies of the enemy.
"Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, an d after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:13-20
Praying for you guys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDHxnd6VFWs - Lecrae's 'Truth'
Monday, August 20, 2012
On a Scale of Earth to Eternity...
What's up guys?
I'm gonna be honest...Yesterday when I started this blog, and it good a good response, I started to take some of the glory for myself. I love writing, and I love processing what the Lord has taught me and putting it out online, but sometimes I forget how much of an incredible gift it is to even speak of the word of the Living God.
I'm praying as I'm typing this that the Lord does not allow anything of ME to seep into this blog-that those who read this will not pay any attention to my "style of writing" or my (attempted) wittiness..But that all that is taken away is that which has eternal weight.
Which, ironically, is what I want to write about today.
Lord, give me words to write.
Who here is a goal setter? I know I am. Guys, when I have something in mind that I want, I make pretty darn sure that I'll get there (as far as I can control). It's like a switch turns on in my brain, and all I can see is that goal. The problem with that switch is that there's no dimmer. If I let it, that goal can manifest and become an idol. let me give you a few examples in my life:
Choir-I had to be in the top choir by my sophomore year
Friends-I had to make sure I was FRIENDS with all the people in that choir
Perfection- The thought of messing up, of failing, of sinning- literally drove me insane. Every second I was worrying about what I was doing wrong. (That was a goal I never would, and never will reach, by the way).
Y'all, where is the freedom in that? I can tell you point blank I am not perfect, and it is by the GRACE of GOD that I am who I am(1 Corinthians 15:10). But I have learned lessons in the past couple years of my life-particularly my high school years so far. And I know I learned that those things held no weight-that all things will pass away. When I get to heaven, it won't matter how popular I was amongst my friends, or how well I did in choir. It just won't.
Don't misunderstand me, goals are NOT a bad thing. The Lord gives us drive and purpose for a reason..But here's what that reason is:
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." -Colossians 4:17
But WHY does God tell us to do this? Why does He tell us to glorify Him, and Him alone? I know I struggle with this. Sometimes I become selfish and I covet that glory for myself-after all, it's MY singing voice-my personality..right?
Wow, wrong. So wrong.
"DONT BE DECEIVED, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He CHOSE to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created." -James 1:16-18
Wow. That is literally crazy stuff. I don't remember where I read it-Oh, Jk, I do-Matt Chandler's book, Explicit Gospel (Good read!). But basically what Chandler talks about is how GOOD God IS.
So, I really like food. A lot. And I really like chipotle.A lot. When I go to chipotle and eat until I'm about to burst, that's a gift-I mean who can argue that chipotle isn't a good thing? That's a gift from the Lord..Everything that brings us pleasure (that is not sinful, mind you) is a gift from God. When I think about all the good things God has given me, I'm amazed. I am deserving of life and eternity in HELL, and he blesses me with a home, health, family, friends, sky ranch, and chipotle. What? God's salvation ALONE should be enough, and yet He gives me all this. So who am I to not give glory to the one who gives all things?
When I became a Christian (which I don't actually know the date and time, mind you), my life was given purpose. My life suddenly had meaning. And that meaning doesn't come from things of the world-it comes from knowing that I now am living for a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). My life no longer holds the weight of the world-it holds eternal weight. I mean really, Guys...By God's grace, I'll live to be maybe 70-75 (or whenever he takes me, no moment is promised). Why on Earth would I live for those 70-75 years when knowing I have eternity to look forward to? Man, I want to be ready. I want to be preparing myself for my actual home, not settling for what this world has.
Father God, I pray that whoever reads this is encouraged-not by my words, but by what you have spoken through me. I pray that every ounce of every single thing we do in our life goes to your name and your kingdom. Allow your word to penetrate my heart, and let me go out living with a mindset of eternity.
I'm gonna be honest...Yesterday when I started this blog, and it good a good response, I started to take some of the glory for myself. I love writing, and I love processing what the Lord has taught me and putting it out online, but sometimes I forget how much of an incredible gift it is to even speak of the word of the Living God.
I'm praying as I'm typing this that the Lord does not allow anything of ME to seep into this blog-that those who read this will not pay any attention to my "style of writing" or my (attempted) wittiness..But that all that is taken away is that which has eternal weight.
Which, ironically, is what I want to write about today.
Lord, give me words to write.
Who here is a goal setter? I know I am. Guys, when I have something in mind that I want, I make pretty darn sure that I'll get there (as far as I can control). It's like a switch turns on in my brain, and all I can see is that goal. The problem with that switch is that there's no dimmer. If I let it, that goal can manifest and become an idol. let me give you a few examples in my life:
Choir-I had to be in the top choir by my sophomore year
Friends-I had to make sure I was FRIENDS with all the people in that choir
Perfection- The thought of messing up, of failing, of sinning- literally drove me insane. Every second I was worrying about what I was doing wrong. (That was a goal I never would, and never will reach, by the way).
Y'all, where is the freedom in that? I can tell you point blank I am not perfect, and it is by the GRACE of GOD that I am who I am(1 Corinthians 15:10). But I have learned lessons in the past couple years of my life-particularly my high school years so far. And I know I learned that those things held no weight-that all things will pass away. When I get to heaven, it won't matter how popular I was amongst my friends, or how well I did in choir. It just won't.
Don't misunderstand me, goals are NOT a bad thing. The Lord gives us drive and purpose for a reason..But here's what that reason is:
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." -Colossians 4:17
But WHY does God tell us to do this? Why does He tell us to glorify Him, and Him alone? I know I struggle with this. Sometimes I become selfish and I covet that glory for myself-after all, it's MY singing voice-my personality..right?
Wow, wrong. So wrong.
"DONT BE DECEIVED, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He CHOSE to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created." -James 1:16-18
Wow. That is literally crazy stuff. I don't remember where I read it-Oh, Jk, I do-Matt Chandler's book, Explicit Gospel (Good read!). But basically what Chandler talks about is how GOOD God IS.
So, I really like food. A lot. And I really like chipotle.A lot. When I go to chipotle and eat until I'm about to burst, that's a gift-I mean who can argue that chipotle isn't a good thing? That's a gift from the Lord..Everything that brings us pleasure (that is not sinful, mind you) is a gift from God. When I think about all the good things God has given me, I'm amazed. I am deserving of life and eternity in HELL, and he blesses me with a home, health, family, friends, sky ranch, and chipotle. What? God's salvation ALONE should be enough, and yet He gives me all this. So who am I to not give glory to the one who gives all things?
When I became a Christian (which I don't actually know the date and time, mind you), my life was given purpose. My life suddenly had meaning. And that meaning doesn't come from things of the world-it comes from knowing that I now am living for a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). My life no longer holds the weight of the world-it holds eternal weight. I mean really, Guys...By God's grace, I'll live to be maybe 70-75 (or whenever he takes me, no moment is promised). Why on Earth would I live for those 70-75 years when knowing I have eternity to look forward to? Man, I want to be ready. I want to be preparing myself for my actual home, not settling for what this world has.
Father God, I pray that whoever reads this is encouraged-not by my words, but by what you have spoken through me. I pray that every ounce of every single thing we do in our life goes to your name and your kingdom. Allow your word to penetrate my heart, and let me go out living with a mindset of eternity.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Behind the Title
Hey there! My name's Hannah. I'm a junior in high school, a singer, but most importantly a grace-addict. Where would I be without my Savior? This is a new blog I decided to start, dedicated to the sovereign work that my Father is doing in my walk with Him. I had a blog that I kept throughout my sophomore year, but I really fell out of writing. So here I am, and by the grace of God I pray that this blog will be kept up, just for the sake of glorifying Him.
SO let me explain to you why this blog is called what it is...
If you're reading this and you know me personally, you'll roll your eyes when you read what I'm about to write-because you know already...
My favorite place on earth is Sky Ranch. Got your eye roll out? Good. So I'll keep going(:
I was incredibly blessed to spend a whopping three weeks at sky ranch-one week being at the camp in East Texas, and two of those weeks with the oldest leadership group sigma in the stunningly beautiful Colorado mountains. All three weeks were so incredible, and I could literally go on and on about some super fun and super crazy insane stories-all varying from golden eyeballs to peeing in the woods to crazy works of the Lord.. But I'll just share one story!
During sigma, the camp in Colorado, we did our thing climbing mountains and chilling with kids in Denver, and then traveled home the second week on a thursday back to the camp in East Texas where our parents would pick us up on Saturday. We arrived to the East Texas camp (in Van) at around 8 AM on Friday morning, and were able to spend the day doing activities around camp-swimming, blobbing, sports, etc... Later that night the sigmas were able to go to a night of worship, and afterwords we went and sat outside and listened to one of our counselors talk. She stressed the importance of really talking time to process everything God had done the past two weeks, and talked about how to face the fear of going home. And then she asked us to just invite the Lord to speak to us.
I got a little sassy in my head when she said that...All throughout sigma I had been praying to just simply hear the voice of the Lord, and those two weeks I had not heard a thing-no audible voice, and that's what I wanted. A summer ago I went through a season where I heard-audibly heard God's voice, and for some reason I felt entitled to hearing His voice again-as if His presence wasn't enough. So I was doubtful, skeptical that I would hear anything.
Cool how God isn't dependent on our faith in Him, huh?
So I decided to pray-I simply asked the Lord-
Lord, what will my life look like when I get home? What do you WANT my life to look like?
I waited, I tried to be still. But I heard nothing. And all the sudden, a small, small portion of lyrics from the song 'Live Like That' by the sidewalk prophets came to mind-
"recklessly abandoned, never holding back."
Want to know what's sad? I almost missed it! Like I said, I'm a singer. I'm in choir. It's not rare for me to get a song stuck in my head. But here's the crazy thing. I didn't even know any part of the song EXCEPT the chorus. At the time, I couldn't have told you how the song started...And usually when I get a song stuck in my head, it's because someone else was singing it before.
Nobody had sung that song the whole trip-not from what I'd heard.
God had spoken-just not through the way I had expected.
So that's how I want to live my life this year. That's why I named the blog what I did. Guys, God calls us to surrender all control to Him-and it's not because he wants us to feel enslaved, it is so we can pursue righteousness. When we are in control, we fall. But when He holds all things, when we are truly abandoned, I think that's when we find the most freedom!
God is Good, guys. Please don't forget it!
SO let me explain to you why this blog is called what it is...
If you're reading this and you know me personally, you'll roll your eyes when you read what I'm about to write-because you know already...
My favorite place on earth is Sky Ranch. Got your eye roll out? Good. So I'll keep going(:
I was incredibly blessed to spend a whopping three weeks at sky ranch-one week being at the camp in East Texas, and two of those weeks with the oldest leadership group sigma in the stunningly beautiful Colorado mountains. All three weeks were so incredible, and I could literally go on and on about some super fun and super crazy insane stories-all varying from golden eyeballs to peeing in the woods to crazy works of the Lord.. But I'll just share one story!
During sigma, the camp in Colorado, we did our thing climbing mountains and chilling with kids in Denver, and then traveled home the second week on a thursday back to the camp in East Texas where our parents would pick us up on Saturday. We arrived to the East Texas camp (in Van) at around 8 AM on Friday morning, and were able to spend the day doing activities around camp-swimming, blobbing, sports, etc... Later that night the sigmas were able to go to a night of worship, and afterwords we went and sat outside and listened to one of our counselors talk. She stressed the importance of really talking time to process everything God had done the past two weeks, and talked about how to face the fear of going home. And then she asked us to just invite the Lord to speak to us.
I got a little sassy in my head when she said that...All throughout sigma I had been praying to just simply hear the voice of the Lord, and those two weeks I had not heard a thing-no audible voice, and that's what I wanted. A summer ago I went through a season where I heard-audibly heard God's voice, and for some reason I felt entitled to hearing His voice again-as if His presence wasn't enough. So I was doubtful, skeptical that I would hear anything.
Cool how God isn't dependent on our faith in Him, huh?
So I decided to pray-I simply asked the Lord-
Lord, what will my life look like when I get home? What do you WANT my life to look like?
I waited, I tried to be still. But I heard nothing. And all the sudden, a small, small portion of lyrics from the song 'Live Like That' by the sidewalk prophets came to mind-
"recklessly abandoned, never holding back."
Want to know what's sad? I almost missed it! Like I said, I'm a singer. I'm in choir. It's not rare for me to get a song stuck in my head. But here's the crazy thing. I didn't even know any part of the song EXCEPT the chorus. At the time, I couldn't have told you how the song started...And usually when I get a song stuck in my head, it's because someone else was singing it before.
Nobody had sung that song the whole trip-not from what I'd heard.
God had spoken-just not through the way I had expected.
So that's how I want to live my life this year. That's why I named the blog what I did. Guys, God calls us to surrender all control to Him-and it's not because he wants us to feel enslaved, it is so we can pursue righteousness. When we are in control, we fall. But when He holds all things, when we are truly abandoned, I think that's when we find the most freedom!
God is Good, guys. Please don't forget it!
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