The mountain of God and the mountain of worry. One in which I want to stand but always find myself climbing the other.
I'm writing this time as a reminder to myself that the Lord has everything under control and there is no need to worry about the future. His grace is enough. There is no need to worry about the things in which I desire. From learning Japanese to completing the Navy in 3 years.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (New International Version)
8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
With a promise like this, "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." There is no reason for me to have any doubts. I've seen the Lord work in mysterious and wonderful ways. He saved me from depression and lifted me higher than I had ever been before. I know that I know that the Lord is good. So I need to continue reminding myself of His promises. To be in continual prayer.
Again it is said in His living word, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." We can rest assured that the Lord will always be with us.
So I ask the Lord to help me stop climbing the wrong mountain and stand firm upon His mountain. The Rock which is Jesus Christ. My loving savior and friend. I thank you Lord and I pray that you reign in the hearts of my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and lead them to your mountain to stand firm. Amen.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Cleaning up the Temple
Today I decided I was going to clean my room and organize all of my books. Over the past couple of weeks I slowed down on cleaning and slowly but surely disorder came upon my room.
I picked up a broom and started sweeping. Normally I always listen to music while I clean. It's a habit picked up from the days my mother would clean the house while listening to Ray Boltz, Carman, Amy Grant, etc.
As I was sweeping, I was singing along and I look down at the pile of dirt I just made. I stared at it for a bit and thought, "my room looks clean in the spots I just swept but this spot is dirty still, if I don't get a dust pan and pick this up, then the dirt will just get kicked around all over the room."
At that moment the Temple of God came to my mind, that our bodies are God's temple.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
If we are God's temple, the sins we get entangled in needs to be more than swept, they need to be swept into a dust pan and thrown out. When you sweep dirt into the dust pan you have the intention of putting it in the trash then taking the trash outside to be picked up.
Colossians 3:5-10
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
My prayer is the the Lord shows me the areas in my life and the things I still harbor that is dirtying the temple that I am. I want my heart to be filled with hope in Him not with anger or malice. I want my thoughts and meditations to be of His majesty, love and awesome power. Not on the idols. We need to allow Jesus to not only sweep the earthly nature but to sweep it into a dustpan and throw it out. Through Jesus we are new creations.
After I swept up the dirt and threw it away, I thought to myself on how to prevent my room from getting this dirty again. I figured I could put things away right after I'm done using them. And if anything gets dirty don't let it build up, clean it right away.
Now after I thought about that I thought about the verses that follow Col 3:5-10. Which talks about what to do after throwing off the things of one's old self.
Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
My prayer is that everyday by God's grace I will trust in Him to clothe myself with these things to help me keep His temple clean.
I find it amazing how God can reveal things to us in things such as cleaning up a room. He is truly the God Most High, the lover of our souls.
Allow God to clean His temple which is you. For the blood of Jesus has made you as white as snow. Trust in the Lord all of your days and as he polishes and cleans you, may you reflect his Glory to those around you.
Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 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.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.
I picked up a broom and started sweeping. Normally I always listen to music while I clean. It's a habit picked up from the days my mother would clean the house while listening to Ray Boltz, Carman, Amy Grant, etc.
As I was sweeping, I was singing along and I look down at the pile of dirt I just made. I stared at it for a bit and thought, "my room looks clean in the spots I just swept but this spot is dirty still, if I don't get a dust pan and pick this up, then the dirt will just get kicked around all over the room."
At that moment the Temple of God came to my mind, that our bodies are God's temple.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
If we are God's temple, the sins we get entangled in needs to be more than swept, they need to be swept into a dust pan and thrown out. When you sweep dirt into the dust pan you have the intention of putting it in the trash then taking the trash outside to be picked up.
Colossians 3:5-10
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
My prayer is the the Lord shows me the areas in my life and the things I still harbor that is dirtying the temple that I am. I want my heart to be filled with hope in Him not with anger or malice. I want my thoughts and meditations to be of His majesty, love and awesome power. Not on the idols. We need to allow Jesus to not only sweep the earthly nature but to sweep it into a dustpan and throw it out. Through Jesus we are new creations.
After I swept up the dirt and threw it away, I thought to myself on how to prevent my room from getting this dirty again. I figured I could put things away right after I'm done using them. And if anything gets dirty don't let it build up, clean it right away.
Now after I thought about that I thought about the verses that follow Col 3:5-10. Which talks about what to do after throwing off the things of one's old self.
Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
My prayer is that everyday by God's grace I will trust in Him to clothe myself with these things to help me keep His temple clean.
I find it amazing how God can reveal things to us in things such as cleaning up a room. He is truly the God Most High, the lover of our souls.
Allow God to clean His temple which is you. For the blood of Jesus has made you as white as snow. Trust in the Lord all of your days and as he polishes and cleans you, may you reflect his Glory to those around you.
Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 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.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.
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