To be honest, I used to not care too much about books like Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. As someone who is always trying to find answers to everything, I tended to view Christianity as a list of beliefs, a series of truth propositions. And although Christianity is a list of beliefs, it is not ONLY a list of beliefs. The Bible is not predominantly a list of creeds. Much of it consists of…This is such a great observation that I stand by as well. More and more, I’m convinced that an honest heart before God breeds true discipleship. An honesty about our apathy, frustration, and confusion towards God both steers us from a legalistic relationship with Him and draws us close to receive the divine comfort He gives in our afflictions.
When I’ve written songs, sometimes I get wrapped up in how theological they sound…or I keep a song unfinished because there isn’t a positive, hopeful resolution to it…
And I believe that songs that are strictly theological or resolve squarely on God’s hope can be true praise. But sometimes, there’s no way around feelings of desolation from God and apathy to His desires, even when I cognitively understand His promises to us. In that moment, it would be a lie to express anything else than how I truly feel right then and there. Such expressions, as I have come to experience, reveal a true work of God’s grace and faithfulness when I realize that in that earnestness, He helps me come to Him with these broken things instead of searching for answers in more dangerous waters.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of comfort and ease, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being criticized, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being passed over, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being lonely, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being hurt, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering, deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, strengthen me with your Spirit.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, teach me your ways.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
help me put my self importance aside
to learn the kind of cooperation with others
that makes possible the presence of your Abba’s household.
예수 안에 능력있네 나 힘이 없어 쓰러질때도
넘치는 은혜와 사랑 그 능력으로 승리 얻으리
오 나는 인생의 성공을 너무 소중히 여겼네
세상 영광보다 귀한 주님의 그 은혜
오직 예수 나의 믿음 십자가 능력 속에 빛나는 영광
내 모든 승리로 주님께 영광을 나의 힘 나의 소망 오직 예수
예수 안에 영광있네 주 은혜로 나 구원 얻었네
나 오직 주의 은혜로써 나의 부족함 이길 수 있네
난 이제 세상 명예보다 주님 알기 원해
주의 축복 감사하며 주의 영광 높이리
(Source: Spotify)
My times are in the best hands.
Psalm 23
Psalm 34
Psalm 91
"Assurance grows by repeated conflict, by our repeated experimental proof of the Lord’s power and goodness to save; when we have been brought very low and helped, sorely wounded and healed, cast down and raised again, have given up all hope, and been suddenly snatched from danger, and placed in safety; and when these things have been repeated to us and in us a thousand times over, we begin to learn to trust simply to the word and power of God, beyond and against appearances: and this trust, when habitual and strong, bears the name of assurance; for even assurance has degrees."
Newton on the Christian Life, 220
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-god-gives-assurance
(via michaelysoh)
Fit me for every scene and circumstance;
Stay my mind upon thee and turn my trials
to blessings,
that they may draw out my gratitude and praise
as I see their design and effects.
Render my obedience to thy will holy, natural,
and delightful.
Rectify all my principles by clear, consistent,
and influential views of divine truth.
Let me never undervalue or neglect any part
of thy revealed will.
May I duly regard the doctrine and practice
of the gospel,
prizing its commands as well as its promises.
Sanctify me in every relation, office, transaction
and condition of life,
that if I prosper I may not be unduly exalted,
if I suffer I may not be over-sorrowful.
Balance my mind in all varying circumstances
and help me to cultivate a disposition
that renders every duty a spiritual privilege.
Thus may I be content,
be a glory to thee
and an example to others.
But as for me, it’s good to be near the Lord.
As for me, it’s good to worship Him! As for me, it’s good to pray and drink of His Word. As for me, it’s good to entrust all to Him. As for me, it’s good to love Him and fight daily to enjoy Him! As for me, it’s good that He’s after my being transformed than my being informed. As for me, it’s good that He gives me only and exactly what I need and not just what I want. As for me, it’s good to walk with the Lord so I can learn how to truly live. As for me, it’s good to ask for spiritual blinders so that I don’t look left and right and lose my way.
As for me, it’s good to be here….it’s good to be here…it’s GOOD TO BE HERE!!..because it’s all been His abundant and mercy until this point.
"For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed."
Hebrews 12:10-12
lately i find myself just sitting.
sitting in silence and enjoying some me and God time.
I am realizing every every week the importance of committing to a local church and seeking Christ with the brothers and sisters through that provided community.
I am utterly mind-blown at the last three months of what God has done for me. It hasn’t been ideal or easy or cute, but He is relentlessly chasing after my heart and asking me to purge out all the things that are unpleasing to Him. He’s given me more of Himself through this process..a deeper intimacy and a longing to be won over by Him every day - so what more can I ask for..?
All glory to Him alone - it’s ALL His grace. For that, O Lord, may I feel satisfied, content, overjoyed, and never stop praying, depending, trusting, and praising Your Holy and Great and Wonderful name.
p.s. Bethany, I miss you. And thank You Lord, again, for helping me experience such an amazing body of believers during my college years.
Teach me how to love Your Church. Spend me and waste me on You, O Lord…
But one reason why God usually doesn’t give us specific guidance in our sometimes-perplexing decisions is that he places a higher priority on our being transformed than our being informed in order that we will be conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). That’s why Paul writes,
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
What does this mean? It means that God has a design in the difficulty of our discerning. The motives and affections of our hearts, or “renewed minds,” are more clearly revealed in the testing of ambiguous decision-making.
In Scripture, God reveals to us everything we need to know to live godly lives (2 Peter 1:3) and to “be complete [and] equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). But the Father is not seeking workers, but worshipers (John 4:23). And he knows that if he made his will for our specific decisions more explicit more often, we would tend to focus more on what we do rather than what we love. Like the Pharisees, we would tend to focus more on our actions, rather than our affections.
But in decisions that require discernment, the wheat is distinguished from the tares. When we’re not quite sure, we end up making decisions based on what we really love. If deep down we love the world, this will become apparent in the pattern of decisions that we make over time — we will conform to this world.
But if we really love Jesus, we will increasingly love what he loves — we will be transformed by renewed minds. And our love for him and his kingdom will be revealed in the pattern of small and large decisions that we make.
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/why-god-s-will-isn-t-always-clear
I’ve been asking God to prepare me to be a wife and I think one of the first ways He’s answered this is by waking me up at 5:30-6am without an alarm every day for over a month now regardless of when I sleep.
……… What is this…….
Is this so I can send my husband off to work with a full stomach everyday?
….NAAH.
He’s just telling me pray at 6am.
ㅎㅎㅎ 역시 하나님 has such good sense. Thank You God!!!
Father -
mold my character,
enlarge my heart,
deepen my devotion.
