The Psalmist declares that he has seen the consummation of perfection. We all know that there is a difference between speculation and witnessing. He has seen (witnessed, beheld, examined, surveyed, recognized, perceived with his own eyes) that perfection has its limits. This truth helps me understand that pursuing perfection is futile. Why chase after an ideal that will lead to a dead end street?
I believe that we all long for perfection of some sort: outer, inner, intellectual, spiritual, or all around. We also expect perfection in others. We have this longing because it was placed there by God. But our pursuit is worldly and self seeking. "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Eternity is the perfection we were created for and therefore long for it. Perfection here on earth has limits, perfection in Heaven is limitless.
But your commands.
Commands is another word for God's Word. His Words are exceedingly broad, they have no limits, and are boundless. "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:12-13)
My encouragement to you for today, and forever, is to seek that which is eternally perfect (beyond compare, defectless, excellent, faultless, foolproof, immaculate, impeccable, pure, sound, supreme, unequaled, and flawless): the Word of God. Jesus is called the Word, even more reason for us to be more like Him. I am confident that if we take our eyes off of human perfection we will begin to life the abundant life promised to us.
Happy Thursday! I'm a week late in sharing this post but not really because God's word is relevant ALWAYS! This past Friday I received a text from a friend in Nashville, TN. She faithfully sends me a verse a day and I do the same. At exactly an hour later, another friend in Miami, FL shoots me a text with a verse carrying the same promise and truth. I was overwhelmed with much needed peace and joy. The Lord is perfect in His reaching out to us... always timely! I pray that they are perfect in reaching you.
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:5, 7
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit: to put in trust or charge;
entrust; to put into place to be kept safe or be disposed of.
Hello there Friend! With great joy I re-introduce to you Melissa. God has given me the wonderful privilege of serving alongside Meli at youth group. She is fun, full of life and absolutely lovely. Her wisdom though, sets her apart as a pillar of faith for all who know her. May you be blessed mightily through her words.
We
all have this idea of how our lives should pan out if everything goes according
to the plan. Whether it’s marrying the man of our dreams, or getting that dream
job, or traveling the world. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the
heart sick, but when the desire comes it is a tree of life”. So often we find
that instead of the happily ever after we always dreamt of, life hands us a
not-so-perfect husband, a mundane job, and maybe a trip to Disney (Don’t get me
wrong, I love Disney, but it’s no Italy). So often we are
disillusioned when reality doesn’t line up with our expectations. So what’s
with our expectations anyway?
A
few days ago, my mother called me over and said to me, “Hey, Meli, I learned a
new word today! Atelophobia, it means
the fear of imperfection. There, I’ve diagnosed you!” All my life I’ve
struggled with this mental plague many like to call “perfectionism”. Okay,
before you start rolling your eyes and thinking, “Oh great! One of those
women”, bear with me. I have no intention of whining about how hard being
perfect is. Trust me, I wouldn’t know! If you’ve begun to mentally check out
because you feel like you can’t really relate, stay with me because I’m going
to focus on a particular aspect of my struggle that I think every woman can
identify with.
I’ve
been analyzing my mental processes lately in an attempt to understand why I
drive myself crazy trying to get everything just the way I think it ought to
be. And here’s what I’ve concluded, my condition is quite simple really, it
boils down to the fear of not living up to the expectations – the expectations
of others, those I place on myself, and those the Bible makes clear for a woman
of God. Not all expectations are bad because by all means, we are to do
everything as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). But to be honest with you, there are times I read Proverbs 31
and think to myself, “That sounds exhausting! I’m just trying to make it
through college.” I’m sure the circumstances are different for everyone, but I
hope you understand where I’m coming from. Because of all that’s expected of
us, we are forced to juggle our responsibilities while trying to be everything
to everyone. Ironically, as a result of being spread so thin, sometimes I feel
more like I’m hardly being anything to anyone. When the desire to please others
or ourselves takes precedence over our desire to please God, we have lost sight
of our purpose and we will eventually burn out.
Jeremiah 2:13 says,
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of
living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no
water.” These cisterns are things we place our trust in to satisfy our needs;
things we put our hope in to meet our expectations.
Tragically, what
usually ends up happening when those needs are not met, we begin to resent
those who we feel let us down. We sort of play the blame game and in our minds
we’re telling ourselves things like, “if this thing had never happened” or “if
he were just more ______” or “if I had just been better” or “if God had only
done something about it” then maybe I would be happy and I could be a better
wife/servant/friend/mother.
Within the last few
years, God has been revealing bitterness and resentment that I’ve allowed to
creep in to my heart. I have resented myself for failures and shortcomings.
I’ve also known what it is to resent others for not being what I wanted them to
be, and in a way I resented God for not making everything right. Remember that
part of the proverb that talks about the heart being made sick? Well, yeah, it
got ugly. At certain times in my life, I had allowed it to affect me so much
that I became very critical and cynical. Before I knew it, I could hardly
recognize myself. I felt like a Pharisee – a white washed tomb. In my attempt
to get everything just right, I had become self-righteous and cold-hearted.
God allowed me to
have that experience so I would know how awful it is to be so far from him and
so that I could understand where leaning on anything other than him will lead.
I still struggle with perfectionism and self-resentment but God always reminds
me of 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will
rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.”
My prayer for you is
that you trust God regardless of your circumstances and that you would always
remember His faithfulness. I copied one of my favorite prayers (Not that I
believe in reciting prayers, but I love how this was worded):
God, grant me the
serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change;
courage to change the
things I can;
and the wisdom to
know the difference.
Living one day at a
time;
Enjoying one moment
at a time;
Accepting hardships
as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world
as it is, not as I
would have it;
Trusting that He will
make all things right
if I surrender to His
Will;
That I may be reasonably
happy in this life
and supremely happy
with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen. -Reinhold Niebuhr
You can read Melissa's Birthday Surprise post from last year HERE. You won't be disappointed!
Being single can be likened to a restaurant visit. You are hungry, and when you arrive, there is a waiting list. You wait out your turn; the host/hostess takes you to your table. They lead you to believe that your waiter/waitress will be right with you. Not fully understanding just how hungry you are; they leave you alone, with a menu of deliciousness, to wait even longer. The waiter/waitress finally arrives and asks you what you would like to drink. That's when you say, "I'm ready to order." They give you that look of, "Buddy, hold your horses! One thing at a time." Despite their efforts to only serve you a beverage, you place your order. What a surprise! You have to wait and wait some more. By now your hunger pain is more like an 8.0 earthquake in your belly. Your mouth waters at the thought of food. You look unto every plate that passes you and think to yourself, "Could that be my food?" Due to your level of hunger and impatience, you somehow start to believe that yes, every plate coming out of the kitchen is yours. What a let down when they pass you by. You look around and realize that everyone else has their food. Where is your food? Will it ever come? That all changes at the sighting of your favorite person (your waiter/waitress) coming out of the kitchen, walking straight to you, plate in hand [insert slow motion, dimmed lights and Barry White singing 'You Sexy Thing']. Oh Yeah, we do believe in miracles! Your food has arrived... I'll leave you two alone.
Singleness is not the present day plague or famine; you will survive this! The cliche thing to say would be, "Enjoy your singleness." Who hasn't heard that one?! To this I say, how can anyone enjoy hunger? How can a place of loneliness and emptiness be of any good? My friends, I believe the game-changer for us is found in a new perspective.
I once heard a story that goes a little like this: There were two young brothers. One was a pessimist while the other was a bubbly optimist. The boys' Father decided that it was his job to teach each boy a lesson: to the pessimist that life has glory moments and to the optimist that life is not always perfect. The next day when the boys arrived home from school, they found presents in each of their rooms. The pessimistic brother found a new TV in his room along with a brand new Xbox 360 with the latest games. The Dad was thrilled and eagerly awaiting a reaction from his son. To the Father's surprise, his pessimistic son looked down and moped around the room. He said to him, "Son, look at the new things I bought you. Isn't life great?" The son replied, "It's nice, but all these models will soon be old models and the games will not be the latest." The Father was a bit disappointed. He then goes to the room of the optimistic son. He had placed a rather large box in the middle of his room, about 5 feet tall and filled almost to the top with manure. To his surprise, he found his son in the box scooping the manure. He asked, "What are you doing?" The son replied, "With all this manure, there must be a pony in this box." (Thank you Therese Gomez for this story)
It is all about perspective. Rather than accepting your singleness as a plague, famine, disease, curse, or what not, accept it for what it is: a gift from God. Yes, it is a gift. Every season given to us is a gift from God. Singleness is a gift. Marriage is a gift. Widowhood is a gift. And what does the Bible say about gifts? James 1:17 puts it best, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." Our singleness is both good and perfect. Our singleness comes from the Father. And in our good and perfect Father there is no deceitfulness. Romans 12:2 reminds us that God's will is good, acceptable, and perfect. If, like myself, you find yourself single, you can stand on the truth that God's will is good, it is acceptable, and it is perfect. I pray you understand this. Singleness is acceptable.
My challenge to you is this: pray for a new perspective. As you accept this good and perfect gift, search God's word for scriptures that will feed your hungry-single heart. Yes, I am still comparing singleness to hunger. Matthew 15:32 paints a picture of how Jesus cares for us in the single community along with oh, you know, the entire world, "Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." I hope you get that. He 1) Has compassion for you 2) He has taken notice of your walk 3) He will feed you. May this be of encouragement to you as you wait. Accept God's gift joyfully for God cares for you, He has taken notice of what you lack and He will respond. Take courage.
I first want to wish Stephanie Landa a happy birthday. She is a faithful reader, great prayer warrior and friend. May the Lord's beauty and light continue shinning in you and through you.
As always, I must be honest with you. I had heard of Kerrie Robert but not listened to her music. Upon "youtubbing" her today I felt a bit disappointed with her lyrics, lots of words yet not much substance to them. That all changed when I stumbled upon 'Beautiful to Me' and it stirred up within me so many memories and took me back to a place of loneliness, pain and hopelessness. The greatness of this song is that it didn't just lead me down a sad memory lane, but to the promise land. The place where God took my pain and brought about beauty and wholeness.
Isaiah 43:1-2 // But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, and He who formed you: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
Isaiah 43:25 // I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
Isaiah 49:14-16 // But [your name here] has said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
Isaiah 51:3 //For the LORD will comfort Me, He will comfort all My waste places; He will make My wilderness like Eden, And My desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
Isaiah 54:4-12 // “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the LORD has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God. “ For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the LORD, your Redeemer. “ For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the LORD, who has mercy on you. “ O you afflicted one, Tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, And lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal, And all your walls of precious stones."
I have suffered from a broken heart many a times. The cause that wounded me deeply were many: death of a loved one, death of dreams hoped for, death of a career, death of a friendship, death of a romantic relationship, deaths of many kinds. There was much confusion overtaking my mind and uncontrollable fears. Even my health was falling apart. My heard bled in silence, I cried and barely felt alive. Depression kicked in, held me captive and bound me with chains. But the Word of the Lord did not fail me and Isaiah became my most intimate companion. God loosened the chains, captivated me with His wonders and removed my reproach, He healed my broken heart and mended my wounds.
Beloved Sister, beloved Brother I am in tears for you. The Lord sees your pain, He knows your affliction and He cares. He is holding your broken heart, all and every single piece. If you allow Him to, in His length of time, He will heal and mend. He will restore you to wholeness. No sin is too great that God cannot forgive. I beg you to forgive your offender, even if the great offender is you. God can and will restore.
If you have no other place to go, or can't find the strength to open your Bible, print these verses out and read them till you believe them. I know that Jesus, who personally knows pain, will comfort you. I know how hard and how terrifying a healing process can be. You don't have to do it alone. Invite Him today to be your Healer. He is gentle and loving, full of mercy and overflowing with compassion. I can attest to this great truth. He healed me and continues to do so. His promises are yes and amen, so why not hand over your burdensome pain? If you need someone to talk to or someone to pray with, contact me.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see— a splendid crown in the hand of God. Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride.
Isaiah 62:3-5
My promise to you: I will not stop praying for your until your righteousness shines like the dawn, and your salvation blazes like a burning torch. Isaiah 62:1
Beautiful to Me, Kerrie Roberts
So much I don't understand That I’d change if I wrote the story How pain can heal and death bring life How defeat can bring such glory You didn't hold back one breath You even gave Your last one So I’d live
It's beautiful to me Your holy mystery I'm standing here in awe Of how you make everything So beautiful to me Someday I will see How You hold this wounded heart And make it perfect and complete And it's beautiful to me Beautiful
I don't deserve Your suffering I should be the one who's bleeding But Your broken body gives This broken spirit what it's needing You reach through time with Your sacrifice Your wounded hands holding this fragile life
This ache, this longing This heart that I've been searching In this moment while I'm breaking Show me What Your plan, Your promise A pain that has a purpose I let you in to use it And just like Your hands built heaven’s hall You’re making me so beautiful
It's beautiful to me Every mystery I'm standing here in awe Of how You make everything So beautiful to me So perfect and complete You hold this wounded heart Someday I will see And it's beautiful to me Beautiful to me Beautiful, beautiful Beautiful to me Beautiful to me
Having slept only three hours, I arose early to join my friends on a little adventure. We set out to see the sunrise at the beach. Unfortunately, we didn't make it on time but we did enjoy the beach. Welcome to Miami:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation
or shadow of turning.
James 1:17
Throughout this Christmas weekend, this single verse kept popping up and floating in and out of my thoughts. A sweet reminder of the very best, most excellent, matchless and priceless gift: Jesus!
