What Lies Ahead

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4

Throughout my life, one thing I have always struggled with was looking for my peace of mind in the circumstances of my life. As long as the circumstances in my life were good, I was happy. However it was when things and circumstances in my life turned south or not as I would want them, that I would begin to stay up all night pondering on what to do and try to picture how things would unfold from here. It was during those times where my joy would seem to fade.

As Christians we need something that will help us when we don't know what to do or where to turn. And so we should turn to God, and pray for the solution that we can't seem to find. But God has more for us that just a solution, for He wants to do more for us than just solve a problem or answering a question on our hearts.

One of my memories as a kid, was when my dad would give me an allowance of 25 cents a week. I remember he would never just give it to me unless my mom told him to, but he would hold it tightly in his hand and turn it into a game. I had to pry his fingers open one by one to get it. I remember he would drag this game out and would make me pry with all my might until I had each finger pried back, until I got the quarter. I remember as soon as I got the quarter I would take it a run to my piggy bank, which really was a pig, and count all my money.

As Christians we sometimes when we come to God, we come for the quarter in his hand. God I need a job. God I need to do well. God I need a such and such. When we reach for the quarter, and when God grants our prayer we push his hand away and go on with our lives. But I Must remind myself that God offers us something so more valuable than just the quarter in his hand, but he offers us His hand. God offers us a relationship, not just a solution to the troubles that keep us up at night, but offers us a companionship with himself through his son Jesus Christ, and it is in that friendship that we will ultimately find joy.

That is why in Psalm 37, the Psalmist exhorts us to take delight in the Lord, for it is through friendship with Jesus that we find the desires of our heart met beyond expectation.

"There's no better way to insure a good nights sleep than through knowing God is your friend and knowing that you can enjoy that friendship forever."

Only By Your Grace

"For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

1 Corinthians 4:7

God I just ask and pray that you continually remind me that by nature, I am no better than others. Remind me Father of what I would be, without the continual influence of your grace in my life. Remind me that whatever I am, that I have nothing to make myself proud. Remind me Father that the only thing I would have been great at in life without you, would have been sinning and living in my own misery. Thank you Father for making me different and for saving me from the trespasses and sins in which I once walked, and for continually pouring out your grace in my life.

How Deep The Father's Love For Us

How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure
That he should give his only son, to make a wretch his treasure
How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turned his face away
As wounds which mar the chosen one, bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything: no gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ; his death and resurrection
Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart: his wounds have paid my ransom

Gimme Gimme

"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."
- Mark 10:15

As I was reading in Mark I came across this verse which kind of tied into a book I am currently reading titled The Pleasures of God. In the book, one of the main points Piper keeps mentioning is how it is God's pleasure to give us the kingdom. He makes the point that Jesus does not say, sell you the kingdom, or trade you the kingdom, but how it is the Father's pleasure to give you the kingdom.

As a child, most of us our always like gimme gimme gimme. I am so thankful that God is like a mountain spring and not like a watering trough. I am grateful that he delights to overflow, and to give and give and give, and that is why the gospel is the good news that God does not need a measuring cup, but people who will drink. The qualification for receiving his kingdom is not strength but thirst. How great is it that its our Father's pleasure to give us the kingdom, and to give it freely.