Straining to See The Promised Land?

Have you ever walked through seasons of life metaphorically holding your breath, waiting with great anticipation for something to happen?

Maybe you’re waiting for a hard season to end, healing to happen or a promise to unfold?

Maybe it’s not just one thing, but many things that tempt you to feel paralyzed, like you can‘t take a step forward until “this thing” happens or this other thing is finally over?

I think that’s the crux of faith…& that’s where I find myself a lot recently👉🏽stuck on some level, holding my breath, waiting for something to change. 

As I read about Abraham this morning, I’m reminded that those feelings can surface in circumstances that require faith. The lack of peace rises when we put faith in the FULFILLMENT of the promise, rather than simply trusting The One Who made it.

Abraham is declared righteous because of his faith, believing God by simply taking Him at His Word.

God promises to make Abraham a father of nations, but his first son doesn’t arrive for 25 years! This poor man waits until he’s 100 years old to finally experience the fulfillment of God’s promise!

God also promises to lead Abraham to a promised land, but the fruition of that promise doesn’t arrive until, generations later, Moses leads his people through the Red Sea to the promised land.

Do you have a promised land you are straining to see on the horizon?

Enduring the fulfillment of God’s promises can feel exhausting, especially when we continue to focus on the void He promised to fill.

We will never fully comprehend His timing, but we CAN fully place our faith in His faithfulness, even while we wait.

Abraham is considered the father of faith not because he believed in the FULFILLMENT of the promise, but because he trusted The One Who always keeps His Word!

Father, lift our chins like you did Abraham’s when you told him to look up! When he focused on the facts before him, faith felt impossible. But when he raised his gaze to the heavenlies, the star-filled sky gave him a glimpse of the many descendants to come!

Be the lifter of our chins today, reminding us to take take a deep breath as we raise our gaze off the promise, & remember, IN faith, Who said it!

#OneYearBible

July 17th One Year Bible Readings

1 CHRONICLES 24:1-26:11

ROMANS 4:1-12

PSALM 13:1-6

PROVERBS 19:15-16

If You Died Today, What’s Next?PSA: We Cannot “Good Works” Our Way to Heaven

Have you ever been acquitted of something? Like you actually deserved punishment, but for some reason, you escaped the snares of justice?

I have one such occasion I’d rather not share, but sense it’s a perfect time for the story to be used for good.

One night in my college years I drove home late not realizing I had a broken headlight. When an officer pulled me over & asked where I was coming from, I said a party 🤦🏻‍♀️ He had me take a breathalyzer test & I failed 😞.

That night felt like forever as I sat in jail waiting for my boyfriend (now husband) to make arrangements for me to be released. I kept thinking how I broke the law & that there was no undoing what I did.

Maybe unlike me, your life has been pretty uneventful & you consider yourself a good person - you’ve been kind, loved long & forgiven freely.

Regardless of which camp you reside, the bottom line is that none of us can be good enough to be made right with God. He established The Law for one purpose:

To show that we ALL stand guilty before Him!

The Law with its strict & lofty standards exposes sin & shows that our grace-filled acquittal is not based on obedience, but only through faith!

Spending the night crying behind bars was awful…I thought my life was over. Everyday before the court date, I’d awaken with dread of the coming judgement. It wasn’t until I stood before the judge & received a sentence far less than I deserved, that the weight finally lifted.

Y’all, we all have charges we cannot clear. We can’t “good works” our way to heaven. The only way to God is through The Way, Jesus. He cleared our slate with an empty grave & all we need “do” is place our faith in The Sinless One.

When we know with weighty clarity that all sins are forgiven by our resurrected Savior, we can’t help but follow Him as Lord!

Father, thank You that our acquittal Is not based on something we do because we will always fall short apart from You, finding ourselves in need of Your grace.

When we fully grasp how great is Your grace, gratitude becomes greater & surrender seems easier. Holy Spirit, remind us of the great debt that’s been cleared so that in our freedom, we would freely let The Way have His Way!

#OneYearBible

July 16th One Year Bible Readings

1 CHRONICLES 22:1-23:32

ROMANS 3:9-31

PSALM 12:1-8

PROVERBS 19:13-14

Painful Things That Are True Do Not Negate God’s Truth

I was on a Zoom call yesterday when my phone began to blow up with calls & texts from my youngest son. When I finally muted my meeting to answer, my heart skipped a beat as he told me with a panicky voice that he hurt his leg while leading at a church camp.

All of the logistics flooded in, the fact that he’s in FL, wondering how I can help, if insurance would cover costs, his ability to play basketball…

There was nothing I could do from a distance but pray while he went to ER.

As the day ensued, I continued to pray for peace to cover my son, for inexplicable healing, for favor with finances…the one prayer that kept rising to the top, however, was that his faith wouldn’t falter.

I kept thinking, “Lord, even though this painful thing is true, remind Zay that it doesn’t negate Your Truth.”

As I read Romans this morning, that prayer surfaced as I came across 5 different sentences using the word “true.”

The Greek definition means not to escape notice. It is something of undeniable reality that cannot be hidden, something that can be attested because it’s been tested!

Of all the true things Paul mentions, this one simple Truth is highest:

God is true.

The Truth of Who He is cannot be hidden despite hard things that seek our emotional attention

We can attest to His Truth because it’s been tested.

Hard things WILL happen this side of heaven, but they don’t negate the undeniable reality that God is good, faithful, & can be trusted!

Praise God that no bones are broken, the camp covered the medical costs & even bought Zay a first class ticket to fly home!💞

We might not understand the deep why behind everything that happens but we can stand firm & attest to His goodness even amidst the test!

Father, we don’t deny what we feel when we face difficult things.. We bring those feelings before You & ask for the Holy Spirit to lead our spirits to Peace.

While we wait for your healing hand (or saving, redeeming reconciling hand) to move, we attest to Your unfailing love! You have, are & will continue to be our rear guard, firm foundation, cloud that covers & fire that goes before! May the enemy shrink back in defeat as we rise up to worship our ever-faithful Father!

#OneYearBible

July 15th One Year Bible Readings

1 CHRONICLES 19:1-21:30

ROMANS 2:25-3:8

PSALM 11:1-7

PROVERBS 19:10-12