Monday, April 18, 2011

Feeling Empty?

I heard a song the other day that sounded so familiar, yet i'd never heard this song before. The chorus was what i had prayed for years ago. There were countless times then, that i felt so empty & alone.


"Dear God, won't you please
Could you send someone who will love me

"Who will love me for me
Not for what i have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me
'Cause nobody has shown me
What love really means"
(from the song "Love Me" by JJ Heller)

At those times in my life, i would fantasize about an ever after kind of love. When you are dating, you sometimes wonder if you'll ever find true love. 
www.HappySigns.etsy.com

I'm sure the majority of us can remember at least one date when we thought the evening would never end. In some what the same respect, before we allow the Lord in our lives, we may try different things to fill that hole of emptiness in our lives. We may even try other religions, but we still find ourselves "coming home" from those "dates" disappointed & still feeling empty. If we try to fill up the emptiness with things of this world, we will find...

"All of it is meaningless, a chasing of the wind."
Ecclesiastes 2:17b (NIV)

We feel the pain of that emptiness & after the "pursuit", we find ourselves even emptier than when we began. The damage that can be done by looking for love - for fulfillment - in all the wrong places. Oh it may seem exciting at the time. You may even listen to your sub-conscience & know that what you're doing isn't right. But at the same time, you convince yourself that the consequences won't be so bad. Don't give in to vanity & try to fool yourself. We are to enjoy God's gifts of beauty, food & sex - but none were ever meant to be abused. And none of them will ever fill our deepest need & emptiness.

We all want to be cherished for who we are.

"What a man desires is unfailing love."
Proverbs 19:22a (NIV)

Yet, the Bible also tells us that this kind of love is exceedingly rare.

"Many a man claims to have unfailing love,
but a faithful man, who can find?"
Proverbs 20:6 (NIV)

I know that the romantic heartbreaks that i've experienced in my life was just God protecting me. Because those heart breakers were not God's choice for me. And yes, those experiences did cause some self-esteem issues. But once i surrendered my heart & my life to God & accepted Jesus as my Lord & Saviour, God used His time & His truth to heal those deep wounds & make me stronger in Him. He more than filled the emptiness that i had felt & He showed me that He cherished me. He allowed me to grow as a Christian & as a woman. He helped me carry the baggage that i had until i learned that i didn't need that baggage anymore. And, in His time, He introduced me to a wonderful God fearing man who loves me for me.

My prayer for all who may be feeling empty & alone, is that you will find your fulfillment through Jesus Christ. That you will ask Him into your heart & allow Him to show that you are cherished.







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Monday, April 11, 2011

The Best Relationship....Ever!

What is the very best love in life? It's a deep love relationship with Jesus. He gave us the ultimate gift when he gave His life for forgiveness of our sins. What can stand in the way of this love? Guilt. Guilt of the past. Guilt can be like an infected wound that we don't want lanced. Instead of running to God, asking for healing - whatever it might take - we keep changing the bandages. We hide & keep on hiding. But, as with Adam & Eve, we can't hide anything from God. He sees all & wants us to come forward  with the things we have hidden.

As humans, we struggle with our love-ability at times. "How can God love me after what i have done? How can He forgive me? I'm so ashamed." 


" 'Woe to me!...I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips & my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
With it he touched my mouth & said, 'See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away & your sin is atoned for."
Isaiah 6:5-7 (NIV)

I remember when i gave my heart to Jesus & when i realized how He suffered & died on the cross for me. Little ol' sinful me. I felt that i had more sins & flaws than  could ever be forgiven. So i prayed every for forgiveness of those same sins. My life was changing. My outlook was changing. I was becoming more & more God strong every day. But i still felt guilty. Then one day, God sent one of my friends to my house. As we were talking about my change, etc., she asked me if i had forgiven myself. I was hiding that part. But God knew it was there & He taught me to forgive & accept myself as He had. 

Jesus sees us through His eyes. He sees us free of our sins in Him. He sees our potential. Remember Cinderella? She also had trouble believing in her beauty. She fled the ball at midnight when the spell of her beautiful attire had been broken. But her prince came looking for her & when he found her, she wasn't dressed in a beautiful gown. Instead, she was in her old dress & dirty from the cinders. The prince saw her inward beauty & fell in love. Jesus loves each & every one of us....flaws & all.

Through our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, we can all be forgiven.

" 'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord,
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow."
Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)

Nothing - absolutely nothing - is worth sacrificing the peace of God & a deep love relationship with Jesus. 





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Monday, April 4, 2011

Trust in the Lord....

At Christmas time, we frequently hear the wonderful song, "Mary did you know?", written by Mark Lowry. But throughout the rest of the year, we don't often think about Mary's story & just how much she trusted God. The angel, Gabriel visited Mary to deliver the new that she was the one chosen to give birth to Jesus. Mary, of course, was confused, but she trusted.

" 'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.' "
Luke 1:38(a) (NIV)

Gabriel also told Mary that her relative Elizabeth was also pregnant, even though she was up in years & was said to be barren.

"For nothing is impossible with God."
Luke 1:37 (NIV)

So Mary goes to visit Elizabeth & as the Bible tells us, when Elizabeth heard Mary's voice, her baby leaped in her womb. And she praised Mary for trusting God.

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Luke 1:45 (NIV)

And Mary replies:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
& my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me--
holy is His name.
His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation."
Luke 1:46(b)-50 (NIV)

Mary is singing the praises of her Savior God & so can we. The elation that Mary & Elizabeth felt is the elation of women who have fallen deeply in love with the Lord. They know that their love is going to last. His love is going to last. They have reached the land of invincible love--not a land that is free of trouble, but a land full of confidence & joy through trust.

None of us knows what the future holds. But if we put our hand....our trust in God, He will be there with us no matter where the journey takes us.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart & lean not in your own understanding."
Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)


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Monday, March 28, 2011

Invincible Love aka Happily Ever After

Once we have given our heart to Jesus & accepted Him as our Lord & Saviour, we begin to move toward mature love - the invincible love. It's not a perfect love, nor does it mean that life will always be easy. But invincible love is a strong & steady love. Jesus did not promise that life would be easy but that He would be with us always.


" In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33b(NIV)

And even though Jesus has overcome the world, we do still have struggles with diseases, strained or failed relationships, financial issues, & even our own sinful nature as human beings. But we must remember that God is always sovereign & a keeper of His word. Instead of asking, "Why are my circumstances so difficult?". We should be asking, "Is God in my circumstances?" & "Is He capable of giving me peace, hope, & perspective?'. The answer should be a resounding, "YES!" Jesus is our Prince who always comes through.

"We are handicapped on all sides, but we are never in despair. We are persecuted, but we never have to stand it alone: we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out! Every day we experience something of the death of Jesus, so that we may also know the power of the life of Jesus in these bodies of ours......We know sorrow, yet our joy is inextinguishable."
II Corinthians 4:8-11;6:10 (PHILLIPS)

It's easy to say, intellectually that Jesus is good, He cares for us, & will do what is best for us. It's another thing for these truths to get to our heart so that we're free from fear & anxiety no matter what the circumstances are. How do we get to this point? One of the things that God tells us to do is to look back in the past & see how He was faithful in the lives of other believers & in our own lives.

God doesn't always give us what we want, when we want it. And yes, God can do miracles. But i have learned that when God say "no", He will provide a greater "yes". None of us knows what the future holds. But He does give us access to all we need to live an abundant life. God does hold our future & wants us to put our hand in His & walk with Him.
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Monday, March 21, 2011

Seeking Comfort During the Storms of Life

In life, storms happen. We all know that. But it's often in these storms, we run to the comfort of earthly things. Depending on the storm, we may even feel unworthy, that we aren't good enough & don't deserve the love of Jesus. During the storms of life, it's easy to throw yourself into the distraction of "false lovers" - a hidden sin, a consuming career, withdrawal from life, etc. Anytime we put something ahead of our relationship with Jesus, we are betraying Him.


"I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert."
Jeremiah 2:2

In our relationship with Jesus, i'm sure most of us have had at least one time of betrayal, where we've run away into the arms of "another", or even the enemy. I've been there. I've survived that, only by God's grace. Countless times i have thanked Him for not giving up on me when i took Him for granted. God does not give up on any of us!

And Jesus is so much more amazing than any movie star/leading man - or even our idea of Prince Charming. He is perfect! His love never fails, & best of all, He's not just some historical figure of the past. He is alive today.

"For we have not been telling you fairy tales when we explained to you the power of our Lord Jesus Christ & His coming again. Mine own eyes have seen His splendor & His glory."
II Peter 1:15 (TLB)

So when faced with the storms of life, seek the comfort of our Prince - Jesus Christ. He will always come through with His peace that passes all understanding, that only He can provide.
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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Someday My Prince Will Come

When Snow White sings this wishful song, she isn't wishing for a guy to love her & leave her. She's dreaming of a true Prince Charming. He would be a man of character who would never forsake her & who would sweep her off her feet & carry her to happily ever after.


It seems that some of the women of the world today have lost that wistful anticipation of finding Mr. Wonderful. It seems that those women don't believe that their Prince Charming exists. They settle for men who are far less for them, because they don't believe that God could - or would - give them such a man. Or they simply don't believe men like that really exist. I was in that type of situation years ago. I married a man who turned out to be an abusive alcoholic because i was listening to my biological clock & not to my inner voice from God. But wonderful men DO exist outside of fairy tales, because of the power of Christ. I now have that God centered relationship with a wonderful man. My husband may not be perfect, as no human being is, but he is my Prince Charming.


When the Holy Spirit is unleashed in a man, there is a strength in him that is very powerful. (Remember David & Goliath?) These men have a purpose & a passion & a power. But if you didn't have the priority before you married to look for a man of God, you can still pray that God will transform that man you married. Pray, unceasingly, for God to work through you in all you say & all you do to open that man's eyes & heart to what God can do for him & for both of you as a couple. When a man surrenders to the Spirit of Christ, he is filled with a love & a purpose that turns him into a Prince Charming.


But even if a man like this never comes along & even if your husband never surrenders to the power of Christ, there is One who is definitely coming to carry you away, if you have put your trust in Him. Your Prince, your King, is indeed coming to get you.


"Let us rejoice & be glad
and give Him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and His bride has made herself ready."
Revelation 19:7

Do you know who the Lamb is? It is Jesus. Precious Jesus. And you are His beloved bride.
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Monday, March 7, 2011

Jesus is Our Prince

Do you know how to overcome all the sins in your life? Or how to have unending joy - no matter what the circumstances?  Sadly, it's a secret that too many believers have missed. It's not a ten step program & not in using the Bible as a self-improvement guide. The secret is being deeply in love with Jesus - so much so that you want to completely surrender to Him & receive whatever He has in store for you. When you learn to relate to Jesus as the Love of your life, you'll have an aura of vitality & the freedom from the sins that once weighed you down.


Learning to approach Jesus as you Bridegroom may sound strange, but it is a language that women were designed to understand. Women long to be loved, to be cherished. God knows this because He made us that way. Think of most romance stories. Usually the hero deeply loves & sacrifices for his lady.  The Bible can be viewed as a wonderful romance, telling us how much God loves us.


"...Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your mind."
Matthew 22:37 (NIV)


As humans, we are energized by romance. And when we realize just how much Jesus loves us, an amazing power is released. And just as we shouldn't settle for a ho-hum earthly relationship, that lack passion & joy, we shouldn't settle for a ho-hum relationship with Jesus. Instead, we should strive for that passion & joy through Bible study & prayer.....everyday. Moment by moment, be in communication with Jesus. How do you go about doing that? I heard a TV preacher once say that we thank God for stupid things. To me that's like if you don't know the answer, then there are no stupid questions. The Bible teaches us to "pray unceasingly". So, i guess, i'm one of those who gives thanks for "stupid" things as i talk to Jesus throughout the day. I thank Him for good parking places at Wal-mart (or anywhere); for His energy & stamina so that i can clean my house or take the dog for a walk; for losing 2 pounds last week; i sing, "I am weak, but Thou art strong" as i  lift & or carry something heavy: & i pray for His words in challenging situation AND in writing my blog. =)


Like a mountain climber who catches a glimpse of the top of the mountain, it gives him the inspiration to keep on going, we can all catch a glimpse of invincible love in Jesus Christ. Dream big. Pray hard. Jesus is our Prince & this is no fairy tale.
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