"Grace" by Laura Story
My heart is so proud,
My mind is so unfocused,
I see the things You do through me
As great things I have done
And now You gently break me,
Then lovingly You take me
And hold me as my Father
And mold me as my Maker.
I ask You, "How many times
Will You pick me up,
When I keep letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power
Of My daily sufficient grace."
At times I may grow weak
And feel a bit discouraged,
Knowing that someone, somewhere
Could do a better job,
For who am I to serve You?
I know I don't deserve You.
And that's the part that burns my heart
And keeps me hanging on.
I ask You, "How many times
Will You pick me up,
When I keep letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power
Of My daily sufficient grace."
You are so patient with me, Lord.
As I walk with You, I'm learning
What Your grace really means.
The price that I could never pay
Was paid at Calvary.
So, instead of trying to repay You,
I'm learning to simple obey You
By giving up my life to You
For all that You've given me.
I ask You, "How many times
Will You pick me up,
When I keep letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power
Of My daily sufficient grace."
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Monday, January 23, 2012
I Am Not Skilled...
I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned;
I only know at His right hand
Is One who is my Savior!
I take Him at His word indeed:
"Christ died for sinners," this I read;
For in my heart I find a need
For Him to be my Savior.
That He should leave His place on high,
And come for sinful man to die;
You count it strange? So once did I
Before I knew my Savior!
So, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring:
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior.
By: Dora Greenwell
What God has willed, what God has planned;
I only know at His right hand
Is One who is my Savior!
I take Him at His word indeed:
"Christ died for sinners," this I read;
For in my heart I find a need
For Him to be my Savior.
That He should leave His place on high,
And come for sinful man to die;
You count it strange? So once did I
Before I knew my Savior!
So, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring:
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior.
By: Dora Greenwell
Sunday, January 22, 2012
God's Promises
My mind has been focused on God's promises lately. In junior church we have been learning about God's promises to Abraham. God had blessed Abraham in every way except he didn't have a son to pass on the blessings on to. God had promised to bless Abraham with as many descendants as the sand of the sea shore and the stars in the sky, He promised that through his seed all nations would be blessed. Yet, the years passed, and Abraham made quite a few pretty serious mistakes at different times when he didn't trust God's protection. If he had really been trusting God to fulfill His promises why would he have been worried about someone killing him so that they could marry his wife Sarah? God promised him descendants! Lesson number one: we do dumb things when we don't trust God. (And yes this is coming from personal experience versus just learning from Abraham...)
Lesson number two: God will always, always keep His promises...regardless of how the situation seems. Abraham was 99 years old and his wife was 90 when God once again came to tell them that Sarah was going to have a son. I don't know about you, but I think by the time I turned 90 I would have given up all hope. They must have too because they laughed. Time and age isn't a fact when it comes to God working; He can't be limited. He had a plan and the whole situation was under control. Sarah had a son and named him Isaac. God was proving to Abraham and Sarah that He was indeed faithful and could be trusted.
Lesson number three: Obedience and trust build more obedience and trust. God proved Himself faithful and trustworthy by providing a son to Abraham and Sarah, and through that they learned to trust God. And not just to kind of trust Him, but to wholeheartedly, without question trust Him. Abraham was so convinced that God would keep His word of Isaac being his promised son that when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a brunt offering, Abraham put his son on the alter and had the knife raised to kill him. God had already worked such a miracle, He could also raise Isaac up from the dead. That is some pretty amazing faith growth for a man who was afraid to call his wife his wife. Yet another connection with things that God has been showing me in my own life. The more I am willing to trust Him and be obedient the more He grows my faith and helps me to be obedient, but He calls me to be obedient. He won't grow my faith if I am not willing. God didn't allow Abraham to actually kill his son, but He wanted to know that He was willing. God may not ask me to actually sacrifice something, but I have to be willing to trust and obey Him regardless of the perceived cost.
Lesson number four: God's promises are not dependent on my understanding of them. Abraham and Sarah didn't understand how she was going to have a son when she was so old. Abraham didn't understand how Isaac was going to be his heir after he was offered as a brunt offering. I don't have to understand God's purpose, timing, ways, or even His promise; my job is to trust Him and be obedient with what He wants me to do today. That shouldn't be hard with as many times as He has been faithful to me and kept His promises, and if I happen to forget all that He has done in my life, I don't have to look very far in the Bible to see His faithfulness and His promises.
Friday night I was reminded of how much of a moot point my understanding is of God's plans and promises. An older friend shared with me her Bible that she has had since she was very young. I couldn't make out more than a couple of words here and there; it was written in Finish. I turned to Romans 8 to see if I could understand any of the words. As I browsed I was struck by a far more precious understanding than my being able to read Finish. I realized that God's promises are just as true when I don't understand them as when I do. Regardless of whether the words made sense to me, they were still true!! In Christ Jesus there is no condemnation, He is working all things out for His glory and my good, the Holy Spirit is interceding for me, and there is absolutely NOTHING that can separate me from His wonderful love!!! So whether I understand His when, where, why, how, or who doesn't matter; it won't change His faithfulness. Even when I fail, He is still faithful and still keeps His promises. WOW!! What can I do but trust and obey Him? :o)
Lesson number two: God will always, always keep His promises...regardless of how the situation seems. Abraham was 99 years old and his wife was 90 when God once again came to tell them that Sarah was going to have a son. I don't know about you, but I think by the time I turned 90 I would have given up all hope. They must have too because they laughed. Time and age isn't a fact when it comes to God working; He can't be limited. He had a plan and the whole situation was under control. Sarah had a son and named him Isaac. God was proving to Abraham and Sarah that He was indeed faithful and could be trusted.
Lesson number three: Obedience and trust build more obedience and trust. God proved Himself faithful and trustworthy by providing a son to Abraham and Sarah, and through that they learned to trust God. And not just to kind of trust Him, but to wholeheartedly, without question trust Him. Abraham was so convinced that God would keep His word of Isaac being his promised son that when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a brunt offering, Abraham put his son on the alter and had the knife raised to kill him. God had already worked such a miracle, He could also raise Isaac up from the dead. That is some pretty amazing faith growth for a man who was afraid to call his wife his wife. Yet another connection with things that God has been showing me in my own life. The more I am willing to trust Him and be obedient the more He grows my faith and helps me to be obedient, but He calls me to be obedient. He won't grow my faith if I am not willing. God didn't allow Abraham to actually kill his son, but He wanted to know that He was willing. God may not ask me to actually sacrifice something, but I have to be willing to trust and obey Him regardless of the perceived cost.
Lesson number four: God's promises are not dependent on my understanding of them. Abraham and Sarah didn't understand how she was going to have a son when she was so old. Abraham didn't understand how Isaac was going to be his heir after he was offered as a brunt offering. I don't have to understand God's purpose, timing, ways, or even His promise; my job is to trust Him and be obedient with what He wants me to do today. That shouldn't be hard with as many times as He has been faithful to me and kept His promises, and if I happen to forget all that He has done in my life, I don't have to look very far in the Bible to see His faithfulness and His promises.
Friday night I was reminded of how much of a moot point my understanding is of God's plans and promises. An older friend shared with me her Bible that she has had since she was very young. I couldn't make out more than a couple of words here and there; it was written in Finish. I turned to Romans 8 to see if I could understand any of the words. As I browsed I was struck by a far more precious understanding than my being able to read Finish. I realized that God's promises are just as true when I don't understand them as when I do. Regardless of whether the words made sense to me, they were still true!! In Christ Jesus there is no condemnation, He is working all things out for His glory and my good, the Holy Spirit is interceding for me, and there is absolutely NOTHING that can separate me from His wonderful love!!! So whether I understand His when, where, why, how, or who doesn't matter; it won't change His faithfulness. Even when I fail, He is still faithful and still keeps His promises. WOW!! What can I do but trust and obey Him? :o)
Monday, December 5, 2011
God's Love...
The Object of Your Love
Apart from God, a slave to sin,
My guilt too much to bear,
My heart has found no hope within,
And peace gives way to care.
Yet now I see Your broken form upon dark Calvary.
It was my fault that You were torn;
You proved Your love for me.
With contrite heart I bow in shame
Before my God above.
Without regard for His great name,
I've sinned against His love.
Yet now my Savior's words I hear within this holy place,
"My friend, there is no need to fear,
You're at the Throne of Grace."
And when I feel my heart would break
For grief within my soul,
Help me to know there's no mistake;
My God is in control.
Yet now I feel eternal arms supporting me inside.
You are a shade from every harm,
You'll never leave my side.
Now I am Yours, and You are mine,
O precious thought to me!
The priceless gift of love divine provides security.
The life I owe such mercy could never be enough.
But thank you, Lord, for making me
The object of Your Love.
Words by: Andy Gleiser, Music by: Greg Habegger
Copyright 2010 by THE WILDS
I am thankful for song writers whose words fit together beautifully with music. I am thankful for music and lyrics, for hands and heart to pray when the mind and voice can find no words. This is such a beautiful and meaningful song that the Lord has been using in my life over the past few weeks. The words ring so true--apart from God I am a slave to sin, and my guilt is more than I can bear. I wander away and sin against His great name; yet, through all of my willfulness and pride Christ still made me (and makes me) an object of His love. He paid the price for all of my sin on Calvary; He bought me with His blood. As His child He will not let me wander far from Him. He wraps me with His love and tells me that I am His. His promises are faithful. His plans are always good. His presence never leaves. His love is perfect; it will never grow nor shrink.
When I consider all of these amazing blessing that God has given, when I see God's love in light of my sinfulness, I am amazed and shamed. He has done so much for me. How can I doubt His love? How can I seek security in anything else? Because I lose sight of His character and who He is.
"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures." Psalm 36:7-8
Apart from God, a slave to sin,
My guilt too much to bear,
My heart has found no hope within,
And peace gives way to care.
Yet now I see Your broken form upon dark Calvary.
It was my fault that You were torn;
You proved Your love for me.
With contrite heart I bow in shame
Before my God above.
Without regard for His great name,
I've sinned against His love.
Yet now my Savior's words I hear within this holy place,
"My friend, there is no need to fear,
You're at the Throne of Grace."
And when I feel my heart would break
For grief within my soul,
Help me to know there's no mistake;
My God is in control.
Yet now I feel eternal arms supporting me inside.
You are a shade from every harm,
You'll never leave my side.
Now I am Yours, and You are mine,
O precious thought to me!
The priceless gift of love divine provides security.
The life I owe such mercy could never be enough.
But thank you, Lord, for making me
The object of Your Love.
Words by: Andy Gleiser, Music by: Greg Habegger
Copyright 2010 by THE WILDS
I am thankful for song writers whose words fit together beautifully with music. I am thankful for music and lyrics, for hands and heart to pray when the mind and voice can find no words. This is such a beautiful and meaningful song that the Lord has been using in my life over the past few weeks. The words ring so true--apart from God I am a slave to sin, and my guilt is more than I can bear. I wander away and sin against His great name; yet, through all of my willfulness and pride Christ still made me (and makes me) an object of His love. He paid the price for all of my sin on Calvary; He bought me with His blood. As His child He will not let me wander far from Him. He wraps me with His love and tells me that I am His. His promises are faithful. His plans are always good. His presence never leaves. His love is perfect; it will never grow nor shrink.
When I consider all of these amazing blessing that God has given, when I see God's love in light of my sinfulness, I am amazed and shamed. He has done so much for me. How can I doubt His love? How can I seek security in anything else? Because I lose sight of His character and who He is.
"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures." Psalm 36:7-8
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Oh, It Is Wonderful!
Oh, It Is Wonderful!
"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me; I tremble to know that for me He was crucified that for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled, and died.
I marvel that He would descend from His throne divine, to rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine; that He should extend His great love unto such as I; sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
I think of His hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt! Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget? No, no! I will praise and adore at the mercy seat, until at the glorified throne I kneel at His feet.
Oh, it is wonderful that He should care for me, enough to die for me! Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"
~Charles H. Gabriel
I found a new favorite hymn (well, at least for this week) while I was picking out hymns for church this weekend. It sums up the gratitude that is spilling from my heart this evening. I can't understand God's love for rebellious, prideful me. His love and mercy are so amazing. He knows everything about me, down to my deepest thought and still loves me and wants to have fellowship with me. Wow!!
I am so thankful that He loves me like a father loves his child. He won't ever let me wander too far away without bringing me back to Himself. He is so good!!
"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me; I tremble to know that for me He was crucified that for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled, and died.
I marvel that He would descend from His throne divine, to rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine; that He should extend His great love unto such as I; sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
I think of His hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt! Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget? No, no! I will praise and adore at the mercy seat, until at the glorified throne I kneel at His feet.
Oh, it is wonderful that He should care for me, enough to die for me! Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"
~Charles H. Gabriel
I found a new favorite hymn (well, at least for this week) while I was picking out hymns for church this weekend. It sums up the gratitude that is spilling from my heart this evening. I can't understand God's love for rebellious, prideful me. His love and mercy are so amazing. He knows everything about me, down to my deepest thought and still loves me and wants to have fellowship with me. Wow!!
I am so thankful that He loves me like a father loves his child. He won't ever let me wander too far away without bringing me back to Himself. He is so good!!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Summer Lesson #3-He is Able
He's able, He's able, I know He's able,
I know my Lord is able to carry me thru.
He's able, He's able, I know He's able,
I know my Lord is able to carry me thru.
He healed the brokenhearted
and set the captive free,
He made the lame to walk again
and caused the blind to see.
He's able, He's able, I know He's able,
I know my Lord is able to carry me thru.
(He's Able by Paul Piano)
The lyrics of the song really say it all. He is able!! He is all powerful and there is nothing that is too hard for Him to do. I was able to see His power in many different situations at camp this summer. Over and over again He proved Himself to be able.
Oh, the God that I serve at camp...yes, He is the same God that I serve at home too, and He is able!
I know my Lord is able to carry me thru.
He's able, He's able, I know He's able,
I know my Lord is able to carry me thru.
He healed the brokenhearted
and set the captive free,
He made the lame to walk again
and caused the blind to see.
He's able, He's able, I know He's able,
I know my Lord is able to carry me thru.
(He's Able by Paul Piano)
The lyrics of the song really say it all. He is able!! He is all powerful and there is nothing that is too hard for Him to do. I was able to see His power in many different situations at camp this summer. Over and over again He proved Himself to be able.
Oh, the God that I serve at camp...yes, He is the same God that I serve at home too, and He is able!
Summer Lesson #2-His strength
"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What is weakness? Well, it is waking up a little before a cabin full of campers (who are your responsibility) and realizing that you hardly have the strength to get out of bed and get ready for the day much less go through a whole day of camp activities with enthusiasm. It is coming to the end of your own strength. It is when God can begin to work.
The earlier in the week I realized my weakness the better the week went. It was amazing to see how God provided strength and worked when I got to the point of not being able to go any farther. His strength is perfect, and He delights to hear the words "I can't take another step, if you want me to go on you will have to send Your strength." He was always faithful to answer that request in ways far beyond anything I could ask or think and even beyond giving strength He also provided encouragement.
Ephesians 4:7 was a special encouragement to me this summer. It says:
"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."
Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ!! I don't know how anything can be in the measure as the gift of God's only Son, but at the same time I really don't understand how God could love mankind enough to give the gift of Christ. His gift is beyond my comprehension; His grace is also beyond my comprehension, but just because I can't understand something doesn't change the fact that it is true. The gift of Christ was enough, and His grace is enough too...for anything that I may face.
What is weakness? Well, it is waking up a little before a cabin full of campers (who are your responsibility) and realizing that you hardly have the strength to get out of bed and get ready for the day much less go through a whole day of camp activities with enthusiasm. It is coming to the end of your own strength. It is when God can begin to work.
The earlier in the week I realized my weakness the better the week went. It was amazing to see how God provided strength and worked when I got to the point of not being able to go any farther. His strength is perfect, and He delights to hear the words "I can't take another step, if you want me to go on you will have to send Your strength." He was always faithful to answer that request in ways far beyond anything I could ask or think and even beyond giving strength He also provided encouragement.
Ephesians 4:7 was a special encouragement to me this summer. It says:
"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."
Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ!! I don't know how anything can be in the measure as the gift of God's only Son, but at the same time I really don't understand how God could love mankind enough to give the gift of Christ. His gift is beyond my comprehension; His grace is also beyond my comprehension, but just because I can't understand something doesn't change the fact that it is true. The gift of Christ was enough, and His grace is enough too...for anything that I may face.
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