Sunday, June 22, 2008
All I Have
At our church we sing several songs about Jesus being all we have. This past month the Lord has been shedding new light for me on this subject. He has been revealing to me that Jesus isn't just all I have, He IS all I have. Everything I can to offer to the world is the fullness of Christ living in and through me. I am equipped for every good work that was planned in advance for me to do! In my tool box I have the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and an ongoing relationship with Jesus, Immanuel. What exciting news this is! I no longer sing those songs thinking about what I lack and that, God help me out or else... NO, those songs are forever changed in my heart to be an expression of the joy of being able to testify that Jesus lives and he is active in and through my life.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Different From Other Moms?
I recently had a friend over who is about my age and also has a few children. As we were visiting about life and all that goes on in it she made the comment that she just isn't made like other moms; Isn't that the lie of humanity? It is such a deceiving and isolating lie! To believe that you, or I, are made totally different from every other person, every other woman, every other mom.
I could relate to my friend's thought. My struggles are mine. Unless I have a dose of reality in God's word then I will miss out on the truth that nothing has tempted me but what is common to humanity. (1 Cor. 10:13) Nothing. In the bible we are encouraged to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other. I admit that I am not the first person to call a friend and tell her I just disciplined in anger and maybe a bit of rage. But this is exactly what I need to be doing!
“ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16
There are the temptations that bring me just frustration, then there are the ones that I give into and sin becomes mine. Most days I am not wallowing in it, but there are mornings when I wake-up aware that the day holds a potential for strife. One moment I am on dry land, the next moment I am knee deep in the waters of temptation and before I see it I am being pummeled by a wave and drug out to sea in the current of my own sin. Ouch!
The enemy wants to isolate us and would have us to believe that no other woman or mom we know could possibly relate to our struggle, to our sin. We re also believing the lie that the LORD just can't handle this sin one more time. But that is not the truth at all. In fact in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament we are given a beautiful picture of exactly what the LORD's stand is...
“ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
First we read that as fully God and fully man Jesus felt the weighty struggle of trying not to sin. Let that sink in for a moment, Jesus felt the full weight of the struggle with and the pull of temptation! Dear sister, He knows what you are going through! He knows it because he has lived it.
The next nugget we read tells us that Jesus is able to help those who are being tempted because he himself was tempted in every way, and was without sin. Wow! That should dispel a lot of lies right there. Nothing you can possibly do or face is going to shock the LORD. Nothing you have done is an unknown temptation to him.
So here is where you sitting at home, work or in the car, facing the tormenting thoughts of your latest or greatest sin comes to an end! Jesus knows where you are and is able to help you out, literally! The enemy wants us to live in fear of confessing to one another. He wants us to feel shame, defeat and hopelessness and he wants us to believe that NO ONE out there could possibly handle the truth, especially the LORD.
“Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Now we know better! So, as the word says let us confess to the LORD and then call a trusted friend or family member to pray with us. Lets be women who aren't shocked about the sin of another while we keep our shame under cover. And let us remember that the LORD knows where we are and he is able to help us out.
Encouraging you to seek Him,
April Watters
I could relate to my friend's thought. My struggles are mine. Unless I have a dose of reality in God's word then I will miss out on the truth that nothing has tempted me but what is common to humanity. (1 Cor. 10:13) Nothing. In the bible we are encouraged to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other. I admit that I am not the first person to call a friend and tell her I just disciplined in anger and maybe a bit of rage. But this is exactly what I need to be doing!
“ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16
There are the temptations that bring me just frustration, then there are the ones that I give into and sin becomes mine. Most days I am not wallowing in it, but there are mornings when I wake-up aware that the day holds a potential for strife. One moment I am on dry land, the next moment I am knee deep in the waters of temptation and before I see it I am being pummeled by a wave and drug out to sea in the current of my own sin. Ouch!
The enemy wants to isolate us and would have us to believe that no other woman or mom we know could possibly relate to our struggle, to our sin. We re also believing the lie that the LORD just can't handle this sin one more time. But that is not the truth at all. In fact in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament we are given a beautiful picture of exactly what the LORD's stand is...
“ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
First we read that as fully God and fully man Jesus felt the weighty struggle of trying not to sin. Let that sink in for a moment, Jesus felt the full weight of the struggle with and the pull of temptation! Dear sister, He knows what you are going through! He knows it because he has lived it.
The next nugget we read tells us that Jesus is able to help those who are being tempted because he himself was tempted in every way, and was without sin. Wow! That should dispel a lot of lies right there. Nothing you can possibly do or face is going to shock the LORD. Nothing you have done is an unknown temptation to him.
So here is where you sitting at home, work or in the car, facing the tormenting thoughts of your latest or greatest sin comes to an end! Jesus knows where you are and is able to help you out, literally! The enemy wants us to live in fear of confessing to one another. He wants us to feel shame, defeat and hopelessness and he wants us to believe that NO ONE out there could possibly handle the truth, especially the LORD.
“Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Now we know better! So, as the word says let us confess to the LORD and then call a trusted friend or family member to pray with us. Lets be women who aren't shocked about the sin of another while we keep our shame under cover. And let us remember that the LORD knows where we are and he is able to help us out.
Encouraging you to seek Him,
April Watters
Maybe Not
Oh, my! We are not going to the library. My kids just need some 'Mom Time' at the house. To be honest, I'd rather have the break from the house at story time. So, the best decision I can make now is to go and play with cars, dinosaurs and a tea set. And I need to do it with a loving attitude and a willing heart...
be imitators of God, as dearly love children and live a life of love Eph 5:1 para
even when I'd rather be out of the house, taking time to play with my children instead of going to the library is the most loving choice today - not easy, loving
be imitators of God, as dearly love children and live a life of love Eph 5:1 para
even when I'd rather be out of the house, taking time to play with my children instead of going to the library is the most loving choice today - not easy, loving
New Beginnings
Good Morning!
I am off to the library with the children. There are always lessons to be learned, for Mom and the children! Each day the LORD can use our every day ordinary lives to show us his love, grace and extraordinary truth. Lets look for him as we chase the toddler through the parking lot and push the 4 year old in the shopping cart and see what we can see...
April
I am off to the library with the children. There are always lessons to be learned, for Mom and the children! Each day the LORD can use our every day ordinary lives to show us his love, grace and extraordinary truth. Lets look for him as we chase the toddler through the parking lot and push the 4 year old in the shopping cart and see what we can see...
April
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