Immovable Rocks - Guest Post by Meg

This post is a guest post by my sweet friend Meg. Meg is a 24 year old college graduate with a huge heart for Jesus and for people. She has been a blessing to me in the short time I have known her, and she has graciously agreed to share this post while I prepare for our next session together. 

Photo Meg took of those rocks

I went to the lake today to be alone with the Lord. After spending some time talking with Him sitting on top of a picnic table, I wanted to put my feet into the water. I walked around the edge of the lake until I found a place low enough to sit and dangle my feet.

I marveled at the Lord for awhile. I was reminded that the One who controls the waves is the One who gives me life.

The waves were pretty strong today, and I began to focus on how they hit the bank and shot up into the air before receding back into the lake. I was being soaked from my feet all the way up to my knees. Then my attention turned to some rocks on my other side, at the base of the land. The waves hit them with just as much intensity...but even the strongest waves that slammed into the rocks didn’t even cause them to budge. The rocks were immovable.

My mind immediately went to the passage in James that my bible study group has been dwelling in for the past couple of weeks.

“My bretheren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have it’s perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:2-8

The waves were like the trials and temptations in life. But he who is aware that those trials produce what we need to be sharpened and asks for wisdom in the trial, in FAITH...he will not be overtaken by the waves. He will be firm. Steadfast. Immovable.

Well, then my mind began to think logically about what my eyes were seeing. Realistically, these rocks weren’t EXACTLY immovable. Over time, as the continue to press down, the rocks are slowly worn down, layer by layer. Then my mind went back to the beginning of chapter 1 of James.

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have it’s perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Those waves are slowly wearing down the rocks but what is being taken away is temporal. When we are in the storm, standing firm in the waves, what the waves wear off of us are the parts that are not perfect and complete...the temporal and fleshly nature. What will be left will be stronger and sanctified -- if we keep our eyes on the One who is in control of the waves. He will not allow more than we can handle with the power of His Holy Spirit! ( 1 Corinthians 10:12-13)

So buckle down and be strong. Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6) so that you can be

firm in the toughest storm….and when you are in the storm, trust that God is refining you into a more sanctified and stronger follower of His. If you need wisdom, ask Him. He’ll give it to you. Memorize the promises God gave you in His Word. Then stand on them. That’s why He gave them to you...to help you be firm. He has given you everything you need to be strong. You just have to take advantage of them and put them to use.

Love and prayers, dear friends!

You can follow Meg on her blog at 

http://megmariem.wordpress.com/

and on Instagram at http://instagram.com/megmariemmm

or on Instagram at http://instagram.com/infocusphotography13

Set Free 12 – Not Good Enough

There are so many times we struggle with not feeling good enough. This is a struggle we can keep returning to without meaning to. Satan preys on our feelings. His main goal is to get us away from focusing on Christ, and it doesn’t matter who gets hurt along the way. Even if it’s you. Even if it’s me.

He’s gonna try his hardest to make us feel not good enough.

Here’s the thing. We aren’t good enough.

We never will be.

Not by ourselves anyway.

This realization can get us down, and while we’re down we’re useless.

Useless.

I knew it.

Do you see the cycle?

Let’s get a fresh perspective, shall we?

Come with me – read our text, Psalm 34.

I’d love to draw out some key verses, but I want your thoughts first.

DO: Grab your journal and highlight verses in this chapter of Psalms that shine and soothe.

DO: Please share your answers in our community (comment below) keeping in mind that your answer may be different than mine, or than someone else’s. That’s the beauty of God’s Word; it’s alive and can be used for the varying needs of God’s children.

The verses that touched my aching heart in this chapter were especially verses 5, 7, 10, and 18.

7 and 18: being surrounded by God’s angels, and by the LORD Himself; my broken heart is of great value to Him.

10: I shall not be lacking any good thing. My heart is pure, valuable, precious and complete to Him. Any ‘not-good-enough’ is filled in with Christ.

And last but not least, verse 5:

Psalm 34:5 “Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed.” HCSB

Looking to Him, Creator, wise, holy… GOD, and not being ashamed? How can this be? I look in the mirror and feel ashamed, and I’m me. How can I look to God and not feel ashamed?

Because, Sweet Thing, He chose you, made you, knows you and loves you.

And not only that, but He fills in where we fall short.

Keep a finger in Psalm 34, but go take a look at these verses: Colossians 2:10, and then 2 Peter 1:3.

When He looks at you, He sees Christ’s completion.

Colossians 2:10 “And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” NKJV emphasis mine
(or notice in HCSB, “And you have been filled by Him…” emphasis mine)

Because He is the One who completes us. That’s why He doesn’t see the not-good-enough us that we see! Because He sees perfection. Because He sees Christ.

2 Peter 1:3-4 “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” NIV

We get to participate in His nature.

With this mindset, of course we wouldn’t feel ashamed.

(Before we get too heady about this though, please read how Christ handles this lofty position in Philippians 2:6-8.)

Q: In Philippians 2:7, how did Christ respond to being equal with God?

Turn back to Psalm 34. Here’s the thing I’d like you to see.

When we’re feeling down, and feeling not good enough, we are not seeing ourselves the way God does. We are seeing ourselves as pre-Christ creations, not as the Christ-filled, Christ-transformed (2 Cor 5:17) creation that we are.

More importantly than that, we are not seeing Christ at all.

Yep. You read that right. Re-read Psalm 34 and answer the following questions – personally in your journal, or also in our community in the comments below.

Q: In verse 1, what does David say?

Q: In verse 2, who does David boast in?

Q: In verse 3, who are we to join in magnifying?

Do you get the idea? Keep going if you like, through the whole chapter, making a list of all the times, or circling in your Bible like I did, that you see the following exchange:
I praise – He protects

I look to Him – He is near.

Focus on Him – Lose all shame.

I’d like to close with a concept the Lord impressed upon my heart in a Bible study I attended 5 years ago that totally upended my view of God, and transformed my view of relationship with Him from Master-Creator/Slave-servant to Father/Child and all the love, understanding and acceptance that comes with it.

We were looking at 1 Peter 2:3-10.

(I’d like you to glance at it too, so you can have an idea where we were at. Notice the repeat from Psalm 34:8 and 1 Peter 2:3? Don’t you love how God ties things together?)

We looked at the concept of a stone, and how Christ is our cornerstone, holding it all together. God impressed upon me that night how precious we are (vs 9) to Him, and He gave my heart this picture (He often uses pictures with me because He knows it works and stays with me longer. You?):

Picture a diamond, pressured, cut, chiseled, carved. Now picture the prongs where it is set are actually the hands of God. We are that diamond or precious stone.

Repeat these words aloud until you believe them: “I am a stone, set like a jewel in the heart and hands of God.”

Know that. Know, too, that for that stone to be beautiful, it does require pressure, change (2 Cor 5:17 again!) and cutting and carving.

No stone starts out perfect. That’s why I said at the beginning today that we aren’t enough.

Because we’re not enough.

But with Jesus, we are beautiful, and with Jesus, we shine.

Shine, sister. That’s how He sees you, and that’s how He wants you to see yourself.

You are so precious to Him.

I hope you’ve been blessed by this segment on being Set Free. I know I have. We will be starting up another series Lord willing near the beginning of September, but should have a few devotionals in between.

How did your verse-memorizing go?

I’d love for you to share a short video on Twitter or Instagram of you reciting them (use tag #faithspokenof). It doesn’t have to be perfect. Remember what we learned about perfectionism, and today about not being good enough. That’s not the point. The point is you’re hiding His precious Words in your heart.

If you haven’t started yet, that’s fine too- you can start today. 

Download free printable verse cards here.

God bless you this week and we’ll see you soon! 

You can connect in the meantime on Facebook and Twitter.

Communion with Him

Text: John 15

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Today we drive past vineyards and I see it. The vine. The grapes growing to be harvested and turned to wine.

Brief the life of the grape, the fruit, until it is changed, preserved, and put into a vessel.

So I see it. Christ the Vine. Christ, our loving Redeemer not only grows and sustains us, but holds us, creates us. We are one with Him.

And the fruit of the vine – the grapes – to do something other than rot, must be separated from the comfort zone, that planting place, and be crushed unrecognizable until we see the fullness of us spill out into a unity of other grapes, mixture of juice. Not one, not me, not you, but us.  A collective whole, crushed for a better purpose. A more lasting purpose.

And changed to leave legacy. The grape juice goes through a process of fermenting – a changing that causes it to supersede earthly influence. A changing completely to create permanence, free from rot.

1 Peter 1:23 “Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” NKJV emphasis mine

1 Corinthians 15:42 “It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.” NLT

1 Corinthians 15:54 “Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:“Death is swallowed up in victory.”” NLT

And put into a vessel to be ready, willing to be poured out into other vessels. To serve. And that is when it has fulfilled its purpose.

Not hanging beautiful on the vine, but broken, changed, willing, used. This is our purpose.

And the vine. He is the vine

John 15:1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.”

Without Him we can do nothing.

John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

And with Him our purpose and our joy is complete.

John 15:11 “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” AMP

We are His!

John 15:15a “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit,” NLT emphasis mine

He has called us, yes, ordained us, to carry forth His will – that we bring forth fruit and our fruit would remain.

How other to leave a legacy than to allow Him to change us? Without His changing we dry up. Or we rot. Rot in our own bacteria.

Remember. We are to remember. Each time we sup. Each time we break bread – or any food is cut into and served. If the serving spoon dips into hot casserole, or knife breaks steaming bread, remember.

I Corinthians 11:24 “And gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me.”” NLT

We must remember and thus be filled with Him.

If not we dry up. Dry up without fresh nourishment from the vine flowing into our thin skin we wear in this world.

As oft as ye drink it.

I Corinthians 11:25-26 “In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” NKJV emphasis mine

There is ceremony involved with communal communion, typically as a body of believers, typically with bread or cracker, and wine or juice; but what if in our own hearts, as oft as we drink, as oft as we partake, if we held communion? Just in our own private heart and spirit before the Lord.

As I write I am sipping. All day long we eat and drink. Break bread. What would that do in our hearts if we changed our habit just for a week. Two weeks. Longer? 

Let our spirit thank Him with each bite for His sacrifice. Thank you Jesus. Take each sip with gratefulness. Thank you Jesus. Forkful of praise. Glassful of grateful. Thank you Jesus!

Our hearts will be marked. Marked by Him. Changed.

Changed to be that crushed grape, fermented and preserved. Useful and good. Leaving a legacy.

Join me?

If you wish to make a public declaration of this commitment, say so in the comments. You can say how much time you want to start with.

Come back afterward and share how it changed you!