Its from Lamentations 3:22-26
"Because of the Lord's great love we are NOT consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."
Awesome right? Because of HIS GREAT LOVE I don't have to be consumed by these thoughts! One night this week, I just couldn't stop thinking about something, and it was horrible. I finally just decided to read my Bible, pray, and go to bed. When I picked up my Bible, thats the verse I read. I read it over, and over, and over. It was just what I needed to hear. As I started to pray, I asked God to take these thoughts away from me. To take the situation out of my hands, because I couldn't handle it any longer. I asked him to clearly show me what he wanted me to do. And literally minutes after, God told me "Emmi, tomorrow, you need to give up your phone, iPod, computer, food, everything you think you need. I want you to fast. You need to be still, and KNOW that I AM GOD, and not be distracted. You need to focus on me, and nothing else." So...that's what I did, and oh my word. That whole day was incredible. I didn't want any of those things once, and I didn't think about any of the horrible things I had thought about the day previous. I just poured over scripture all day, praying and worshiping God. It's amazing what he can do with someone who is completely in love him!
This weekend has been so peaceful for me. Completely what I needed. On Saturday, I had a couple free hours, where I got some cleaning done in our room, and enjoyed the sunshine outside. I went for a little walk, and found a nice spot to sit down and do my devotionals. After a week of struggle, renewal, and change, I needed to know where to go next. And let me tell you guys, God is ALWAYS faithful! He told me exactly what he wanted me to do. What he knew was the right thing for me. Basically, he called me out on my selfish state of mind, and the fact that I haven't been absolutely devoted to him as I should be. God doesn't call us to kind of be in it, kind of not. He wants ALL of us. He wants our utter dependence to be on HIM alone. He wants us to move past the little moods that we get in into abandoned DEVOTION to himself!
There is a contrast between who Jesus Christ is and what kind of faith we have. Amen? The New Testament says that Jesus is healer, redeemer, savior, and king! But yet we don't embrace the kind of faith we should! Revelation 3:16 says, "So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth." We can't be kind of devoted, or sort of God loving Christians. We have to be on FIRE for Christ! We have to be COMPLETELY devoted to himself!! We need to "Stand in implicit adoring faith in Him" (Oswald Chambers) We need to YEARN after him, and nothing else. We need to yearn after the great I AM. We need to yearn after the gift-giver, and not the gift. We need to be devoted to HIM, and seeking out his will, not ours. Jesus Christ wants our absolute abandon of devotion to himself! Why should we give him any less?
Jesus Christ knows what is best for us. He knows me better than I could ever know myself. He knows what will fulfill my life. He knows what will give me the most freedom; the most life. If he tells me to be devoted to him, I will be. I trust him, and I long after his goodness in my life!
"Oh you give life and breath, in YOU we live and move, thats why I sing, Lord I want to yearn for you, I wanna burn with passion, over and ONLY you!" -Shane and Shane (Yearn)
Have confidence in him! Be confident in your devotion to him! Don't settle for anything less than an absolute pean of perfectly, irrepressible, triumphant belief! The Lord is good guys! All the time!
God bless,
Your sister,
Emmi
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