Light

1 John 1

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

"Father, as you prepare my heart for service, show me the light. I long to be warmed by it, but also to catch fire from it. I need the light to shine on my path, and I need it to blind my eyes to everything else. You are the Light, and You are the Consuming Fire, and I want to feel the heat! My heart's desire is to walk in the light, You are the light, so reveal Yourself to me yet again, Lord. Shine Your light on my heart, search me and know me, I am laid bare before You, cleanse me so that I can lay down my life for others."

God Of All Comfort

Well, I'm back... but my mind is being stubborn and indecisive! So I need your help... I can't decide what book of the Bible to pray through! Any suggestions? Pray for me, dear sisters! I desperately want to get back into routine, but I feel like I am fighting a losing battle here! Even for this one simple thing, I can't just make a decision and move forward. God has great things lined up, I just know it! And the Enemy knows it as well, but He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world and the Lord will prevail! I am reading 2 Corinthians this week for something else, so for today, I'll go with that...

2 Corinthians 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

The Lord has given me a wonderful illustration of these verses in the last month. For the most part, I have had very little affliction in my life,(maybe that's why I am not very good at comforting others!) Most of my affliction has been brought about by my own hands through sin and rebellion. But, even in those times, in those self-inflicted afflictions, my Shepherd has been so faithful to comfort me. At times, I have seen my sin and trembled and had to look away, and He has been there, holding my hand, and gently turning my gaze toward the cross. He has recently brought a dear friend into my life who has been afflicted in the past, at times by her own hands, and at times by Providence, and the Lord has used her to wrap me with His comfort in a way that I have never experienced! I was amazed to read these verses and think about how He is orchestrating every circumstance in our lives. How could this dear woman know that years later the Lord's glory and his Bride's joy would be multiplied by her afflictions? And now, I want to be her, I want to be the one to bring the comfort of God into the lives of others, and I believe that He is going to bless me with that opportunity!

"Father, I am so amazed at the way that you comfort your people! Afflictions I understand, we have earned those, and worse. But Your comfort, and love, and gentleness, and favor, I cannot comprehend. That our afflictions are not for punishment, but rather for our joy and for the joy and salvation of others is such a beautiful gift. Lord, make me more like you, give me the heart to comfort, give me the heart of a servant. Teach me to look beyond myself and my little life and use me for your eternal glory!"

Who Am I?

Who Am I/Grace Flows Down (click to watch)

Over time You’ve healed so much in me
And I am living proof
That although my darkest hour would come
Your light could still shine through
Though at times it’s just enough to cast
A shadow on the wall
Well I am grateful that
You shine Your light on me at all

Who am I
That You would love me so gently?
Who am I
That You would recognize my name?
Lord, who am I
That You would speak to me so softly?
Conversation with the Love most high,..
Who am I?

Well, amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see
And the more I sing that sweet old song
The more I understand-
That I do not comprehend this love
That’s coming from Your hand…

Grace, grace
God’s grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace
God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all our sin…

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
Amazing love, now flowing down
From hands and feet
That were nailed to the tree
Grace flows down and covers me…

Instead of slamming me upside the head, which He has every right to do, (and sometimes does,) the Lord has spoken to me so gently and so softly in the last month! He has brought about the perfect circumstances and put the perfect people into my life to renew my hunger for His Word! I heard this song a couple weeks ago, and though it is one of my old favorites, it suddenly came to life! All this to say... Monday... I'm back.