Living at Home

Dearest Ladies,

I wanted to share a few things here of what the LORD has been teaching me in my morning devotions, and I am going to quote a few things and add my own comments. But I feel it is important to share the things that encourage me, so that perhaps the LORD can use it to glorify His name! :)

At the moment, I am reading in Acts, 2 Chronicles, and 2 devotion books, Pearls of Great Price, and Know What You Believe. I am learning quite a bit from those books, and it is very exciting to find a nugget to chew on each morning, and to think about during the day.

I love how, in Acts, that Paul is so bold continually shared the gospel with so many people all the years of his life. He was not afraid of what men could do to him, whether it was beatings, being imprisoned, or even put to death. His faith in the LORD was so important to him, that he did not care what happened to his body. The LORD was first in his life, not his own desires or pleasures. Paul was HAPPY and REJOICED to be able to suffer a little for the cause of Christ (Acts 16:25). I want to have that be said of me; that I was not afraid of men, but that I was SO much more consumed in the LORD that nothing else mattered but the glorifying of Christ and what I could do for Him.

I was very encouraged a couple Sunday's ago, when our teacher (or pastor; I don't know quite what to call him, since we go to such a small church. He is basically our teacher every Sunday, just like a pastor, but he doesn't call himself that) got up and spoke on exactly the SAME passage I read in my devotion, Pearls of Great Price !!! I read about in John when the LORD says "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5. In this devotion, Joni Eareckson Tada talks about letting the LORD graft in your life; to let Him grow and work through your life. I was impacted that morning and was dwelling on that truth. Then when I got to church and he started talking about this passage and teaching how the LORD wants us as His children to be sensitive to His pruning and to let Him do His work in our lives. We can not hold back any part of our flesh if the LORD wants to prune that out. Be sensitive to His leading and His changes in your life. I was so excited to hear this twice, and when things are repeated like that for me, I really feel like it is some thing the LORD wants me to pay attention to! Even when it hurts, don't hold on, but lean on Christ, who is our comfort and peace. Joni says here " In affliction and suffering, our hearts are pressed into his. And the life of God flows into us, wound to wound. In those times of brokenness, remember that Christ, the result is life, lie and more life."

I also like this quote from Paul E. Little's book I Know What You Believe. He says here on page 61, "From the very beginning of creation His desire is to have a relationship with those whom He created. Reconciliation, ransom, and sacrifice are all the result of God's unceasing desire to bring each one of us close to Himself". It is SO comforting to know that the LORD has a reason and an answer for each trial and each hurt in our lives, and most of the time, they are to bring us closer to Him and let us know that we, in our own human nature, cannot lean on our own understanding, because we are weak and nothing compared to God. So He shows us that we NEED Him to live a fulfilled and peaceful joy-filled life. I want to be abiding in Christ and experience all the blessings the LORD wants to pour on me, so I want to commit fully to the LORD the life He gave me, so that He can use me in what EVER way He planned in His book for me.

Anyways, those things were encouraging to me, and brought me excitement, things to think about and ways I can praise the LORD. I encourage you to dig into the Word of God. It is the HOLY LORD who is wanting to speak to us if we are willing to listen. I don't want to be guilty of taking the Bible for granted, but to really understand that it is the WRITTEN WORD OF GOD!!!!!! It is exciting to grow in the LORD, and I will pray for you all!

May the LORD be with you!

Love through Christ Alone,
~Dani