Friday, June 30, 2006

I believe in God, even when he doesn’t speak.

On the wall of a concentration camp, a prisoner had carved these words:
I believe in the sun, even though it does not shine.
I believe in love, even when it isn’t shown.
I believe in God, even when he doesn’t speak.
Wow. I find that incredible. Imagine the person that wrote that. Imagine the conviction and faith that he/she possessed. Someone who had lost friends and most likely family to unspeakable deaths. And had seen humans do to humans unimaginable things. But he/she still carved that. It wasn't simply written it was engraved! Can you envision the emaciated hand chipping away at the wall that served as his/her prison? In the dark squinting their eyes just so they can picture the letters?
When I sit and think of that person all of a sudden everything that I am tempted to worry about and often do worry about seems silly... If that person could trust completely in God in the midst of those kind of circumstances then I have absolutely NO excuse not to.

I like to think that this person memorized this verse and thought of it often.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Count it all joy.....all joy.. I wonder if they knew this verse as well.
James 1: 2-4 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
I find that ohhhh so very very hard at times... Most of of the time when faced with a trial I'm like "GOD! Why me?!? Why now?!?" instead of "Thank you God for this wonderful opportunity trust in you and develop faith and maturity!"
Pure joy in the midst of trials=faith=steadfastness=perfect and complete and not lacking anything.
Thats a good formula to remember.

Complete and not lacking in anything. If someone told me "Well if you climb this mountain you will be perfect, complete, and not lacking in anything." I would probably most likely say "Where's the mountain?" But when God has told me that all I have to do is have pure joy and faith in the midst of trials and I will be perfect, complete, and not lacking in anything. I go "Umm sorry but I don't think that is possible." WHY????? It isn't as if God was asking me to do something horrid like eat a bunch of snails or something He just asks for my JOY. That's it He wants me to be happy! Sometimes the person that I find most annoying and aggrevating is myself.

But thanks to His everlasting and evergrowing grace it is possible for me to change. Now that's a wonderful thought.

^^^^^
I posted that on my xanga a while ago... I found it last night and thought it was cool....plus I need to keep being reminded of it....

Monday, June 26, 2006

Your Great Renown

Our hearts are longing for
The glory of the Lord
To be made known in all the Earth
Lord let Your kingdom come
Lord let Your will be done
Yours is the greatest name of all

We want to see the nations bow
We want to hear the rising sound
Of the worship that You deserve
We want this passion to abound
A burden for Your great renown
Yours is the greatest name of all <<< style="font-style: italic;">longing for

Our hearts are longing for
The wisdom of the Lord
To be proclaimed in all the Earth
Your
ways are higher than
The dreams of any man
Yours
is the greatest name of all
Our hearts are hungry for
The power of the Lord
To be displayed in all the Earth
The message of the Cross
Will bring hope to the lost
Yours is the greatest name of all

Words by Eric Grover

Music by Eric Grover and Steve Cook

We sang this song at church Sunday. It was just another reminder of what I must truly set my gaze on.

Thoughts

Your ways are higher than
The dreams of any man

Anything I can dream up is like a child growing up in a garbage dump and asking their parent for something that is "good" garbage. Little do they realize that their parent is going to take them to the beach or the mountains. And even when their parent assures them that it is going to be greater than anything they have ever seen, the child (aka me) insist they want the "good" garbage. There is an element of trust that we as "children" must take. Because if we don't we will be forever stuck in the garbage thinking that we have got it all.


The message of the Cross
Will bring hope to the lost

What a message. And with such a message comes such a hope : ).