Unwrapping God's Gift

      You know those mornings when God sets before you exactly what you needed to hear?  Today was one of those mornings.  I wanted to share what my devotional said:

      “I have given you the gift of eternal life, but My giving does not stop there.  Inside of you is a supernatural surprise—a gift that is waiting to be unwrapped…by you.

      Yes, it’s there.  It’s hidden behind dreams waiting to be pursued.  Swallowed up by daily distractions and drowned by disappointment. 

      Let Me help you clear out the clutter and find your gift.  You’ll find it in that place in life that brings you the greatest joy, that place where you soul longs to be, that work your hands love to do.  

But this gift that I’ve given to you is not just for you.  I have blessed you to be a blessing to others.  When you find your gift, I will take it and multiply it beyond what you could ever imagine.  So ask Me, and I will help you open your gift so that you can give it away to the world—not to impress—but to bless.”

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

      My favorite part about people is how different we all are.  I have friends who were born to be writers, teachers, photographers, musicians, lawyers, contractors, chefs and many, many more things.

      I have a friend who finally, after trying out different majors, decided to be a firefighter, why, because he found what his greatest enjoyment was, saving people.  He found the job that brought him the greatest joy and he went for it.  The best part about his story so far is that he failed his last test in his EMT training, but did he let that stop him from pursuing the gift he knew God had given him?  Nope!  He went back, worked harder and faster and by the end he passed the test and is still working toward the shiny, red truck. Haha.

      God doesn’t just hand us our “gift” and a certificate that says “it’s as easy as pie now!”  First off, baking pie isn’t easy, so I’m not sure how that saying came about. haha  Secondly, we enjoy things so much more when we put an effort into them.  We have to work hard and work for the Lord.  E.E. Cummings said, “It takes courage to grow up and be who you really are.” It’s a journey to uncover our gift, it’s a journey to discover how to use them, and it’s a journey to finally be able to bless others by it. 

So don’t stop searching for your gift; seek God’s will, find what you enjoy, and never, ever give it up, pursue it against all odds.   “You were made to fill a purpose that only you can do.”

Blemishes

I've decided to describe how I see myself.

I'm:

Foolish

Rude
Inadequate 

Uncaring

Demeaning

Narcissistic

Unreliable

Dense

Clumsy

Lazy

Pathetic

Unattractive

Depressing

Materialistic

Negative

Antagonistic

Spiteful

Unpleasant

Disrespectful

Completely and totally unworthy of the grace God has given me. 

       I could probably spend a good hour complaining about my faults and asking why I never seem to be good enough.  But as I start thinking about my "blemishes" I realize, I’m good enough for Christ.  HE created me just the way I am.  Sure I mess things up, but that’s where He comes in and catches me. Every good thing that I am and attempt to be is His work in me. 

“Oh Lord, you're beautiful,

 Your face is all I seek,

 For when your eyes are on this child,

 Your grace abounds to me.

 I want to take your word and shine it all around.

 But first help me just to live it Lord.

 And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown.

 For my reward is giving glory to you.”

       Focusing on my faults gets me nowhere but depressed.  Focusing on Christ and His hand in my life causes me to rejoice.  

   Psalms 47:1 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

So CLAP PEOPLE CLAP!!! haha, You are His creation and He made you BEAUTIFUL, because, well, He made you--YOU!

Strong Enough

       Isaiah 40:28-31
” Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

      I just recently heard the song "Strong Enough" by Matthew West and it really got me thinking.  Today's society casts this light on its citizens  saying we should be able to “conquer” life.  Women in particular are challenged to prove themselves to be stronger than men.  Because people are cast this way no one wants to say “I’m not strong enough.”  In fact anyone who states that they’re weak is looked down upon as a quitter.  But there’s wisdom in those who boldly declare, “I can’t do this on my own, will someone help me?”   

       I know I daily struggle with thinking my strength is sufficient.  Soon I find myself frustrated asking why I wasn’t strong enough to handle the tasks at hand.  But life isn’t meant to be lived alone, we’re meant to help others and to BE HELPED.  Jeremiah 17:5
 "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.”

You don’t have to go through it on your own, it’s okay to say...help...   

      1 Samuel 30:6
 "David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God."

David looked to God for strength, and this is the guy that killed GIANTS!  We all have giants in our lives we’re hoping to conquer, it just takes us accepting our own weakness and asking God for His strength.           

      2Corinthians 12:9-10 "
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

You must, You must think I’m strong

To give me what I’m going through
Well forgive me, forgive me if I’m wrong
But this looks like more than I can do
On my own

I know I’m not strong enough to be
Everything that I’m supposed to be
I give up, I’m not strong enough
Hands of mercy won’t You cover me?
Lord, right now I’m asking You to be
Strong enough, strong enough
For the both of us

Well maybe, maybe that’s the point
To reach the point of giving up
‘Cause when I’m finally, finally at rock bottom
Well that’s when I start looking up
And reaching out

I know I’m not strong enough to be
Everything that I’m supposed to be
I give up, I’m not strong enough
Hands of mercy won’t You cover me?
Lord, right now I’m asking You to be
Strong enough, strong enough
For the both of us

‘Cause I’m broken
Down to nothing
But I’m still holding on to the one thing
You are God
And You are strong when I am weak
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
And I don’t have to be strong enough
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
And I don’t have to be
Strong enough, strong enough
Oh yeah

I know I’m not strong enough to be
Everything that I’m supposed to be
I give up, I’m not strong enough
Hands of mercy won’t You cover me?
Lord, right now I’m asking You to be
Strong enough, strong enough

For the both of us 

Psalm 105:4 "
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!"

Peter, Peter, Peter

      Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

Matthew 26:31-35

       Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster  crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:69-75

       Christ knew Peter would deny Him, even if Peter boldly declared he never would.  Imagine seeing your friend say “I don’t know you” when you’re undergoing persecution I know my reaction would be “fine! I don’t know you either!”  But Christ didn’t do that Jesus loved Peter still! He DIED FOR HIM STILL.   He knew Peter had messed up (He even told Peter he was going to) but there Jesus hung, beaten, His blood washing away the sins of those who denied Him.  Picture Christ nailed to a cross looking at all those who have denied him, saying, it’s okay, I still love you. “…Father, forgive them for they know not what they do…”  Luke 23:34

       And so I challenge you to never give up on those who have given up on you.  Be Christ-like and love them no matter what they’ve done to you.  “We love because He first loved us.”  1 John 4:19

Boat or Water

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.  But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”   “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:25-31

       Peter walked on water.  I keep repeating myself trying to imagine what it must’ve felt like.  I’m quickly reminded that walking on water isn’t always literally “walking on water” the term is used to orchestrate what it’s like to follow Christ and His will for our lives.

That’s something I really admire in Peter he was always so quick to follow Jesus.  He saw him walking and wanted to be there too.  There have been so many times I have seen where Christ was walking and didn’t want to go.  The boat I was in seemed so much “safer” to me than the murky sea.   But that’s how we grow in our faith, by letting go of what we think is “safe” and looking completely into Christ’s eyes. 

       We should be constantly remembering God’s promise “never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5b

Faithfully following Jesus is a hard task when we look at the wind and the waves.  But why are we even looking at the wind and the waves?  Aren’t we supposed to be looking only toward Jesus?   When Peter took his eyes off of Christ and focused on the things that surrounded him he fell.  How often do we get caught up in the winds of life and lose sight of Christ?  But then comes my favorite part of the story, as Peter began to sink he cried out “Lord, save me!”  and Jesus reached out his hand and pulled him up.  Honestly that makes me so thrilled to know that whenever we cry out for God to save us, He will!  "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." Psalm 34:17

         Don’t become complacent in the boat we all have the ability to walk on water, just like Peter.