God opposed to you?

     My very favorite passage in the Bible is 1 Peter 5:5-10:
"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 
   “God opposes the proud
   but gives grace to the humble.”
 ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
 ⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
 ¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen" 
     That passage has taught me soooo much. God is so so so so sooo good!
     At ladies bible study at my church, we've been going through 1 Peter, and I was absolutely elated when we reached this passage! Today we went over verse 5. "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God oppoes the proud but gives grace to the humble.""
     Wow. God opposes the proud. That's...wow...that's more then enough reason to be humble!
     When we are prideful, when we are in our sin and unrepentant, God is opposed to us! Yes, I know I'm using lot of exclamation points...but this is HUGE! Do you want the God of all creation to be opposed to you?! I should hope not.
     We are called to clothe ourselves in humility. To be like-minded with other believers. To serve Christ.

     Called to be like Christ, who humbled himself to a servant (Philippians 2). He washed His disciples feet, He sat at the table of sinners. There was no pride in Him.
     We are called not.to.be.prideful but to be humble. To humbly come before a truly awesome God who has given us way more than we deserve. Humbly come before Him and serve Him in everything you do.

     My prayer is that I will continually be coming humbly before God, that I will clothe myself in humility and repent of any pride and sin in my life. That I will become a servant of Christ. My prayer is that this will be your prayer to.

     I only talked about the first part of the verse, I know-but I would be here typing for hours if I wanted to go into the whole thing. Just read it, study it, there are some amazing words in there!
     God is good. :D

In my bible reading today-I came across Psalm 107. I notice a lot in the Psalms, that there is quite a bit of repetition. Repetition that is really powerful. It shows us just a small picture of how faithful and forgiving a God we have. I put in bold and underlined the repetition in this passage...

Psalm 107

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
   his love endures forever.
² Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—
   those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
³ those he gathered from the lands,
   from east and west, from north and south.

 ⁴ Some wandered in desert wastelands,
   finding no way to a city where they could settle.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty,
   and their lives ebbed away.
⁶ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷ He led them by a straight way
   to a city where they could settle.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for men,
⁹ for he satisfies the thirsty
   and fills the hungry with good things.

 ¹⁰ Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
   prisoners suffering in iron chains,
¹¹ for they had rebelled against the words of God
   and despised the counsel of the Most High.
¹² So he subjected them to bitter labor;
   they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
¹³ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he saved them from their distress.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom
   and broke away their chains.
¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for men, ¹⁶ for he breaks down gates of bronze
   and cuts through bars of iron.

 ¹⁷ Some became fools through their rebellious ways
   and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
¹⁸ They loathed all food
   and drew near the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he saved them from their distress.
²⁰ He sent forth his word and healed them;
   he rescued them from the grave.
²¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for men.
²² Let them sacrifice thank offerings
   and tell of his works with songs of joy.

 ²³ Others went out on the sea in ships;
   they were merchants on the mighty waters.
²⁴ They saw the works of the LORD,
   his wonderful deeds in the deep.
²⁵ For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
   that lifted high the waves.
²⁶ They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
   in their peril their courage melted away.
²⁷ They reeled and staggered like drunken men;
   they were at their wits’ end.
²⁸ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he brought them out of their distress.
²⁹ He stilled the storm to a whisper;
   the waves of the sea were hushed.
³⁰ They were glad when it grew calm,
   and he guided them to their desired haven.
³¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for men.
³² Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
   and praise him in the council of the elders.

 ³³ He turned rivers into a desert,
   flowing springs into thirsty ground,
³⁴ and fruitful land into a salt waste,
   because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
³⁵ He turned the desert into pools of water
   and the parched ground into flowing springs;
³⁶ there he brought the hungry to live,
   and they founded a city where they could settle.
³⁷ They sowed fields and planted vineyards
   that yielded a fruitful harvest;
³⁸ he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
   and he did not let their herds diminish.

 ³⁹ Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
   by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
⁴⁰ he who pours contempt on nobles
   made them wander in a trackless waste.
⁴¹ But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
   and increased their families like flocks.
⁴² The upright see and rejoice,
   but all the wicked shut their mouths.

 ⁴³ Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
   and consider the great love of the LORD. 

Each time they cried out in distress...the Lord saved them. Wow. Every time. And each time afterward they were called to give thanks.

If that's not an awesome encouragement and commandment, I don't know what it.

Praise the Lord that we have such a faithful, loving and forgiving God!

The God of yesterday, today and forever! :D

Run!

     Last Sunday we had an excellent and very convicting sermon on Hebrews 12:1-3(Verse at bottom of post) about running the race of the Christian life. 

     It's not easy to follow Christ. It's not easy to run the race. To fight the fight. Because that's what living for Christ is, it's a continuous battle. It WILL take endurance. But though it's hard, though it will never be easy, though there will be pain and suffering... there is peace and joy!

     2 Corinthians 4:16, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

     Running the race for Christ means turning away from things of this world. Turning away from things that distract us. So many things in our lives become a distraction, even if they aren't necessarily bad things...but they take our focus off Christ and become a sin. We can't keep those distractions and serve Christ at the same time. (Matt 6:24, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.)

     We have to turn completely away from those distractions. COMPLETELY. And turn towards Christ. Seek him FULLY. Take Peter for example, when he walked out on water to meet Jesus. When he took his focus off of Jesus, he began to sink.

     We.can't.take.our.focus.off.Christ. We must run away from distractions and run towards Christ.

     The past month God has been continually teaching me this. When you follow Christ, 100%, it's...wow. Life changing. 

     We are called to fix our eyes on Christ. To consider Him carefully. To endure the pain.

     Focus on Christ. Run the race. Fight the fight.

     This video is really challenging/encouraging. Take the time and watch it.

     Then Run.

     Run.

     Run for the race for Christ.

Heb 12:1-3, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."