Always Worth It

Knowing Him

Tuesday, 15 June 2010 23:20 |

Dear Jesus, more than anything else, I want to get to know you intimately. Amen.

I'm not entirely sure where I saw that prayer, but I wrote it on a piece of paper and have kept it in my jewelry box for a couple of years now. I find it interesting. How do you get to know someone intimately when you can't see them? We don't necessarily always get feedback when we talk to God. And some of us never hear Him audibly, not that we don't hear Him in other ways, but you get the point.

Knowing Jesus intimately is unlike any other relationship we have. But that doesn't make it any less of a relationship. It's the most important relationship we enter into. And while we don't necessarily get some things we treasure about our earthly friendships, like hugs and cuddling, sleepovers and junk food binges, dancing, or snail mail, we get so much more. As a side note, I had a conversation with a friend about this not all that long ago and we decided we're having a sleepover/cuddle party with God when we get to heaven.

Anyway... When I think about knowing Him, I think about the song "To Know You" by Casting Crowns. I highly recommend the song. Here are the lyrics to the chorus and bridge.

More than my next breath

More than life or death

All I'm reaching for,

I live my life to know You more

I leave it all behind

You're all that satisfies

To know You is to want to know You more

All this life could offer me

Could not compare to You

And I count it all as loss

Compared to knowing You

So even though we may have to wait until we get to heaven to dance, or to get a hug, or to have a cuddle party, think about what we do get when we seek to know God intimately. In knowing Jesus, we don't have to worry about what we're doing right or wrong, we just get to live to bring Him glory. In knowing Jesus, We don't ever have to compromise on who we are, because we know He made us in His image. And in knowing Jesus, we get to have hope. And really... what could be any better than that? I can't think of one thing in this world that is.

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with

the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage,

so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law;

rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.

For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith."

- Philippians 3:8-9

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Last Updated (Tuesday, 15 June 2010 23:35)

Get Out Of The Boat

Monday, 14 June 2010 22:43 |

The inspiration for this one came from some quite incredible GEV Counselors who I got to see last night :)

It is so easy to live life inside of our comfort zone. AKA in the boat. And what is it that prevents us from stepping out of it anyway? If I had to venture a guess, or even speak from my own experience, I'd say it's mostly fear, and doubt, and even insecurity. But really, what do we have to fear?

"But you belong to God, my dear children.

You have already won a victory over those people,

because the Spirit who lives in you

is greater�than the spirit who lives in the world."

- 1 John 4:4

According to that, we have absolutely nothing to fear. No matter what obstacles we have on earth, they're nothing to be scared of. God is SO much bigger than them. So check that off the list and get out of the boat!

So now onto doubt, eh?

There is the passage in Matthew where Jesus is walking on water and Peter wants to walk on the water, too. Here's the passage:

"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 14:28-31

But here's the question. Who does Peter doubt? Does he doubt Jesus? Jesus is already on the water, people. He's got the walking on water thing in the bag. Peter is who falls. So does he doubt Jesus, or does he doubt himself?

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.

He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

- John 14:12

Jesus tells us that we will do even greater things than Him, but do we believe that? Probably not often... Because we doubt ourselves. But we really don't need to. God has faith in us! He knows we will do big things. So get out of the boat!

I was asked once at a Bible study the following question: If I could have the Holy Spirit empowering me, what would I want to do? After I answered, the pastor said, "For most of you, that's exactly what you should do."

And guess what? The Holy Spirit is empowering each one of us. Every day. And in every way. So... Get out of the boat!

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Last Updated (Monday, 14 June 2010 22:50)

A Lesson In Manners

Saturday, 12 June 2010 22:40 |

�

"The Lord�merely spoke,�and the heavens were created.

He breathed the word,�and all the stars were born.

He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.

Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.

For when he spoke, the world began!�It appeared at his command."

- Psalm 33:6-10

Does anyone else find it insanely cool that God merely breathed and the stars were in the sky the sky?! That He spoke and the whole world was there?! That same God, the One who breathed the universe into existence, loves us! And every time we look up at the sky, we can be reminded of that fact.

"When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers

-�the moon and the stars you set in place�-

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

human beings that you should care for them?

Yet you made them only a little lower than God

and crowned them�with glory and honor."

- Psalm 8:3-5

God is amazing. He's majestic. He's powerful and perfect. And He could easily be concerned with things other than us. We're mere mortals, but he thinks about us and cares about us. He has crowned us with glory and honor so that we are only a little lower than Him. Do you realize how insane that is?! But it's the truth!

And because we know it's the truth, we praise Him. Which is pretty cool, if you ask me. I get the opportunity to praise the God who made the whole universe! I don't do it because I have to; I do it because I have been so blessed by Him that I get to tell him that.

We all like to be told when we do something for someone and they appreciate it, right? So I would assume that God likes to hear from us, too. So when you look at the stars, or the moon, or anything that God created (which is like... everything!), remember a) that He loves you, and b) to thank Him for all that he has blessed you with. I'm pretty sure that over the course of your life, there are countless things to thank Him for :)

"Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord;

it is fitting for the pure to praise him

Praise the Lord�with melodies on the lyre;

make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.

Sing a new song of praise to him;

�play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.

For the word of the Lord holds true,

and we can trust everything he does

He loves whatever is just and good;

the unfailing love of the Lord�fills the earth."

- Psalm 33:1-5

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