Setting Boundaries

Purity of Body: Day 38 - Setting Boundaries

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
God wants you to live a pure life.  Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.  Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as it so common among those who know nothing of God.  Don't run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters.  Their concerns are God's concerns, and he will take care of them.  We've warned you about this before.  God hasn't invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful - as beautiful on the inside as the outside.  If you disregard this advice, you're not offending your neighbours; you're rejecting God, who is making you a gift of his Holy Spirit.

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Pure as Snow

Purity of Body: Day 37 - Pure as Snow

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord.  "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

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Humble and Pure of Heart

Purity of Body: Day 36 - Humble and Pure of Heart

Matthew 5:8
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

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God of my words

Purity of Body: Day 35 - Pure Speech

Ephesians 5:4
Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, Christians have better uses for language than that.  Don't talk dirty or silly.  That kind of talk doesn't fit our style.  Thanksgiving is our dialect.

My words are something that I have had always had a problem with, I talk too much and more often than not I don't think before I speak and this is something that I really feel like God has been challenging me with recently.  Over the last couple of years, I would like to think that I have learnt the power of keep secrets I am entrusted with, and I would also like to think that more often than not I use my words to encourage and build others up.  But I know that there are often times when I say thinks I shouldn't, I seek information that I shouldn't and I choose words that I shouldn't.  Sometimes I ask myself if God was standing with me (which he is anyway, but if I could see it in the flesh) and the answer 9 times out of 10 is no.... So I guess I need to knuckle down and focus on using my tongue better rather than as a weapon of the devil, as harsh as that sounds. 

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Safe, Healthy & Empowered

Purity of Body: Day 34 - Safe, Healthy & Empowered

Titus 2:3-5
Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness.  By looking at them, the younger women will know how o love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives.  We don't want anyone looking down on God's Message because of their behaviour.

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You Are Loved

Purity of Body: Day 33 - You are Loved

Luke 15:20
When he was still a long way off, his father saw him.  His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.

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Looking for Love

Purity of Body: Day 32 - Looking For Love

Matthew 9:35-36
Jesus made a circuit of al the towns and villages.  He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives.  When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke.  So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd.

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Waiting for Self-discipline

Purity of body: Day 31 - Waiting for Sex

1 Corinthians 6:12-13
Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever i thought i could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims. You know the old saying, "first you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse fir stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the master honours you with a body, honour him with your body!

So here is the thing... even though the point if this devotion was about waiting for sex, I think what I got out of it was something completely different... I am sure that I have read this verse before but I perhaps not this version (the message) or with my current eyes because I had never put eating the way I do and sex in the same indulgence category.

This past week I have been in Sweden at the World Youth Convention, Raised Up and a lot of the convention was focused on Holiness and what it means to live Holy.  I think one of the things that hit home heaps this week to me was the fact that part of holiness is self-discipline and self-control.  These are two things that I particularly struggle with, especially with my food and something, with my upcoming nuptials, amongst other things I would really like to get more of.  

I guess the good news is that in 2 Timothy is says "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline", so really this self-discipline that I am seeking is a promise of God's Holy Spirit, so I just have to claim it...

So here I am, God, asking that you would give me some self-discipline, help me to practice this and to honour you with it.

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Help us remember

Purity of Mind: Day 30 - Help us remember

Romans 3:24-25
God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.  People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

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The Shadowlands

Purity of Mind: Day 29 - The Shadowlands

Titus 1:2
My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end.  This is the life God promised long ago - and he doesn't break promises!

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A Thankful Attitude

Purity of Mind: Day 28 - A Thankful Attitude

Psalm 138:1-3
Thank you! Everything in me says "Thank you!" Angels listen as I sing my thanks.  I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again:  "Thank you!"  Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; most holy is your name, most holy is your Word.  the moment i called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength.

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Dreaming of Heaven

Purity of Mind: Day 27 - Dreaming of Heaven

1 Peter 1:3-5
Beacuse Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven and the future starts now!  God is keeping careful watch over us and the future.  The Day is coming when you'll have it all - life healed and whole.

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Daring to Dream

Purity of Mind: Day 26 - Daring to Dream

Ephesians 3:20
God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!  He does it not by pushing us around but by working with us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

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Overcoming Loneliness

Purity of Mind: Day 25 - Overcoming Loneliness

1 Thessalonians 5:23024
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together - spirit, soul, and body - and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.  The One who called you in completely dependable.  If he said it, he'll do it!

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The Centre of His Will

Purity of Mind: Day 24 - The Centre of His Will

Jude 1:20-21
Carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the centre of God's love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ.  This is the inending life, the real life!

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A New Attitude

Purity of Mind: Day 23 - A New Attitude

Ephesians 4:21-24
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truely righteous and holy. 

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Do Your Possessions Posses You?

Purity of Mind: Day 22 - Do Your Possessions Posses You?

Matthew 6:31-33
Do not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving.  People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know God and how he works.  Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.  Don't worry about missing out.  You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

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Explaination

So its been a really long time since I posted anything on here and there is a few reasons for this... 1.  I haven't been doing my devotions as regularly as I should and 2. When I have done them I haven't been bothered blogging... but to once again give myself some accountability, I have decided that even if I don't discuss the devo I will at least post the bible verse... so that you know, and I know I have done it...  So there you go, thats the new plan, stay posted.

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Community

Purity of Mind: Day 21 - Communal Thinking

Acts 20:32
I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.

One thing I am really glad about is the fact that God made us to want to live in community.  I am a social kind of person, I don't really like being by myself for long periods of time, so moving up here, out of a fairly big family to just me has been really hard.  One thing I have been really grateful for is my new cell group up here and the Salvo's in Castlemaine too.  Without them, I think I would have struggled a lot more and perhaps even thrown in towel, but I think they fact that they have constantly welcomed me, supported me, loved me and shown an interest in me has made more difference than they will ever know.  

This week at my cell group, we looked at the forth week of a Salvation Army series called 'Salvo's out there' and the main theme was 'a fair go for all'.  I was really challenged about whether or not I do this, not just for the poor and needy but for everyone, every race, every gender, every age, every sexuality, every disease...do I give them all a fair go by showing them God's love?  By including them in my community and giving them respect and dignity...  Probably not always, but I guess its something that I am working on...something that I will probably never stop working on.  

God designed us to live in community, with him and with others.... all the time.

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Dad

Purity of Mind: Day 20 - Thinking Like a Child

Ephesians 5:1-2
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behaviour from their parents.  Mostly what God does is love you.  Keep company with him and learn a life of love.  Observe how Christ loved us.  His love was not cautious but extravagant.  He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us.  Love like that. 

So since I have moved out of home and Dad has moved back from China we have been getting closer and closer, its actually been really nice.  I have always known that Dad loved me, and I never really doubted it, but I think that over the last little while I have seen his love more than normal.  I have been able to chat to him about whats happening in my life, what I want to do, who I want to do life with etc.  But I have also been able to seek his advice.  Most recently while I have been car shopping, Dad has shown his love by helping me research and investigate everything I needed to know to chose the right car and then how to work my money so that I can pay for it.  Its been super helpful, because if it were left up to me I think I would still be looking, not because of lack of trying, but just lack of knowledge on where to look and how to work it all out.  The thing is Dad has gone out of his way to help me out and its been really nice.  Our newishly found good verbal relationship has also allowed me to learn more about my Dad.  The thing is that the more I get to know of him, the more amazing I think he is.  I really loved my Dad before, but I am only just starting to understand what an amazing person he actually is.  

I think that this is whats its supposed to be like with God...he is my heavenly father, and I need to take the next step with my relationship with him too.  Go from this, taken for granted love, to one that reveals more and more each time we talk.  One that helps me to see what I am aspiring to.  One that actually sees me experience God the Dad like I am supposed to. 

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Cheating on God

Purity of Mind: Day 19 - A Different Way of Thinking

1 John 2:15-17
Do not love this world not the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything thing we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.  These are not from the Father, but are from this world.  And this world is fading away along with everything that people crave.  But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Today's devo challenged me about what I want in life, I think it challenged me simply because lots of the things I want are super worldly, you know the regular things, a nice house, a good job and some nice stuff to go with it all, but this stuff and seeking after this stuff doesn't actually please God at all, in fact it turns him away.  Sure I can enjoy these things, i think, as long as my heart is after God's heart and not the satifaction that comes from having the nice stuff.  One verse that really stuck out for me was this: 

'You're cheating on God.  If all you want is your own was, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of god and his way.  And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that 'he's a fiercely jealous lover.' And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find.' James 4:4-6 (The Message)

I think I have spoken about this before, but I really need to start trusting God a bit more when he says he knows what's best for my life, rather than desperately trying to stay in control like I am, because I can't have it both ways.

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Seeking

Purity of Mind: Day 18 - Searching for Truth

Jeremiah 33:2-3
This is God's message, the God who made the earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: "Call to me and I will answer you.  I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own."

I think a lot of the time I take everything I know about God for granted.  It wasn't until when Dave first became a Christian, it dawned on me that I really had learnt heaps about who God was and what he did, but sometimes I wonder if its all really true, and how can I be super sure.  So often I look at other religions and wonder what would happen if I had been brought up in an Islamic house, or a Buddhist home, would I have just accepted those religions instead?  Thankfully, I guess I have had my own encounters with God and I know that he is real and that he has saved me, and continues to use me.  But this whole idea of truth and proof is something that I really struggle with in that, I feel like I need to be 100% sure all the time because if I am not than I fear I might be in trouble.  I know this is where faith comes in and all that kind of stuff, but sometimes I wonder what I could actually prove if I needed to, without just saying 'well I just know'.  In my devotion today, the author challenges me to seek God out, to test it all and to search, because God will prove himself time and time again.  I have often thought about doing this, but then I think of the verses about not testing God and wonder if its really ok to seek like that.  I think the other thing in all this is that even if I really wanted to search and test, I wouldn't even know where to start.  How does one start to research God...and the authenticity of the stories?  I have no idea.  

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It's under my feet

Purity of Mind: Day 17 - Sweet Surrender

Psalm 146:3-5
Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.  When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.  But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. 

I am not really sure what I wanted this blog to look like, I don't think its quite there yet, so bare with me.  I think its hard to talk/reflect on what I have read with the blogging community if you aren't reading the book at the same time.  I guess, I also don't want to just regurgitate what I just read coz whats the point in that... so I am not really sure what the plan is, I just thought I would let you know my predicament. 

Anyway, after a my last blog when I was super pumped and hungry, not much has changed, I am still hungry but I haven't really done anything about it...enter new blog (a week later) which suggests that that some of the biggest spiritual warfare weapons facing us today are 'distraction, discouragement and discontent' and I think that this week I have let the devil walk all over me with the first D.  Seriously, that's all it took, this week I have been distracted but lots of little things, but all of them have meant that I haven't been putting God first.  I think I need to wake up a little to the fact that distraction isn't just something that happens, but that it can be actively used against me in my efforts to get closer to the king...So right here and right now I am putting a stop to it.  Distraction is under my feet, and it won't stop me from doing my devotions anymore...

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Hungry

Purity of Mind: Day 16 - Mind Motivation

Psalm 26:2-3
Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me.  Test my motivations and my heart.  For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth.

I think for the last little while I have been in a bit of a spiritual rut.  I have still been going through the motions and learning a few things here and there, but I certainly haven't been moving mountains, so to speak.  At the moment though, I am hungry.  I don't know if its just because its the beginning of the year and the things that has been propping me up previously haven't been on for a while so I have started to notice or whether its because I am actually hungry...but I like it.  I want more, I want to spend more time in God's presence and I want to do more for him in my day to day stuff.  I haven't quite worked out what that will look like yet, but all I know is I am hungry!  I want to know God more intimately, I want to know his plans, his ways, his majesty... I want it all. 

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Who am I feeding?

Purity of Mind: Day 15 - Mind Protection

James 1:21
Get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls

Today's chapter asked me to consider what part of my soul I was feeding more regularly, my flesh or my spirit.  What do I let permeate my brain day to day, are they things that are God pleasing? Or are the things that still remain from my flesh.  The author challenges that the one that gets feed the most frequently grows the most and becomes the strongest.  This concept really made me stop and think about which part of my mind I feed most often and to be honest when I really think about it, I think that there are probably days that my spiritual part doesn't get fed at all, but constantly I choose to spend time in front of the telly feeding my flesh with stuff and making it strong.  How can I ever expect to be who God calls me to be if I don't actively feed into that part of who I am.  I think I need to start purposely spending more time with God, and while this little blog has been helpful and kept me a little more accountable, there still needs to be more, its about more than just a quick devotion at the end of the day...its about the things I watch and the things I read and the things I listen to.  

'The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things' - Philippians 4:7-8  

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He's got it covered

Purity of Mind: Day 14 - Questioning God

Isaiah 55:9-11
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire 
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

How incredible God is, even though sometimes life is a bit pooey, God is in control!  It is times like these, when the earth seems like it is falling apart that I wonder what is happening, what's going on with life, why is all this stuff happening and then I remember that God is in control.  I don't need to know why, just that God has it covered.  It may not look like the way we expect, but I know that my God is doing what he needs to and that when I get to heaven I can ask him.  

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Afraid No More

Purity of Mind: Day 13 – No Fear

1 John 4:17-18
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day - our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life - fear of death, fear of judgment - is one not yet fully formed in love.

Tonight’s devotion hit me pretty hard. I am a really anxious person, maybe even a little paranoid. I worry about lots of things, little things and big things and I worry all the time. Something I know are stupid to worry about and then there are other times that I worry if I am not anxious enough. There have been a number of times that I have been able to hand over the bigger things to God and experienced a real peace about the situation, but its not something that I do daily.

Tonight I realised, even though I think I already knew, that my fear/worry/anxiety is something that I have allowed the devil to have as a really powerful tool in my life and I need to put a stop to it. Earlier this year at my cell we did a study of fear, and the speaker (some American lady on the DVD) taught that the answer to fear is always God…and that there was nothing my God could not be the answer to. She got us to ask our most anxious questions, for example right now mine is What if there is a fire in Castlemaine and the answer is God. Its always what if….then God and I need to start holding on to this a little tighter.

At school I was given a bible verse to help me through my exams and that was Mark 5:36 “Don’t be afraid, just believe” in another translation it says ‘just have faith’. I need to start living this, really living this. I want to be fully formed in love, and fear is stopping me.

So God, break the chains that fear has in my life. I want to be free, I want to just have faith, I want the answer to my ‘what if’s’ to be ‘then God’. For the big things and for the little, everyday things. Do something new in me. Let me know that peace and freedom that goes beyond all understanding.

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Spiritual Weight Issues

Purity of Mind: Day 12 – What do you crave?

Psalm 119:20
My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous! - insatiable for your nourishing commands.

Eating the right things, both physically and spiritually has always been a little tough for me…its just something that I have always struggled with. I really shouldn’t struggle with either, I mean I am a dietitian, so you would hope that I would know what is good for me and what is not when it comes to food, but still I have a problem with my weight. Spiritually I have been blessed with Christian parents and a good spiritual home that is the Salvation Army, yet I still fill my mind with crap and get by with just enough good stuff to tied me over.

I think were I get caught is with the things that I like that I know aren’t good for me, for example, chocolate or ice cream, or gutter jokes, or gossip. Even though I know they aren’t good, especially not in large amounts because part of me enjoys it I do it. I wish so much that I did crave what was good for me all the time, but I am just not there yet, but God reminded me this morning that self-control is a fruit of his spirit, so the closer I get to him, the more of this fruit I will bear, and hopefully I will learn to seek the good food first.

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Free

Purity of Mind: Day 11 - Free Thinking

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
When God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

Just so you know we are back in order again starting today...tomorrow should be day 12...fingers crossed.

Anyway, today's chapter is once again about the meaning of purity (funny that with a title like pure).  And today it focus on the freedom of a pure life.  Now if you have been reading this blog regularly you will know that these are two things I struggle with.  I am still not really down with the word purity, mostly because I don't understand it, but I am getting there.  But the same goes with freedom.  I am a rules kind of person, as much as I don't really like obeying them, I like to know clearly what is right and what is wrong, and often, like so many others, I think, I get caught up but the legalisms in church, the rules so to speak.  The thing is, as I was reminded today, these rules might be there for good reason, but they are not God's expectations, they are ours and when we get caught up in the dos and don'ts we actually miss out on God's freedom.

I think that I need to sit down and let God show me what His expectations are of me and try to live to those rather than the ones I put on myself, or the expectations I allow others to put on me.  Purity is not just about being sexually pure, or even being in tune with God...its also about being 'free from what weakens or pollutes: containing nothing that does not properly belong'.  Its about living in God's freedom from sin and staying like that...it's a challenge, but its a prize worth reaching for...free life.  

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Awe

Purity of Mind: Day 8 - In Awe

Hebrews 12:28-29
Since we are receiving a kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.  For our God is a devouring fire.

It turns out that somewhere along the line I missed day 8, but don't panic because it is here now!  The word Awesome and being in awe of something is a concept I struggle with, and it think its because in todays context something good and wonderful is awesome.  But back in the day when they were using it to describe God it was quite different.  It was all about holy fear, something so incredible that it scares the pants of you.  This is an image of God that I find difficult to comphrend.  I mean I know how massive and incredible God is, but I also know that he is a God of love, justice and grace, so how could he be terrifying?  Just something I am struggling to get my head around...any help would be much appreciated. 

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Mighty to Save

Purity of Mind: Day 10 - Called to worship

Psalm 66:1-4
Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is. Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power. Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs."

I find it so easy to get complacent with God, thinking that I have got it as good as it gets, that Jesus loves me sure, but he is more likely to use someone else.  I am often guilty of putting God in a box that fits my world and my view of my self... So when God bursts out of that box, it nearly always takes me by surprise.

Today I found out that a miricle had taken place at my work, someone I had prayed for got the organ they were so desperatly waiting for and it shocked me. It's not that I didn't think God could do it, I just didn't really expect him to. I guess I had limited miricles to someone elses box, despite the fact that I serve the most incredible God. I get sonfristrated with my small and stuborn mind, I mean I have even called this blog "immeasurably more" because the word promises immeasurably more than we would think or imagine, yet here I am still blown away by his hand.

So today I just want to stop and shout his praises, because there is none like him! Nothing compares to him. Nothing is greater, nothing is bigger, nothing is more powerful. There is no one with more grace, no one with more mercy, no one that can love me more than the great I am, the king of all kings, the saviour of all, my God!

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What is my motive?

Purity of Mind: Day 9 - Don't Bargain with God

Matthew 7:7-11

Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

Here's the thing, after all that talk of another fresh start I still didn't last that long, just a couple of days and then I let my busy life take over once again.... But even so I have come back and just as if it were planned this way the topic of today's chapter is completly perfect for what I need right now. Today's chapter is all about how we bargain with God coz sometimes we don't trust him enough to just leave it all with me. And my initial thoughts after reading the chapter were "well I don't really do that, so I'm pretty good" but then as I reflected a bit more God gently reminded me that I was bargaining with him right now...

See at the moment there are a few crap things happening in my life, all of which I don't really have any control. So trying to be a good Christian I pray about and then because that doesn't feel like enough I deceide that if I fast something I really love that will get God's attention and I will get what I want. And so that's were I am, fasting until God makes it turn out the way I want... and while there is sacrifice in that, there isn't much faith.


Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with fasting until you see answered pray, I guess the problem lies in whether the fast is for an answer or for the answer you want. I think perhaps I need to think a bit more about why I am fasting, what I want to see and whether or not I am looking for God's answer, or my answer.

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