Saturday, July 18, 2015

Beauty in Brokeness



“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result in works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” ~Eph. 2:4-10

This is for you. Wherever you are. In whatever place of need you find yourself in. God knows. He knows you. He loves you. He hears you. He answers you. He SPEAKS.



The Lord was speaking to my heart a few days ago:
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You are not meant to do life on your own. I give life. I am life. I am everything. Surrender every part to me and be satisfied. Find strength in me and not in trying harder. All is grace. All is mercy. My grace. My mercy. You have done nothing to deserve this. This is only from me. This is always from me. No matter how high you climb, you will never reach it. No matter how high you reach you will never deserve it. Rest in this. Don’t wake up day after day and fall back into this thinking. This thinking of trying harder. I’ve told you again and again and I will never stop telling you this. You can’t earn it. Only I can give it. Only I can make it possible. Only I can make this grace-filled-joy-filled-hope-filled life possible. Grace for the todays and tomorrows. Joy for the everyday moments and trials. And hope for eternity with me. Without me you can do nothing. Without me life is nothing. A whole lot of temporary, short-lived glory moments that are fleeting. I am your life. I am your strength. Daughter, stop trying to earn my approval. I made you. I formed you. I am who I say I am. I am more than able to bring you out. Bring you out of yourself and into me. You are known. I love you with an everlasting love. You can’t fathom what everlasting love is. How high. How long. How wide. How deep. My love cannot be grasped. Just know that it is more than enough for you. More than enough for anything you face in this life. Nothing in the world can even come close to this love. The mystery in faith. Faith that I meet every. single. need. of yours. Faith that IN me you can do ALL things. Apart from me you can do nothing. Safety in me. Nowhere else will you find this safety. Mercy, because that’s who I am. Merciful. When you were at your ugliest, I picked you out. I brought you out. I see you now as the bride of Christ. Blameless. Pure. Your true identity. Do you get this? I did this. Nothing of your might. Nothing of your strength. Nothing of your will. You were in utter darkness. Born into sin. Guilty. Separated from me. Hopeless. When I stepped into your heart, everything changed. I pursued you. Your eyes saw truth. Your eyes saw me. I came to you. I pulled you out. I broke the chains of your slavery to sin. You were a slave to sin. I conquered death. I took on your shame. I took your burdens. I took your guilt. I took your self-righteousness. I took your perfectionism. I took your pride. I took your jealousy. Now and forevermore you don’t bear those. That is not who you are. They are your identity no more. When you doubt that, you doubt me. I already proved my love for you. And. I’m. Still. Proving. My. Love. All. Of. Your. Days. Remember it is what I’ve done. I went all the way to bring you to me. So that we could be one. I see you as righteous because my righteousness covers you. You are right with me. You are an heir of mine. You bear my name. The name above all other names. My covenant is for you. I will never leave you. I will never forget you. I am here for you. My spirit is upon you to bear witness to me. ~Is. 61 Remember, you can do nothing apart from me. Me IN you is how you live. You have died to self. You are a new creation with a new heart. ~2 Cor. 5:17 Your new soft heart has nothing to do with what you did/do. Your soft heart is because of me. My grace. When I forgave you of your sins, your hard heart was replaced. Not mended, patched or fixed. No. You weren’t made into a “good” person. You were made new. Behold I am making all things new. You couldn’t do this life if you were made “better”. It’s not the real deal. You couldn’t do this life until you died to yourself to be made alive in me. I redeemed you. I am redeeming you. You are a work in progress, but you are mine. Seek me first and you will not be disappointed. I cannot disappoint. Others will disappoint you and you will disappoint others, but it is impossible for me to disappoint. You will need nothing more than what you find in me. Every part of you will be satisfied in everything I am. Believe me. Everything you once longed for starts to fade. Earthly substitutes fade in the glory of me and my kingdom. You only need more of me. Call on me more. No other earthly praise or recognition will compare to my “Well done”. You are living this new life with one thing in mind. Me. More of me. I am your prize. I am your satisfaction.  Through my Spirit you are serving me with every part of you. 

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God has been showing me lately what brokenness looks like. Truly seeing who and what I am without Christ and seeing and believing what He has done for me. I am in absolute need of Him. This is how I can have a relationship with Him. His death on the cross was to pay the cost of my sins so I could be made right with Him and will one day live with Him forever. “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” ~ Matt. 5:3. I have nothing to offer God, but my heart because of His work on the cross. Honestly, we have nothing to bring to the table. That’s all He wants. Us as we are. We are in desperate need of Him as our Savior. Every moment in this life surrendered to Him and His will. Every “yes” to Him will affect eternity. Glory to come. Every “yes” to the world will affect the temporary and stop there. Praises will fade. Adoration will fade. Success will fade. Satisfaction will fade. Only more time spent with God can mold this eternity mindset. In His presence, we are free. “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” ~ 2 Cor. 3:17


Get alone and make space for God to speak to you. Be still. Listen. He longs for communion with you. Write down whatever He impresses on your heart. He transforms.
 May this be our forever posture:      ~Yes, Father. Here I am. Speak.~



“In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song; This cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.  

What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My comforter, my all in all— Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe! This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save.  

Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied; For every sin on Him was laid— Here in the death of Christ I live.
 
There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain; Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave He rose again!  

And as He stands in victory, Sin's curse has lost its grip on me; For I am His and He is mine— Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
 
No guilt in life, no fear in death— This is the power of Christ in me; From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.  

No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand; Till He returns or calls me home— Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.” ~ In Christ Alone by Keith Getty


Check out this beautiful song, Letting Go! Acoustic version :)  

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