Inspiration
VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
New year brings the inevitable looking forward and back. With emotions ranging from fear to excitement for what's ahead and regret to satisfaction for what's behind. A lot of those feelings come when life's all down to us - where what we can hope to get is all based on what we do and deserve: We resolve to give it all for God this year so we're expecting Him to do good things for us. Or we feel we failed God in 2011 so we're not sure we can hope for a lot from Him in 2012.
That wouldn't be the way Paul approached the change in year. He talks about:
Living... in PURE GRACE, where: The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him... Isn't everything you have and everything you are SHEER GIFTS from God?
(Romans 12, 1Corinthians 4 MSG)
God is enthroned over your 2012. Seated on a THRONE OF GRACE - of UNMERITED FAVOUR, UNDESERVED HELP & BLESSING & KINDNESS & GOODNESS. The throne of LOVE GIFTS. It is a throne where you can come freely and boldly to a Father who gives just because He loves you. Where you receive simply because of what Jesus has done and who you are in Him.
Thank you Jesus for 2012... I'm excited to hear your stories of all He'll do for you this year. Undeserved. Unearned. Sheer gift. Pure grace.
Love,
Anna
KNOW THIS CHRISTMAS...
It can be really challenging when we don't know something. Like there's direction we're desperate for because of a decision we've got to make. Or there's a question we have about God or the Bible we can't work out the answer to. And often, the more we think about it, the more confused we feel.
The other day, I sat down to pray and found myself saying to God: "You know everything there is to know. I'm grateful I know YOU." Then I opened onto 1Corinthians 8 in The Message which says:
"We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know… but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all… knowing isn’t everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge isn’t that insensitive."
A couple of days later, I read this:
"When you don't have an answer, let it be enough to walk humbly with your question."
(www.chattingatthesky.com)
And this:
"By realizing the reality of our Prince within us, we are never bothered again by the fact we don't understand ourselves, or that other poeple do not understand us. The only One who truly understands me is the One who made me... It is a tremendous freedom to... care about only... the relationship between our Prince and ourselves."
(Oswald Chambers)
It reminds me of the woman at the well. She's had some experience of earthly mates (5 husbands to be exact!). But she is still looking for something more. She's eager to receive the kind of water Jesus says He can provide that will take away her thirst. She is waiting for Messiah - THE ONE - who will have the answers. She says to Jesus:
"I know that Messiah is coming, He who is called the Christ (THE anointed ONE); and when He arrives, He will tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us." (John 4:25 AMP)
Jesus says in reply: "I AM HE... You don't have to wait any longer or look any further." (John 4:26 MSG)
She was waiting for what every heart waits for, to hear her Prince, her Messiah saying: "I am THE ONE for you! You don't have to wait any longer or look any further."
This Christmas, know that however much you don't know, however much you need to find out, you have it all if you know Jesus. You can carry your questions without pressure to solve them and let Him reveal the answer or next step in His time and way. Allow Jesus to give you love this Christmas - LAVISH and UNEARNED - in the unique way it comes packaged for your heart. Because God's desire is to GIVE and GIVE and GIVE to YOU:
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. (Ephesians 1:2-4 MSG)
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
Lots of love,
Anna xxoxx
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