Monday, March 1, 2010

Scripture Memory Verse #5

Can you believe it's March 1st? Wow. How was your weekend? Mine ran the whole gamut of emotions. Our anniversary dinner turned our stomachs inside out later that night and the next day. The conversations, however, were much sweeter so I'll dwell on that and not recommend to you Tucan*'s Brazilian Steakhouse. I'm glad if you've had a good experience there. We did not.

Saturday we spent with extended family in the mountains and that was a fun day. Not much snow to play in, so we stayed in and visited and played games. The kids swam in the heated pool; in fact, I think my son was in the water at least 4 hours. No, he's not growing fins or flippers though I checked.

Sunday was a great service at church. We are working through the minor prophets; right now Amos. Judah was in a time of prosperity and had become callous towards God. This shepherd/fig tree caretaker was given a vision to tell the people and he did. Pastor also worked in a lesson on forgiveness, which turned out prophetic in my immediate life. There was a surprise visitor at church, someone who had dealt me a full basket of pain in the not-so-distant past. She managed to open the wound with one innocent question. Praise be to God that I can come to Him with all my emotions - disappointment, pain, anger, despair - and know it is safe, know that He hears me and yesterday especially He met with me in that place. I know He loves me and is healing me and I give Him all honor, glory and praise.

(I apologize if this post is "too much information". I'm just being real here. That's all I know to do.)

All this leads to my verse. 1John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. Have you thought about darkness? In the dark we can feel afraid, depressed, shame, insecure, unhealthy. And I have felt all of them. But that is not God. He is not a God of any of those things in the dark. Those things belong to the prince of darkness. But then I remember that my God is a God of the light, He is the God of pushing back the darkness, even in the corners. I cannot continue to walk in darkness and have fellowship with the God of light without being a liar. The truth will set us free. And the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin. We are to walk in the light as He is in the light. Take fear for example. If I am afraid that something bad is going to happen to my children or my husband or even myself and if I live that fear out every day by the thoughts I think, the words I say or the actions I take, I am not walking in the light. He has not given us a spirit of fear 2Timothy says. I'm not saying throw caution to the wind. I'm saying don't let the fear take over. Believe God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do. Let His light shine in the darkness of your life and let Him set you free, let Him heal you. That's one of the driving forces behind this scripture memorization. When the truth of His word is in the very core of me, that light will dispel my dark corners and I can live the abundant life he promised in John. Our God is an awesome God! Can I hear an Amen?

Thank you for walking this road with me. I love you. Leave your name, city, verse, & version.

4 comments:

  1. What an encouraging message you shared, thank you! My next verse, though mine from 1st of Feb is still a bit difficult, I will get there eventually, will be: "It is written, 'I believed, therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak." 2 Cor 4:13 NIV

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." John 14:1 (NLT)

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement.
    2 Peter 2:9

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
    My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever."
    Psalm 73:24-25

    (I finally got around to blogging about it!)

    ReplyDelete