What Pleases God - Part 1
What Pleases God - Part 2
What Pleases God - Part 3
What Pleases God - Part 4
What Pleases God - Part 4 - B
What Pleases God - Part 5
What Pleases God - Part 6
What Pleases God - Part 7
What Pleases God - Part 8
What Pleases God - Part 9
This morning I was abruptly wide awake at 6:30 being beckoned by the Creator with the first little fingertips of sunlight streaming through my blinds and the first sounds of the birdies greeting the world good morning. I popped straight out of bed excited which is unusual :) and when God does that, I know it is Him pursuing me to spend extra time with Him before my day... before the boys get up. I love early mornings with coffee & my Savior.
So here we are, back at what pleases God.....
20May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
I love this gentle reminder He gave me today. That *He* truly does the equipping. That *He* does the cleansing. That *He* works in me what is pleasing to Him.
He seems to want to get this message to me. I keep hearing the same message everywhere I turn. Sunday, Pastor Chris preached a sermon on marriage.... but to me it was God speaking to my heart about the relationship of Christ & His Bride. From Ephesians 5, God makes it so clear, that The Church's role is to submit & to respect our Groom, Our Savior, Jesus Christ. and *He* "will make her holy...will present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."
Thank you Jesus! Thank you for the reminder that when I am discouraged by the stains I see in the Body.... my job is *not* to try to cleanse them myself. God has blessed me with a beautiful love for the Body of Christ and seeing it as the pure, holy, radiant Bride for our sweet Jesus. But I was trying to carry the burden of 'issues' in the Bride all by myself. I was frustrated that others didn't understand just how much the Holy Spirit is grieved by discord in the Body. And in my frustration, I was showing exactly opposite of what I should have.
I am thankful for my sister in Christ Allysa who encouraged me that whatever burden I was carrying around the past weeks - I needed to go ahead and leave it at the cross and get it off of me. Friday night I released all this to Him and I can't even tell you how much He already has shown up and done His thing!! :)
God thank you for always gently pulling me back to you & your Word when I am discouraged or confused. Help me not lose sight that our role is to run to you and bow at your feet in surrender, letting you cleanse us through your Word & your Spirit in us. God let us surrender our hearts to you... our pride... our motives... our plans and let us have faith that your Spirit will do His work in us.
Yes there is training needed on our part for obedience to you... but it's not training on how to fix, cleanse or do works apart from you (trying to earn relationship with you or your love --- because that is impossible - we can't earn those things - must accept them as a gift)....no it's not legalistic have to do this type checklist to be right with you ... it's simply training that allows you to work God. Training to be tuned into you & your presence throughout our day - praying without ceasing. Training to run to you with everything. Training on holding your Word in the highest esteem and respect. Training to ask you for our needs.
Thank you God that I am not in this alone. Together we are working this thing out God. I'll do the respecting & submitting God. Thank you for doing the working, cleansing, and loving... as your Word says! :) God is good!
Philippians 2:13
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