Waiting on the Lord

I don’t know about you but I am not the most patient person. I hate waiting.

I’m not as bad as I used to be, however, as I grow closer to the Lord. He is teaching me patience. He is teaching me to wait on Him. His timing is best. He is never in a hurry but He is always on time.

It’s hard though, isn’t it? Waiting on the Lord. His timing is not necessarily our timing. He knows what’s best for us. We may think we know what is best for us, in the moment, but ultimately it’s God who knows what’s best.

Still, it’s hard waiting.

I’m currently waiting on God for a specific need to be taken care of. I’ve been waiting for quite some time now. To me, it seems like God could answer the prayer immediately but God has His reasons for allowing me to wait this long. I’m being taught to lean on Him throughout the struggles this situation has caused. I’m being taught to rely on Him for all my needs.

I came across this verse in Mark that has become very dear to me in the past couple of weeks.

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

Mark 11:24

I have this verse taped up so I can see it every day to remind me. Keep on praying. As it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”

I know that God knows what is best for me and it may not necessarily line up with what I want but in the end it will be exactly what I need.

That’s what I need to remember.  That’s what the Lord is teaching me.

 

What has the Lord been teaching you lately?

 

 

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The Struggle is Real….

I’ve been struggling with my writing again as of late. I know the writing is IN me but I can’t get it OUT. All of you fellow writers can probably agree you’ve been in this situation before.

The dreaded writer’s block has struck again.

And it’s frustrating because I want so badly to write, to get my words out there, whether on screen or on paper.

Maybe my motives are all wrong. Am I writing for the right reasons? Am I writing for God? Because ultimately it’s about God.

Maybe I’m trying too hard. Maybe I just need to take a step back and figure out where I’m trying to go with my writing. Who am I trying to honor with my writing? Am I just trying to bring the glory to myself or am I honestly wanting to bring it to God?

To be honest, I think I already know the answer. But I don’t want it to be that way. Not anymore. I don’t want it to be about me anymore.

Real…my heart is aching to be real….

Point of Grace, “Fight”

I want to bring glory to God with my writing. I honestly do.  Colossians 3:23 tells us “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

In 1 Corinthians 10:31 it says “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

So right now…at this very instant…I’m giving this writing struggle over to God. If writing is what I am called to do then He will show me and give the words to write. I want my words to mean something. I don’t want my words to become empty.

This song seems appropriate right now. I know I’ve posted it before but I feel the need to share it again.

 

“Fight”
Point of Grace

How clever is my pride, how it deceives my mind
To think I am in control when I have really lost it all
How brilliant is my greed for what it says I need
And then I’ve come to find I’m empty on the inside

Real, my heart is aching to be real
So I am coming to You

All my broken motives, all my selfish dreams
All of my foolishness now I understand where it leads
I wanna be in Your love, I wanna be so much more
I know You’re reaching out so what am I fighting You for
So what am I fighting You for

How quick is my doubt to leave my heart without
The presence of Your peace so that I scarce believe
How pardoned is my guilt to crush the life You built
And to keep me far away from any kind of shame

Real, my heart is aching to be real
So I am coming to You

All my broken motives, all my selfish dreams
All of my foolishness now I understand where it leads
I wanna be in Your love, I wanna be so much more
I know You’re reaching out so what am I fighting You for

‘Cause only You can save me
And only You can change me
And only You can love me
Here I come, here I come
So I come to You

All my broken motives, all my selfish dreams
All of my foolishness ’cause I understand where it leads
I wanna be in Your love, I wanna be so much more
I know You’re reaching out so what am I fighting You

All my broken motives, all my selfish dreams
All of my foolishness now I understand where it leads
I wanna be in Your love, I wanna be so much more
I know You’re reaching out I don’t wanna fight anymore

I don’t wanna fight anymore
I don’t wanna fight anymore
I don’t wanna fight anymore
I don’t wanna fight

Favorite Bible Verses

Hey y’all, today I thought I’d share with you all some of my favorite Bible verses:

• Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
• Psalm 40:1-2 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and hear my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
• Psalm 46:10 “He says, Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
• Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
• Romans 8:28 “And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
• Romans 8:31, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
• John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!

 

What are some of your favorite verses? I’d love to see them!

 

People, Get Ready!

In Matthew 24:36-44, we read that absolutely no one but the Father knows when Christ is coming back. Not even the Son. He will return when we least expect it. We need to be ready!

My heart aches for those who don’t know Christ yet. He could come back at any moment and the thought of losing my unsaved loved ones to hell just breaks my heart. The seed has been planted in their lives but they just won’t take root. Their hearts are hardening with each passing day and I’m scared they are going to die without Christ in their lives.

So please pray that I might be a better witness to them. That they will see Jesus in me and want to know Jesus as their own.

Live as though Christ will return TODAY!

People, get ready! It will happen in a blink of the eye!

Do you know Christ as your personal Savior?

People Get Ready, Jesus is Coming–Crystal Lewis

Lord I’m ready now
I’m waiting for Your triumphant return
You’re coming so soon
This world has nothing for me
I find my peace and joy solely in You
Only in You
I want the world to see that
You’re alive and living well in me
Let me be a part of the harvest
For the days are few
He’s coming soon

People get ready Jesus is coming
Soon we’ll be going home
People get ready Jesus is coming
To take from the world His own

There will be a day
When we will be divided right and left
For those who know Him
And those who do not know
Those who know Him well
Will meet Him in the air
Hallelujah
God is with us
Those who do not know
They will hear “Depart, I knew you not”
For my friends you see
There will be a day when well be counted
So know Him well, know Him well

The Cost of Following Christ

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Matthew 16:24-26

If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a persons cannot be my disciple

Luke 14:26

Photo by Jake Blucker on Unsplash

HATE our parents? HATE our siblings? HATE ourselves? Did Jesus really mean that? Does Jesus really want us to HATE? Sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? Especially since one of the 10 Commandments tells us to “Honor our father and mother”

 

No, He doesn’t really mean for us to hate our loved ones. What He is trying to say is that our love for Him must be so much stronger than our love for family. Our love for Him must be so strong that it SEEMS like we hate our family. That we aren’t paying attention to them because we’re so devoted to God.

Today marks the 11 year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings. Among one of those killed was a young woman named Lauren McCain who was a devoted follower of Christ. She was a woman of faith. She kept the faith and ultimately lost her life. But she is now in Heaven, face to face with our Savior. She is reaping the benefits of having kept Christ #1 in her life. There is a great book written about her life called Lifting Our Eyes: Finding God’s Grace Through the Virginia Tech Tragedy I highly recommend it.

On April 20, it will mark the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shootings in 1999. There was a young girl named Rachel Scott who was the first person killed that horrific day. It’s been said that when Eric Harris approached her after having already shot her, he lifted her by her hair and asked her, “Do you still believe in God?” Rachel responded, “You know I do.” and Harris said to her “Then go be with Him.” and he shot her in the head. Rachel Scott never backed down from her faith. She remained faithful even at the point of her death.

In a booklet from the Discovery Series called Keeping the Faith: The Cost of Following Christ, we read about how following Christ will not be easy but it’s so worth it.

Jesus wasn’t asking his disciples to hate their families in the literal sense. He was challenging them to weigh the cost of discipleship and ask themselves if they were ready to make Him the Lord of their lives.

Basically, Jesus was asking this of his disciples, “How far are you willing to go to follow me? Are you ready to put me before your family? Are you prepared to give up everything you hold dear, including your life?”

Following Jesus won’t be easy. Jesus, himself, tells us this.

But in the end, it will be totally worth it when we come face to face with our Savior, who died a horrible death for us so that we might have eternal life.

Paul tells us in Philippians that “Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. Without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed but that you will be saved–and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:27-29)

“Not that I have obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

I consider following Jesus to be an honor and privilege. He lost his life so that I may receive life. He did it for me. He did it for you.  He did it for everyone!

 

Are you willing to sacrifice your life for Jesus?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

God’s been working in me lately about being more compassionate towards certain people. You see, I have issues with certain people in my life due to unfortunate circumstances and I tend to have a bitter attitude towards them. That’s NOT something Jesus would do, this I know. And so I’ve been convicted of my sin.

There is a line in this song by Casting Crowns that says: “The world is on their way to You but they’re tripping over me.” WOW! Powerful, right? How many people are on their way to Jesus but because I’m in the way, pushing them away from the Lord they may not come to know Christ?

Another line from the song:

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah…
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

I hear God telling me, “Leigh, I love so and so just as much as I love you. I died for you just the way I died for them. OPEN YOUR HEART to them! Share me with them!”

“I will choose to listen to the Voice of Truth.” (another great song by Casting Crowns, by the way! It literally was the next song that played as I was writing this! How great is God?)

Will my relationship with these certain people in my life change overnight? No, I doubt it. But slowly God is working in me so that I can be a witness to them and stop being a hindrance. And my prayer is that I will have stepped out of the way just in time for them to come to know Christ. Because let’s face it, we live in such a fallen world these days. Christ could come back ANY MINUTE! We must stop wasting time and lead people to Jesus!

Jesus, Friend of Sinners–Casting Crowns

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth’s become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they’re tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I’m so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

CHORUS:

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who’s writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we’re for only what we’re against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did

CHORUS:

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they’re the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

‘Cause You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

CHORUS:

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah…
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

 

Fix My Eyes

Have you ever just stopped and listened to this song? I hear it all the time but never truly paid attention to it until today. The message is a powerful one. We need to fix our eyes on our Creator who gave us life and longs for a relationship with us.

He loves us that much! So much that He sent His only Son to die for us. To die so that we might have life! That’s LOVE, y’all!

I especially love the line, “Find faith in the battle, Stand tall but above it all, Fix my eyes on You.”

Life is going to hand us trials and tribulations. We’re going to meet hardships throughout our life. But through it all, we must fix our eyes on Jesus! He knows what’s best for us and He is the only One who can get you through life’s trials. You may think you can handle it all on your own but you can’t. Only Jesus can and will carry you through life’s storms if you will just surrender to Him!

We can be confident that if Jesus did not leave us in HIS darkest hour, He won’t leave us in OUR darkest hours.

J. D Greear, Not God Enough

So when condemnation whispers “You are finished”, we need only look to the cross to hear Jesus’s triumphant answer: “No! IT is finished!”

J.D Greear, Not God Enough

(Y’all, I really recommend this book by J.D Greear. It’s AWESOME!)

For King and Country—Fix My Eyes

Hit rewind
Click delete
Stand face to face with the younger me
All of the mistakes
All of the heartbreak
Here’s what I’d do differently

I’d love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you, on you

I learned the lines and talked the talk (Everybody knows that, everybody knows that)
But the road less traveled is hard to walk (Everybody knows that, everybody knows)
It takes a soldier
Who knows his orders
To walk the walk I’m supposed to walk

And love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you, on you

The things of Earth are dimming
In the light of Your glory and grace
I’ll set my sights upon Heaven
I’m fixing my eyes on you, on you
I’m fixing my eyes on you, on you
I’m fixing my eyes

Love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you, on you
I fix my eyes on you, on you
I fix my eyes on you, on you