How Good is Our Lord!

I am reminded very tenderly, painfully, and joyfully just how good the Lord is; how Sovereign He is; how absolutely perfect He is. Because He holds the entire world down to the smallest atom in His hands, this means He is in control. Utterly. Completely. And of course, this is only natural; He is Creator, I am the created.

Tonight, I held my sister in a tender embrace (for her collarbone is fractured!) and had to gently say, the Lord is good! The clencher? He is good, not only because He took our sister to heaven exactly when He decided to, though "sooner" than we would have liked, but because He gave her to us for the time He did! I told her, He is Sovereign; it is not about us, but it truly is about Him... but in His grace He redeemed Dinah when He did and His sanctification work within her was absolutely stunning, vibrant, and evident to any who came in contact with her. In His grace, He chose her; in His perfect will, He swept her away from this life; in His mercy, He loved her. He is good. He planned to "take" her from us; He planned for the hurt and grief to come... but in that the tears are not a bad thing, for even Jesus wept! If He willed for us to "lose" a sister and knew the pain we would feel, He is still good; we have Him amid the tears. I told her, in everything, we must run to the Lord for only He can give us rest, peace, and comfort; only He can bind up our wounded hearts. As I prayed with her, my heart absolutely broke into a thousand pieces... for I remember those bitter moments before the Lord opened my eyes, before I had even a fraction of understanding His Sovereignty. I could not figure it out until I first realized, it was for His glory! It is all about Him! In hurt, when we praise His name, He is glorified.

And as the tears stung my eyes for the pain my little sister felt so deeply, I asked to pray with her. With each beat my heart seemed to breaking a little more. All I want is for her to grasp how good the Almighty God is in everything.

Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

What does the Lord owe us? Nothing. What do we deserve? Eternal separation from Him. What does the Lord give us elect? His grace, mercy, love, and goodness! We know that even amid the trials and pain, HE IS GOOD! We know when He pours out blessing, HE IS GOOD!

In the end, all I can do is buy icecream for my sister, sit with my sister, pray for my sister, listen to my sister, love my sister, weep for my sister, hug my sister; but only the Lord can give her what she truly needs: Himself. He is the only solid place, the only sure thing, the only reason, the only One who is so constant; in life He is all that makes sense in an upside down world.

Our Lord is so good. I was sinful, vile, totally corrupt, utterly depraved; but in His grace He took me from that place; in His grace He took my sin upon Himself, and gave me His righteousness. I deserved nothing, yet He gave me all I could ever need: Himself. Dear Dinah, she too received this gift of righteousness, eternal life, eternal hope, eternal rest with her Savior. She truly glorified her Maker with her life. Dinah, sanctified; Dinah, redeemed; Dinah, chosen; Dinah, loved; Dinah, the sweetest little girl with a fiery personality, a child of God. He is so good, byHis grace, I know I will see her again.

How good is our Lord!

Resolved

I have wrestled for a while whether or not I should share this part of my life "online". Is it too personal? Would it come across "holier than thou"? What message would it send? After much thought, I believe it would be beneficial to share. Firstly, because then people will see my "heart" better and understand much of why I say & what I do online(and every other area of my life!!); secondly, because people will see how imperfect I am, yet how I truly do seek the Lord amid my falls; lastly, because it is most humbling: people will see how far I am from living as I wish to live.

Last November the Lord impressed it upon my heart to put all of these to paper, though it is not "new" for me, it was "new" to write it down; and parts have been added in constantly as are more scriptures added in as well. It was inspired by Jonathan Edwards' resolutions; you can see them here. Instead of aiming for such lofty heights that I could not attain, I wanted to start simple; I wished to write short pertinent statements. It is plainly straightforward and but a short list to remind me each waking day how I wish to live. It is strategically placed where I see it multiple times a day. Again, it is a simple reminder for me personally (though it is incumbent upon me to note: though it was penned within my own words, I do not think the concepts only relate to my life; it really is for any Christian; I just happen to have a very elementary way of saying it compared to Edwards!)

Without further ado:

1. Resolved: To not be lazy or fall into idleness with my hands; but rather to use my time wisely to glorify the Lord in all things.

2. Resolved: To shield my eyes, ears, mind, and heart from the filth of this world.

3. Resolved: To implore the heart of God instead of judging and seeing people through my own (fleshly) eyes; to treat others as Christ would despite their sin, but in love, serve them in the manner of Christ's example.

4. Resolved: To be pure in my dress, speech, mind, heart, and conduct.

5. Resolved: To study, meditate, and learn God’s word daily.

6. Resolved: To be in constant communication with the Holy Spirit; both in intentional and continual prayer throughout the day.

7. Resolved: To live with every fiber of my being as long as I live upon this earth.

8. Resolved: To never do anything in half-measures.

9. Resolved: To strive, by God’s grace, to my utmost to be brought into a deeper more solidified relationship with my Savior than the previous week.

10. Resolved: To humbly inquire each night the state of my own sinfulness before God; so that I may repent and return with more fullness to Him.

11. Resolved: To begin each day relying upon the Lord.

12. Resolved: To live above reproach.

13. Resolved: To truly live where God’s love is better than life.

14. Resolved: In all things to know my Lord and Savior and make Him known; to live for Him alone.

15. Resolved: To know, study, learn, protect, proclaim, and live God’s truth-no matter what the cost.

16. Resolved: To daily seek my God with all my heart.

17. Resolved: To trust my God implicitly in every area of my life.

1. 1 Corinthians 15:58; Proverbs 6:6/ 15:19

2. Psalm 119:37; Philippians 4:8; Titus 2:12; Colossians 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:19/ 2:16

3. Philippians 2:3-8

4. Colossians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:5/ 2:9-10/ 4:12; Ephesians 4:29; 2 Timothy 4:22

5. Psalm 1:2/ 119:104

6. Galatians 5:16-26; Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:17

7. John 10:10

8. 1 Corinthians 15:58/ 10:31

9. 2 Corinthians 13:5; Psalm 42:1-2, 7

10. Psalm 61/ 139:23-24

11. Psalm 118:24

12. Colossians 1:22

13. Psalm 63/ 73:25

14. 1 Timothy 4:7; Titus 2:14; Psalm 119:46; Psalm 73:28

15. Psalm 119:44-48/ 73:28; 1 Timothy 6:20/ 3:16-4:8; 1 Corinthians 10:13

16. Psalm 119:10; Jeremiah 29:13

17. Psalm 33:21/ 56:3; 2 Corinthians 1:9; Jeremiah 48:7; 2 Chronicles 14:11

Grace in Trials

Father of Mercies,

Hear me for Jesus' sake.
I am sinful even in my closest walk with thee;

it is thy mercy I died not long ago;

Thy grace has given me faith in the cross

by which thou hast reconciled thyself to me and me to thee,

drawing me by thy great love,

reckoning me as innocent in Christ though guilty myself

Giver of all graces,

I look to thee for strength to maintain them in me,

for it is hard to practise what I believe.

Strengthen me against temptations.

My heart is an unexhausted fountain of sin,

a river of curruption since childhood days,

flowing on in every pattern of behaviour;

Thou has disarmed me of the means in which I trusted,

and I have no strength but in thee.

Thou alone canst hold back my evil ways,

but without thy grace to sustain me I fall.

Satan's darts quickly inflame me,

and the shield that should quench them easily drops from my hand:

Empower me against his wiles and assaults.

Keep me sensible of my weakness,

and of my dependence upon thy strength.
Let every trial teach me more of thy peace, more of thy love.

Thy Holy Spirit is given to increase thy graces,

and I cannot preserve or improve them

unless he works continually in me.

May he confirm my trust in thy promised help,

and let me walk humbly in dependence upon thee,

for Jesus' sake.

(Scripture of note this evening: Psalm 34 and Philippians 4)

May my heart rest in this steadfast truth and my lips ever declare that the Lord is good. Always. (:

Coming Soon:

I am in the process of writing a really offensive piece (: It is my first attempt to put "pen to paper" in recording what the Lord has taught me these past two years regarding biblical womanhood. It is not so much an all-inclusive narrative of many things He has taught me; rather, it is actually just an overview and attempt at writing it in such a way that others might comprehend it. It is not exhaustive, and it certainly not is EVERYTHING I have learned, but merely one specific point.

The final product is far from done. I have let the overflow from my heart and head be put onto a word document; but the revisions have yet to begin, the scriptures have not been footnoted in, and it is far from polished. I don't know if I will release a "rough" version of it here; perhaps the few of you who read this blog might give me some constructive criticism. (For I am quite convinced it needs MUCH of it!)

Anyway, I am just excited about this!

Coming soon:

What of Feminism and Femininity?

Are the Two synonymous?

I can only write what I personally have learned and know; what I have learned has shocked me and caused my soul deep anguish.

Dear Sister

I wrote this to a friend; the more I thought about it... the more I realized it was not just an intensely personal email/letter, but rather one that is easily shared for any eyes. Though I did not disclose her name and who it was for. (: It is one of my joys to write to others. I feel as if this "Dear Sister" could really be written to any of my sisters in Christ; thus it is shared here.

Dear Sister,

I felt compelled to share some of the things the Lord has revealed, taught me, and allowed me to learn recently. (:

Often times we can be so “offended” by others, hurt by others, angered by others, and essentially harbor unforgiveness. Which seems only logical considering all men are sinners, no one does anything good by his own will; but does this validate and mean sin may abound?-of course not, and I know you know this! We are reactionary in response to their first action. It only perpetuates sin! But we were not commanded to live in this way; we were not redeemed that sin may abound so that grace may abound-grace abounds in such a way to keep us from sin, for sin is that which keeps us from God. Through His sanctifying work within us we are transformed by the renewing of our mind to be made more into the image of Christ; this means walking in His freedom and not conforming to the ways of the world (how they respond to others sinfully) and instead be like our Lord.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

I know you know this verse, it is one of the most well-known verses in all of Christendom! But might we take a moment to revel in the beauty of it? The chief characteristic of God is love; the chief characteristic of love is giving. (Which we can plainly comprehend through the afore mentioned verse!) He gave His Son for you and I, and every other believer. But in that, He forgave us. The first facet of understanding giving is forgiving; then we may better understand this facet of His love. Hebrews 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” When we do not let the grace of God and His sanctifying work within us abound… we may be entangled in the root of bitterness that springs up! But more than this we don’t even have the right to unforgiveness in light of the atoning work on Calvary! He forgave us. He forgave us! If He, the perfect sinless Son of God, who was submissive to the will of God His Father can forgive when we were totally and utterly opposed to Him, completely sinful, wholly offensive, chained to the wickedness of our depraved heart, then it is incumbent upon us to be so indebted in gratitude to never harbor a resentful, bitter, unforgiving spirit. For, He forgave us when we could never deserve it. On this note, as well, we do not even have the right to pull our own sin up from the past, because Christ’s blood was sufficient for erasing them, atoning for them, washing them away making us white as snow, and blotting them out entirely; our sins cease to exist for He imputed His righteousness on us that we may now be His children who are righteous. And we must remember if we do not forgive, we cannot give anything; Matthew 5:23.

Often times the flesh rises up and we are so wholly offended by another, we forget that we have no right to even be offended. And it is so incredibly challenging to live by this standard, especially in regards to our own family. They are the ones who see us at our weakest, they know how to push our buttons (intentionally or not), they know us better than anyone else. But if we cannot learn how to surrender our will to the Father’s in walking in humility, forgiveness, and His ways toward our family, how can we ever expect to love others? Do they deserve you forgiving them? Absolutely not. But did you ever deserve Christ’s sacrifice that has given you eternal hope? Absolutely not. God is sovereign and sees all, He is at work within others; we must simply live according to His word and look not at others, but allow Christ to root out our very own sin (for there is enough in us for Him to deal with us for a lifetime; but instead of letting that dishearten us, may it be a source of absolute wonder that He deals so patiently and faithfully with us!)

So in the end, though there are those around us that drive us seemingly mad, we need look no where else but the face of our Lord; He is the standard, He is sufficient, He is the only source in all our dealings-His scripture is wholly capable of showing us His standard, His sufficiency, and the very source of how to deal with everyday life. We are to be servants, especially so since we are women, the crowning glory of creation! I think that is quite beautiful, don’t you? We have been designed for such a role where servant-heartedness may abound in sacrificially and humbly pouring our lives out for those we love; we have the duty to exemplify this attribute of our Lord in such a unique way. My, how it ravishes my heart to think how He loves us, created us, chose us, redeemed us, and continues His sanctifying work in us each and every day!

Sweet sister, I do love you so! May our friendship ever increase in iron sharpening, admonishment, encouragement, and sweet fellowship! We are not perfect, but that does not mean we do not live in holiness; we are to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness; we are to be lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. And to be a light is to be diametrically opposed to darkness… often times this is so difficult, we want purity but we are so immersed in an impure godless culture that it seeps in when we don’t realize it; we are to be different from everyone else, and so what if they mock us or do not understand, scripture promises us persecution will come (and here in our westernized Americanized culture… the persecution really is quite “light”); we are to be different so we might preserve God’s ways. Like Paul we ought not be ashamed of the Gospel, for this is the very reason we have hope! Take heart and know that the Lord blesses those who keep His commandments. As we learn and grow, let us not be so prideful to even relinquish those “good” things we are so comfortable with and instead press on toward the goal and bless the Lord when He removes the meaningless and sin in us. I know that is one the biggest things He has taught me… I cannot be so proud that He cannot work holiness in me because I have a form of godliness (but am more than likely denying its power due to my own pride). I have so much I have yet to learn, but by His grace, I will relinquish more self to have more of Him.

(: Always praying for you dear friend!

In Christ,

Leah

The Decline of the Individual

" 'The decline of the individual' is a common topic of discussion; that the individual has declined is no wonder. Having made himself the ultimate law, man has reduced all being to the limited measure of his fallen will, which, as Paul noted in Romans 1:27, burns out in perversion to the destruction of man and his culture. The individual shrinks when the individual is ultimate, but, measured against God's calling and the requirements of the image of God in man, he gains true stature in Christ."

The Way of the World

A friend of mine wrote this poem. I could begin with a lengthy description, but I believe his very words declare the integrity of the one who wrote it.

The Way of the World

Samuel Allison

The way of the world is vanity and leadeth unto death.

In vain you search for lasting fame and riches yet untold.

You In your pride and arrogance, anoint yourself as king;

And hence set forth to claim for thee, the riches of the earth.

But wealth and pleasures of the world; are but a fleeting thing;

And when your heart and mind; lie empty in your soul;

They tell you: Fill it up! With still far more and more!

But each new time you buy this lie, you further sink within;

Until one day you see the truth; there’s nothing you can do!

For only he who maketh thee can give you life anew.

That pit so great and void so deep, is there because of sin;

That sin that you have done, in secret and in day.

So if you hear his voice today, harden not your heart;

And bend the knee unto the Lord, the maker of your soul.

Confess your sins and turn away; from all your ways of old.

Then joyfully proclaim him; savoir, king, and Lord.

He then in loving kindness will, enrapture you in love.

He’ll blot out all iniquity and wash thee with his blood;

And then you’ll know true happiness and joy and peace and love.

In joyous praises will you sing, unto the lord most high;

His name you will exult on high, for wondrous is his love.

And as the sands of time sink on, it’ll only grow and grow;

Until at last in glory raised; God brings his child home.

I want to weep for all of those souls wandering in darkness, who WILL enter the light-by the Lord's sovereign drawing them unto Him. I look around and am so overwhelmed by what I see, what I experience, what is blatantly thrown in my face. These people need Christ and His redemption. This culture needs the law of God.

Then it drives me to my knees in tearful gratitude. I cannot help but feel the pressing weight of His love and sanctification within me... why? Why are my eyes ever opening to His ways, truth, grace, and love? He is so faithful, He infuses His faithfulness within me when I was but faithless. It is this intense and utter gratitude that causes me to wish to learn more, grow more, and proclaim just how great and worthy He is-to tell everyone of His mercy and justice.

It seems the more I read scripture, the more I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for what He has done for me, is doing for me, and will do for me! Rejoicing always is a reality more sweet than a thousand drips of honey; Praying continually is as breathing air; I cannot stop from giving Him thanks!

Psalm 6:1-4 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long? Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.

I read the sixth Psalm this morning. It is not for our sake He saves us, but His own- His own mercies sake. It is within the character of God to be just and to be merciful. It should not surprise us that there are many are eternally destined to hell, just as there are the elect eternally destined to be in the presence of God in heaven (all due to HIS SOVEREIGNTY!) Which is all the more reason to allow fresh tears each morning, new songs of praise upon my lips, and humbly living for Him alone... because in His providence He chose me. Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!

Now, all I can do and be is a willing vessel for His purposes; and there is nothing else I desire. For the way of the world is but vanity, but the way of Christ is life.