“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” -Proverbs 19:21

There are times in life when things happen that are beyond our control and that make no sense, times that are frustrating and do not unfold as we want.  For me, I am walking through such a period. In my flesh I want to cry out in frustration and anger because things aren’t going my way. But these are such times when faith has the opportunity to be perfected by works. These are such times when trusting in the Lord’s plan proves so much better than what I planned or desired.  Lord, help me to trust in Your sovereign rule, in Your sufficiency, in Your knowledge.

True Belief Is A Lifestyle. Period.

My mother is teaching a workshop at a women’s conference about belief, so she and I have been talking about what true belief looks like in the life of a believer (or really, in the life of any human being).  I boil it down to this statement: true belief is a lifestyle.  For example, if I believe that something is true, I will see resulting actions that support my belief.  I can say all day and night that “I love Jesus.”  But Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  Therefore if I never keep God’s commands, I do not love Him.  This verse does not show the life of a Christian to be one stricken to blatant obedience only, but rather it defines the truth that loving Jesus is demonstrated by a lifestyle of obedience to Him.  For if I truly BELIEVE that He is my Lord and that He is holy, than my life will be one lived in fear of Him, in obedience to His authority.  James 2:22-24 speaks of Abraham in a similar manner: “Do you see that faith was working together with his [Abraham’s] works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”  Today, this verse clicked for me.  ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, and his belief was manifested by his actions as he physically took Isaac up the mountain in obedience to the Lord’s command.  I am challenged to consider my own beliefs (or lack of them) by this phrase a friend of mine shared in a sermon: “True belief results in action; therefore when I lack action, I lack belief.”

"By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward."

-Hebrews 11:24-26.

Christians are like glow sticks: in order to shine they must be broken

(Source: beautystartsfromwithin)

"The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day, but the idols He shall utterly abolish."

-Isaiah 2:17-18

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