Happy Monday!

Happy Monday Gals! I have a new love now, BLOGGING...I must tell you girls, I get on here daily to see if anyone has posted, just like a child on Christmas morning,I am full of excitement and glee when I see that we have a new post! My weekend flew by too fast, leaving me feeling like it was just a daydream, I so much enjoy seeing my husband behind a pulpit preaching the Word of God...if you ladies just knew where God has brought us from you would understand the thankfulness,unworthiness, and humbleness that brings to my heart. We are so blessed to be a part of Grace Baptist Church! I can't ever stop telling you girls how thankful that I am to be a part of this group, if I say it once I will likely say it a thousand and one times. Anyway, on with our devotional for today: Bible Verses: Luke 4:14-21 (Paraphrased) And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him had spread all about to the surrounding regions.He taught in their synagogues being glorified by all. So, He came to Nazareth and as custom was, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day to stand and read. As He was given the book of Isaiah to read He found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has annointed Me,to preach the Gospel to the poor,brokenhearted,proclaim liberty to the captives,recover sight to the blind,set free the oppressed,to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. He then closed the book and sat down. All eyes were on Him and He said,"Today these scriptures have been fullfilled." OK... When Christ said,"The Poor", he wasn't talking about finances, he was talking about my helplessness,my afflictions,my distress. I am ALL of these things, I need Christ to heal my brokenheart! I don't know if I want to be set free though...If I am no longer dealing with "something" I may not "Need" Him like I do now..so I don't know that I want to be set free just yet...I want to always be in a state of "suffering" so that I am always on my face in prayer and have the honor of looking back at answered prayers. I think that we all just want a "quick fix" for our problems and we totally miss the good stuff..you know what I am sayin' gals? The middle of a trial is the best part...I just came out of a trial a few years back probably the hardest in my life and I can look back on it now and vision myself in a muddy lake of misery..just barely able to put one foot in front of the other, my legs are so heavy that I can feel my muscles quiver with the weight of my affliction, but then I call on Jesus...He doesn't take it away though girls, He holds my hand and lets me know that the battle is His, not mine, I need to just follow Him and instead of deliverance I have something so much more precious,He walked me through it, somedays I trudged through the mud, and other days I walked on top of the mud, but it all depended on my reliance on Him. I know you gals have to be going through something. We all are right? I am praying for you girls today! I am with you on the banks of your mudpit, cheering you on! I see Jesus with you, holding your hands, He is right beside of you,not watching you pull your self through the mud one shaky leg at a time but whispering in your ear,"The battle is not yours, it's mine, lean on me." I haven't walked on water my lady friends, but I have walked on top of mud, and sometimes I think, what's the difference. One takes just as much faith as the other. Don't forget to enjoy your mudpits they are where you see Him. It's where we get to show Jesus just how much we need Him. I am thankful today for my mudpits, and as long as I have Jesus, I say,"Bring it on!!" Those hardtimes don't know how powerful that our God is. Hang in there girls, I am living life right along with you! I love you my prayer warriors! Your Sister in Christ, Shana

November 22, 2010 4:04 AM