Strength for the Journey

Well, here we are at the beginning of Lent. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago we were beginning the season of Advent. If you think about it, it really wasn’t that long ago.

As an introvert, and a 4 on the enneagram, I always seem to enjoy the Lenten season. This year it seems to be a more special time. I believe I am really beginning to understand what the season of Lent is all about. As I go through this time, I hope to update my blog weekly and share with you my thoughts throughout the season.

My housemates and I are having a time of prayer, meditation, and devotion each morning at 5:30. I am not a morning person, so I was reluctant to try this. I knew, however, that I could learn so much and really let God speak to me if I would allow Him to do so.

Let me explain what the set up looks like. First, is the date. Next, is the scripture for the day. Following that, a meditation in 50 words or less how the scripture applies to my life. Last, my thoughts on how I want to build and develop my life. Like I said, I hope to update my blog weekly so you can follow along and read what I’ve been learning and see the growth, and see what God is doing in my life through this Lenten season. You may also notice there may be some dates missing. We are doing this time of devotion Monday through Saturday. So, there will not be devotions on Sundays.

*February 13, 2013

*2 Chronicles 7:14…If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

*As a child of God, I am required to come before Him and continually seek Him. I am to actively pursue holiness. It is when I am seeking God that He will show Himself to me and do as he promised in his word and forgive me of my sins.

*As I’m on this journey, I want to strengthen my personal relationship with the Lord. I know this is a bit generic, but I haven’t been faithful to the word and letting God guide me. As reluctant as I am to waking up at the crack of dawn, I know this is what I need to be doing to strengthen and build that relationship I’ve long desired.

*February 14, 2013

*James 4:16: As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

*I need to be careful about how I talk about what I’m doing during this year of service. It can be easy to think how this is ME doing something for society, when in reality it is me doing the work of the Lord. Arrogance is not a good look.

*As much as I want to draw closer to God, I want to draw closer to myself. For too long I’ve tried to please others and meet their expectations. What about the expectations I have for myself; have I met any of those? What are the expectations I have set for myself? How do I figure out what these are? A goal I am setting for myself is to set those expectations and do my best to achieve them to the best of my ability. I know it will be tough, but with God’s help I can make it.

*February, 15 2013

*I John 3:22: And receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

*Am I keeping his commands? Am I doing what pleases him? God is perfect and I am not. As I strive toward Christ-likeness and holiness, I can trust in his word that he will do as he says to bestow his riches upon me. Please him, reap the reward.

*As Christians, we are all on a mission to attain holiness and Christ-likeness. Most of us fail, however, on a daily basis. I want my life to become such that I am a complete and perfect person in Christ. I know I will fail. But with Christ’s help “I can do all things through him.” That’s his promise to us. Since the beginning of this New Year, it’s been a rough time. I think because I’ve not been fully relying on God, or FROGing as Pastor Jimmy would say, I’ve been struggling even more. I need to give it over to God. I know I can’t deal with these things on my own. So, my goal and desire is to be more intentional about “casting all my cares upon him.” I’ve got trust issues. I know this. But it’s God, he is all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful, his grace is enough…trust in it.  

*February, 16 2013

*John 15:6,7: 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

*There are times when I have felt that I haven’t been as effective and fruitful in my faith. I’ve been dried up and thrown into the fire. Becoming more aware of when these times occur can help me remain out of the fire.

*I want to develop my life in such a way that people know that there is something different about me. A good different. A contagious different. But how am I going to do this? And what does this really look like? I don’t know the answers to these questions and I might not know the answers in my lifetime. I do know, however, that I need to be in his word every day. Just like we need food daily to keep our strength and to grow physically, we need spiritual food to grow in our faith. Being in the word daily and studying the word will help strengthen my faith and build a better relationship with God.