God like forgiveness

"They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them" Nehemiah 9:17 

In Chapter 9, the Israelites are praying, fasting and confessing their sins. Nehemiah returned to a broken Jerusalem where the people were backsliding, worshiping idols, and forgetting the faithfulness of God. Although God's chosen people had turned their backs on him, God demonstrated grace, patience, love and forgiveness... repeatedly. Since we are made in God's likeness, we too should be quick to forgive, slow to anger and overflowing with love. We also have the gift of the Holy Spirit which allows us to love those who persecute us, who mistreat us, who take advantage of us, who lead us on, who steal from us, who lie to us, and the list goes on. God loves us unconditionally, and we should extend the same grace to others. Forgiveness is a like a  muscle that gets stronger and stronger with each use. The more we practice forgiveness, the easier it comes! Happy Tuesday!

*This topic was requested, so if you have something that you would like me to discuss, let me know :)

Freedom- Psalm 38 #SheReadsTruth

Psalm 38

Sin. We were born into, we live in it, and Romans 3:23 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". BUT Jesus died for it. Still, we allow guilt and shame to overtake us. Still, we beat ourselves up about what we've done. How can this oh so holy God use us lowly sinners? 

I envision the Psalmist (Psalm 38) in a fetal position, with tears streaming down his face, terrified about what else could go wrong. His world is falling apart verses 1-17 and things seem bleak. However, verse 18 reads, "I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin." This is the turning point. He's not comfortable in his sin. He's not making excuses, he's come to his father in an act of surrender.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

There is freedom in confession. No longer is the Psalmist bound by his transgressions (Psalm 28:13). In the same way, we are forgiven. Guilt, fear, and anxiety are no more. We are FREE. 

Lord, do not forsake me;  do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me,  my Lord and my Savior. Psalm 38:21-22

Psalm 38:21-22 is a prayer of submission. When we pray, we have to be prepared to do what He asks us to do. We have to be ready to accept his loving, helping hand. Because He will come when we call (Isaiah 65:24) 

Happy Friday!

Psalm 130- God's Unfailing Love #SheReadsTruth

This post is also linked on www.shereadstruth.com! :)

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. (Psalm 130:1-2)

Have you ever been there- stressed, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, worried, [insert other negative emotions here]? Instead of seeking comfort from televisions, relationships, and other distractions, seek Him. Those are the times where God is longing to hear from you. He's longing for you to depend only on him and not your own strength. 

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. (Psalm 130:3-4)

But we have the audacity to hold grudges. We, mere humans, harden our hearts to those who have wronged us. Meanwhile, The Creator, offers his children an immeasurable amount grace. That grace allows us to continue to serve Him with a pure heart, even after we've messed up. *praise break*

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord  more than watchmen wait for the morning,  more than watchmen wait for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)

Waiting is a foreign concept, in today's society. We are not accustomed to waiting for letters, harvest, meals cooked from scratch, or dial up internet :). I actually find myself willing the microwave to speed up cooking popcorn (max 2 minutes)! This concept of waiting is one that has not changed since the beginning of time. But the cool thing about waiting on God is that he'll never be late. He'll never forsake you. Waiting is a time for preparation and expectation. (See 2 Peter 3:9)

Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. (Psalm 130:7-8)

*drops mic* What commentary needs to be added? The Lord is unfailing. We simply have to trust in him. 

I have been obsessed with this cover since I saw Joe perform it live last year. This song is Psalm 130 in a nutshell. 

Happy Friday!

Matthew 26

Matthew 26 is the story of Jesus' betrayal and arrest. Honestly, I get slightly annoyed every time I read it. Could you imagine KNOWING someone was going to stab you in the back but not acting on it? Jesus knew that some of his "ride or die" friends (Matthew 26:35) would not be there for him when things got rough. Regardless of the prophesies, Jesus still chose to love Peter and Judas. 

Life application: People are bound to hurt and mistreat you because of our sinful, carnal nature. The power comes in your response. Christ followers are called to stand out and love those who are hard to love- because you're hard to love sometimes too (Romans 12:9-21). Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) when someone hurts you. Next time someone doesn't treat you right (according to your standards), I challenge you to begin to pray for them. Not just, "Bless their heart," but a genuine prayer like for a family member or your best friend. Romans 12:14 says to bless, not curse those who hurt you. You'll deepen your faith and mature as a result. Happy Wednesday! 

Proverbs 5: adulterous singles

"For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword." Proverbs 5:3-4

Overall, Proverbs 5 is a warning against adultery and temptation. How does it apply to a single person? (A single person is unmarried) Isaiah 54:5 says that we should be married to Christ first. Whatever tempts us and take us away from spending time with Christ can be compared to the "adulterous woman;" in the beginning everything looks appealing but ends up being the complete opposite. Just like an earthly relationship, one with Christ requires quality time and commitment. What's the status of your "marriage"? 

(Original Post: December 5)

Proverbs 4- Not quite sin

"Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way." Proverbs 4:14-15

Not sending commentary about every verse in Proverbs is such a struggle! Lol There's so much wisdom in here! Anywho, there's this misnomer that Christians can be super reserved and can't have any fun. With that idea comes "How much can I get away with before I'm actually sinning?" But in actuality, we should turn away from evil and avoid it like the plague. This means using discernment and possibly having to say no to people and situations.  We are on this never-ending quest of Christlikeness, so we should manipulate our way of thinking to reflect that. Instead, let's ask ourselves "what else can I do to grow closer to Christ?" 

(Original post: December 4)

A lesson in love

"What does The Lord require of you but... to walk in all His ways and to love Him" Deuteronomy 10:12

The Lord's greatest commandment is to love (Mark 12:29-31). First, we are to love Him and second love others. The Bible doesn't limit loving others to: only family members we like, only childhood friends, and only significant others (while on good terms). We are to show love to the sales clerk that's cranky on Black Friday and even to someone who cuts us off on the road. In all situations remember that you aren't perfect and you've needed grace also. Why not give others the same?

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8

(Original Post: November 25)