Tuesday, July 22, 2008

All things Spirit....

it's been awhile....lots of writing, but not much blogging......

today i was re-reading through some of romans, and my heart just longs to remind and pray these for each of us today....

(1) romans 7 speaks of the "waging war"...between our hearts and minds...i know each of our hearts desire to be FULL of our Lord, and to EXUDE His character, peace, and presence....but we have a sinful nature that hinders this ability...
HOWEVER, romans 8 reminds us that if we SET OUR MINDS ON what the SPIRIT DESIRES (not our own sinful desires...*guilty*), it will lead to LIFE and PEACE.  let me say it again, because it can be so simple, yet so complex for "minds that do not understand" (ha)....
"a mind controlled by the Spirit leads to life and peace!"

i pray our minds are SET ON THE SPIRIT today, friends.

(2) romans 8 calls us "heirs to God" and "co-heirs to Christ," if we share in His suffering, so we may also share in His glory.  whoa.  does that take anyone else back a few steps!?  wow.  talk about feelin' like a "saint!" who doesn't want to be an "heir" to HIS THRONE!?  and all we are called to do is embrace suffering in His likeness (which i often question if i even know what true "suffering" is), so we may KNOW HIM more FULLY.  we will groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption and bodily redemeption.....we have HOPE.  

i pray we welcome and embrace suffering today, because it allows us to KNOW HIM MORE FULLY, and makes us MORE LIKE HIM.

(3)  the Spirit intercedes for us in prayer.  we don't know what to ask for, but He intercedes for "the saints," that we are in accordance to GOD'S WILL.  our prayers aren't about US or OUR DESIRES, but about aligning our hearts with His Heart...our pleadings and wonderings becoming HIS....our desires becoming His desires....
i laughed when i read this because i thought, "geez, we can't even pray right!  He has to intercede THERE too!?!"  haha.  funny.

i pray that we seek Him in fervent prayer today, allowing the Spirit to align our hearts with His.

(4) all things God works for good of those who love Him...
i feel i've been reminded of this alot lately, but Scripture goes on to say something more....
-who can/will bring charge against us?  GOD JUSTIFIES.
-who condemns? CHRIST INTERCEDES.
-NOTHING can separate us from GOD'S LOVE.  Nothing.
not only does He work things for good....always.....but NOT ONE THING can separate us from His love.  
go ahead, pick something that you feel guilty or ashamed of.....something awful you've done, thought, said......something you think He can't/won't forgive you for......something you don't forgive yourself for.....yep, even that.  that, too.  even that does NOT separate you from His Love.  and even that He can work for good.  good stuff, huh?

i pray we write this on our hearts today, friends.  that we don't just choose to read it, think about it.....but that we choose to believe it, trust it, and live it.  everything He uses for good.  and He'll always love us.  He promises.  
let us whole-heartedly SEEK, TRUST, and FOLLOW Him. 

let the SPIRIT overtake you today....ask Him to open your heart to the possibilities of where He wants to take you and use you...how He wants to sharpen, mold, refine, and transform you today....just today.  and let Him move in that.

i pray we become more like Him in fighting the waging war, setting our minds on things of the Spirit....embracing suffering w/ joyful hearts in order that we may know Him more fully......allowing the Spirit to intercede in our prayers, and that our hearts be aligned with HIM and HIM ALONE....
all these things, knowing NOTHING can separate us from His love.  
deny self and risk all things for HIM....nothing can separate you.

No comments: