Thursday, December 4, 2008

Healed Helper... Advent of Joy #4


My dear friend Cindy has been praying through a scripture verse for me, probably the last few months now at least. As she has been praying for me I have been praying the same thing for her.

Yesterday I talked about how God is “more than enough,” for He has filled my heart with greater joy than when all possessions abound.

Over and over Cindy and I have been finding ourselves tested, issue by issue, to see if we believe that God is more than enough for us. No matter the circumstance, if things get better or worse, if things never change, or if something drastically changes… will we still be able to say, “God, You are more than enough for me?”

I had finally come to the point, that no matter what was going on in my life, I was sure I could say that, because He has done so many marvelous things this past year in my life. But you have to know, when you feel so confident, there is somewhere you are going to be tested, and this has been no exception.

Always, there is something more, as we grow and change and mature in our lives.
Always, there is something more, in our faith, and in our relationships with Christ.
Always, there is something more He wants to teach us.
Always, there is something more He wants to give us or show us.
Always, there is something more He wants to lead us through and to.

“Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith…”
Hebrews 12:1-2a

A new situation crops up; we become aware of something more that bothers us, or hinders us in our walk with Him. Jesus wants to convince us, even in these new areas, He is more than enough, and He is more than able to deliver. All He wants is us to let go of the things we think we need; let go of the things we are trying to control. We can’t really control them; we don’t really need them. We just think we do. Isn’t that how the enemy really gets in there? He twists things just enough to make us think the wants are so important that we ignore everything else.

Jesus brings new things to our attention (and sometimes they are the same things, just revisited on a deeper level) and encourages us to throw off everything that hinders and entangles us. When we do, we find that He is more than enough in that situation we thought was so overwhelming.

So, as new things have cropped up, as things have been visited and revisited, I have had to remind myself that He is enough.

One reminder is to meditate on the verse that I have been praying through for Cindy and that she has been praying through for me.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”
Psalm 90:14

In King James it reads:
“O satisfy us early with thy mercy that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (emphasis mine)

I looked up the Strong’s definitions on the King James version and this is part of what I came up with.

Satisfy: To have enough - fill to satisfaction - have plenty of.
(sounds suspiciously like Him being more than enough doesn’t it?)
Early: Dawn
Mercy: Kindness - loving kindness, merciful kindness, mercy
(I see that loving kindness as the unfailing kindness of a merciful God who loves His children)
Rejoice: To cause to shout (joyfully), aloud for joy, cause to sing aloud for joy, triumph
Glad: To brighten up - cheer up, make glad, have/make joy, be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice.

This verse is asking God to do the very thing I want for this Christmas season; to do the very thing I want in some of the things I am facing, as I seek to be more like Him, rooting out the lies that draw me away from Him.

I want to be fully satisfied, and assured of His more than enough for me; each morning before I even get out of bed. I want to be fully assured in the depths of my heart of Jesus’ loving kindness towards me. When I am fully assured, not only in my mind but my emotions, He is enough and I am the apple of His eye, it will cause me to rejoice, to sing aloud for all to hear of His great provisions and mercies. I will be glad; my face will brighten; my spirit will lighten; I will want to share all He has done with others around me.

The vision of being a healed helper will become more and more of a reality as I fall deeper in love with my God and Father. The more deeply in love I am with Him, the more I trust Him with my everything because He is enough, then the more freely I will be able to share all He has brought me through with others.

That is a true joy for me.

Joy. Knowing that I am fulfilling God’s vision and mission for me, in being a healed helper. Joy. Helping others by showing them my struggles as I walk this path to maturity and freedom, in the midst of the struggles, and from the healed side of some major battles.

Blogging, giving my testimony, sharing in song, leading worship, being a friend to those God puts in my life; those are ways He is using the things I have trusted Him in, and learned that He is enough.

I pray that He will give me more joy, day by day, satisfying me with His love, so I may be able to sing, to shout aloud for joy all He has done for me!

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