The Depths of My Heart Will Sing, How Great is OUR God!

BRAINTEASER: I was watching a youtube video called, “does anybody know you’re a Christian?” and he said this; “Too many people are concerned about other people’s opinions. If Jesus would have done that, nobody would be saved. He died to himself.”


When I realized my summer trip with a friend of mine would really draw me away from God, I wanted to cancel it. But God had a different idea. I told her that we could spend time in the city during the day, but that going out at night would really tempt me back into a lifestyle I was not proud of. Its going to be excruciatingly difficult to spend a week in a provocative city with a person that I have grown away from, and who does not walk the same path, but why else would my great Lord provide me with such a challenge than for me to prove my strength in him and my self sacrifice and death toward myself?!? I don't know if that means I should be a guiding light toward her, or if it is just a test to see if I can constantly die to myself no matter the circumstance.But God brought me this struggle for a reason. 

We want God to be seen through us, meaning that we are invisible, we attract people to the Lord through our service and love, but they do not see us, only Him.

In the words of Hillsong, “Rid me of myself, I belong to you.”

However, one way that I know that I have begun to disappear, and the Lord has taken place of my life, is my passion for service, despite the difficulties. I found out that I really like scrubbing rusty pots! Maybe not the action, but the intense feeling of joy that really engulfs me when I make things pure and beautiful for others to enjoy, and take in, to rid the filfth that was, in some sense, putting a burden on them. Every little bit counts, but none of the thanks should go to us, but to the Lord, because without him we would not be doing these things.

I really liked what Andy said, “how often do we say ‘I'm trying to figure out my calling’ we are called to serve! WE must choose to serve!”

And why do I love my God? Because he loves me infinitely more. I have struggled through so many things in my life. I give up my vices but end up coming back to the very thing that is destroying me. Sometimes it is our darkest secrets that we feel most comfortable with, and that is never how anyone should live. It is NOT a way of LIFE! Sorry Andy, stealing your idea again, but, now that God has filled up my life, those things don’t fit or have a place. “THEY ARE NOT SHACKLES ANY MORE, CHRIST DESTROYED/DEMOLISHED THEM... IT IS JUST DUST!!”  Some of those things, I tried to go back to, but luckily, they become less attractive to us, and even too hard to realistically hold on to. They will never come back because they no longer have power over us!

In addition, the Tuesday devotion really hit me. God’s discipline is His LOVE for us! We will suffer painful realities for our Lord to attain life’s deepest meaning and thrill! If we do not pursue his calling to suffer and grow, we will only suffer and regret, without Him by our side to lead us. I love the story where the man looks back at his life and says to God, “At the beginning of my life, there were two pairs of footprints, but by the end of the road, there was only one pair, and the prints where deeper. Obviously my burden became greater, but at my greatest time of need, why did you leave me Lord?” God tells the man, “I never left you my child! I walked with you until the burden became too great, and then I began to carry you the rest of the way.”