Thursday, January 17, 2008

As the deer pants for the water...

As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for You o God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?... My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be... Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God! Psalm 42

Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink - even if you have no money! Come take your choice of wine or milk - it's all free! why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious. Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord's name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love. Isaiah 55

I have been so challenged, yet again. Oh my God is doing an amazing thing in my life. He is teaching me to love Him. It is an ongoing process of learning to follow after him with my whole heart. Not just part of it. Earlier this week Pastor Doug was preaching a sermon on the Lordship of Christ. Not just having Jesus as my Savior and now I am good for the rest of eternity, but making him Lord of my life. This includes submitting every part of who I am to Him. That I do not get to keep any rights for myself. I have to daily give up my life. My reputation, my place of service, my desires, my privacy, my possessions... to live with all of these things loose in my hands... clinging to nothing but Jesus. Holding all of these things out to him and daily submitting everything that I am to his will and purposes. I know that he will grant me the desires of my heart, but first I must be willing to have nothing but Him. Knowing that He is more than enough for me. willing to go to the ends of the earth, living with nothing but Him. Knowing that I can live without the extra things in life... wonderful things like chocolate (thank you mommy!) without the many conveniences... but like Paul knowing how to live with plenty and how to live with nothing.

I am so encouraged, even though things have been so incredibly difficult at times.

Devin and Jane got here yesterday and it was absolutely wonderful to have them come! Selfishly (totally opposite from what I was just talking about! lol) I am so grateful for the gifts that they brought with them from home. It was like Christmas all over again!! I got more chocolate than a girl could want (though I am sharing it with the 12 other people living in the house so it will go by quickly!)

2 seasons of Diff'rent Strokes, one of my favorite tv shows!
Many cross stitch things to work on which will be nice in down time, it's a favorite past time of mine with mommy... some workout stuff, some new clothes and head scarves, and many hugs from Jane! It was so good to have a bit of home !! I forget sometimes how much I miss home! But I know that God is doing a good thing not only in me, but in all of us here at the house!

I have been praying a lot about what I am going to do when I get home in April. I will reveal more in the coming weeks about what I feel God is showing me, but please continue to pray that God will give clarity and vision!

We have much going on and I have to go back and do some more work! But I will attempt to post again soon. Thank you all for your prayers. I will continue to be praying for you. If any of my friends from Starbucks, home, church, family or friends are reading this -- I want to say -- I have not forgotten a single one of you. You are in my heart and I miss you all! Hear the cry of my heart... there is so much to experience and so much that God is waiting to show you. God said, those who seek me with their whole heart will find me. He is more real than anything or anyone that I have ever experienced and He loves deeper than we can understand. I have learned so much just by asking God to show me. I dare you to ask, to seek, to put your hope in Him. He will reveal himself to anyone who asks. Things that never made sense before will begin to make sense. It's like God removes blindfolds from our eyes and we see the Truth. It's so much more than just being "a good person." I will continue to seek... I will continue to fall on my face before my God and do what is required of me. I will not stay silent. I will not sit any longer waiting for my life to happen. The time is short. Today is the day of Salvation. And today is the day for me to fight the battle. And I will find joy in the Living Water that Jesus has for me.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE YOU KIMMIE!!! :)