Saw a picture yesterday. Brought a big huge smile to my face! It was a picture that brought great happiness to me, and within me began to spring up a fountain of joy! I was really happy to see that picture. But the strange thing is, if I had seen that picture a year ago, it would have been a drastically different reaction. Would have been probably in tears, been angry and devastated. But what a difference a year makes. Imagine what 2 and a half years of prayer can do.
The picture was a picture perfect (pardon the pun) example of the transforming power of God's redeeming love, the transforming power of the Gospel. Of how God can cause changes in us, to love the unlovely, to love the people we once hated and to love them unconditionally. That was how God showed His love to us on the Cross.
Unfortuantely for me, I only came to realise this power a year ago, of how much power the Holy Spirit has. Perhaps, only now do I realise what, "Life transformation through prayer and discipleship" really means. I've prayed for others to change, but forgotten to pray about myself. But now only after spending every morning in God's presence, do I come to realise what He wants me to do; where He wants me to change.
Fear is the opposite of faith.
Faith is the opposite of fear.
Learned that at J21 two years ago. It seemed that I knew how to have faith in my spiritual battles, how to have faith in my physical ones. How to fight, how to defend myself. But I am a weakling when it came to my emotions. And I was always afraid to hurt others, and so I always took the easy way out, and let others have their way over what I really wanted. Lost my backbone in that area. I do not know what God has in store for me, but I know it's His plan. My only problem is that sometimes, I do not know if what I expect the outcome to be is actually what He has planned. I can only pray and discern.
Back to the picture I saw. Its a picture of what waiting on the Lord's timing can do. Its a picture of what the transforming power of the Holy Spirit can do. It's a picture of what it means to count the cost. Its a picture of what true unconditional love is. And it's a picture that now inspires me.
Dear Lord, I do not know the plans You have for me. But I know that You have a plan for me. And because of that, I will seek You at all times. Lord, please help me follow Your footsteps, and tell me when I've overstepped them. Your plan is always good for me; though I may not see that sometimes. But I am going to trust in You. You have put so many things in motion that I cannot see them until You reveal them in Your time. So Lord, I wait upon Your Spirit, let it be my guide. Lord, You know the desires of my heart. So Lord, till the day You choose to shut the door, I will not give up without a fight. Thank You Lord for Your mercies. Lord, let Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
