A Breaking Point...

I have thought many times in the past few months about writing a blog post....I can't even list the number of reasons I came up with NOT to write...perhaps, in the past season there was such uplifting stories of God's goodness, greatness, and miraculous intervention in our life to share, and this season has been one of deep trials, heartaches, and refinement that seemed unbearable at times. But...God says He will never give us a burden that we cannot bear, which in our case, must mean we can bear a lot. However, when I start to throw a pity party for me and my family, I have to stop and reflect on all the ways God is still good even during times of hardship. When the money is running out, there is no place to call home, the bills keep stacking up, and enough just never seems to be enough....there is always the peace and joy of God that I receive through the Holy Spirit. He is always there to love me, comfort me, and guide me...even during the hardest moments of life. The Light of Jesus shines through the vast darkness in our lives, and He proves once again that He has made us overcomers, more than conquerers through His blood and His mighty Spirit. He really is the GREAT I AM! You may ask, what is He? Why do we continue to trust Him although everything seems to be headed downhill in our lives, and we are in the midst of chaos, lack, and suffering? Because if I take His name, I can put anything I want with it, and He becomes that to me...

I AM....your peace.
I AM....your joy.
I AM....your provider.
I AM....your teacher.
I AM....the source of forgiveness for all your sins through the blood of Jesus.
I AM....that still small voice in your heart that tells you "just trust ME."
I AM....your encourager.
I AM....your companion.
I AM....the one who loves your very soul.
I AM....your creator.
I AM....the beginning and the last word on everything.
I AM....the one who is Sovereign in all your circumstances.
I AM....anything and everything you need me to be!!!

I have been through many different emotions and thought processes, even struggled deeply with my own sinfulness during this season of my life. I have realized that my heart is calloused, I am unforgiving, ungrateful, selfish, critical, demanding, hypocritical and definitely NOT perfect!!! However, I can trust that I am being transformed day by day, and that Christ is renewing my mind, so that I don't have to forever be the way I am right now. God is the only way to have true and lasting freedom from my own sinful nature. It is through Christ's blood that I have freedom, and lasting joy. I am looking forward with all my heart to the day when I will stand before my Lord, face to face, and will once and for all be perfected in the image of Him. I no longer want to live my life day to day being obstinant to the fact that I have an enemy who has come only but to kill, steal and destroy my life, my joy and everything good that God can give me. But I have the truth of knowing that if Christ is for me, who can be against me. He will triumph, and it won't be because I am a good person, or do good deeds in my own strength, or somehow have made myself perfect through my own efforts. It will be because day after day, night after night, Christ has held true to the promise He made to me that He will never leave me nor forsake me. He is going to get me through to heaven if it kills me. I am thankful that He will crucify every bit of flesh in my body to save my soul. I can honestly say that I am learning to count it all joy when I face trials of many kinds.

James 1:2-4 (NKJV): "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV): "For now we seen in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face."

Phillipians 3:7-9 (NKJV): "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;"

I hope that this blog post reminds you that wherever you find yourself in life today, if God is with you and for you, nothing and no one can be against you. Once we have accepted Christ for our salvation, through His righteous blood sacrifice, then we are no longer righteous in ourselves, believing ourselves to be "good people," but we trust completely in him to finish the work He started when He created us, drew us to Himself, and gave us salvation through His atoning blood. He alone is righteous. Ask Him today to come into your life, your heart, confess you sins to Him, repent, and believe in Jesus' name as the only way to receive salvation, and He will walk beside you all the days of your life. God bless you in Jesus' name with the hearing of His Word, and the accompanying faith that you receive.

Reminded of His Grace,

Sarah