God is SO great! :D
Ok, so...yesterday, I wrote, "Get yourself ready! Stand up..." starting with:
Jeremiah 1:4-10
New International Version (NIV)
The Call of Jeremiah
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said,
“I do not know how to speak;I am too young.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’
You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,”
declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me,
“I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot
and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Anyway... today, as the hour draws near, I've been praying, "Jesus, I believe...help my unbelief..." - as the boy's father did in Mark 9:24. Ah, then God! :D
I have been immersing myself in God's word lately. Sermon after sermon (as seen here), and reading God's word, and seeking the Holy Spirit with ALL my heart, all the while praying "Help my unbelief..." and then He did.
This is what He showed me through the aforementioned things:
- Stop looking at your weaknesses.
- God is strong in your weakness.
- You do not possess the power to remove your own weaknesses; the Holy Spirit will do that. He will cause you to become more like Christ - and, again, God is strong in your weaknesses. So, eyes off what you can't do and focus on what God can do.
- Also, focus on and embrace your gifts/giftings/the strengths God has already placed in you.
- "I [God] have given you a new heart; I have given you my heart. The Holy Spirit is My heart in you. When you love, we are one. Give of your heart. Love."
The latter one reminded me of when God impressed upon my heart, "The Bible is God's heart on paper. Jesus is God's heart in the flesh. The Holy Spirit is God's heart in us. We are to be God's heart to the world. Wherever you go, love somebody."
"I can do that!" I thought. That is a strength of mine: A mother's heart. I can love, exalt, comfort, lift up and encourage someone to spread their wings and fly. I can embrace and hug and support. I can do that... This I know. *sighs with relief*
When the Holy Spirit took all this and, upon making sense of it all for me, planted it in my heart, confidence burst forth, and this is the image I received:
We are incomplete without God. We are like a puzzle with several missing pieces. When we repent of our sin and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we make room for God in our lives and in our heart, and He sends His Spirit to dwell with and in us. I saw my weaknesses as the missing pieces of the puzzle...and in their place God came. He moved in, as it were, to be strong in those areas, and said, "Now embrace your strengths (whatever your gift/giftings are)... and let Me tend to the rest. I will be strong in your weakness... Your weakness is where I can demonstrate my strength. Please let me..."
Gosh, I hope that make sense, because it empowered and emboldened me like you wouldn't believe. It took the anxiety away. It took the fear away. And tonight, as I aim to prophesy in Jesus' name, I go in my strengths and in God's - whereas I was afraid I'd simply go in my weaknesses and get in God's way. But now, He can have my weaknesses. :) I didn't want them anyway. ;)
God made me to have a mother's heart, so I will use it... I will reach out through it. I will use the gift/s He's given me, to encourage and to love... and as I use the gift/s He's given me, for good, He will be there in my weaknesses working to reach out to encourage and to love, also.
Me and God as one. A team. One. God and I are one... as it ought to be for all of us; as He desires to be with all of us.
Think about it: You and God as one. A team. Two functioning as one. You using your strengths and Him now free to use His strengths in you...which He can't do if you continually take your weaknesses and try to transform them into a strength. He's already implanted strengths inside you. You know what they are. See them. Grab them. Embrace them. Rejoice over them... Then let Him be strong in your weaknesses! :D Oh, the joy He feels on being allowed to do that. You see, He wants to be one with you. He aches for it. He is SO happy to use His strengths in place of your weaknesses. It's an honour for Him, I'm sure, and I know He will thank you for allowing Him to.
Oh, somebody stand up and shout "GOD IS GOOD!" for He is!! :D
Romans 12
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,b]" do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in action9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Peter 4:7-11
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.