He Knows...

I've been thinking about this post all night and most of this morning. 


I've been thinking about this life we live...


It's exhausting...it's not easy...it's brutal. 


In the last few months my family and my friends have been dealing with heartaches and struggles of so many. 


The loss of parents, sickness, depression, marital affairs, cults, cancer, babies in the nicu, strokes, fear, divorce, loss of children, car accidents, loss of jobs....I could go on. 


All of these things have occurred to someone I love whether in my family or church family in the recent months.


Brutal. 


And the one thing that comforts me is something that Beth Moore said on James and Betty Robison....He Knows.


He Knows how brutal this life is. He knows how scary this world is. He knows how fearful we are of things we can't control. He knows how painful it is. 


He knows....He knows. 


M heart aches for my loved one who feels so hopeless. It aches. I can't do anything about it but pray that God's love and mercy just be poured onto his young, precious heart right now. I pray for protection for him.


My heart aches for family and friends who are dealing with cancer. Despicable, disease of the enemy. I hurt for my friends who have lost loved ones, for my sweet grandmother who still wakes every night and looks for her husband who is not there, for a loved one who is so fearful of the disease he doesn't even know what to do about it. 


I hurt for my sister who was cast out by her husband for a younger woman. I hurt for her children who are so young, they don't even understand what's going on. I hurt for her and the loneliness she struggles with and the blow to her self-esteem. 


My heart aches for the daily sickness, struggles, fears we deal with. I deal with. 


But God knows. He knows our fears. He knows how much we can take. He knows.


He knows what loneliness is like when your closest loved ones are nowhere to be found. 
He knows what fear is like, when huge soldiers are slapping and beating you.
he knows what the loss of a friend is like. He knows what the loss of a father is like. 


His compassion is like no other. 
His mercies are new every morning. 


No matter what sorrows your are facing, no matter the hurts that this life brings, remember that He knows. He loves you and hurts with you and for you. He holds you in the palm of His hand and because of Him there is Hope. 


Prayer


Dear Father, my heart is heavy...it's been heavy. So many whom I love are struggling. They are dealing with scary things. I have them too Lord. Protect us Father. Hold us in your hand. Remind us that we are not of this world and that you are preparing a better place for us. So much better than this world. Thank you for that Lord. I pray for all my friends and family that are hurting or sick or sad. Heal them Lord, touch their hearts and restore their minds. In your precious name, Amen. 


Challenges


Pray for yourself, your family and your loved ones. Pray for peace, protection and endurance to run this race no matter where the course takes us. 


Spark Truths. 


I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.                                                 John 10:14-16



Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
       my hope comes from him.
  He alone is my rock and my salvation;
       he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
                                                Psalms 62:5-6


 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.                   
                                                         Revelations 22:1-5

Life on Purpose and Abundant

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News... For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together.                                             Phillipians 1:27 & 29-30

What’s our purpose? What’s my purpose in this life.

So many days we walk this life day by day and we lose sight of what we are doing or where we are going. We’re not lost. We are just moving through the motions of life. But what’s our purpose? What’s the point of everyday.

Daily living…wake up, get your family ready for the day, head to your daily work, whatever that may be, go about your day, come home, take care of your home, try to get to bed early and start all over the next day.

Is that it? Is that all we do? What’s the point? What are we living for?




Some of us live for our kids. All we do revolves around our children. Some may live for our spouse…we are constantly trying to make ourselves better for them, or create what we think they want in their lives. Some of us may live for church, and the time we spend "serving" and doing “church” things consumes us. Or perhaps you live for work, for that extra dollar, that promotion.

Are you missing out on a higher calling? What is your true purpose?

Phillipians 1:27 and 30 says “ we are fighting together for the faith, which is the good news…we are in this struggle together.”

Our purpose is to fight for the faith. It’s a priveledge and a struggle.




We are not called to walk life day by day. We are not called to be complacent to daily living. We are called to “fight for the faith.” We are in a fight everyday whether we know it or not. Whether we believe it or not. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but...against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
We are living in a dark world. Engaged in a fight for our lives and the lives of those we love. Our purpose is not to fight for that promotion, or fight for more money for the PTA or fight for a new church bulletin! Our purpose is to fight for the Good News.

What is the good news?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Life more abundantly. Abundantly: syn. overflowing, oversufficient, more than adequate.

I don’t know about you, but I want that life. I want a life overflowing in blessing. Abundant in grace and mercy. Oversufficient in love. Overflowing in forgiveness. Abundant in truth.

The abundant life.

Life sometimes gets complacent. It gets dull. It gets mediocre and monotonus.

And many times, I think I am to blame for that. So many times when things are crazy in my home, when kids are sick or work is stressful or weekends are filled I wish for "normalcy". Monotony.

I don’t want that. I want life to be abundant and overflowing.

Truth: When life is crazy and busy and stressful, I spend more time with my Savior. Perhaps it’s by default, but nonetheless it's true.

When life is easy or “normal,” when I am taking a break from the “struggle” of this life I don’t need to rely on my God. I don’t need to trust Him. My faith is fine right where it is. I don’t need an abundant life because things are manageable, easy, monotonous.

But the “struggle” is a “priviledge.” When I am fighting for the health of my family I remember his truths that “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn" Isaiah 54:17.

When I am fighting for favor at my husbands job I remember that "He blesses the righteous; He surrounds them with his favor as with a shield" Psalm 5:12.

I don’t want my purpose in this life to be just going though the motions; getting by on day to day living.

My purpose is to raise my kids to "love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and strength" Deuteronomy 6:5. My purpose is to “greatly enrich” my husbands life and “bring[s] him good, not harm” Proverbs 31: 12 My purpose is to “encourage one another and build each other up” 1 Thesolonians 5:11.

This is not always easy. Many days I struggle on simply raising my kids, not to mention teaching them to love the Lord. I struggle with honoring my husband and loving him for there are days when I want to say “leave me alone for 5 minutes!” I struggle with encouraging others when I feel like all I do is pour myself into everything but me.

But if I want an abundant life…a life that is full of blessing and overflowing, I will struggle to fulfill my purpose. I will fight. And there may be days when I fail, when I lose, when victory is lost, but on the days that I win, the days when my kids love like Christ loves, when my husband shows his appreciation, when I am pouring myself out so that He will fill me again…That is Life Abundant. That is Purpose Fulfilled.

Prayer

"Father Thank you for giving me a purpose greater than my own. Help me remember that it is a priveledge to struggle for the Good News. Remind me that the Life you desire for me is full of blessing and abundance and give me the courage and strength to fight for an abundant life so that my family will be blessed by my obedience. In your precious name, Amen.

Reflections

What is your purpose in this life? What are some areas in your life that you want God's abundance to be overflowing? What is "normal" for you?" Do you tend to find that when life is "normal" your relationship with God is complacent?" How can you increase God's abundance in your life daily?

Actions to Take

Write down how you are "fighting for the faith, or the Good News." How are those struggles fulfilling the purpose that God has called you to in the season you are in now? Examine your reasons for the fights you take on and align them with God's purpose for you.

Spark Challenges

•  I will no longer seek the norm, but find priviledge in the struggle.
• I will find my purpose for what God is called me to be right now.
• I will no longer be fine with a complacent relationship with God, but will seek Him always.
• I will realize that I am always in some struggle for the Good News and I will do whatever it takes to fight for the Abundant Life.

Spark Truth to Remember

"The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands."                  Psalm 138:8


"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."   Proverbs 19:21

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."        Philippians 1:6

"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance." Jude 1:2