increasing revelations
i cannot even describe how amazing God has been. there is simply no adjective that can properly describe the joy i have been filled with at the increasing revelations at God's hand in my life. it's absolutely ridiculous. i can't even wrap my mind around it, or understand why God is being so good to me. He has been so unbelievably evident in my life, and i've found my heart being worn on my sleeve more often than i normally allow.
the message presented at church this morning was the most encouraging thing. i feel as if God was speaking directly to me and encouraging me. kent taught on matthew 5:5: "blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." he said that the word "meekness" is one of the most untranslatable greek words found in scripture, and most people settle on the english words "humility" or "gentleness." it's not really either of those things in essence, kent said. the word is used in reference to taming wild animals. meekness is essentially power under control. i've heard that before, and i love the picture that paints. a horse that allows a human to ride on its back is meek. horses have significantly more strength than humans do, and yet some will allow a man to control them. in our lives, kent said, meekness is submitting our will, desires, and goals to God, and letting Him control. it's surrender, a God-centered life that no longer tries to build self-esteem. there should be no self-esteem, in fact, only self-image. we are made in the very image of God, and therefore we have value. but we do not deserve to be esteemed on our own. self-esteem is more narcissistic and therepudic than anything else.
meekness is being focused on God and letting Him control our lives. and through meekness, God instills humility and inspires gentleness. and scripture says that God blesses the meek with an inheritance, which includes great rewards to be had in both the present and the future. kent's words hit me so hard this morning because lately i have, to put it simply, been overwhelmed with the blessings God has been lavishing on me. God wants me to have a full life, life abundant, He says in john 10:10. it's one of the reasons Jesus came to earth. "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." and as kent said that, i was so filled with joy. "that's me," i marveled. i am receiving part of my eternal inheritance now. and to think that there is still so much more to come is impossible to fathom.
the message just excited me more than anything else, and i was so ridiculously full of joy that i felt i was going to burst. to think that God loves me that much, that not only would He save me from condemnation in hell, not only would He give His life for me, not only that God would give me treasures in heaven, but that He would bless me with incredible things now. i don't get it. it's overwhelming, and the only way i can respond is with joy.
i saw kent between services and stopped him. i thanked him for the things he said, and told him how hard his words impacted my heart. i surprised myself by starting to choke up. it's humbling to think that God would impact me so much through the words of one man. kent was just grateful that the Holy Spirit succeeded in speaking to at least one person's heart today. he told me he saw me sitting in the congregation, totally engaged, nodding my head. and it's true. God got my attention through him. and i'm just... amazed. utterly astounded. it just doesn't make sense, this love, this joy, these blessings. not in light of the sinner i am. i don't know what to do but rejoice, and to continue to submit my life to God. it encourages me to think that maybe i have actually been submitting to God the way He wants me to. maybe that's why the blessings have been so incredible. not because of actions i've been going through, but because the Holy Spirit has helped me to have faith in my God.
wow.
the message presented at church this morning was the most encouraging thing. i feel as if God was speaking directly to me and encouraging me. kent taught on matthew 5:5: "blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." he said that the word "meekness" is one of the most untranslatable greek words found in scripture, and most people settle on the english words "humility" or "gentleness." it's not really either of those things in essence, kent said. the word is used in reference to taming wild animals. meekness is essentially power under control. i've heard that before, and i love the picture that paints. a horse that allows a human to ride on its back is meek. horses have significantly more strength than humans do, and yet some will allow a man to control them. in our lives, kent said, meekness is submitting our will, desires, and goals to God, and letting Him control. it's surrender, a God-centered life that no longer tries to build self-esteem. there should be no self-esteem, in fact, only self-image. we are made in the very image of God, and therefore we have value. but we do not deserve to be esteemed on our own. self-esteem is more narcissistic and therepudic than anything else.
meekness is being focused on God and letting Him control our lives. and through meekness, God instills humility and inspires gentleness. and scripture says that God blesses the meek with an inheritance, which includes great rewards to be had in both the present and the future. kent's words hit me so hard this morning because lately i have, to put it simply, been overwhelmed with the blessings God has been lavishing on me. God wants me to have a full life, life abundant, He says in john 10:10. it's one of the reasons Jesus came to earth. "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." and as kent said that, i was so filled with joy. "that's me," i marveled. i am receiving part of my eternal inheritance now. and to think that there is still so much more to come is impossible to fathom.
the message just excited me more than anything else, and i was so ridiculously full of joy that i felt i was going to burst. to think that God loves me that much, that not only would He save me from condemnation in hell, not only would He give His life for me, not only that God would give me treasures in heaven, but that He would bless me with incredible things now. i don't get it. it's overwhelming, and the only way i can respond is with joy.
i saw kent between services and stopped him. i thanked him for the things he said, and told him how hard his words impacted my heart. i surprised myself by starting to choke up. it's humbling to think that God would impact me so much through the words of one man. kent was just grateful that the Holy Spirit succeeded in speaking to at least one person's heart today. he told me he saw me sitting in the congregation, totally engaged, nodding my head. and it's true. God got my attention through him. and i'm just... amazed. utterly astounded. it just doesn't make sense, this love, this joy, these blessings. not in light of the sinner i am. i don't know what to do but rejoice, and to continue to submit my life to God. it encourages me to think that maybe i have actually been submitting to God the way He wants me to. maybe that's why the blessings have been so incredible. not because of actions i've been going through, but because the Holy Spirit has helped me to have faith in my God.
wow.