Come to Him

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17-18

In the troubles, in the trials, in the times where peace is nowhere to be found and sorrow steals our joyful hearts, rest is found in the arms of our Savior. Constant tears and broken hearts may overtake us. Life is rough. Sometimes we wonder why God is doing what He is doing. It's easy to doubt His love and let grief overwhelm us.

The Lord is too good to want that for our lives.

We may not see what He is doing, but His plan is so much bigger than what our minds can understand. He is moving behind the scenes. He is working out His purposes, filled with perfect love and never-ending faithfulness. He sees the big picture.

Yes, the tough times will still come. But in these tear-filled times, God is waiting for us to seek Him.

It's in seeking Him that we find true rest for our souls. As we cry out to Him and present our requests before our Almighty God, we discover a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:6-7). Jesus is willing and ready to bring comfort to our broken spirit. He is leaning in close, filling us with His breath of love, the air of life, the words of peace and faithfulness.

He hears your cries. He is close to the brokenhearted. He heals crushed spirits and brings a peace that is like nothing else.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus says to come to Him.

All who are weary, all who are burdened, all with seemingly never-ending wet eyes and all whose hearts are split into two---

He says to come to Him, and He will give you rest.

He brings peace in our trials, comfort in our sorrows, and rest in our weariness. 

In all of this, run to Him. Your situation may not change, but your soul's condition will. Peace and rest and pure joy is found in trusting in our Savior.

My heart is filled with gratitude that in the dead of a cold night, I can come to Him and find rest for this weary soul. He is lifting this heavy heart and placing it all on His shoulders. No purer peace is found anywhere but in His unending love. 

He is gentle and humble in heart. Come to Him.

Prayer For The Lost

Image via Pinterest

God has been speaking to me about the lost in my life a lot recently. He has called me to pray for them, and I believe the same for you. Who are the lost sheep in your life, the dry bones living without the breath of God?

Anyone coming to mind? Commit to praying for them on a daily basis. Some people may never come to church, never read the Bible, or never listen to a sermon, but they will see the way you live your life. Do they see God's love, a love that sets you apart from the rest of the world? Do they see joy? Hope in the good and the bad? Peace like no other?

Commit to pray. He who listens to our every cry is faithful.



Lord, I declare Your Word over these dry bones I see in the valley of life. I pray You would breathe life into these dry bones and dress them in flesh. I pray they would see You as You are, with eyes finally opened and hearts softened. Let them be lost sheep no more, and let the voice of You, our Good Shepherd, echo in the way I live as You use me to bring them to You. You are the Gate. Let them come home through Your doors and finally be found. I know You wish to bring the lost sheep home to You, to bring these dry bones out of the valley. I pray that Your love will shine through me and for each of these dry bones, these lost sheep, in my life to come to know You.


I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. John 10:16a
This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 37:1-14

 

Greater Than Your Sin

I don't know where you've been or what you've done.

But I do know this.

In the battle, God is fighting for you. He has collected every tear you've cried. He is reaching out to you with an outstretched hand. He cares about you and loves you more than life itself. Jesus came and shed His blood on the cross because His love is greater than your sin. He died so that you could be forgiven.

Maybe you feel like you're not worthy of forgiveness, like you aren't good enough to be loved or clean enough to come near to a holy God. Maybe you feel like your life is a never ending battle and you can't escape a certain sin or the terror of your past. Maybe, just maybe, you feel like giving up.

If this is you today, let me be the one to tell you that God's grace is bigger than your failures.

We all struggle with sin. No one is perfect in the eyes of our holy God. In fact, His Word says that "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:23). In His eyes, we are all sinful. He does not count the number of sins you have committed or analyze how 'bad' your sins are.

He is aware that we are all sinful. And that is why He sent His Son.

If you've never given your life to Christ, I encourage you to come to the feet of Jesus and ask for forgiveness. He died so that we could live. His life paid for the punishment of our sins. So thank Him for His sacrifice. Accept His gift of salvation, as you come to Him for forgiveness. Then, expect life change, as He cleanses your heart from the inside out, and becomes all of your life.

Come to Him as who you are. He doesn't care what you've done or who you are. It takes surrender, but He is ready and waiting for you to run into His arms.

But if you're a follower of Jesus Christ and are stuck in the mess of a certain sin, please know that you are not alone. He is fighting for you. He loves you. Nothing you do is too big for the grace of God. His grace covers everything you will ever do.

2 Cor. 12:9; Image via Pinterest

So turn to Him. Surrender it all to Him. When you let our God fight the battle for you, victory will come.

He cares. He forgives.

We are all a mess. But in His eyes, we are a beautiful mess...a mess covered by the love of His Son.

Let Him take the wheel and lead you out of whatever dark place you are in today. He will never leave your side. His arms are always open, ready to forgive.

His love is greater than your sin. Don't forget it!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9