This might be more stream of consciousness for me, but this is what I've seen this week looking back.
The church community I'm a part of is really pressing in to spiritual transformation this week... a quote from Sunday that stuck with me is that we wanted to "privilege transformation over information" which is NOT what I've historically done.
Another thing from this week is that I have struggled a lot with anxiety, with impatience and with anger this week, mostly towards my kids.
So here's my takeaway right now... to use JL's words from earlier this week, I think I have been tempted to "adapt and hide" a lot more so, but I'm beginning to grow out of it. I'm wondering if my discomfort is giving me glimpses of what outsiders feel like every day... and it is GOOD for me to start feeling that. Maybe these are signs that I'm ever so slowly starting to live out that my citizenship isn't here and the discomfort is the gift.
Awe, beautiful! I only know growth in faith out of discomfort! God is so good at lovingly allow us to see so that we may grow in faith with challenges. God is with you. You can do this!
Truth with grace, I believe. Yahweh does not take us through without His presence. We do need to be open to see his love and grace. That can be the hard part. :) I know.
I found today's reflection very moving and emotional. I really deeply grasped how important it is for me to feel chosen by God. To know he deeply desires to make a place for me, to dwell with me and he is not ashamed of me. As a single woman I have an undercurrent of not being chosen and its incredibly freeing to be reassured that my identity and status is fully established. ❤️
Yes! "God wants to be with you" J.L. said. That's what I'm taking with me today. One lie I have believed, mostly subconsciously, is "God is mildly interested in you". I'm praying for God's grace and power to remove that lie and implant the truth of His deep, sacrificial love in my mind and soul.
I think sometimes I spend time looking back, not in a nostalgic way but more in a regretful way. Paul talked about "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead". This week has helped me look more forward. It has also given me the opportunity to be still and listen.
Yes, Margaret, that is a trap that we all can fall into! I have done that walk at different times in my life, more than I can recount. God is so lovingly good to call us back, to sit with Him and see the direction we need to go again. To me, that is where the faith muscle begins to grow!
Knowing all the times in my life that God has truly saved me from myself and my selfish actions and mistakes does make me realize how much He loves me and desires to be with me. This study and reflection on faith is allowing me to see that He wants a relationship with me as much as I want a relationship with Him. I believe that He has prepared a perfect place for me and I know that He will walk with me through this journey always.
This week I’ve reflected more on they didn’t receive all the promises in their life. So often I’ll get a little sad on what I thought life was supposed to be. But that was my plan not God’s plan. They didn’t let that hold them back. I shouldn’t either.
This week in Hebrews has been so good for me, because I’ve been really wrestling with the “already but not yet” -ness of it all. It’s a tough time to live in America, and I want my heart to remain open to grieve injustice and seek to make things right, but at the same time not “put down roots in the wrong place”. I used to think that “keeping your eyes fixed on heaven” was just another way to disengage with the reality of pain and injustice around you, but I’m remembering that “practicing” my heavenly citizenship should actually make me more concerned with bringing God’s kingdom on earth; injecting His love, justice, and mercy into every space that I’m in.
What that looks like in practice is nuanced (hahah) but praise God for the reminder of a heavenly perspective! May the desire for His kingdom move me to action here on earth.
I’m reflecting on how God doesn’t mind or get frustrated in reminding me the lengths and depths of his love for me. Often I’m annoyed when I have to persistently remind or repeat myself (the nerves I have, right). What if God treated me that way. From Genesis to Revelation, I see a patient God doing a lot of reminding - remodeling - re-rescuing. So as I read Hebrews repetitiously and especially the prayer for this week - I read it slowly looking for God, his character, his love shown, and then I see it. I see He’s actively doing all this for me also. So daily I’m loosening my grip on what I want and rather tightening my grip on who I know God to be. He is faithful. I’m still hopeful for those things I desire but I’m not allowing it to regulate how I feel God feels about me if I don’t get it.
I have been pondering the question that JL laid out for us.
Consider the prayer we’re been praying this week. Has God revealed anything to you about your identity, desires, or destiny? What lies have you been believing (actively or passively)? What’s the truth?
So many times, I was saved by Yahweh. I have had the opportunities to grow my faith and trust in a loving, redeeming, savior. What I continue to come back to is that God saved me. Faith is a relationship with Yahweh. I have a problem, a challenge, a difficulty, a hardship, a fear, I reach out to Yahweh for help. He saves me. He is the faithful one in my story. Yes, I look up., I reach out, AND God continues to give me life, redemption, healing, safety, … opportunities to grow in faith. In faith, I learned that I am nothing without Him. My success is His success. I am at peace to be alone and quiet with Him. I am learning to heal in a deeper way. God is faithful in that too. Faith is knowing Yahweh will.
I have been behind but am finally caught up. I am struck by how timely this is given the current state of global affairs. I think we often feel powerless. We might feel reluctant to speak up or reluctant to stay silent. It helps to remember this place is not our home and we are but visitors.
This might be more stream of consciousness for me, but this is what I've seen this week looking back.
The church community I'm a part of is really pressing in to spiritual transformation this week... a quote from Sunday that stuck with me is that we wanted to "privilege transformation over information" which is NOT what I've historically done.
Another thing from this week is that I have struggled a lot with anxiety, with impatience and with anger this week, mostly towards my kids.
So here's my takeaway right now... to use JL's words from earlier this week, I think I have been tempted to "adapt and hide" a lot more so, but I'm beginning to grow out of it. I'm wondering if my discomfort is giving me glimpses of what outsiders feel like every day... and it is GOOD for me to start feeling that. Maybe these are signs that I'm ever so slowly starting to live out that my citizenship isn't here and the discomfort is the gift.
Awe, beautiful! I only know growth in faith out of discomfort! God is so good at lovingly allow us to see so that we may grow in faith with challenges. God is with you. You can do this!
Your thoughts on growth and discomfort sit heavily. Such truth.
Truth with grace, I believe. Yahweh does not take us through without His presence. We do need to be open to see his love and grace. That can be the hard part. :) I know.
Discomfort is the gift—I like that. And the empathy! Thank you, David
I found today's reflection very moving and emotional. I really deeply grasped how important it is for me to feel chosen by God. To know he deeply desires to make a place for me, to dwell with me and he is not ashamed of me. As a single woman I have an undercurrent of not being chosen and its incredibly freeing to be reassured that my identity and status is fully established. ❤️
Yes! "God wants to be with you" J.L. said. That's what I'm taking with me today. One lie I have believed, mostly subconsciously, is "God is mildly interested in you". I'm praying for God's grace and power to remove that lie and implant the truth of His deep, sacrificial love in my mind and soul.
I think sometimes I spend time looking back, not in a nostalgic way but more in a regretful way. Paul talked about "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead". This week has helped me look more forward. It has also given me the opportunity to be still and listen.
Same for me, Margaret! I often need Him to pull my gaze forward, He has so much joy in store for me to see!
Yes, Margaret, that is a trap that we all can fall into! I have done that walk at different times in my life, more than I can recount. God is so lovingly good to call us back, to sit with Him and see the direction we need to go again. To me, that is where the faith muscle begins to grow!
Knowing all the times in my life that God has truly saved me from myself and my selfish actions and mistakes does make me realize how much He loves me and desires to be with me. This study and reflection on faith is allowing me to see that He wants a relationship with me as much as I want a relationship with Him. I believe that He has prepared a perfect place for me and I know that He will walk with me through this journey always.
This week I’ve reflected more on they didn’t receive all the promises in their life. So often I’ll get a little sad on what I thought life was supposed to be. But that was my plan not God’s plan. They didn’t let that hold them back. I shouldn’t either.
This week in Hebrews has been so good for me, because I’ve been really wrestling with the “already but not yet” -ness of it all. It’s a tough time to live in America, and I want my heart to remain open to grieve injustice and seek to make things right, but at the same time not “put down roots in the wrong place”. I used to think that “keeping your eyes fixed on heaven” was just another way to disengage with the reality of pain and injustice around you, but I’m remembering that “practicing” my heavenly citizenship should actually make me more concerned with bringing God’s kingdom on earth; injecting His love, justice, and mercy into every space that I’m in.
What that looks like in practice is nuanced (hahah) but praise God for the reminder of a heavenly perspective! May the desire for His kingdom move me to action here on earth.
Susan Smith - I’m with you. Sometimes I dwell on what might have been, & forget how much I’ve been blessed with what I do have.
I’m reflecting on how God doesn’t mind or get frustrated in reminding me the lengths and depths of his love for me. Often I’m annoyed when I have to persistently remind or repeat myself (the nerves I have, right). What if God treated me that way. From Genesis to Revelation, I see a patient God doing a lot of reminding - remodeling - re-rescuing. So as I read Hebrews repetitiously and especially the prayer for this week - I read it slowly looking for God, his character, his love shown, and then I see it. I see He’s actively doing all this for me also. So daily I’m loosening my grip on what I want and rather tightening my grip on who I know God to be. He is faithful. I’m still hopeful for those things I desire but I’m not allowing it to regulate how I feel God feels about me if I don’t get it.
I have been pondering the question that JL laid out for us.
Consider the prayer we’re been praying this week. Has God revealed anything to you about your identity, desires, or destiny? What lies have you been believing (actively or passively)? What’s the truth?
So many times, I was saved by Yahweh. I have had the opportunities to grow my faith and trust in a loving, redeeming, savior. What I continue to come back to is that God saved me. Faith is a relationship with Yahweh. I have a problem, a challenge, a difficulty, a hardship, a fear, I reach out to Yahweh for help. He saves me. He is the faithful one in my story. Yes, I look up., I reach out, AND God continues to give me life, redemption, healing, safety, … opportunities to grow in faith. In faith, I learned that I am nothing without Him. My success is His success. I am at peace to be alone and quiet with Him. I am learning to heal in a deeper way. God is faithful in that too. Faith is knowing Yahweh will.
I have been behind but am finally caught up. I am struck by how timely this is given the current state of global affairs. I think we often feel powerless. We might feel reluctant to speak up or reluctant to stay silent. It helps to remember this place is not our home and we are but visitors.