How Much of God Can Your Soul Hold?

How much of God do you think your soul can hold?

I have been asking God to increase my capacity recently – to see Him, to know Him, to hold much of His wisdom inside of me.

And He reminded me of a story in Mark 5:1-20 about a man filled with a multitude of demons. They call themselves “Legion” and end up running 2,000 pigs off a cliff into the sea. My Bible notes say, “a legion was the largest unit of the Roman army and at full strength had 6,000 soldiers. This does not necessarily mean that there were 6,000 demons, only that there were a great many.”

Stop and think about this. This man had a legion of demons within him. His soul had the capacity to hold that. many. demons.

It makes me stop and wonder … how do we underestimate our soul’s capacity to hold Jesus? To contain His Spirit and all that comes with Him?

Scripture tells us chains could not hold this man because he was so full of demons. He just kept breaking free. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

Is not Jesus INFINITELY greater than any demon? Those demons bowed before Jesus. They begged Him not to send them away. And then they fled in the face of Him. They knew and recognized His power and authority. Do we?

Where are we bound by chains Jesus has said no longer have to hold us? Where are we, where I am, underestimating what we already carry inside of us as Believers sealed and filled by His Spirit?

Our God is greater than we know, and our capacity to contain Him is greater, as well!

He longs for us to be filled with all the fullness of Him. For us to know that He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we can ask, hope, or think according to HIS power at work in US. (Ephesians 3:14-20) These earthen were designed to be filled.

Incredible.

I don’t know about you, but I need this reminder. I live like I’m just daily carrying around some scant thimbleful of the Lord. I live, quite honestly, a bit more pitiful than powerful. But my soul’s capacity is GREAT!

I have the capacity for more peace than I realize. I have the capacity for more hope than I have known. I have the capacity for more kindness and patience and beauty and creativity and wisdom and power and faith and love than seems humanly possible. All because of Him.

If that man could hold legions of demons, I have to know I can hold MUCH of my God. And maybe a good place to start today is bowing before Him in worship. Acknowledging who He is and thanking Him for all that I have in Him.

The Spirit of the living God lives in me. Oh, that I would know it, believe it, live it, and let Him show up truly great in me.

“For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:5-7

Praying that wherever we are forever saying “I can’t” (basically “I don’t have the capacity for this, Lord”), we will instead see that we carry MUCH of the One who is able.

Much Love,
Kimberly

The Hands That Saved Me Can Be Trusted to Shape Me

Sitting in my kitchen is this lovely spoon rest given to me by a dear friend. Clay that surrendered to the press and pull, the firing and glazing, the will and purposes of a potter, all so that it could become something both beautiful and useful. So it could show up as a gift.

But can I just go ahead and raise my hand and admit that I don’t always willingly surrender to the hands of the Potter? To the work the Father wants to do in me?

It almost seems odd since I’m drawn to Scripture about His hands.

It’s so encouraging to read about how mighty His hands are. How loving and tender. How the hands that spread out the heavens above also reach down to help us, the very ones those hands created. The ones He calls His own. (Psalm 136:12-13; Isaiah 41:10, 48:13)

But as I’ve sensed God doing some work in my life that, quite honestly, my heart and flesh have felt resistant to, I’ve been reminded…

I can’t just love God’s hands when they’re upholding and saving me. I also need to trust them through the discomfort of Him molding and shaping me. (Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:6)

I can’t just rejoice in His hands as they lovingly lead and cover me. I also need to sit still and surrender when they press down and weigh heavy on me. Kindly but firmly bringing conviction. Lovingly uncovering places of sin that will never stay hidden. (Psalm 139:5; Psalm 32)

And I can’t just delight in the fact that He chose to create me. I must also surrender to how He has purposed to use me. No balking if it doesn’t turn out as fancy or as prominent as other clay. No sulking if it isn’t as seemingly lovely or exciting as the purposes of other pottery around me. (Psalm 139:13-16; Romans 9:20-21)

Maybe you need these reminders today, too. The truth that we can trust Him. We can trust the Potter.
We are the work of His hands. And every work He wants to do in us comes straight from His heart of love for us and His desire to bless others through us.

No need to fear. No reason to run. No cause to doubt.

We can surrender knowing we are loved. We are safe. And we are being shaped in ways that are both beautiful and useful. In ways that will help us show up as gifts from the Giver of all good things. In ways that will make others stop and give thanks.

Praying for us all in the surrendering and the shaping,
Kimberly

Every Day a New Wife

I haven’t been the easiest woman to be married to over the years.

I am often too slow to listen and too quick to speak. Too wise in my own eyes. Too sure MY way is THE way. Too self-focused and wrapped up in what’s best for me.

Issues I was blind to for so, so long.

If we ran into a rough patch or had a disagreement? I quickly tossed the blame back on my husband instead of owning my part in it all.

But the more I look back over our 23 years of marriage, the more grateful I am he has stayed by my side. And as I look at this picture from vacation this year, I’m thankful for how God’s grace and kindness have shown up in my life in the form of conviction and the much-needed call to humility.

I’m sharing a short prayer with you today that the Lord stirred in my heart a few years ago. It’s from a season when I really started opening myself up to the good but painful work God wanted to do in me. One where I got a good look at myself and the damage I was doing to our marriage.

It’s simply this…

“Lord, let my husband wake up to a new wife every morning, and let her be me.”

And oh, how I’ve hesitated to share this! I don’t want the language of this prayer to be triggering to anyone whose spouse has made horrendous choices concerning other people. If that’s you, there are no words for how sorry I am for all that you have walked through. And you are sincerely in my prayers.

But I just can’t get past the feeling I’m supposed to share this. Because this is my heart. I want to be every day changed by Jesus and His Word. I want the fruit of the Spirit growing and flourishing in me. Even if it’s by the tiniest increment, I want to each and every day be a little more patient, a little kinder, a little more generous, a little wiser, a little humbler, a lot more like Jesus. I don’t want to stay the same.

I want my husband to wake up to a new wife every morning. And I want her to be me.

Yes, we need God to work in our husbands, too. No, this prayer isn’t about taking all of the work of marriage on yourself. Marriage takes two people committed to each other and continual personal growth.

But I never want to get so focused on what I think God needs to change in him that I neglect to admit I need God to do a good work in me.

(P.S. You can grab this prayer and alter it, fellas! You can pray, “Lord, let my wife wake up to a new husband every morning, and let him be me.”)

Love and prayers,
Kimberly

What if Jesus Isn’t Praying What We Want Him to Pray?

There are these incredibly tender truths in Scripture that tell us we are being prayed for by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27) and by Jesus as He now sits at the right hand of the Father. (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:24-25) They intercede for us.

And while knowing this has brought me deep comfort over the years, I realized something recently that initially felt unsettling…

They may not be praying what I want them to pray. At least, not what I (with my limited vision and finite capability to comprehend the ways of God) THINK I want them to pray.

In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus says to Simon Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

I love knowing Jesus prayed for Peter. It’s so personal and kind. But about a few weeks ago, I felt the Holy Spirit redirecting my thoughts toward what Jesus DIDN’T pray.

He didn’t pray to stop Satan’s plan.
He didn’t pray that Peter wouldn’t have to be sifted.
He didn’t pray for easy days and an easy way for Peter.

Can we just stop right here and admit these are the things we would have wanted Jesus to pray? I know this is what I would have wanted for myself or a loved one.

But Jesus didn’t pray any of these things. Instead, He prayed Peter’s faith would hold and that Peter would then go and strengthen others. And instead of stopping the enemy, Jesus allowed what He knew God could use not just in Peter’s life, but in the lives of others.

Romans 8:26-27 encourages us that Holy Spirit is praying for us when we can’t find the words to pray. Because God is good, we can know His Spirit is good. But ultimately? He is not praying for my will or yours. He’s praying in accordance with God’s will. He’s not praying for what we will find easiest. He’s praying for what He knows is best.

None of this is what my flesh wants to hear, but it’s certainly what my heart needs to know. Maybe you need to know this today, too.

When the pain won’t let up… when it feels like the enemy’s blows just keep coming… when we’re assuming Jesus is praying us out of a situation, but nothing seems to be changing… may we know He’s with us in it, He’s praying us through it, and He promises He can use it.

I’m praying for you today, friend. I’m praying your faith will hold. And that when you are on the other side of this, you’ll go and strengthen others.

Love & Prayers,
Kimberly

Where Is Self-Sufficiency Hindering My Healing?

I had an unfortunate meeting with some concrete this week. Full hands and a missed step led to a sprawled out me with painfully torn up elbow, arm, leg, and knee.

Tears and blood flowing, I got scrappy with the few bandaids I had in my purse so I wouldn’t make a mess all over my clothes and the car.

And then, with Bible study in less than two hours, I had to make do with the patchwork of bandaids I had at home because no one wants a bleeding teacher leading their class.

By the time I got back home that night, I just wanted to go to bed. Bandaids and the prayers of a dear friend had held me together for as long as possible. But my sweet husband wouldn’t let me. He looked at the long, angry exposed patches on my skin and said, “Let me go get you some gauze, some bandages, something, K. You won’t get any sleep like that.”

I told him I was fine.

He insisted he should go.

I told him I would take care of it myself the next day.

He told me he could help take care of me right then.

I told him it was late. He told me to hurry up and let him help me because it was getting even later.

So we hopped in the car at 9:20 pm, picked up tape and gauze and big bandaids at the store, and then he kindly and carefully helped me cover my wounds so I could sleep through the night. So nothing would rub up against them. So they could stay clean and protected from any form of infection.

And don’t you know this has made me think of what God offers us in Scripture?

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Oh, how I love the tenderness we see in this verse. He doesn’t just heal us. He binds up our wounds to aid in the healing process.

And I’ve spent today wondering… what wounded places have I been trying to simply tough out, all while He’s wanted to heal me and help me? Where are stubbornness and self-sufficiency keeping me from His love binding me up, comforting and protecting me?

Maybe you need to sit with these questions, too.

Is there anywhere you’ve been trying to get scrappy with your healing? Just patching up what you can so you don’t bleed out? Are you powering through, all while the Lord is there waiting to help you?

May we admit we need His help. May we get still enough to receive His help. Yes, the healing will still take time. But how much less painful it will be when we are surrounded and protected by His love, His truth, His tenderness, His kind and powerful presence.

Praying for you today as you let Him get a closer look and bind up those wounds,
Kimberly

For the One Who Completely Lost It (Even Though You Spent Time With Jesus)

I get so frustrated with myself when I lose it during the day. Lose my patience. Lose my cool. Lose my joy.

“What’s the deal, K?! You spent time with Jesus this morning. It was sweet and good. Why are you such a mess, and you’re not even halfway through the day?”

Part of the problem is I’m living as if sanctification only happens in the quiet moments when I sit in His presence and His Word. Yes. God absolutely uses Scripture to change me and shape me and cause me to look more and more like Jesus. But not just when I’m reading it.

The process of sanctification also takes place when I’m out in the world choosing to live it. When I’m in the frustrating conversation. When I’m in the difficult season. When everything is going exactly the opposite of what I planned for my day.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

This is when we might say, “Yes, Lord! All these hard things are working together for my good!” But if we read on, we see what a huge part of that good is…

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30)

Those hard things can be sanctifying things. Those difficult moments are being used by God to shape us into people who look more like Jesus. Live more like Jesus. Love more like Jesus.

And when we sit with Jesus and soak in His presence and it just feels SO GOOD and we pray, “Make me more like You”… we have to remember when we head out into our day that part of the plan is to use those rough moments and those difficult people and those hard seasons to do that very thing.

So, don’t lose heart, friend. Sanctification isn’t just a lifelong process. It’s an all-day-long one, too. And spending time with Jesus doesn’t mean we’ll walk away perfect. But it does mean we’re wisely positioning ourselves to be prepared for whatever comes our way. It means we can better trust Him when He uses things we don’t like to complete the good work He began in us.

Today, when we run up against something that makes us want to absolutely lose it, let’s pause… take a deep breath… ask the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and grace we need in that moment… and instead of berating ourselves for not automatically reacting like Jesus, let’s thank God that He can use whatever we’re facing to do that good work in us. The good work of making us more like Jesus.

Learning to move and rest and live each moment in His grace,
Kimberly

Why Is a Woman Who Fears the Lord Someone to Be Praised?

Most of us as women and believers in Christ have heard and possibly even memorized Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

The word “praised” here is hālal, and it means hers is a life that shines, a life that others can look at and boast about, a life worth celebrating.

But have you ever stopped and really considered why? WHY is a woman who fears the Lord someone to be praised? What would it even look like to be a woman who fears the Lord? How and why would she be different?

Understanding this matters. Because this verse isn’t simply a free pass from having to meet the world’s beauty standards. It’s an invitation to a truly beautiful life lived out of God’s ways and standards.

I love how the Amplified version helps us get a better grasp on what it even means to fear the Lord:  

“Charm and grace are deceptive, and [superficial] beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord [reverently worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect], she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:30

Here is how I sat down and broke it down:

A woman who fears the Lord has a HEART OF WORSHIP. Hers is a heart filled with gratitude and praise. She looks for and recognizes God’s goodness in her life and declares, “My God is good. My God provides. My God has been, is, and will forever be faithful. What have I to fear?” When she struggles to praise Him for her circumstances, she knows she can worship Him simply for who He is. And the joy, the peace, and the hope this brings her? It overflows into her words and her countenance, her attitude and her actions.

A woman who fears the Lord LIVES A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE – doing things God’s way instead of being wise in her own eyes. Living by His Word. Listening to the Holy Spirit. Walking in humility and trust. Positioning herself to receive His blessings (Psalm 128:1), surrendered in such a way that she can be a blessing, and avoiding so many messes of her own making.

A woman who fears the Lord SERVES THE LORD. She knows she has been graciously and mercifully bought with a price. Jesus paid with His own blood for her salvation. Her life is not her own. And so she serves Him with gladness. All that she does is out of an overflow of love for Him and gratitude for all that He has done for her. No striving or performing. She isn’t seeking the approval of others or trying to be someone she isn’t. She isn’t spread too thin or completely shut down by the fear of man. All that she does is as unto the Lord.

A woman who fears the Lord TRUSTS IN HIM. She isn’t frantic. She isn’t fearful. She isn’t controlling or manipulative. And she isn’t trying to be the Savior of the world or anyone else around her. She TRUSTS God. She trusts He sees her. She trusts He hears her. She trusts He loves her. She trusts His Word. She trusts His wisdom. She trusts His ways and His plans. She trusts His faithfulness. What a calming and peaceful presence she would be! What hope would radiate off of her!

And a woman who fears the Lord has a HEART OF REVERENCE AND AWE toward God. She knows who is God (Him) and who is not (her). She does not assume she knows better than Him. Her heart is one of deep respect. She takes time to ponder His majesty, His might, His goodness, all that He is, all that He has created… and she lets those thoughts humble her and fill her with wonder. She approaches Him with the freedom of a dearly loved daughter, but also with the honor due to her King.

This woman? She is settled. Secure. Sure of the hope she has in Jesus. Steady and not easily shaken by the things of this world. She certainly isn’t perfect, but she is surrendered and growing.

She is the kind of woman I want to be! Perhaps she is the kind of woman you want to be, as well. But it starts with a heart that “fears” the Lord. This isn’t about fixing ourselves. Notice how each area is focused on HIM. Becoming a more peaceful, joy-filled, hopeful, and Christ-like woman – a woman worthy of praise – is the natural overflow out of fixing our eyes, fixing our praise, fixing our hearts, fixing our hope, fixing our trust, fixing our worship, fixing our affection on the Lord.

I know this is a longer post, but I pray you will take something with you and ponder it this week. Are you a woman who fears the Lord? Do you get hung up on that word “fear”? How does the Amplified version help you better understand it, and what area of “fearing” Him do you struggle with the most? Are you trying to “fix” yourself or are you fixing your eyes, your hope, your trust, your worship on and in Him?

May we be women who reverently worship, obey, serve, and trust God with awe-filled respect. Because this is what will lead to us being true blessings in this world. This is how we live lives worth celebrating. This is how we become the Jesus-radiating women God has called us to be.

Forever thankful for His love and grace in this process,
Kimberly

A Prayer for My Daughters From Head to Toe

Last year, I felt led to sit down and write out a prayer for my daughters in my journal. I have hesitated to post it here, simply because it is a very personal kind of thing. But I know what it’s like to not know what or how to pray when it comes to our children. And so, I’m sharing it.

These are prayers based on Scripture and birthed out of a mother’s heart of love for her people. You can easily change the wording to fit your sons. You can tuck your children’s names into the prayers. You can take these paragraphs and split them into a prayer focus a day. You can even use the Scripture to write out your own prayers. However you choose to use them, I pray they are a blessing, a help, and an encouragement to you.

A Prayer for My Daughters From Head to Toe

Lord, I pray my girls will have minds full of hope and Truth. Help them to be quick to take thoughts captive and make each one obedient to You. Let Your Word be their delight as they meditate on it day and night. Let YOUR wisdom be what they seek and tune the whole of their lives to. Give them creative ideas. And let the space where they think and process feel broad and spacious, clear and free. Not crowded or clouded by confusion. Not cluttered with lies and fears. May they be taught by You, and may their peace be great. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3, 18:19; Isaiah 26:3, 54:13)

Lord, I pray for their eyes. May they make a covenant with their eyes to set nothing wicked before them. Help them guard their eyes – protecting them from the snares of the enemy, making them wise to recognize when he’s trying to lead them astray. Help them fix their eyes on You, and help them to truly see You. To see You moving and working in their lives. To see themselves and others through the lens of Your love. To see You in Your written Word and Your created world. Open their eyes to see wondrous things… to see possibility… to see beauty… to see hope and grace and love. (Psalm 19:1; 101:3; 119:37; 119:18; John 14:21; Hebrews 12:1-2)

Bless their ears, Lord. May they learn to quickly discern what is Your voice and what is not. Quiet the voice of the enemy in their lives and help them tune their ears to You. Bring wise voices, godly voices, encouraging and exhorting and grounded in Your Truth voices to speak into their lives, and help them have the wisdom and humility to receive. May they tune their ears to Your voice daily… early… eagerly. May they lean in close to listen to You before anyone else and over anyone else. May they be quick to compassionately listen to others. But when there are voices they need to stop giving ear to, Lord, give my girls the strength and wisdom to walk away. (John 10:3-5; 27-30; Proverbs 13:20; Proverbs 15:31; Proverbs 27:17; Matthew 13:9; Jeremiah 33:3; Psalm 63:1-7; James 1:19-20)

I pray for their mouths, Lord. May they be filled with Your praises. May grace and peace and mercy reside on their lips. When they speak, may their words be beneficial to the hearers – full of grace, seasoned with salt, declaring Your goodness and Your name. Please forgive any places I have trained them in unkind or negative speech patterns with my own words. Break any habits that may have formed because of hearing me or others speaking gossip, slander, judgment, or hateful words. May they speak with wisdom and humility – words that build up and heal instead of destroying or tearing down. And may their words be a truly beautiful overflow of You residing in their hearts. (Psalm 19:14; 34:13; 71:8; 100; Proverbs 12:18, 16:24, 18:21, 31:26; Colossians 3:16, 4:6; Ephesians 4:29-31; James 3:9-12; Luke 6:45)

Lord, I pray for their hearts. Heal them in the deepest places from wounds that have already built up over the years. Heal them from rejection. Heal them from loss. Heal them from anything hurtful, unholy, or unforgiving trying to take up residence within them. Let their hearts beat for You and help them daily and diligently guard their hearts. Fill them with the truth of how high and wide and deep and long Your love is for them, and let them feel safe enough in that love to always come to You quickly in repentance. May their greatest desire be for more of You. May their hearts be tender to You and Your ways. And please send them people – friends, mentors, and one day husbands – who will be good for their hearts and careful with their hearts. (Psalm 34:18; 51:10; Psalm 19:12-14; Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 22:37-39; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Ephesians 3:14-21)

Their hands, Lord. May they move in ways that are in alignment with who You are. Giving generously. Creating freely. Serving tenderly. May their hands always be open. Trusting what You give. Releasing as You lead. Free from striving. Faithful and diligent in all that You ask. Continually lifted up in praise. May their hands be instruments of kindness, of blessing, of Your love, and Your hope. May all that they create be done as an offering to You… offerings You can mightily use. (Psalm 63:4; Proverbs 31: 13, 17, 20, 31; Luke 6:38; Romans 6:13; 1 Peter 4:10)

And their feet. May they have feet quick to flee from evil and fully surrendered to following You. You know the plans You have for them. You have numbered their days, and You establish their steps. Keep their feet from slipping and help them stay in step with You, Lord. Help them not to lean on their own understanding, but, in all their ways, may they honor You and stay close to You. May they not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. Instead, may they walk the ancient paths of the faithful. May the path to You be well worn in their hearts and lives. May they know they stand now and forever in Your grace as Your daughters. And may they move in wisdom. Move towards others without fear of rejection. Dance with You in glorious and beautiful ways. (Deuteronomy 28:14; Psalm 1:1-3; 37:27; 66:9, 121:3, 139:16; Proverbs 3:5-6, 4:25-27; 16:9; Habakkuk 3:19; Jeremiah 6:16; Romans 5:1-2)

Bless these beautiful girls, Lord. My daughters. Your daughters. From head to toe, Father, may they be blessed. Help them surrender all that they are, all to You. Guide them. Direct them. Protect them. Shepherd them. Strengthen them. And let them know and believe they are deeply and completely LOVED by You. Amen.

Blessings, dear friends,
Kimberly

God Doesn’t Promise to Be Our Superhero (He’s Actually Even Better)

I’ve been thinking about our love of superheroes. This world has no shortage of comic books, movies, and TV shows based on them.

My family and I could easily rattle off our own list of personal favorites.

And I think this human inclination is so very understandable. Deep down inside we know there has to be something better than the pain and brokenness of this world. And we want someone to fix it all.

We cheer as we watch good triumph over evil. We long to see justice prevail. We want all wrongs righted.

These are good things to want!

But this is where it gets tough… this is when we can begin to question a good God who doesn’t show up with the immediacy we love to see on the silver screen.

“Someone needs rescue, God. I need rescue! Where are You?!”

Because that’s what the good guys do, right? They show up right away and set things right.

That’s what the books and movies tell us. That’s what our hearts long for. That’s what seems to make the most sense.

But…

We have a good God who asks us to, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, NIV)

We have a good God who reminds us to, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV)

We have a good God who tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5, NIV)

We have a good God who promises He is able to work all things together for good. (Romans 8:28) A good God who promises what the enemy intends for evil, He can use for good in our lives and the lives of countless others. (Genesis 50:20) A good God who reminds us that although His ways are not our ways,(Isaiah 55:8-9) His ways are still good. (Psalm 18:30; Deuteronomy 32:4) A good God who promises He is making everything right. (Revelation 21:4)

But here’s something He doesn’t promise. He doesn’t promise that His rescue will show up when or how we want. He doesn’t promise to be our superhero.

He’s actually someone even better.

He is infinitely wise and powerful, loving and good, understanding and merciful. He stands outside of what we know as time and sees everything. Nothing is too hard for Him, but He knows what needs to happen when. He is the perfect Redeemer and Rescuer, and He now and forever knows what we need better than we do.

Are there places in my own life I want to see Him move right now? Yes. For sure. Are there days I struggle to trust Him? Absolutely. I’m so very human.

But I’m reminding myself to keep turning and returning to His Word. To keep turning and returning to what I know of Him. To keep turning and returning to the One who has rescued me for all eternity because I can trust He won’t just up and forsake me.

I know all of this can be hard. So very, very, very hard. But we can keep staying disappointed in Him, or we can start asking Him to help us trust Him.

Let’s cry out to Him, wait patiently for Him, and know that His love isn’t always found in our immediate rescue. It’s found in the ultimate good He’s working out for us. It’s found in His presence that stays with us every step of the way. And sometimes, it’s even found in His delay.

“I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3

Learning to truly trust Him,
Kimberly

One Small but Powerful Shift We Can Make In How We Read God’s Word

I tend to read God’s Word like a prescription. Like a manual. Like a textbook.

Like God is saying, “Here. Go do this and everything will be fine. Go do this, and I will finally be pleased with you. Go do this on your own and in your own power and then come back and see Me for My ‘well done.’”

But I can’t. I can’t do it on my own. I keep falling and failing and flailing. And I end up feeling disappointed in myself. Over and over again discouraged.

But it’s not a prescription or a manual or a textbook. It’s a promise.

It’s the Father declaring, “This is who I Am. This is who you are in Me. Yes, these are My holy expectations, but I know you can’t do any of this on Your own. That’s why I sent you My Son and sent you My Spirit and sent you this living and active Word. This is what I’m working out for you and in you and through you. Work with Me and know that what I have promised I will do. I can do. I am doing.”

And this shift in perspective is such sweet relief.

His Word isn’t a prescription. It isn’t a manual. It isn’t a mere textbook. It’s a PROMISE.

It’s also an invitation to a partnership with the One who is able.

“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

This passage? It’s about freedom from the heavy burden of religion. It’s a release from striving. From “you go and do all of these things on your own.” 

The easy yoke of Jesus is, “I have accomplished all of this for you. Now walk with Me. Learn from Me. Do things My way. The grace way. Grab hold of My promises and move by My Spirit and in My grace that enables you. My unending supply of unearnable but freely flowing grace.”

Have you been failing to live out His Word? Are you frustrated and disappointed in yourself? You aren’t a disappointment to Him! The fact you keep showing up? Keep turning back to Him and His ways? He is pleased with you. He already and always loves you. And He’s not asking You to do any of this on your own. 

Lean into the fact that you are firmly and fully loved. Rest in the knowledge that you are learning and growing. Settle it in your soul that this will be a lifelong journey. And trust that the One who is sanctifying you – shaping you to look more and more like Jesus – is faithful and able to do it. 

He has promised. And He’s a God who keeps His promises. 

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Love & Prayers,
Kimberly