David repents after committing adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband, Uriah. His example of repentance is one all of us can follow.
Notes:
In the midst of addressing messes in the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul reminds its members of the heart of the gospel and the power of God’s grace! They’ve received the gospel, but now they need to hold firmly to it…or their belief is in vain.
Paul also makes it clear that the resurrection of Jesus isn’t a rumor, but a reality confirmed by hundreds of eye-witnesses who were still living at the time this letter was written.
Notes:
Oh, beloved of God.
(That’s you.)
Shall we pause there?
That’s you.
Okay, I think we can move on now.
But, if you need to stay there….stay there…
The season of Lent began this week.
On the 13th of February I realized that Ash Wednesday was on the 14th this year, Valentine’s Day. I began to think of all the different things I could do, or could give up, for Lent…and felt a little guilty for being super aware of Valentine’s Day and super not aware of Ash Wednesday.
Around the same time I was also looking at other scripture about getting rid of things— I read John’s account of Jesus driving the profit-hungry religious out of the temple before Passover. I also heard Christine Caine and Bianca Olthoff (thank the Lord for technology) teach on these words from Paul:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
In light of all of this, I felt like the questions I needed to ask myself were clear—
What do I need to throw off? What do I need to drive out of the temple of my heart? What specifically do you want me to add or subtract during this season of Lent, God?
Again and again I asked and His answer didn’t seem clear.
I was once again (dang soul-amnesia #annvoskamp) caught in a desperate striving to understand.
Wouldn’t it be super cool if you audibly told me what to do, God? Or, supplied me with some holy dice?
Instead, the Spirit led me to the dark of my prayer closet (aka…my closet) and to a place of silence.
He showed me, reminded me, that what my soul really wanted, what my heart was really longing for, was intimacy with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. I wanted to be closer to Him and I was afraid that something was in the way, something that I just couldn’t quite figure out.
He showed me the lie I subconsciously believed— that I needed to love Him perfectly before I could receive His perfect love.
What nonsense?!
When I was His enemy, He died for me. When I was helpless, He poured out His grace on me. Indeed, my body is like dust, but God knew my soul before the foundations of the earth.
He predestined me in accordance with the pleasure of His will. Through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross I am justified before the Father, I am FILLED with the Holy Spirit, I am a co-heir with CHRIST.
WHEW.
And here I am all distraught wondering what I should do, what I need to do to be okay with God…forgetting that He did and DOES it all.
Paul reminds us to fix our eyes on JESUS. How often do I look down at my feet? How often do I, like Peter, forget that it is by God’s power I am carried nearer Jesus and doubt that I can make it to the finish line?
There was NOTHING separating me from His love while I knelt all angsty-like in the closet. My ability to have intimacy with Jesus is not the result of what I’ve done, but what HE has done. He paid with His blood for the grace and love poured out on me— all I need to do is open my hands and accept it. He always wanted communion…communion.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me (John 15:4).
The glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me (John 17:22-23).
We can do nothing apart from God— intimacy with God is where we start.
We start with the knowledge that apart from Him we can do nothing.
We start with basking in His deep love for us.
We start with adoration of our sweet, mighty, warrior-lover— Jesus.
When we kneel at His feet, marveling in His power and glory, and let go we can trust that He will reveal to us exactly what He wants to, when He wants to. And, He’s already revealed so much through scripture.
The word I received from God in my closet was unexpected— an invitation to adore Him and connect with Him rather than worry. An invitation to follow Him step by step with JOY…with the lightness that comes knowing that all things are from Him, and through Him, and to Him (Romans 11:36)
Where does sacrifice start? In the fullness of Christ’s provision— the fullness of His love.
To Him be the glory forever and ever.
How have you experienced God’s love lately? I would be happy to hear from you!
Love,
Donielle Hart
Hi, friends!
I’m attempting to share a bit more via audio for those who prefer to listen rather than read, or who would like to be able to clean or wrap presents while drinking in the Word.
I hope you enjoy! Peace.
For the last nine months I’ve been wrestling over the question, “If marriage never happens for me, will I be okay?”
And the answer varies day-to-day, I’ll be honest. But it struck me the other morning in a big way. I was lamenting the fact that I may never experience that kind of intimacy and then a new thought emerged. Maybe I was very wrong.
We seem forget that marriage is just the metaphor, reflecting a larger, universal reality.
Marriage is supposed to be a picture of Christ and his Church. But somewhere along the line, marriage became the reality—the concrete realness of things.
But marriage has become less permanent and the pretty picture seems to be fading, and here’s the problem with that:
Marriage is just the picture. It was never intended to be what Christ and his bride reflect. It is instead the reflection, the lesser…
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My eyes will be drawn by the beauty of the Lord.
By the power of the Lord, my eyes will be healed.
The Lord is compassionate in the mystery.
He will not withhold what cannot be taken.
His sovereign will is always done. His Kingdom will come.
[Grave clothes will crumble— all my flailing, stuttering, limp death.]
Yes,
dear, Divine Master— I will eat Your flesh and drink Your blood and
be saved.
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says:
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I
helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2
It is Good Friday and the sun is still hidden
It is Good Friday and the world is still groaning
Today we remember the death
of a carpenter from Nazareth
and the people he loved so dearly
The ones he held by the hand,
spoke tenderly to, said
“Come with me— all else is Hades”
while we nailed him to a cross
And yet
As he bled he said, “Father, forgive them”
with the fall of his head he said “It is finished”
While our hands were still cold with his blood
he whispered in the sunrise
“Darling come away with me— I enjoy rebuilding”
It is Good Friday
and the birds are chirping
It is Good Friday
and time to feed the baby again
Today we remember the death
of a carpenter from Nazareth
and the people he loves so dearly
My logic has been dealt its death blow
you’ll find it in the morgue
covered with scratches of love,
pinned to the table with an arrow
-some say was fired from the hippocampus
sunk costs have never been
more afloat
And I’ve never been more bored with form.
“The soul takes flight to the world that is invisible but there arriving she is sure of bliss and forever dwells in paradise.” -Plato
Donielle Hart 