Does God's Feelings Get Hurt?

I have been wrestling for some time now with the notion/idea/discipline of "Trusting God." I find myself wondering whether or not we "hurt" God when we don't trust Him. More than that, I wonder How He feels when we still have moments of doubt after allllll that He has done for us, after all of the ways He has shown that He is in control.

I think about the disciples and the people of old who continuously asked Jesus for a sign after He performed countless miracles and healing right before their eyes.

I think about my five year old daughter who asks me everyday if I am going to pick her up from school despite the fact that I have done it the day before and the day before that. Now, I do not have the promise keeping capability of our savior, but I am still perplexed when she questions me in an area which I feel I have proven myself in already.

Oh, and then I think about me.......human, fallible, at times untrusting...me. Recently I have gone through some of what I consider to be the most troublesome times of my life to date. I am almost ashamed to admit that I too in a way have questioned God with, "are you picking me up today?"

I question whether or not He is aware of what I'm going through and if He is going to do anything about it. Then I realize how He must feel toward my unbelief and doubt. He has walked with me for almost 30 years now. He has kissed all of the boo-boos and made "it" better. I only have to look over my childhood and teenage years to see His faithfulness and provision at work in my life. And even as an adult He has been patient with me, loving me like no other.

I realize now, that in those times of trouble, He is a very present help. The hardships are all designed to draw me closer to Him and strengthen my faith. After all, He has promised me some things:

-He will perfect those thing which concern me
-He will complete the work he began in me
-He lets me cast my cares upon him
-He will not withhold any good thing from me
And
-He will never leave me or forsake me

What a God!

May I always remember that I have a relationship with the God who created this enormous universe, and He sees me right where I am. If He came through for me before, He will do it again and again and again. I just have to know that even when I can't feel Him, He's there.

Lord I believe, but help my unbelief.

Redemption, (Oh What Love)!

Sooo, this past weekend, I attended Good Friday Services and of course Easter, (resurrection) Sunday. I know that as a Christians we can get caught up in the mundane practices of going to church on Easter weekend.....it's just something we do, you know?

However, when I sat in the Good Friday service, one of the ministers said something that was so simple, yet so profound. He said, "the common thread throughout the entire Bible, is Redemption and Reconciliation." I don't know, but it just hit me out of nowhere, and I was completely overwhelmed by God's extreme love for us, (me). The plan all along has been for God to reconcile man back to him, in order to experience/enjoy the relationship we were meant to have from the beginning. God literally figured out a way to do it, to redeem us, and reconcile us back to him......

I think about this when.....

I am unforgiving to others
I feel like God is nowhere to be found
When I can't feel him
When I fret about the uncertainty of the future
I become complacent in my relationship w/Christ

I have to keep in mind, that the gift of salvation was planned before the foundations of the world were ever joined together. I know that I will never fully understand the entire scope of what "Jesus dying for the sins of all man, past present, and future," means, but may I never become comfortable with the cross and take for granted what my Savior did for me."Jesus went to calvary to save a wretch like you and me, that's love!"

Lord Make Me...

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace — where there is hatred, let me sow love — where there is injury, let me sow pardon — where there is doubt, let me sow faith — where there is despair, let me sow hope — where there is darkness, let me sow light and where there is sadness, let me sow joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console — to be understood as to understand — to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life. —Francis of Assisi

I so desperately want to be everything that God has created me to be. I once heard someone say that it is integral to understand how one is supposed to serve their generation; to make an impact in their lifetime. It is my prayer and hope that I fulfill the destiny and plan which God has created for my life. How devastating it would be to reach Glory and find there were many things that I was supposed to be a partaker of, but missed them. I want everything that God has for me and I want to do everything that God has designed for me to do. I know that my life is not just about me. Someone else's destiny is wrapped up in me discovering and living out mine, what a humbling reality! May I be slow to speak and quick to listen, slow to anger, and quick to forgive. If I am to be truly conformed into the image of Christ, then I have a lot of "dying" to do.

Lord use me as only you can, purge me, cleanse me, wash me anew, that I might be of service to you.

Amazing Love

"Your love is amazing...steady and unchanging...your love is a rock,

firm beneath my feet."

I am completely overwhelmed at how much God truly loves me and even as I say that, I know that I don't even understand the full scope of His love for me. His love is amazing, steady and unchanging.

I am amazed because he loved me when:

I was His enemy,I wasn't concerned with Him,

I sinned in my heart, thoughts, words, and deeds

I crucified Him anew

I am still amazed because He loves me when:

I am unlovable

I fall short

I forget to pray

I don't include Him in my plans

I am anxious about everything

I don't take Him at His Word

I do not think I will ever fully know/understand the capacity with which God has to love. I know that He is love, and that He demonstrated His Love toward me when I was when I was His enemy. It is a great comfort to know that NOTHING can ever separate me from His love:

And I am convinced

that nothing can ever

separate us from God’s love.

Neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither our fears for today,

nor our worries about tomorrow—

not even the powers of hell

can separate us from God’s love.

No power in the sky above

or in the earth below—

indeed, nothing in all creation

will ever be able to separate us

from the love of God

that is revealed

in Christ Jesus our Lord

(Romans 8:38-39)

Thank you Lord for loving me so. May I forever strive to live my life in response to your sacrifice, and not just as a result of what you did until we are face to face, creator and created one.

The Entire Scope of it All

I received this in an e-mail the other day, and I really wanted to share it...

Now, THIS is really fascinating - it's rather dazzling to see it presented this way.

I CERTAINLY THOUGHT THIS WAS ENLIGHTENING. BEYOND OUR SUN ... IT'S A BIG UNIVERSE.

ANTARES IS THE 15TH BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY.
IT IS MORE THAN 1000 LIGHT YEARS AWAY.
NOW HOW BIG ARE YOU?
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NOW TRY TO WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND THIS.....
THIS IS A HUBBLE TELESCOPE ULTRA DEEP FIELD INFRARED VIEW OF COUNTLESS
'ENTIRE' GALAXIES BILLIONS OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

BELOW IS A CLOSE UP OF ONE OF THE DARKEST REGIONS OF THE PHOTO ABOVE.

HUMBLING, ISN'T IT?

And yet, Someone knows how many hairs are on your head,

and not even a single sparrow dies apart from His will (Mt 10:29-31)!

NOW HOW BIG ARE YOU?
AND HOW BIG ARE THE THINGS THAT UPSET YOU TODAY?

AND HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD?

KEEP LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE.
AND DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!

IT'S ALL UNDER CONTROL (Job 38)