Who is the author of your life?

Who is the author of your life? 

 

Who are you letting write your story?

 

I am using these quiet holiday days to complete the writing of our story of the last six years with a daughter with brain cancer. It is not an easy task, many tears have flowed. Even six years later, there is grief on so many different levels to process. But every time I write I am reminded of all God has done in these six years and I understand more and more that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily en-snares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

 

I am understanding more and more that as much as these six years have been a 'cancer journey', they have more importantly been a 'Jesus journey'. A journey of growing in faith and love for our Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It has been one of those seasons written about in The Bible in the Book of James,

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 The Message

Thankfully Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He shows us how to live that faith-life. We just have to be a willing participant, seeking Him and keeping our focus on Him. And when we waiver, He is there, ready to help guide us back to His ways, receiving His forgiveness and pressing on in His grace.

If you don't know what you doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. James 1:5-8 The Message

So here are the questions for today again, Who is the author of your life? Who are you letting write your story? Are you travelling on your own path to 'who knows where'? Or are you surrendering to Jesus and letting Him write your story? He will always write a bestseller, because He tells us,

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me,  you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." GOD's decree. Jeremiah 29:11-14a The Message

Our response

The apostle Paul is in jail ...

This is why I, Paul, and in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. Ephesians 3:1-2 The Message

The so-called outsiders, the gentiles, are all those who aren't Jewish. Me, and possibly you. Paul was in jail for speaking out about Christ, and here is his response, He is on His knees, praying, asking God to strengthen the outsiders, and exhorting them to live their lives fully in God, and trust that He can do anything.

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth.

I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit - not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength - that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. 

And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. 

Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. 

God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! 

He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Ephesians 3:14-20 The Message 

Question for today, what is your response to your Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?  We are all at different stages in our walk with God, but let's always be reverent, allow the Spirit to move in our lives and move to a deeper level of knowing, loving and trusting God, so we too can do our part in God's plan.

Let your trust rest in Christ's name

All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].  John 6:37 AMP

Jesus won't reject you. John tells us that Jesus came so that we might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. John 3:16 AMP

We all have a choice. Jesus communicates that to us very clearly.

"If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him. I didn't come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I'm saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, the Word and no other is the last word." John 12:47-48 The Message

God wants us to choose Him - to choose His unconditional love for us. He created us. We are His children.

See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason the world does not know (recognise, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognise, acknowledge) Him.  1 John 3:1 AMP

Question for today, are you living as a child of God, with the confidence that you are loved, not rejected? If not, ask God to give you a tangible touch of His love today. Expect it and receive it.

This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about - not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. 1 John 4:9-10 The Message  

Who am I?

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. Ephesians 1:11-12 The Message

Who am I? What am I living for? I remember asking myself these questions in my early twenties. And going searching in all sorts of interesting places to find the answers, including a new age festival. 

Thankfully, just as this scripture says, Christ had his eye on me. He had a plan. Gradually I lifted my eyes to see Him. And since that day when I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour, I have been on a continual journey of understanding more about who I am and what I am living for. 

I know I am His. I am a child of God. I belong to God.

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you in greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 AMP

Isn't that something we all yearn for - to belong? At school, we want to belong to a group of friends. At work, we want to belong with our colleagues. In our community, we want to belong somehow, whether in a sporting group, a service group, an interest group. Even in church, we want to belong to a group. We want to be connected.

Connection is great. It is part of God's plan for us to be connected with others. But we have to be careful that we don't let our membership (or non-membership) of a group, determine our identity. Our identity comes from Christ alone. 

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NLT

And from that identity, comes our purpose.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 1:9 NLT

Thank you Jesus, that when we know You as our Lord and Saviour, we can truthfully answer that question, Who am I? Thank you that as we progressively understand more about who You are, we understand more about who we are, and what You have called us to do. Please help us to stay true to You in all we do. Thank you that your grace is sufficient for us every day. Amen.

And we [have seen and] know [positively] that the Son of God has [actually] come to this world and has given us understanding and insight [progressively] to perceive (recognize) and come to know better and more clearly Him Who is true; and we are in Him Who is true - in His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). This [Man] is the true God and Life eternal. 1 John 5:20 AMP

 

Choices

But me, I'm not giving up.

I'm sticking around to see what GOD will do.

I'm waiting for God to make things right.

I'm counting on God to listen to me.

Micah 7:7 The Message

We are almost at the end of the another year. A year that for some people had tragedy, disappointment and betrayal, and for others joy, celebrations and success. For some it has been a mix of both.

Despite what has happened in 2016, we will be entering into a new year on Sunday and we have a choice. In fact, every morning, when we wake up to a new day, we have a choice. A choice to stick with God and recall Who He is ...

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in him!" The LORD is good to those who wait in Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:21-26 NKJV

A choice every day, to taste and see that the LORD is good.

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see - how good GOD is. Blessed are  you who run to him. Psalm 34:8 The Message

A choice to trust Him.

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6 The Message

God makes a choice every day. He chose us.

Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in Love.  Ephesians 1:4 AMP

Yes, He chose us.

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to  be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!). Ephesians 1:4-5 The Message

So today, in response to God's love for us, let's choose Jesus, and let Him influence every choice we make.

Enemies

Jesus spoke about many things when He was here on earth 2000 years ago. Let's have a look at a couple of the things Jesus said about enemies ...

"To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person." Luke 6:27-28 The Message

"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never - I promise - regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind." Luke 6:35-36 The Message

Today, let's take time to meditate on these scriptures. Maybe you do not have an overt enemy in your life right now, and if that is the case, ask God to show you if there are any 'less than loving attitudes about other people' in your heart, and ask Him to help you to forgive and love them, just as He loves us.

Imagine what our society would be like if we did exactly as Jesus tells us to do ...

Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives towards us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Luke 6:35

God is with us in every season

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die, 

a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted,

A time to kill and a time to heal,

 a time to break down and a time to build up,

A time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, 

a time to embrace an a time to refrain from embracing,

A time to get and a time to lose, 

a time to keep and a time to cast away,

A time to rend and a time to sew, 

a time to keep silence and a time to speak,

A time to love and a time to hate, 

a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 AMP

Heavenly Father, whatever season we find ourselves in today, please help us to always remember that You are right here with us. That you have a plan that will end well - with us in heaven with You for eternity. Thank you for Jesus, who came to earth and made a way for us to be with You forever. Amen.

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  "When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and what it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." GOD's decree. Jeremiah 29:11-14a The Message