MORE

"More" is a running theme in my life lately.  We need more money.  We need more of (or replacement of) this and that.  My 2-yr-old is always wanting "maw" to eat...and becoming very stealth in her acquisition of it when she decides Mommy or Daddy's "no" is unacceptable.  My 5-yr-old son wants more toys and more of his own way.  I could use more exercise in my life.  More desire for exercise in my life!  I want more time - to get more done, to do more things I want to do.  And so much more...

But there's been another "more" theme floating in the air over the last week or two that's caused me to finally stop and take notice:  God's whispering, "More of ME."  He wants to be the "more" of my life.  The other stuff is just 'stuff'.  It has no eternal significance.  He is the Author and Creator of this world, this life. The Alpha and the Omega.  And He asks to be first above all else. 

The choruses of two songs have kept popping in my mind that drive it home:

  Enough (Jeremy Camp version): 

"For all of You, is more than enough for all of me...For every thirst and every need...You satisfy me with Your love...And all I have in You, is MORE THAN ENOUGH

I Need You More:

"I need You more, More than yesterday...I need You Lord, More than words can say...I need You more, Than ever before...I need You Lord, I need You Lord. 

More than the air I breathe...More than the song I sing...More than the next heartbeat...More than anything.

I need You more..."

 He wants me to love and seek Him more than anything or anyone else.  So He's drawing me close.  And I want to snuggle up beside Him, and tell Him how much I love Him.  And listen intently as He tells me, "I love you, child. It's going to be okay.  More than okay.  Trust Me.  Remember what I told you:

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the unbelievers run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
(Matthew 6: 25-34, The Message)

Here's to MORE of Him and MORE of what He has in store!

Shock and Awe

Recently our family visited Frontier City, a local amusement park.  We stopped to watch in awe of this ride:

Just watch it.  We didn't ride it.  It goes upside down!

As we're standing there, we look over at Hollie -she's 2, and caught this:

Shock and awe. 

Assurance

Assurance

May Jesus assure you that as you follow Him—

You will never meet a fear He cannot conquer;

You will never face an enemy He cannot defeat;

You will never enter a battle He cannot win;

You will never have a need He cannot meet;

You will never face a temptation He cannot overcome;

You will never have a burden He cannot lift;

You will never face a problem He cannot solve;

You will never have a bondage He cannot break;

You will never have a moment when He does not care;

You will never have a time when He is not there.

"I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]." Philippians 4:13 AMP

~Roy Lessin,  Co-Founder of Dayspring

What a great reminder that we are not alone, and don't have to 'do it all' in our own strength. In fact, God doesn't want us to! He wants us to depend on Him. Imagine the life we could have if we would simply let go and allow His strength to 'infuse' us! 

And take a look at the definition of assurance:
 

1. a positive declaration intended to give confidence

2. promise or pledge; guaranty; surety 

3. full confidence; freedom from doubt; certainty 

4. freedom from timidity; self-confidence; belief in one's abilities 

5. presumptuous boldness

 
WOW.  God can give me all of this!  He declares promises to take care of me and my needs if I call on Him. And if I will trust with a certainty and surety of who He is, He can instill a confidence in me that I could never muster on my own.  This, in turn, can release my timidity, and then allow me the freedom of 'presumptuous boldness' to serve Him and live the life He's called me to!  Oh, what BLESSED ASSURANCE!