A New Year

Faithful:adj 1 firm adherence to whatever one is bound to by duty or promise

syn allegiant, ardent, constant, loyal, resolute, steadfast, true...

rel dependable, reliable, trustworthy, affectionate, devoted, loving...

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If there is anything that God has been this past year, this is it. And though this definition is beautiful and I love it, I believe that the traits of God cannot be fully defined by man. When I let human definitions shape God's ways my understanding always stops short, but when I allow Him to define what He Is, there is always more. I love it.

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This past year has been amazing. I have learned so much, but through it all He constantly brings me to my knees because of how much I don't know. This year has been very much of a beginning for me. When I set out in Him, at every turn His reply was the same: "This is only the beginning; it does not stop here." Whether it be worship, prayer, communion, or anything else, "It is only the beginning; don't stop."

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As a new year begins, my thoughts are many and varied- but there is one thing that I know: God is Faithful. And I think that we need to pursue Him further, beyond human definitions, beyond human understanding, and allow Him to be more. He is ready, willing, and wanting to be to us all that He claims to be- we just need to let Him. He IS everything He claims to be, but so many times we stop short in our own finite understanding.

I love the way Eric Ludy states it:

"Don't pitch your tent"

That is exactly it; let us not pitch our tent in the wilderness or anywhere else for that matter, but let us press on the the fullness! Did you know that there is more? No, there is not more that we need to be saved---Jesus is all that we need to be saved, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."--- but you see, it is the grace that allows for more. There is more of Him; that is why we press on.

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" -Phil. 3:14

If we are going to be called upward to be with Him, why do we press on? Why don't we just sit here and wait? I mean, we are "saved" man-we don't need anything else, just sit tight and be cool. We're going to heaven!

We press on because there is more to be attained while we are here on earth; He paid the price so that His kingdom could come to earth! The mystery was of His kingdom: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

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As this new year begins, it seems like it is going to be pretty crazy. So many things are happening around the world, Bible prophecies are being fulfilled, and to the world it only brings one thing: fear. They desperately search for security in the things we know are passing. The definition above is exactly what they so desperately want: something trustworthy, true, reliable, devoted, constant...

But we have the One who is faithful; our God is "the One who is holy, the One who is true."

Therefore, for us the future should only bring greater hope, greater joy, and greater peace... for we stand on the Rock.

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.The right hand of the LORD is exalted;The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.I shall not die, but live,And declare the works of the LORD."

-Psalm 118:16-17

"'Fear not, for I am with you;Be not dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you.Yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'"-Isaiah 41:10

"Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies."-Psalm 60:12

"Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage."-Psalm 84:5-6

"Truly my soul silently waits for God;from Him comes my salvation; He is my defense;I shall not be greatly moved." -Psalm 62:1-2

"Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion,Which cannot be moved, but abides forever."-Psalm 125:1

"Have you not known?"

-Isaiah 40

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Well, I could keep going on and on, but I better stop now. Oh, and I'm going to put up this week's song a day early, because it goes along with all of this wonderfully. (It is a beautiful song.)

Have a happy New Year everyone!!!

My Shepherd

The LORD is my Shepherd;

I shall not want.

-Psalm 23:1

"You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God," says the Lord God.
-Ezekiel 34:31


Ezekiel 34 amazes me. (Read the whole chapter!) God meant earthly shepherds to be for the good of His people; to lead His people in a way that would show them who He is. Yet perhaps too many of them take their jobs too lightly or are ignorant of the fact that they are meant to be a beautiful picture of the One Shepherd. Certainly they are most definitely not beautiful pictures of Him in and of themselves, and never can be--- but by the impartation of Him who is truly beautiful. In the beginning of the chapter the Lord addresses the shepherds, telling them everything they have done against His sheep. The reason that they erred in the first place seems to be because of one thing: Self was on the throne rather that the LORD, which brought much destruction to the sheep and led them astray.
There are many warnings in this chapter; both to the shepherds and the sheep. His shepherds need to recognize their job, and His sheep need to recognize their Shepherd. Though earthly shepherds may be for our good (those who recognize their responsibility and the fact that they too are under the One Shepherd), we (the sheep that is) must never look to them to save us or be to us what only He can be.

In the middle of the chapter He mentions His servant David.
There is one key that unlocks understanding of this whole chapter; one key that this whole chapter points to. The key of David: Jesus Christ.
When we His sheep come to complete dependence on Him, and can truly say that He alone is our Shepherd, there is no other, we have need of nothing because He is our everything, then we will never be led astray.


(If there are any out there who also find joy in this, I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Please!?)

Psalm 89:15-18

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!

They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

In Your name they rejoice all day long,

And in Your righteousness they are exalted.

For You are the glory of their strength,

And in Your favor our horn is exalted.

For our shield belongs to the LORD,

And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Four Questions

What cries out for the living God?

What thirsts for the living God?

What shall I see in the land of the living?

Why may I walk before God in the light of the living?

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If you know the answers, please post them. :) Then there is one more question we must all ask:

Is it true??

This is how it is meant to be! I was reading Psalm 84, and when I got to verse 2 I suddenly thought: Is this true? Right now, in my life, is this really true? Oh sure my heart cries out for You, God. But my flesh?! My flesh cries out for anything and everything but the living God! Can flesh really cry out for You? I want it to be so. Let it be so! God, make my flesh and my heart and every fiber of my being cry out for You and be filled with You so that nothing is left of me, but all You!

The life that God wants us to live is shown so clearly in His living Word. There are so many promises and blessings that He is just waiting to pour out on us, if we would just turn to Him, cry out to Him, wait on Him. So many times I get too comfortable and think that this is the closest that I will ever get to Him, the most I will ever see of Him. But that is not true! He has so much more--- if I will just press closer to Him and draw near to Him, then He will draw near to me!