Anguish

Anguish

David Wilkerson captures the very cry of my heart. My prayer, not only for myself, but for the body of Christ, is that we would begin to partake in the sufferings and anguish of Christ. That we would be so moved by anguish for the lost and be willing to forsake everything we know in order to share the Gospel to see men saved. That we would suffer as Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane
in order to bear the anguish of this lost and dying world. Stir our hearts Lord and cause us to become bold and fearless for the sake of lost souls.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Rom 8:17)

.:La Chula:.

Defining Hope

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Defining Hope

²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.

(Lamentations 3:24-26)

Hope (/hōp/)

Confident expectation in the Lord. Having a quiet confidence that the Lord will answer, that He will rescue; The very acceptance of God’s will and perfect timing. The understanding that perfect timing means without blemish, right on time, never too early, never too late. The ability to have a heart that is willing to wait, quietly and still, because of the confidence we have in God, in His ability to go to battle for you, to take care of you, and to do what is best for you. Hope is the ability to walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and yet fear no evil, but to feel comforted and still because of the guiding hand of God, amidst a raging war. Having peace and quiet confidence in the midst of strife simply because of the very presence of God, having a confidence in His power and strength.

Hope is not something that comes without strife, struggle, and pain. Hope is not something that flourishes in times of peace. Hope is something that grows from the depths of our broken souls, something that flourishes ten-fold in the midst of uncertainty, in the midst of fear and helplessness. Hope is something that pours from our very souls when we find ourselves boxed in on all sides. When the only words we are able to utter are To whom else shall we go Lord? Thou hast the words of eternal life. (Jn 6:68) Hope is not fleeting. It is something that once found, will never disappear. Hope is the very character of God poured into our hearts to teach us that this world and the tragedies it presents is nothing in comparison to the perfection that awaits us. He is our all-sufficient God, the One in whom we can trust. The One in whom we can place our quiet and full confidence.

.:La Chula:.

Clear As Mud

Clear As Mud

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

I set up this blog some time ago in hopes that I might begin to exhort and encourage and comfort other Believers through my struggles (1 Corinthians 14:3) In hopes that they might find comfort in my struggles and therefore confidence in the God that we serve. This blog has risen from the muddy waters I so often find myself in. I  have struggled to hear the voice of God and feel His breath against my cheek. I have struggled to feel the very beating of His heart and to find the quiet confidence in Him I have had in the past. Most of my walk with Him has been in complete darkness. I have struggled to understand when He is speaking and when it is me hoping that I hear His voice. I have struggled to understand when it is God moving and when it is me hoping that He is moving. In reality, I have had to learn to walk by faith because my sight is so often as clear as mud. And yet, amidst these muddy waters, God has been faithful to speak to me. To remind me that I should walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). To remind me that though life so often seems as clear as mud I need to step out confidently and boldly even when there is seemingly no place to set my foot. God has taught me to be still and to wait on Him. I have learned through Psalm 23 to literally sit back and watch the show. I have learned through Lamentations 3 to sit back quietly and confidently and wait for God to reveal His character. I have learned through Psalm 46 to still myself in order that He might reveal Himself as the True and Living God. God speaks to me through writing. He pours out His Spirit and it overflows on the pages of my life. My prayer is that these humble excerpts, though they come through muddy waters, will cause you to draw near to God. And so...

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

(Ephesians 3:14-21)

.:La Chula:.