Saturday, July 27, 2013

Humbled

 O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
 

 And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
 

 When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

 


We sang this song this week on our Mission trip...I cannot sing this sing...EVER...without going back in my mind...being a 10 year old little girl...laying on our picnic table in the back yard...singing that song or reading the words and thinking...there must be more than my child like mind could see...could understand! I know now after all these years, God was revealing Himself to a little girl who was very curious about this Creator I'd heard about at church camp!

This week has been amazing and life changing yet again. We had the honor to stand beside some truly passionate people who desire to see their neighborhoods redeemed through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ!

We served each day to some amazing kids, with amazing believers...we bonded together so well in order to accomplish the work the Lord had called us to Kansas City to do! We worked in a church that has many people in it who moved to the "hood"...for no other reason but to share the Gospel with the "nations". The nations have moved there to start a new life...a life that at this point is empty without the Lord...

I always thought people only did this as they moved out of our country to sacrifice...but it's not true...Living Faith Church has the heartbeat of their Savior and a passion for the lost...they have the ability to walk with a kingdom purpose in everything they do! I have come to understand that we have the same needs in our own back door...in McDonald County...the Nations are coming and we have a great opportunity...will we take it...we have hungry children who need their belly's full and the Truth share...will be feed them both ways...we have families that need the love of Jesus to give them HOPE...will we GO?

Each evening we had a time of worship and teaching. The teaching was good stuff...causing me to come out bruised each night...one evening in particular Brad Russell preached on the glory of God...He read Isaiah 42:8..."I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images"

I've known for a very long time that life is NOT about us...not you...and not me...it is about the Lord...but I got a picture in my head this week of what it might look like in the very throne room of God...filled with HIS glory!...God has taught me many things this week...but the biggest...how truly selfish and self seeking I am...I think at times knowingly I am...and other times I don't realize it until I've already done whatever I was doing...it was unintentional...but caused pain or a problem or just attempted to steal some of God's glory...and whether it was intentional or not...it was sin...

Matt 5:16...which was the theme verse we had a few weeks ago for our local mission trip was shared again this week..."Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven"...simply put...live for HIM so HE will be glorified...

As we sang How Great Thou Art...I got the picture of HIS GLORY...through the song...I understand there is more than I knew as a child and there is more to know...but not for ME to feel good about me or my life...for HIM...so HE will be Glorified...so HE will be exalted among the nations!

Our last devotion for the trip is this morning...our first day back and I want to share one last scripture that is in our devotions...from Psalm 85:8-9...
"I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for HE speaks to His faithful people. BUT LET THEM NOT RETURN TO THEIR FOOLISH WAYS. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear HIM, SO OUR LAND WILL BE FILLED WITH HIS GLORY!

I heard a word over and over this week...intentional...may I live the rest of my days...intentional for HIS GLORY!