Sunday, March 22, 2009

Trust

Sundays are such a great day for me. I love preparing to go to church. "How do you prepare to go to church? Don't you just show up?" you say. Well, for me it means getting my heart and mind in the right place. It's a place that puts me second and God first. Growing up my Dad would always play music in the morning. I guess he got me in the habit of it and now I continue it. This morning I was listening to my Wow hymns (I've been in the hymn mode lately). Two songs really hit me this morning which means God was talking to me. The first one is called "'Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus". The idea is that we have nothing to fret or worry about because God is trustworthy. I really struggle with this concept. I find that my life has given me some hurtful moments that I have blamed fully on God. In my heart I have decided that God is not trustworthy, yet my mind knows differently. The chorus convicted me to the utmost. "Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I've proved him over and over." I began to think of all the times that God has pulled me through. I began to think how many times he has protected me from some crazy things, how he has been with me, and will be with me to the very end. (praise Jesus) He is trustworthy.
Then to continue on this thought, He showed me why He is trustworthy. I listened to the song "There is a Fountain". I am going to put the words here because they are so powerful.

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains:

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away:

E'er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die:

After this last verse I fell to the floor in awe and praise of Jesus. In the middle of my kitchen, I sat weeping because His blood pardoned my sins. He redeemed me. I was a vile person like the prisoner on the cross next to Jesus, but just like the thief I have been forgiven because of the blood shed there on the cross. Folks, that is good news. We can live because of his death. He gave it up for us. Who in your life has done that? Who has denied himself or herself to the point of death that you may live the life of your choice? I can think of none other than Jesus. He is the constant in my life. He is the one that I can depend on. So I am going to keep trusting God even when it seems like He is untrustworthy because he has redeemed me, saved me from destruction of my own design. I came away from today knowing more of God's love for me in a very real way. My prayer for you is that you too will know that same love and experience the peace and joy that passes all understanding due to that amazing love. He loves you more than you can ever imagine and He will continue to love you no matter what you are or what you do. Nothing can change His love for you.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW! and amen. That is some kind of testimony that you have shared. What a beautiful heart God has put inside of you. He is honored by your praise and worhty of your honor. I was truly blessed by your words. Amazing that I am blessed to be your mom.

Stephanie said...

Thanks for writing this, Shanalea. It is good to be in the spot where we are fully aware of what we owe and what He paid. I need to be there more often.

Roxanna Grimes said...

I'll bet worship continued as you went to the building where church was held! Thanks for sharing your kitchen awakening!