I Will Not Forget....

As I study the word of God, a fear sometimes comes over me that I will not be able to remember what I am reading.  My MS causes me to have short term memory loss, which has become very annoying to me, as this was never a problem before!  One blessing I have found is that I do not have to worry about that.  The bible tells us not to worry, but I have found it hard not to worry about something as serious as not being able to remember God’s word. It is amazing how God works; I just have to throw that in here this morning before I tell you how this fear turned into a blessing.  This morning I woke and began to study John 15.  John 15 teaches us the true key to our walk with the Lord and was something I felt important to study this morning.  As I finished reading I noticed a verse I had highlighted at some point during my readings, but never quite took it to heart.  The verse was John 14:26 and 27:

26 But the counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you: my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (NIV) 

How beautiful these words were when I read them.  I had obviously read them before, I had them highlighted, but this morning it was like reading them for the first time! Jesus was comforting his disciples, letting them know they would not be alone, that the Spirit would be with them. He told them do no be afraid, that he was giving them peace. This morning he comforted me and took away the fear I have had for a long time and gave me peace. He let me know that MS may cause issue with my memory, but I am blessed with the Holy Spirit, who will make sure I do not forget it!  How beautiful and fantastic is our Lord?

Lord, you never cease to amaze me.  Your blessing and your grace is beyond anything I could ever imagine and I accept it with a whole heart. Lord, I thank you for your spirit that guides me, comforts me, and never lets me forget the words you say to me. Thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes and for removing this fear I had inside.  You are glorious God, my glorious God. Amen

Are You in Exile??

Just like the people in Jeremiah’s time, we are exiled, but in a different sense. The word exile means  "Enforced removal from one's native country. Or Self-imposed absence from one's country." In our case, we have self-imposed exile on ourselves from God’s “country”. God’s “country” is located inside us all, it is our heart.  We become distracted and lured away  by Satan temptations and we begin to become absent from the “country” in our hearts.  We begin to fall away from God’s word and begin to live in a manner that is not pleasing to God.  Maybe things go wrong, bad things happen, and we begin to blame God.  We start to think maybe God has forgotten us because we are going through trials, pain and suffering that seem to be never ending.  We are exiled from our father, by our own choice, through our own actions. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that we are not forgotten, and even in the face of suffering, we have a hope.  God has a  plan for me, he knows this plan, I do not.  I have faced suffering in my life, I have faced pain in my life, but through it all, even when I thought God wasn’t there….he was.  He has always had a plan for me.  While I may have had to suffer, God knew what he was doing, he has turned that suffering into beauty.  He has given me hope in times that I have suffered the most.  He has given me a bright future, all I have to do is take hold of his hands and let him guide me. God has, and is still, preparing me, just like the people of Judah, for a new beginning.  A new beginning in which he is the center of my world, and this is a beautiful thing!! 

Beautiful Lord in Heaven, I do not know the plan you have for me, but I know you do.  You have walked with me daily, even when I was not actively your child, you walk with me now while I face MS and many other trials in this life.  You are always there, you never left, but I did.  Lord I thank you for finding me, for bringing me back to your country, your place that you have kept inside me.  Thank you Lord for your saving grace and unconditional love. It's good to be home. Amen.