What will you give me?

Abram said…”I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap;  or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’.  

Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.

O Lord God, what will you give me?

Your very own son shall be your heir…number the stars…so shall your offspring be.

And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God  

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ—He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  

I have given them your word … I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one … I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” 

So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future–all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s—And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Gen.14:22-23; 15:1-2, 4-6 ESV; Lk.15:31 NIV; Eph. 2:6-8 NIV; Eph. 1:3 NIV; Rom 8:32 NASB; Jn. 14:27 NIV;  Jn. 17:14, 22, 26 NIV; I Cor.3:21-23 ESV; Phil.4:19-20 NASB

=========

Abraham got more than a son. He became the progenitor of the race through whom THE SON would come, and in believing God’s promise of blessing He got RIGHTEOUSNESS!  That same righteousness is ours as believers in the Son of God who gave His life to buy ours back.  He has come and will come again. In the meantime He resides in the hearts of those whose hearts have been touched by God’s grace to believe.  What will God give me?  He has given me Himself.  Is there something more that I need?

–LS

Lord, wean my heart from lesser things. Ps.131:2,3

 Give me Jesus by Fernando Ortega

Created to Cling

“As a belt clings to a person’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me,” says the LORD.  They were to be my people, my pride, my glory–an honour to my name, but they would not listen to me.”

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

…but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day. 

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of [all] who through faith…were made strong out of weakness…

I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. … The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. … What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD…

Jer.13:11 NLT; Mt.11:28 NLT; II Cor. 12:9 ESV; Joshua 23:8 ESV; I Cor.1:26-29 ESV; Heb 11:32-34 ESV;  Ps.116:1-2,6-7, 12-13 ESV

—————–

So poignantly God calls us to himself, in our weakness, in our incompleteness, in our sin and shame. He calls us to cling to Him and find Him to be the Hero of our story, the strong one, the dependable one, the One who completes us. Our strengths are our biggest hazards, lest we lean on our own understanding and dismiss His as irrelevant.

Our weaknesses, though humbling, embarrassing, even disabling, are intended to drive us to Jesus where by faith we stand willing and able to do all that He asks of us.  Not everything we might want, not everything we see others doing, but everything He has designed for us to be for His glory’s sake. How does this change my goals and desires for change in this new year?

What if weakness is an asset, not a shame?

What if being a strong independent woman isn’t God’s goal for me?

What if my greatest struggles are His greatest opportunity to cultivate relationship with me?

Salvation is not a deal where God says– OK, I’ve rescued you from disaster and put you on your feet, now try again and see how you do.  Salvation is from start to finish by faith, by dependence on Jesus for the life God calls us to live.  It is an entrance into a new life altogether–a life in Christ, our strength and song, our everything for every need.

All Kudos to Him for all we are and have and will be in this new year.  Let’s never stop calling on Him.  Let’s never think we’ve grown beyond the need!

–LS

Come to Jesus–a beautiful call to come, all our lives long, to the One who is our starting and ending place in this life’s journey (Chris Rice)

Your Name–nothing has the power to save us but this One! (Paul Baloche)

As morning dawns and evenings fades,
You inspire songs of praise
That rise from earth to touch Your heart and glorify Your NameJesus, in Your Name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord, give us strength to live for You and glorify Your Name

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
‘Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name