What do you find pleasure in? What makes you satisfied?
Do you find pleasure in worldly things? Or do you find satisfaction in the one who made you?
Sometimes I can get caught up in the things of this world, but I'm constantly checking myself...focusing on the truth that I can only find true satisfaction in the One who made me.
It is only when I align myself with Christ that I can find true pleasure and satisfaction in this life. That indescribable satisfaction found deep within our souls can only grow from the seed of life...Christ.
So I stumbled upon this video journal by Tenth Avenue North and thought it was too good, not to share with you!
I ran across an awesome video today that goes great with my previous post, Carry the hurt and probably a few other posts because I talk about this subject a lot.
Anyway, you may or may not know that my favorite band is Tenth Avenue North. I don't have their newest album yet so I listen to it a lot on YouTube & Spotify. Not only is their music great, but they also post awesome video journals that explain the story behind their songs.
Please, please, please watch this video about their song "Worn".
I hope it's a blessing to you!
Today's scripture for read-your-Bible-in-a-year plan is 2 Corinthians 5-9.
If you don't know, my whole motto behind my blog is about being transformed and renewed, especially during hard times. If you don't know my story, check it out here and my post everything happens for a reason . I think there are times in our lives where restoration is needed. It may take a trial to shake us and to wake us up or maybe we just need a new day to realize that we need a change. We can try a new diet or exercise plan in attempt to transform our bodies, but can they even come close to touching our souls? When a new year rolls around, we are so quick to change our outer bodies, but what about what's inside? We can try setting new goals or making a career change or go to counseling, but even when we do that, are we really being transformed as people?
It's when we realize that we aren't god and truly in need of a savior, when our lives can be transformed. Like I said, sometimes it may take a lot to get to that point and even then, the transformation is not over. You see, God is in the transformation business. When we come to that point of throwing our hands up, God is ready to take all that we are dealing with. It can be some messy stuff, but that won't stop God from using it for His glory. He likes to make BIG statements. During this act of trusting God, He can open our eyes to much more than we ever could imagine. Instead of letting the bad stuff get you down, let God transform you through it. The transformation doesn't stop either. After the initial transformation, God continues to transform and refine as His servants.
Whatever you've done or gone through, He can make you new. That might sound familiar...yep, it's at the top of my blog. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come." Nothing is too big for Him. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Even when you give it up to God, things may not make sense, but hold on, things will come together. I've said it before and I'll say it again...no matter where you've been or what you've done, God can make you new. He is a forgiving God and He wants you to trust Him with your life. When we trust Him, we become vessels to show His glory.
In Him we find transformation.
Please, please, pretty please check out this song by Tenth Avenue North, "You Do All Things Well" You won't regret it.
If you are journeying through the Bible in a year with me, we start the book of Acts tomorrow!
Don't worry, I'm not going to talk about who I voted for (although you could probably figure that out), who you should vote for, or anything like that.
So no matter what side you are on you might be afraid what the future holds. Even if you are reading this from outside of the U.S., you are probably afraid of something right now. However, I'm going to challenge you to NOT be afraid. That may be hard, but then again, it shouldn't be. Yes, this is a huge day for America, no doubt, but we have to remember that God knows what is going to happen. He has it under control and He has a purpose for everything, no matter who becomes our president. We should not put hope into man, but we should put our hope into God. He is the only one who can really give us hope. Now I believe that He can bring hope through a person, but ultimately He is our one, true hope. Humans mess up, but God doesn't. Now I'm not saying, don't worry about voting.
As citizens, we should vote and we should pray for God's will to be done.
So no matter who wins, God tells us to "Fear not, for I am with you...(Isaiah 41:10)". Psalm 112:7 (NLT) says, "They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them."So don't fear, but be confident in God's promises.
In Him we find confidence.
Check this video out! Mike, the lead singer from Tenth Avenue North talks about fear. Yep, another Tenth Avenue North video. What can I say, I love them!
This is the song that goes with it...
So fear not, be confident that God is strong enough to save!
The scripture for the read-your-Bible-in-a-year plan is Luke 21-22.
Grace. What a beautiful thing. Getting something you don't deserve. Many people have shown grace to me, but the person who shows the most grace to me is God.
I don't deserve to be saved. I deserve walking up that hill with the cross on my back and being nailed to the cross, BUT I have been saved from that. I don't deserve eternal life, BUT (don't you just love those BUTs) I have received it. You can find a lot of BUTs in the Bible, mainly because God is so gracious towards us. You would think that there would be a certain point where God's grace ends, BUT (ha there's another one!) it doesn't! That's crazy to me! I did nothing to deserve that. Romans 5:20 says, "The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more..." Wait...let me get this straight...no matter how much we sin, He is going to top us with His grace. That's a lot of grace if you ask me! Then it continues in verse 21, "so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." What can get better than grace?! I mean, seriously! Jesus brought grace which gives us eternal life when we believe in Him. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."
So what does this mean to us? Well yeah, we are saved by grace through faith, but what should we do with it? We should praise God and let it change us. Just like Tenth Avenue North's song, "Grace" says, "Grace, only grace, can move us to a rhythm that will change our ways." I know, another Tenth Avenue North song, but I just love their album...such great lyrics!
His grace should push us to live our life to the fullest...make Him proud.
In Him we find grace.
Another great song is "Grace" by Caleb Chapman-I couldn't NOT mention this song, check it out too!
Today's scripture is Luke 19-20 of the year-long-Bible-reading plan!
Two things you should know about me...well, three actually. One-I love music. I definitely can feel the Holy Spirit in music. Two- Audrey Assad is my all time favorite singer. Her voice is like butter and I could listen to her all day, everyday. Three- my all time favorite band is Tenth Avenue North. I saw them a few years ago when they opened for Casting Crowns and I've loved them ever since. Their sound is unique & their lyrics are full of meaning.
So last night was a great night. You wanna know why? I went to Tenth Avenue North's concert and Audrey Assad opened for them, along with The Rend Collective Experiment (Irish Christian band-they're one of my favorite bands now). Yep, it was pretty, stinkin awesome. It started with an upbeat Irish band with cute accents (I'm a sucker for an Irish accent haha), then we were serenaded by Audrey and then we were jammin out with TAN. Let me tell you, these guys are so energetic and Mike (the lead singer) is hilarious! I laughed so much. If you have a bucket list, go write down "Go to a Tenth Avenue North concert", if you don't have a bucket list, I suggest you create one just for them...go on...I'm serious...you won't regret it. I promise. I still can't stop thinking about last night...it was that good.
Moving on. Their latest album is called The Struggle and the songs that explain how in life we often struggle. Most of the time we think of struggling as a bad thing. I mean, who wants to struggle, right? However, a lot of times God uses struggle to show us something. Whether it be for us to cling to Him or to learning something, there is purpose. It may sound mean, but it isn't...it's love. Mike said last night "He cut us to heal us, He died to revive us." Word!
I think one of the reasons last night was so awesome was because I could relate to the message. My Lyme Disease has been a struggle, BUT God has used it. So I'm thankful for this struggle. The Bible never tells us that life will be easy, but that we will face persecution and struggle. Jesus says (John 16:33), "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world
you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."However, if we seek out God, He will use the struggle for His glory. I know I may talk about this a lot, but it is so important. Everyone struggles. That's life. Good news though, "we are free to struggle, we're not struggling to be free." Those are the words of TAN's song, The Struggle.
Galations 5:1 says, "It is for freedom, that Christ has set us free." When He died on that cross and rose from the grave, He was saying that death has overcome. Death and struggle cannot keep God from moving. It only shows His glory much more. It's hard to think that death can be a good thing, but with God all things are possible. A lot of people think that Christianity is all about rules and never missing church, but that's not it at all. Jesus has made us free from our sin. All we need to do is believe in that truth and follow Him. Let Him use your struggle.Whatever struggle you may be facing right now, He can take that struggle, use it for His glory and restore you.
In Him we find freedom.
John 8:31-32- Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Hebrews 9:15- For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are
called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-- now that He has died as a
ransom to set them free. . . 2 Corinthians 4:8-12- We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Check out their song "The Struggle"! "Don't Stop the Madness", "Worn", and "Losing" are good ones too...heck, just check out the whole album! Let me know what you think!
The girls- my eyes are glowing, aren't they? I can't get them fixed :/
The crowd raising their arms up to the Father...love it!
Scripture today is Luke 17-18.
Have a great weekend & don't let struggle get you down, let it lift you up!
