How Do I Trust God?

"How do I trust God?" was the question posed at a recent Hope Meeting.  A real and honest question from a grieving mommy who is just weeks away from the one year anniversary of her son's death.  My quick response pours out the instruction offered in Romans 10:9-10, which reads...

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

If you have a desire or prompting in your heart to trust God, then do not hesitate to surrender to Him.  Acknowledge your sin and need for a Savior and be saved by asking Him to come into your heart and to take over your life.  This is where trusting God begins...first for your salvation, then with all other areas of life.  

Mindy, a dear and precious fellow mommy, added to this conversation by sharing some of her own personal struggles with the "why" questions and the pain of her grief since her miscarriage late last summer.  I, personally, was so encouraged by her willingness to share.  She spoke the truth about her grief and she spoke the truth about her Savior.  She recognized that even when we trust God, we are not immune to heartache, but that He is there and willing to walk us through the valley.  

Yes...God's Word is power!  2 Timothy 3:16-17 says this of God's Word...

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

The testimony of a changed life is powerful too!  That's why I am excited to share Mindy's life story with you today.  May you be blessed by her story and realize that you too can trust God...

Saved

What exactly does it mean to be saved?

This question recently surfaced on the blog by an anonymous commenter. I have to admit, when I read the comment that included this question, I was excited! The excitement stems from a joy that comes along with being "saved" myself; a joy that exudes from within that overflows into the desire to share with others. So when I read the question, I thought...I have to write a post to address this question from a biblical perspective and will leave the rest to God.

So, let's think about this...what exactly does it mean to be saved?

To be saved means I am...

spared. rescued. free. set apart. liberated. safe. secure. salvaged. ransomed. redeemed. protected. unshackled. sealed. delivered.

Each of the words posed above help to describe the biblical concept of salvation, which is conveyed throughout Scripture and most notably conveyed in the words of John 3:16 which says,

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

The verse that follows goes on to explain that God sent Jesus , not to condemn the world, but to "save" it.

The very nature of this word "saved" implies that there is something that we must be saved from. And that we are. According to God's Word, I am saved from...

sin. death. hell.

The truth from Scripture is that we live in a fallen world. When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit in the garden, sin and death entered this world. Since that time, man has attempted to restore the relationship with God that was broken in all kinds of ways - works, good deeds, sacrifices, etc. The fact remains, however, that there is only one way that the separation from God can be repaired and that is through trust and faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself tells us in John 14:6:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me."

Countless other verses from Scripture point to the One and Only Savior, Jesus Christ. Consider this title, Savior. The very word, "Savior" indicates that He, Jesus, exists to save us...from our sin, from death, from eternity without Him.

So then, what must one do to be saved? Well, the answer lies directly in God's Word...

Admit your are a sinner and that your sins keep you from God!

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Romans 3:23

Understand the consequences of sin!

"For the wages of sin is death..."

Romans 6:23a

Know that God has made a way for the relationship to be restored and that He desires to give you eternal life!

"...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 6:23b

If you feel God knocking on the door to your heart, call out to Him in prayer in the name of Jesus and ask for forgiveness of your sins and eternal life in heaven!

"Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved!"

Romans 10:13

"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

Romans 10:9-10

I can't thank God enough for the way in which He has worked in my heart to bring me into a saving relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ! I have assurance of eternity in heaven where I know I will be reunited with each of my three babies who are there now. What an amazing thought to ponder on God's love for each of us!

If you have a story of God's saving work in your own life, we would love to hear about the hope you have in the comments below. If you called out in the name of Jesus today, maybe after understanding for the first time what it exactly means to be saved, we would love to celebrate with you! Do share!

True Hope

This week, we prepare to celebrate Resurrection Sunday! Also known as, Easter. We all know the story, right? We all know about Jesus; that He came to earth as a baby, grew into manhood and lived without sin. He went to the cross of calvary on our behalf, conquering sin and death so that we may have eternal life. We know all about it. But do we know HIM? He is our only true source of hope. Today, I am sharing with you a devotion written by Lysa Terkeurst of Proverbs 31 Ministries. I pray you will be blessed as you examine yourself this Easter season.

The Unsaved Christian

His Love is for ALL...

Recently, I was particularly struck by one woman's story of loss. I won't go into the details because the details are unnecessary for the purposes of sharing with each of you a vital message. What you must know is that judgment, condemnation, and a lack of support surrounding the circumstances of her infant son's death are at the heart of her story. My heart hurt deeply for her. Her circumstances. Her loss. She needed to know she was not alone. I needed to tell her that Mommies with Hope is a place of comfort, encouragement, and God's love.

Each of our stories are unique and different. Some of us experience the pain of early miscarriage while others of us bury a child who lived for days, weeks, months or years outside the womb. Regardless of when or how our babies die, each of us are left to do the grief work set that lies ahead. We may not know exactly what a fellow mommy has been through or precisely how she feels, but we do know it hurts. That's the stinging reality of pregnancy or infant loss. A reality that outsiders don't seem to understand.

I could elaborate on any one of these points I've posed above, but as I won't. I could get on a soapbox about judgment and condemnation, but I won't. I could go on and on about the lack of support, but I won't. Rather, there is but one key message I am prompted to share today...

His. Love. Is. For. ALL.

That's right, ladies. God's love is for each and every one of us. It's for me, for you, for this precious woman I speak of above, and for our babies - no matter how brief their lives were. His love is for ALL! In contemplating God's love, my heart struggles to grasp a definition. I just know it. He has shown His love to me in countless ways and I am blessed. Still, my fingertips fight to type words worthy of conveying its significance. Here goes my feeble attempt...

God's love is...

Amazing. Astounding. Awesome. Beyond comprehension. Brings joy. Comforting. Consoling. Compassionate. Deliverance. Deep and Wide. Death-defying. Enlightening. Endless. Fantastic. Fabulous. Far-reaching. Great. Grand. Humbling. Indescribable. Immeasurable. Incredible. JESUS. Justice. Knowing. Knocking on the door to our hearts. Lavished upon us. Magnificent. Mind-blowing. More than enough. Miraculous. Never failing. Never ending. Near. Out of this world. Ongoing. Over all. Powerful. Perfect. Pleasing. Quaking. Quenching. Remarkable. Relational. Restorative. Sufficient. Sacred. Sacrificial. Tremendous. Terrific. Unfathomable. Unbelievable. Unlike any earthly love. Unconditional. Undeserved. Vital. Vibrant. Wonderful. Wowing. eXtraordinary. Yours. Zealous.

More than anything, God's love is for ALL the world, proven true by the sacrifice of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ! John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life." That's you, my friend. That's me too, praise God!

As "Mommies," we are called to love. Scripture tells us, "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19). Let us choose love. First, to accept God's love into our hearts by surrendering to the sacrificial work of His Son. Next, to purposefully love others as Jesus commands in Mark 12:30-32...

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength"... "Love your neighbor as yourself." There is no commandment greater than these.

***

Please share what God's love means to you in the comments below. I would love to hear your testimonies of His love!

A New Year...A New Creation

This week, we are focusing on some biblical truths and practical tactics for ringing in the New year. A previous post provided insight to the first truth shared and gave us some questions to ponder and tactics to employ as we face the New Year.

The next biblical truth and practical tactic deal with being made "new" in Christ. It is my prayer that He continues to make me over, according to His likeness, and that He do the same for you in 2011.

Biblical Truth

"Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come."

2 Corinthians 5:17

Based on this verse, and the overall message from Scripture, to be "new" you must be "in Christ." In Christ. What does this even mean? Plainly stated, it means having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We will get to more of what this means in the practical tactic below. But the biblical truth that we are equipped with today reminds us that "anyone who is in Christ is a new creation." The word "anyone" implies that anyone can be "in Christ," meaning that the ability to have a personal relationship with Jesus is available to all. Not those who clean their act up first. Not those who strive to earn favor from God. Not those who go to church every week. Not those who appear to have it all together. Anyone. By being in Christ, one is a "new creation." God changes that person from the inside out. They are no longer enemies of the Father, but adopted as children of God through the precious blood of Jesus.

So, what does this all mean? How can I have a personal relationship with Jesus? These questions bring me to explain further in our practical tactic...

Practical Tactic

To be in Christ, one must first see themselves as a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Keyword here is "all." Just as anyone can be in Christ, as mentioned above, it is important to acknowledge that "all" are sinners. All. Each and every one of us. Because God is just, there is a price on sin. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death." That's a heavy piece of truth to swallow on a Monday morning, don't you think? The good news is that there is hope. God, in His perfect love, made a way to save us from our sins. He knew that we could not be perfect or sinless, and therefore were far from His holiness. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus! We just celebrated Christmas, the remembrance of Christ's earthly birth. What we often fail to remember is the reason He came. He came to live a perfect life and pay the penalty for our sins on the cross! That's the good news. He is the only one who can save us from our sins. Only Jesus. How can we be saved? Like I said, it's not about religion or church or good works. It's about being in Christ. To be in Christ, we must accept the truths already provided. Here are our practical tactics related to these amazing truths...

1) Acknowledge ourselves as sinners

2) Admit our need for a Savior

3) Confess and Believe

4) Accept Jesus as Lord

I leave you with two more verses from Romans that succinctly sum up all three of these tactics. The following truths give us the "how to" answer you may be looking for...

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Romans 10:9-10

AND

"For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

Romans 10:13

Acknowledge. Confess. Believe. Be Saved. Be Made New in Christ!

***

If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, we would love to hear about it in the comments. If you have not yet made this decision, be reminded that we are told in 2 Corinthians that "now is the time, now is the day of salvation." It will be the best decision you ever made!

Please share!!

Rejoicing This Morning!

This morning, God performed a miracle. We look around our comfy little lives and so often fail to see the miracles that surround us, but this morning, I bore witness to one of the greatest miracles in all the world. God, in His awesome power and sovereign plan, led a young woman into a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ! My role? A simple obedience...that's it. It is God who did the work.

So today, rejoice with our new Sister in Christ! She acknowledged her sin, recognized her need for a Savior, and asked Jesus to come into her heart. Is that not a miracle? That the God of all creation would send His One and Only Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death on a cross. A cross that we should have been nailed to. But God. He paid the penalty for us, so that if we would just believe and receive, we would be saved. Thank you Jesus for this awesome miracle! We trust you when you say you are "the way, the truth, and the life." We love you and we rejoice in your heart-changing work today! May You alone be glorified and lifted high!