Serving Notice

Normally, I try to put on a brave face and make you believe that what was said doesn’t bother me. Usually, you couldn’t tell whether I was upset or glad. I’d square my shoulders, clench my teeth and fists, and march forward into the battle you send my way. Voices of my neighbors faithfully cast doubt into my heart, causing me to question the amount of striving I do.

 Is it enough? Others, do they see me struggling so?

Of course, you confirm those thoughts with, “Sure they see what you’re doing. It isn’t enough. They think you’re lazy, a taker, and waiting for someone to rescue you from your mess. You created it. You get out of it.”

When I hear those things, I push harder, do more, and add greater pressure to this weary body. But then, as I pressed, my emotions frayed, trust dwindled—even in the idea that my Father loves me—and I found myself incapable of coping with anything or anyone. This, you stole from me: Confidence in my Savior, Lord, Redeemer, and Provider and the sense of value that says, I’m worth it.

No more. 

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber, behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

(Psalm 121)

Since our last encounter, I have gone to spend time with my Father and this is what He told me: “I conceived you, planned your life from the beginning. There is nothing you can do to make Me love you less. Call on Me, I Am there day and night. I never sleep, never go on vacation, or find Myself too busy to care for you.”

Yesterday, you came to visit again and whispered some frightening things into my ear. I am not going to listen. In fact, I have called my Father and I hear Him coming. His footsteps are pounding, shaking the earth where I stand. As promised, He is presently crushing your lies and you will back down.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

(Revelation 12: 11)

I'm vising over at The Barn Door today; would love to see you there.

Thanking God everyday for you.

Anna K. Jeffrey
Writer/Editor

Sufficient Grace Writing & Editing Services
southpawscribbler@gmail.com

A is for . . . Accepted?

I'm about five weeks late for my A-2-Z "A" post, but I'm doing it anyway with a 2-Word Story. Haven't kept up and need to fulfill my 40-2-Word Story commitment to -- well -- me, and to the Lord. It's important. So here it goes:

I am going to quote David Wilkerson as he says it best right now.

THE FATHER’S KISS
by David Wilkerson

A great blessing becomes ours when we’re made to sit in heavenly places.
What
is this blessing? It’s the privilege of acceptance: “He hath made us
accepted in the beloved [Christ]” (Ephesians 1:6). The Greek word for
“accepted” means highly favored. That’s different from the English
usage,
which can be interpreted to mean “received as adequate.” This signifies
something that can be endured, suggesting an attitude of, “I can live
with
it.” That’s not the case with Paul’s use of the word. His use of
“accepted” translates as, “God has highly favored us. We are very
special
to him because we are in our place in Christ.”

Because God accepted Christ’s sacrifice, he now sees only one corporate
man:
Christ, and those who are bound to him by faith. Our flesh has died in
God’s
eyes. How? Jesus did away with our old nature at the Cross. So now, when
God
looks at us, he sees only Christ. In turn, we need to learn to see
ourselves as
God does. That means not focusing solely on our sins and weaknesses, but
on the
victory that Christ won for us at the Cross.

The parable of the Prodigal Son provides a powerful illustration of the
acceptance that comes when we’re given a heavenly position in Christ.
You
know the story: A young man took his inheritance from his father and
squandered
it on a sinful life. Then, once the son became completely
bankrupt—morally,
emotionally and physically—he thought of his father. He was convinced
he’d
lost all favor with him. And he feared that his father was full of wrath
and
hatred toward him.

The Scripture tells us that this broken young man was full of grief over
his
sin and cried out, “I’m unworthy. I’ve sinned against heaven.” This
represents those who come to repentance through godly sorrow.

The Prodigal told himself, “I will arise and go to my father” (Luke
15:18).
He was exercising his blessing of access. Are you getting the picture?
The
Prodigal had turned from his sin, he’d left the world behind, and he’d
accessed the open door his father had promised him. He was walking in
repentance and appropriating access.

So, what happened to the Prodigal Son? “When he was yet a great way off,
his
father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and
kissed
him” (Luke 15:20). What a beautiful scene. The sinful son was forgiven,
embraced and loved by his father, with no wrath or condemnation
whatsoever.
When he received his father’s kiss, he knew he was accepted.

 So next time you hear that you are accepted as a son/daughter of God, grin, giggle, laugh, shout, dance, and sing. We are more than just "adequate".

It's been a pleasure to visit with you.