He weeps with Us

"Jesus wept."  John 11:35

     Jesus...weeps.  He sits between Mary and Martha, puts an arm around each, and sobs...

     He weeps with them.

     He weeps for them

     He weeps with you.

     He weeps for you.

     He weeps so we will know:  Mourning is not disbelieving.  Flooded eyes don't represent a faithless heart.  A person can enter a cemetery Jesus-certain of life after death and still have a Twin Tower crater in the heart.  Christ did.  He wept, and he knew he was ten minutes from seeing a living Lazarus!

     And his tears give you permission to shed your own.  Grief does not mean you don't trust;  it simply means you can't stand the thought of another day without the Lazarus of your life.  If Jesus gave the love, he understands the tears.  So grieve, but don't grieve like those who don't know the rest of this story.

I am so thankful for the small verse that we have heard so often:  "Jesus wept."  He wept because he knew.....he knew our hopes, our dreams, then our hurts and disappointments.  He wept because He saw the pain you were going through and He felt for you.  He hurt for you.  Not because there was no hope or because He didn't know if things were going to be okay, but because He knew how we felt.  Did you know He knows your pain and your hurt?  Did you know He weeps for you?  He cares for you?  Sit at His side and talk to Him about it....cry....its okay, He understands.  He is a God of relationship and love.  We are His children.  He wants to walk and talk with us everywhere we go!  Take Him up on it!

The Sovereignty Of God

It seems that the sovereignty of God keeps coming up over and over again in my life...through sermons, books, scripture, discussions....and I am thankful of that, but it is one of those thankful times that you go "ugh...I know, Lord.....".  Sometimes I just want to be irritated b/c I feel irritated or I want to be frustrated b/c I feel frustrated but I feel like God keeps bringing to my mind, "Shannon, do you trust in my sovereignty?  Well, if you do, then you'll know that I have you exactly where you are in contact with that person or situation for a divine purpose.  Are you going to allow me to work or are you going to complain your way through it until I am not able to use it for the purpose I intended it to be used for?"  Ugh, I know Lord, but.... "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer. 29:11) but..... "I came so that you may have life and have it to the full..." (John  10:10)  But, Lord.....  "Do you love me?  No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what I have prepared for those who love me...." (1 Cor. 2:9)  Oh, Lord.....  "I am working everything out according to my purposes for my will so that you may be used for my glory." (Ephesians 1:11-12)  Seriously, it is difficult to argue with that!  So, I am trying to remember that I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do.....  UGH!! :)

My Problem Is Sin....

My problem is definitely sin....it is a deep root that sprouts and shows itself in many different forms....jealousy, greed, anger, selfishness, lack of faith.....I'll stop for the sake of room :)  Not that God calls us to dwell on our sin, b/c He has forgiven and forgotten it at the cross.  He calls us to put those things behind us...."press on for the prize....".  To our lack of faith:  "What if some did  not have faith?  Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?  Not all!" Romans 3:3-4.  And to our sinful ways?:  "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--b/c anyone who has died has been freed from sin." Romans 6:6-7  Yea!  So what?....What now you ask?....."Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.  For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."  Romans 6:11-14.  Did you catch that?  Sin is not your master....you are under grace!  So examine yourself, confess your sin, and move on toward what God is leading you to do.  Don't know what he is leading you to do?....Ask and listen....read His word.....really....read His word.