I Shall Not Want

Sometimes I find myself wondering about forgiveness.  Not whether God is *able* to forgive me, but whether He's *willing* to forgive repeated sin after we've been saved... I've had some internal wrestling with that topic that may not be beneficial for others, but my point here is that after praying about it, God used both of these chapters to speak hope, comfort, clarity, and connection:

"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!  ...They will no longer dishonor (pollute and defile) themselves with their idols, with their detestable things, or with their rebellious acts. I will forgive them for all the times they turned away from Me and sinned (all their sinful backsliding). I will cleanse them so that they will be My people, and I will be their God."  ~Ezekiel 37:5,23 

"You then, My child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus... Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.  So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."  ~2 Timothy 2

Thank God for conviction and forgiveness, for His faithful love and loyalty to us, for purifying our sick and stubborn hearts, for all the ways He rescues us from ourselves and redeems our lives and fills them with fresh purpose and meaning.  The depravity and corruption and ever-increasing nature of sin is real, but we are not helpless against it.  I am called and cleansed, and I'm deeply thankful there is no condemnation in Christ!  We do not have to wallow in our guilt or shame, but confess and repent and do our best to move forward in freedom and grow in Christian maturity (repeating that pattern as long as it takes).  I'm hypervigilant about rejection in relationships, and sometimes being under condemnation brings feelings of shame and defeat and spiritual rejection, leading me to shut down and not even try to change.  That is not from God, and it's NOT because He has chosen to abandon or disconnect from me.  Moving forward, I'm praying God will empower me to "separate the light from the darkness" -- to focus on the Holy Spirit's conviction and His empowering voice of freedom and hope for lasting change... rather than the enemy's accusations, condemnation, and messages of apathy and hopelessness.

Gracious, personal sanctification really is a lifelong journey, but it helps tremendously to be confident that God is with us and for us through every step of it.  I’m echoing David’s sentiments of “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me… Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” God is answering that one.  My soul has a Shepherd in the valley, and I shall not want...

On a related note, Steven Furtick preached a Psalm 23-themed sermon called "I'm Going Through but I'm Running Over."  Toward the end of that sermon, he started acapella singing one of their Elevation Worship songs that was new to me: I Shall Not Want.  The crowd joined him, of course, and then the band joined in too, and it was all powerful.  Thanks to praying over the verses on forgiveness, I'm feeling like a cloud has lifted - like there's a renewed sense of strong connection with God, and it's improving my ability to hear from Him, and it's exciting and hopeful!  We can get very stuck in our own minds sometimes, but there is LIFE and HOPE and HEALING and FREEDOM and POWER available for us through God's Word and His presence, and it is worth pursuing with all our hearts!

For lots of reasons, I adore this song - it's over eight minutes long, but it's been speaking so much God-given joy and power back into my heart and soul lately!

When I realized the significance of the date, I was inspired to share a FB video about it yesterday, kind of a trial run for a goal I've been thinking about for 2024.  I'll post it below when I get home tonight - my work internet is a no-go for uploading that right now.  All that to say, I'm grateful for all God has done, excited about all He is doing now, and hopeful about all He will do in the future! ❤ #calledandcleansed #calmandconfident #compassionateandcompetent #Christiancounselor #alltheCs

A happy walk outside Restore on Tuesday

  

That concludes my deep thoughts for you today - thanks for listening.
Praying we will all be STRENGTHENED by the GRACE that is in Christ Jesus!