MEASURING UP!

Words of scripture are written to encourage us.

She is clothed with Strength and Dignity and she laughs without fear of the Future. (Proverbs 31:25)

Until they make us question ourselves as a bookmark (gift) did to me.

When I turned it over, I saw the measurement “ruler”—-AARGG!

Conviction trumped encouragement.

Weariness had set in. I no longer had strength. I wasn't measuring up!

I was no longer clothed without fear! I seemed to daily put-on fear.

Was I measuring myself by the world's standards?

But God in His love and mercy used truth to remind me that the only true measurement we need comes from the shed blood of His son Jesus. 

John 15, a fave chapter of Scripture for me, was the needed reminder......

apart from me you can do nothing. (v. 5) Doing for Him is not measuring up. That's more self-credit. Walking with Him in His grace displays His strength, NOT ours.

...In quietness and trust is your strength... (Isaiah 30:15b) More than just alliance, it's reliance. (G. A. Smith, The Book of Isaiah, 1:128)

Leaning in---relying on Him alone! 

As I was typing these thoughts, the melody of the hymn, "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" sealed it for me.

1 My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]

3 His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]

4 When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain]

Words of scripture written to encourage me/us that have me humming & tapping my toes while sitting in my prayer chair!

BLOSSOMS!

Blooming where planted regardless of circumstances, even aging, has one flourishing and producing fruit. Think blossoming spiritually!

Fruit bearing is a result of spending time with the Lord whether in bed, on a prayer walk, sitting on a front porch or in a prayer chair!

The godly will flourish......even in old age! (Psalm 92:12, 14 NLT)

JOURNEYING ON!

God is with us. His Presence within envelops us and gives us rest.

"I need Thee, O I need Thee! Every hour, I need Thee, Bless me now my Savior,"

Today, I once again feel the impotence of my strength and self-serving planning. 

v.3    I need Thee ev-‘ry hour in joy or pain; Come quickly and abide or life is vain

Fellowship with God is needed.....not the pathetic pretentiousness of my pitiful pride. Why the hollow emptiness, compounded by fear? My soul is impoverished without Him! I needed His grip of grace.

"I need Thee, O I need Thee." Enough said.

"frui-TEA" cuppa choice

Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others. (Galatians 6:4, CEV) 

"Commit to be Fit"---was my month pledge to exercise classes at GAC, a health club. 
I've been very diligent-----because there's a prize that will benefit my grands. 
Others are doing it better than I, without regard to the prize. They actually go beyond the facility with their "Bit- Fit" that continues to monitor their fitness level. But God....says "Don't Compare."

In my daily life maybe I need an exercise that will please Him. A spiritual "Boot Fruit" to give me a kickstart and a monitor that would include a read out of verses to keep me motivated. Motivated to: Love God; love others; serve God; serve others. All fruit bearing exercises!

Reminders that apart from Him I can bear no fruit, (John 15:5) fruit bearing is in His time, (Psalm 1: 3) a good tree bears good fruit.., (Matthew 12:33) what "good" fruit looks like, (Galatians 5:22) love is the fruit that sets Christ's disciples apart. (John 13:35)
"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:8)
Is a fruitful life necessary for bearing the right testimony to others? The oh so quotable John Bunyan says it well.

So......with my morning cuppa "frui-TEA," I had a choice to make, fruitless or fruitful. The criticisms of those who don't understand the "shape" of my ministry don't count. Only God's approval matters. A raised fruitful cup of praises to the One whom I represent. 

Possibili-TEA: a 2nd cup

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13, NLT)

Mulling the possibility of change of any kind, can have one second guessing every decision. When one is pondering a change concerning spiritual matters, second guessing seems to intensify. 
Desire to do God's work, God's way? Desire to edify believers and glorify the Lord? Desire to change?

The change must be His work. "...apart from me you can do nothing."(John 15:5) Apart from God, there is no good thing. (Psalm 16:2) "not adequate in ourselves but our adequacy is from God. He is at work in us." (2 Corinthians 3:5)

Those were my ponderings this morning over a cuppa of possibili-TEA, sipped and savored during my "Time with Thee."
The desire is there. Now the power will come.....if it pleases Him. 

What a thought!

What a possibili-TEA!