Well, I don't have much to report as far as what I'm doing day-to-day since I don't start substituting until next week, but... well, reading over these posts made me want to write something as a confession of my undying love for each of you and my earnest desire to constantly remember you all in my prayers, so here.... I was at Joe Mugg's this morning working on my Bible study plan for this group of 11th Grade guys (who, believe you me, are going to get a severe ass-kicking via 1 John and the marks of a Christian... I mean, at least, hopefully they get as much of one as I've gotten in working on it...), and this was my journal entry from this morning. I've been amazed how much has simply carried me back to the gospel these past few months.... So I apologize for the length (and no, I won't do this often) and if I come across like I'm trying to be super-spiritual or something (I am more than aware of how much of a horrific sinner I am), I just hoped that the Lord could use what He reminded me to be used for your encouragement, so here it goes:
"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" -Isaiah 55:6-7
"If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me" -Jeremiah 15:19
God, I repent of thinking that I know anything at all. Jesus, maybe now more than ever I understand that I have nothing to offer apart from you. My knowledge of you and of your ways is so base that I am like unto Nicodemus, not understanding that the ways of the Kingdom of heaven are not like the ways of man, that nothing is impossible for God. Lord, your ways are higher than my ways, and Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. I repent of wanting to know so little about You.... how brief is my time in the Word and in prayer and how shallow is the time spent there! How infrequently I share this faith I claim to hold so dear... Help me lead men towards your kingdom, the only place where they can be satisfied. May men seek you while you may be found. May I, Lord; may I. Soften my heart that it may be filled with the greatness of Your love.
Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil. Light exposes the deeds of night and shows us for who we are, so men of darkness hide.... for fear that their flaws may be exposed, that they may be judged as they truly are, but whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. Let us then not live in fear! Instead, let us rejoice that there is a God who knows and understands us better than we understand ourselves and says to us in our depravity, "Your sins have been forgotten. They are as east from west. You have been made clean; now go and leave your life of sin!" What blessed joy is this! There is none greater! We are wretched, but the Judge has named us righteous, has called us his children- making us co-heirs with Christ, not because of who we are or for our potential, for what could perfection have to gain from imperfection, but that the eternal, good, and gracious King has CHOSEN to show his mercy when mercy was most unthinkable... for who is like our God? To what image can I compare him? Wholly unworthy are we, but glory, alleluia we sing to our Father in heaven, who alone is worthy.
He must become greater; I must become less.
God bless you all.
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