Skip to main content

IBS 44 - Philippians 3:11

Philippians 3:11
“And so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

That is so powerful. Achieving resurrection from death. Jesus raised Himself from the dead. That’s insane. When people say they don’t care to follow Christ or they don’t believe He’s got power, they’re wrong. First of all, there are so many proofs of God’s amazing power. But here, He raised Himself from death. That’s power. I believe that. But I’m really good at diminishing the power He has. I forget the intensity of it, putting it in a little box and then going on about my day. The fact that God created this universe, breathed life into my nostrils, and could take my life at any second should just always be a constant reminder of how powerful He is. For some reason, though, I just don’t think about it. I fully believe the power He has, I just make it seem not as big of a deal then it is. And it’s a pretty big deal. God is someone I always want to follow after, someone I always want to obey. 
With the power that Christ has, you’d think I’d trust Him a little more then I do. You’d think I would give Him my everything letting Him in and being in control. I don’t do that, though. I don’t trust Him like I know I should. I don’t give Him my everything. I don’t let Him be in control. It’s so hard for me to do that. To surrender all to Him, letting Him be the leader and guiding. Trusting that He’ll provide. He’s all powerful, raised from the dead, and I can’t trust that He’ll put words in my mouth, that He’ll light up the path I’m to go on, or that He’ll provide completely. I have no reason to not do any of these things. I know I should. I know the freedom I’ll have once I let go, I just can’t get myself to that point. I don’t know how to let go. I’ve held on for so long that letting go seems impossible. But I know that with Christ, all things are possible. I know I’ll get there. I have to keep my eyes on Him, constantly asking Him to help me open my grip and let Him take away my baggage.


Application: I’ll sit down with Vanessa every night for a week and we’ll pray together that God shows us how to release our baggage and to surrender completely to Him. That we’ll receive Him and He’ll show us how to do that. At the end of the week, I’ll write down what God showed us and how it affected me. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IBS 41 - Philippians 3:8

Philippians 3:8 “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” Losing all things to gain Christ, considering them garbage. That’s intense. That’s hard to do. It takes a lot of faith and trust to get to that point. It’s one step at a time. Growing up, I’d here this verse. “You have to get rid of everything to have Christ.” That scared me, I didn’t want to get rid of my baby dolls and nail polish. As I got older, I learned the deeper truth to this verse. It’s not just giving up items, it’s giving up bad habits, your wants, your rights. It’s giving it all to God to know Him better.  When God told me to do Potter’s Field, I said no. I didn’t want to give anything up. I wanted to keep control, doing what I wanted to do, following my own dreams, holding on to earthly possessions. As God worked on my heart, it got harder to say no....
Post a Comment
Read more

BS 32 - Luke 17:7-10

Luke 17:7-10 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, “Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”  Wow. These verses are tough. It’s always nice to be told thank you when you do something. Whether it was asked of you or not. It’s just common curtesy. But if it’s your job, then why should you be thanked? Like it says, you did what was told of you; your job!  I know I always want to be thanked when I do something. Even if it is my job or not. And all my life I have been thanked. I’ve taken those “thank you Anna”! and stored them in my heart thinking that that’s wh...
Post a Comment
Read more

IBS 10 - Ephesians 5:15-17

Ephesians 5:15-17 “Be very careful , then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  I always sit there thinking, “If I can just make it through (whatever it is that’s going on), then I’ll be okay. I just have to get to that point, where I want to be, and I’ll be okay.” If I was in church, it’d be to make it till the sermon is over; at school it’d be till lunch, then till school’s over. I’ve always been waiting, saying just make it to the next point. “Just wait till I graduate. Till I leave for Potter’s Field. Till the Field. Till Re-entry. Till I go home. I’ve never sat there actually being present. As Tessia’s last Inductive Bible Study says, she’s been asleep. Well, me too. I’ve been living my life like a zombie, I’ve been dead. Waiting for the next thing to come along. Not ever paying attention. Dead asleep.  I’m tired of ...
Post a Comment
Read more