Our confidence

"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:19-23

Our confidence in entering into the holy place of God's presence is based ONLY on the blood of Jesus.  He who promised that we could come to the throne to receive grace to help in time of need is faithful to extend grace to us every single time.  He is faithful to sanctify us, to form Christ in us.

The One who lifts my head

Psalm 3:3 "But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory and the One who lifts my head."

The other night I heard a song based on Psalm 3, and I really enjoyed it.  The part that really stuck out to me is that the Lord is the One who lifts my head.  I have been struggling to not walk by my feelings for some time now.  After hearing this song, I asked the Lord to lift my head.  And even as I felt the feelings of heaviness and the temptation to disengage from what was going on around me, I knew the Lord was lifting my head.  Lifting my head to look on things heavenly and eternal rather than my feelings that are earthly and temporal. 

May the Lord ever be a shield around us.  May He be our glory.  And when we are down and feeling trapped in the circumstances we find ourselves in, may He lift our heads.  May He gently tug our chin up until our eyes are fixed totally on Him and not the situation around us.

The Whole Armor of God- A Prayer

I was reading one of my journals from India, and I came across this prayer from back in November, and I thought I would share it.

"Right here, right now, I choose to put on the whole armor of God.  The armor David had on when he defeated Goliath.  I choose to gird myself with truth.  I am loved.  I have been chosen.  God the Father delights in me.  He wants me.  I am wanted.  I have a purpose.  To my Father, I am of great worth.  I put on the breastplate of righteousness.  By the blood of Jesus Christ, I am seen as right before God, the only true judge.  I put on the helmet of salvation.  I take up the shield of faith.  I transfer my faith from myself to Jesus Christ.  I take up the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.  Show me how to fight.  Strengthen my hands for battle so that I can bend a bow of bronze.  *Ting*"

May we choose to put on the whole armor of God each day, so that we may stand in the evil day.  Brothers and sisters, let us put on truth, the truth of what God thinks of us.  Let us put on the breastplate of righteousness, not our righteousness, the righteousness of Jesus Christ.