Still Sweeter Everyday!

It's astonishing really how different my life is today from a year ago. It's infinitely better, but oh, so different. I had no idea what changes lay just around the corner, but...

I'm glad ~ I'm so glad the Lord only gives us enough light for the next step most of the time. We couldn't bear it otherwise. We just couldn't.

Do you realize what an amazing God it is that we serve? He is unspeakably wonderful.

So many times it seems God is not hearing and answering my prayers, but looking back, I've come to realize that He has indeed answered.

Every. last. one.

It just wasn't in my timing, and definitely was in ways I never could have expected. Though from my perspective my prayers were separate and distinct, to Him they were all tied together, and the answers went hand in hand in a way that only He could have orchestrated. I almost can't believe the detail with which He weaves His answers. He goes to such trouble to make sure everything is just so.

To think that God has a plan for my life. At this very moment He knows where I am, He hears when I call, and I've never been so loved. He knows I've done my best; that I long to do better. Why do I doubt Him? Why do I fear to tell others how much He loves them? What a foolish thing to fear: to tell someone that Someone else loves them ~ enough to die for them. Don't they deserve to know? What if no one ever told me? Or you?

If we could really comprehend, if but for a moment, how very much He loves us ~ the eternal extent of His unfailing, unconditional love ~ we could do no less than serve Him with all that we are and all that we have every moment of every day for the rest of our lives. We could never praise Him enough. We would be so focused on Him that every other circumstance, every person, every difficulty would fade into insignificance. Because we would see Him as He is. I know no one so capable, trustworthy, praiseworthy; so loving, and good, and infinitely kind. This is my God. My Friend. My Savior. He is my refuge, joy and strength. Without Him I am nothing, and all my righteousness is nothing, nay, less than nothing; nothing more than filthy rags. But with Him my life is more than I ever could have dared to dream it could be. And it's all because of Him. Who He is. Where He's been. What He's done.

If only we knew how attentive He is to our prayers. How He longs to hear our voice in supplication, prayer and praise. How it must hurt Him to sense our doubts and fears. What more must He do to prove Himself to us? What will it take for us to believe and come to Him with boldness with our needs and requests on behalf of others? How eager He is to answer ~ exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think; to surprise us, to see our joy and love growing deeper each day.

This is just a theory, but I think we know our own unfaithfulness, and are brought low by it on such a regular basis, that we simply cannot see His unending faithfulness. We forget, again and again, that it isn't about us. We're all too anxious to heed that old devil when He whispers insecurities, doubts, and fear to us. {He knows just what it takes to get us where He wants us. After all, He's had thousands of years of practice perfecting his wicked ways.} And yet we're all too hesitant and negligent to take God at His Word ~ to work at keeping our eyes steadfastly on Him, on purpose!

For of Him and to Him and through Him are ALL things! Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

It would be impossible for me to tell each and every answer to prayer I've received, even since my last post, but I will share one pivotal one. We've been praying about glorifying God with our finances for quite some time, and a major need arose when our Pastor's wife had to have an emergency C-section with their newest little boy, Thomas. We were not told how much the bill was, but did research online and came to the conclusion that it couldn't have been less than $20k, and was probably more likely between $25k and $30k. We wanted to help if we could, and knew there was a way, but God would have to take care of some details first. We had several other commitments we had been praying about for the past year, and asked God to remove them in answer to whether or not He wanted us to help in this other area.

Last Monday our Pastor received the bill, and found out that the hospital had decided to waive the bill in its entirety due to their financial situation and position in the church! He told us during the Wednesday evening prayer service, and earlier that same day God had answered the other facets of our prayer by affirming to keep our commitments going in the same direction. We NEEDED a definitive answer, and we got it! There was no room left for doubt either. God made His will crystal clear in the details! God is never late, rarely early, but always on time. There is nothing my God cannot do, FOR YOU!!

I want the whole world to know how very much I love Him for loving me. But especially, I want everyone to know how very much He loves you, too. He sees you where you are and He wants you to come to Him as you are. He will never forsake you for He loves you; so much that he gave His life for you. But He is risen! We serve a Risen, Living, Almighty Savior!

Since I yielded to the Savior,
Since my life He controls,
Since I gave my heart to Jesus,
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.

Every need He is supplying,
Plenteous grace He bestows,
Everyday my way gets brighter,
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.

The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows,
The more that I love Him, more love He bestows,
Each day is like Heaven, my heart overflows,
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows!