Day 27: Revel in the Yes!

Today we are reading Proverbs chapter 27 and Psalm chapters 126-130. Before we read, ask God to restore you heart, mind, and soul today. Ask him to fill you up with his goodness!

-Read Scriptures-

"For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5 NKJ

We all have different seasons to our life. We have seasons of sorrow and seasons of joy. Times to sow and times to reap. I personally spent the majority of my twenties in a season of "not yet." Looking back, I know that God was preparing and molding me. He was stretching and growing me and I definitely experienced the growing pains along the way.

"Those who walk the fields to sow, casting their seed in tears, will one day tread those same long rows, amazed by what's appeared. Those who weep as they walk and plant with sighs, will return singing with joy, when they bring home the harvest." Psalm 126:5-6 The Voice

It was a difficult and painful season, but I could feel a sense of importance around what was happening. I felt the necessity of it all. Then, my 30th year of being alive, something magical happened. I entered the season of God's Yes. The time of "not yet" turned to "now." And now, living in the season of God's Yes, I understand why those 10 years were so vital. The things I had to go through and learn (still learning), patience and selflessness, has allowed me to appreciate and enjoy and make the most of this time. If I'd not gone through and learned those things, I know I would not be doing what I am today.

"You worked hard and deserve all you've got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness!...Stand in awe of God's Yes! Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!" Psalm 128:2-4 The Message

Now this is NOT a "earning your blessings" or "God's road is easy" verse. This is a reward for being faithful in difficult times. We aren't faithful for the reward, it's just a byproduct. And it is not a yes for things material (although, sometimes he chooses to bless this way,) it's for the things that can't be bought, only given to us by our heavenly Father. Revel in the goodness, stand in awe of God's Yes!

-I revel in his goodness when I see my kids laugh and play.
-I revel in his goodness when I watch my husband in ministry.
-I revel in his goodness when I look around my house.
-I revel in his goodness when I paint.
-I revel in his goodness when I travel.
-I revel in his goodness when I'm enjoying nature.

And I stand in awe of God's Yes to the questions that matter!

Can I have peace? YES.
Will you provide for me? YES.
Do I have a purpose? YES.
Will you protect me? YES.
Will you forgive me? YES.
Do you love me? YES.
Am I special? YES.
Do you accept me? YES. YES!

All of those things you desire, deep in your heart (acceptance, love, forgiveness), God says YES! What Yes do you need to revel in? What do you need to accept from him?

Today, your challenge is to see all the "Yes"s in your life, celebrate them, and revel in them!

Abba, Thank you for telling us Yes, when we are so undeserving. Thank you for the season's of "not yet," of sowing. For it is in those seasons you prepare us to be able to fully receive and make the most of your blessings. (And you knew I needed a lot of preparing!) Had I not learned what I needed to, I would of squandered away what you've blessed me with today.  No matter what season we are in, let us be thankful and hopeful, and revel in your goodness, because you are always good, and stand in awe of your Yes! You have a purpose for everything, and you have a plan. Thank you for using us. We love you, and desire to honor and glorify you in all we do today.

Amen.

My Yes! 

Day 11: Mess to Masterpiece.

Today we are reading Proverbs chapter 11 and Psalm chapters 51-55. As every other day, start today with an openness and willingness to listen and learn. Remove all distractions and ask God to prepare you to receive anything he may have for you today.

-Read Scriptures-

Many of these studies focus on the Proverbs portion of the reading, but today I want to focus on Psalm 51. This is the Psalm that David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba was brought to light by Nathan, the prophet of the time.  Psalm 51 is a psalm of repentance and seeking after God's grace. We have all been here at some point of our lives. We have all done something wrong, something we regretted. We have all committed sins from which we needed cleansing.

The first step in healing is confession, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge." Psalm 51:4 TNIV 

God alone is our judge and he alone can forgive us. To confess to our God is admitting that we need a savior, that we need saving. Without this admission, this acknowledgement, we can never truly heal.

The second step is repentance. Turning from your sin and asking for forgiveness. "I would surrender my dearest possessions or destroy all that I prize to prove my regret, but you don't take pleasure in sacrifices or burnt offerings. What sacrifice I can offer you is my broken spirit because a broken spirit, O God, a heart that honestly regrets the past, you won't detest." Psalm 51: 16-17 The Voice

I love the way The Voice version words these verses. The unfortunate truth is that the shortest route to God is a broken spirit. But the good news is that in that moment, that moment of honest regret and brokenness, God shows up and does something incredibly beautiful. He creates something new in you...

"God, make a fresh start in me; shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life." Psalm 51:10 The Message

Again, I love the way this version words this. A "Genesis week," the creation story. One of the most beautiful and hopeful stories in the entire bible. God uses the chaos and broken pieces of our lives to make something grand, something big and beautiful. A new life. To me, that is the good news. That through Jesus' sacrifice, God takes our pitiful, broken, sinful lives and turns them into new, beautiful, and worthy piece of art!

The third step is simply to allow God to change you. Because he will! God took the runt of the family, David, and turns him into the one of the greatest Kings in Israel's history. For heaven's sake, Jesus was born from his bloodline. :) God took Solomon, a result of an affair, and made him the wisest man who ever lived. God takes us, broken and unoriginal, and turns us into complete and original children of our King!

Without my God, I am nothing.
With him, I can have everything.

Thank you Abba, for forgiving us when we fail, for forgiving our sins. We are undeserving, but your love is unfailing. Thank you for your judgement, cleansing, and creating us into new beings. We would gladly offer you all we have, but you desire our hearts. So take it, because you can make it into something I could never dream of. All we have and all we are is yours.

Amen.