Yeah, another post about faith. Sorry, its everywhere! And well, i think that's a good thing since we're called to a life of faith...

my friend sara got me that mug for my birthday and i haven't been able to stop thinking about that verse all day

Galation 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me"
Thoughts: Since my life has died with Christ, my life is no longer dependent on who I am or on what I can do int he flesh. It is dependent on who Jesus is and what He can do. (And how sweet the added part describing part of who He is that I am putting my faith in -"who loved me and gave Himself for me"!!! If there's an doubt in whether I can trust Him- doesn't that verse just diminish every worry. Who better to fully rely, depend, trust in than the One "who loved me and gave Himself for me")

I want to live a life of faith. A life not based on my weakness, on my failure, on my limitations but on Jesus' strength, faithfulness, power, might- a life based on His love- for me- and His love for others.
My love for others should never be dependent on my love for them- but on Jesus' love for them which is limitless, totally selfless, totally perfect.
A life not based on my righteousness, but on His righteousness.
"Nothing but 'full assurance of faith' on the precious blood shed for you on Calvary can give you this boldness" [speaking about the boldness in desiring that God's eyes always be upon you and to search you through and through] -Susannah Spurgeon It takes faith to be that vulnerable and we all know how i struggle with that.

I've reread a biography many times on a man named Bruce Olsen (called Bruchko). He was a missionary in South America to an unreached tribe who had never heard the gospel/has a Bible in their language. He was trying to explain concepts like "faith" and "incarnation" in their language. The picture/way he described faith to his friend was the same word for "suspending your hammock strings." In the communal home you would tie up your hammock in a high rafter and trust that that rafter would hold you up. When Bruce first came to live in the communal home, he asked his friend if he could somehow sleep in his hammock with one foot on the floor because he didn't trust it to hold him up. His friend laughed and told him he would need to 'suspend his hammock strings' and that was what Bruce ended up telling his friend he would have to do in Jesus.
I've always loved that picture- to fully rely on Him, to fully trust in Him, to fully "suspend" myself in Him. He's able to hold me up. To put all my stake in Him. To risk all in Him. Not having any reliance in myself and my ability. In my righteousness. In my love. In my faithfulness. In my understanding. God told us not to rely on our our own understanding! But in all my ways to acknowledge Him! I put my faith in Christ for my salvation, should I not also put my faith in Him for this life? On how to live this life. On how to bring Him glory.

I could sit here for hours and list to you all the very legitimate reasons I can not bring God glory in my life. All my faults. All my inadequacies. Why he cannot possible use my life.
And then I could also sit here for hours and list to you about an Almighty God who is able move mountains, bring water from rocks, make donkeys speak, and the list goes on and on and on (I know there is a book with 66 chapters that will tell you all about it), and when I put my faith in that God, than I'm excited and anticipating what He is going  to do to bring Himself glory.

That picture of water from a rock is a theme that has come up over and over in my daily Bible reading.  I know Jesus Christ is that rock in the Old testament. But I also think the Lord is showing me through it that He loves to do "impossible things." Water doesn't come from a rock. Especially a rock in the middle of the wilderness. But it did. It's impossible for my life to bring forth anything in myself. Honestly, I am the worst person ever. But when "it is not longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me"- than praise Him-  "He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."  John 7:38


I'm excited for this life of faith. Be magnified, O Lord.


"My hope lives not because I am a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy He is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me" C.H Spurgeon Morning and Evening Sept 25th