May We Be Diminished

His sovereign rule lasts and lasts, His kingdom never declines and falls. Life on this earth doesn’t add up to much, but God’s heavenly army keeps everything going. No one can interrupt His work, no one can call His rule into question. Daniel 4:35 {MSG}

I work at a church and at our Tuesday meeting our worship leader, Ric, shared a devotion based on this scripture. His observation - we are accounted as nothing, and yet, created in God's image. How can these two ideas be reconciled? In his devotion, he offered as we grow in God's image - as we lean into HIS image - we grow in His compassion, love and grace. By allowing our self to diminish - God becomes greater.

There's a higher calling to this life - and it involves maturity, seeking, prayer, growth and worship.

The beauty of our God is that He gave us free will {which is also the super hard part of this life}. Every step of our growth in God requires making the right choice. There can be no true worship unless there is freedom not to worship. How many miss their calling in the Lord because they are not willing to turn aside from their daily agendas and routines to see something of God?

In Acts, the apostles weren't led around by the hand - they had authority to make choices. We repeatedly read phrases from them like, “I have decided…” Little children must be led by the hand and the immature in Christ want a word for everything they do. But as we mature, this becomes less necessary.

As we mature in the Lord, we are given more responsibility. Even though we have Him with us, He wants us to mature beyond just getting orders from Him. He wants us to have His heart and His mind so what we decide is what He would decide, and is done through us. And, as we grow in Him, we must learn to recognize the great privilege it is when He does not give us specific instructions, but gives us a choice because He trusts us. He is seeking to have us grow in faith and wisdom - to KNOW His voice.

The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning. Psalm 25:14-15 {AMP}

The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline. Proverbs 1:17 {AMP}

Personally, I've started trying to wake up each morning and go straight to study and prayer. I downloaded an app called First 5 that dings at 4:30AM each morning {don't worry - you can set for anytime of day so don't let my farmer hours throw you {♥}}  I also bought a devotion book, New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp that literally inspires, strengthens and convicts my spirit every. single. morning.

Really, my conversation with God never ends. Moment by moment, every day, I seek God. I talk to Him. Daily I give every corner of my heart {my praises, dreams, hurts, gripes, wounds} in exchange for all He desires me to be.

I wait for Him to quiet my voice and fill my mind and heart with His mysterious and silent presence {His Holy Spirit}. I allow it to rise within me; rising up to become more and more not only a reality, but that reality which gives meaning and shape and purpose to everything I do and everything I am.

I can't remember a time in my life when God wasn't with me - I've been blessed to always hear His voice when He speaks - but even more so now, daily I hear and feel Him encouraging me, loving me, laughing with me and really just dealing with me. He sees our hearts, the parts we show the world and the hidden parts and He loves us anyway. To truly grow in our relationship with God, we must allow Him to deal with all of us.

Be encouraged - God doesn't need you to be at a certain level to use you. He loves you as you are, where you are. He is love and grace. There are still many days where I struggle physically thru migraines and challenges due to my disability - days when I feel diminished, discouraged {like I'm only existing and not living}. God isn't looking for perfection - He's looking for obedience. And in obedience comes JOY!

Happiness is caused by things that happen around me, and circumstances will mar it; but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows through persecution and opposition.  It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring the world can’t see and doesn’t know anything about. D.L. Moody

"God doesn't want something from us. He simply wants us." C.S. Lewis

Praying for each of you {♥}