40 YEARS LATER

Today - January 30th, 2010 marks my 40th Year with the Lord Jesus Christ! As I have been reflecting upon my life with Him this day - and even over the past few weeks, I keep thinking that so much of that time was wasted - just wandering in the desert. Only in the last three to five years has there been any significant building of the Lord's House in my life. But these last three years - it is GOD who has built new walls and new floors. The foundation of Jesus Christ has always been there since the day I came to receive Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. That day back in 1970, when I was just fourteen years old, I remember how the scales were removed from my eyes and His light shone into the darkness of my heart and flooded me with spiritual understanding as God used this verse to bring me into the LIGHT:
Romans 8:1 [KJV]
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. [emphasis added]

Yes, this simple verse, yet so profound gave me HOPE and understanding that my sins, past and present, had been forgiven by what Jesus had paid with His blood on the Cross. I received that forgiveness that day and began my 'faith walk' in the spirit. I knew that I had received the free gift of Eternal Life....... and I told anyone and everyone that night [after youth group was over] what Christ had done to save me! Zeal poured out of my life for the next few years. God had performed a miracle and I had that desire to let Him rule and reign in my life forever.
But.... slowly over time I began to think that I could control my life. I was not content with things that seemed to be 'missing' in my life. Like most people I tried filling the void with 'things' - instead of turning to the Living, Loving God who had given me life in the first place.

In October of 2005, the Lord brought this passage into my life through a Simulcast of Beth Moore's teaching at a local church. About two hundred of us attended. She spoke on Psalm 126, and about God's Word being 'seed' - and what that meant. I tell you it took me 3X of hearing that same message to finally understand what it meant. I felt that somehow the Lord was using this passage to speak to my family. At the time, my husband was in his fourth year of cancer and his life was ebbing away physically. Not knowing 'why' - then... I committed to memorizing the entire Psalm - and to this day I am typing it in for you now from memory:

Psalm 126 [NIV]
1 When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed [were restored to health].
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of JOY.
Then it was said among the nations
"The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us
and we are filled with JOY.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev [desert]
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of JOY.
6 He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of JOY,
carrying sheaves with him.

I now call this my psalm of JOY and PROMISE! It has come to mean so much to me and to my family in all that God has done.
Just yesterday I happened to hear a clip of Joyce Meyer in which she said these words:

"If you won't worship the
Lord in your days in the Desert,
what makes you think that you will worship Him

in your earthly Promised Land?"

When I reflected upon her words, I knew that I had made a choice in recent years to follow the Lord wholeheartedly with all of my being - fully surrendered to His ways - no matter where they might lead. My 'wandering' had ended a little over three years ago and now - as I step into my earthly Promised Land on this day - I know that the LORD has given me promises of HOPE and a future!

I spent the morning in God's Word reflecting on many passages that are significant but besides these already mentioned I have to say that Psalm 119 - the psalm all about God's Word, God's Commands, God's statutes, God's laws, God's ways, shows His fingerprints all over my Bible among those 176 verses. It may be the longest chapter in the Bible - and for good reason. There are not enough words to speak about God's Holy Word. Oh, how I love it so. Oh, how I love HIM so!

Lord Jesus -
This day as I reflect upon the house that You have built - in spite of my many wanderings, fears and failures, I am eager to move into my earthly Promised Land once and for all with You! Your Word is my delight. It lights my path so I know the way even if only for one step before me.
*Thank You for calling me Your "Beloved".
*Thank You for redeeming and restoring my life , even when the enemy lied to me and told me that could never happen.
*Thank You for replacing the enemy's lies with the TRUTH of Your Word. I am overwhelmed by Your Presence with me right now in this moment of time. There is no greater JOY than to be in Your Presence daily! I long for heaven - the place I was destined to live out eternity with You. But for now, earth is still my home.
*I thank You for building a house for me - that only You could build. As David so wonderfully stated:

2 Samuel 7:18

[As David sat before the LORD]

"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family,

that You have brought me [us] this far?

Celebrating the GOODNESS of the LORD this day!
Receiving all of His undeserved GRACE and MERCY, JOY and PROMISE!

Choosing Great JOY,
Stephanie
JESUS ONLY in 2010
PS: My favorite color is still purple!