Monday SHINE.....
Reading Plan for the Week of 6/24-6/30:
- Monday 6/24: 1 Peter 5
- Tuesday 6/25: Ruth 1, 2
- Wednesday 6/26: Ruth 3, 4
- Thursday 6/27: 1 Samuel 1
- Friday 6/28: 1 Samuel 2:1-11
- Saturday 6/29: 1 Samuel 2:12-36
- Sunday 6/30: 1 Samuel 3:1-3-41a
Good morning, SHINE girls! Are you ready for another week in the Living, Breathing, Active Word of God?
Me too!
Girls, let me just shoot it straight as an arrow....I am so lost without the Lord.
I mean, truly, I am an utter catastrophe.
He's made me realize just what a mess I am without Him time after time.
I can mess up. BIG time.
Just when I think I am going along great, in a good place, and not so dependent on Him or His Word....BAM!!
I fall back down hard on my face.
So many times I have failed. So many times I have forgotten just how weak I am without Him.
However, He never gives up on me! Ever!
I remember recently something happening {again} and I just went straight to Him and told Him this:
"Lord, I cannot live without You. I know you made us to depend on You, but I think I need You the MOST! Why did You make me so helpless without You?"
As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew the answer.
He made me weak, so that I would be strong through Him, and Him alone.
"But he said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
He made me a big ball of flesh, so that I would always remember that He's the only One that can heal me and save me.
He's allowed me to be hurt and disappointed at times, so that I would rely on HIM and HIM alone.
Do you see what I mean?
Girls, we need Him. More than we need the air in our lungs.
We are hopeless, helpless, and down right messed up without Him.
Our memory verse this week is very personal to me. It is also found in our reading from yesterday. :)
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| "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 |
This verse is powerful because we can look at it in the way of God's Love for us, and also in the way that we are to love others.
When I mess up, I ask Him to forgive me and cover my sin so that others will not be hurt from it.
I can remember many, many, many conversations that I have had with others and then thinking back upon them I would shudder. Like shut my eyes, shake my head, and shudder loudly. Yikes.
I would quickly say to the Lord, "Lord, cover that, please. You know my heart, and you know that my words did not come out right. Please allow your Love to cover all that mess I just left behind."
I have also had to use this verse when I am in a situation of needing to forgive.
"Lord, do I really have to love and forgive like this? Really??"
Yes, Jill. You do.
What if the Father chose to hold a grudge and chose not to forgive us when He have messed up?
Oh, my. We would be in a heap of trouble, wouldn't we?
Oh, and let's not forget that I have many times been the one needing the forgiveness. Oh, how I love that verse in times like these! I would pray that the person I had wronged would love me enough to forgive me.
We must take this verse to heart, girls.
Memorize it.
Practice it.
Live it.
Once and for all.
Lord, let us love others like You love us. There's no telling the thickness of the walls among all of our hearts that need a giant slam of the forgiveness hammer. Your Love truly covers our mess-ups, and our sins. Help us to receive Your forgiveness, as well as to administer forgiveness to others. Help us to love each other deeply, and to cover each other and our giant messes. Just like You do for us. In Jesus name. Amen.
