realistic expectations.

don't expect life to get easier.
do expect god to be faithful.

don't expect this world to satisfy.
do expect god to be more than enough.

don't expect to know all the answers or to understand completely.
do expect that god has a plan, and his plan is good.

so often i am looking for answers or solutions. i want a "happily ever after" on my timeline, but that is not the real world, and, often times, that is not how god works. he has a plan, and his plan is good, but much of the time, it requires patience and perseverance. that is where jesus comes into the picture.

psalm 84:11-12 "for the lord god is sun and shield; the lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. o lord almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you."

god is good.

"the lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. the lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. he fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them."-psalm 145:17-19

i have been thinking a lot lately about who god is and what he is capable of, and it has been blowing my mind. as god of the universe, there is nothing that is impossible for him. he is able to save, redeem, restore, make new, comfort, open doors, heal, forgive, lead, direct. our god is pretty amazing. yet in the midst of his seemingly busy schedule, he somehow manages to prioritize spending time with me. how rad is that? the god of the universe wants to spend time with us. he cares about the details of our lives.

it is hard for me to grasp that god knows and cares about everything going on in my life, but he does. he really does. he knows my thoughts and feelings, he sees me when i cry, when i have a hard day, when i'm confused, and he wants to be right by my side at all times. he doesn't just stand off in the distance waiting for me to come to him. he gets up and comes alongside me. why? because he loves me. his love never changes. even though i mess up repeatedly and am far from perfect, he loves me just the same. his love is unconditional and based on who he is rather than on me and what i have done. that is so refreshing.

psalm 34 has been rocking my world the past couple of days. one of my favorite verses is psalm 34:18 "the lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." i love that god doesn't just tell me to "get over it" when i am having a difficult day. instead, he comes alongside me, asks what's wrong, and is willing and able to help...if i will let him. god is so good. why is it so hard for me to recognize that at times? it seems so often that instead of letting him do his thing, i sit there, fighting him, pushing him away, and insisting i can do it by myself.

oh lord, please break me down to a place of humility where i am willing to accept your love for me. thank you that your love never changes, and that you are by my side at all times, whether i can "feel" you or not. you are good.

psalm 61:1-2 "hear my cry, o god; listen to my prayer. from the ends of the earth i call to you, i call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than i."

life. love. jesus.

"'for i know the plans i have for you,' declares the lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and i will listen to you. you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'" -jeremiah 29:11-13

sometimes it feels like life is super complicated, and there aren't always easy answers. there is no "how to" guide that provides step by step solutions for every situation under the sun. many times it comes down to simply walking with the lord and allowing him to guide your steps. so much easier said that done...

walking with god does not guarantee an easier life. in many instances, it almost guarantees the opposite. however, there is one thing that allowing god to lead does guarantee: we will never be left to accomplish anything on our own; he promises to be with us every step of the way. gotta love his promise to stick by our side no matter what. i know i do.

open arms

"you don't need to run away to have a fresh start, you simply need to ask." --god

last night i was reminded of how good god is, and that, unlike everyone else, he doesn't close his arms or turn his back when we run in the opposite direction. he doesn't become sullen or angry, and his view of us never changes. he simply stands there with open arms, ready and willing to accept us back, no questions asked, whenever we decide we're ready. and he never grows tired of waiting...

when we do make that decision to come back, we don't owe him anything or have to make up for our mistakes. he doesn't ask us to jump through hoops to prove that we are "worthy" of his love. his love is perfect and unconditional and is in no way based on our performance. his forgiveness is complete.

think of it like this, his word says our best deeds are as "filthy rags." (isaiah 64:6) at first glance, this may seem discouraging, but it's actually very freeing if you think a little more deeply. knowing that we are unable to work for our salvation sets us free to rest in the knowledge that all the work necessary was already accomplished on the cross over 2,000 years ago. we are free from trying to earn anything with jesus. all he wants to give us comes freely. i am so, so glad that my salvation is in no way dependent upon me. i am prone to mess things up, but god is perfect. my role is simply to ask and receive, and even with that, god is willing and able to help. gotta love our god. slow to anger, abounding in love.