Stripped of Rags

I've had several conversations over the past few days about our tendency as Christians to neglect trusting God for present trials because we forget His past faithfulness. Like the Children of Israel, we get bored with manna and forget that its a gift. We grumble because we only have water to drink. We look to golden calves instead of our priceless Gift to bring us comfort and hope.

Last year at Na, we sang a song containing the words "Jesus strip me of everything that I would lean on so I will lean on you. Disarm me of everything I'd depend on so I'll depend on you."

Those are hard words to sing until you realize what He's stripping you from is rags. He's disarming you from trash to give you a treasure. He's taking rags and giving a beautiful robe.

God has spent several years in my life stripping me. And to some degree, the process continues daily.

But wow - as I look back, I can see He has in fact stripped me of countless rags. Rags that I once valued above everything - rags like addictions, stuff, money and health (along with so many others). He is killing my love for money and has replaced it with me being able to use my love for shopping and putting things together, and has allowed me to use that helping other people in buying new clothes, shoes, bags, etc - getting great deals and putting it all together in a super cute way! He is using that ability to bless and encourage others in ways I never would have imagined.

He temporarily (albeit over and over and over again) took my health and has shown me the beauty in His power being perfected in my weakness. He's taken my angst and given me peace and hope. He reminds me when my heart fears, that He is the God who calms the waves.

So, I start a new job tomorrow. I'm headed off into the great unknown, yet again. In 5 days, I'll leave for Na08. And my prayer is that I will simply enjoy Him. That my passion for Him would deepen. That my hope and confidence in Him would grow. That I would fall hopelessly in love with the Lover of my soul - and that it would be fun.

As everything I know changes (as it so often does), I pray that by God's grace, I would not try to grasp for my rags of comfort but that I would glory in who He is and what He's done in and through me.

His grace is truly amazing. As I see glimpses, I really do stand here in awe.