In my little blue room I have this ugly green chair. Although it has seen better days I'm quite fond of the little chair. It has witness many counseling sessions and has been a welcoming spot for all my friends who come to visit. But when I'm alone, the little green chair is my place of prayer. This chair has been wet with tears time and time again as I've visited the throne room of Heaven.
God isn't going to listen to you...you don't have your act together this morning. You haven't been faithful enough or worked hard enough to really get into the presence of God. Besides, you keep messing up so why would God reward you with the pleasure of His presence?
I felt so discouraged. My heart condemned me but Satan used these words to twist the very nature of God. Was God condemning me? Was it really in His nature to put such an impossible price tag on meeting with Him? If God wants to spend time with me then why did He seem so far away?
I felt the frustration that Paul must've experienced when he wrote these words,
I felt the frustration that Paul must've experienced when he wrote these words,
"I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am!
Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?" (Romans 7:18-24)
Quite discouraging! But wait...the whole paragraph above is all about YOU! "I am rotten, I can't make myself do right, I try not to do wrong but I do it anyway...and it is making ME miserable!" Kneeling by my green chair I found myself thinking those thoughts. I didn't "feel" like I was pleasing God enough...so how was I to fix this relationship so I could enjoy His presence once more? Take a moment and read over the verses again. Paul voices the cry that many of us can identify with, Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?
"Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:25)
The price tag for coming into God's presence was paid at the cross. It was a costly gift; the gift of Jesus Christ Himself. Who am I to declare that I am still not good enough to come into the holy presence of God? When Jesus said, "it is finished", he was declaring that the FULL price had been paid. Nothing you and I can do will ever make us "good enough" to get into the presence of God. Only through His Son can we come boldly to the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16)
As I bowed my head once more, I prayed the words of Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Walking in the Spirit is resting in the truths God has given to us. When you have your own "green chair chat" with God, remember that the only reason you can go there is because of the cross. It's not about you but about CHRIST in you, the hope of glory!
7 comments:
Wow.... Thanks for sharing, Laurie! Love you!
I love reading your posts, Laurie. This one is definitely a favorite!! Thank you for sharing your heart ~ you are always encouraging to me!
love always, ~Jaimee
Nice to meet you in the web, Laurie.
Thanks for sharing all your inspiring words.
"God’s strength is made perfect in weakness,
For when we are weak He is strong;
He gives us His grace and His power
To overcome in us what’s wrong"
May God bless you.
:)
Hello Dulcina! It's great to connect with fellow Christians and be encouraged in Christ. How did you find out about our blog? God bless you too!
Love it, so encouraging. I used to have a old pink prayer chair in my room too. It is indented in the front where my elbows pressed upon it while praying. I used to pray for my future family there and other things too, of course. Satan would sometimes condemn and tell me I was worthless and my desires for ministry and to have a family one day would never come true.
It now sits in my daughters room and I still go there to pray sometimes. It is amazing to me to sit there and hold my daughter and think this is where I prayed for you and your dad, my hubby, before I ever even knew you. God is faithful to meet us when we pray and answer our prayers even when we do not deserve it because of the cross. Thank you for sharing.
This is SOOOO encouraging Laurie!!! i miss my journey leader!!! :) <3
it was sooo good to read this again. always a good reminder. Thanks Laurie!!!
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