Journal Entry ~ 12/24/17

1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!  - Psalm 95:1-2

To prepare our hearts for worship this Christmas, we need to spend time reflecting on the incredible gifts we were given on the day Jesus was born. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.—Isaiah 9:6. In a tiny little baby, we were sent the One who would be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince is Peace.

Wonderful means amazing, surprising, astonishing, or awe-inspiring - a perfect word to describe the King of Kings. As we contemplate the fact that our God in heaven sent down His only son to be sacrificed for each of our sins should produce a sense of awe and wonder that our hearts are drawn to worship Him. Counselor is one who gives advice or offers instruction. This wonderful God we have wants to give us guidance and direction for our lives. He has a specific plan for your life, one that is uniquely designed for your gifts and abilities. When we feel overwhelmed by the difficult decisions in life, we need to remember we know the One with a plan for our lives, a plan designed by the One who knows us intimately and cares for us deeply. His plan is for our good. When we need Him, He makes Himself available for guidance simply by seeking Him.  

As our Wonderful Counselor, He not only knows what we’re going through, but He understands how we feel as we face both our celebrations and our challenges. He promises to advise us and accompany us through whatever we are facing. Jesus counsels us with His words and with His life. Despite our continued rejection of His advise, and our continued desire to follow our own path, Jesus doesn't stop speaking into our lives and patiently waiting for us to follow.  He is our Wonderful Counselor - a gift worthy of worship. 

Isaiah also reminds us that the baby in the manger is Mighty God. He is the Creator over all things in heaven and earth, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is beyond time and space. He is all knowing, all powerful, all present. No one is deserving of our praise as our God is. There is no one greater; he has no equal. He is eternal God, who is, was, and is to come (Revelation 1:8).

The God we love us sovereign over all. No matter what may be happening in your life, you can trust that a God who is Wonderful is at the helm, and is working all things for the good of those who love Him. We need not live in a state of fear because we know how it’s all going to end and we know who wins. No one is more powerful than the Mighty God we love, all will bow their knee to Him. There is nothing that can rise up against you that He cannot protect you from. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39. This Mighty God came to this world as a helpless baby, all so He could sacrifice His life in order to save ours. Reflecting on these truths draws my heart to a place of worship for who He is. 

My Christmas Eve celebration is different than past years - since it's Sunday, my day has been quiet and on the couch as I recover from my last Taxol treatment.  Sadly, I was too sick to make it to service this morning to enjoy corporate worship, but the reminder this week of how to prepare our hearts for worship has impacted my heart.  Despite all that I have struggled through this year, I have so much for which to give Him praise.  Our Wonderful Counselor has guided me through difficult decisions, and never failed to remind me He is walking through this with me.  Our Mighty God has reigned sovereign over this trial, and I remain confident He is working this out for my good.   

Press on ~ you are loved 💗

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Medical Update ~ 09/27/17

Image
Today was a challenging day.  I met with the oncologist to discuss chemo as part of my treatment plan.  The oncologist explained there were 3 additional invasions discovered during surgery, so there were actually 4 isolated invasions in the breast tissue.  To review - my diagnosis is Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  All 4 of the invasions are HER2+ (aggressive) and hormone negative (recurrent).  My oncologist walked us through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCM) guidelines for treatment of this type of aggressive, recurrent cancer - chemo and radiation. The good news is God had already moved the mountain in my heart opposing chemo, and rested me in a place of acceptance.  While my initial prayers focused on not having to have chemo as part of my treatment, after hearing I had multiple invasions, He moved me to a place of understanding that chemo is a necessary part of my treatment.  If there were 4 invasions in the sample they took, there co
Read more

My Journey Begins...

I am a believer in Christ, and I have breast cancer.     On August 17, 2017, I was diagnosed with an aggressive (HER2+), recurrent (hormone negative) type of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  At this point, they have not yet staged my cancer because they are waiting for the biopsy results from a suspicious spot in the second breast. The biopsy is scheduled for September 5th, with a lumpectomy to follow on September 7th.  They will formally stage my cancer after they biopsy my lymph nodes, which will be taken during the surgery.  It doesn't make any sense to me that I have a cancer diagnosis - I am a fairly healthy woman who runs 2 miles almost every day and eats a gluten-free, primarily paleo diet, with no family history at all.  But it makes sense to God, and so here I am. Update ~ They found 4 isolated invasions during the lumpectomy.  Due to the nature of my cancer (HER2+ and ER-), the recommended protocol is chemotherapy and radiation.  Beginning in October, my chemotherapy regime
Read more

Grace in Marriage

When we launched our new blog we had no idea if anyone would see it or be helped by it, but we knew that the LORD was prompting us to step out in faith and just do it. The response has been amazing and we are looking forward to how God will use this space for His glory. We have learned over many years of service in a variety of ministries, that God does not require human assistance to realize His plans for individuals, churches, nations, or the human race. But the story of the bible is the story of God’s will playing out through the words and actions of the His children. So…we pray, meditate on his Word, and write from the heart about the truths that mold our faith, guide our actions, and inspire our hearts and minds. Please visit the site and subscribe to continue receiving posts.  https://graceinmarriage.com/ It is our sincere hope that you are blessed by our work here and welcome your input on how we can make Grace in Marriage even better. Thank you for your support.
Read more