The New Has Come

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come!


As I reflect on all that has happened in this year of 2012, so many emotions fill me, but I am overwhelmed by a sense of victory. So much happened in 2012, much to rejoice over and much to mourn over. In the hardships I endured, I discovered a darkness I never knew existed, and for quite a while, it consumed me. I was broken, beaten down and shaken to the core. And my prayer was that God would restore me. And He has. He has taken my old, broken, beaten down self and renewed my spirit into a new and wonderfully restored creation of His. For that I am grateful beyond words. I look back and marvel at how my Father bent down and picked up the shattered pieces of His daughter's heart that were strewn across the threshing floor. And I rejoice because a victory was won over the darkness that threatened me this year. My Father entered the heart He restored and fought against the war that was waged against my soul, the war that my flesh was too weak to fight on its own. And He was and still is everyday victorious. I could look back on this year and say that it was a horrible year because of everything that hit me. But I can confidently say that this year was truly an amazing year all because my Father reigned victorious in every battle, because He healed all my battle scars and made me a new creation set apart for His purpose. For that I rejoice because I have found worth in the restoring love of the Father. And I rejoice because everything I went through this year brought me to that place of restoration, of renewal and of peace in my Father's perfect purpose.

I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on everything you've gone through this year, good and bad. Bring whatever darkness that is still weighing on your heart to God, and open up your heart to Him. Be honest with Him about the battles you're fighting, for He longs to hear from you, His precious child that He created. If you feel God's spirit pressing on your heart in this moment, invite Him into your heart and ask Him to restore you, to renew you into a new creation set apart for His purpose, and to fight all the battles that your flesh cannot handle, for He will reign victorious. Let your soul be overwhelmed in the satisfaction of this moment, and rejoice, dear child, for the new has come!

Let this message of restoration in Christ be embedded in your heart throughout 2013. I pray that He uses you in powerful ways this year to bring Him glory and to fulfill His purpose for your life. I hope all of you have a Happy New Year filled with new beginnings and adventures with the Lord!

Madelynn

Unshakable

Psalms 16:8

 

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

 

As we go throughout our days, we are thrown things that cause us shake and that threaten our sense of security. We work so hard to preserve that feeling of safety, to stay strong and grounded on the foundations we have built up for ourselves. However, as soon as a storm hits and the ground beneath us begins to quake, detrimental cracks are made in our unstable foundations and we begin to shake and sway in the presence of our overwhelming circumstance. It's so easy for us to give way to the shaking world around us, to fall and just give up. But we don't have to be conquered by our circumstances, we don't have to be shaken in our storms. The Lord stands before you right now with His arms open, patiently and longingly waiting for you to run to Him and take refuge in his presence. Once we run to Him and embrace His unfailing love, He remains at your right hand, constantly sustaining and protecting you. As we root ourselves in the concrete, unbreakable foundation of Christ, we become unshakable through every season of life. Knowing this empowers us in the darkest nights and the strongest storms, and emboldens us to push through our circumstance with complete trust in the unshakable rock that is our Savior.

 

Come to God with all your burdens, with all the things in your life that are causing you to anxiously shake and sway. Be honest and unveiled with Him about what you are going through, for He desires for you to openly communicate with Him. If you feeling God pressing on your heart, cast off all your anxieties and run to Him to embrace His presence. Commit to making Him the foundation of your life, and take confidence in knowing that He will empower you so that you will not be shaken, no matter how severe the storm may seem. Rest in the security that comes with abiding in the arms of your Father.

I pray that this word would sustain you and empower you today. I hope everyone has an amazing day!

 

Madelynn  

Our Rock and Fortress

Psalms 71:2-3 (ESV)

In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

In the constant chaos that is life, we so often seek to be rescued from our storms. As we are torn apart by the things we are thrown in life, we cry out to anything and everything that could give us refuge, even if only momentary. We struggle against the raging waves in our souls for so long that we began to continually, deeply crave for solid, safe ground to stand on and find sustaining refuge in. These storms are daily struggles each of us battle in different ways. While our storms may vary in type and intensity, we all share one common thing in the midst of our chaos: the need for a secure refuge. We seek refuge in so many unstable things in this world, and we become blind to the sweet truth that God is the only true refuge, the only one who can pull us from our storms and root us in His solid foundation. No matter how chaotic and crazy our storms and struggles may seem, none are too big for our God to calm. His loving hand is outstretched towards you; you only have to reach out and embrace His saving grace that will ultimately be your refuge. Once we come to trust in the Rock that is our Lord, we will not be shaken, but rather grounded in the all sustaining power and love of Christ.

Bring to God any storms you are struggling against in your life, and open up to Him about the damage that has been done to your heart. If you feel God leading you, invite Him into your heart to calm the storms, to be your refuge and your healer. Rest in the the sweet security the Lord our God provides in His loving embrace, and take confidence in that he is the unshakable Rock of Refuge.

I pray that this would bring peace to your heart today, and that you would find a sustaining joy in this message. I hope your all have a wonderful day :)

Madelynn