Greg Loves Sarah

“God’s grace means that I can rest assured

that I’ll have everything I need

to be what He wants me to be and to do what He wants me to do

in the situation in which He’s placed me.

I’m no longer restricted to the limits of my own strength and wisdom.

By His grace, I’ve a new identity and a new potential.

I’m a child of God; the risen Christ now lives inside of me.

I need no longer fear people or circumstances;

I don’t have to feel weak in the face of suffering or temptation,

because I no longer rest in the resources of my own ability.

I’m in Christ and He’s in me.

This new identity gives me new potential

as I face the realities of life in this bent and broken world.

God’s grace gives me reason to ‘take heart.’”

-Paul David Tripp, “Psalm 27: Take Heart”

“Thou hast made waiting beautiful; Thou has made patience divine. Thou hast taught us that the Father’s will may be received just because it is His will. Thou hast revealed to us that a soul may see nothing but sorrow in the cup and yet may refuse to let it go, convinced that the eye of the Father sees further than its own.” ~George Matheson, in Streams in the Desert

“I don’t know what has you down today, my friend,
but I just had a thought that I hope might encourage you:

Keep in mind, my dearest Sarah, that our enemy does NOT want this to be a victorious day for you. Our foe will do everything he can to discourage, and defeat you, period. No, having a “good” day shouldn’t be easy—especially coming off such a week that we have had. Last week, the enemy lost big. I have no doubt that he wants to change that around for this week. This truly is a battle. We can’t think of each day as a regular day, but as an opportunity to reclaim ground for Christ. Sarah, God has given you an optimism, LOVE and joy that very few people have. Rejoice that you have a day to fight for Christ. Fight hard, claim truth, and win the victory for today through Christ alone. Put on HIS armor—your flesh WILL fail you. And when today is over, even if you don’t FEEL victorious, then give that day to the Lord, and prepare to fight for tomorrow. I’m fighting with you, I’m praying for you, and so are so MANY that love you and support you on all sides.

I love ya,
Mel”

Thank You, Father…for the gift of a friend. I pray that You would use these words, sent to me, to encourage others as well. Be exalted, oh God, in all the earth – and may it start in my heart…

“God is good – and not in the cliche, rubber-bracelet sort of way – good in a massive, magnificent, epic, Rocky-Mountain-snow-capped-peak sort of way” – Sam Kordik

“We may be earnestly desiring to be obedient and holy. But we may be missing the fact that it is here, where we happen to be at this moment and not in another place and another time, that we may learn to love Him – here where it seems He is not at work, where His will seems obscure or frightening, where He is not doing what we expected Him to do, where He is most absent. Here and nowhere else is the appointed place. If faith does not go to work here, it will not go to work at all.” ~Elisabeth Elliot