πιστευω

[verb] to entrust a thing to one.

Trust... I'm learning so much about trust right now. Today, my Bible study really made me think about the concept. Allow me to quote Beth Moore because something she said really hit home for me...

"Imagine in heaven God lovingly shows you His plan for your earthly life. You see footprints walking through each day. On many of the days, two sets of footprints appear. You inquire: 'Father, are those my footprints every day, and is the second set of prints when You joined me?' He answers, 'No, My precious child. The consistent footprints are Mine. The second set of footprints are when you joined Me.' 'Where were You going, Father?' 'To the destiny I planned for you, hoping you'd follow.' 'But Father, where are my footprints all those times?' 'Sometimes you went back to look at old resentments and habits. Sometimes, ou departed from My path and chose your own instead. Other times your footprints can even be seen on another person's path because you liked their plan better. At other times, you simply stopped because you would not let go of something you could not take with you.' 'But even if I didn't walk with You every day, we ended up OK, didn't we?' He holds you close and smiles, 'Yes child, we ended up OK. But, you see, OK was never what I had in mind for you.'"

That just really got to me... I was made to think of Genesis 3:8-9 and had to wonder how many times God has called for me to walk with Him in the cool of the day and I've run away scared. I want to live everyday in His plan, in His blessings. It's a daily surrender. May I learn to wake up every morning and surrender.

Mother Teresa is quoted to have once asked a man how she could pray for him. He said, "Pray that I have clarity," to which she replied, "Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of... I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God."

The way isn't always easy. Even when you're striving after Him, the road will sometimes be filled with darkness. But it is in those moments that surrender is most important. "Stand still, cry out, and bid Him to come to you! He'll lead you on from there... Never will He hold your hand more tightly than when He is leading you through the dark." (Beth Moore)

When darkness envelops me, may I pray, "Abba, into your hands I entrust my body, mind, and spirit and this entire day--morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Whatever you want of me, I want of me, falling into you and trusting in you in the midst of my life. Into your heart I entrust my heart, feeble, distracted, insecure, uncertain. Abba, unto you I abandon myself in Jesus our Lord. Amen."

I want to learn to follow hard after You! Teach me Your ways that I may walk in them!!

Secular View of Jesus

I was reading a book on the four main world religions and I LOVE the description of Jesus as taken from a secular point of view. Hope you're as blessed as I was!

"The personality of Jesus was complex. As the New Testament presents him, he was both fiery and gentle, both sociable and solitary, both full of energy and subject to fatigue. ABove all, he was both traditional and innovation-- both a conservative and a revolutionary. Among his most distinctive features were his eloquence and his compassion. He spoke winningly, with an instinctive knowledge of what would make his message clear to his audience, how he could draw them to contemplate the Reign of God. His heart went out to the poor, the sick, the children. He seems to have had a special affinity for women, making friends with them and winning their allegiance. (This was unusual for a Jewish teacher in Jesus's day. Men, above all rabbis, were not supposed to consort with women or teach them.) Manifestly, Jesus was a man drawn to prayer."
- In the Path of the Masters

That passage is SO beautiful to me! Even secular scholars see the beauty and complexity of Christ. Ah just love it...

Time

This week has been the fastest and slowest week of my life. It's been full of trials and blessings. Not much time to blog because I have a test to study for, but I'm very much looking forward to this weekend. I get to see my friend Chesh, go to a couple of Leo Goes Grr concerts, stay with Lindy's grandparents, see Madi perform, worship at Antioch, and various other activities with my friends. Monday begins a new week which I will welcome! Weellll back to learning about the four great religious masters. Woot! I promise to blog in a more interesting fashion soon.