God Archives - Simply Gathering Grace

3 STEPS TO GUARANTEE SUCCESS ON YOUR JOURNEY

March 11, 2016 By Mikki Jo 7 Comments

I drive down the road and I see remnants of past holiday seasons scattered among the homes I pass. A Christmas wreath with a faded tattered bow, a wilted snowman that has lost all his air, a valentine heart hanging on a door. Easter is soon coming regardless of what season someone still has hanging out in their yard.

Easter is coming and no matter what season our lives are in Jesus is coming too!

While reading my First5 app I was reminded of the great sacrifice Jesus made.

In the Old Testament animals were sacrificed to cover sin. Over and over and over again. It was not possible for this sacrifice to take away sin. But God had a plan, a perfect plan. Hebrews 10:4 NIV It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to be the ultimate sacrifice and take away our sin. Once, for all! John 1:29 NIV The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Today it’s a nasty rainy day, or I could say…the rain is gently falling and the cool air feels so refreshing. I’ll choose the second option. If I had to go out and hunt for a ram or goat to sacrifice for my sin today I’d grab my muckboots and rain jacket and say “It’s a nasty rainy day! I need to reach God today so I have to go slaughter “Beatrice” my goat because I need a blood sacrifice!” I’d be all grumpy and hateful having to tromp around in the rain and I’d be all broke down because I would have made friends with Beatrice coz that’s how I roll. Poor Beatrice. Ohhhh myyyy, can you imagine!? I’m so thankful for Jesus! He sacrificed Himself for me and He took away my sin. He died once, for my sin and your sin! Thank you Jesus! Thank you!

My dear friend and sister in Christ, Pam Jones, mentioned in class the other day how we are on a journey. Oh how true! During my devotional time with the Lord, I came across that word about seven times this week. Yes, we are on a journey. Where are we headed? Our ultimate goal should be to make heaven our home. What do we need to get there? We need Jesus. Who should we take with us? Everyone!

3 steps that will guarantee your success on the journey ahead of you.

CONFESS 1 John 1:9 NIV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

COMMIT Proverbs 16:3 NIV Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.

CONTINUE Colossians 2:6 NIV So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him.

Where are you headed on your journey? I’ve had many detours in my life and I’m thankful Jesus helps me find my way back. If the journey you are on doesn’t include Jesus, step out in faith today and welcome Him along. You’ll never regret it. He loves us so much.

BETTER THAN PASTEL SKIES AND APPLE PIE

October 22, 2015 By Mikki Jo 8 Comments

The last dish is put away and I join the rest of the family on the porch. There’s a slight chill in the air on this fall evening and the conversation is, “That apple pie was delicious!” And everyone is in agreement.

I smile.

Everyone has a full belly and just enjoying each others company. Family, food, love. Peace and contentment fills the atmosphere as we watch the lazy pastel sky. Cotton candy sky is what my sister Jenni calls it. A beautiful sunset, family, and apple pie. Ahhh, what could be better than this?

I wish I could take this sweet time of contentment and can it like apple pie filling and put it on a shelf, so I can pull it back down when I need it. Life can become so crazy and overwhelming. Chaos always seems to plop down right in the middle of my tenderest moments.

I don’t like chaos. I don’t like change. I don’t like surprises, sometimes I don’t even like good surprises.

I like unchanging, same, stable, settled.

I equate insecurity with change, fear with surprise, irritation with interruption.

As long as we live there will be seasons of change, and surprises. Life is as ever-changing as the pastel skies. God wants us to seek His plan during change. We tend to make plans and forget to consider His plans. Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a persons heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

We see interruptions as an inconvenience and sometimes even blame it on satan. (Yes the s in satan is supposed to be capitalized, but I have always refused to give him a capital s.) The truth is, the best of plans maybe edited by God for any number of reasons. It may be for our protection, for our spiritual growth or a need for ourselves or someone else.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. There’s that word TRUST again, I spoke of trust in the last devotion. Keep our mind upon Him and trust Him, and He will keep us in perfect peace. I love that! In the middle of the CHAOS that got plopped down in my lap I can have perfect peace? Yessss, that’s what I want! Perfect peace IS contentment.

Let a contented spirit be the contentment we seek. This world will never give us the contentment our heart hungers for. Jesus Christ is the only one who can fill that void. Prayer and daily reading of His word will help us to walk closer with Him. 1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

We can remain content no matter our circumstances when we cling to the fact that Jesus never changes. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

How about you, don’t you want that? I think we all do. Let’s choose to trust Him with our life, our changes, our chaos and our fears. Lord keep our minds steadfast, that we may learn to trust you more and live in the perfect peace that you speak of. Perfect peace and contentment, nothing is better than that.

WHEN BROKENNESS TURNS TO HOPEFULNESS

October 21, 2015 By Mikki Jo 8 Comments

Have you ever been accused of being drunk? In the Bible Hannah was. She was in such anguish she poured her heart out to God and Eli the priest assumed she was drunk. She wanted a son and prayed for years for the Lord to give her one.

Her husband’s other wife made fun of her because she was childless and she herself had many children. I’ve met some catty women in my day. It’s hard enough being heartbroken and then to have someone rub salt in the wound hurts even more. (Catty women need prayer too.)

God saw Hannah’s brokenness, and He answered her prayer and gave her a son. She named him Samuel. What a beautiful story of God’s love and mercy in 1 Samuel Chapters 1 and 2.

Whatever our situation is, for whatever reason we are distressed and broken, God has the answer.

A broken heart that comes to God with complete trust will be healed. If we trust Him with our eternity we can definitely trust Him with our heart. Sometimes we have to be broken before we learn to fully trust Him. Sometimes we have to be broken for Him to use us to minister to others that are broken.

One of my favorite things, (did I just sound like Oprah?) is an old sugar bowl that belonged to my Grandma. Once while I was in Kentucky me and my sister and Mom stopped at an old flea market. I looked on a shelf up high and there was a teacup that matched my Grandma’s sugar bowl. It was cracked, and had a huge chip out of the rim. But I didn’t care, I took that little teacup home with me.

I love my cup with it’s big crack and huge chip, and I don’t even notice them. I enjoy drinking my tea from this cup. I’m surprised it don’t leak with such a huge crack. But as I said, I love my sweet cup and I think it’s beautiful.

I know with every fiber of my being that God loves us, with all of our brokenness and cracks and chips. He loves us. He wants to mend our broken hearts.

In Him we have hope, eternal hope is the anchor of our soul. Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20a Where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf

Is your heart broken, is your spirit crushed? The only one with the answer is Jesus. He brings us victory in our distress. Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

He tends to our wounded heart. He heals us. Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

In all of our brokenness we can come to Him. If we are willing He is more than able. He’s waiting now. Pour out your heart to Him like Hannah did. Don’t let your circumstances allow you to remain broken, place your hope in Jesus.

Give it to God; all of it. And let Him heal you and make you whole.

p.s. I wrote a short poem about my little teacup. You can click on the highlighted word to go there now.

BE STILL MY CHILD

September 26, 2015 By Mikki Jo Leave a Comment

The inventions we’ve created in comparison are pale

To things that God has given us too numerous to tell

Please let me show you, if you will but listen

Turn off, turn down, and unplug your witty inventions

I unplugged the radio with the blaring tune

And listened to the songbirds sing something new

It was a song so sweet and they were all on key

It was a gentle soothing song that God wrote just for me

I turned off the t.v. with the violence and shame

And instead watched my children busily at play

They were very entertaining and it made my heart glad

To know God has blessed me with all that I have

I went out and sat under the shade of the trees

And delighted in the coolness of the feather soft breeze

I sat there so still and whispered a prayer

Simply thanking God for His breath of fresh air

I turned off my computer with my lovely blog

And the sight of God’s palette drew me out of my fog

I took time to smell the roses and savor heaven’s scent

The suns warmth upon my face felt like an old friend

Then I turned off my phone that rudely interrupts

And captures my attention entirely too much

Gently in my heart spoke that still small voice

I’d have never heard Him had I not turned off the noise

Be still today and know that I am He

The one who walked upon the sea of Galilee

I have come to bring rest for your weary soul

And tell you of a place where you’ll never grow old

When Trusting God Isn’t Enough

September 22, 2015 By Mikki Jo 15 Comments

I was running down the hill with my arms spread wide, the tall grass brushing softly against my arms. I looked toward the sky with my eyes squinted, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face. I didn’t have a care in the world, my little nine year old self was savoring the sweet smell of Autumn. At least I was, until I took one wrong step.

I fell to the ground in a heap, cradling my foot. I had stepped on a nail and it was buried pretty darn deep. My Daddy came running and I knew he was there to help me. My head rolled back, my mouth wide open, my eyes tightly closed so I couldn’t see, I was screaming like a wild child. I trusted him, I knew he was going to take care of me.

My Daddy grabbed the nail and yanked it out of my foot! I was angry that he pulled the nail out, because boy did it hurt! I don’t know what I expected him to do. I knew he could handle the situation. He just didn’t do it the way I wanted him to. But what did I know, I was only a kid. And we both knew I couldn’t walk around with that nail hanging out of my foot like it was a piece of jewelry.

When we pray and seek God, do we really believe He knows best? I told my sister the other day, “I trust God to take care of it, I’m just scared He won’t take care of it the way I want Him to.” Today I said to myself, “Self, who do you think you are!” Of course the Lord knows better than I do how to take care of a situation. He is working things out even as I write this. But do I fully trust Him? Yes I do. Do I think He’ll answer my prayers the way I want Him to? I don’t know. This is where I fall apart, where I need grace. But I do know He is faithful!

1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV God, who has called you into fellowship with His son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

I’m learning to believe that He really does know best. Today let’s confess our areas of weakness and failure to Christ, and rest in His promises. Let’s give Him those areas where we need His grace to cover our failures. He is faithful, His grace is sufficient. He loves us.

Ephesians 1:7 NIV In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

Let’s believe God together!

God Could Have

September 21, 2015 By Mikki Jo 4 Comments

God could have painted all of it

in simple black and white

Or tucked away the warmth

of the sun shining bright

He could have made flowers with

no bloom or no scent

But He wanted us to know

they were heaven sent

He could have left the trees

in the state of winter

But instead he gave them leaves

to shade us from the weather

He could have made the sky

as dark as miner’s coal

But instead he made it blue

with hues of pink and gold

As you look all around

at our majestic view

You can hear Him whisper

I did this just for you