Refocus

I have recently realized that much of my wrestling with my flesh and sin-nature is really the outcrop of inherent selfishness. My fears and addictions and obsessions are thorns polluting the field that the Lord has planted in my heart. I need to come back to the place of surrender. I need to come back to the place where I realize that it's not (never, ever, never will be) about me. (Yes, we'll go back that from January- It's not about you, Carissa. :))

My faithful and immutable Father has gripped my heart and re-kindled the fire in my soul to make a difference. My challenge is to constantly make sure that I'm making a difference by and for and in Him. If it's not for His glory, then it's a fail. If it's not in His power, then it's a fail.

Success can only occur when I respond in obedience to the call that He makes upon me - when I am filling the gap that He divinely reveals and equips me to fill. Remember, it's not about "striving".... it's about "responding".  It's not about you. It's about HIM and THEM and US.

This is the "Morning" portion from today's Charles Spurgeon's devotional "Morning & Evening" which goes along perfectly with the melody of my heart (Isn't that JUST LIKE God!!! He knows and responds to us in such mysterious ways! WOW! God's ways are so much higher than our ways!! (Is 55:9)) Remember: 

     "For my strength is made perfect in weakness." 
             -- 2 Corinthians 12:9

A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and
for doing God's work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own
weakness. When God's warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own
might, when he boasts, "I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm
and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory," defeat is not
far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own
strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for
"it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of
hosts." They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall
return with their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour
stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve him in his own
way, and in his strength, or he will never accept their service. That
which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere
fruits of the earth he casteth away; he will only reap that corn, the
seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by
the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before he
will put his own into thee; he will first clean out thy granaries
before he will fill them with the finest of the wheat. The river of God
is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs.
God will have no strength used in his battles but the strength which he
himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage,
for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give
thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being
filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting
up.

"When I am weak then am I strong,
Grace is my shield and Christ my song."

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