Tag: life

I AM

June 26, 2012 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’” Exodus 3: 14

“And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.’” Revelation 21:6

Don’t you just love how God settles everything?

With these few words, He gets to the root of the matter. As I came across the Exodus verse in my Bible reading today, I had to stop and think about it. I realized that because God is who He is, then I can be who He made me to be and can do what he made me to do. Everything I am and do rests on me cooperating with Him and following His plan for my life.

That is the very thing that can be a stumbling block for many people. They don’t want to give up control of their lives, thinking that if they do, they’ll be stuck in a drab, dreary life of boredom, or worse yet, doing something they don’t want to do.

The verse in Revelation should settle those fears. Jesus says that He will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. I was curious about the word life, so I looked up the connotation of the word life in Blue Letter Bible.

The Greek word for life is zoe, and I love it’s meaning. Here are a few of its definitions: a full life; possessed of vitality; absolute fullness of life; active and vigorous; devoted to God, blessed.

This doesn’t sound like a dry, unexciting life to me! On the contrary, a life lived out surrendered to God is a life of passion, fullness, and vitality. Yes, we will also experience tribulations as Jesus did, but it’s a life that is full and rich of meaning and purpose and will reap a harvest for God’s kingdom.

I can trust God to be my I AM in this adventure, especially when I am not …

•    the bold speaker He has asked me to be
•    the attentive wife He has called me to be
•    the brave witness He has asked me to be
•    the leader he has asked me to be, and so on

Because He is I Am, I am too.

Pray on!

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Real Story of Humpty Dumpty

May 23, 2012 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

This has been a favorite scripture of mine, ever since I lost my 11-day-old daughter 22 years ago. God used it to encourage me during a difficult time.

What I found to be true is that God doesn’t leave our hearts in shambles, but that over time He heals us–if we let Him. He is able to put back together even the most splintered, shattered pieces of ourselves that the old nursery rhyme tells us are beyond repair. He binds up our wounds and is able to make us whole again.

Sometimes this is an infinitely slow process. It’s an excruciating day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute choice to believe that He is working, that life will not always be this hard, or hurt this much. As we hang in there with God in the nitty-gritty pain in our lives, our hearts begin to mend. God’s radical soul surgery, when viewed on a daily basis, may not seem to be making much of a difference.We may feel stuck, stagnant, and frustrated, blinded by the darkness in our souls.

But when looked at over the course of weeks or months, and definitely years, we can see the evidence of a skilled surgeon who is setting the broken bones and stitching together the unraveled edges of our lives. We emerge with some scars. But what we become is a person made stronger, deeper, and richer, with a depth of maturity that was not there before.

If you’re in despair of where you are now, just make the decision for one more day to get up and believe again that God is working. One more day to care for your family, go to work, clean the house. And then do it again the next day. Your heart will mend, because you’re not being operated on by the all the king’s horses and all the king’s men, but by the King of Kings. He alone can put all of us Humpty Dumptys back together again.

Pray on!

By Denslow’s_Humpty_Dumpty.djvu: W. W. Denslowderivative work: Theornamentalist [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Lent Day 21, Early Will I Seek You

March 13, 2012 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

Welcome to Day 21 of our Lenten Devotional. This week we are pursuing a life of simplicity. Today we look at the importance of spending time with God. Just click on the link below to join our study. Feel free to leave any comments or ideas. We’d love to hear what you’ve been learning from the series.

Lent Day 21, Early Will I Seek You

(photo courtesy of Wil VanOsdol)

Ice Droplets

January 23, 2012 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

“Like the cold of snow in time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters.” Proverbs 25: 1

When I look at this photo, I am reminded of how delicate and fragile life is … of how much we should cherish this gift God has given us. What do you have to celebrate in your life today?

You Are Complete!

July 25, 2011 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

Do you have days or months or maybe your life (!) where you feel scattered and fragmented, pulled in 100 different directions?

Perhaps the last thing you feel is complete, like you have life under control.

Well, that’s because in reality, we don’t! But I know someone who does, and He has the perfect promise for us.

I love the verse in Colossians 2: 10 that says ” and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” What does the word complete mean? In the Greek pleroo, it means “to make full, to abound, to be liberally supplied, to fill to the top, to carry out some undertaking.” Notice it doesn’t say perfect!

What this means to me is that in the midst of my scattered, fragmented life, Jesus has made me complete for what He is calling me to right now.

Right now I possess everything I need to step out and do what He wants me to do. I don’t have any excuses. Gulp. Maybe like me you’ve heard God calling you to start something, but you’re waiting for someone with far more wisdom and gifts to step up. Maybe you’re waiting until … your kids are grown, you get that degree, you’re in shape or your health is better.

The truth is that if God has put a call on your heart, then He’s waiting for you to get started now. Yes, there are times for waiting and resting and learning, but if you feel that continual nudge to do something, then you need to step out and be obedient. He’s made you complete where you are for what He has you to do, and He will provide for your lack with resources and other people as you’re obedient to Him.

I’m there myself today. I’ve felt a nudge to be involved in an outreach ministry that I’ve kept putting off. I know it’s time. What’s on your heart today? Let’s take that step together.

Pray on!