For we do not have a
high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in
every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with
confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find
grace to help in our time of need.- Hebrews 4:15-16 (ESV)
But He said to me, “My
grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power
of Christ may rest upon me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
My sweet, ever-growing Little –
There will be times in your precious life where you will be
lied to – and while I hope those times are few and far between, I know that
those times will happen. You may be surprised when even well-meaning people who
love you so much fail you in this way.
The truth is there is really only one person who is perfect,
faithful, true and unfailing and that’s Jesus. It’s impossible for Him to lie
because He is the Truth (John 14:6). In every good story, there is a hero and a
villain – an enemy of all that is good. In all of our stories there is one hero
– Jesus – and one enemy who is known as “the father of lies”. The good news is
that Jesus has already kicked his butt – Satan has been defeated! – but he’s a
pretty sore loser. You’ll find that the irritating thing about sore losers is
they just can’t let some things go, and neither can he – so he still tries to
tell us lies.
Some lies are pretty obvious, but others sound like they
could be true. They tend to be the biggest of them all, because they sound
good. One of the biggest lies from well-meaning people may sound something like
this:
God will never give you more than you can
handle.
It sounds nice, right? And it would seem like God was kind
of a jerk if that’s a lie, right? But my sweet child, that is a lie straight
from the pit of hell, and God is not a jerk. The truth is always better.
There will be times and seasons in your life that are really
challenging. Your dad and I are in one of those seasons. They aren’t fun, but
they aren’t bad either. Why? Because they strengthen our faith – they force us
to look to Jesus and watch with expectation to see how He’ll show up. Those
situations, the ones where if Jesus doesn’t show up we’re toast, are the ones
that we can’t handle. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be fiercely
independent and these situations will freak you out…but they’ll be the most
defining moments of your life.
I hope that you learn, much quickly than I am, how to walk in
complete dependence on the Lord. I also hope you see how Jesus is always
faithful.
In the seasons
that seem abundant and restful, He is faithful.
In the seasons
that seem dark and overwhelming, He is faithful.
In the seasons that feel so heavy,
where you wonder if you can keep going if you can keep going if one more thing
gets added to your plate, He is faithful.
In the seasons that you feel
alone, when Satan tries to lie to you, He is faithful.
He is faithful and He has given you His Word, which is full
of reminders of His faithfulness. Your dad and I are really excited to read you
some of the stories in His word, hopeful that you’ll want to read them on your
own one day. You’ll hear about Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Esther,
Job, David, Jeremiah, Hosea, Jesus, Peter, Paul and so many more. Men and women
who were so messed up, but Jesus took their mess and redeemed them. These “heroes of faith” were all placed in
situations that they could not handle on their own…but God showed up and used
them in mighty ways because they trusted in Him.
The best way I’ve found to recognize a lie and address it,
is to know the truth. When I get into a tough spot and I’m tempted to question
God’s faithfulness or His presence – when my feelings are fickle and deceiving –
I need to claim truth:
God will never give me
more than I can handle with His
help.
God is my refuge and
strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, I won’t fear though the
earth gives way… (Psalm 46:1-4)
God is able to meet
all of my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19
God is my perfect
Father; He cannot give a bad gift. (Matthew 7: 11)
God sees me and sees
all that concerns me. I can cast all of my cares upon Him, knowing that He
cares for me. (1 Peter 5:7)
I can be strong and
courageous, knowing that the Lord goes with me (He is present even when I
can’t feel His presence) – He will never
leave me nor forsake me. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Jesus understands my
every weakness, so when life gets hard I can come to Him without shame and find
grace to help in my time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)
I can’t exhaust God’s
grace, nor can I outrun or out-sin it. His grace is sufficient for me.
You may hear your momma say things like this out loud and
often when she feels stressed, anxious or overwhelmed. You have a crazy mom who
talks to herself often J
Regardless, I hope you remember these truths and call them to mind in seasons
of rest and in seasons that aren’t so restful.
You are so loved.
-mom
PS: if you pop out looking like a pickle, I’m sorry J
