Cheering.


It's not easy being a cheerleader. You have to work hard at times about being cheerful and enthusiastic. Right now we're in the home stretch with Mike's final exams. He has one tomorrow (Thursday) and his last one is Friday. Afterwards we're packing up and getting ready to go on a retreat with our church. It's kind of like a Foundations Class (membership class) condensed into a week-end. I'm pretty excited to get away. We're bringing the kids (of course) :) and heading out to the mountains, I think. Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure where it's located. I mean I have mapquest directions... ok, I think it might be in Lancaster County... we'll see :)

These past two weeks have been thick with tension and stress due to many culminating factors: grief, fatigue, PMS (sorry guys who are reading this), Mike's exams/papers, finances, sick children, and um, my sin. So I'm looking forward to some down time with my little nuggets and my hero honey. He's amazing you guys. He's been working so hard at school and also making time for me and the kids. Mother's day was special. He made me breakfast and had a rose bush and a hydrangea bush for me with a card that the kids had colored on and a card from him.... not to mention a gift card to Barnes & Noble... so fun. He took me to lunch at Panera... and that night I didn't have to cook- it was my favorite pizza (Pizza Hut- italian sausage, pepperoni & mushroom) and my sugar treat.... Cold Stone Creamery. Can we say spoiled? I'm so blessed to have my husband. He is my best friend and so much more :)

Well, I realized I'm probably not the only one who needs a cheer, so I thought I would share it with you.

Here's my cheer right now.

Hebrews 10
9 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Vs. 23-25 are what I'm holding on to right now. He has promised... and He is faithful! We can trust Him- Hold onto Hope, don't let go of it. I know life can be hard and it's full of uncertainty and we're insecure and we struggle but let's have faith... yeah, we can't see how it will all work out, but He does! We can't see Him but He's there. I think some of the realest things in the world, are things we can't see! Remember, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1).

Last night in my Habbakuk Bible Study we talked about faith, because in Habakkuk 2:-4 it says, "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." Our focus was on the just living by faith. In some translations it says, "but the righteous shall live by his faith."

Did you realize that specific passage came from Habbakuk? I thought it was a N.T. idea... but it's not. Paul is quoting Habbakuk when he writes. In Romans 1:17," For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.”

In Galatians 3:5-6, "5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?"

And finally in Hebrews10:32-38, "32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls."

I was particularly struck by this section. We were asked what does faith look like here. And to me it appeared to be two things. Number one, Believing. And number two, Doing. We are believing in God and in Jesus and in His work. And we are doing.... doing the will of God. It seemed to go hand in hand. When we believe we will turn around and do God's will... and when we're doing God's will we're also believing.

Anyway, I hope this rambling makes sense. It's midnight and I need to go to bed. I might try, gasp, a MOPS group tomorrow (Mothers of Preschoolers) or I might just try to sleep in if the kids let me... ha ha.

Whatever you do my friends... may your hearts be filled with faith, hope and love!

Comments

Anonymous said…
-the just shall live by faith-

It is so easy to get discouraged and lose sight of our Hope when we try to live in our strength...

Your post reminded me of Psalm 73:

"Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel,and afterward you will receive me to glory... My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever...
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But as for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,that I may tell of all your works."

Praise God for granting us Faith as we journey through "the wilderness" of this world into the promised land.

How good He is to care for us! How amazing is His mercy!

Thank you for posting this.

Much love,
k-roo
Jenn said…
Jennifer, Thank you again for a wonderful post. Grateful for you!

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