Less than the Least

One of my favorite stories in the Bible comes from a guy named Paul. Okay, so he may be no "minor" character, but still. His story is so awesome and at times, it's so relatable. Maybe I didn't persecute a bunch of Christians, but sometimes I find myself completely at awe with the fact that God chose ME. He mastered a plan for me and is slowly unfolding it for me. I'm so amazed at times that, in fact, I feel unworthy.
In my reading of Ephesians, I came across one of the coolest verses that I've read in a long time.

In chapter 3, verses 7-8, Paul writes:
"I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am Less than the Least of all God's people, this Grace was given me..."

In this, Paul is saying that all men willing to be servants are used by God. Sometimes, when we feel like we are worthless to anyone, God looks at us and sees us as Priceless...let that sink in for a minute. That thought alone is just so unfathomable to me! Even though God sees ALL of my sin and sees the depths of my heart, he still loves me and considers me PRICELESS...just look at what he paid for me..and you! Grace is such an amazing thing, and it hasn't been until lately that I've truly come to realize the depths of that word.

In 1 Timothy1:15, Paul writes
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves FULL ACCEPTANCE; Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE sinners--of whom I am the worst."

Dont we all feel that way sometimes? I know I do! God has really shown me in these past few weeks as I prepare for The Gauntlet and for going back to school that he is the all powerful and that he knows everything so much better than I do and that, regardless of my actions, I am saved by his Grace. And I am so incredibly thankful for that!

One week from today...

I will be on a bus on the way to daytona beach, Florida. With 1000+ youth. For 5 days. And I'm sleeping on an air mattress.


Holy mess I'm so excited.

Then and No Matter What

"Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that God has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36
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Just in the past few weeks, God has thrown me a complete curve ball. I didn't really know where to start this post, so I figured what better place than with an awesome verse he lead me to last night. It provided me with exactly what I needed to hear. However, with further studying of the verse, it also provided a lot that I didnt necessarily want to hear. With a quick glance of this verse, I get a feeling of easiness. "great reward" is enough to keep me going. But then, God brought my attention to two key phrases. The first being "no matter what"; meaning, the good and the bad. I'm learning that now in that my walk with the Lord isn't always going to be an easy one. In fact, right now it's been pretty uphill and curvy...we're talking mountain trail. The second thing that God really brought to my attention is the word "then." As in..."do all of these things and THEN you will receive something." It's not going to be easy; In fact, it's going to be pretty difficult. Remember that whole "test" I talked about the other week? Well, it's gotten even more difficult. I'm having to battle between so many obstacles that I feel like I'm alone...except for God. He's always with me. I'm so gracious that he showed me last night that I need to have patience and understanding, along with the confidence that no matter what happens, I need to have this confidence always. Difficult? Yes. Worth it? Definitely.
In times like these, it's easy to sink away from God and get angry when, in fact, He calls us to call on him in desperation! Sometimes, he brings us to that utter point of desperation in order to bring us to him. Maybe that's what he's doing. Whatever it is, it's working.
I don't really know where to end this post. I could go all day about how life is difficult right now, even though I still have SO many awesome things going on as well. Work is awesome, The Gauntlet is fast approaching, and thus far, summer has been pretty amazing....all thanks to the Big Guy upstairs. School is fast approaching and I don't really know how to feel about it. I guess we'll just have to see how He works this situation and morphs it into what is best for me to serve Him. Always.

Much Love,
Emma

Sometimes...

all you have is prayer.
all you have is your faith.
and all you have is your God.

Today, that is perfectly okay with me.