Finding Open Arms

The words of Kari Jobe hit me today like a train-wreck. I was listening to her song What Love is This when it came to the second verse where it says

I look to You

I see the scars upon Your hands

and hold the truth

that when I can't, You always can

I'm standing here

beneath the shadow of the cross

I'm overwhelmed 

that I keep finding open arms

When we can't get through our problems... When we are weak and suffering... When we feel like we can't take one more day, one more step, or even one more breath... When we can't do anything God always pulls through for us. God does not expect us to do anything on our own. In fact, He doesn't even want us to do it on our own. He wants us to come to Him, to talk to Him, and to lean on Him, so that He can carry us through. Of course we always have different plans for our lives than what God wants to do, and so we ignore His calling and try to tell ourselves that we can do it all on our own. But, as always, when we are on our own we fail, and so we come back to Him and pray that He will take us in once again. Do we deserve to be loved so dearly after all that we do to Him? Do we deserve to be taken back in again and to have another chance? No. We do not. But I am so thankful that I serve a God of second chances, and of third chances, and of fourth chances, and of five hundred and sixty seventh chances. No matter how far I may run in the opposite direction, no matter how many times I fail God and I disappoint Him, and no matter how many times I try to get by on my own, He always welcomes me back with open arms. Is anyone else overwhelmed by that truth? That in spite of everything that we do, every mistake and failure, that God will always be waiting right where we left Him, arms stretched wide, waiting to wrap us up in His love and clothe us in His righteousness once more. 

Is anyone else moved by that? Does that not overwhelm any one else? Or am I the only one who feels so loved by that?

I guess it might be because of all of the crazy stuff that has been happening in my life lately. Without going too much into anything, let me just say that even in our hardest, darkest hours, we should always glorify God. Even when the doctor's say that they don't know what is wrong, or when you are diagnosed with depression, or when a loved one dies, or when you are buried so deep in anxiety that you just can't cope with what is going on anymore, still glorify the Lord. Trials aren't supposed to be easy, but they also aren't supposed to destroy us. God is on our side, and everything that happens in our life, good and bad is for a purpose. Joseph did not achieve his dream right away, he was faced with many hard trials and situations that tested his faith. But through all of that, he still held fast to his purpose. Don't let go of your purpose just because something is rocking your boat at the moment! Because the storm will always clear and the bright sun is still shining behind the clouds. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean that it isn't there. Just because you can't feel, see or hear God, doesn't mean He has left us. His Word says that He will never leave us nor forsake us! He is for us!!! 

No matter how many times we turn away from God, or we mess up, or we fail, if we turn back around we will see that He is still right back where we left Him. Standing with love and open arms.

Thanks for reading!

Stay Blessed!

-Brooke ox