“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth.’”  Jeremiah 1:7

Every one of us has a counter-argument to the call of God.  “No, Lord.  I am only a _________.”  But what God said to Jeremiah he says to you: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5).  You don’t define yourself.  God does.  And he never has a trivial thought.  He’s not capable of it.

God also said, “To all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:7-8).  You have been sent into this world by God.  You have a mission.  He handmade you for it.  He is with you every day to deliver you.  Do not be afraid.

To fulfill your destiny, you don’t need to mimic someone else’s identity, someone who seems to matter more than you do.  The you that you are by creation and redemption in Christ – that basic you is not fundamentally a problem; that you is fundamentally a strategy.

Being who you are is a privilege from God.  Trust him.  Rise up and serve him, as only you can.

You

is a post from: Ray Ortlund

"As Jack Miller taught me, live as close to Jesus as you can. Constantly preach the gospel to yourself. Walk closely with a “gospel posse”. Risk or rust for the rest of your life. Love one spouse well the rest of your life. Never be surprised to discover how broken the bride of Jesus is; how immature and selfish you can be; or how much God loves you in Jesus. Ache for heaven and serve in this moment."

From a Pastor Friend

"God is in the silence, but He is not silent"

Prayer Room

I go to my room and I shut the door, it's the simple things that my heart is longing for
With an open heart and a listening ear, I focus on Your Presence
And here I find You in the safety of Our hidden meeting place
Where no man can judge the progress of my heart's surrendered in Your grace

I go to my room and I shut the door, it's the simple things that my heart is longing for
With an open heart and a listening ear, I focus on Your Presence
And here I find You in the safety of Our hidden meeting place
Where no man can judge the progress of my heart's surrendered in Your grace

Oh in the garden here alone I'll stay
It took me so long just to calm down and find You where You would be found
With an open heart and listening ear, You promised that Your presence would be

Here I find You in the safety of Our hidden meeting place
Where no man can judge the progress of my heart's surrendered in Your grace
Oh in the garden here alone I'll stay

And, Yes, find me in garden, find me in the garden, find me in the garden with my Beloved
Find me in garden, find me in the garden, find me in the garden with my Beloved
Find me in garden, find me in the garden, find me in the garden with my Beloved

And He walks with me and He talks with me
and He tells me I am His own
and the joy We share as We tarry there
None other has ever known

Yes He walks with me and He talks with me
and He tells me I am His own
and the joy We share as We tarry there
None other has ever known

Oh my God my joy
You're my Delight
My God my joy,
You're my Delight
Oh my God my joy
You're my Delight
My God my joy,
You're my Delight

"Intimacy will be my strength. The knowledge of You, my inheritance."

Don’t Let Discouragement Choke You

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1)

Discouragement is a temptation “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13). And in dealing with it sometimes we need tenderness and other times we need toughness. But either way discouragement is not to be tolerated or wallowed in. It’s to be fought.

If we linger in discouragement it can be costly. Its sense of defeat and hopelessness saps us of energy and vision. It can consume a lot of time. It can keep us from doing what we need to do because we don’t want to face it. And it can even be contagious, weakening others’ faith.

When we feel discouraged we want comfort, which is right to feel. But the comforts we often turn to are ways to avoid our fears rather than ways to muster our courage to face and overcome them. When this happens discouragement simply becomes sinful indulgence in unbelief, no different than indulging in lust or anger or other sins of unbelief.

Jesus does not want us to be discouraged. In fact, he commands us not to be. Listen to what Jesus says to his disciples just before what probably was the most discouraging experience of their lives — his brutal death: “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1, emphasis added).

Note Jesus’s words, “let not.” These are not merely comforting; they are commands. He knew they would be tempted to fear. Things were going to look very bad, like the whole mission was imploding. What were they to do instead of being afraid? Believe! “Believe in God; believe also in me.”

In other words, “Don’t let your hearts be ruled by what you see. Let them be ruled by what I promise you.” And that’s what he’s saying to you and me too.

What’s tempting you to discouragement today? Are you having a hard time believing that God really will work for good what looks so bad to you (Romans 8:28)?

Then it’s time to fight, not pout or shrink. Think of discouragement as your faith being choked. When you’re choking, it’s not the time to plop down in front of the TV with a plate of comfort food to medicate your melancholy. You need to dislodge the obstruction so you can breathe. You need to fight for life. You may need to get someone to give you the Heimlich.

Go get encouragement — faith-fueled courage. Don’t let discouragement choke you. It’s dislodged by believing promises. God gave us the Bible so that “through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). It says amazing things like:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35,37)

Don’t let your heart be ruled by what you see. Let it be ruled by what Jesus promises you.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

by Jon Bloom 

"It's not about my ministry, or the fruit that I do or I do not see, it's about You and me!" - Justin Rizzo