Welcome to my Write31 series for 2018. For the month of October, I’ll be writing every day! I don’t do it every year, but I’m going to give it a shot this year again. If you look under my header, you can see the 3 series I have written in the past. This will be my fourth. As it turns out, this will be the last year of Write31.
I’ll have a landing page that you can go to each day for the next post or you can just come to the home page and find the newest post. The simplest thing you can do of course, is to subscribe to my blog. Then it will come to the place you want it to...email or a reader.
When I get to the place where I have newsletters, you will get them, but I’m so not there yet. I’ll try to have the new posts up in the mornings, but I’m sure there will be days when I won’t make it. That is the reality of doing a post every.single.day! Right now, I’m in a very good place and am lined up about a week ahead on posts. Once Ron has his cataract surgery, I may have plenty of time to write…or not. I have no idea.
The overall topic is 31 Days on Scars & the Hope of the Gospel. The way I got thinking about this topic was from a conversation I had with one of my pastors and the hopeful thing in the conversation was the Gospel and how it applies to our lives each day! Especially when we have scars! We all do. So join me as we talk about scars…the ones you see and the ones you can’t. Included with the posts will be posts that talk about preaching the gospel to yourself. It is wonderful when you have friends who do that. I hope you do.
But if you don’t, I will intersperse the posts with the truth of the gospel. It is not just the good news that you have been saved from your sin…which is good for sure. The gospel is also the good news that you,if you are in Christ (have trusted Christ alone for your salvation), you are a well provided daughter of King Jesus! He has provided all you need for life and godliness. This promise means we can never say or believe we are victims of our circumstances if we are in Christ! We may have to look around a little closer to see what He has provided for us, but His promise is that He has already given it to us. That is quite a challenge isn’t it?
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.II Peter 1:3-4 ESV
So this month we will talk about scars of all kinds, but we will also talk about GOD’s provision for us on alternate days to remind ourselves of what great resources we have in Christ when we are His daughters (and sons.) We are not victims. We are not orphans. We are beloved daughters of the King with every resource available to provide for our needs. We can ask our heavenly Father to provide for us because He delights in us.
We may have scars from an earthly father who was not loving, who did not care about us. But our heavenly Father is not that way! As we come to understand and believe the gospel, we can learn more of who He is and in prayer we can relate to Him.
Lest you think I am writing this from a place of having my life all together, I will tell you right now that is decidedly NOT true. I am probably as aware right now of just how broken, messed up, and needy I am as I have ever been in my life. I am also growing in my understanding of the truth of the gospel. This has been very encouraging as I have learned to go to Jesus with my weakness and need in new ways.
During the past few years since Ron’s first stroke, I have struggled more intensely with depression than ever. I would say I am writing out of what I have been learning from this dark time. I’m not in the dark place I was. I have been learning to find hope and encouragement in GOD’s Word. I have also placed myself with people who give me the encouragement I need…as I minister to others as well.
So I will be passing on the comfort I have been given from GOD and others to you.
I give thanks to my God always for you
because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
that in every way you were enriched in him
in all speech and all knowledge—
even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—
so that you are not lacking in any gift,
as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will sustain you to the end,
guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.I Corinthians 1:4-9 ESV
Call to action: Make a point of writing down Scripture that speaks to you during these 31 days. Choose a translation that you prefer to memorize, write it down on cards, keep it with you for down times when you have to wait, be quiet, think. Go over it. Meditate on it. Chew on it.
Start memorizing it so it is imbedded in your mind. It may take you longer than it once did, but eventually, with review, it will start to stick. This is the one thing that will encourage you more than you can imagine! GOD will speak to your heart and minister to you through His Word in ways you won’t believe. Many of these verses were already in my memory, but I remember their references. Bible Gateway is a wonderful tool to help you find both the translation you want and references you want when you know part of a verse.
