I’ll be taking one more week off from the blog. However, I wanted to share something with you first. Last week I picked up a book I wanted to reread. As I finished the third chapter, I thumbed through the rest of it to look at the underlinings and notes I had written inside way back when I originally read it, and I found something I had jotted down in the back inner flap\u2014a personal manifesto, of sorts. Hope it encourages you in your relationship with the Lord, because it is not only true of me; it is true of you, as well. Here it is:<\/p>\n
“My validation comes from God Himself. If I never pray another prayer, read another Scripture, sing another song, or share with anyone else, I remain validated only by the Blood. I will never again do any of those things to assert my value; I am valuable because God<\/em> deems me valuable.<\/p>\n “It is because of my union with God through Christ that I am compelled to pray. It is because of His wonderful love for me that I love His Word. It is because of His complete redemption for me from my sin that I can sing with joy and thankfulness to Him. It is only because His deep calls to my deep that I can reach out to those in darkness and extend the Light to them.<\/p>\n “It is a privilege to pray, to read, to sing, and to share. It is not a burden or a performance. It is not an obligation. It is a compelling from the Spirit of God and is not born of a need to appear spiritual. If I pray, read, write, sing, or share to get acceptance, to maintain appearance, to make a name for myself, or to ease into\u00a0certain circles, then I am out of line and need to swing some braided cords at my motives (see John 2:15).<\/p>\n “All that I do, I do because I have a vital love relationship between myself and the living God, forged in the blood of Jesus, paid for at a price more costly than I could ever afford. I will walk free because He wills it. I will throw off all shackles because He paid the price for my freedom. I will move by His Spirit because He paid for my right to do so, and I will move by His Spirit because He wants to use me to help release others from bondages, burdens, and boxes imposed on them by devils, sin, religion, and men.<\/p>\n “He whom the Son has freed is free indeed!”<\/p>\n Thank God for this wonderful liberty!<\/p>\n Please check back on Monday, May 5.<\/p>\n Until then,<\/p>\n Dorothy<\/p>\n Who will bring a charge against God\u2019s elect? God is the one who justifies.\u00a0<\/em> Romans 8:33<\/p>\n So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.<\/em> John 8:36 <\/p>\n