Storing Up Treasures in Heaven

A dear friend of mine, a dear sister in Christ, has encouraged me in my faith and touched my heart in such a way that words cannot express.

She and her husband have given the Lord complete control over her womb. They have yielded to the Spirit of God and have put their faith and trust in the Lord. As I have learned so much about faith this summer, the Holy Spirit revealed an example of amazing faith found in my dear sister in Christ.

You can visit her blog and read her story of faith. She had a miscarriage, but understands that this is the Lord's will for her and her husband's life. Praising God, she thanked Him for the short time she had with her child. Posting a beautiful poem, I couldn't help but think about this one line...

"Miscarriage is for a moment; a soul is forever." ~Doug Phillips

As I reflected on this line from the poem, I was then drawn to the last line posted by my friend, which reads...

"Storing up treasures in heaven..."

How beautiful! All the glory to God! Such faith...

I was then drawn to God's Word, seeking Him and His truth and finding rest...

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

My dear friend did this today. She let God's light shine out of what many people would see as darkness and gave glory to God.

His Word continues saying,

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

Verse 13:
"It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith we believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence."

Thank you, my dear friend, for sharing with the world a very private and heart aching moment in your life, only to lay it at the foot of the Throne of Grace, our Father in heaven. You have shown that although you are hard pressed, you have not been crushed. The light of the Lord, Jesus Christ has certainly shown through you.

I cannot wait to meet your little one. May we all continue to store up treasures in heaven...

I encourage you to visit my friend's blog...
www.pursuingtheoldpaths.blogspot.com

An Unchanging God

"I the Lord do not change...Return to me, and I will return to you." Malachi 3:6, 7

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows." James 1:17

God has made it very clear to me that if I return to Him, seek Him, He will fulfill the promises He has made to me.

These are some of the promises He has made concerning His great salvation through Christ:

"Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering" (Romans 8:1, 3).

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

"To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Romans 4:5).

Trusting God, believing God, having faith, releases his supernatural grace in and through us.

Peter says God "has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them [we] may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:4).

I encourage you to seek God and ask Him for His boldness- Boldness and faith to believe that we can, just as the apostles did, draw others to Christ by believing God to enable us, to boldly proclaim His truth and to encourage others. Remember, God has not changed.

Cry out to Him, cry out for the Holy Spirit to fill you, to dwell in you.

He yearns for you to return to Him.