Steadfast

Sunrise...

The picture of God's steadfast Love for us.

Sunday has become true Sabbath for me.  During my time with Him this morning in my warm bed with the sun streaming in through the window, my Bible, journal, pen, devotions, and my Itunes, He led me to a series of verses, and the word that God made jump off the pages was STEADFAST.

"O God, my heart is steadfast." (Psalm 108:1)

I love to look up the original meanings of words through Blue Letter Bible, and the meanings for steadfast are so much richer than the word itself.  

"to be firm, be stable, be established, be fixed, be secure"

"to lean, lay, support, rest upon"

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)

The sunrise and the sunset remind me of the steadfast Spirit of our God.  Both are firm, stable, established, fixed, and we are able to lean and rest upon the fact that they will come up and go down each day like clock work (literally).

Sunset...The picture of God's steadfast Love for us.

No matter how unsteady life seems, insecure, not fixed, unstable, not supportive, unable to rely on or rest upon, our TRUE stability and security is found in the Person of Jesus Christ, our Savior.  He came in the chaos of our world to show that true rest can only be found in Him.

"He will not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is steadfast, trusting the Lord.  His heart is upheld, he will not be afraid, until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries."  (Psalm 112:7-8)

JOY

JOY

J...JESUS
O...ONLY
Y...YOU

YOU are what satisfies my longing soul; YOU fill my empty cup; YOU mend my broken heart; YOU shine your Light in dark places; YOU make my heart and mouth sing; YOU give me the ability to love; YOU give me the ability to forgive; YOU complete me; YOU compel me; YOU love me; YOU are my perfect example; YOU are my friend; YOU are my salvation; YOU set me FREE; YOU are my enough; YOU are my truth; YOU are my thanksgiving; YOU are my provider; YOU are my healer; YOU help me truly see;  YOU are beautiful, YOU are my life; YOU are my love; YOU are my shelter; YOU are my comfort; YOU are my refuge; YOU are my song, my melody; YOU are the only One for me; YOU are the only God for me.

Sun and Shadows

2011 has been a year of great change at the Bivins house.  Change is hard, no matter if you're ready for it or not, but I know that God has been at the forefront of all it, guiding, steering, and showing us the next steps to take.  The steps have been uncertain, wobbly, and often painful, but the joys, affirmation, and encouragement to move forward, equally as exhilarating.

This season has been a mixture of sun, clouds, and shadows.
There have been times in this journey that all I could see surrounding me were clouds.  You know those days when it's been raining, and the clouds just seem to linger and linger?  You know in your heart that the faithful sun (Son) is high above the clouds, but for this season, the clouds just have to cover?  Sometimes the clouds produce a cleansing rain, and one that readies the soil (soul) for new growth, fresh beauty, and new flowers.  Other times the clouds produce a storm with beating hail, torrential downpours, and damaging winds.  I have felt all of this from the clouds that have hovered in this season, but have constantly been reassured that the sun (Son) would eventually, in it's timing, part the clouds and reveal the glory and the splendor again.

(My sweet cardinal (Jesus) is chirping loudly outside as I type this...sweet affirmation)

As God settles us more and more into the calling that He has ordained, and the more my heart surrenders fully into the magnitude of what He has called, He has allowed the clouds to move on, to break apart, so that His bright light, that shows clearly the way, that warms the soul, that grows the seeds planted, can do what only it can do.

I am thanking God for the sun (Son)!  I know that for sustained growth, the clouds and the rain have to come again, but somehow know that the sun (Son) is above it all gives the strength and the stamina to walk forward in His confidence.

The Scapegoat

Leviticus 16:22  "The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert."

Leviticus 16 is all about instructions.  Life and death instructions...do this or die instructions.  Aaron had quite a bit of pressure on his shoulders as he, as the very first High Priest, dared to enter the Most Holy Place on behalf of himself and the people of Israel.  Any mishap of the order of things and he's a dead man.  The verse above is a bit confusing as it says "all their sins".  I found that later in the chapter in verse 34 that it's for "all their sins made once a year".

I can imagine the Day of Atonement being such a glorious, peaceful day, as for on that day, the slate is wiped completely clean... Nothing hanging over your head, but the next day starts a new year.  The slate that was yesterday clean, is now, without even 24 hours passing has new things written on it.  Just thinking about it and the guilt that it brings is exhausting to me.

THANK YOU, GOD FOR JESUS!!!!

For under the OLD System of Sacrifice
-was temporary (Heb. 8:13)
NEW
-is permanent (Heb. 7:21)

OLD-Aaron was the first high priest (Lev. 16:32)
NEW-Jesus is the only High Priest (Heb. 4:14)

OLD-ministered on earth (Heb. 8:4)
NEW-ministered in heaven (Heb. 8:1-2)

OLD-used the blood of animals (Lev. 16:15)
NEW-uses the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:5)

OLD-Required many sacrifices (Lev. 22:19)
NEW- Requires one sacrifice (Heb. 9:28)

OLD-Required careful approach to the tabernacle (Lev. 16:2)
NEW-Encourages confident approach to the throne (Heb. 4:16)

OLD-looked forward to a new system (Heb. 10:1)
NEW-sets aside the old system (Heb. 10:9)

I hope you will join me in thanking God for a sacrifice "once and for all" (Hebrews 10:10) in Jesus Christ our Savior?  Because of Jesus, my sin slate is FOREVER clean.  Jesus, thank you that you are the scapegoat for every sin I have ever committed, in the past, in the present, and in the future.  I love You with an inexplainable love.

Under His Wing

"He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection."  
(Psalm 91:4)

More like the Savior every day...

It's cool how this sweet baby, that just a few weeks ago only had a small resemblance to a cardinal, but his beak is now turning more orange, and his feathers are transforming into the red that the cardinal is designed to be.  I feel like this cardinal at times, where my life only has a small resemblance to the Savior and the gray of the world dominates my life.  But I am thankful that because of the sacrifice, once and for all (Romans 6:10) that when God looks at me and you who are in Christ, all He sees is Christ.

2Cr 3:18

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Reflect the Son

My absolute favorite part of this day was to get a text from a friend saying, "Whoa, look at the moon!"  God gave me a neat glimpse of it through the neighbor's trees.  I was freaking out, trying to get my settings on my camera right to take a decent picture of it.  There have been many times that I have missed pictures of a sunset, because it changes and moves so quickly.  I was able to take picture after picture of God's gorgeous creation.

The only way that the moon can shine any light, is through the reflection of the sun.  It's because the sun shines on the moon, that we can see it at all.  The only way our light will ever shine for Jesus is if He is shining His Light through us.  

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

I Am the Moon (Sara Groves)

"And I am the moon with no light of my own

But still you have made me to shine

And as I glow in this cold dark night

I know I'll never be a Light unless I turn my face to You.

No, I'll never be a Light unless I turn myself to You."