Psalm 26:1-2

“Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.” 

"We need to serve God in order to have purpose. We need to know God in order to have love. We need to be right with God to have self-worth. But sin leads every person to reject God as our only source of meaning, security, and worth. If we reject God our hearts must make idols."

- Tim Keller

Been super dry in my walk with God again. Just soaking in my boredness and doing nothing about it. But God’s been really nudging me these days to fight for Him. What does that mean? Even when our bodies are tired and don’t feel like praying or reading the Bible, to merely DO IT. We must beat our bodies to listen. Sometimes you’re just gonna have to force yourself to sit there and open up the Bible. Even when you sit there with a reluctant heart, God WILL come. Once I see that glimpse of God, I am won over. He brings me to my knees not by rebuking or shouting at me, but in the most gentlest way. He shows me His goodness FIRST. I think that’s the beauty of God’s love. 

By your blood, we stand forgiven. 
Even though we are sinners, he came and died for US. What greater love is there than this?

Seek God and Delight in Him.

The more we seek you the more we find you.
Even when we can’t hear or see you, we keep pursuing because you never stop pursuing us.  

"Follow the trail of your time, your affection, your energy, your money and your allegiance. At the end of that trail, you’ll find a throne; and whatever, or whomever, is on that throne is what’s of highest value to you. On that throne is what you worship."

- Louie Giglio (via aliceyoon)

Your kindness leads me to repentance.
You are good.
Your mercy is forever.

Restoration

“Nothing can satisfy a heart that was designed for God. “

Everyday the past two weeks that quote has been running through my mind constantly. As school came to a close and summer came nearer, I started to become extremely lazy with my spiritual life. I don’t know why when school ends, I always feel like my walk with God ends also. It’s sooo hard to stay close to him during the summer. I feel like I run into the same problems every summer. I’m so burnt out from school that I just want to sit there and do absolutely nothing. I just want to eat and watch movies without thinking. This quickly turns into a habit and then bam! I become so consumed by these things that God becomes so little. No matter how hard I try to spend time with Him it just doesn’t happen. But once again, I realized that although these things give me pleasure at the moment, God gives me eternal pleasure. No matter how many things I buy for myself, no matter how much good food I eat, NOTHING satisfies. I’m ALWAYS discontent. And I think this is where that quote applies. God designed us for HIM. We were meant to worship and spend time with HIM. Of course the things in this world won’t satisfy us. I’m just constantly reminded how short and meaningless this world is compared to a lifetime with God. In the end, it’s really only God that can restore and replenish us. 

“We were created for God’s presence like a plant was meant for the Sun.”- Tim Keller

We NEED God. No matter if we need him at the moment or not, He is the only one that can restore us completely. 

Restoration- David Brymer 

You take my mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my weeping and turn it into laughing
You take my sadness and turn it into joy 
You bring restoration
You bring restoration to my soul

just what I needed to hear today.  

mr. swagggg <33

(via black-amps)