Hey there! It's been a while. I've been coming to grips with with the end of summer and sending my oldest off on the bus to Kindergarten, becoming my youngest son's playmate during the school day and watching his afternoon naps dwindle. One-on-one time with my Silas is great and all, but oh my is it hard sometimes!
I have two things I've really wanted to share with you!
First of all, back in July I started using a really amazing app called
First5, developed by Lysa TerKeurst and a talented group of women. It's one of my all-time favorite apps! The content has been thought-provoking, encouraging, inspiring and full of truth, and really does take just 5 minutes! Over the summer, each devotional was from the book of John. Go check it out!
This leads to the second thing I want to share – a free printable! One devotional on John 3 struck me and I haven't been able to let go of this Scripture:
"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30 (NIV)
Apparently God wants that to be the theme I camp on this fall, but to be honest, I haven't been sure of what to do with it or say about it. But out of what felt like obedience mixed with inspiration, I went ahead and did what I do – I made it into a print and bought a pretty frame for it to sit on my desk as I ponder...
Do I really allow God to be greater than the challenges and obstacles I face? Than what I want my life to look like? Great than the emotions that sometimes overwhelm? Do I make room in my life for the Holy Spirit to speak? What if He has something much bigger and greater for me if only I would just move aside and hand over my "stuff"? This verse has stopped me in my tracks multiple times as I've responded selfishly to situations or allowed myself to wallow in disappointment. It has also moved me beyond myself and changed my perspective.
But part of the struggle can be when you still don't see Him work, despite your obedience. Fear, doubt and discouragement tend to creep in.
I read the following earlier today in that amazing
app I just mentioned, which is now going through Genesis. The context: Abram struggled as he waited and waited on God to enact a covenant with him through a sacrifice. Krista Williams writes:
Sometimes when we are obedient and have done what God has told us to do, He seems to delay accepting the sacrifice we have made. That is when the vultures of doubt and discouragement begin circling in our minds. ... All we can do is lay our obedience before God, wait on Him, and protect it as we wait. We must continually drive away vultures of fear, doubt and discouragement that attempt to pick apart our obedience.
GET YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD:
John 3:30 / Yellow / 5x7
John 3:30 / Aqua / 5x7
Want it printed and shipped, or a larger size? Purchase the listing in my
Etsy shop.
And don't wait to download the
First5 app and get started reading truth in Genesis
.
Have you used this app? What do you think? What has God shown you?
