This time of year makes my heart hurt. For alot of reasons. Ends to some things. Beginnings to others.
I find myself going completely backwards some days. From those mountain top weeks with a break through in healing to that one comment...ya know ...the one from the friend of a friend's sister's neighbor's brother who thinks they know you or what you've been through...yet never ask to get the facts straight or the truth.

Life is a mess. We make it a mess don't we?

We thrive on the negative instead of living like the One who created us. the RagamuffinHeart for ALL.


I can be lost in my own mess, depressed, in my current situation or I can look ...no... find...something positive. The Lord will be my Vindicator and Defense. I remain still, and watch Him do the work and see Him cultivate a beautiful plan for me. He will redeem what's been taken and lost. He is for me and steadies my heart.

I had to remind myself of this today and days to come...

I watched a movie called the Ragamuffin Gospel, the story of Rich Mullin’s (a Christian music artist) life story who passed away in a car accident.

His life wasn’t about the fame, the glory, the praise. It was about Jesus.

 His life was a beautiful mess. Broken. A failure at the foot of the cross. Grace. Mercy.

My heart asked so many questions.

I had to get my hands on Brennan Manning’s book, the explanation of what the Ragamuffin Gospel was. There was so much to this book in realizing how much of a ragamuffin I am. There was such freedom in this.

I don’t have it all together.

I am weak, not strong. I cry. alot.

I’m a failure with scars to prove it.

I am nothing.

barefoot.

 To identify fully with Christ is to identify with the poor, the homeless. He loved the broken.

There is freedom and beauty in brokenness.

Pretending to be perfect.

Why do I pretend with the smile that everything is ok? It’s exhausting.

wrestling with surrender. surrender to self. Am I not to die to myself. Take up HIS cross. I cannot…. and He still loves me. There is no perfection in me. He knows and understands. He knew I would be here the day I was born. For such a time as this…how will He be glorified in my mess?

To suffer for His glory. What a privilege.

I find my identity at the foot of the cross. My failures and life only pieced back together by Jesus who loves me despite my shortcomings. But to really believe that, to grasp that I am nothing. Yet He still picks up and puts me back together.

I have no right to point a finger at anyone.

  Loved, forgiven and created by the same Father. We are all equal at the foot of the cross. We all mess up.

So who. Am. I. ? That I would judge anyone.

It’s tough. It pours out of my mouth, then to be stopped by realization I am no better than anyone.

A sinner saved by grace. Grace. A beautiful word. Underserved. The chains broken.

I admit I am and always will be broken, but mended by His grace and mercy. Words I never really understood. He has dissected my heart.

Jesus dined with the broken, He called sinners, ones who’s failures and messes were  forgiven…without question…

beggars at the door of God’s mercy. He walked with the ragamuffins.

Love. Undeserved forgiveness.

Chains broken.

I have to forgive. die to myself and pray for the ones who hurt me.. Jesus loves them too.

I don’t have to have it all together, because in the end, it won’t matter anyway. His story is my story.

On judgment day, He will ask. “Did you believe that I loved you?”

“Trust me that I love you. All of you.” –Jesus

In tears as I sign out. Oh how I love Jesus Oh how I love Jesus…because He first loved me.

Some of you may already know. This season in my life has been something I never thought would ever be. But in admitting and accepting it takes a lot for me to say John and I are no longer married. We are divorced. It has taken me many months to say this out loud.

What I want to share is where this has taken my heart on this journey.

Pride.

That’s it. I have always believed that pride is in the arrogant, pompous actions of people.

It can be. But it can also be in the everyday way I live my life.

I was knocked down recently with a virus that laid me on my back for two weeks.

It started by watching a movie called the Ragamuffin Gospel, the story of Rich Mullin’s (a Christian music artist) life story who passed away in a car accident.

His life wasn’t about the fame, the glory, the praise. It was about Jesus.

 His life was a beautiful mess. Broken. A failure at the foot of the cross. Grace. Mercy.

My heart asked so many questions.

I had to get my hands on Brennan Manning’s book, the explanation of what the Ragamuffin Gospel was. There was so much to this book in realizing how much of a ragamuffin I am. There was such freedom in this.

I don’t have it all together.

I am weak, not strong. I cry. alot.

I’m a failure with scars to prove it.

I am nothing.

barefoot.

 To identify fully with Christ is to identify with the poor, the homeless. He loved the broken.

There is freedom and beauty in brokenness.

Pretending to be perfect.

Why do I pretend with the smile that everything is ok? It’s exhausting.

wrestling with surrender. surrender to self. Am I not to die to myself. Take up HIS cross. I cannot…. and He still loves me. There is no perfection in me. He knows and understands. He knew I would be here the day I was born. For such a time as this…how will He be glorified in my mess?

To suffer for His glory. What a privilege.

I find my identity at the foot of the cross. My failures and life only pieced back together by Jesus who loves me despite my shortcomings. But to really believe that, to grasp that I am nothing. Yet He still picks up and puts me back together.

I have no right to point a finger at anyone.

  Loved, forgiven and created by the same Father. We are all equal at the foot of the cross. We all mess up.

So who. Am. I. ? That I would judge anyone.

It’s tough. It pours out of my mouth, then to be stopped by realization I am no better than anyone.

A sinner saved by grace. Grace. A beautiful word. Underserved. The chains broken.

I admit I am and always will be broken, but mended by His grace and mercy. Words I never really understood. He has dissected my heart.

Jesus dined with the broken, He called sinners, ones who’s failures and messes were  forgiven…without question…

beggars at the door of God’s mercy. He walked with the ragamuffins.

Love. Undeserved forgiveness.

Chains broken.

I have to forgive John, die to myself and pray for him. Jesus loves John too.

I don’t have to have it all together, because in the end, it won’t matter anyway. His story is my story.

On judgment day, He will ask. “Did you believe that I loved you?”

“Trust me that I love you. All of you.” –Jesus

In tears as I sign out. Oh how I love Jesus Oh how I love Jesus…because He first loved me.

Isaiah 54:2

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes..

To break out of barrenness, we must first pray this verse with power and expectancy. “Enlarge the place of your tent…..” Isaiah 54:2a

When God wants to enlarge you, you can’t stay in your comfort zone. We have to do our part also. Step out in faith, covered in prayer!

In Matthew 7:7 it says Ask.Seek.Knock.

Believing God, to enlarge your place, your territory.

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:10.

It’s all about the mind. Stop thinking! Start praying! Set your mind on things above as it says in Colossians 3:1. God has such an amazing plan for your life!

Align yourself with God’s heart. His love. His ways. What is true. What is pure. (Phillipians 4:8)What is right! Stay fueled in His Word. Worship at His feet.

Come out of being robbed of BIG things! Reject small thinking. Speak His Word. Sow His Word! (Mark 4:14) If God is with you, ALL things are possible!

You are my passion.

                                    You are Alpha and Omega.

                  

 You are Lord of Lords.

 

You are King of Kings.

 

 

The Way. The Truth. The Life.

         

 Jesus Messiah.

 

You are Prince of Peace. Abba Father. Lion and the Lamb.  

 

Author.

Beloved.

 

 

Comforter. Creator. Teacher.

                       

Chief Cornerstone.

 

 

TRUTH.

 

Hope. Unconditional Love. Bread of LIFE. Shepherd. Father. Healer.

 

All Powerful.

                        All Knowing.

                                           My Vindicator.

                                                                   Holy One.

 

Redeemer.

 

 

Almighty God.

 

Bright and Morning Star.

                                      

                                                Resurrection and Life.

Light of the World.

                                                Savior.

From Barren to Blessing

Isaiah 54:1

Sing, O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For the [spiritual] children of the desolate one will be more than the children of the married wife, says the Lord.

Have you ever felt barren? By barren, I mean lost, alone, empty. Maybe it is your job, your marriage, your faith, your family. It just feels dry, like there has to be something more. You may have had hopes and dreams, but life has stolen them from you.

I was there. And I want to share with you that through this chapter in Isaiah from the Bible, you can break out of your barrenness and birth God’s plan for your life! God has a beautiful plan for your life. You may say, “Yeah, I’ve heard that before, but you have no idea what I’m in the middle of, or what I’ve just been through! There is no way I can crawl out of this one!”

Well, I disagree. God is waiting, ready to give you Joy in His Presence. Arms full of Unconditional Love and Grace. A Covenant of Peace. A hand to pull you out.

“My Beloved speaks to me and says to me….Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come….” Song of Solomon 2:10-12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

From the Scripture above we see that we are in war. A careful study of this verse informs us that our warfare is NOT with other human beings but with our enemy. Satan. He attempts to defeat us with strategy and deceit, through well-laid plans and deliberate deception.

Satan is a liar. Jesus called him “the father of all lies and of all that is false.” (John 8:44) He lies to you and me. He tells us things about ourselves, about other people, and about circumstances that are just not true.  He does not, however, tell us the entire lie all at one time.

He begins by bombarding our mind with a cleverly devised pattern of little nagging thoughts, suspicions, doubts, fears, wonderings, reasonings, and theories. He moves slowly and cautiously. Remember he has a strategy for his warfare. He has studied us for a long time.

He knows what we like and what we don’t like. He knows our insecurities, our weaknesses, and our fears. He knows what bothers us most. He is willing to invest any amount of time it takes to defeat us. One of the devils strong points is patience.

Have you ever let someone’s behavior effect your entire day? Angry, irritable, frustration? Remember to remember…..do not let others dictate your day or your future. Satan tries to trip us up, but God has a much better plan for your life. Look up! Call on the name of Jesus. Saturate your mind with His Word. He will keep one foot in front of the other, giving you the desires of your heart.

Quotes from Joyce Meyer

TRUST ME ONE DAY AT A TIME.

This keeps you close to Me, responsive to My will. Trust is not a natural response, especially for those who have been deeply wounded. My Spirit within you is your resident Tutor, helping you in this supernatural endeavor. Yield to His gentle touch; be sensitive to His prompting.

Exert your will to trust Me in all circumstances. Don’t let your need to understand distract you from My Presence. I will equip you to get through this day victoriously, as you live in deep dependence on Me.

Tomorrow is busy worrying about itself; don’t get tangled up in its worry-webs. Trust Me one day at a time.

Lord Almighty,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you. Psalm 84:12

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34



--Jesus Calling Devotional Sarah Young