"(Nun) Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.
I've promised it once, and I'll promise it again:
I will obey Your righteous regulations.
I have suffered much, O LORD;
restore my life again as You promised.
LORD, accept my offering of praise,
and teach me Your regulations.
My life constantly hangs in the balance,
but I will not stop obeying Your instructions.
The wicked have set their traps for me,
but I will not turn from Your commandments.
Your laws are my treasure;
they are my heart's delight.
I am determined to keep Your decrees
to the very end." (Psalm 119: 105-112)
and a light for my path.
I've promised it once, and I'll promise it again:
I will obey Your righteous regulations.
I have suffered much, O LORD;
restore my life again as You promised.
LORD, accept my offering of praise,
and teach me Your regulations.
My life constantly hangs in the balance,
but I will not stop obeying Your instructions.
The wicked have set their traps for me,
but I will not turn from Your commandments.
Your laws are my treasure;
they are my heart's delight.
I am determined to keep Your decrees
to the very end." (Psalm 119: 105-112)
Dear Mrs. Kurtz,
I hope you enjoyed your day off! Sorry you had to invest so much of that free time into writing the post. I appreciate your work though and it got me thinking quite a bit today.
Ok, so for a change I really don't know what to say. I don't know how to explain what I'm thinking, or if there is any point in doing so.
In your post you said, You admit defeat, but you don't give up" (as a response to messing up). What does this mean for me? I understand that every Christian struggles with following God at some time, but I've gotten to the point where I need to make a decision. I don't think it's about getting up after stumbling and trying again anymore. I have to decide if I'm with or against God.
My decisions are becoming increasingly worse, but I refuse to change. God requires us to love and follow Him, NOT our vices. As a Christian, you can't have both.
I'm scared that if the only way to fix things is "feeding my soul" with Godly things and turning away from sin, then I don't stand a chance. It is becoming very real to me that not everyone is willing to seek God, and many end up in hell.
I really don't know what to do. I know in Romans 7 Paul came to the conclusion that God is the solution to changing his "life that is dominated by sin and death," but how? What are the actual things I need to do to fix everything?
I need to figure out if I'm willing to take these steps.
I just want to reiterate how grateful I am for you doing all of this: inviting me to church, talking, and writing these posts. I know this email sounds quite negative, but it's just because I'm frustrated with myself. I do really appreciate how much you care, and all you've invested into helping me.
Much thanks.
Dear friend,
It was, is, and will remain my pleasure and privilege to study and discuss with you. Thank you for trusting me in this way!
You are right. There is a time for decisions, will I follow or not? Sometimes people call these "crisis experiences". You don't have to be in a crisis (terminal illness, family breakup, etc.) to experience a crisis in your faith. This is about faith, following, submission, relinquishing control.
I cannot and will not simplify the call to faith. I can and will repeat, as often as necessary, God is good. You can trust Him. No one loves you more. No one has given more. No one can do more, love more, give more, provide more.
I'm going to share some links to decision points in the Bible. There are more; can you find more of them?
Heavenly Father, We thank and praise You, for You have offered and provided everything. Your call is not easy. But it is good. We lose, but we gain. We surrender, but we win.
I hope you enjoyed your day off! Sorry you had to invest so much of that free time into writing the post. I appreciate your work though and it got me thinking quite a bit today.
Ok, so for a change I really don't know what to say. I don't know how to explain what I'm thinking, or if there is any point in doing so.
In your post you said, You admit defeat, but you don't give up" (as a response to messing up). What does this mean for me? I understand that every Christian struggles with following God at some time, but I've gotten to the point where I need to make a decision. I don't think it's about getting up after stumbling and trying again anymore. I have to decide if I'm with or against God.
My decisions are becoming increasingly worse, but I refuse to change. God requires us to love and follow Him, NOT our vices. As a Christian, you can't have both.
I'm scared that if the only way to fix things is "feeding my soul" with Godly things and turning away from sin, then I don't stand a chance. It is becoming very real to me that not everyone is willing to seek God, and many end up in hell.
I really don't know what to do. I know in Romans 7 Paul came to the conclusion that God is the solution to changing his "life that is dominated by sin and death," but how? What are the actual things I need to do to fix everything?
I need to figure out if I'm willing to take these steps.
I just want to reiterate how grateful I am for you doing all of this: inviting me to church, talking, and writing these posts. I know this email sounds quite negative, but it's just because I'm frustrated with myself. I do really appreciate how much you care, and all you've invested into helping me.
Much thanks.
Dear friend,
It was, is, and will remain my pleasure and privilege to study and discuss with you. Thank you for trusting me in this way!
You are right. There is a time for decisions, will I follow or not? Sometimes people call these "crisis experiences". You don't have to be in a crisis (terminal illness, family breakup, etc.) to experience a crisis in your faith. This is about faith, following, submission, relinquishing control.
I cannot and will not simplify the call to faith. I can and will repeat, as often as necessary, God is good. You can trust Him. No one loves you more. No one has given more. No one can do more, love more, give more, provide more.
I'm going to share some links to decision points in the Bible. There are more; can you find more of them?
- Jesus was offered everything, Matthew 4: 1-11
- Jesus called the disciples to follow, Matthew 4:12-22
- The rich young man "went away sad" Matthew 19:16-30
- Followers left Jesus when His call became hard/confusing (note: there were throngs when they were receiving food and "easy" teaching), John 6:1-70 (contrast verses 66 and 68)
- Jesus called people to "count the cost," Luke 14:25-35
"The modern day disciple still has a price to pay. There's a war within and a war with sin, and he fights it every day." (lyrics, "Count the Cost")
- What is the cost of following?
- What do you lose?
- What do you gain?
Heavenly Father, We thank and praise You, for You have offered and provided everything. Your call is not easy. But it is good. We lose, but we gain. We surrender, but we win.
My friend, I am wrestling in prayer for you! You are loved. You are not alone.
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