encouragement

From Meaningless to Meaningful…

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / Leave a comment

In the book of Ecclesiastes, I am uncomfortably struck by the many verses that highlight how ‘meaningless’ life is, as the author (most Christian scholars agree to be King Solomon “The Teacher”) contemplates aspects of our lives here on earth that, quite frankly, make no sense.

Here are just a few of them.  But, be warned….if you read too many in succession, you might as well read the entire book of Job!  Here, I am using the NLT, since other versions weren’t quite as vividly descriptive as I found the New Living Translation to be.

“I [The Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem] observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!””
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2:14-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“…Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭8:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake when they give great authority to foolish people, and low positions to people of proven worth.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭10:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Wow.  Kind of a downer, huh?

… I basically plucked these verses out of the many verses that are commiserative, because they are true depictions of our plights here on earth.  We can all identify with the uncomfortable ironies of life here on earth.

The good thing is, King Solomon does indeed trace every good thing back to God.  But I became ever more thankful to God for sending His Son, Jesus to break through every meaningless plight we face here on our earthly journey!

Enter…Jesus (a relationship King Solomon did not get to experience, not understandably so anyway) and everything changes!

Jesus’ power changes the meaningless into the meaningful!  What seems senseless, now has a purpose; which is to show the great power of Christ!  Evil is overcome.  Death loses its sting! Eternal life and joy is now very possible through believing in Jesus.  We can fully trust Jesus through every irony in life!  No matter how troubling or senseless it seems!

The complexities of life keep us dependent on Jesus.  They force us to keep our eyes on Him, not on all the circumstances that don’t make any sense to us.  What does make sense is: that in Christ we find everything we are looking for.  We may not even know what that truly is right now.  But, then, God orchestrates His plan.  And we somehow find ourselves standing at the center of His will wondering how we ever got there!  A trajectory we tried to plan for, but couldn’t control every outcome to go as we had hoped or desired.  Jesus trekked the impossible for us.  And THAT makes no sense, either!  Only in a really, really good way!

And all along the path/way, Jesus not only gives us what we need, but greater still, we come to learn that He Himself is our greatest need!  When we surrender to His lordship in our life, our future is secure!  Perhaps scary at times, but nevertheless, secure.  We walk by faith.  And when we do, it no longer has to make sense, because walking daily with Jesus is the most meaningful way we could ever spend our lives, come what may!

Be encouraged to stay with Jesus!  Nothing is meaningless when you walk closely with Him.

Love & Blessings!
-Cindy Magsig ❤️

 

He Sees Me

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / Leave a comment
Silly starts early
Always singing
Our Wedding Day

When I look in the mirror, I can only see myself as I am today.  I mean, sure, if I stare at myself long enough, I might remember how I used to look a few years back. Especially those fine lines gravity enjoys leaving behind as a reminder of its power.  I can look at past pictures of me, and recall how I used to look as well.  But it’s hard to know exactly what I will look like 5 to 10 years from now, should I still be here on this earth.

Crazy though, is the thought that when God sees me, He see my past, present, and future all at once.  It’s amazing to think: He knew me before I was covered in flesh.  Before I took my first earthy breath.  He knew what every day of my life would hold … what every moment would bring.

Take, for instance, the day when I came home and looked in the mirror, tears streaming down my face wondering why rejection hurt so bad.  Or that day I came home from elementary school in a bad mood because at PE I got picked last on the dodgeball team…..again. (TBH: I’m horrible with sports so I wouldn’t have picked me either).  Ah! But then, there was that glorious day I looked in the mirror flashing my new engagement ring on my left ring finger!  Dreaming of my wedding day.  The day I would become Mrs. Ross Magsig!  Even before that day, God had already seen my wedding day, the birth of our three children, our future together….the days that are still ahead of us.  Everything!  All of it!

We can only see what is.  We can only remember what was.  But God sees all of that and so much more!  He doesn’t see us in the limited way we see ourselves.  Or in the limited way others may see us.  He knows our entire story at just one glance!  And when He puts His eyes on us, He sees everything about us.  And amazing still, is that He loves every part of us!  His is truly an unconditional love.

He was there from the very beginning.  He’s been there through it all.  And He’ll be there straight into forever!  Straight into eternity!  What a glorious thought.  Recognizing the infinite love God has for you and me, makes me ask: What else do we need?  Nothing!  His everlasting love  means everything to us.  No one can see us the way He does.  Which is why no one can love us the way He does.  May you walk in the beauty of this truth today! You are infinitely loved!!

Love ❤️  -Cindy Magsig

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”   -‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:16-17‬ (‭NLT‬‬)

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”‭‭   -Ephesians‬ ‭1:4 ‭(NLT)

“For His unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!”  -‭‭Psalms‬ ‭117:2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

‬‬

If Only …..

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / 4 Comments

If Only …..

If only we could be loved straight through all of our highs and lows. The ups as well as the downs.  If we could be accepted not only when we do something to please others. Or say only those things they agree wholeheartedly with. Or act and respond in the way they want us to respond and act in any given situation.

If only we could be loved fully with grace and compassion. What does that kind of love look like?  What does it feel like?  I only ask, because I don’t see it very often. Sadly not even in the church; a place I would totally expect and hope to find it.  Sure, I don’t expect to see it in the world. That’s because it is our job to show it to them. But do we?

See, Jesus didn’t wait to love you until you had it all together. He loved you before you could ever be cognizant of your actions. And He continues to love us with an everlasting love. Straight through all of our messes and hang ups.

So why can’t we love each other that way? Or maybe a better question is: Why won’t we?  I believe we can!  We can love, because He first loved us!  We can love others first, too. Before they impress us. Before they give us something we value. Before we get so easily offended at what the enemy knows is the pettiest thing in light of eternity. And bigger still, after we’ve been offended. I’d love to see THAT kind of mature love in action! Wouldn’t you?

We are to love like Jesus because He modeled love both in life, and death.  How He was moved to compassion by the very people who crucified him is mind boggling to me. But He asked God to forgive them!  And He personally asks us to love and forgive others the way He has loved and forgiven us. Love with compassion. Love with grace. Love without demanding our own way. Love straight through the disagreements. Love beyond the disappointments. Give others a love that bears all things. Hopes all things. A love that endures all things. Faith, hope, and love remain… but the greatest of these is, and always will be, LOVE.

What could happen if we stopped making excuses as to why we cannot love another person in this way?  If we cannot, it is solely because we have chosen to love only as far as our flesh will allow, negating the power of the Holy Spirit. He never asked us to love sin. We can hate that because it hurts people. But He does encourage us to love the sinner. He Himself chooses to love us despite our sin, too. I keep thinking of the woman caught in adultery in John, Chapter 8:1-11. Read or re-read it if you get a chance.

… Why would we make a conscious choice or decision not to follow in Jesus’ example when it comes to loving and forgiving others?  Why would we choose to live beneath His power, when we have been told that our love will show the world that we are His children? Here is the goal:  This year, I encourage you to mature in your capacity and ability to love and forgive others. This is my heart’s desire going forward, too. When it begins in you, it will begin with you!

Love, -Cindy Magsig

Scripture References for Further Study:

“We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:19-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:7-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”
‭‭2 John‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God is ALWAYS Interceding for YOU!

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / 5 Comments

…Woke up this morning with this wonderful reminder: When we face trying circumstances and situations that leave us feeling overwhelmed and helpless, God is ALWAYS interceding on our behalf in EVERY battle and trial we face. As a child, I can remember hearing a song in church called “And He Is Ever Interceding”. Although I don’t remember that song very well, its message must have still poured into my spirit as a young child. Side note to us worship leaders here: What messages are pouring into the lives of those we serve through the songs we sing? Songs and their messages have lasting power …. or at least, they should.

To intercede means to settle something between two parties, or to intervene. Perhaps even to mobilize in an effort to defend someone from some peril they cannot see objectively. Those who intercede care enough to take action on behalf of another. This is precisely what God does for us SO MANY times without our knowledge.

Think about two of the best football teams fighting for a victory (maybe even a Super Bowl victory) out on the field. Sometimes during the fight for victory, players cannot objectively view what’s really going on, or what strategies the other team might be using. It takes coaches that are standing on the sidelines objectively viewing the whole scope of what’s really happening on the field. They have these headsets on as they dialog with other coaches. And they have clipboards with diagrams of plays to guide their players to make the best decisions possible under pressure. Simply put, they have ways of interceding to point their team toward victory.

When players are in the fight for the victory, it gets exhausting. The amount of physical exertion being spent begins to take its toll on them, and can even begin to weigh them down emotionally as well as physically. They may begin to feel depleted as the clock is ticking away. But the coaches are there to intercede; to keep the players motivated; to keep them in the fight, telling them that victory CAN come if they just keep going, and keep giving it their best. Throwing in the towel is NEVER an option for winning teams!

This is what God does for us. He is ALWAYS interceding for us in our circumstances. He sees when we are emotionally, spiritually, and/or physically spent in the fight. We can’t always see objectively the scope of everything that is going on in our lives. Many times, we can’t even see the strategies the Enemy is using to wear us down. You know, those things that chip away at our faith …. the things that deter our determination.

God has the FULL view. He see everything. He knows everything. His call is the best play you will ever make. His scope and perspective cannot be humanly matched. The Bible tells us He is always working on our behalf. He is working to defend, to settle, and to lead us to victory!

Finally, this closing part comes from my husband: He told me about a term in the game of football called, the 12th man (or the 12th player) of the game. It is a term that refers to the fans in the stadium who also give encouragement to the players on the field (only 11 players are allowed on the field per team). The 12th man (the fans) also play a helpful role in the team’s victory because many times they can give their team an extra measure of confidence when they cheer them on. When the players are physically, mentally, and especially, spiritually exhausted (they begin to lose hope and it affects the way they play), the fans have at times become key to many victories. WE are the 12th man ….. we must remember to encourage one another to keep pressing on.

No matter what you are going through in your fight/battle for victory today, remember this: God is ALWAYS interceding for you! Be encouraged by this truth today!

Love & Blessings!

“Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:25) NIV

For further Personal Study see also:
Romans 8:26-27 NIV
Romans 8:31-35, 37 NIV
Psalms 44:5-8 NLT

What is Your Pattern?

/ SurrenderedHeartWorship / 2 Comments

As we look to begin a new year, many of us will be making resolutions that almost never seem to make it past the first six months. Wanting to “do better” is great, but I think there is something we can look at that might prove even more valuable/worthwhile to us as we chart our course, and head into the future.

This year, for me, has been one of the most self-revealing years ever. Mainly because I have wanted it to be so. I have searched deeper within myself with the resolve to get more honest with myself than I’ve ever been. Trust me when I say, when you make a decision to “see” yourself as you really are -you will.

It’s not all been a pretty sight. But just as I was uncovering these layers of life, a close friend asked me if I saw any patterns in my decision making that were my “go to” when things got tough. Can you guess what the answer was? Yep! …It was a resounding, yes.

Well, it got me thinking: we all have “patterns” or modes of operating that become familiar to us when we are faced with crisis, questions, uncertainties, turning points, or big impending transitions in our lives. We don’t always take chances and try new methods when it comes to seeking solutions.

I’m convinced our patterns reveal something about our character. With this in mind, what do your patterns say about you? When we look in the Bible, we can see glimpses of people’s patterns:

Jonah was really good at running away
Gideon was good at second-guessing
Thomas was good at doubting….

Those “patterns” were the very things God dealt with in each of their cases. And the same holds true for us. Fortunately, God’s power is greater than our patterns. That is, IF we are submitting ourselves to His lordship in our lives. Would you agree that sometimes our patterns of behavior are unhealthy? If so, what are some of the patterns in your life that have proved this to be true?

To gain a better understanding of your personal patterns, go back to one of your most recent crisis, or seasons of transition. What are the things you did to cope/deal with it? Do you tend to run away from the crisis? Do you retreat or isolate yourself? Do you do the opposite and talk people’s heads off about it? Do you eat more? Shop more? Sleep more? You get the idea. You “do” something, and it’s usually the same pattern for the next crisis, and so forth.

Let’s pause to look at the bright side, though. It must be stated; there are also GOOD patterns in our lives. I certainly don’t want to overlook those. And neither should you. The fact is: we can choose good patterns over bad ones if we so desire. However, we will never up-root the bad patterns if we refuse to become aware of them, and how damaging they can be to us, as well as to those we love.

I’ll close with this challenge: Look at your 2013 patterns of behavior. Which ones are worth keeping? Which ones are worth up-rooting? Which ones do you see God bringing up again and again in an effort to get you to allow Him to renovate your character? He wants the very best for you. And it’s o.k. for you to want the very best for you, too.

Love & Blessings!
-Cindy Magsig

Scriptures:
Philippians 3:17 “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.” (NLT)
Ephesians 5:15-20