Don't sell yourself short

[toad]

“A good action is never lost; it is a treasure laid up and guarded for the doer’s need.” (Pedro la Barca Calderon)

Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! When you came down long ago, you did awesome things beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow, godly ways.”
(Isaiah 64:1-5 NLT)

The apostle Paul quoted Isaiah 64:4 when he wrote his letter to the Corinthians. Paul said it a little different, but the thought was the same, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). How true this is! If you love God, and put God first in your life, then you cannot even imagine what good things are in store. When I first got serious about recovering from drugs and alcohol I decided to put God first in my life. I decided that when I got up in the morning I would first spend some time in self-examination, prayer, and the reading of the Word of God. I am amazed at how a little thing such as reading the Bible daily over the past eight years has truly altered how I see God, how I see myself, how I see others, how I see life, and how I accept life on life’s terms. Eight years ago if I would of have made a list of everything I wanted after eight years of sobriety, and I would have received what I had on the list, I would have come up short of what has actually happened. I would have sold myself short. I am not saying that life over the past eight years has been a bed of roses. I have had to deal with death of family members, the death of many friends, the death of pets, times when finances were stressed, times when physical pain abounded, and times when depression sat in. It was especially during these difficult times that I observed the love of God smoothing the road out ahead of me. Of course it takes a trained eye to see some of these things. As long as I stayed in my self-pity and felt sorry for myself my eyes never raised up enough to see how God was smoothing the road out ahead. As I look back over the short time of my recovery and take a positive inventory I see where I have not lacked for anything I ever needed, and most of my desires, material, emotional and spiritual were supplied. My mind could not even imagine what was prepared for me when I fell in love with God. I see the future the same way that I look back at the past. What has God prepared for my life? I don’t know. No list here, I don’t want to sell myself short. God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………….JRE

“When our life is unmanageable and we feel as if we have lost direction, we often blame God or feel that somehow he is making things worse. Paul reminded the Corinthians that God had wonderful things planned for them, things even more wonderful than they could imagine. This message if for us, too. If we turn our life and will over to God, he can build a new life for us that is beyond our wildest dreams.”
The Life Recovery Bible, page 1370

[best]

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).

Remembering the words of a song...count your blessings one by one.
With the many blessings I have been given, I am in awe and know that greater things are yet to be. How can I grasp the understanding of such when things have been so beautiful thus far? The above verse sure does say it well.
My whole life has changed. My marriage healed. Four wonderful children. My every "need" provided for and so many of my wants as well.
I am not a rich man if you look at my bank account but I am a rich man when you look at the many blessings the Lord has waiting for me and all others who seek Him. The greatest gift of all was given to me. God gave me His son so that I may live. I do not deserve what has been give, is being given, and I sure don't deserve the blessings that are yet to come and are greater then my mind can even think on.
Why Lord? Why such blessings await me? Why do such blessings await "all" who say yes to Your gift of life?
As I ponder such, I start to realize what perfect love is like.
When people say...Jesus loves you, we don't understand till we come to the realization of that love...I do not deserve it but still it is given.
Why? Because Jesus loves me and Jesus loves you as well.

[cwohio]

thanks to both of you for your inspirational posts as i re-establish my relationship with the Lord. i hope that in wanting and trying to do this that it pleases Him and that the Holy Spirit guides me in the best way to do it.

[cmc]

thanks toad!

"The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ." Oswald Chambers

This is more than I would have asked for. Many, myself included would have settled to have our sins forgiven and the promise of heaven...yet He goes much farther than my imagination..and gives us His nature... and divine fellowship as one who cries "Abba Father."
Romans 8:15
"The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, "Father."
How wonderful to know He delights in giving of Himself to His children!!!