Who Says?

Its another full day for me; it's part of being a mother, wife, and child of God.  I like full days, and I also like the quieter ones.
God has challenged me on so many levels the past several weeks.  And, I am in constant awe of His Glory and His healing power.  He has blessed me with strength and security and the assurance that He, and He alone, is in control.  I like that.  Not that I don't have moments of discouragement, sadness, or doubt.  I do. But, the cool thing is, He pulls me through all of those times, when I ask Him for help.  It's His amazing power and His incredible grace that leaves me in awe of Him.
This morning I read the chapter of 1 Corinthians 4.  It was just what I needed to help with some of those feelings of doubt and discouragement.  Verse 3 says this: "But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord."
It is important to look at things from God's point of view, and to wait on Him to show all sides. I have a lot to deal with at times, and it is reassuring to me to know that God can be my only judge.  He knows my heart, my motives, my life.  I have laid it before Him and asked Him to be in control.  He has asked me to run after the calling He has laid before me, and to do it now.  Not next week, or next year, NOW.  It is a small thing to me to have that examined by human judgments, for it is evident to me that the Lord has spoken, and I will choose to obey.
So, are you being judged? Are you being placed under the scrutiny of others, does it hold you back from running after the calling God has placed before you? Are you focused on the judgments, or on Christ?  These are all the questions I must ask myself, and then move ahead IN Him.
God knows my heart.  He knows where I've been and all that had to happen to get me here.  That is what matters. He is the Rock, the solid foundation, and that is where I choose to stand.  In His truth, everyday, all the time, by His grace.
Further in the chapter, on the Message side, it reads: "We're the Messiah's misfits. You might be sure of yourselves, but we live in the midst of frailties and uncertainties. You might be well-thought-of by others, but we're mostly kicked around." And, a little further down, "There are a lot of people around who can't wait to tell you what you've done wrong, but there aren't many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God's Message to you that I became your father, Im not, you know, asking you to do anything I'm not already doing."  "God's way is not a matter of mere talk; it's an empowered life."
Sometimes I do feel like the misfit in the middle of life's circumstances. Life is uncertain, and I don't know from one day to the next what might happen.  The only thing, absolute only thing, I can count on for sure, is God's love for me! Sometimes I feel kicked around and misrepresented, but always, God loves me. He is the foundation that keeps my heart beating. It is through Him that I am empowered to move ahead, no matter what may come my way---and something always seems to come my way!
Say That Again, Jesus--You are with me.  You are my friend, my firm foundation, and I will not be deterred from Your truth.  You are truth! Say That Again, Again, and Again!