How much more...

Having a baby inside of me is changing many things. I'm here to share about just one of them - my thoughts and dreams. Often times, I find myself with and without intention, thinking and dreaming about our baby. What do I think? ALL the GOOD THINGS. 

I think of our precious child as the best and most perfect gift from the Father. I think of him/her as the most beautiful, cute, one without any imperfection even though I haven't seen him/her yet. I think about all the wonderful times we will spend together as a family. I think of how smart, innocent and childlike, how obedient yet free my child would be. I dream that he/she would honor his/her parents, grandparents and most of all, he/she would be a radical lover of God! I think of him/her as an ultimate worshiper. His/her life will be a worship, a pleasant sacrifice to the Lord. I also think and want our precious one to be a lover of the Word, and a true friend. The list can go on and on and on... The point is they are all good thoughts. The best that I can come up with. 

Then... How much more...? 
HOW MUCH MORE- is a phrase I love the most in the Bible. 
HOW MUCH MORE does the Father of lights think good thoughts toward us, His beloved children?

Everyone quotes Jeremiah 29:11 which says, "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope"... 

Thoughts of peace is literally thoughts of shalom. Meaning of the word "Shalom" includes peace, completeness, welfare, health and prosperity! So basically, God's thoughts toward us equals all my thoughts for our baby combined and even so much more, so much better. 

Isaiah 55:9 says, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts".

I'm thinking all the best possible thoughts about my precious one. And even so, His thoughts are far better than mine. This is mind-blowing. How good can they be?

Psalm 40:5, "And Your thoughts towards us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered". 

Isn't that amazing? Our heavenly Father is filled with good thoughts toward us! And they cannot even be numbered. 

Okay, I can't help it. Here is another one, Psalm 139:17, 
"How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;"

Be encouraged, dear friends. Your Father in heaven thinks thoughts of SHALOM towards you. And if you will and open your heart and life to Him, those thoughts will come true! He wants His thoughts to fulfill in your life just as I want my dreams fulfill for my child!

HOW MUCH MORE...

Abiding

“...you shall ask what you desire and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7b)

So many times have I taken this sentence out of its context and prayed that God would fulfill my desire thinking that I’m praying according to the Word. So many times was I disappointed because it never came true.

But I realized that the most important part is the previous sentence:

“If you abide in Me and My words in you…” (Jn 15:7)

These were Jesus’ last words to His disciples. One of the most important truths He wanted them to embrace before He left. If we abide in Him and His words abide in us, all that we desire will be out of His own heart and when we ask them, basically we’re asking His will to be done and they shall be done. And even more wonderful thing is that getting the answer of our prayers when we are abiding in Him will be a fruit that glorifies the Father.

“By this, My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (Jn 15:8a)

As a result, we become true disciples.

"..so you will be My disciples" (Jn 15:8b)

What could be better than this? I want something and it will be done for me AND that glorifies the Father. Isn't that, glorifying the Father is the ultimate purpose of everything that exists?

Now I know why my desires weren’t fulfilled. Those were the desires I had while I didn’t abide in Christ. I didn’t abide in Him as a branch abides in the vine. I didn’t let His words abide in me. They were MY selfish desires.

Now I know that the KEY is abiding in Christ.

I also now know that abiding in Christ doesn’t happen overnight. Of course I believe that encountering God’s love can change one instantly. That happened to me, too. But abiding in Christ and becoming a true disciple takes time, commitment, ongoing hunger, desperation, devotion and constant seeking.

My prayer today for myself and for you, my dear friend, is that the Holy Spirit would help us abide in Him every day, that He would even provide the hunger that is purely for Himself, so that we would become true disciples.