sharing the gospel | Stray Thoughts

Some of the good blogging found this week:

He Is Strong Enough. “Now I have been a mother for 21 years, and I struggle to carry the burdens of four children on these two shoulders. I think back and wonder how my wonderful mom did it. And then I remember that she had a Savior who is in the business of carrying burdens–One who invited the weary and heavy-laden to come to Him for rest.”

A Testimony in Sorrow. “The odd thing about this time is that I remember God using me so much more than in the seasons of life when I believed I ‘had it all together.’ My brokenness was the platform for His glory. Yes, I was weak, but my face was constantly turned toward Him, relying on Him for every breath and step. So many people came to me during that time for counsel and I consistently told the Lord that I was not in the battle at the time; I was on ‘sabbatical’ from the Christian life. He would have to wait to use me until I was self-sustaining again. I was a mess and freely confessed to others that such was the case. The truth was, I couldn’t point to myself as the standard for their help anymore. I needed help; I was a beggar pointing other beggars to the Bread of Life.”

How Do I Start Sharing the Gospel in the New Year? “A pastor shared this with me, and I’m wondering if you feel the same way. He knows the gospel well. But he finds that the hardest part of sharing the good news of Christ is getting started. Many of us feel this way, don’t we? But what if we are making a false assumption that is stopping us in our tracks?”

Godly Motherhood and Pinterest Dreams: The Mom I Long to Be, HT to Challies. “We can make many assumptions about the photos we see. We can long for the perfection depicted in tiny boxes on a glowing screen. Yet what truly matters in the eyes of the Lord, the hearts of our children, and in our souls, is the glorious work God is doing through the holy and hard moments of mothering. For every Pinterest mother we crave to be, God is molding in us a beauty that cannot be captured in photos.”

15 Devotional Gleanings from Reading the Old Testament Law. “What we want to know as we read is: What was God teaching Israel through these portions of the Law? What does God teach His Church now through these same chapters?”

When You Want to Trace In Your Specific Clay-Like Conditions. “Maybe like me, you delight in being a clay jar filled with the treasure of Jesus, yet struggle when the clay feels extra fragile, sad, or worn out. In those conditions, I can be tempted to want to click a ‘return’ button as simply as it is to send back an unwanted Amazon package.”