Receiving From God--How Sweet It Is

"Be still and know that I am God." 

Now, that's my favorite thing to do. But in earlier years? I didn't get it. I thought that you could only feel close to God if you...

...drove to Bible studies (lots of 'em)
and traveled to Christian conventions
and went to every meeting at church
and read chapters and chapters of the Bible everyday
(so you could make all those check marks on Bible charts).

And if you tried really, really hard--

to be a Good Girl
and said everything right
and did everything right
and performed extra good deeds to make up for your mistakes

and got all A's on your report card from God...

But you know? It was in 'being still and knowing that He is God' where my Life totally changed and Peace came and stayed. Grace, she came and stayed, also.

When I learned simply to receive from God instead of always trying to--

take and get

and earn and force

and cry and struggle

and beg and plead

to get something from Him

--that's when all became brand new. When I learned to receive.

Receiving instead of creating or following formulas on how to get God to do something for me, that's what made all the difference--

--and continues to do so to this very hour. How amazing I can be still and know God at my table with a cup of coffee and we can have a life-altering time. Right here. Right now on a Thursday morning at home.

It still blows my mind.


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"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." John 1:16

"Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him." Matthew 20:34

"I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." Galations 1:12