Darkness Must Pass

I've been on a bit of a Lord of the Rings kick lately, what with The Hobbit coming out.
This is one of my favorite quotes.
It reminds me that God is sovereign, and no matter how wretched and evil the world becomes, we will spend eternity in glory. And for now, we must keep fighting for what we believe in. Because it's worth fighting for.

"But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
"What are we holding onto, Sam?"
"That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for."

Strength!

I was reading Leslie Ludy's most recent devotional on her website (setapartgirl.com) and was both convicted and encouraged by this quote:

Despite the popular notion today that it is more spiritual to remain weak, struggling, and vulnerable, God desires to build us into valiant, valorous, fortified warriors who fear none but Him alone and are vulnerable to none but Him alone. Amazingly, the chief word that characterizes the Proverbs 31 woman is strength.  And all throughout the New Testament, we are constantly exhorted to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  

 

YES! I can't say that I am a "strong" person. Without getting too personal, I'm very sensitive, emotionally vulnerable, and unstable. But God desires for me to be strong in Him. It does not please Him when I cower from criticism and hate from non-believers. I must stay strong.

Repentance

Repentance can be so hard. But in the end, it feels so good. And I don't mean "good" in a fleshly, carnal way, but in a fulfilling, satisfying way.

Today I was reading in Colossians and found this verse:
"God made (us) alive together with Him, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross."

It reminded me of this verse in "It Is Well":
"My sin (oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!)
My sin, not in part, but the whole...
Is NAILED to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, oh my soul!"

Fairly simple words, but they've blessed me so much today.