Conviction

I am absolutely in love with the Word of God. I can't wait to dig into the scriptures when I wake up and I love the way God can take just a few words and impact my heart. Do you know that feeling? When you read one verse or even just a part of a verse and it just slams into your spirit with such force that you can feel it? 

As I opened the Word to my place in the book of John this morning, I began reading in chapter 9. There is so much 'good stuff' in that chapter and I was soaking it all in and then I came to verse 25 and read these words,

 "One thing I know: that thou I was blind, now I see."

Wow. Those words hit me with power. 'One thing I know...'. The Lord spoke to me as soon as I read those words. 'What do you know, Beth?' My mind started working as I pondered that question. What do I know?

I know that God is Creator of all things. I know that He is all power and authority. I know that He is love and that He loves me. I struggle with that one sometimes because I also know that I am so unworthy of His love and I fail Him daily, but I still know it is true. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He is the only way to Heaven. He is the only acceptable sacrifice for my sins. He gave His life for me on Calvary and I know that I am His. I know He is my LORD and Savior. 

If I know all this, why do I live my life in direct opposition to this at times? Why do I live defeated when I know that I have Victory? Why do I fail to trust and obey when I know that He is TRUTH?  My spirit sinks and my heart grows heavy.

If I know these things to be true, I need to be applying these truths to my life. I need to be walking in victory. Walking in love. Walking in His ways. I need to be filled with joy and experiencing peace. I need to act like He is LORD instead of acting like I am. I need to be spending more time on my face before Him and on my knees surrendering to Him. 

I love Him. Now it's time to behave accordingly. It's time to deny myself and submit to Him. It's time to surrender my will and delight myself in His ways. It's time to get over myself and get under Him. It's time to walk like He walked and act like I truly believe what I proclaim. I need to make my theology my reality. 

I sit here convicted and refreshed at the same time and then I read the rest of the verse. "...though I was blind, now I see." Oh, thank you, Jesus. I was blind, but praise God now I see! I was blind, helpless and hopeless in my sin, but now I KNOW that I am forgiven and redeemed. I KNOW!

We can know. We don't have to live defeated. We can have confidence in our God that what He says, He does. What He says is true. One thing I know.... I am His and He is mine.