“The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever; forsake not the works of thine hands.” (Psalms 138:8)

Somedays I wonder, and somedays I have no idea how He is going to pull it off when all I seem to do is mess up. As we reflect over the past year one thing we seem to always do is look back at “all” the things we “messed up”. Growing up I was always amazed by the children of Israel’s inability to stay right with God, I could not for the life of me understand why they were constantly “messing up” allowing sin to take over their lives. I thought it to be the most absurd thing that they wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years. All through Bible history it was a constant pattern of them “messing up” and falling into captivity followed by God forgiving them and rescuing them each and every time they called out to Him. But as life came my way and my youth faded away leaving me looking back over 40 years of my own life I began to see myself as one of the Israelites with constant episodes of my failure and God’s faithfulness to forgive.

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

Jeremiah and God were having a conversation that I could totally relate to, during which God quite eloquently reminded Jeremiah of who He is and what He has the power to do. Yes, He acknowledged the iniquity of Israel and the wrath that had been poured out on their lives because of their sin; but He assured Jeremiah that He had the power to bring them back to where they needed to be and that He would honor the promise that He had made. “Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven the in mine anger, and in my fury and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place and I will cause then to dwell safely; And they shall be my people and I will be their God.” (Jeremiah 32: 37-38)

And if that wasn’t convincing enough for Jeremiah, God continued. “Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things , which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:2-3) So many times we forget exactly who God is, we seem to place on Him the same parameter of abilities as those we possess. We seem to forget that we are talking about God, the maker of the universe, the very one that spoke everything into existence. If He says He will perfect that which concerneth me, then that is exactly what He will do. I just need to get out of His way and stop bemoaning the woes of who I am or have been and trust the promise of who He says I will one day be. Yes, I am going to “mess up”. Yes, I am going to have moments when I fail Him, but each day that I look to Him trusting the work that He is doing in my life I will find myself one step closer to who I am to one day become in Him. It is through Him that I will be perfected, it is through nothing that I can or ever will do. Just like the children of Isreal I will be His and He will be my God and then I will know the promise of Jeremiah 33: 6. “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” One day we will be cured of the sin that we are faced with in this world and in that moment we will know the abundance of peace and truth.

As the new year approaches we will all have those moments when we purpose in our hearts to do things “better” in 2015 than in 2014, its a vicious cycle that we all go through as each year passes. I know one of the most common is that of the “exercise demon” . . .  we all know that we need to, we all purpose to do a better job next year; because we all know that it is through a regular workout that we strengthen our bodies. The same holds true with our faith. . .  though none of us enjoy going through times of trial, it is through the exercising of our faith that it becomes strong. Each day we face that brings us to the realization we cannot control things around us but must “trust” God to handle what we cannot, exercises the faith that we have placed in Him. Each day that ends with us recognizing one more time that it is through His strength that we made it through, exercises the faith that we have placed in Him. Each time we come to a situation that we have no idea how to face forcing us to reach out to Him in prayer for answers, exercises the faith that we have placed in Him.

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ” (I Peter 1: 6-7)

As we look back over 2014, we become fully aware that God supplied every need that we had, He handled every situation that we brought to Him in prayer and He gave us the strength we needed no matter what came our way. Looking back we become fully aware of just how precious our “faith” in Him has become and looking forward we have the assurance that whatever we face in 2015 He will be right beside us the whole way. For it is through the trying of our faith that we come to realize just how ever present He is and just how much He supplies our ever need. If we did not have those moments during which we come to the end of ourselves and call out to Him, we would miss out on one of the most beautiful aspects of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Just as we seek to supply the needs of our Earthly children, our Heavenly Father seeks to supply our needs when we bring them to Him. Nothing we face is “too big” for our God. . . .  and one day when we stand before Him we will look back and realized just how precious our “faith” really was. . .  and then will our joy be complete as we are able to offer it before Jesus for His praise, honour and glory.  . .”Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (I Peter 1:8)

Each day we struggle and we try to hold on, trying with all our might to maintain some balance of life in the crazy world in which we live. But then at the end of the day we look back and realize we failed . . .  we simply stood powerless in the overwhelming struggles of life. However, the good news is that we don’t have to stand in our own power. . .  “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (I Peter 1:5)” It is through the “power of God” that we are saved and kept in His hand; no one can remove us from the power of His grasp. Not only do we have salvation through His power, but we have the ability to live in the “power of God” once we have been saved. We are not complete within ourselves, we simply do not possess the power or strength to stand alone in this world. Unable to save ourselves we are also unable to overcome the pressures and struggles of life, but in Him all power is given unto us.

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19) God knows each thing we will face during the course of each day, it comes as no surprise to Him. He knew about it from the beginning of time and has set in place all that is necessary to enable us to overcome whatever the day may bring our way. It is when we fail to recognize the power He offers us that we find ourselves falling flat on our face beneath the weight of the day. Each time we attempt to take life on within our own power we fail. Once we fully comprehend what He has already bestowed upon us and claim His promise then and only then will we possess the power to triumph over whatever comes our way.

In Him, we possess the “power” to live in a troubled world . . .  and one day this power will be revealed within us in the last day!!!

I was reading from I Peter 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout. . . . “. This verse spoke to me as if God said. . . . I want you to write to the “strangers” scattered throughout!! I write from my heart to those I may never meet, to those that have hearts that stand in need of God’s healing grace  . . . . God’s healing peace, the only force on Earth that can bring true healing to the broken heart. As I continued to read from I Peter 1, I was overcome by the power of that grace and peace . . . In verse 2 Peter says. . . Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. That means continual and in abundance . . . . . But it is through the truth of the scriptures that follow we are able to see where that Grace and peace comes from, not within ourselves but through the work that God has established in His mercy toward us.

“(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  . . .  His abundant mercy. . . . unto a lively hope . . . all because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. . .  that is where the true power of our peace comes from!!! But He didn’t stop there . . .  Verse 4 “To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” Not only does He give us grace, peace, mercy and hope in this life, but He promises us an inheritance that no one can take from us, reserved in heaven with our name on it !!!!!! My name is on “my mansion” in Heaven which God is preparing for “me”. . . . Let’s think on that for a bit. . . .

To the strangers scattered throughout. . . .  Grace and peace be multiplied !!!!!!

As another year begins to come to a close, I can not help but wonder if I accomplished this year all that I set out to do; but more importantly did I accomplish all that God had planned for me this year? Each year we are given a clean page to write upon, a story to tell in our very own words. The pages that unfold are up to each of us as an individual and the characters we include within the pages of our lives are greatly a result of the choices that we make. How we greet each day determines in great part the path that we take and how the pages of our lives unfold. Did we take the time to bring healing to a heart that was hurting or did we in turn inflict pain within the heart of another? Looking back I find a renewed sense of purpose. . . almost a calling and a direction to purposefully strive in 2015 to bring healing. . . . looking around me each day I see so many that are hurting, so many that have become broken and need desperately for someone to reach out to them with words that will sooth their aching soul. So it is that I dedicate “Richele Writes” as an avenue for God to speak through me to bring healing to hearts that are hurting!!!!

I often pause and reflect on what was and what now has come to be, I must admit there are a whole gamut of emotions that come from such reflections but for today I chose to concentrate on the “Happy Ones”.  .  . the ones that make me smile, the ones that bring hope for the future, the ones that remind me how blessed I truly am and the ones that remind me of who I have become and who I am yet to be. So for today, I am at peace!!!