Create in me a humble heart and cover me in your love

       For the first time in literally ages, I have the urge to write. Maybe it's Spring Break and the promise of rest this week or the need to finally put down on paper the numerous times I've thought "I should blog about this," but either way, I'm taking advantage of it. 

     The women at ICS started a new Bible study this February on the book Idol Lies and I have joined in. Wow, in just a few short weeks God has been using this book to reveal idols in my heart I never knew were there. I found myself broken-hearted over my sin and overwhelmed by all the "good" things I do that in reality feed an idol of security or control. I needed God to humble me. It had gotten too easy to throw myself a pity party and wallow in how "difficult" my life is. Reality check, it's not about me! We've been talking about what it really means to surrender ourselves to the Lord, to seek His glory and fame, and allowing God to work and mold us into His image. I desire this kind of intimacy with the Lord, that I would humble myself before Him, that He would make Himself great through me, but I have such a long way to go in this process.

   However, I've been experiencing the depth of Christ's love in a new way through this study and through my willingness to be humble before Him. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The perfect gift of love, the ultimate sacrifice. We have been reading in Jeremiah and Hosea, where God's love for His people is described as passion and constant, a strong flowing river. He loves them in their sin, watches with sadness as they whore themselves to other gods. He honors His covenant to them. And even though my sin is greater, my Savior is greater and His love for me has covered all my sins. 

   What a beautiful balance this provides me. And what an amazing God who loves me enough to not let me sit in my sin, but pulls me up out of it with the power of His love. Pray that I would be yielded to Him and that He would root out the idols in my heart and cover me with His love.