Illuminated text + A Sufficiency Check

Hullo there everyone!!

 This post came to me last night during my devotions, and so sent myself an email on my mobile :D

I have a prayer list which I use most days for prayer. It has many pages and on right side are people's names, on left side are verses to pray for them (and me). 
This one just leapt out at me afresh and sent me meditating....
"Not sufficient of ourselves to think anything....of ourselves, BUT OUR SUFFICIENCY IS OF GOD. 

I Cor.3:5

See verse on the middle of page on the left hand side (yes need to make new one of these, as this one was made years ago and has pencilled inked additions all way through on right side with name... it is on the list)!

"For our life is as a vapour, it appeareth for a little while and vanisheth away" James 4:14
John 15:5b "for without Me ye can do nothing."

A true perspective on life is often more clearly seen in the deep waters of trial, rather than in the calmer water's of life.  'Tis then, when the rubber meets road in life's steeper paths, then we realise our own inadequacy and insufficiency....

And the need of One Who" never leaves nor forsakes us"..
For " lo, I am with you always.. even to the end of the world."...

 our Lord Jesus Christ will meet our need, right where we are at!!!
Yes right where we are at Now.

I have a precious sister in the Lord who thinks SHE has to get her heart in right place before she can be right with God. 

But that is not God's way. 

We don't and can't do it in our own strength alone.

We need to simply lean on the Lord, our Strength. He didn't say in the "Abiding" chapter of John 15:5  "Without Me, ye can do Nothing." without a good reason. 

Nothing means Not A Thing!!

Just as we cannot make ourselves ready for Salvation (see here)

and make it to God's perfect standard in our own strength, so we cannot make ourselves ready for Service, or even just for the day ahead..

We must come as we are, right where we are at - yielded at the nail scarred feet of Jesus.

So rest in the ALL sufficiency of our great God and our Saviour for your daily walk.

 For "As thy days, so shall thy Strength be".

This is done in 1990's before digital camera and was using water colours rather than Gouache, so colours are much more subtle .. found even very good water colours faded too much.

I hope this little mediation might bless your heart as it blessed mine last night in communion with a very dear patient Saviour. Some folk might look at me and so very wrongly think what good person I am.. but you see I know my heart.. it is a desperately wicked heart, as the LORD says in Jeremiah 17:9 
 I need the LORD every moment of every day, truly without Him I can do nothing..

" I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me" Phil. 4:13

May God bless each of you who take the time to read this all the way through and may these words be a blessing, and challenge too, as they are to me.. each and every day.

Shaz in Oz.x

Going to link this post over to Word Art Wednesday.