Hi, Friends!!
It feels like I haven’t written to you in forever! And can I let you in on a little secret? In preparation for this post, I went a liiiiiitle crazy on my bible journaling page, because I was so excited to be writing to you again, and there were just so many fun Illustrated Faith supplies that were applicable to the message.
I started on this page after reading James 1 and 2. You know when you’re just going along reading your bible, minding your own business, and then suddenly a verse or two or three or four jump off the page at you and start drilling a song into your head?
Yeah.
I like it when that happens — the song-in-the-head thing — but I’m one of those people who has a really hard time getting songs out of my head until I listen to them and sing along. So, like many other times before, I illustrated my faith while I listened. And sang along. Loudly. Because it was a Leeland song. And I can’t not sing Leeland songs loudly.
The song was “Follow You,” which I largely attribute my heart for missions to. It came into my head after reading James 2:26:
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
And I’ll share a part of the lyrics with you here, in case you’re unfamiliar:
Use my hands, use my feet,
To make Your kingdom come
To the corners of the earth
Until Your work is done.
‘Cause faith without works is dead,
And on the cross, Your blood was shed,
So how could we not give it away so freely?I’ll follow You into the homes of the broken,
I’ll follow You into the world,
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God,
I’ll follow You into the world.-Leeland, Follow You
You know in Jerry Maguire when Tom Cruise says to Renée Zellweger, “You complete me?” Well, imagine Faith and Works as the “main characters” in your life story. And I’m sorry if you hated that movie or something, but just bear with me.
So, James says that faith without works is dead. Now picture Miss Faith and Mr. … you know what… here:
I made this visual for myself a year or so ago, to help me understand how faith and works are a team, in a marriage — they work together, not against each other. (You’re welcome for sparing you from the rambling nonsense that was about to happen, there. Visuals just work better sometimes.)
Now. Back to the page and the lyrics and all of that.
My prayer for today and every day is that God will use me. Really use me. My hands (by getting creative, perhaps), my feet (by following where He leads me), my heart, my soul, my mind, my body, my strength. I want Him to fill me up in order that I may pour Him out to others, to help make His Kingdom come.
Will you pray that prayer with me?
Thank you so much for letting me share this piece of my heart with you today!
It’s been real. Now go listen to Leeland.
xotawni
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