The Introverted Evangelist

You Shine Brighter : " Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. " (Daniel 12:3) I lay my head back and close my eyes, eyes filled with wonder and awe for the One Who shines brighter. Brighter than all that this world holds out in front of my tempted soul...  The bate of beauty or "better" is just a burden in disguise ... " How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s  here a little while, then it’s gone ." (James 4:14 NLT) " Charm is deceitful and  beauty is passing , But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. " (Proverbs 31:30) You, Jesus,You shine brighter than it all.  Your beauty illuminates with more splendour than anything else in the whole entire universe . You're so much better, so much brighter, and only You will remain. You will never distract or derail me. You will never deceive me.  You ...

Be My Composer, Be My Conductor : " A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps ." (Proverbs 16:9) God is sovereign . The constant struggle we face with our flesh is that we must aim to crucify it and surrender our souls, making God not only the  Composer  of our life-song, but also the  Conductor . " Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And  He shall direct your paths ." (Proverbs 3:5-6; emphasis mine) This act of surrender places the reigns in God's hands instead of our own. By doing so we are declaring it over our lives that He is Lord, and He is the  Merciful Master  of our melodic orchestra. He is the One who  deems and directs , and every note He writes emanates from  immaculate Love . " The LORD directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail  of their lives ." (Psalms 37:23 NLT; emphasis mine) " Establish my ste...

It is Well With my Soul : Each moment wasted complaining is a moment that could be spent delighting in the Holy One. Let the warm light of His Presence outshine all dismal dread. Don't let the enemy get you down, when Jesus wants to lift you up above your circumstances and into inextinguishable joy. Just close your eyes and reach out to His glorious Face. "You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You." (Isaiah 26:3) "And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17) Also, shoutout to the Amplified Bible for being so, well, amplified and chock-full of character and exhilarating vocabulary. I love reading His Word and soaking in His wonder. Let's...

Receiving God's Great Gifts: "Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations." (Psalms 100:3-5) We are His people. We are the Lord God Almighty's chosen children. What a wondrous truth in which we boldly live! He has redeemed us to Himself and brought us into His own family. Our home is found in His courts and in His arms. We're covered by His love and never failing forgiveness. I'm overwhelmed to be standing here in this rushing river of glorious grace. ~~~~ God, You are all this life needs, all this heart craves, and all this soul seeks. You're everything to me. Regardless of my circumstances, I always find peace that surpasses all understanding in Your Presence. "Be anxio...

All Things New: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:4) New life. Our Lord has promised new life in Christ. What a promise to be given by the One who cannot lie. Transforming from glory to glory - we shall never die. In Christ alone, we forever abide. The past is a hurtful memory, but to You, Lord, we release it. We can't keep hold of the ties to our former life, or we live in continual, laborious strife. We accept that what was has come and has gone. We may not know why it happened, but we know that You have perfect purpose for our pain. So we turn to You, expectant for what's next. We know that in You, it's always the best. "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." (Isaiah 42:9) We place our aches and regrets at the feet of...

How Great Thou Art: "I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me." (Psalms 13:5-6) Unfailing love. What makes this love so undeniably unique and genuine? Well, the Hebrew word used for "unfailing love" here is one of the most paramount words in the Old Testament. This word is primarily used to depict an act of beneficence, tenderheartedness, grace, or LOVE of course. One factor of this word that starkly stood out to me is the fact that the essence of the love that is doled out is most often set apart for those with whom the giver has already developed a favourable relationship (i.e. best friends, close relatives, or family members). However, in a notable amount of cases found in the Bible, the one who demonstrates the unfailing love often treats the one who is object to it as though a friendship or close relationship had already been thriving long before. In other words, it is more likely f...

Through Endless Years: "Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." (Psalms 90:2) Ah what a glorious God! He reigns! Now and forever He is God over all. All things are subject to the power of our omnipotent Heavenly Father. He is before all things, and by His might He has created all things. Because of the redeeming love He has for each and every one of us, He sent the Lamb of God to restore our fallen souls. "...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) A ransom is the price required to release a prisoner from prison. Jesus came to swing open the prison doors and loose the strangling chains from those who are bound. Not only did He come to give us an abundant life in His constant companionship, but He also established for those who believe an everlasting home with Him in His eternal Heavenly Kingdom....

Forever My Soul Will Sing: "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." (Psalms 104:33) "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!" (Psalms 150:6) How wondrous is our Heavenly Father! Indeed, He is so good and so pure! He is worthy to be praised! Lift up a joyful noise! Let the sounds of praise resonate throughout your being, penetrating darkness, defeating sickness, and encouraging spiritual growth. Psalms 150:6 is the very last verse of the entire book of Psalms. I think it's a beautiful thing to end such an impactful and inspirational book of the Holy Bible with the words, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!" The book of Psalms concluded beautifully an exclamatory exaltation to the Lord our God. The word praise in this verse is the Hebrew word from which we get the word hallelujah, and I'll actually dive deeper into this momentarily. "Fo...