Eph 2:8-10

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

These verses are dear to my heart at the moment. God just keeps bringing me back to them. Verses 8 and 9 are so well know that you probably didn't even need me write them in but sometimes I think we miss part of the goodness when we stop at verse 9.

I have been doing some thinking on predestination and a whole bunch of things and I am constantly excited, humbled and comforted by the fact that God designed me before the creation of the world to be the person I am now, born into the situation I was and chose me to be his child. He also prepared the good works that I am to do. So it's not like God looked down from heaven one day, saw me and thought, "Naomi Ireland...she looks like she's got some talent... maybe I'll pick her and she can do stuff for me." No!! Its actually the complete opposite. He designed me to be the person I am to do the good works he prepared for me in advance to do.

This has had 2 major implications for me in recent days. It has helped me see that I am just a faithful servant doing what God has already marked out for me. God is in control, it is his ministry not mine. No matter what my minitry looks like all praise and honour must go to God. I have a responsibility to be faithful in prayer and service but it is not MY ministry it's God's. I can only plant the seed or water it... it is God who makes it grow. This both humbles me and relieves me!

The second is that I cannot find my worth in the ministry I do. I don't know if you fall prey to the same temptaions that I do but I often feel like my value or worth as a minister of the gospel is found in the results of the ministry I do. But this is a major lie of the Devil. My value and worth is found in the fact that I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus and that He has chosen, by grace, to save me, completely separate from anything I have done.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

What an amazing God!!

The Beauty of the Storm

How amazing are thunder storms?!?!?! I wish I had a photo of the storm
that is currently making its mark in our skies but if you live anywhere
in Sydney (or probably Wollongong for that matter) I'm sure you know
exactly what I am talking about.

This storm has an imminent presence right around Sydney. It felt as close in Kingsgrove as it does in Newtown. BRILLIANT!!

It's at moments like these that you remember how amazingly powerful our God is. So powerful that at the moment he says "stop", the rain and thunder & lightning of a seemingly unpredictable and uncontrollable storm will cease immediately. And the even more profound thing is that this is the God who loves me, knows me intimately and has the best planned for my life. And who can argue with a God like that?!?!

Storms both reassure me and excite me...

2007 is going to be a good year!!