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For the last few weeks I’ve been digging in repeatedly to James.  God is teaching me a lot and I’m trying to be a willing, flexible student.  Getting rid of sin and doing that 180 from where my heart started at isn’t always easy.  One thing I noticed on my last read through James was the repeated word steadfast.  It has also repeatedly come up in the chapters I’ve been reading in Pslams.

The dictionary defines steadfast:

If I proclaim the greatness of God it is hard to elevate myself.  If I speak of the works and majesty of God it is hard to speak of myself.

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High. – Psalm 7:17

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? – Psalm 8: 3 & 4

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you. – Psalm 16:1 & 2

I love you, O Lord, my strength. – Psalm 18:1

O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. – Psalm 26:8

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. – Psalm 29:1 & 2

Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. – Psalm 31:21

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalm 103:1-5

(All passages ESV)

I’ve been off Facebook and Twitter now for five days.  It has already been refreshing.  God is speaking and working in my life.  I’m hearing Him more clearly.

Since I still have that itch to hit the escape button of the hohum, mundane, and stress of work I’ve begun opening up YouVersion and reading a Psalm or two.  That is how I stumbled across the verses I posted a couple days ago.  I can guarantee that I’ve read and heard these verses before, but the Lord has been bringing them up repeatedly in my mind.

I am at a place in life right now where all does seem to have fallen in pleasant places.  Yet, as sure as you have, I have experienced not so pleasant places. Hardships, trials, dry & barren seasons, times when the grass on the other side wasn’t greener because there was just no grass to be seen.  However, even during those times my portion and my lot was in His hand, and the lines were in pleasant places even though I couldn’t see it.

And my inheritance is quite beautiful:

Death to life!

Brokenness to healing!

Shame to glory!

Filthy rags to those white as snow!

I continue to relish in this.  In my adoption.  In my inheritance.

That He loves me that much!!!

Take time today to consider your inheritance, and know that even though you may not be seeing pleasant places God still holds your cup.