Imperfect and Blessed
Words from Jesus
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“Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.”—Psalm 55:221
Take care to not allow yourself to fall into condemnation or discouragement over your imperfections, because you will never be perfect. You’re going to make mistakes for the rest of your life, and you have to commit these to Me and ask Me how to react to them and handle them. Just keep reminding yourself that you’re not perfect and that you’re going to fail, and be thankful that I’m here to help you and work through you. Then you won’t be tempted to feel bad when you do stumble or fall along the way.
Look to Me for the support and strength you need. Come to Me for the answers and guidance that you need. Bring your burdens to Me and I’ll help you carry them. Unburden the condemnation and I’ll remove it. Give Me the worries and fears, and I’ll give you My peace that passes all understanding. Bring whatever is a source of condemnation or discouragement or remorse to Me and tell Me about it, so you don’t carry it in your own strength. Lay all these burdens down at My feet, and let My love heal and restore you.
As you bring each worry, fear, or trouble to Me, I will give you guidance and peace from My Spirit. As you stay your thoughts on Me, I will fill you with My perfect peace.
A reshaped vessel
“God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong.”—1 Corinthians 1:272
The cares of this life and its many burdens and worries can easily distract you from your intimate fellowship with Me, and fear of failure clouds your ability to look to Me and have faith that I hear your prayers and love you and want to bless you. I want to raise you up from your burdens and give you a new start. I want to make you a testimony and a witness of My love.
I take the weak things and the foolish things, the broken things and imperfect things, to use as My vessels of love that I might be glorified. All that you experience over the years is meant to help you become a gentle, compassionate vessel, one who understands, one who empathizes and knows what it’s like to ache and be in need, who knows the pangs of loneliness and desperation people feel.
Even the darkest days you face in life can work together for good if you will put yourself into the hands of the Shepherd. If you will just yield yourself as soft, moldable clay in the hands of the Potter, then I can make from the broken pieces a better vessel—maybe not as beautiful, but more useful. I can pick up all the broken pieces of your life—your broken dreams, your heartaches, your disappointments—and with My hands of love I can cause it all to work together for My good purposes to reshape and form My beautiful creation.
Simply be faithful
“You found that he was faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him. ... You kept your promise, because you are faithful.”—Nehemiah 9:83
Remember what was said about the woman in the Bible, “She hath done what she could.”4 Likewise, just do what you can, and then leave the rest to Me and to others. Trust Me for your life; trust Me for your children. If you can’t give all that you would like to every day to the people in your life, don’t worry about it. Just give what you can, and I will care for them. Simply be faithful with the little that you can do each day.
Don’t expect so much of yourself; just do what you can. But remember that without Me, you can do nothing. To do your utmost, you must take time with Me in My Word, in prayer and fellowship. For I wish to give you greater peace, greater faith and greater love.
Your strength comes from Me, and without Me you will be burning without oil and your wick will turn black. Your strength will be sapped, and you won’t have peace. You won’t have enough love. As you bring the weight of these burdens and problems to Me, they can be lightened with My strength, My Spirit, and My love.
So be faithful to make time for Me each day. I can renew your relationship with those you live with, those you work with, and those you minister to. Lift up your heart and your hands to Me, and let Me carry the weight! Put Me first in your life and I will strengthen, renew, reinvigorate, and lift you up.
Trust
“O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”—John 17:25–265
I know your heart, and I understand everything you go through. I know that it’s hard when you feel like you’re at the very end of your rope. You feel like you don’t have the strength to face what’s ahead, to go through it and come out on the other side. Don’t worry about how you feel. Believe Me, you will come out on the other side.
I suffer with you. When your heart aches, My heart aches, for you have a High Priest that can be touched with the feeling of your infirmities. I ache for you! I hurt for you! This is one of those times when I take you in My arms and I carry you. I know that at these times, it’s too much to bear on your own and that you cannot go it alone, so I hold you tight and I carry you.
Believe Me, every hurt you face in this life will turn into glorious blessings! Out of the ashes of hurt and defeat will grow the beautiful lilies of My love—not only in your life, but in the lives of many others whom your life will touch. Only believe that I am able. Trust Me in the deep waters. Trust Me in the dark places. Know that I have gone before and I am holding you. I will help the floodwaters not to overflow you.
When you go through trying times, never forget that in your brokenness, My love will flow forth, and you will become a vessel of My love to pour forth My healing balm upon others. Even as My life was broken, and My body was broken, and I shed My blood for you so that I could pour My love and Spirit upon you and give you the gift of eternal life, so do these breakings bring about the precious fruits of My Spirit and cause you to become a vessel of My love and comfort for others.
Originally published 1997. Adapted and republished March 2018. Read by Simon Peterson. Music by John Listen.
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