Just as I am...

Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am...powerful isn't it? Just as we are...that’s all we need to be. There are so many times in my life where I think I can do it all myself. I can go shopping by myself, I can lift heavy boxes myself (which I just did last weekend and am still paying the price...oww), I can get a job myself, I can find a spouse myself...but how much can we really do ourselves. Now of course we can do the day to day jobs of cleaning and cooking ourselves and we can even get jobs ourselves because we search for them and interview for them ourselves...but I’m talking about the big stuff. The stuff that we think we can do ourselves and not need anyone or anything to help us.

When I think of going to God for the things going on in my life I usually think that I need to be the Christian that he wants me to be, the one that he expects me to be. We go to God when it's convenient for us. We go to Him when we want something...when we need something. About a month ago I felt that I wasn't giving God my full attention. I was spending time with Him reading devotions before bed and maybe if I wasn't super tired I would send up a prayer. I know it's a really bad habit I got myself into. So I went to my bud, and the one who gets all my spiritual thoughts thrown in her direction...I'm talking about Rachael. :) I told her how I was feeling that I've pushed God away and only went to Him when it was convenient for me. I told her how I wasn't praying regularly and I had never made a habit of regularly praying. I was brought up to pray everyday and my parents to this day still pray alone and together everyday, but I just never made it a habit. Needless to say I feel that if I had made it a habit from my teen years my life may have been completely different!

Just as I am, and waiting not, To rid my soul of one dark blot, To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Rachael had recommended that together we would do the 32 day devotional (on the Bible app YouVersion) called Teach Me to Pray: Devotions From Time of Grace. We're two weeks into it and it's made me look at the Lord's prayer differently. It breaks it down each day and there is a different topic (today's is the fifth petition: “Only Christianity gives it away”). Once I finish reading the daily devotional I then go on to pray. I praise Him for the things going on in my life, I ask for things with the trials going on, and I make sure I regularly pray for my future husband.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

The point I'm trying to get across is that I am coming to God now 'Just as I am'. I am coming to Him in both the good times and the bad times. I'm spending time speaking with Him and allowing Him to move in my life. All God wants from us is to come to Him...Just as we are. He died for us so we could come to Him...Just as we are. When we have trials that we just can't seem to get around and feel crumbled and hopeless He wants us to come to Him...Just as we are. We can have comfort in knowing that we will never be judged when we come to Him. We will never be cast away just because we don't have all the money in the world, the nicest things or clothes, or the fact that we may have nothing at all.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind, Yea, all I need in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

In John 6:37, Jesus clearly stated to those on the shore “However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” NLT. We can go broken and beaten down. Just as I am, though tossed about, With many a conflict, many a doubt, Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. We can go when we are happy and have things to be thankful for. We can go even when we haven't gone to Him for years. We are accepted no matter our situation or the season we are in. All He asks is that we come to Him. I encourage you to go to Him, just as YOU are. Go to Him with your trials. Go to Him with your thanksgiving. And most of all...Go to Him in the season of waiting that you are in. We are blessed to have a God that will accept us, Just as we are.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown, Hath broken every barrier down; Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.