Eyes fixed on Jesus.

Every day it gets harder. 
Every day I die to myself. 
Every day I always think, 
Is this how it should be?

Every day I get to see
How foolish and selfish
I could be; hopeless, 
I am beyond redemption

But You called me out
Restored my beauty
Restored my worth
Pursued me relentlessly 

Then You are the only one
I found to stay
And Your Word so true
I found to remain

Though breaking
Though refined
Though disciplined
May my devotion kept full

Eyes ever be fixed on You

Heart ever be well rested

Hands ever be surrendered

Knees ever worshiping You

My Lord, My Lord
Give me grace to persevere
Grant me mercy to endure
To honor You forever

To honor You forever

Loooorrrdddd 😭😭😭

No more talk of darkness,
Forget these wide-eyed fears;
I'm here, nothing can harm you,
My words will warm and calm you.

Let me be your freedom,
Let daylight dry your tears;
I'm here, with you, beside you,
To guard you and to guide you.

Let me be your shelter,
Let me be your light;
You're safe, no one will find you,
Your fears are far behind you.

To be who God wants me to be. To do what God wants me to do. To hear God say, "Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter into the Joy of your Master." To be with God forever.

Walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5 AMP ver.)

1 It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].

2 Notice, it is I, Paul, who tells you that if you receive circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], Christ will be of no benefit to you [for you will lack the faith in Christ that is necessary for salvation]. 3 Once more I solemnly affirm to every man who receives circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], that he is under obligation and required to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, if you seek to be [a]justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] through the Law; you have fallen from grace [for you have lost your grasp on God’s unmerited favor and blessing]. 5 For we [not relying on the Law but] through the [strength and power of the Holy] Spirit, by faith, are waiting [confidently] for the hope of righteousness [the completion of our salvation]. 6 For [if we are] in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but only faith activated and expressed and working through love.

7 You were running [the race] well; who has interfered and prevented you from obeying the truth? 8 This [deceptive] persuasion is not from Him who called you [to freedom in Christ]. 9 A little [b]leaven [a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers] leavens the whole batch [it perverts the concept of faith and misleads the church]. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view [contrary to mine on the matter]; but the one who is disturbing you, whoever he is, will have to bear the penalty. 11 But as for me, [c]brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision [as I had done before I met Christ; and as [d]some accuse me of doing now, as necessary for salvation], why am I still being persecuted [by Jews]? In that case the stumbling block of the cross [to unbelieving Jews] has been abolished. 12 I wish that those who are troubling you [by teaching that circumcision is necessary for salvation] would even [go all the way and] castrate themselves!

13 For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the [e]sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through [f]love serve and seek the best for one another. 14 For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is fulfilled in one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit].” 15 But if you bite and devour one another [in bickering and strife], watch out that you [along with your entire fellowship] are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the [g]sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. 17 For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the [h]sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do. 18 But if you are guided and led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the Law. 19 Now the practices of the [i]sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), 20 [j]idolatry, [k]sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], 21 envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the [l]sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.

25 If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. 26 We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.

Be still, He is God.

Obedience doesn't always denotes action 

At times, it's a heart fully surrendered to Him
Yielded wills; all the time choosing Him
In total abandon to His known goodness
Silenced by His love - at knees and tears

Confusion
Rebellion
Doubts
Fears

These things may find me in some idle
But I will still find my way Home
I know because His Spirit now lives in me
My soul anchored, in Him, firm and secured

And my soul shall praise Him in the morning
My being will worship Him in the night
Forever, I will want to find myself in Him
He is and always God, no matter what

And with eyes shut against my rebellion,
thoughts captured in obedience to Christ,
His loving kindness will cover and overflow -
My crown in this race, my source of obedience

But really He always knew what this process was going to look like; I just had to learn how to trust deeply, with my eyes shut at times when I didn’t understand. (@tayasmith)

“I do love You, You know that I love You. Oh, forgive me because I can’t help my tears. I will go down with You into the wilderness, right away from the promise, if You really wish it. Even if You cannot tell me why it has to be, I will go with You, for You know I do love You, and You have the right to choose for me anything that You please.” 

“ There Much-Afraid built her first altar on the mountains, a little pile of broken rocks, and then, with the Shepherd standing close beside her, she laid down on the altar her trembling, rebelling will.”

“in an instant nothing but a heap of ashes was lying on the altar. That is to say, she thought at first there were only ashes, but the Shepherd told her to look closer, and there among the ashes she saw a little stone of some kind...

“Pick it up and take it with you,” said the Shepherd gently, “as a memorial of this altar which you built, and all that it stands for.”

“Much-Afraid took the stone out of the ashes, scarcely looking at it and feeling that to her life’s end she would never need a reminder of that altar, for how could she ever forget it or the anguish of that first surrender, but she dropped the pebble into a little purse or bag which the Shepherd gave her and put it away carefully “

“As she started down the path He began a song which Much-Afraid had not heard before, and it sounded so sweet and comforting that her pain began to melt away. It was as though the song suggested to her a part at least of the reason for this strange postponement of all her hopes. This is the song He sang:

“THE CLOSED GARDEN

A garden closed art thou, my love,

Where none thy fruits can taste,

A spring shut up, a fountain sealed,

An orchard run to waste.

Awake, north wind! And come, thou south!

Blow on my garden fair,

That all the spices may flow out As perfume on the air"

- Hinds Feet on High Places

Take Courage today - For even better than your best is His good.

Im all in Jesus 😭🙌 

Repost from Taya Smith's Instagram.