I am in Awe!!

This morning as I was reading through the 1st 5 chapters of Luke, I was struck by how often the Spirit of the Lord came upon people...Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon, Anna, John the Baptist, Jesus himself...and then there were the shepherds who were filled with awe and wonder from the news of the heavenly host...and they couldn't contain it so they ran out to share it!  It made me think of how many times, something really speaks to me, or I am just in awe of it, especially of spiritual things and what God is teaching me through His Word or in Bible study....am I quick to run out and share it?  I pray that I am.  Does it create a passion within me? I pray that it does.

What I also enjoyed sooo much, was reading through this Gospel and "walking & seeing" each of these places that Luke was writing about.  Being in Israel has so completely and totally changed how I read the Bible because now I can absolutely visualize so many places that are written about in the Bible.  I am not the same...I have been changed...forever.  That brings me to my knees and my emotions are overcome.

What struck me most as I was reading, was Peter.  Luke 5 begins with Jesus preaching on the shore of Galilee....(I stood there!  I stood on that shore!!)  But as Jesus was preaching on the shore, the crowds were pressing in.  He noticed 2 empty boats at the water's edge so he stepped into one of them and asked Simon Peter to push them out into the water so he could sit in the boat and teach the crowds from there.  Back then they didn't need any hand held or cordless mics...it was amazing how water carried a person's voice.
So after Jesus finished speaking, he told Simon Peter to take the boat out to where the water was deeper and to let down their nets again.  Peter was not happy about doing this because they had already been fishing all night and had caught nothing.  But, because Jesus had asked him to do this, he was obedient and put out their nets.  WELL!  They caught so many fish instantly that their nets began to tear and Peter had to call in another boat to come help them.  Soon both boats were so full that they were on the verge of sinking.  And then Peter, oh Peter, he was so awestruck & moved that he fell to his knees before Jesus, right there in that boat, and said, "Oh Lord, please leave me--I'm too much of a sinner to be around you."  Immediately when I read this, the tears came pouring out of my eyes and I was overcome by emotion.  Peter was so awestruck by this amazing miracle, his first response was to end up on his knees before His Lord, feeling his own insignificance in comparison to the greatness of Jesus!  Jesus had just been spending days healing the sick and casting out demons but what amazed Peter was that Jesus cared about his day-to-day routine and understood his needs.  God isn't only interested in saving us, but God is also interested in helping us and being with us in our daily activities.

So, here's my question this morning.  When tears just suddenly appeared coursing down my cheeks from simply reading "Oh Lord, please leave me--I'm too much of a sinner to be around you" and my own spirit wanted to bow down to my knees, overcome with great emotion...was this the Spirit of the Lord coming upon me? In a sense, I'm sure it was!  I feel so human all the time, I get frustrated & impatient, I see the negative too often rather than the good, I struggle with insecurity & have a lack of confidence, I have fears & doubts, I have a difficult time maintaining my weight, I don't always make good use of my time, I fail so many times....and the list goes on and on with my human tendancies.  BUT, God has chosen ME for a purpose!  He continues to work in me, through me, around me.  He is not giving up on me and He continually shows me His Faithfulness!  I had stood where Jesus has stood in the Holy Land and I have been on the Sea of  Galilee.....I am so in awe of this!  Miracles are happening around me all the time and God has brought the most wonderful people through my life.  I AM IN AWE!  and it brings me to my knees, just like it did Peter in that boat...and then it is I saying "Oh Lord, please leave me--I'm too much of a sinner to be around you!"  How can God continue using me in spite of my many downsides and shortcomings.  BUT HE DOES!  Just like He used Peter, who denied him 3 times before he was crucified...just like He used Paul, who had Christians murdered continually....just like He used David, who committed adultery, murder, was prideful & at times neglected his family......the list goes on of people that God used IN SPITE of their failures and downfalls.  I AM IN AWE!  and it brings me to my knees.

Dear friend, God uses YOU too!  In spite of the hurt, the pain, the failures, the outcries, the impatience, the doubt, the fears......God uses YOU!  He created you for a purpose, He had a reason for bringing you into this world, just like he had a reason for bringing Jesus as a small baby into this world.  You are chosen by God, at this time, in this place, in your family, in your community.....for a purpose, a wonderful plan crafted by our Great Creator Father God.  ARE YOU IN AWE?  Does it bring you to your knees?