Everything You're to Be

"Our God gives you everything you need, 
makes you everything you're to be." 

2 Thessalonians 1:2

You know, I didn't even realize what I was doing when I imported the photo above.

You see, my daughter, Sophie, took that picture...

With her first camera.

And she took that picture to help her little sister enter a contest.

I think it's really good.

And so, because it is sitting in my iPhoto, I sniped it.

Smile.

But as I typed out the verse above, I realized that Sophie's picture is just the right one to go with that verse.

Everything a maple tree needs to be a maple tree (well, except for the soil, sun and water... which God provides, too...) is in one of those seeds.

God makes sure that it has all it needs to become a tree.

When Paul wrote the verse above, he was encouraging the Thessalonians that God would give them everything they needed to be what He made them to be.

And I believe that promise is for you and me, too.

And Sophie.

And all our kids.

What a awesome thing to pray for our kids, our husbands, our friends, our moms and dads... for anyone!

For ourselves.

That "our God will make you fit for what He's called you to be, pray that He'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with His own energy so that it all amounts to something." (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

It comes from Him.

The call.

The "stuff" we need.

The energy.

He even allows the troubles that make us fit for The Kingdom. (see 2 Thessalonians 1:5.)

"If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving Himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving Himself freely."

2 Thessalonians 1:12

When I give up my life, to Him, to do what He wants me to do...

He gives me all that I need...

He makes me everything I am to be....

He makes me fit for my calling....

He gives me the energy....

And makes my feeble efforts into something that matters...

That is a life that honors the name of Jesus. 

He has given Himself freely to me.

I am giving myself freely to Him?