You know the quote that says when God takes something from you He replaces it with something better?

I paraphrased it, but you get the idea.

“…THEN WILL I SPRINKLE CLEAN WATER UPON YOU, AND YE SHALL BE CLEAN: FROM ALL YOUR FILTHINESS, AND FROM ALL YOUR IDOLS, WILL I CLEANSE YOU.

A NEW HEART ALSO WILL I GIVE YOU, AND A NEW SPIRIT WILL I PUT WITHIN YOU: AND I WILL TAKE AWAY THE STONY HEART OUT OF YOUR FLESH, AND I WILL GIVE YOU AN HEART OF FLESH.

AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY STATUTES, AND YE SHALL KEEP MY JUDGMENTS, AND DO THEM. AND YE SHALL DWELL IN THE LAND THAT I GAVE TO YOUR FATHERS; AND YE SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD.” – EZEKIEL 36:24-28

Our minds go directly to the concrete thing we can see that God will provide.  No matter what it is, like a child, we get upset when something we want more than ever gets taken from us.

He does replace it with something better if we allow Him to do so.  When we turn to Christ we are filled with His Holy Spirit.  We are made in His image and the old man dies.  We no longer can be who we have been for so long because the flesh and spirit can never get along.  We die to self and put away our old way of thinking and living.  We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds because we now have the mind of Christ.

A lot of times we do not get our prayers answered because we ask amiss.  We ask out of pride, anger, or spite… “Wait until everyone sees what God does and proves them all wrong…”

God has nothing to prove.  He is the creator of the universe who spoke light into existence.  He will not go against His character and bless us when our heart isn’t right.  He won’t do it.  He will let us go through something and not let A, B, or C happen in our lives because we are in it for the wrong reasons.

Some of us take longer to learn lessons than others.  Some of us are stubborn and refuse to let go of our “control” and know ‘this time I got this’.  (By others I mean me as I sit with both arms raised high.)

“THIS I SAY THEN, WALK IN THE SPIRIT, AND YE SHALL NOT FULFIL THE LUST OF THE FLESH.  FOR THE FLESH LUSTETH AGAINST THE SPIRIT, AND THE SPIRIT AGAINST THE FLESH: AND THESE ARE CONTRARY THE ONE TO THE OTHER: SO THAT YE CANNOT DO THE THINGS THAT YE WOULD.

BUT IF YE BE LED OF THE SPIRIT, YE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW.

NOW THE WORKS OF THE FLESH ARE MANIFEST, WHICH ARE THESE; ADULTERY, FORNICATION, UNCLEANNESS, LASCIVIOUSNESS, IDOLATRY, WITCHCRAFT, HATRED, VARIANCE, EMULATIONS, WRATH, STRIFE, SEDITIONS, HERESIES, ENVYINGS, MURDERS, DRUNKENNESS, REVELLINGS, AND SUCH LIKE: OF THE WHICH I TELL YOU BEFORE, AS I HAVE ALSO TOLD YOU IN TIME PAST, THAT THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE: AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW.

AND THEY THAT ARE CHRIST’S HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH THE AFFECTIONS AND LUSTS.

IF WE LIVE IN THE SPIRIT, LET US ALSO WALK IN THE SPIRIT.

LET US NOT BE DESIROUS OF VAIN GLORY, PROVOKING ONE ANOTHER, ENVYING ONE ANOTHER.” – GALATIANS 5:16-26

A verse from No Shame by Tenth Avenue North <– YouTube Link

I look in Your eyes, full of tenderness and it doesn’t make sense…
You see me just as I am and I’m never too much.
Lord, I gave You all my blame, You gave me a new name.
Your love keeps pulling me from my shadows,
You got me feeling like a boy who has NO SHAME.
I’m so free, yeah, it feels like I’m stealing…
I’m so free I ain’t scared of the ceiling
NO SHAME
I can look like a fool and enjoy it…
I can cry like a man and I own it…
NO SHAME
It may look like I’m broke, but I’m healing.
I’m learning to bring everything that I’m feeling.
NO SHAME
So forgiven man, it’s hard to explain it.
I’m finally living with no shame!
Yeah, I’m living now …I’ve got no shame.