Seeking Him

A few weeks ago I got together with four of my girlfriends for lunch and some much needed talking and catching up. During our time together, one of my friends said something that has stuck with me ever since, and it has been on my mind a lot. She said,

"Too often we seek the answers, instead of seeking God."

That really hit home for me, in that moment, and in the days after as I thought about it. I realized how often I do just that, and especially how much I've done that over this past semester. I focus on the problems, instead of focusing on Christ. I pray asking God for the answers--and then I seek the answers on my own-- when I should be seeking God. I'm not saying that seeking answers is wrong, because I don't think it is. God gave us brains for a reason, and I believe that He wants us to use them, in a way that glorifies Him, though. When we focus solely on the problems, and on the answers we're looking for, I think that we miss out on so much.

The Bible doesn't tell us to seek out the answers to our problems, it tells us to seek after God. In 1 Chronicles 28:9, David charges Solomon to "...know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you..."

And again in Jeremiah 29:13, the idea is to seek God. "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all of your heart."

And then in Matthew 6:33, we are told to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness."

When we seek the answers instead of seeking God, I think we are choosing what is second best. Many times the answers we crave will never be found on this earth. But the thing we CAN find, if we seek Him, is God. He wants us to seek Him, to pursue Him. When we seek Him instead of just seeking the answers to our problems, we can find peace, we can find joy, and we can find contentment. And often, the very answers we have been looking and looking for are found in Him.

If you are looking for peace, seek Jesus, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

If you are looking for comfort, seek your Heavenly Father, the Wonderful Counselor. (Isaiah 9:6)

If you are looking for protection and safety, seek God, your Strong Tower and Refuge. (Psalm 61:3

If you looking for direction, seek God--He is always the right direction in which to move. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

No matter what you are seeking, choose to seek God. HE is the answer you have been looking for.

A Beautiful Blend

One of the things God has been teaching me this year, and especially over the past few months, is that life is a blend. A beautiful blend. A constant mixture of good and bad, happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow. I think I'm finally realizing how true Christ's words were when he said, "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33, NIV). He did not say that we would have it easy here on earth, nor did he say that we might have trouble. No. Christ said that we WILL have trouble, so to expect anything different is foolish.

When I was younger, I never understood why adults wanted Christ's return so badly. I mean, I definitely wanted Jesus to return, but at that point in my life there were still so many things that I wanted to do, wanted to experience before He came back. Now, while there are still things I'd love to be able to do, I understand so much better. I want Christ to return, too. This world is full of heartache and trouble. Even more than that, we are groaning, reaching, waiting, and hoping for our true home... We were not made for this world. As C.S. Lewis said, "If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world." This world cannot satisfy us; we crave our King and His perfect Kingdom. The heartache and trouble we face in this world are reminders that this is not our final home; we are just passing through.

But while we are here, we have the hope of what is to come. We have tasks to be done, things to do to serve our Lord, our King. This life is a beautiful blend. While there is sorrow and trouble, there is also God's joy and peace. We are not left on our own to fight. Yes, Christ said that in this world we will have trouble, but then He went on to say, "But take heart! I have overcome the world," (John 16:33, NIV).  As it says in the Psalms, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning," (Psalm 30:5, AMP). 

There is HOPE, even if you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. We have the hope of what is to come, and the promise of God's faithfulness. Look for what God is doing, be watching for the little blessings He places in your life, and remember that Jesus has overcome the world, so be hopeful and thankful as you wait on Him. Our God is in control, and He is loving and compassionate. Cling to Him, focus on Him, and trust in Him. He will carry you through whatever trial or trouble you're facing.

It's truly the bad times that make us appreciate the good times even more. Many times it is through the bad times that we grow the most. The hard times force us to take a good, hard look at our lives, our priorities, and our walks with God. For me, especially this year, it's been those times when I realize how much I have NOT been relying on God. It's the rough times that remind me that I am not in control, God is. Oswald Chambers writes in My Upmost for His Highest, "I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him... Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world."

Even though the rough times aren't fun, I know that they serve a purpose. "Shall we receive good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10, NIV) While we may not understand our circumstances at all, God has a good purpose in all of them, even the bad ones. James writes that it is the testing of our faith that produces perseverance, (James 1:2-3). Some of the hardest tests are those that come in the form of trials and troubles. Yet God is in control, and He has a plan, a good plan. Wait on Him through the hard times, delight in Him during the good times, enjoying the simple blessings He places in your life, but praise Him, thank Him, and trust Him through both the good times and the bad times. When we walk in trust and thankfulness, I think that is when we truly start to see life as a beautiful blend, and as a beautiful gift from our Heavenly Father.

This is the Stuff

This morning I woke up with a headache and feeling tired. Not the greatest start to my day. Just a little bit later, I got online to renew a library book only to discover that I had, in fact, missed the due date on NINE other books… Yay for fines on nine overdue books… As I sat stewing over the fact that I forgot to renew nine books (You have no idea how much that irks me…!!), all of a sudden a line from a song popped into my head:


“In the middle of my little mess
 I forget how big I'm blessed.”


That song, “This is the Stuff” by Francesca Battistelli, started running through my mind, and I realized I had a choice. I could let the annoyances of my morning dictate my attitude (and then, ultimately, my day), or I could let it go and remember the many blessings God has placed in my life. I’m realizing more and more how many of these “little” choices we have each day. Even though it is easier to just give in to whatever emotion we’re feeling and let that dictate our day, we do have a choice. We can choose to refocus on God, and on what is really important. Satan will use any opportunity he can to trip us up, and to get us to focus on the negative, to stop us from praising and thanking God.

In my life this morning, Satan used nine overdue books. I’m thankful that God brought to mind that line from the song, and that (this time) I chose to refocus on my Father and His blessings. It truly takes effort to turn your attitude around and start thanking God, because it does not come naturally. But we are told over and over again the Bible to thank God, no matter what our circumstances are.

• “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalm 7:17

• “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. “ Psalm 107:1

• “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

• “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

Thinking about my morning, I can thank God for a couple of things:

Thank You, Father, that the books were due just two days ago, so my fines were not very high.

Thank You, Father, that I checked online this morning, before too many more days went by without my knowing that I had books overdue.

And thank You, Father, for reminding me through nine overdue library books that Your ways are not my ways, and for teaching me yet another lesson in patience.

“This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess,
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
Might not be what I would choose
But this the stuff You use

So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations.”
-Francesca Battistelli, “This is the Stuff

 

Satisfied in Him

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." -John Piper

I have this quote written out on a piece of paper on a corkboard in my room, and I reread it last night. It's one of my favorite quotes, and it struck me once again.

I realized that lately I haven't been satisfying myself in God. I haven't been doing it intentionally, but I've been letting myself focus on other things. As a result, I've noticed that I've been restless lately, discontent and downhearted. I think I've been looking for fulfillment and peace elsewhere, without even realizing it at times.

There's another quote I really like by Michelle Graham from her book Wanting to be Her. She writes that "God did not put him in my life to fulfill my needs. Otherwise I wouldn't need God anymore," (Wanting to be Her, page 96). By "him" she means a boyfriend/fiancé/husband, but I also think it applies to any person in your life, or really anything at all, for that matter. God did not put my family, my boyfriend, my church, my school, or anything else, in my life to fulfill me or my needs. Anytime I try to find fulfillment or peace or satisfaction in anything other than God, I will be let down.

God designed us to want HIM, to desire HIM. And only He can fill that place in our lives, that hole in our hearts. We can find true satisfaction and real peace in Him alone. The part I think is so awesome is that when we are satisfied in God, He is glorified in us!!

Father, forgive me for looking for satisfaction and peace elsewhere. You alone can satisfy, and You alone can give us peace. Thank You for Your love and faithfulness. You are so faithful, so good. Help me to keep my eyes on You, satisfying myself in You alone. I pray that You will be glorified above all else!

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14

No Need for a Sin-Eater

Yesterday I read The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers. I didn’t mean to read it all in one day, but it just kinda happened. It was that good! It’s a fictional story based on a real tradition in England, Scotland, and Wales that lasted up into the 19^th and 20^th centuries. The tradition actually came to certain portions of Appalachia in America, as well. I don’t want to give any of Rivers’ novel away, but the gist of it is that a “sin-eater” was a man, usually either a beggar or someone chosen by lots, who would “take upon himself” the sins of someone after they died. He would be cursed by their sin, so that the deceased man or woman could rest peacefully.


It’s an interesting tradition, isn’t it? I had never heard of it until yesterday. Imagine having to choose lots to pick a man who would “carry” all of the sins of a community. He would be shunned and left alone, an outcast of the society. I think the saddest part about this whole tradition, however, is that people really believed that their sin would be taken by the sin-eater, and the sin-eater truly thought he was helping his town or village by “taking” their sins. He thought he was doing God’s work, but instead he was actually just a way for Satan to blind people from God’s truth.


It made me start thinking about and remembering how blessed we are that we don’t need to designate a sin-eater, because Christ came and took our sins upon Himself! We don’t have to try to find a human scapegoat, because the Son of God became the sacrifice for us.  


He died, so that we might live.


I know that I take this for granted all too often. It is amazing, absolutely amazing, that God gave up His own Son as atonement for our sins! We don’t have to try to find a way to get rid of our sin on our own, because if we accept God’s gift to us, our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus. Amazing!!


We don’t need a sin-eater, because we have something so much better… We have true hope in Christ.



(By the way, if you’re look for a novel to read, I definitely recommend The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers!)

Planning or Following?

I am a planner, always have been and probably always will be. Planning is a good thing, definitely. But it needs to be in moderation; otherwise it can easily become an idol in your life. That is something that God has been teaching me over the past year or so, and it is a lesson that I think I’m going to have to keep learning again and again.

 See, planning itself isn’t bad. In fact, planning can save you a lot of time and trouble when done right. The problem arises when you plan everything out so much, that you don’t leave room for God, and/or you don’t allow Him to guide you through the day.  

 Sarah Young, in her devotional Jesus Calling, writes from the perspective of Jesus talking to you and me, His dear friends. Many times Young talks about the need to release our plans so that we can focus on the Lord, and allow HIM to lead us through each day.

 “Come to Me with your plans held in abeyance. Worship Me in Spirit and in truth, allowing My Glory to permeate your entire being. Trust Me enough to let Me guide you through this day, accomplishing My purposes in My timing. Subordinate your myriad plans to My Master Plan. I am sovereign over every aspect of your life!

The challenge continually before you is to trust Me and search for My way through each day. Do not blindly follow your habitual route, or you will miss what I have prepared for you. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” –Sarah Young, Jesus Calling pg. 145 (Bold mine)

These paragraphs were so convicting to me, because I tend to go through each day blindly following my normal route. I also definitely fall into the sin of allowing planning to be an idol in my life. It takes a deliberate effort to stop and search for the Lord in the midst of a busy day, and it takes even more effort and prayer to strive to follow Him through each day wherever He leads. Exodus 20:3 says bluntly that we are to have no other gods before the One True God, our Father. For me, planning is something that I have to deliberately think and pray about, frequently, asking God to lead me rather than trusting in my own plans. I have to again and again affirm my trust in Him, not because His trustworthiness changes, but because I forget to choose to trust. He is trustworthy, always. His plan is so much better than mine, in the long run and in the simple day to day things.

 Thankfully, no matter how many times we choose to follow our own plans for a day, we can always stop and allow God to lead. He is our Loving Father, and He is always beside us, with us, and He will guide us if we ask.

 • “For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.” Psalm 48:14

 •“Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.” Psalm 31:3

 God doesn’t want you to walk through each day on your own and in your own strength, but walking WITH Him is a choice. Choose each day to allow Him to guide you, moment by moment. Make plans, but hold them in abeyance. Take God’s hand and follow Him through the day, focusing on Him and His glory. Choose to trust Him, rather than in your own plans.

 “Instead of trying to create a mental map of your path through this day, focus on My loving Presence with you.” –Sarah Young, Jesus Calling pg. 123

Choices

Choices.

The Christian walk is full of them, daily and hourly. Moment by moment we must make choices.

Lately God has been teaching me just how important my daily choices are. It is imperative that I make wise choices for the big decisions, but recently God has been showing me how important the small choices are. These are the choices that you might not even think about. These are the things in the little moments, such as:

Will I choose to trust the Lord, or will I take matters into my own hands?

Will I trust Him, or will I let myself worry and fret about whatever is going on rather than placing it in His hands?

Will I choose to hope, or will I despair?

Will I choose to give in to sinful anger, or will I release it into the Lord’s hand?

 Will I choose to focus my thoughts on things that are pure, true, noble, lovely (Phil. 4:8), or will I allow my mind to wander wherever it wills?

 Will I allow myself to indulge in self-pity, or will I let it go and refocus my thoughts on the joy that is found in Jesus?

 Will I choose to be patient, or insist on having things my own way?

 Will I choose to be thankful, or to grumble?

 Will I choose joy?

 The list of choices could go on and on.  Every day is filled with them. In each moment we can choose to live for ourselves or to live for God. God has been gently reminding me of these choices over the past few weeks.

 Last week I was anxiously waiting for news of a decision, but I continued to have to wait, and wait, and wait… I was nervous, and a little worried about what the outcome of the decision would be. For the full first day of waiting, I’ll be honest, I would pray asking God to give me peace about the situation, but I didn’t relinquish my worries to Him. I was still clinging tightly to them, as if I had control over what the outcome would be if I worried about it enough (HA!). God kept reminding me through my quiet times and through prayer that I needed to give it ALL to Him. And finally, I did. I released the situation, the upcoming decision, and my worries all to Him. I chose to trust Him. The peace that came after that small choice was wonderful; I knew that God had everything under control. And you know what the wonderful thing is about our God, our heavenly Father? He doesn’t withhold His peace or ask, “What took you so long?” No. He gives His peace willingly, lovingly. He caringly takes the situations, the worries, the stresses out of our hands once we give them over to Him, but we have to CHOOSE to give them over in to His open and waiting hands.

 Just yesterday, God reminded me of another choice that I can make every day, the choice to be thankful, rather than whiny and upset. I was at the dentist, one of my not-so-favorite things to be honest. In past visits, I have definitely not been the nicest or most thankful patient. Instead, I start thinking about all the places I’d rather be, all the things I’d rather be doing, and so on. Yesterday I started in that habit, thinking about the better things I could be doing, when God started whispering, Be thankful. That’s when the choice came in, whether I was going to keep on whining or start thanking God. This time I chose to be thankful, and surprisingly when I got started I was able to think of quite a few things to be thankful about being at the dentist.

I know that in coming days I’ll make the wrong choices, but it’s my prayer that I’ll start thinking more about the little, right choices I can make every day to follow Christ, and that I’ll keep making choices that will draw me closer to God.

 Francesca Battistelli said in her song “It’s Your Life,”

 “The world is watching you

Every day the choices you make

Say what you are and who

Your heart beats for

It's an open door

It's your life”

 The choices were making say a lot about us. So today, choose to trust. Choose to hope. Choose to be joyful, and choose to be thankful.

Better than any "Aha!" Moment

When I was younger, I always thought that I’d reach a certain time in my life where I’d know what I was doing. For example, when I was 8 or 9, I thought that surely by the time I was 15 I would be so much more knowledgeable and know more of who I was. Or when I was a freshman in high school, I thought that by the time I graduated I’d know what I would want to major in and where I should go to college. In my naivety, I thought that one day I would have an “Aha!” moment, and suddenly my confusion and uncertainty about the unknown future would go away.


That “Aha!” moment never came.

 

But the more I’ve thought and prayed about it, I’m glad. I may not know the future, but my heavenly Father does. My uncertainty causes me to depend on Him, which is the way it should be.

 

And God, in His loving care, has not left you and me alone to walk blindly through this journey of life. He has given us His Holy Spirit, the ability to talk with Him anytime and anywhere through prayer, and the Bible.

 

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet,

            And a light unto my path.”

                        Psalm 119:105

 

God’s word is a lamp for our feet, and a light for our path! We are not left to stumble in the darkness. We have been given a light.

 

A devotional I read a few days ago describes this perfectly:

“When it comes to God’s plans for our lives, we like to know where God is taking us, the steps we need to take to get there and all of the wonderful details of how He is going to do it.  However, we find that God doesn’t reveal everything to us, but only what He wants us to know and what we are ready to receive.  No matter how in the dark you feel about God’s direction for your life, there is always a light shining on a particular task He wants us to do, even if that task is to spend more time with Him in prayer and study of the Bible.  You will find that as you walk in obedience to what you know to do, God will begin to reveal more in time.  He always will give us direction and light, just maybe not in the areas we want it in.  In Biblical times, night travelers would tie clay lamps to their ankles so that they could see the path right in front of them.  Their path didn’t blaze with light showing the entire road.  They only could see the steps right in front of them to take.  God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and is a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).  His Word shows us what we need to do step by step.” (From Daughters of the King, daily devotional “One Step at a Time”)

 

As much as I would like to know the big picture and what God’s plan for me is, I’m thankful that I don’t know all of it. If I did, it would be too easy to live my life independently from God, instead of in dependence on Him. I also think that it would be way too overwhelming. Our God, in His loving-kindness, leads us day by day, moment by moment, if we choose to follow Him. He reveals a little bit of the picture at a time, all in His perfect timing.

 During the times when the uncertainty of the future is daunting and overwhelming, my Father whispers His promises…

 

“I am with you always, to the very end of age.” (Matthew 28:20)

 

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)

 

“My peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

 

I may not know the future, but I know Who holds the future.

 

And that is better than any “Aha!” moment.

The Potter

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”  So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.  But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” Nehemiah 18:1-4

 

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.”  Isaiah 64:8

 

He is the Potter. We are the clay.

 

The Potter has a vision for what He is forming. He has a specific purpose in mind for the clay in His hands. It is His choice whether he turns the clay into something for “special purposes” or for “common use,” (Romans 9:21) both of which are important and essential. Who is the clay to question its Potter? The Potter knows best, and knows how the formed clay will be best used.

 

He is the Potter. We are the clay.

 

The Potter chooses how He will form the clay, whether through reshaping, pressure, or through fire. It is His choice. It is also His choice whether or not to break the clay back down into a soft lump, in order to reshape it for His purposes.

 

It’s that last thought that has been on my mind. It hadn’t really occurred to me, until my pastor spoke about it. When I would read the verses above, I would always think about God being the Potter, meaning that He is the One who formed me and the One who is shaping me into the person He wants me to be.

 And that is all true.

 However, I hadn’t thought about the fact that God, being my Potter, has the power and the right to break me down so that I can be remolded in to something of greater use in His Kingdom.

 Then I started thinking… have I ever prayed that? That God would break me down, to make me into whatever and whoever He has in mind?

 

Honestly, that’s a scary prayer to pray.
But I’m going to start praying it.

 

I remember playing with play-doh when I was younger. The best play-doh was the soft, moldable clay. I would always choose to play with that over the hardened playdoh. The soft clay was so much better and so much more useful.

 

That’s what I want to be. Soft, moldable clay. Able to be shaped into whatever my Potter wants. And if He needs to break me down to get me to be the soft clay, then so be it. I pray that I’ll be open to whatever my Potter wants to do in my life.

 

He is the Potter. I am the clay.

 

“Take me.
Mold me.
Use me.
Fill me.
I give my life to the Potter’s hand.
Call me.
Guide me.
Lead me.
Walk beside me.
I give my life to the Potter’s hand.”
                                    -Hillsong United

My Good Shepherd

Yesterday morning I read Psalm 23, and God opened my eyes to the truth contained in that short chapter in a new way. I’ve read Psalm 23 countless times before, so when I began reading it that morning I wasn’t necessarily expecting to learn something new, but God wanted to remind me Who He is.

“The Lord is my shepherd,” David writes at the beginning of the chapter. I started thinking about shepherds, and how they tend to their sheep with care. They care for them, making sure that they have what they need to live and thrive.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, and he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”

God is my Shepherd, and He will provide what I need. Like the shepherd tends to his sheep, leading them to green pastures (providing them with the nourishment they need), God provides what I need. The shepherd leads his sheep to quiet waters (so that the sheep would not be frightened by rushing water, and so that they would actually drink from it). God is leading me, He is providing what I need, and calming my fears. My Shepherd restores my soul!

“He [My Shepherd] guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
God is guiding me along the right path. Like a good sheep I need to keep close to Him, following Him wherever He leads. Sheep don’t know where they are being led, but they follow their shepherd anyway. Sheep go astray, need to be found and led back to the right path. Sheep are dumb animals, and need someone to guide them to the things they need (like food and water). I don’t think it was a coincidence that we are compared to sheep many times in the Bible. We are sheep, and because of that we need a Shepherd!

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way” Isaiah 53:6

“I have strayed like a lost sheep.” Psalm 119:176

“Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3

The Bible compares us over and over again to sheep, and calls Jesus our Shepherd. In John 10, it says that “he [the Good Shepherd, or Jesus] goes on ahead of them [the sheep], and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” Did you catch that last part? The sheep follow him, because they know his voice. They recognize that He is their shepherd. They know his voice, and therefore know that they should follow Him.

Psalm 23 goes on to say that “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Because my Shepherd is leading me, I don’t need to be afraid. There is evil in the world around me, but my Shepherd is guiding me, so I need not fear.

As I read Psalm 23, especially the first four verses, God reminded me that He is my Shepherd, and that He is in control.

Daughter, you are just a sheep, but fear not the evil that surrounds you in this life. I am your Shepherd, and I am leading you. I am guiding you along the path of righteousness, for My Name’s sake. Times may seem troubled, but I am leading you to quiet waters. It is not for you to determine when you will get there, for I know the right time. Trust me as I lead; I will provide what you need.

Trust Me. I am your Shepherd, follow My voice.

Already There

"When I'm lost in the mystery
 to You my future is a memory
cause You're already there.
Standing at the end of my life
waiting on the other side
 and You're already there.
You're already there."
 -Casting Crowns

This song has been on my mind lately. It's like the song was written straight to my heart. It is just what I needed to be reminded of. The decision of where I want to go and what I want to do in the future has been on my mind a lot lately. It's so hard not knowing.

God keeps reminding me that He is in control and that He has a plan, and I truly believe that.

But then I have the days when I let myself forget Who is in control, and I start stressing about all that I have to decide, all that I have to do, and so on...

And then God whispers, "You're not in this alone, my daughter. I know the plans I have for you, and they are good. Stick with Me, and I will guide you."

 I was having one of those forgetful days, when I heard that Casting Crowns song on the radio.
God knows! He is already there, in MY future. What an awesome thought! When I think about the future, I don't need to stress or worry because my God is already there. And He cares for me, He loves me. So why am I worried?

Let that sink in. The God who loves you, who cares for you, who is all-powerful, He is already in your future. He sees it all, and He is in control.

It's a daily decision to give this worry, these decisions, to God.

Give it to Him, because it is better in His hands than in yours or mine. He is in control, and He is good. So let go of your tight grip on the future (which you and I can't control), and trust God (Who can control it) with it, because He is in the future already.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Be Loved, and Love

Over the past few months, God has been teaching me about love, specifically His love and how I should love others. His love is amazing, unending, and unchanging. And He wants me to love the people around me with HIS love. In our society we seem to think that first we must love others, and then we will be loved. “Love and be loved.”

 

God, however, is the opposite. He beckons to us to come to Him and drink in His love. First be loved, and then love others. We can’t truly love others until we have the love of God in us. Trying to love others from within ourselves is like trying to pour water out of an empty pitcher. You might get a drop or two, but not enough to fill a glass and not even close enough to quench your thirst. We can’t love the way God wants us to, not on our own. We have to soak in God’s love, knowing and remembering that His love is deep and perfect, before we can begin to love others.

 

I read this in a devotional called Daughters of the King a few days ago, and it caught my attention:

“The love of God is deep. His love is wide. His love is high and it is long. God’s love is not far-fetched or something that you cannot totally wrap your heart around. It is not incomprehensible or unable to be fully received. Rather, it is something that God intended for us to comprehend, to eagerly take, to seize, and possess as our very own. We receive it into our lives, so that we can freely give it away. If you’re not full of the knowledge that God loves you, you won’t have anything to pour out into others. If you only believe God loves you when you perform well, and only when you live right, you won’t have anything to pour out on those who aren’t performing well or those who aren’t living right. What you receive for yourself is what you will ultimately give away. In a world that struggles with the idea of a loving God, amid all of the destruction and evil, you must have a firm understanding of God’s love. You must be rooted and grounded in it, so that you can effectively share His love with others.”

 

“I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” Colossians 1:12-14 (AMP)”

 

We must be ROOTED in God’s love. It must be our foundation. If it is, then and only then will we be able to effectively share God’s love with the people around us.

 

To be totally honest, I have a hard time loving people sometimes. Some days it is just really hard, and it’s easier to go through the day in my own little world. I tend to have a “grit my teeth and love” type of mentality. But God is slowly and surely chipping away at that tendency in my life, reminding me and teaching me that I can’t effectively love others without Him. God used a book by Max Lucado, A Love Worth Giving: Living in the Overflow of God’s Love, to really start whispering to me about His love for me, and to show me that the way I love others needs to change.

 

Lucado writes:

“Could it be we are missing a step? Could it be that the first step of love is not toward them [the people in our lives] but toward Him? Could it be that the secret to loving is receiving? You give love by first receiving it. ‘We love, because He first loved us’ (1 John 4:19 NASB). Long to be more loving? Begin by accepting your place as a dearly loved child. ‘Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us’ (Eph. 5:1-2 NIV).” (Lucado, p. 9)

 "God loves you. Personally. Powerfully. Passionately. Others have promised and failed. But God has promised and succeeded. He loves you with an unfailing love. And His love—if you will let it—can fill you and leave you with a love worth giving. So come. Come thirsty and drink deeply.” (Lucado, p. 14)

 God loves me. And He loves you. Deeply. Greatly. In a way that no one else has or ever will.

 Drink in His love.

Be drenched in the downpour of it.

Soak it in.

And then, give His love away.

 

Because God’s love is the only love worth giving.

Substitutes

“Sin is a substitute for what God really wants for you.”

 

I heard this on the radio a few days ago, and it caught my attention. When I choose sin, I’m choosing something that is a substitute for what God has for me. He has a plan and a purpose for me (Jeremiah 29:11) and He wants me to have REAL life… Life to the full! (John 10:10) But when I choose to sin, I’m actively choosing a substitute in place of the greater things that God has for me. God wants me to choose to live the life He has for me.

 

“Today I set before you life and death. Choose life.” –Deuteronomy 30:19 (paraphrased)

 

God knows what is best. He is our Heavenly Father, who knows each of us better than anyone. And because He knows us, and because of His love for us, He truly wants what is best for us. He does not want us to settle for the substitutes of sin… He wants us to choose HIM instead of our own desires, His will and plan for us instead of sin.

 

God wants us to live focused on Him, not on the substitutes. Jesus came to give us life, real and full.

 

Choose the life God has for you…. Life to the full! John 10:10

Tis so Sweet

The week of Christmas was a little rough for me. I had been sick for over a week, and it didn't feel like I was going to be back to normal anytime soon. I was a little stressed and worried, and I knew that my perspective needed to change. God began speaking to me through Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, which is a daily devotional written from the perspective of Jesus talking to you and me.

God wants me to trust Him, in everything. Three days in a row God reminded me, through Jesus Calling, to trust Him.

"How much better it is to walk close to Me, depending on My strength and trusting Me in every situation." -Jesus (Young, 378)

"I am your Refuge and Strength, an ever-present Help in trouble. Therefore, you don't need to be afraid of anything." -Jesus (Young, 379)

"Trust Me with every fiber of your being!" -Jesus (Young, 380)

Jesus is calling out to me, saying "Trust Me, Jenna. I love you." 
"Trust Me, Jenna. I am your Refuge." 
"Trust Me, Jenna. I am your Strength."

He's calling out to you, too!

It's really easy to say that you trust the Lord, but it's another thing when you must trust Him actively.

A few days after Christmas, I flew from Chicago to New Orleans. I'll be honest, flying scares me and I tend to be stressed/worried about it. This time, however, I knew that Jesus was telling me (and had been preparing me the week beforehand for it), "Trust Me, Jenna with this situation. Give your fear to Me. Trust Me, my dear child."

Once I was sitting on the plane waiting for the takeoff, I started thinking that it would be nice and I'd feel a lot better if my boyfriend was with me. If I could just sit next to him and hold his hand, I'd feel safe. Then God whispered to me, "Aren't I enough? I'm with you, always. Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. Sit with Me, my child. Hold My hand." (Joshua 1:9, Psalm 73:23) So I did.

Then God brought the song "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" into my mind,  so that it replayed over and over and over again in my head during the flight. For one of the first times in my adult life, I truly felt that I chose to trust God instead of my fear. And God met me where I was and filled me with His peace and joy. He sat with me and held my hand. This might seem trivial, because it was just a flight, but it was a big deal to me and a big step of faith for me. God meets us where we are, and cares about the things going on in our lives. For me last week, it was flying. For one of the first times in my life, I wasn't filled with fear while flying. I was filled with God's peace.

Trust is hard. It is a battle that must be fought daily. I hope from this day forward that I will ACTIVELY trust God with every ounce of me.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Don't lean on your understanding, or on your fears. Trust is a decision. A daily, hour-by-hour decision. It means giving your fears to God, instead of holding on to them. But it is worth the effort. Choose trust.

Walk through each day holding onto God's hand, whispering "Jesus, I trust You."

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart."

"When I am afraid,
I put my trust in You.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4