Come to Me

Come to me, I'm all you need

Come to me, I'm everything

Come to me, I'm all you need

Come to me, I'm your everything

Come to Me by Bethel

At the end of September, everything fell apart. My peace was gone, my joy was buried. I didn’t know how I could find my way out. As October came, the hits came harder. You think that things can’t get worse, but then they do. You think the suffering you have endured is enough, but you can’t tap out. And as October came to a close, with all the trials those 30 days had brought behind me, I reached a place of in-between. I no longer felt helpless, but I still wasn’t ready to praise the Lord. The sting was still there, but I hadn’t found what I had lost.

Last month I posted about distraction, exhaustion, joy, being caught in the net of the world, being in the in between, and ultimately letting your light shine for Jesus. I was stuck, stuck in a place where I didn’t know if tomorrow would be better or worse. Each day brought new news, some days good, other days bad.

Looking back at it now, I would have done things differently. I was living in fear, instead of living in the light of salvation. I sang about how I needed God and I wrote about how to find in the dark times, but I never sought him out myself. I had to force myself into quiet time and prayer, the desire was there but the actions were not. If I could change how I handled this, I would have tried harder to keep my relationship with the Lord. It was there, but it was fleeting. I only called in him where I really needed it.

I firmly believe that he had prepared me for this time and that I will come out stronger from it. The Lord does not send you into trials blind, he is your guide, he is your light. The past year he has show me peace, joy, and love, the likes of which I had never seen before. He taught me to dance through the darkness, to celebrate even when my heart was heavy. He put people in my life who brought me through this. He taught me to rely on others instead of doing it myself. He taught me to cry out to him in my need and to praise his name in my joys. And most of all, he taught me to come to him with everything.

If I have learned one thing in my life, it’s that I cannot carry my burden by myself. This is where Come to Me comes in. This song became my battle cry, a reminder that the Lord is stronger than I, he will not sway in the storm. When the world fails me, he is there, he is true. In the hard times, in the good times, in the in-between times, he wants us to bring our everything to him. This song is so powerful, such a good reminder that the Lord is our rock. And that rock will not move.   

He reminds us that no prayer is too small (or too big). He knows the desires of your heart, he knows where you come from, he knows what you need. He wants to hear it all from you. He wants you to call on him. He loves talking to you, for the Lord rejoices when we come to him.

In the hard times, don’t leave your faith by the wayside, don’t let that relationship become one sided. The Lord will always speak to you, it’s a matter of you speaking to him. The Lord won’t ever leave you behind, he never sees you as a burden. He says on a daily basis that he wants to ease our sorrows. Don’t ever think for a second that your relationship with God is not worthwhile. Let it grow, nurture it.

In my dark time, I forgot to do this, and it hurt me. It made things worse because I was not with the Lord. I knew in my mind that he wanted me to be with him, but my heart couldn’t handle another break. I thought that letting him in would hurt me, that if he left I would shatter. But the Lord does not leave you or forsake you. You are not placing your hope in some fleeting idea or inanimate object, you are placing your hope in the creator of the universe. There is no heartbreak here, there is only love and peace. And yes, you will go through trials, but if you reach out your hand, he is always there. He is always behind and ahead and beside. He clears the path, guides your step, and watches your back.

Come to the Lord. That is his greatest desire, for his children to run to him. Don’t pretend he isn’t there when things get hard, lean into him. When you go through trials, don’t abandon him, trust him. He has never abandoned you and he never will. So, come to him.

Let Your Light Shine | Halloween 2017

Halloween! Candy and costumes and pumpkins and parties and oh so much more! While I don’t really celebrate Halloween, I still love carved pumpkins! The cute little Jack-O-Lanterns on people’s front steps is by far my favorite thing! I love seeing how creative people can get! One of my friends made hers into a croc! Kinda crazy, but so fun! And you know, we are all kind of like those carved pumpkins. In a weird sort of way, we share a lot with those little (or big) squashes!

When you go to a pumpkin patch, you pick out a pumpkin, take it home, and wash it off. Then you carve out the top and begin removing the insides so you can carve it and put a light in! Jesus does the same with you! He removes you from the world and washes the sin off of you! He then opens the door to your heart and removes all the sin and shame that are sitting there. Then, he carves a huge smile onto your face as he fills you with his relentless joy! And the light, the most important part! It makes it possible for people to see your lovely pumpkin creation no matter what time it is! And Jesus gives us that, too! Because he puts his fire inside of us, no matter our circumstances, we let our light shine out into the world! We share love and hope and truth with everyone who sees us! So, like that Jack-O-Lantern, we can bring light into other people’s lives too!

So you had probably never thought of yourself as a pumpkin before, huh? But it really does make sense! No matter what you do, let your light shine before men! Let your light be a beacon, bringing people into the love of Christ! Have a safe Halloween and remember to let your light shine!

What are you doing for Halloween this year? Comment down below because I would love to hear from you!

How to Deal with Mean Girls

Hey y’all! I was talking to some younger girls at my church today and they were saying how bad the mean “popular” girls made them feel. They were asking about how to deal with that, and I honestly didn’t have a good answer. It’s been awhile since I have felt like that, so I did some cyber sleuthing and found a few amazing blog posts that really helped them to put some things in perspective. They talk about loving as Jesus loves and some practical ways to go about that! I hope that these help you if you are struggling with this sort of thing!

How to deal with mean girls from Crosswalk.com

https://www.crosswalk.com/print/11581504/

When Mean Girls Strike from Lies Young Women Believe

http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/when-mean-girls-strike/

8 Biblical Ways to Deal with Mean People from Empowering Everyday Women

http://www.empoweringeverydaywomen.com/8-biblical-ways-to-deal-with-petty-people.html

Mean Girls Don’t Win from Faithgateway

http://www.faithgateway.com/mean-girls-dont-win/#.WfYtRYFSy00

One thing that I remember helping me was making daily affirmations that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, jesus loves me, I are worth loving, I are beautiful, I are talented, I are not of this world (simply in it), and I was made for the Lord and the Lord alone! I still do this on a daily basis and it really helps to lift my spirits when I am struggling with anything! Below is a list of 110 positive affirmations that are based on scripture and there is one for every situation you are in!

http://www.faithandhealthconnection.org/110-affirmations-using-bible-verses/  

What has helped you to deal with mean people? Comment down below so you can help some other people out!

Reevaluating | Back to the Basics

It has become so hard for me to stay in the habit of reading the word daily and praying. I act like I am okay and while I am still doing a lot, my heart’s not in it. I read my bible to write blogs or do a journal, I pray for safety and when I wake up, go to bed, and eat meals. I go to church and I listen to tons of Christian music. But why I am feeling like that is not enough? Why does it feel like all of this stuff that should be awesome and lead to development of my faith feel like I’m just going through the motions?

I think the answer to my question is that I am not personalizing my time with the Lord, not prioritizing it, not doing it for the right motivations. Yesterday I posted about being in the in-between and how we should still celebrate with the Lord during those times, but how do we do that? I left it open ended, but even after a day, I am already struggling! So I am going to look at the things I am doing (or not doing) and see what can be done to make a change in the way I approach the Lord.

Firstly, I am not personalizing my time with the Lord. I am letting it be generic, studying what other people are studying, not bringing him my problems. To have a true relationship, you have to give some of yourself, which I have not been doing well lately. My solution to this is to look and see where in your life you can improve. Study that and ask God to help you with those things. Don’t just do a study because everyone on Instagram is doing it, find something that is relevant to you and will re-excite you to spend time with the Lord!

Next is that I am not prioritizing my time with the Lord. I am putting my to-dos before him. I have been so caught up in all the things I have had to do lately that I have neglected my time with him. To remedy this, set aside a time of day where all you do is be with the Lord, whether it’s a study, meditation, playing worship music, or praying. I used to be really good about having a structured quiet time, but I haven’t made time for it. Do it whenever in the day works for you, but make sure you have having daily time with him!

Lastly, I am not doing any of it for the right reasons. I do it because it’s what I’ve always done, it’s what everyone (including myself) expects of me. So instead of taking time to get to the root of the problem, I go through the motions. I don’t reevaluate how I do things, I just keep chugging along. You should not force yourself to spend time with the Lord, you should desire it! Since I have been forcing myself, I don’t want it. To help this, I won’t be so hard on myself. I used to have a strict structure to my time with the Lord and I had a schedule at which certain things had to be done, now I am going to take my own time and focus solely on fortifying my relationship with God.

I once heard, “You’ve got your bible, you’ve got your knees, now use them!” I think this is the simplest way to go about reevaluating faith. Go back to the basics. Just you and God. On your knees with your bible. Rediscover that childlike faith and come back to your first and true love!

The In-Between

A new song by Carrollton came out recently called “In-Between”. It talks about how it is easy to praise the Lord when we are on the mountains and how desperately we call out to him in the valleys. We need help in the dark times and we only see good in the highs. But, what about the times in which we are neither on a mountain nor a in a valley? What do you do with your in-between?

I often find myself neglecting my relationship with the Lord. I get in these slumps in which I don’t know what to do with my prayer and quiet time. I drift further and further. The in-betweens are when I question my faith, when I wonder if God really has a plan. I forget all the good he has done and how faithful he has been. You might not think the in-between is bad, just meh. But I have found that the in-between is the hardest place to be. You are either recovering from a dark time or coming back to reality after a high. Neither of those are easy places to be and that is why we need the Lord during these times.

The song says “I’m going to dance with you in the in-between”. To me, this says that I will still be close to you in my down times. I will still celebrate with you during those times. You are still God even when nothing is happening, I still need you. There will never come a time when I will not desire time with the Lord. But making that desire into action is where things go off the rails in the in-between. To dance with the Lord is to take steps toward him and his unfailing love, not to let the relationship fall apart because things are dull.

Currently, I am coming out of a valley, emerging into my in-between. During these times in the past, I have let my faith drift. But now that I am conscious of this, I will be intentional in spending more time with the Lord and being in a perpetual state of prayer and petition with the Lord. It is not easy at first to do this, but as you spend more and more time with the Lord, it becomes second nature to bring everything to him!

Pageviews, Likes, and Other Demons

When I scroll through my instagram account, there is only one thing I look at: the likes. That is how I judge how successful my post was. Did 20 people like it? 50? 100? I don’t stop and consider how much I like it or how much time and effort went into that page. I get so caught up in the likes, followers, and my posting schedule that I forget why I started the whole thing. It was designed to share my love for the Lord with everyone and to get creative while doing it.

When I open my blogger site, I go straight to the Stats page and look at how many pageviews I got that day, how much my all time views have increased, and what drew that traffic to my blog. I don’t think about the content of the post, I only concern myself with networking and how many people see it. I write meaningful posts, posts that matter to me. But once they are out there, I don’t care who sees them, only that they are seen.

How can we escape this cycle? How can we get out of the idea that our worth is defined by likes, plus ones, pins, reblogs, retweets, and views? The solution is to find your worth in Jesus. So what only 20 people liked that post you took days to work on? If you are working out of desire to please the Lord, then the reaction of humans should be inconsequential. While this is easier said than done, the only true way to escape the cycle is to evaluate your why. Ask yourself why you have a blog or an instagram account. Is it to get attention or money? Or is it to bring glory to the Lord? I have this blog because I love Jesus and I want to have a place to share my thoughts about my faith. If that is my motive, why do I get so bummed out when I don’t get a hundred people to see it? If even one person sees it and it allows them to draw closer to Jesus, then have I not done what I set out to do?

Ultimately, this is just a change of perspective. Don’t go and delete your blog because you have your priorities mixed up, simply realign them with the God who has the best plan for you! When you focus on the Lord, the jumble of human thinking falls aside and your only desire becomes to bring his praise with all you say and do!

True Satisfaction

Earlier today I was scrolling through the search page on Instagram (a very dangerous black hole to fall into) and there were so many of those slime/ paint mixing videos! You know, the ones where they push food coloring around on a plate with a popsicle stick for 60 seconds… And you know what the description on all of these posts say? “S A T I S F Y I N G” “Comment satisfying in your language” “Satisfying Satisfying Satisfying” “Oh so satisfying” I may be the only one, but I don’t find that to be satisfying. Or entertaining. I really just don’t enjoy it, if I’m being honest (But no hate if you do, that’s just me).

But, if you find those things to be satisfying, let me tell you, there are so many other things in life that can bring satisfaction. Like writing that essay that you have been putting off by scrolling through the Instagram search page. Or maybe trying something new or helping some out. Satisfaction is the fulfillment of desire or needs and the pleasure associated with this. Just think for a second. What are the things in this life that truly satisfy you? That truly bring you pleasure? For me, these things are making my friends smile, hearing my cat purr, seeing people cheer each other on. I find true satisfaction in making other people joyful, in meeting that basic need of pleasure.

Even more than that, true satisfaction comes from the Lord alone. He fulfils all of our needs, erases all of our debts, brings us pleasure in the form of his love and strength. He is not slime being pushed around. He is life and breath. Only from the Lord can true feelings of contentment and pleasure come because he is one who knows our every need, our every desire. He paid the price so we could life a complete life with him. That is satisfying.

Bold Faith

“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” 2 Corinthians 3:12

There are so many things that scare me. I don’t even know where to begin, but some of those things are drowning, fire, losing those I love. Those are all big things, things that most people are scared of. But what about the fear to share your thoughts, the fear of being judged, the fear of being abandoned. Those are all fears that get in your head. Fears that tell you that you aren’t good enough. We all have things we are afraid of, big and small, tangible and feelings.

The opposite of fear is faith. Faith is putting trust in something else despite your worries of what might happen. It is hard to have faith. It is hard to let go of things. But true faith is handing the reigns over to God and admitting that his plans are better than your own.

Boldness. Faith is an act of boldness. Peter stepped out on the water! That was a bold act of faith! But then, his fear caught up to him. The initial boldness was not enough to carry him across. But, was it that he was not bold enough or was he not trusting Jesus enough? These ideas are not inseparable, they go hand and hand. Having faith is being bold, stepping out. When you lose faith, you lose the stamina to run from fear and pursue the Lord. When you have faith, you are being bold enough to hand over your plans and neglect the ideas of the world.

Putting faith in Christ is making us bold to do things the rest of the world wouldn’t do. All your friends are going to a crazy party- not you. Everybody’s gossiping about someone- not you. That takes boldness, that takes strength. It is hard to go against the flow, but being empowered by Christ allows for your faith to take a step ahead of your fear.

To be bold, you must be open to hear what the Lord wants you to do. If you don’t know what choice to make or what to do, listen to God. The idea might sound crazy to you, but he has an amazing plan at work! It is bold to take a turn that you don’t know where it will lead, but if you have faith in God, you know he will bring you through it!

Our faith in Christ makes us bold to neglect the ways of the world, the grip of fear, and to live in light of glorious love and mercy! Christ is empowering you to make hard decisions, to trust in his plan! Faith will always overcome fear, simply give over the reigns! Take a bold move and tell your fear that it is not welcome here! You worship and serve a God of love and there is no fear in love!

Exhausted

This post is not planned at all. In fact, to make it so I will have posted everyday this month, I have 6 minutes to write it. This is unorganized and messy, but it is where I am right now. Here we go:
I am exhausted. I spent the past 11 hours driving home from one of the longest weekends of my life. It took a toll on me emotionally and physically after an already long week. But, it goes beyond that. The past 6 or so weeks have been hard. I have lost a lot: people I loved and my peace. And yet, here I am. Still alive, still turning my wheels. The only answer I have for this is that God is on my side. He is here and he is alive!
So I am exhausted and late and I still have so much to do, but God is with me. For that reason, I shall never fear nor loose hope. I am never alone. I can give him my burdens and fears and he takes them on with a joyful heart. Bring your sorrows to the Lord, he can and will heal you. He will bring you through the storms.

Distracted

At the time I am writing this, I honestly cannot tell you the last time I actually sat down and had quiet time with the Lord. Yes, I have been at church and blogging and doing my bible journals, but I have just been doing them because it’s what I do. I’m the girl who lives at church and makes art inside a book. But, I haven’t been putting my heart into it lately. It’s why my instagram posts are more and more infrequent and my blogs are being posted at 11:00 pm because I just finished writing that one. In the past, my instagram posts were scheduled weeks in advance and I had at least 10 days of turn around for my blogs. I would always have quiet time and pray daily, but I have been distracted.

Distraction. It comes from everywhere. It’s found in school work, in friends, in reading, in TV, in every little thing you do. You say, “No more instagram, I can’t focus when I’m scrolling through it.” But then, you find yourself doing the same thing with something else. I find I do this because I want to be distracted. I don’t want to think about what is going on around me. But when I do finally stop, it all comes crashing down like a tidal wave. I want to take my mind off of all the hard things in life.

I don’t know if you were reading this to look for an answer, but I don’t have a good one. I am just as guilty of this and still working through it. All I can think to do is turn my eyes on God. Whenever I catch my mind drifting, my actions shifting, I need to slam on the breaks. I need to reorient myself daily around the Son, asking him to make his thoughts my thoughts and his actions my actions. So, all I have for you is to pray and worship and pray some more.

(Oh and the image above is of me and a friend trying to take a cute picture! Of course, I ruined it by being distracted...)

Bible Verses About Anxiety

We all have worries and fears. We all have things that make us nervous and panicky. I used to have horrible anxiety, and I still do, but not to the extremes that it used to be. I have been able to lessen the effects on my life by trusting God more and arming myself against those fears with his word. It takes a long time to adjust to, but eventually it will become second nature to bring your burdens to the Lord. To help you in doing this, here are some of my favorite scriptures about anxiety!

Exodus 14:14

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Psalm 55:22

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Matthew 6:25-34

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

John 16:33

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Do you have any other verses that help with your anxiety? Please comment them below because I would love to hear from you!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Think about your favorite memory, the best day of your life. My most recent one is the last night I spent at Camp Lighthouse, the camp I was a counselor at this summer. That night, we sat at the lake and looked at the stars, went to Quick Trip and bought trail mix, made buttons at midnight, and stayed up until 4 playing cards. But what makes that memory so special to me? Sure, the activities were fun, but it is the people I was with who made it one of the best nights of my life! I’m sure the same would go for everyone- you’re favorite memory isn’t necessarily associated with what you did, it was more the people you were with. Because life is better with other people.

For example: Who would like to do a group project (with people you like) instead of working by yourself? Why? It’s because you can get more work done that way and spend time making the project really good. Other than at school, maybe you want to be a great runner, so you run with someone who also has that goal so you can work together. Maybe you are really bad at math, so you work with someone so they can help you understand the problem. Maybe you had a really bad day, so you talk to someone so they can encourage you.

“Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

There are 4 advantages to having someone with you.

1. Productivity (they have a good reward for their labor). Two people can get more done together than one could on their own. This is like the group project, where you divide the work to get more things done.
2. Help in need (If they fall, one will lift up his companion). This means that another person is meeting your basic needs or coming to your aid when you need it most.
3. Comfort in life (they will keep warm). Having another person can bring you joys and make living much better. Spending time with people adds value to life.
4. Safety and security (two can withstand). This allows for two people to protect each other and look out for one another.

Find people who want to rejoice with you, want to mourn with you, want to share their stories, and want to hear yours. We talk a lot about having a good relationship with God, but we also need to have relationships with people. And it is fine to have non-christian friends. But, you need to have friends, have people in your life, who can encourage you in the way of the Lord.

True Undeniable Joy

We all know that person. That person that has an undeniable joy to them. They are always smiling, always putting you in a good mood. The person who is always willing to talk, laugh, or go get you something. Even when something bad happens to them they are oddly optimistic. They plant themselves in the Lord and are sure that he will work all things out in the end. Maybe this person is a friend, a parent, a teacher, someone at your church. No matter who it is, there is just something else about them. Something wonderful.

So, what is joy? The dictionary says something about “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” If you had asked me this question a week ago, I would have had a similar answer. I would have said something about it being long-lasting happiness that comes from God. But, this past week has changed that. This terrible, stressful week in which I received so many different types of bad news. It is not happiness like we are always told. When someone you love is suffering, you are not happy. When you feel all hope is lost, you are not happy. When someone comes along and ruins your plans, you are not happy. Joy is not happiness. I’m going to say that again. Joy is not happiness. Joy exists in it’s own realm. A realm that can only be understood when you put your faith in the Lord.

You can have joy and not be happy. That is where people get lost. Having joy is not facing the world with a smile on your face and a good attitude. Happiness is fleeting and can be measured, contained. Joy cannot be measured, it cannot be contained. It flows out of you when you are angry, sorrowful, or rejoicing. It is not an emotion, it is a state of being. Just like I am human, I am joyful. Joy cannot be disassociated with me once I have come to know it. It is an integral part of my character. I have been looking for the perfect definition of joy, but one cannot be found. That is because joy cannot be put into simple words. It cannot be described. Even if this blog post were 50 pages long, I would not even capture a fraction of what joy means, but I will try my best to explain what it has meant in my life.

Joy is getting up every morning thankful for another day even when you don’t feel like getting out of bed. Joy is not faltering in your perseverance and pursuance of the Lord despite the hurdles the world puts in your way. Joy is seeing through a bad situation. I often thought that joy was seeing the best in a bad situation. But now, I see joy as being able to see that not all bad situations are forever. It hurts in the moment and it is okay to acknowledge that. But to have true joy is to trust that it will not hurt forever.

Joy is hard. It is not easy to trust God when your world is falling apart. Joy is not natural, that is why we always notice those people who have joy radiating off of them. It does not come easily to many people. Despite this, joy is necessary. If you have any intention of living a life in this vicious world, you need joy. You cannot go through this life without joy. You will fall and you will fail. The burdens, the stress, and the evil will overwhelm you if you are not finding your joy and your strength in the Lord.

I’ve already touched on this a bit, but the only source of joy is God. Joy does not come from friends, TV, instagram, your dog, or anything else that is of this world. The only place you can find joy, true undeniable joy, is from God. He is abounding in joy. His heart overflows with it. My favorite phrase to describe God is exceedingly abounding. He overwhelms us with how much his joy overflows. He is rich in joy. And he wants to share it with you. He wants to ease your burdens. He want to encourage you and carry you through this life.

As seasons in life change, your idea of joy will change. Day to day, week to week, year to year, you will not see it the same. Some days, when you are on a spiritual high, it seems easy. Some days, when you get the worst of news, it grows increasingly difficult. So as this changes, call on the father. His greatest desire is to ensure the joy of his beloved children.

You Need Only Be Still | Exodus 14:14

Recently, I was thinking about what my favorite bible verse was and I remembered this gem, Exodus 14:14. I got to thinking about just what it was saying, and while I always knew it was powerful, the more I looked into it, the more and more powerful it became. This verse is a reminder to trust God and his timing, it is encouragement during hard times, and it is a challenge to give over our plans.

13“But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

Moses starts off with “Do not be afraid”. I don’t know how much you know about the book of Exodus, but chapter 14 is titled Crossing the Sea. What happened is Pharaoh's son died due to the plagues, so he told Moses to get his people and go. But then he changed his mind. So, the Israelites are running with Pharaoh's armies behind them and they reach the sea. They have no idea what to do. It’s not until verse 16 that God instructs Moses what he should do. Those 3 verses in between might have take 3 seconds or 3 hours, but nonetheless they were all standing there for some period of time having no idea what comes next. And yet, Moses begins by saying “Do not be afraid”. God is here and he will bring us through this.

His first command is “Don’t be afraid.”, which is crazy given the circumstance. Then, his next command is absolutely insane. He tells them to be still. Can you imagine being chased by armies and someone telling you not only to not be afraid, but to be still. To be still is to have faith, to trust that someone else is taking care of it. When you are still, you give God control. When you are still, there are lies that penetrate your mind and can make you doubt the Lord.

1. Despair says that you cannot stand. It is telling you there is no hope and God will not be coming through
2. Fear tells you to retreat. It is saying it is too dangerous and you will be hurt.
3. Impatience tells you to act now. Don’t wait on God, do it yourself. You are here now and can take action.
4. Presumption tells you “God is coming, so jump into the sea before it has parted and he will save you.” It’s like in Matthew 4 when Satan is tempting Jesus and he says to jump off the building for the angels will save him. But you know what Jesus says to that? “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

This is where faith comes in. Despite all these lies you are being told, despite the despair, impatience, fear, and  presumption gnawing away at you,  you must wait on the Lord. One problem I find myself facing, is that I relate stillness to idleness. I think that in my waiting, I’m not doing anything. But if i have learned anything, it is that God makes the most of the wait. He works in you when you are waiting in ways he cannot anywhere else. When you are waiting, you are fully reliant on him to bring you through, which puts you in a vulnerable situation. Someone once said to me, “Periods of waiting are a time to discover who you are. They allow you to grow spiritually. To seek God feely. They help you to learn to think for yourself and become a mature person before making major commitments.”

“You will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” This is Moses trusting God to come through. He doesn’t know how it will turn out, but he knows that it will. Moses has faith that the Lord will act. He doesn’t know how or when, but he knows it will happen and due to this, he can tell the people not to fear and to be still, for the Lord is with them.

That brings us to verse 14. Moses is putting his confidence in God. He is saying that not only is the Lord here, but he is on our side. Imagine the lord fighting for you. He fought for David. He fought for Noah. He fought for Abraham. He fought for Paul and Moses and Esther. They would not have done any of the great things they did without the Lord. But why did the Lord fight for them? Because they trusted him! They took a step back. They stood still. They waited on the Lord.

So, why this verse? Why, out of the 1200 something pages in my bible did I pick these 12 words to be my favorite verse? This verse was told to me by my bible study teacher when I was in 8th grade. I was constantly worried and had a lot on my plate. And she said to me “The Lord fights for you, Katie. You only need to be still.” It is giving over your fears and your expectations and letting God have control. That was hard for me and it still is, I want to do it all by myself. But I cannot. I cannot go through life alone. Since I heard this and began applying it to my life, I have found so much peace knowing the Lord will take care of me.

Abounding Love and Limitless Power | Ephesians 3:16-21

 

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3: 16-21

For the past year or so, this passage has become one of my life verses. It sums up so well what living should be like and the hope that we have in the Lord. Paul is writing this to the Ephesians, but it should be our prayer for ourselves and all other believers. To me, it is encouragement in how great our God is and how much we can and must rely on him. It is a calling to come back to the Lord, to evaluate his place in your heart. It also gives glory to our almighty creator, who is worthy of all honor and praise.

Verse 16: There are two parts to this verse. The first is that Paul is praying for other people. He is going to the Lord on the behalf of the someone else and requesting that he empower them. That is so awesome! Have you ever prayed a prayer like this for someone else? I don’t think I ever have, but Paul does it in every letter he writes! From this we can see the value and the power that comes when we pray for other people. The second is that Paul is already giving the Lord praise. He is acknowledging how great the Lord is and how reliant we are on his strength. We are just peasants, but the Lord shares his heavenly riches with us! How amazing!

Verse 17: When the Lord shares those riches with us, he is sharing his Spirit. When we accept that gift, Christ is in our hearts and we begin to build our foundation on him. This foundation brings us strength to weather the storms of this life. ( See Wise and Foolish Builders for more on having a firm foundation!)

Verse 18: From this, we are welcomed into the abounding love of God! This love is tangible; it has width, height, length, and depth. It is wide enough to cover all of your sins, high enough to reach to the heavens, long enough to stretch into eternity, and deep enough to root itself in the most hidden corners of your heart! How beautiful is it to be enveloped in a love as great as this!

Verse 19: Paul is praying that the Ephesians would understand even an ounce of this great love. Imagine living a life in response to being loved so greatly! How would you live differently than you do now? Paul says that you will be complete because you are now filled with life and and power! And what does it mean to live completely and fully? It means to listen to God and follow his plan, because if he loves you that much, he surely has a plan for you!

Verse 20-21: These verses gives glory to God. It is saying that he has infinite power that can do anything. One translation replaces “infinitely” with the phrase “exceedingly abundantly”. Abundance is already more than enough, but to be exceeding in how abundant it is? The God we worship is overflowing with power and for that he is worthy of all praise!

So, why is this my favorite passage? I love this because it talks about how great our God is! It is a daily reminder to me that God is powerful and that power is at work in me! It also reminds me how much God loves! I cannot begin to imagine how amazing that love is, all I know is that I am more than covered by it! And because of those two things, I am able to live my best life. I can live free knowing my sins are covered and I can live confidently knowing my power comes from the Lord. I do not wallow in my sin, in my pity, or in my shame. I wake up daily, excited for what is coming with a smile on my face. These things can only come from one place: God. I do not understand it, but I do know it. I cannot comprehend it, but I simply accept this beautiful gift the Lord has given me! Live your best life! Live a life in response to the power and love God pours over you!