Steadfast, Beloved

Week 17 Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,” There comes a time when you look at your life and see the things around you and it makes you ask yourself a few things. “Am I where the Lord wants me to be?”, “Why isn’t this or that happening?”. A lot of these questions have been aroused in my head. To be honest, life doesn’t look the way I want it to. And it’s just that; my wants. Me, me, me. It’s not until I remember that I live a life surrendered that I will be content in all aspects of life. “I am crucified with Christ”. What a statement Paul makes here, one that continues to challenge me daily. When I chose Jesus, I chose Him for the best of my days and the worst. I asked to be lead where I have never been before, and boy, will God sure answer those prayers. Reality is, when we become Christians we are not immune to bad days, weeks, or months. But we do have a hope and a promise that we have Christ’s spirit dwel...

Week 16 2 Samuel 15:22 “So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.”” I find it hard to obey someone when I have not developed a sense of trust. Instead I will follow in my actions but disobey in my heart. “Do you trust God” should seem like an easy and simple question. “Of course I trust God”. Obedience is more than just the service, but the condition of the heart. I’ve fooled myself for too long. I’ve put in the mask of someone who doesn’t fear, when in reality the unknown quite terrifies me. God isn’t surprised by this. He knows every fiber of my being. Certainly He knows I wasn’t putting 110% of my trust in Him. Recently life has seemed pretty mundane and uncertain. Even in these times, I have seen God faithful to minister to my heart. It was never in the service that I would have realized where my trust was, but in the mundane and uncertainty. I could never...

Week 15 Proverbs 8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates,Waiting at the posts of my doors. As we begin to listen to one another, I can’t help but feel like there is a challenge behind every fault. We want to be more like Christ, but how? God has given each believer the authority to speak into each man’s life in His perfect circumstances. How then, do believers still feel condemned and fearful? Perhaps we make up our god and believe he is unattainable by trying too hard. We serve this god with our works and not with our hearts. Both of these attributes are good, but one without the other leads us to failure. Then we let this god of ours down and into bondage of never being “good-enough”. What we do not realize through all of this is that, our true God is simply accessible through the perfect blood that was shed on the cross. We need to see God on street level to believe that He will accept us as we are. Imperfect and full of flaws. Only then can we...

Week 14 2 Corinthians 10:5 “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Each student has been placed into a team for a specific purpose. There was not one who is out of place. Our purpose is to challenge, encourage and build each other up. Until now, it seems we have been comfortable to do so. Often times I find myself shying away from what the Lord has placed on my heart. If I know God’s promises to be true in my life, I can trust that He will give me the words to deliver. As a young person, I found myself afraid to speak my mind as usually no one was interested in what I had to say. My confidence shrunk and so did the words to express myself. As my relationship grows in Christ, so does my confidence. It was just a matter of God’s perfect timing. My speech should not come as a hinderance or offense to another because I am not intentional with my words. When conf...

Week 13 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men Colossians 3:23 When the new year comes, many decide in the their hearts to set goals for themselves. A lot of times, these goals are out of reach and are only diligent for a a few weeks. I am learning that each year God has breathed His goals in my heart. Last year, was a life learning of pray and redemption. The year before that, obedience. This year, intentional. I have found in my life, that I am very much a person to “go with the flow”. I let days, even weeks go by without having a purpose for day by day. No longer will submission be an excuse for laziness. Time is short, but redemption is near. I need to be constantly reminded of the people and place I am in for this time. I know that even the smallest conversation or challenge may just set up a place for the Lord to work in their lives. That’s what my heart’s desire has revealed. To allow the Lord’s boldness in my life to challenge and encourage. Th...

Week 12 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 When we read about the Children of Israel, we sometimes laugh to ourselves their unfaithfulness and doubt, as if we have never reacted in fear. There will be seasons of walking through the wilderness it seems like. From the outside we can see His love and mercy upon them, but putting yourself in their shoes is uncertainty. All along God was taking them on a journey through righteousness, but the process doesn’t have to take fourth years. When we call upon His name, He will be near to us. In His presence is perfect peace and understanding and trust. Why do Christians find themselves in seasons of wilderness? We have all devised a plan in our own hearts. It’s in our fleshly nature to rebel, to leave our first love. His only desire is for us to return to Him. He did not die in vain, but to restore fellowship. I need to repent daily for...

Week 11 “So rend your heart and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; An He relents from doing harm.” Joel 2:13 God is great in power and strength, but He is also good. In our language there seems to be a contrast between the two words great and good. That one is better than the other. If God is never changing and He is both of these, then there can be no fault in His character. A God like this is only worthy of all our praise and adoration. Why then, do I still find myself only giving God half of my heart, half of my praise, and half expectant prayers. My desire is for more of His heart, but my unwillingness to give mine has come between fully receiving what God has for me. Many times I find myself in frustration because of this pattern of wanting change and it not coming to pass. If all I can see in my life right now is God’s heart, then I must learn to be content in His timing.  Applica...