Friday, November 13, 2009

I John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Why is it so hard for us to realize sometimes that when we talk to God we can talk to him just like we would talk to a friend, or parent, or sibling here on earth?? He actually WANTS us to talk to him like that! He wants us to tell him when we're happy, or thankful, or angry, or sad, or in need. He deserves all the praise when we're happy, and he holds all the strength we need when we're hurting. A lot of times I find myself thinking that I have to be so formal and impersonal when talking to him like I would to someone that I don't really know or doesn't really care about me. This verse reminded me today that I am SOOOOO privileged, only through the blood of Jesus, to have such a personal and open relationship with the almighty God who created the heavens and the earth!! Who am I that I should have this?...I'm his child and he knows me and hears me! So no matter what it is that's going on in my life I can talk to him about it. I can ask him for what I need and he hears me.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Don't Look Back

It was so hard to get out of my nice warm bed this morning!! It's freezing and rainy and nasty...a good sleep in and stay in bed day lol. Anyways, long story short..I got up made my coffee and met with my God like every morning :)One of the things I read decided he was going to destroy it. He was destroying it because their ways had become so evil and ungodly. God told Lot and his family to run from that place and not look back, but Lots wife didn't listen and looked back. She instantly died. This mad me think about how God tell us to turn and run away from our own sinful ways. God tell us to repent, turn way, and not to look back to that sin. When we look back at what we're leaving or what we've done, we can start to get tempted again and start to compromising on the issues which burdens and kills our spirits. God tells us not to look back for a reason just like he told Lot and his family for their own good and safety. So DON'T LOOK BACK! Keep looking FORWARD at the new things God is doing in you you and what he has planned for you.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

It's About TIme To Get Real

SO... I've spent the past month of my life getting real with God FOR REAL! Through certain circumstances and tough times I realized that I was a COMPLETE mess on the inside and only getting worse because my relationship with God wasn't REAL. I had been living life on my own terms instead of God's and guess what?? It wasn't very rewarding;in fact, it was pretty much the opposite, but ANYWAYS, back to a month ago...I decided I wanted to get to know God and who he really is to me. I wanted to experience a TRUE relationship with him!! I wanted a real loving give AND take relationship not just TAKE TAKE TAKE like we tend to do with God sometimes. SO how did I do this?? As painful as it is for a college student, I set the alarm clock a little earlier every morning to spend TIME with God praying and reading his word. THIS IS SERIOUSLY THE BEST HABIT YOU CAN EVER HAVE IN YOUR LIFE. As I got to know God again my whole disposition changed! Seeking his face and hearing from him every morning sets a positive mood for the entire day. Even though the circumstances surrounding this AWESOME change in my life were NOT so awesome or fun, i have realized that God let me go through them for a reason and that reason was to bring me closer to him. Sometimes God has to dish out a little TOUGH LOVE to wake us form worldly daze, but all of it is ALWAYS for our own good. I read these verses in Jeremiah pretty much every single day either at the beginning or end of my time with God to continually remind myself that I would get past this hard time because he has AMAZING plans for my life!!

Jeremiah 29:7,11-13 "seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper...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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity".