Journey

There are times when I am alone and quiet when I feel Gods presence so strongly I cannot help but marvel  at how faithful and constant He is. No matter how I come to Him, whether in joy, in pain, in laughter or tears, I am always comforted in the knowledge that He is with me.

I find myself praying more persistently than I ever have to continue to seek Him. I have been through many places where I was unfaithful to my Lord. I would run and hide from His face out of my own shame, anger or just plain selfishness. I have been in moments where I was too busy to spend time with God. Yet, through it all, the Creator of the Universe has never been too busy to spend time with me… how wonderful is that?

Have you ever felt too busy to spend five minutes alone with God?

Have you just had too much going on?

Have you been too tired to wake up fifteen minutes early?

I have.

In the place I am at now, I realize my own fears have kept me from seeking Him. I was afraid of what I would be asked to let go of. I was afraid of Him showing me things I need to change. I was afraid of meeting the woman I was created to be. I still am in some ways, but I can rest in the assurance that comes with building a lasting relationship with Christ. I am not capable of changing anything about my life, but God is. My Savior is much bigger than any habit I have formed, He is greater than any fear I possess and He holds the key to my heart. He holds the key to your heart too. All you need is the courage to say yes- He can give you that too!

One of the most impacting moments on my journey happened about a year and a half ago. I had only been regularly spending time with God for a few months, and the excitement of reconnecting with Him was still very new to me. I hadn’t had a solid relationship with Him in years, so I was eager to ensure the fire didn’t die out. I remember crying out to God and praising Him for everything I was experiencing with Him. He was changing my heart in so many ways I’d never imagined possible. I asked Him what was next- what would my next step be in the new season of my life. God showed me a picture library of all the people I regularly surrounded myself with, and slowly began erasing some of the images. One by one, I saw people being taken off the wall. It was painful to watch in some ways. But as I saw images being deleted, new ones began to form. Not all of the new images were recognizable, and some appeared to be objects and not people. I must admit, some just didn’t make sense to me. I asked God why some of these people were being removed. These were my friends! In some instances, these were family members! I couldn’t believe it. I heard God speak more clearly than ever at that point. “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” The words of Jeremiah 29:11 were all that came into my heart.

Now, at that point I had a choice to make. I could trust God and let His plans for my life begin to unfold, or I could trust myself and not let some people be removed from my life. I chose to trust God. With everything else that He has done in my life within the two years before this, I was confident His plans were far more lucrative than mine would ever be!

Needless to say, people left my life soon after. Some people I had courage enough to break ties with, and some people God removed in His own ways. As this was happening, God began bringing new people in. People that were strong in faith. People that were growing in faith. People that would bring His Word into my life in new ways. God began surrounding me with people that loved as much as I did, and I began stepping into a new season of my life.

This journey is not an easy one. Being a Christian isn’t always rainbows and sunshine, but being a Christian means I no longer have to face this world alone. My God is for me. My Heavenly Father is guiding me, holding my hand, and in some areas, He is carrying me in His arms. I know the battle is not up to me to fight alone; rather it is for me to trust that God has my back. When I step onto the battle field, my Lord is with me, and nothing in this world can stand against Him!  

Ephesians  6:10-18 tells you everything you need to know:

 You do not have to fight alone my friend. You do not have to figure out who is and isn’t supposed to be in your life during any particular season. Trust in God to show you. Trust in God to erase people, and to bring in those that will encourage you in your walk. Trust in God, for He is constant. He who was and is and is to come will always be with you and in you. He will never leave you nor forsake you, and in Him you will find the courage, strength and peace to continue on your journey.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

He is never too busy for you.

You will never face anything too big for God to handle.

My prayers are with you all. I pray by the power in the name of Jesus Christ you find the courage to give your time to God. I pray you find the strength to let Him step in, and I pray that you trust in the One who made the Heavens to guide you. For He has a plan for your life, and it is a good one! Amen.