I talk to you more than I talk to anyone else

Do you ever just sit back in awe at all that God is doing in your life and how much your life has changed since you got to know him?  Today I was just a little overwhelmed by how my life has changed in just under a year, sure there have been some lows (well documented on this Blog) but now I seriously feel the highs and know that God is so great and so mighty that he has transformed me and continues to show me wonderful things on a daily basis

Jeremiah 33:3  – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

THANK YOU

God I have so much going through my head it’s hard to hone in on one thing, you are everything to me now God and I feel like I am learning so much every day, you say so much to me it’s kind of scary to think how little I knew before I gave my life to you, how void I was of joy and peace and now I know whatever the state of affairs I can dig deep in my faith and just wait.  I talk to you more than I talk to anyone else and that’s cool with me, you see when I talk to you there is no pressure, you take it all and give back the best recommendations, the best solutions and it’s no quick fix, your plans eclipse all I could imagine and God I am cashing in on all your Glory, all the wondrous promises that you have given me, I claim the victory over all that once chained me, the chains have been ripped off and I am free, free to be me, free to see that you are all I need, no need for greed where you’re concerned I have learned to keep my eyes on you and allow those streams of living water to flow, I see the river overflowing and I am growing in knowledge, where I once sat on the edge of the pit of despair I now sit at your side, you are my guide, my light, all that is right and good in my life, your sacrifice astounds me every day, you paid for my sins, got rid of all the stuff that I did, I am pardoned and I am heartened every time I think of you, my Father, my friend, I’m gonna be with you in the world without end and I am so excited to have been invited to share eternity with the King of Glory, the God of Victory, triumphantly I take my place knowing I have run the race, the path marked out for me and that my God is all I need.

My crown has been bought and paid for

Jeremiah 17:7 ‘But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

Oh dear, major wobble this morning, not even sure why but found Church incredibly hard, why?  Lack of self-worth, not feeling like I belonged, but it’s so irrational cos I do know I belong and I do know there are lots of people who love and care for me there so was really tough, perhaps I just try too hard sometimes, I don’t know but I do know the answer lies in God, I do trust him and am confident in him and I am going to keep talking to him and praying for more self-confidence and self-worth in every situation.

FITTING IN

Why do I try so hard to fit in when maybe I was born to stand out, maybe this is what it’s all about, a desire to fit in, to prove my worth to others when really why should I be bothered about the opinions of others I should simply be obedient to God, and it is hard but I need to learn to see myself as God sees me, to remember that my past is just a story and once I realise that, once I really believe that my past is gone or maybe just that my past is of no consequence, it has no power over me and I should never give in to discouragement, never bother about where I fit in, my crown has been bought and paid for, so I should put it on my head and wear it, I am good enough, I am worthy, I am capable and the truth is inescapable,  I am important, loved and never alone, so when I feel like the world is swallowing me up, when I feel the world shouting you’ll never measure up, I must listen to the whisper from God “you are my child, you are always enough, remember who you belong to”, the real me does not need to prove my worth to others, God doesn’t treat me as ordinary, God knows my story, sees that I have been criticising myself for years and again he whispers, “it hasn’t worked, try approving of yourself and see what happens”, praise be to God our Saviour who bears my burdens that when I stop looking for the worst, the storm passes, the rainbow emerges and I receive God’s promises, his blessings, his love, for when I trust him, totally trust the Lord, have confidence in his word, confidence that I have heard him and he has filled me with his Spirit, I am assured that he is with me and why do I need to fit in, even Jesus himself was an outsider, so he gets me, he loves me, I am his handiwork, created in Jesus to do his will, his beauty lies in me, Jesus shines through me, I am unique and I don’t need to be anyone else but me, daughter of God, I am loved, cherished and free.

Direct line to God, wireless, cordless, no technology required

Two amazing Bible verses for me this morning, Jeremiah 29:11 one of my favourite verses which has already resounded so greatly during my walk with God and now Jeremiah 33:3 – God knows everything, every plan he has for your life.  I was reading a book last night which kind of answered a question I had on this – so when God has a plan what happens when we muck it up?  Like when I didn’t follow him as a teenager and spent 30 years on the run, how does that affect his plan?  What I learnt was that he still has the same desires and outcome planned, it just may not happen as quickly or in the same way he desired, but it will still happen once you hand your life over to him. Joel 2:25 also reassures us that God will restore the years to us, so I strongly believe that God will work out his plan in my life but I also see here that I can call to him at any time for answers and help.

Jeremiah 33:3

3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Jeremiah 29:11

11 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.

 #cryouttoyoursaviour

Direct line to God, wireless, cordless, no technology required, God is hard wired into our lives, never loses signal, never breaks up, does not need recharging, his batteries are never flat, his line’s never engaged, or out of range so silence your mind and consult your heart, next time you’re in it up to your neck, connect to the Holy Spirit, connect to the one who will never give up on you, will always answer, talk to you, inform you of great and wonderful things that you could never imagine or fathom out for yourselves, despite all the books on your shelves, Wikipedia, social media God is vastly superior, just call out to him in praise and prayer, he understands every layer of your complex life, he knows the plans he has for you, knows what he wants for you, and God I lift my hands in adoration for your love is amazing, your forgiveness sublime, for you look at this life of mine and still have time to listen to me, still have time to cultivate me, hone me for your service for the purpose you decreed over me and you delight in me, and God I thank you for your biblical reminder hash tag cry out to your Saviour.

When I can’t see beyond tomorrow

This is a bit of a turn to verse for me and it speaks in many ways, sometimes it can be hard to trust God and what he has in store for our lives so really important to hold on to this promise and have faith in his plans

Jeremiah 29:11 – “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.”

TOMORROW

When I can’t see beyond tomorrow, when I can’t bring myself to think of what next week or next month might bring then this is the verse that I must cling to, cos surely God would not tell us that he has plans and then allow man to get in the way, and when he says that the plans are to prosper and not to harm you then why would I allow alarm bells to ring in my head, why would I face tomorrow with dread, worry is dead time, time wasted mulling over “what ifs” and God gives me hope, a hope and a future, he fights for my corner he is my armour and with him I am stronger, no longer fearing what tomorrow holds, just trusting the Lord will mould me and engrave his love into my heart so that instead of worry I will start to relax and believe that that he leads me beside the still waters, to no longer falter and hold up my head as a proud daughter of God who will be with me tomorrow no matter how hard.

Trust, a common thread in my development

I have been trying to come to terms with one stumbling block in my life, namely the occasional desire to self harm, and understand how my recent faith can help stop me from carrying these desires through.  I have been reading some interesting Christian articles aiming to help sufferers of self harm and those trying to help them.

So what conclusions have I drawn?  What it boils down to is my lack of trust in God to deal with my concerns and fears and an underlying “addiction” to being in control.  I feel a need to be in control and when I am in stressful situations rather than trusting God to see me through and help me cope, I try to take control myself.

So talking to God today he gave me the following scripture to help me:

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit.

WHAT IS THIS TRUST?

Trust, another word that keeps popping up in my head; trust a common thread in my need to develop, for God wants to envelop me with his love, wants to bless me with his abundant gifts, suggestive of the blessings that await me in eternity.  Blessed will I be if I trust him now, for God has vowed that for those who trust and believe, life will be abundant, likened to a tree planted by a stream, no need to fear the heat and oppression, for God has provided endless salvation, branches and leaves will continue to grow, fruit will start to show, even in times of shortage or drought, have no doubt, God will protect you from anxious moments, has defeated your opponents, for he has chosen to bless you, has claimed you as his own, you’ll never be lonely so keep your eyes and thoughts on God to take control and trust in him only.

In ALL things God works for good, your experiences define you

OK so bit of a recurring theme but yet again this verse has come to me:

Jeremiah 29:11 

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

This came also with a verse from Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”

This has made me reflect on the past and how ALL things work together for good, so even things I perhaps feel were harsh or difficult to deal with were being used by God to shape me.  Maybe I don’t yet realise what God’s purpose for me is or how these experiences will help me but I trust in him that he will use these to define my future and how I can serve him.

IN ALL THINGS

In ALL things God works for good, your experiences define you, your past moulds you.

In ALL things God has been with you, he’s seen you through the bad and good, he’s understood your trials and battles, understands what you can handle, never gives you too much to bear, always there to answer prayer.

In ALL things God loves you, he’s called you personally to serve, preserved you through your darkest hour, chosen you to receive his power,  showers you daily with his blessings, supports you as you are progressing.

In ALL things God has his plans, he knows your future and your purpose, he rejoices in your accumulation of experiences, knowledge and skills to be used to carry out his will.

In ALL things God works for good, try not to question or refuse to serve as he would have you, hold your nerve, and listen closely as he tells you the plans he has in store for you.

Embrace your past with full acceptance, you wouldn’t be you without this experience, trust that all that has gone before was preparation for all the wonders God has in store, trust that as a loving Father, he is author of your history, your past, present and future service, you are called according to his purpose.

To give you a future and a hope…

Jeremiah 29:11 

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

MY FUTURE

My future. Oh Lord, wow, my future is secure, you have provided a guarantee of eternity with you.  My future; excitement rises in my heart, to never be apart from such a loving God, to never feel temptation for the duration of eternity, that is to say for ever and ever world without end, your love transcends all my understanding, your commanding presence today and for eternity, wow that really gets to me, how awesome to receive such a solemn promise of eternal life, freedom from all the strife and pain of this world, to know that from the darkness you rose again, you came back to be my friend and in everything I say and do, I strive to revere and worship your great name, you saved me and life will never be the same.

Your thoughts towards me were formed before I myself was born, oh my word you knew me before my parents, that provides so much reassurance, your thoughts of peace towards me, despite my apathy, my flight away from you, you remained constant in your love, looked down on me from above, not with anger or despair, yes I was unaware, but you looked down on me with love as a father to his daughter, not condemning me to slaughter or a convicted future, didn’t treat me like a tumour to be eradicated, no you emancipated my soul, you gave me strength, you made me whole.

Radical, that’s what this is, your revolutionary approach to those who turned away from you, your love of all, your acceptance of sinners, some of the worst offenders you made defenders of the faith, you welcome the outcasts of society, those guilty of impropriety, those far from sobriety, those of notoriety, you opened the gates of heaven to those who confess their sins and welcome you into their hearts, what part of that is hard to take in, what part of that can people not see, why can they not agree on this one enduring truth, Jesus died for me and you, so wake up, come to, Jesus really died for you, on this you can be sure, his love for us secure, his love for you endures and nothing you can do will keep him from loving you and they my friend are the awesome facts, God wraps you in his love and that’s what I’m in awe of.