http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHSRh_Mz6ps
The link above is a song that has really meant a lot to me lately. It's called "holding on" by Jamie Grace. Lately, I've really struggled with holding onto what I believe when it's hard to believe; when everything around me is trying to lead me into another direction, away from God. This song gives me so much hope and she has such a beautiful voice, so I hope you guys can receive as much blessing as I have from listening to the words.
As I've already mentioned, it's been a rough couple of weeks so I felt that today was a perfect day to just lay it all out in a blog. Let me just start by saying that as a 22-year-old, single female it's somewhat normal to wonder "where is my soul mate?!" from time to time. However, I feel that this thought has consumed much of my thoughts for the past few weeks. Today I have realized that until I put God at the VERY top of my list of priorities, I will not meet prince charming. Not like God is punishing me, but he is asking me to hold on just a little longer and when I get to the place where I am 100% OK with being alone, then he will send my knight in shining armor. I can remember when I was 16, taking part in a weekend long bible study on making a commitment of purity to God. Without going into detail, I've broken that commitment along this bumpy road called life. But, the wonderful news is, I've been forgiven. In all honesty, I haven't given much thought to that commitment in the last 4 years or so. Well, God really surprised me when I came to the section in my devotional titled "purity of body." Everything I've read and re-learned as a 22-year-old, has taken on a whole new meaning in my life. What I have learned now is that I must not let Satan, the enemy, constantly throw my past in my face at every corner. I have been forgiven, and I must move forward. Having said that, I started writing letters to my future husband today. Many of you may think this is totally ridiculous and don't see how it pertains to me right now, even though I haven't met him. But the way I see it is, the more I think of him and write to him the less my mind is wandering away from who God ultimately has in store for me and I am less likely to stray away from the woman my future husband is praying for. I want to be purified physically, spiritually and emotionally by the time I meet my husband face-to-face. I began praying for him today and praying that God will begin transforming me into the woman He wants me to be so that I may be the closest thing to a perfect wife for my husband someday. One of my favorite verses I've found throughout this study comes from Isaiah: "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'" -Isaiah 1:8 Because of this verse, I know there is hope for my future. What a wonderful, restoring day today has been! Dear God, purify my heart, soul and body. Show me how to live in accordance with your perfect will.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Women of God
I have some of the most amazing women of God in my life! Two women of God specifically ministered to me in a great way tonight. I was able to have dinner with my friend Nicole and we talked about some pretty deep stuff, some stuff I've really been dealing with this past week. I had been feeling really down spiritually and wasn't really able to take a lot away from my devotionals because I wasn't focused. I opened up and let Nicole in on what had been going on and she really opened my eyes to a bigger picture, what a blessing it was! Once I left dinner I was able to sit and talk with my Aunt Shebe for awhile about some of these same things. It seemed that I just needed to open up and talk about these things that the devil had really been shoving in my face all week. My aunt listened intently and reminded me that once you ask for forgiveness, it is COMPLETELY forgiven and entirely forgotten by our gracious heavenly Father. I knew these things that these women told me, but I just needed a little reminding and God specifically placed them in my day to speak to me through them.
As I was thinking of these two powerful, Godly women in my life I was thinking about women in the bible who were powerful...isn't it sad that I could only think of two off the top of my head--Mary, Jesus' mother and Esther. Out of nearly 200 men mentioned in the bible, I can recall TWO significant women in the bible. To my wonderful surprise, my devotion was about women of God (there he goes humoring me once again)! As women we are constantly faced with an overwhelming feeling to "measure up." Whether we feel we have to measure up at home, work or school we are faced with the devil saying "you aren't as pretty, skinny, smart, nice, etc." He is constantly on our backs falsely telling us we aren't good enough. The media is always putting this idea in our heads that to be beautiful is to be skinny...and I'm sick of it! God desires that we continue to grow in the truths He would have us believe about ourselves rather than taking cues from the world. In my devotion, she points out that unlike most men in His day, Jesus did not treat women as property. "Jesus placed a high value on the worth of women. He treated all women with respect, from His earthly mother, Mary, to those ostracized by society." We are those women ostracized by society (in some way or another)!! As daughters of our heavenly father He desires us to reject this world that lies to us and to know that He made us in His image, and that image is perfection. I was asked to read John 4 and John 8, one story of Jesus meeting with the woman at the well and the second is the story of the woman caught in adultery. And then, in one simple sentence, God spoke RIGHT TO ME: "He saw them not for what they once were, not as objects to be scorned, but for what they could become--women forgiven for their past and looking forward to a bright future." I am one of these women, I have made my fair share of mistakes and often feel ostracized by society for those mistakes but My Jesus has forgiven me and is revealing a future MUCH brighter than my past! My prayer is this: "God, what do you desire for me as your daughter? How can I use my past, gifts and talents to glorify you?"
As I was thinking of these two powerful, Godly women in my life I was thinking about women in the bible who were powerful...isn't it sad that I could only think of two off the top of my head--Mary, Jesus' mother and Esther. Out of nearly 200 men mentioned in the bible, I can recall TWO significant women in the bible. To my wonderful surprise, my devotion was about women of God (there he goes humoring me once again)! As women we are constantly faced with an overwhelming feeling to "measure up." Whether we feel we have to measure up at home, work or school we are faced with the devil saying "you aren't as pretty, skinny, smart, nice, etc." He is constantly on our backs falsely telling us we aren't good enough. The media is always putting this idea in our heads that to be beautiful is to be skinny...and I'm sick of it! God desires that we continue to grow in the truths He would have us believe about ourselves rather than taking cues from the world. In my devotion, she points out that unlike most men in His day, Jesus did not treat women as property. "Jesus placed a high value on the worth of women. He treated all women with respect, from His earthly mother, Mary, to those ostracized by society." We are those women ostracized by society (in some way or another)!! As daughters of our heavenly father He desires us to reject this world that lies to us and to know that He made us in His image, and that image is perfection. I was asked to read John 4 and John 8, one story of Jesus meeting with the woman at the well and the second is the story of the woman caught in adultery. And then, in one simple sentence, God spoke RIGHT TO ME: "He saw them not for what they once were, not as objects to be scorned, but for what they could become--women forgiven for their past and looking forward to a bright future." I am one of these women, I have made my fair share of mistakes and often feel ostracized by society for those mistakes but My Jesus has forgiven me and is revealing a future MUCH brighter than my past! My prayer is this: "God, what do you desire for me as your daughter? How can I use my past, gifts and talents to glorify you?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)