“Now faith is
confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1
Quick! When was the last time you were
nervous, anxious, or worried? I bet you could think of a few examples right on
the spot. It could be about anything really…school, a job, a relationship, or
how about a big one…THE FUTURE. This is a question I find myself getting so
caught up in. Before giving something to The Lord, I instinctively turn to
myself for answers rather than waiting for God’s plan to unfold. Recently, I’ve
been reminded on how incredible God’s faithfulness is and how it has shown
through two recent events in my life.
“Great is Thy
faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by
morning new mercies I see;
All I have
needed Thy hand hath provided-
“Great is Thy
faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
If someone had sat me down and played
a slideshow of my freshman and sophomore years in college around this time two
years ago, I would not have believed that I was in the pictures. I had
overwhelming anxiety about leaving for college. I was terrified to leave my
family, friends and the comfort zone that I had wrapped myself in. I didn’t
believe I would make such great friends or enjoy it as much as I have so far. Although
I knew that college was something I needed to pursue, I had no idea how I would
actually leave. Notice what pronoun I
just used in that sentence. “I.” Somehow “I” would need to gain the
strength. I believed that I would have to do it on my own, but instead God
quickly showed me how much I would need to trust in him. Over the course of
these two years God has quickly revealed his faithfulness in numerous ways.
First, God has blessed me with incredible friendships, all of which are special
and so dear to my heart. Second, he has lead me to Cru which has shown me the
love of Christ and has helped me continue to grow my faith journey while at
school and even while I’m home. Lastly (and quite obvious), he’s helped me make
it this far. God has stood by my side as I have now finished my first two years
of college (WOW).
“Now to him who
is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his
power that is at work with in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ
Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians
3:20-21
My church here at home is currently
“under construction,” but not in the way you may think. We’re currently in a
transition period, which includes searching for a new pastor and blending in
modern aspects of worship while still holding true to our traditional values.
We’ve been in this transitional period for a while now and we are not sure when
it will be over. Although there is some uncertainty about the future of our
church, our Interim Pastor encourages us to remain faithful in God’s timing. This
past Sunday we started a series called “Standing Strong.” We started in Daniel
Ch. 1 and will be continuing each week until Chapter 6. Throughout this series,
Pastor Larry hopes to instill in our congregation that we are to stand strong
in the Lord and live lives of conviction and commitment. In Chapter 1, Daniel
chose to not defile himself by not eating the royal food and wine given by the
King. Daniel stood strong and honored God with his decision. But think about
it, that was Daniel’s second decision; his first was CHOOSING to honor God in
ALL his choices and decisions. Did you catch that? That’s right, ALL of our decisions. I know
personally, choosing to honor God in all my decisions can be difficult because
of sin and temptation. I think in a lot of ways many of us struggle to honor
God in our daily decisions. However, Daniel reminds us to walk the narrow road
even though the wide road is easier and much more appealing. Daniel’s
faithfulness to God amongst the trials he had in captivity lead to an eternal
reward. Pastor Larry wants our church to react the same way. If we live our
lives every day with the same conviction and commitment that Daniel did, God
will bless us because HE IS FOREVER
FAITHFUL. This life may not be easy, but it’s sure worth it. I have faith
that God will remain steadfast and faithful through this transitional time at
my church.
“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine,
with ten thousand beside!”
My humble
prayer is that we will all draw closer to God by relying fully on him. He
promises to never leave us nor forsake us, even when we may feel the farthest
away from him. Whatever we’re going through in life we can be assured that he
has our back and is watching over us. Although things may not be certain, like
our future career, relationships, etc, we can have complete peace and rest knowing
that The Creator knows and has a perfect, holy and pleasing plan that leads us
to incredible joy. God proved his faithfulness to me by leading me to great
community at CNU. He is also proving his faithfulness by blessing our church
with an Interim Pastor who helps guide us on our journey. Take time today to
thank God for all the blessings he has given to you. Pray for strength and
clarity as you seek to fully rely on him. He’s always there to listen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
