Tag: Following Jesus

The Faithfulness of God

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Every single day, God provides what I need when I need it. Here are some ways God has been faithful to me.

He surrounded me with the support of family so we were in the same physical location when I needed them.

I live about three hours away from my immediate family, and had decided to spend extra time with them. So, when it was time for me to resign from my job, I was already with my family. The set up was perfect – being close to them was a great support when I resigned and in the weeks that followed.

He cleared my work schedule for what we didn’t know would be my dad’s last days on earth.

We didn’t know that my dad was going to pass away on September 30, but God worked it out so that I could be with my family and completely focused on them. My bosses had allowed me to work fully remote (instead of hybrid), then I resigned, and the company did not need my assistance after I left. My family spent a lot of time together (all five us of us) – including a dance party in the family room to celebrate my mom’s birthday.

  • I also saw God’s faithfulness in the timing of my last day of work: If my last day had been later, I could not have left the company well or handled both the job and my dad’s rapidly declining health. The timing was perfect, and it had to be God.

God gave me the spiritual refreshing I would need before my dad went to heaven.

There was a conference that I had planned to go to for months. It “just so happened” to fall on the week when the doctors told my family that my dad only had a month or weeks to live. My dad went to heaven two days after that conference, and that would have been much harder had I not spent so much time worshipping, learning, praying, crying, sitting in God’s presence, and trusting Him for our future.

He steadily shows His love through my family and friends.

My first few days back at my apartment after my dad went to heaven were really hard – but I felt God’s love through the friends He has given me. Two friends let me stay at their apartment, others called me, spent time with me, and sent kind words. All were patient and caring. My birthday also happened recently, and we celebrated for weeks with family and friends – wonderful memories to cherish forever.

  • Also, in fresh baked snacks after church: One Sunday, my family had a busy morning preparing for my birthday party, had some errands to run after church, and we were hungry. After church, one of my friends gave us three flavors of cornbread to try. We enjoyed them while we were running errands, and thanked God for His sweet provision.

And so much more

There are many other ways that God has shown His faithfulness to me – phone calls and texts at the perfect time, home-cooked food from others when I couldn’t cook, safety in many hours of driving. I am incredibly thankful that God is always with me and meets my needs.

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

Life Lesson: God is faithful, you can rely on Him.

The Testing of Your Faith: Choose to Praise

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Yes, you can praise God when life is great, blessings are streaming your way, and the situations around you make you smile. But even when the opposite is happening – when you didn’t think things could get any worse and then they did, and that thing you are praying for hasn’t happened yet and it doesn’t look like it will happen anytime soon, and when pressures from the outside cause a battle inside your heart and mind – you can choose to praise God.

How do you praise when you are not feeling it?

Here’s what I have learned:

  • Put yourself in places where other people are praising God. Listening to them will help you do the same.
  • Use God’s Word (the Bible) to inspire your words. Sometimes, during worship at church, I sing with my Bible in my hand. Reading about the goodness of God helps me to praise Him when I don’t feel like it. Another idea is to pray through a section of verses. For example, read Psalm 19 one verse at a time, and thank God for something in each verse.
  • Choose to fill your heart and mind with praise. If your mind and heart are warring between discouragement and hope, listen to praise music and sing along to remind yourself of who God is. As I write this, I have music playing where other people are praising God – declaring His faithfulness and His goodness.
  • Make it a point to be thankful. If I stop and think about what God has done for me, my family and my friends, I realize that I have a lot of reasons to praise the Lord. Getting this list out of my mind and onto paper is even more powerful.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Psalm 103:1 (NIV)

Life Lesson: Choose to praise the Lord.

The Love of God

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Jesus’ love for people shines even in his most difficult moments on earth.

Reflecting on Jesus’ journey from the Passover meal with his disciples, his arrest and trials, crucifixion and His resurrection reminded me that Jesus’ time leading up to the cross was a very difficult ordeal. However, throughout this trial, Jesus showed compassion and love to the people around Him.

  • When the chief priests and elders sent people armed with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus, Jesus healed one of the priests’ servants.
  • When Jesus rose from the dead, he told Mary to go to his brothers, and he meant the disciples – the ones who had deserted him as soon as he was arrested. Jesus called them his brothers, showing that he had already forgiven them for deserting him.

Who is Jesus to you?

When Jesus was sharing the Passover meal with his disciples, He told them that one person in the group would betray him. They each ask, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” (Matthew 26:20-25). But Judas’s response was different. Judas, who Matthew just told us was going to betray Jesus, said “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” To the others, Jesus was Lord. At this time, to Judas, Jesus was Rabbi. This reveals that Judas’ attitude toward Jesus was different than the others, and this was likely part of his willingness to betray Jesus.

Who do you say Jesus is?

Life Lesson: Jesus’ love for humanity shines through even in his most difficult moments on earth.

The Testing of Your Faith: Notes on Praise

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Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

1 Thessalonians says we are to give thanks in the middle of all situations, but at the end of five, emotionally tumultuous weeks, I was feeling…a mess. How can I give thanks while facing difficult situations?

One particularly hard day, I was visiting a family member in the hospital. We had just received the call that my grandmother passed away. A few minutes after the call, my dad said “God is good”. What?! How can he say that God is good? We were sitting in a hospital; his mom has just died.

Cultivating a Grateful Heart

A couple weeks later – no more hospital visits and after the funeral – I went to a prayer meeting at church. Often, global partners are invited to speak. That day, the couple sharing had just finished a sabbatical in preparation for their next phase of ministry. A lot of what they shared was impactful, including the idea of cultivating a grateful heart.

This couple encouraged us to grow in gratefulness by filling in this sentence: Jesus, it would have been enough if _________, but You _________. For example, It would have been enough to go to church and learn about God from the speaker, but Jesus gave me friends at church who also encourage me. In fact, He has given me strong friendships at two different, local churches. It would have been enough to have an apartment, but Jesus gave me a two-level apartment with parking right outside my front door, a streetlight out front, in a quiet area ideal for working from home.

Practicing thankfulness in this way reminded me of how amazing God is. He’s great all by Himself, without anything He’s ever done for me or my family or friends. But on top of that, He has also chosen to bless me in many different ways.

Give Praise to the Lord

During the week I heard from this missionary couple, I also read Psalm 105. Verses 1 to 4 were especially helpful. Here are a few things I learned:

  • Sing and give praise to the Lord (v. 1) – Yes, we do this at church, but I was also reminded to sing praises to the Lord at home. Sing along with some worship music or sing your own song (whether you sound good or not).
  • Tell of His wonderful acts, proclaim His name (v. 1) – As I talk with friends and family, don’t be shy or quiet about what Jesus is doing or what I’ve learned about who He is. Say it.
  • Look to the Lord and His strength, seek His face always (v. 4) – Get strength from the Lord as I seek Him.
The Testing of Your Faith

Choosing to be thankful in the middle of difficult situations is revolutionary. It reminds me of the power of God, and does what the Bible says in James 1:2-4 – helps me to mature in my faith through trials.

Life Lesson: Practice gratefulness and verbally praise the Lord for who He is and what He’s done.

Alive and Wonderful

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Each year, I try to read through the whole Bible – from Genesis to Revelation. Here are a few things I learned while reading through the Bible this year:

  • Read the Bible to develop your relationship with Jesus, not just to learn more facts. – Partway through the year, I heard a string of sermons about reading the Bible. This helped adjust my perspective on reading God’s Word, and reminded me to ask God to reveal Himself to me in a new way each time I read or listened to the Bible. Yes, I was learning facts and reading new stories, but the most important reason for reading was to build my relationship with Jesus.

  • The Word of God is living and active (Heb. 4:12) – As I’ve worked through a Bible reading plan, it’s amazing to see how God makes the selection of chapters from that day apply to what’s happening in my life. For example, one week I was thinking about praise and wondering how else I could say thank you to God. I “happened” to get to a section of Psalms full of people expressing their praise to God. This gave me more words to express my own praise.

  • Pray that people will know that God is the Lord. – In prophecies about Israel or other nations, God would judge or save “so they may know [He] is the Lord” (see Ex. 7:17, Eze. 11:12). Also, people prayed for God to act, not for their own sake, but so other nations would see God as powerful (see Dan. 9:17). Even today, God is working so that people will repent and believe in Him (see 2 Peter 3:9). I can pray that people will know and act like Jesus is Lord.

Life Lesson: Keep reading God’s Word (the Bible).

Drained. Strengthened. Compelled.

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There’s one verse about David, a man who lived in biblical times, that I always liked, but never understood.  

And Jonathan, Saul’s son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. 1 Samuel 23:16, NASB

I had an experience that helped me better understand this verse. But first, let me tell you about David.

What Happened to David

A lot. David had an awesome day where he killed a giant and saved the lives of his fellow Israelites. After that battle, he was invited to work for Saul, the king himself. That’s where he met Jonathan, the king’s son, and they developed a deep friendship.

As David worked in the king’s army, he was successful in every mission. He became a high ranking official and incredibly popular.

But, Saul started to become jealous and afraid of David. David’s success showed that God was helping David, but He was no longer helping Saul. Saul’s fear became so intense, that he tried to kill David a bunch of times. Once, when Jonathan defended David to the king, Saul tried to kill Jonathan—his own son.

Saul was determined to kill David and anyone who helped him. In fact, Saul killed 85 priests after they gave David supplies. David ran from country to wilderness to country, trying to escape. In some places he was almost betrayed by the people who were hiding him. He was physically and emotionally exhausted.

“David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.” 1 Samuel 23:14-16

Drained

I had an emotionally draining day—one where a lot of little stressors piled on top of each other and sapped my emotional and physical strength. Unfortunately, I did not have time to be emotionally drained; it was my turn to help lead an online Bible study for young adults.

As I got ready, I tried to talk some energy and strength into myself. I recited Bible verses like “the joy of the Lord is my strength” and prayed for God to strengthen me. Most times, this helps right away, but this time, not so much.

6:15 pm came, and I plopped myself in front of my computer to help lead this group. I usually meet with some friends (and co-leaders) a few minutes before the rest of the group comes. We have known each other for almost two years, so we’ve gotten pretty close. Even so, I was debating whether or not to tell them how I was truly feeling. I did not want “bleed on them” or to take away from our preparation time by talking about my problems. Aren’t we all facing stressful situations?

I found myself telling them that I had one of those days, and was still struggling.

Encouraged

Each of my friends prayed for me that evening — asking Jesus to strengthen me and for other, beautiful things that I don’t remember. As each friend prayed, I felt myself getting stronger and stronger. When they finished, I felt great! The change was too quick and drastic to be natural; my friends helped me to find strength in God. 

When the rest of the group joined us, we talked more about life in general and what it means to be known by others and by God. Talking with friends about God and His Word encouraged me even more. By the time we finished our meeting, I was craving time with God. After everyone left the meeting, I was compelled to continue spending time with Jesus by singing along to worship music.

Jonathan Helped David Find Strength in God

Maybe this is what the Bible means when it says the Jonathan helped David find strength in God. David had been going hard and facing a lot of uncertainty for what I’m sure felt like unending days. He needed help to get what he needed from God.

That day, I needed strength from God, but could not get there on my own. My friends prayed for me and helped turn my thoughts toward who God is, which pushed me even closer to Jesus and finding strength in Him.

My Prayer for You

When you cannot experience Jesus’ joy or peace or strength yourself, I pray that the people around you would help you to find strength in Jesus. When you are strong, I pray that you are that person for others.

Life Lesson: When you can’t get to Jesus on our own, we need friends who will help us find strength in Him.

2021: A Look Back

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Two words that sum up my year are “constant change.” During 2021, I’ve had three full-time jobs, moved to a new state, and spent one-and-a-half months unemployed. This included living in a hotel and shuffling between two states for a few months. Some weeks, I was on an emotional roller coaster. One day, I’d be thrilled and excited for what God was doing, and the next would find me laying on my bed feeling hopeless. These challenges revealed needs deeper than I had ever experienced. Through it all, my understanding of Jesus’ character was magnified.

Jesus, My Provider

When I accepted a job in a new state, I did not have a place to live. Apartments were being listed and sold within hours. While at work, I would receive an email notification about a newly available unit. However, by the time I submitted the application, someone else had already claimed the unit. It was an incredibly frustrating process. My family, friends, leaders, and I were all praying for a safe place for me to live. Two weeks before my start date, my new employers connected me with a woman who told me I could stay with her as long as I needed. It was great! Jesus took care of this need.

Jesus, Faithful One

I spent some time unemployed. While I was searching for a job and receiving either rejections or no response, Jesus kept reminding me that He had not forgotten me. One evening I attended a prayer meeting with a few hundred people. At a random point in the service, the pastor asked anyone who is unemployed to come up to the front. About 15 of us came up for prayer. It felt like God stopped the prayer meeting to remind me He had not forgotten me, and that He was working things out for me.

At the beginning of this period of unemployment, I did not realize how worried I was. I was worried that I would be able to stay in Pennsylvania, worried that I would have my own apartment, worried that I wouldn’t, anxious about where God wanted me to go, and excited at the idea of staying put and finishing a Master’s degree. A timely sermon revealed the depth of my worry, and I began to give all of these concerns to Jesus. He took my worries, and gave me peace. (Plus, He gave me a new job that I love.)

Jesus, My Friend

Jesus delights to give us good things. I moved into a new apartment, and there are a few specific items on my wish list that weren’t “make or break” for my apartment, but I was blessed with anyway—like a bedroom that’s not on the ground floor and a breakfast area near a big window.

Another example, on my way to a new church group, I asked God to help me with who I would talk to and sit with. I was a few minutes late to the meeting, so I sat at the first open seat I saw. Three people that I knew walked in and joined the table. Three! I went with no one and ended in a discussion group with THREE people I knew. What a friend I have in Jesus.

Jesus Never Changes

The changes I experienced this year have highlighted Jesus’ unchanging nature. All of the qualities I’ve shared have been true of Jesus for hundreds of years, and will remain true for the rest of our lives and into eternity. This gives me hope for the new year. Through both the joys and the challenges that come, Jesus remains the same; He has been faithful and is able to help you, too.

Life Lesson: Jesus is a faithful friend who never changes. This gives us hope for the future.

It’s a Balance

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Work. Life. School. Family. Friends.

I’m definitely a work in progress in this area, but I will share what I have learned that helps me to have joy in this season of life.

A few months ago, I was really struggling to balance all of my commitments; to do them all, and to do them well. I focused so much of my energy on my full-time job, both on and off the clock, that I was too exhausted to do much else. I’m also in graduate school and was taking my hardest class yet, struggling to keep up with both work and school.

In the middle of this, I went to an online group for young adults and the speaker was talking about priorities. He said a few things that I decided to put into practice.

1) You always have time for what you do first. This makes perfect sense, but really think about it, what do you do first? Is it work, school, talking to friends, crafting a perfect Instagram photo and caption? That indicates your top priority.

2) If you try to give everything the same attention, you will always be putting out fires. It may sound like this: “Oh, no, I haven’t spent enough time with my family…Ugh, now I’m spending a lot of time with my family, but haven’t done any schoolwork…Finally caught up on schoolwork, and realizing I forgot about Jesus. Sorry Jesus, I’m coming back to You now.” And on it goes.

So, I made a list—

  1. God
  2. Schoolwork
  3. Ministry
  4. Work

—and started refocusing. (I usually had time for family and friends, but I struggled with the four areas listed above.)

If God is #1, that means He gets the best of my energy. The first thing I do when I wake up is spend time with Jesus—reading the Bible, praying, singing along with worship music, etc. He gets the best of my brain, so to speak.

If schoolwork is #2, that means it gets the next part of my energy. I used to “do my homework” after work and spending time with my family. By then it was more like reading myself to sleep. The past few weeks, I’ve started to do homework in the morning, before I get ready for work. Then, I am better focused and can study more efficiently.

Ministry is #3, that’s mainly my role with Young Adults at Times Square Church.

Then comes work as #4. Work is something that must get done, whether I am tired or not, and it’s never fully finished. Having work fourth on this list means that I can take care of those other priorities well and finish my work.

Those tips really helped me balance my commitments better. I hope it helps you, too.

Life Lesson: To better balance competing commitments, keep your priorities in order.

Shameless Plug: Times Square Church has a great young adults group (@tscya). If you are 18-29 years young, I highly recommend their group. You can sign up here. If you are 30-40, join this connect group run by some fun and amazing solid people. These are virtual groups, so you join from anywhere. Come, and don’t forget to say hello!

Learn and Remember, Part 1

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Lately, I have been challenged to remember what I learned while dating and apply it to other relationships. To help us both, here are some of those lessons.

Relax and have fun.

For those of us who tend to be task-oriented, focused, and intense, it can be difficult to relax and enjoy ourselves, even while doing something calming like taking a walk in a park or eating a great dinner. Being this intense all the time can drain you and the people you are spending time with. Remember to take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the moment.

Be honest and up front, communicate openly.

Once, my sister and I ordered some burgers for takeout. Because of a recent bad experience, she wanted to make sure both burgers were cooked all the way through, which required cutting both burgers in half. Though I had been looking forward to the experience of eating a full, round burger, I didn’t say anything. I cut my burger in half…and had a serious attitude eating my sliced burger. The whole thing took the joy out of our outing.

Instead, I should have told her that I did not want to cut my burger in half, and was willing to risk it not being done to enjoy the burger properly. Turns out the burger was cooked well-done, and it would have been perfect had I articulated what I truly wanted.

Communicate your thoughts, feelings and concerns. We can’t move past issues if we are unaware of them or don’t talk about them, and talking about them helps us avoid bitterness.

Run to Jesus first.

No matter what happens or who comes into your life, Jesus is the most important person. There were times when something big happened and I wanted to take the problem to my boyfriend first, then my family, and other friends, and Jesus got pushed down the list. But when I sought God’s help first, everything else fell into place.

Seek Jesus, serve Him, follow Him, and He will certainly guide through this journey called life.

Life Lesson: Learn from your experiences. Relax, communicate, and run to Jesus first.