Jeremiah 29:11 tells of God's plans for us. I know of great plans God has for me. It is so exciting to see God revealing His plans to me. I just had to tell someone. God is telling me my future. I don't understand exactly what I am to do. But the pieces are starting to come together.
Seek God. Seek out His plans for you. He will reveal them to you. Open your heart up to Jesus.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Forgiveness
I think forgiveness and love goes hand in hand. If you love someone you will forgive them. If you forgive someone it is done out of love for that person or love for God. Forgiveness is one of the things we struggle the most with. I have a hard time forgiving. But God has forgiven us and we now have eternal life. We ought to forgive others. God has called me to forgive those who have hurt me and my loved ones. The hardest people to forgive are those who refuse to forgive. But I have to forgive others because of what God has forgiven me.
Forgiveness is not just saying sorry. It is saying that you will love that person even though they hurt you. Forgiveness is not talking about what they did wrong. Forgiveness is forgetting what they did. True forgiveness is powerful. It is one of the most powerful ways to share the gospel with someone.
Please forgive your brother his trespasses. Forgive your mother and father. Forgive your sister. Forgive your son and daughter. Love them as Christ has loved you.
Forgiveness is not just saying sorry. It is saying that you will love that person even though they hurt you. Forgiveness is not talking about what they did wrong. Forgiveness is forgetting what they did. True forgiveness is powerful. It is one of the most powerful ways to share the gospel with someone.
Please forgive your brother his trespasses. Forgive your mother and father. Forgive your sister. Forgive your son and daughter. Love them as Christ has loved you.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Do You Know God?
Most of us would say, "Yes, I know God." But do you know God?
I thought I knew God more than most people. I can quote scripture. I am familiar with most of the Bible. I know who God is and who His Son is. I can tell most of the Bible stories and even argue theology. I have a relationship with God. But do I know God? Of course! Yes!
But last Friday I realized that I did not know God well. My pastor encouraged us to know God. To know God in each and every aspect of our lives. To know God intimately. Do I know God? Not that well.
Last week God showed me how much He loved me. This week He is saying that He wants me to know Him more. I want to know God. I want to be with Him every moment of the day. The more we are together the more I will know Him. It is like going to the beach with a friend. You might never have known how much that friend loved the beach if you hadn't gone with him. I think it is the same with God. If I don't spend time with God in every part of my life then I will never know God in the context of school, shopping, hanging with non-christian friends, watching TV...the list goes on. It is a scary thought to think of bringing Jesus everywhere with me. But I want to know Him more. I want to know God.
Do you know God?
I thought I knew God more than most people. I can quote scripture. I am familiar with most of the Bible. I know who God is and who His Son is. I can tell most of the Bible stories and even argue theology. I have a relationship with God. But do I know God? Of course! Yes!
But last Friday I realized that I did not know God well. My pastor encouraged us to know God. To know God in each and every aspect of our lives. To know God intimately. Do I know God? Not that well.
Last week God showed me how much He loved me. This week He is saying that He wants me to know Him more. I want to know God. I want to be with Him every moment of the day. The more we are together the more I will know Him. It is like going to the beach with a friend. You might never have known how much that friend loved the beach if you hadn't gone with him. I think it is the same with God. If I don't spend time with God in every part of my life then I will never know God in the context of school, shopping, hanging with non-christian friends, watching TV...the list goes on. It is a scary thought to think of bringing Jesus everywhere with me. But I want to know Him more. I want to know God.
Do you know God?
Monday, September 1, 2008
God is Love
God loves me. A simple concept that has taken on new meaning for me this weekend. I guess it started with me feeling lonely and realizing that I would have to depend on God for love. I know that I won't get it from a guy anytime soon. So I have to depend on God. Isn't it better to depend on God rather than man?
Sunday morning I was looking at some pictures that I took. I have been taking pictures of flowers. They are so beautiful. I was amazed by their beauty so much I almost cried. I had read the "Daily Light on the Daily Path," which is a devotional with Bible verses only. The verses talked about God's love and salvation. God has saved us from death. God loves us so much. I guess I was feeling overwhelmed by God's love that morning. And that was why I was moved almost to tears.
God poured out His love to me at church. I think God spoke to me that morning in church. There was this verse about the Son doing what He sees the Father doing. I saw God loving me and I knew that I would have to love others in the same way. How can I love like God? I'm just a human. Jesus told His disciples that they would do even greater things than Him. I want God's love to shine out of my life. I want others to see God's love in me. The only love I have in me is from God.
Sunday afternoon I went to my grandparents feeling full of God's love. Then, because God is good and because He loves me so much, He overwhelmed me to tears. God had given me life everlasting, He had saved my life, He had given me so many blessings I couldn't count them all, He had embraced me in love that morning, and then He gave me a car. When my grandparents told me that they were planning on giving me their Ford Taurus next month I burst into tears. I was overwhelmed by the love of God.
I feel like God is teaching me one lesson at a time. This one is love.
Sunday morning I was looking at some pictures that I took. I have been taking pictures of flowers. They are so beautiful. I was amazed by their beauty so much I almost cried. I had read the "Daily Light on the Daily Path," which is a devotional with Bible verses only. The verses talked about God's love and salvation. God has saved us from death. God loves us so much. I guess I was feeling overwhelmed by God's love that morning. And that was why I was moved almost to tears.
God poured out His love to me at church. I think God spoke to me that morning in church. There was this verse about the Son doing what He sees the Father doing. I saw God loving me and I knew that I would have to love others in the same way. How can I love like God? I'm just a human. Jesus told His disciples that they would do even greater things than Him. I want God's love to shine out of my life. I want others to see God's love in me. The only love I have in me is from God.
Sunday afternoon I went to my grandparents feeling full of God's love. Then, because God is good and because He loves me so much, He overwhelmed me to tears. God had given me life everlasting, He had saved my life, He had given me so many blessings I couldn't count them all, He had embraced me in love that morning, and then He gave me a car. When my grandparents told me that they were planning on giving me their Ford Taurus next month I burst into tears. I was overwhelmed by the love of God.
I feel like God is teaching me one lesson at a time. This one is love.
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