This past month has been a month of so much wondering, hoping, waiting, joy, suffering, and patience. I have constantly been reminded of James' words when he said "count it all as Joy my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds' (James 1:2).
I have felt the enemy attacking me from every side at points, but God is faithful and won't allow to you be tested more than you can endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). He was put people into my life who encourage and uplift me daily, who renounce the lies that I had been believing from the enemy.
After months and months of prayer, seeking counsel, asking the Lord for wisdom and understanding He answered my prayers! I am SO impatient and have such a bad "i want it now" mentality that the world constantly throwing at me! But, the Lord continued to speak to me through the waves of the storm, he continued to let his voice be heard if I was willing to take time and block everything else out and just listen. Just like the Lord spoke to Elijah in a whisper (1 Kings 19) amongst all the other distractions of life, I too was able to focus on His whisper.
I have been so blessed to learn that God not only uses His voice to speak to our hearts and into our lives, but He provides voices through other people who passionately follow after him, to input encouragement and assurance into our decisions. He constantly assures us through other people of the things that we have been praying for, so do not discount other believers speaking wisdom into your life! God uses other people to speak truth into what you have been praying about!
If your are praying about something that you think God has put on your heart, DO NOT GIVE UP IF YOU HAVE TO WAIT LONGER THAN YOU WANT! His Plan is perfect. Your plan is NOT.
Just because you have to wait (which sucks sometimes) the joy that Jesus will bring you after you wait is absolutely incredible, if that's what he has truly called you to! There were some points in my waiting where I just wanted to break down, where I wanted to get mad at God, or where I just wanted to give up. Thankfully he continued to lead me towards what He had called me to! When I was weak or unmotivated to pray or believe, He gave me strength to keep going, to keep believing, to keep me motivated.
I specifically remember me asking God a lot of questions. Real life questions, that I honestly didn't even want to ask Him sometimes. I would ask Him questions like:
-Lord, if these desires that you have put on my heart are of my own flesh, take them away because I don't want them.
-Lord, if you want me to do go this direction, lead me there because I can't do it myself.
-Lord, show yourself to me, I feel so lost right now.
-Lord, test my foundation because I cannot hear your voice right now (that was a hard one to pray). He will put you threw the fire, if you ask Him to do so! 1 Corinthians 3:10-17
-Lord, I need to feel your spirit right now. Show me direction and incline my heart to your way and your will for my life.
A lot of the time I forgot that God's will for my life is this. 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. If I am doing these two things (more importantly if I am doing #1 always and making sure that's my priority) then I am acting in God's will for my life. If I am loving God first, then everything that I do after that is within God's will for my life. So don't get caught up with always thinking to yourself, "is this God's will for my life?" and instead think to yourself "Am I loving God with everything I am right now while making this decision? Is this decision what He would want for me?".
Jesus wants us to live freely in the freedom and the Joy that He has provided for us! 2 Corinthians 3:17.
Don't be afraid of what is going to happen when we wait, patience is something that Jesus is so faithful through.
A fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is Patience. Be obedient and open to what the Holy Spirit of God has to tell you, and be a piece of clay that is openly molded by the potter! (Isaiah 64:8)
I hope that I allowed God to speak to you in someway through this blog and through what Jesus has taught me in the past few months!
HE adores you! (Psalm 139:1) HE is jealous for YOU! (Exodus 20:4-5) HE LOVES YOU! (1 John 3:1)
Be blessed today!
