//God is Always Near//Christ in the Single Life//

      Sunrise to sunset to sunrise again, God's faithfulness is evident in every moment of our lives. We may not feel his presence, but scripture is clear that He is always near. We are given glimpses of His nearness during the Children of Israel's dessert wanderings when he lead them by pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people." Exodus 13:21-22

We see Him walking in the garden with Adam and Eve. Again when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers at Pentecost in Acts 2 we see Christ's nearness to His children. The most physical time we ever see God's nearness to us is when He sent His pure unblemished son, Jesus, into our sinful impure world. He walked, taught, ate, slept and lived amongst His created beings and bridged the separation between God and man....forever. Oh how thankful I am for His desire to see those whom He's chosen come into His presence and be eternally near under His protective arm. 

    As I was driving to the gym today, thinking over the past few weeks of my life, I realized that without God as my savior, none of the crazy messes I make as a human would ever make sense. Relationships with people would be pointless (other than for self gratification, which would soon become unfulfilling), I would be unable to find contentment in my job, and the ability to look beyond what is happening in our government would no longer be present. His presence in my life is the most satisfying thing and I am happy to be able to run to Him 24/7 365.

   The last month as been one of the most unique times in my life when I've come face to face with my singleness. God placed me in some unique situations where I would be tested on how strong I would stand for His truth and what scripture says concerning guy-girl relationships. During this month, I would be asked what my opinion was on dating a non-believer. When asked by a non-believer if I'd dated much, I would be given a blank stare when I replied unashamedly "No, I haven't." (Many non-believers don't get why you'd save yourself for marriage thus it's okay to date around and play around). I was approached by an older gentleman from my church who without even knowing what my month had looked like, encouraged me to wait patiently on the Lord for God to bring the right man (if your a single girl in a church, I'm sure you've had this happen to you before, if not...it will come :P ). I  made//mistakes// and lived through them. I showed brashness in certain situations when patience and time would have been better. It was a month of learning. A time to grow in my ability to relate to others in my God given situation in life. Overall, it was a unique month full of growth in learning about my single life and how strong my most important relationship that I do have (with Christ) is. 

   Of course, hind sight is always 20/20, but I know God had/has a plan in it all. I have felt God's presence more in my life during the past couple months than I have ever before. I have become more grateful for Christ's work on the cross that wipes out all our mistakes, covers our blemishes, and leads us through relationship qualms. Christ is the father to the fatherless, the ultimate comforter, and the shoulder to lean on. I am truly grateful for my Main Man, Jesus. <3  May you find comfort in His tenderness as well, seek His face, daily commune with Him....blessings will abound.

   Because I have felt God's closeness more so the past few months, I can also say that I have grown by leaps and bounds in contentment. Though I look forward to the day when God calls me to stand side by side a man as his helpmate, I am also glad for this time in my life as a single person to pursue God, my ultimate groom, and learn more about His character and desire for my life. He is always there, standing by me, pursuing me, and ever forgiving me when mistakes are made. He is there for you as well, and will not let you fall out of His grasp. Praise Him!

  

  
  

Waiting on God's Timing - A Lesson for Life

   Ever feel like your life is going 70 MPH in a 25 MPH speed zone? In our world, where everything is instant, it's hard to slow down, take a look around, and wait on the Lord's timing. I know that for myself, being a girl that enjoys things to happen quickly, I've definitely had to work on waiting for the Lord's timing and have regretted when I have not done so. Maybe that's why some of my favorite passages of scripture have to deal with trusting in the Lord or waiting patiently on Him!

~**~

   If we look closer at scripture, it's easy to see that waiting on the Lord is a major theme for many people in the Bible. Specifically, I think of David: anointed at a young age by Samuel to one day be king over Israel, his battle with Goliath, his struggle with Saul, his eventual exile both in his own country and in the foreign land of the Philistines, and his a continual respect for the Saul, God's anointed.Over and over we see that David's life was characterized by waiting for God's timing...not his own.

   In 2 Samuel chapter 2, the process of waiting continues, this time we see David waiting for the right time to take the throne over all of Israel, not just over Judah. Instead of forcing the nation to give him immediate control of the nation, David asks the Lord for wisdom and direction and then follows what the Lord directs. We see a humbleness in his willingness and desire to inquire of the Lord. Now, some might think..."well, it couldn't have been very long before David took the throne of Israel after Saul died. There probably wasn't much patience he had to exercise there." This though is not the case, in all reality, it took seven years and six months, on top of the decade or more he had already been waiting. What a great example of patience!

 
   Eventually, in God's perfect timing, the pieces of the puzzle fell together in a perfection that can only be matched by God. Though opposition arose against him in the form of Ish-bosheth, one of Saul's sons, we see that God's hand was still sovereign. "Ish-bosheth's kingship was brought forth out of man's power, not God's. His anointing was an open act of rebellion against Jehovah..." (Joe Bellanti)* and his kingship would eventually crumble. Even through the opposition of one wrongly appointed king, David waited on the Lord. He knew God would fulfill his kingship at the exact moment it needed to happen.

     Personalizing all of this, do you actively seek wisdom from the Lord? Are you in prayer about the decisions in your life - the big and the small? Remember, "God's timing is wrapped in His incomparable wisdom" (Joe Bellanti)*, and we have access to that wisdom as His children! Stop in the mad rush of life, read the word, prayerfully ask for guidance and wisdom, and see where the Lord will take you. David was blessed when he waited on the Lord...and so will you and I be if we are humbly approaching His throne of grace and willingly accept what He has for us.

~**~

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

 ~**~

We must wait for God long, meekly, in the wind and the rain, in thunder and lightening, in the cold and  the dark. Wait and He will come. (Unknown)

~**~

After being encouraged this morning by my pastor's sermon in this area....the song "Holy Lord" is ever so much sweeter. What an awesome (awe-inspiring) God we serve. If we just wait upon Him, His holiness and glory will shine in and through us as we are faithful to follow His will in our lives. 

Great are You Lord.
Worthy of praise.
Holy and true;
great are You Lord, most holy Lord.

~**~

* If you liked what you read here, let me encourage you to listen to this sermon preached by my pastor. You will be greatly encouraged, I have no doubt! Many of my thoughts came from his message, which I was deeply encouraged by.

Our Plans Are Not Our Own