Hey girls, readers.
Life’s been a bit insane the last couple weeks, right?
The world is in a bit of a frenzy, and everybody is sort of scared and stressed and… troubled?
It’s ok to admit maybe, that you’re a bit unsettled and afraid too. I know I was and still have moments of fear. But in this crazy time I’ve also spent a lot of time reading the word of God and seeking Him and what better time to learning about our God?
I don’t know if this post is going to make a consecutive sense, but I have a couple of verses that have wrapped themselves around my heart and given me peace and assurance.
I am not afraid. I know where I am going at the end. Do you? John 14:6 says “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father but through me.'”
In this unsettled world we have the chance to witness not only with the joy and peace in our hearts but also with the hope that we live for. The world does not know what is going to happen. The “pandemic” is wreaking havoc on people’s lives. Normal will never be normal again. We will never go back to the way life was before. But friend, Christian, this is nothing to be afraid or upset over! Dear heart reading this post, stay strong! You know where your hope is, in our strong tower! In our Lord Jesus Christ who is the same as He was in the days of Noah, in the days of Abraham. The same Lord Jesus who caused the ten plagues in Egypt and protected His own people is the same Jesus who is overseeing and watching our world today. He sees you! He sees your heart! He sees the things you had to give up, the people you cannot hug anymore. He sees your worries and the things you aren’t sure about.
A few years ago I attended a youth conference, and one of the things that has stuck with me still now, years later, was a statement that one of the pastors made. “When there is something that I love, and then that thing gets threatened and I fall apart, I can know that that is an idol.”
Similarly, I’ve mentioned before the phrase that I try to live by. “Open Hands.”
Open hands means whenever God gives me something, anything at all, I receive it with joy and happiness and use it for His glory, but I keep my hands always open. Never hold on too tightly to what He’s given me. Because “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
When you hold on too tightly to something, it makes it more painful to let go. When your hands are open, and you’re allowing it to taken without having to be pulled from your fingers.
Christians, keep your hands open. Allow the Lord to give AND take away. Allow Him to guide and lead your life. Allow HIM to be the center and the purpose of your life.
As we get pulled from our outings, our school, our everyday routines, lets take this time to instill two new habits. #1, Read God’s word. Get to know the pages, the words, the teachings and the promises that our Lord has made to us, His elect. (He calls us His elect and I wear that title with hope.) and #2, witness.
Witness, witness, witness. Girls, readers, we have a chance like no other to reach out to the hurting community around us in prayer and love! We can share the hope of Christ with new strength and purpose that we may have failed to acknowledge before. There are people every direction you turn that need to hear that there is hope. There is more. This is not the end. This can be the beginning of an eternal life of peace and joy! Share Christ.
Now I’m going to share a series of verses that I’ve sort of been chewing on and thinking about the last couple of days.
Promises
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every man that believes.”
1 Cor. 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.”! (I highly recommend getting your Bible out and reading through 1 Corinthians 1:18-27. It should give you hope that God would choose “the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.”)
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled: You believe in God, believe also in me.”
Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.” vs 24-26 “For we are saved by hope, yet hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? If we hope for what we see not, we do with patience wait for it. Likewise, the Spirit also helps our infirmities, for we know not how we should pray as we ought, but the Spirit makes intersection for us with groaning that cannot be uttered.” vs 28 “For we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and those who are called according to his purpose.” vs 35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulations or distress or prosecution, or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?” vs 37-39 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
James 5:16 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Psalm 91:2 “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God; in Him will I trust.”
Keep praying, keep trusting the King of the World, for you are His child, and keep sharing the truth of hope to the world so desperately dying to hear it!
Sending Love and prayers. Stay healthy girls, wash your hands and love those around you. Jesus is coming soon! Let Him come to find us hard at work for His glory!
~Libby
I love this!