Ok, so I got the day off because they tell me it's a "holiday" so here I am updating my blog. Yesterday another church invited our youth for a barbecue. It wasn't exactly barbecue weather so we were inside most of the day but it was good.
A verse that I've been thinking about is Proverbs 17:3 which says "The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold; but it is the Lord who trieth the hearts." This is an encouragement to me to know that the hotter the fires I go through the more precious the outcome. To be honest, the last few weeks have been a little hard for me but our adult Sunday school and message yesterday really helped. A couple of days there I felt this emptiness and void in my life like my life just felt really vain. I tried filling it with different things but it just seemed to get worse. Then in Sunday school yesterday I realized what I needed was to really know God. Not to just read my Bible and pray but to really know and experience God. All week I was praying about different things but God just seemed silent. I kept saying "Lord, I want to know You!" When He finally did speak it's like He was saying, "Do you really? Because if you want to truly no Me then I want all of you. Not just a part of you or bits and pieces of you but I want all of you and notjing but you. I don't want you dragging extra stuff behind you; I want just you. Nothing more and nothing less.
In the message a point was made that we have to walk by faith. We can't just use a formula or apply a three step process to anything but we have to walk by faith. Also, that when something comes up in our lives we have to let God in on it but before we do that we need to firmly decide that whether we love it or hate it, we will do what He says.
I also went back to some notes and things I had written down from a book I read about two months ago and was reminded that what I truly longed for was a deep, intimate relationship with God. In the book the author shared some insight on a portion of scripture which really summarizes my desire. Matthew 13:45, 46 says "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all he had, and bought it." There are five points we can get out of this: There is a pearl of great price (Jesus), We are to seek it, We are commanded to purchase it, It costs us everything, and It is worth the price.
So that's about enough for today. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. God bless!
Good thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret! I actually made it myself with graphics from ShabbyPrincess.com
ReplyDeleteA quote by me :) "I want to know God today. I want to know Him better today then yesterday. I want to know him better tomorrow then I do today."
ReplyDeleteA qoute by Jon Foreman (singer of switchfoot in one of his songs says, "The kingdom of the Heavens, is buired treasure, would you sell yourself to buy what you've found?"
ReplyDelete-Kole
Very good!
ReplyDelete"I want to, want to love God" -Unknown
Have another wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteOh, it sounds like God is teaching you some neat things. How wonderful that you want to know Him more. Have you ever read Knowing God by J.I. Packer? I read in in 1988 when I went on a summer mission trip. I remember that it was wonderful and I see that it is still being sold today. There is even a study guide to go with it. It must be a classic. I should probably read it again. 1988 was a long time ago.
ReplyDelete