Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen...Hebrews 11:1
As I sit here in the living room drinking my coffee this morning I am reflecting on the blessings of the Lord. This week has been a week where I have been thanking God for the adversity in my life. There is a lesson to be learned in every trial, every pain, and every misunderstanding. I don't see this adversity as being done to me or that I am being mistreated or unloved, I see it as a shaping of my life unto the Lord. Today, I think to myself "Lord I truly am your broken vessel". See I am bought with a price and he has shown me a glimpse of my future. He has shown me pieces of what he wants for my life. The hard part is giving that dream back to the Lord.
The year of 2012 truly has been one of genuine devotion to the Lord. I began the year frightful, afraid, broken and forlorn with literally no direction in my life. Then amazingly God moved every obstacle out of my way. I did think it might be the end of the world and I was right it was the end of the world as I knew it. No longer could I rely on my ideals and the ideas I had of God in my own box. See the possibilities with God are endless and he wants to use us to the fullest but I like so many others have put him in a box.
The Lord radically changed my very being this year. It's hard to explain if you've never reached that place of brokenness. Its a point where you pour your very soul on the altar and truly surrender and say, "Yes, Lord here I am." I may not understand much from this year but I know that I have heard the voice of God. He will speak to you too but you have to give him all.
That reminds me of an old favorite song of mine, "I will give you all. I will give you all. If all is what you ask of me...I will not withhold. And if my sacrifice is less...than giving you my very best...let me remember Calvary's cross...and be willing to say yes!"
Sis. Vesta Mangun Pentecostals of Alexandria
Top 10 things this year!
1) I came back to the Lord he welcomed me in and began to restore me
2) He moved me out of my job (he had told me to leave for a long time, I didn't listen)
3) I was broken before him but he made a way
4) He delivered me from fear and doubt and imparted to me the gift of faith
5) He gave me my heart's desire to travel the country and I did so seeking him
6) He showed me a vision and a dream
6) He changed the focus from me to others
7) He became my best friend
8) He gave me the dearest friends and prayer partners
9) I met the greatest man of God
10) He has shown me adversity is a gift of change
The past month has been the best and worst month of my life. In it I have been learning that God gave me a dream and now he wants it back. How does one give back a dream that he has given you? I am learning this myself. See I am not the leader of my life and I cannot do it without God receiving all the glory. I feel that God revealed to me a weakness in my life. If someone doesn't understand you or believe in you. You cannot retreat and allow hurt and bitterness to overtake your life. I think the lord saw this weakness and has begun to show me that people may come against you but you must be willing to let God use it for his glory. I asked myself the question, "Lord how ever in the world can I do what you want? How can I prove that I am not the same person I once was? How am I ever to overcome?" The Lord said simply to me- I am your proof! So the answer is you must give the dream back to him. Step back from yourself and just let God do the work. The beautiful thing to realize is that God has already made a way, he knows our every move and he has made a way of escape. Will you listen to his voice? Or will you go around the mountain once more?
I have learned:
1) Seek God for his plan
2) Allow God to impart his plan to you
3) Pray about the plan and wait for it to come to pass
4) Then when you get the plan you have to give it back and let him do the work
I know it doesn't make any sense for God to give you something and then require it back again. But didn't he do that with Abraham? Abraham sought for a son. God imparted a promise of his son. Abraham had to wait for a son and messed up in the process. He then received the promise of his son. Then God asked him for his son back and required Abraham to kill his promise! Yet, at the last moment an Angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from killing his promise. But you see Abraham had faith that if he had to kill his promise that God would raise his son from the dead.
Even as I type this I am amazed that God is revealing to me that is what he is doing with me. So here is my promise Lord, here is my life, here are my hopes and dreams! I give it back to you so you can make it beautiful! My life is not my own and I am bought with a price. I am walking in faith and you are my proof... God I know you will raise my promises from the dead!
