Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times...
I am thankful for my friend, God, and my Christian friends who have stuck by my side even during the good, bad, and ugly!
Sad to say, I've been on a spiritual roller coaster ride the last 10 years of my life. I wasn't seeking God. I wasn't praying daily. I wasn't reading His Word. I wasn't feeding my spirit. I wasn't serious about God or anything that had to do with Him. I had my "pocket Jesus" and would pull Him out only when times were rough. I wasn't serving Him during all circumstances. At times, I appeared that I did. I was "playing Christian." Knowing what others are looking for as a checklist to see if you're a Christian or not, I was able to fool many. But thankfully, my true friends who were plugged in to God knew differently.
God burdened their hearts for me. Not knowing how to approach me, prayers went up first. God was still working on my end of the spectrum. I wasn't ready to receive what He wanted to do for me, but through earnest prayer (not the 2-minute-bless-her-God kind of prayer but the get-down-to-business-go-get-her-God kind of prayer),God began that work in me. It wasn't instantaneous. I fought it, but He was still working.
As my heart was searching for something more to this life than what I was living, God was speaking to me. I did NOT want to hear it, I ran...ran far away...hoping to escape the misery I was in. But running from God only made it worse. Every aspect of my life seemed to fall apart. The more I tried to fix it, the worse it got, and the worse it got, the more I tried to fix it. And the vicious cycle continued. The "I can do it on my own" attitude is great at times, but in this case, I slowly sunk deeper and deeper into the darkest, most miserable, God-forsaken place I've ever been.
I'm normally a strong, don't-need-anybody-to-comfort-me individual (I'm a little prideful on being able to take care of business and do it on my own), yet inside I was crying out, screaming for help, hoping that just one person could see the hurt, anguish, and despair..."Someone please look into my eyes and see that I'm struggling! Help! The storm of life has overtaken me, and I'm drowning!" All to no avail because the front I put up on the outside fooled many. Plus, they had their own battles to fight, and their strength was depleted like mine. Little did I know that God had someone on their knees for me daily. I was looking for rescue in one certain form, but God was answering my prayer a different way.
When the ground of my heart was ready to receive from God what He wanted to do, I was approached by a special friend. This friend was on a mission from God to tell me that God loves me, and in love, not condemnation, exposed the deepest, darkest secret of my heart. Now, I freaked out, about threw up, and about peed myself. I was like..."Uh oh! I'm done for now!" It's a God thing when someone can tell you exactly what you've been going through, and they haven't been there to see it. As scared as I was about this moment of truth, the weight of the world seemed to lift at this moment. God cared enough, loved me enough, to use someone whom I've always held in high regard to love me and reach out to me. Did you hear that? God reached out to me! Wow! As ugly, stinky, awful, gross, sin-covered as I was, God wanted me, the prodigal daughter to come home, to look to Him, to rest in Him, to grow in Him. Yet, I still ran! What a case of stupid! I was looking for God to reach to me. He did. And I still ran like a moron! God had to get my attention. I dream a lot. But one summer night in 2008, He gave me a vision. I died and went to Hell.....talk about a powerful, attention getter!
As my friend continued to just be my friend, pray for me, listen, counsel, speak God's Truth into me, my life began to change. I turned it all over to God. He began and is still continuing a major transformation of my heart and life. But it took action on my part. I had to be willing to give it all to God. I had to be willing to obey His commands. I had to be willing to open up and say, "God whatever it is You have for me, then let's do this." I had to be willing, period. God will never force Himself on us. He gave us a choice. I had to make the choice to choose Him, to choose life everlasting! Thank You Lord for never giving up on me and for using Your willing servant to reach me! You are an awesome God!
Today I was listening to my Casting Crowns cd like I have so many other days, a couple of songs really spoke to my spirit. "Prayer for a Friend" made me stop and think about this time in my life when that's all a friend of mine was able to do...pray for me.
There is power in prayer! I'm living proof of it! Prayer is not a now and then thing to do only when we get in trouble. Prayer is a daily communication with God, our Lord and Savior. Prayer is just as simple as talking with a friend because God is our friend.
Do you really love God or are you just "playing Christian?" Do you really appreciate Him for Him? Are you thankful for his grace and mercy? Are you thankful that He sustained you during your lost times and that you are not living an eternity in Hell? Are you saved? If not, why not? Do you really want to go to Hell?
Have you prayed lately? Have you really gotten down to business with God and given Him every fiber of your being? Have you read His Word to get your daily jolt of "Jesus Juice?" Are you striving to be more like Him each day?
God call us to repentance! You are a merciful, loving God just waiting for Your children to turn around and run into Your arms of love. You are always there! We may walk away from You, but You never change! You are constant. You are truth. You are love. You are willing to forgive. God let the desire to know You more and want more of You burn in our hearts and souls. Thank You, Lord, for loving me and changing me. Continue to remove me and make me into Your image. I love you, Jesus, my friend and Savior.
I am thankful for my friend, God, and my Christian friends who have stuck by my side even during the good, bad, and ugly!
Sad to say, I've been on a spiritual roller coaster ride the last 10 years of my life. I wasn't seeking God. I wasn't praying daily. I wasn't reading His Word. I wasn't feeding my spirit. I wasn't serious about God or anything that had to do with Him. I had my "pocket Jesus" and would pull Him out only when times were rough. I wasn't serving Him during all circumstances. At times, I appeared that I did. I was "playing Christian." Knowing what others are looking for as a checklist to see if you're a Christian or not, I was able to fool many. But thankfully, my true friends who were plugged in to God knew differently.
God burdened their hearts for me. Not knowing how to approach me, prayers went up first. God was still working on my end of the spectrum. I wasn't ready to receive what He wanted to do for me, but through earnest prayer (not the 2-minute-bless-her-God kind of prayer but the get-down-to-business-go-get-her-God kind of prayer),God began that work in me. It wasn't instantaneous. I fought it, but He was still working.
As my heart was searching for something more to this life than what I was living, God was speaking to me. I did NOT want to hear it, I ran...ran far away...hoping to escape the misery I was in. But running from God only made it worse. Every aspect of my life seemed to fall apart. The more I tried to fix it, the worse it got, and the worse it got, the more I tried to fix it. And the vicious cycle continued. The "I can do it on my own" attitude is great at times, but in this case, I slowly sunk deeper and deeper into the darkest, most miserable, God-forsaken place I've ever been.
I'm normally a strong, don't-need-anybody-to-comfort-me individual (I'm a little prideful on being able to take care of business and do it on my own), yet inside I was crying out, screaming for help, hoping that just one person could see the hurt, anguish, and despair..."Someone please look into my eyes and see that I'm struggling! Help! The storm of life has overtaken me, and I'm drowning!" All to no avail because the front I put up on the outside fooled many. Plus, they had their own battles to fight, and their strength was depleted like mine. Little did I know that God had someone on their knees for me daily. I was looking for rescue in one certain form, but God was answering my prayer a different way.
When the ground of my heart was ready to receive from God what He wanted to do, I was approached by a special friend. This friend was on a mission from God to tell me that God loves me, and in love, not condemnation, exposed the deepest, darkest secret of my heart. Now, I freaked out, about threw up, and about peed myself. I was like..."Uh oh! I'm done for now!" It's a God thing when someone can tell you exactly what you've been going through, and they haven't been there to see it. As scared as I was about this moment of truth, the weight of the world seemed to lift at this moment. God cared enough, loved me enough, to use someone whom I've always held in high regard to love me and reach out to me. Did you hear that? God reached out to me! Wow! As ugly, stinky, awful, gross, sin-covered as I was, God wanted me, the prodigal daughter to come home, to look to Him, to rest in Him, to grow in Him. Yet, I still ran! What a case of stupid! I was looking for God to reach to me. He did. And I still ran like a moron! God had to get my attention. I dream a lot. But one summer night in 2008, He gave me a vision. I died and went to Hell.....talk about a powerful, attention getter!
As my friend continued to just be my friend, pray for me, listen, counsel, speak God's Truth into me, my life began to change. I turned it all over to God. He began and is still continuing a major transformation of my heart and life. But it took action on my part. I had to be willing to give it all to God. I had to be willing to obey His commands. I had to be willing to open up and say, "God whatever it is You have for me, then let's do this." I had to be willing, period. God will never force Himself on us. He gave us a choice. I had to make the choice to choose Him, to choose life everlasting! Thank You Lord for never giving up on me and for using Your willing servant to reach me! You are an awesome God!
Today I was listening to my Casting Crowns cd like I have so many other days, a couple of songs really spoke to my spirit. "Prayer for a Friend" made me stop and think about this time in my life when that's all a friend of mine was able to do...pray for me.
There is power in prayer! I'm living proof of it! Prayer is not a now and then thing to do only when we get in trouble. Prayer is a daily communication with God, our Lord and Savior. Prayer is just as simple as talking with a friend because God is our friend.
Do you really love God or are you just "playing Christian?" Do you really appreciate Him for Him? Are you thankful for his grace and mercy? Are you thankful that He sustained you during your lost times and that you are not living an eternity in Hell? Are you saved? If not, why not? Do you really want to go to Hell?
Have you prayed lately? Have you really gotten down to business with God and given Him every fiber of your being? Have you read His Word to get your daily jolt of "Jesus Juice?" Are you striving to be more like Him each day?
God call us to repentance! You are a merciful, loving God just waiting for Your children to turn around and run into Your arms of love. You are always there! We may walk away from You, but You never change! You are constant. You are truth. You are love. You are willing to forgive. God let the desire to know You more and want more of You burn in our hearts and souls. Thank You, Lord, for loving me and changing me. Continue to remove me and make me into Your image. I love you, Jesus, my friend and Savior.
4 comments:
What a beautiful song! Such an awesome testimony of God's love & magnificence! He is so faithful to us even when we fail & aren't faithful to Him! To God be the Glory for all He's done & will do! Love you SJ!
Beautiful testimony. I, too, have prayed at times: "God, can't they see I'm hurting?"
Lord, let me be attuned to your people and make a positive difference.
I'm sure that this will probably lead into another blog...
One thing I've learned through this is that God never leaves me nor forsakes me. He never fails!
Also, I've learned that looking to anywhere or anyone besides Him for my every need only leads to disappointment. Yes, God used a human to help reach me, but ultimately, I had to put God at the center of my world and turn to Him for all my needs, wants, desires, hopes, dreams, etc.
Great job sherry! I love you and have loved watching you grow. You have also been an encouragement to other people and God has used you like He used others in your life. Love you girl!
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