I'm sitting here in "cookie overload"....my daughter just made the most delicious chocolate chip cookies that were over sized and ohhhhhh so good! I've been able to find some quiet time this weekend and enjoyed my time alone with God. My time lately with Him seems to only come in the early morning and for short periods before the craziness of the day begins. Anytime alone with Him is a treasure, but I have been yearning for more quality time. Well, anyway I'm just rejoicing over the much needed time I was able to carve out.
While looking through my journal, I looked over the prayer requests I've kept for the past few years and all the "TYL" (thank you Lord) notes I had next to so many of my entries. Of course God answers all prayer, just not always in the way we anticipate or hope for. For me, this is where my trust and faith have had to get me through those tough times.
"When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need" Psalm 138:3
I'm not sure if it was a sermon given by our pastor or just a thought I had at the time, but I had written this down a while back about God's Rescue...."Jesus will meet us where ever we are at (no matter the circumstances or the condition of our life) - HE JUST WON'T LEAVE US THERE" !!!! I love that - it sums up not only our need for Him, but his desire to move us out and up if we so desire! ANYONE, no matter their sin, is given this invitation. "Our repentance unlocks our destiny with God"!!! This revelation alone gives me enough to rejoice about!!! I say that only because of my own personal experience.
The possibilities are endless when we become clay in the potter's hand!!! Is that good news or what??? Sorry if I seem overly excited about something that is so obvious to those who believe, I was just remembering back to when I made the leap. I've always believed in God and knew Jesus was my Savior, but when I surrendered my stubborn will and hold on what was important to the world and became intimate with his Word and desired to live each day for Him, things really changed. The change in my life did not happen because of what I did, but because of His Grace!
The "walk" I had down memory lane through my journal really reminded me of How Great our God is. Not that everything turned out according to "my plan", but how much better His Plan is (well, no kidding, right?)! There were prayers not answered "my way" that brought such grief to me and those in my life at the time, but I have great hope for the plan He is continuously unfolding in our lives!
Jesus Christ rescued me from myself and from this world and for that I am beyond grateful!
Thank you Lord!
