Gods plan – Page 2 – The Will to Wake Up

Don’t Let the Enemy Steal Your Joy

Are you having trouble fully experiencing joy this Christmas? This might encourage you and help you regain your joy.

Christmas time can bring a lot of different feelings for everyone. For some, it might bring excitement, anticipation, and hope. For others, it may bring up past feelings of grief, loneliness, and confusion. I bet that this year is harder than most as even people who normally have a lot to celebrate mourn all that was lost over the past year. I am sending prayers of comfort for all of you grieving someone or something this holiday season.

However, I’m also here to bring encouragement and help you not lose anymore joy this season.

I’ve talked about joy a lot on here, and that’s because it’s an important part of our daily lives. To redefine joy, it’s not just a state of happiness that lasts for only a short time. Rather, joy is a permanent part of us that we can have as believers in Jesus because we have faith in a good God despite hard circumstances. Joy is having hope in the future no matter what happened today. Joy is knowing that we can still be content despite what the world tells us.

On many Christmas cards I handed out this year and received, the words peace, hope, and joy were on them. Those words are often associated with Christmas because we think about how joyful that first Christmas must have been, right? We imagine the little nativity that we learned about in Sunday school where all the people came to the inn with their animals, bearing gifts for the newborn King.

But the truth is, there was a lot that first Christmas that was hard. They had a corrupt government, civil unrest, injustice, and many people struggled with illness, poverty, and uncertainty about the future. Sound familiar?

Basically, if we really think about it, Jesus made quite the sacrifice coming that first Christmas. He entered a world full of sin, a world that can never be made perfect without Him. And to top it all off, Jesus came down knowing how He would be humiliated and killed, rejected and despised, poor and without shelter many a time.

Yet, through Jesus’ love for US, He made that sacrifice to come down for us. Christmas is a celebration of love, Christ’s love, and the ultimate sacrifice He would later make for us.

You may have thought that they had more to celebrate that first Christmas than we do now, what with COVID, civil unrest, and all the other issues plaguing our world today. But as you can see, they really did have many opportunities to lose sight of their joy. Yet the ones who worshiped Jesus, who saw what a great sacrifice He was going to make for us, were the ones who really got a lot out of Christmas. When they turned to Jesus, their hope was restored. Their lives were made new. Their hearts opened to the reality that the most powerful being in the universe came down to save them.

And that’s the way to experience true joy this Christmas, to not let the burdens and hardships our present circumstances bring allow us to miss out on fully experiencing Jesus’ love for us.

I’m going to close with a recent event that happened in my life.

I was driving to the barn where I work and ride horses. As I was driving, I couldn’t help but feel this overwhelming sense of joy and appreciation for Jesus. I started praising Him for everything He has done for me and I knew that the enemy would try to steal my joy. But I told Jesus as I got out of the car that I wasn’t going to let the enemy win.

About an hour later, I was laying on the ground of the arena, my riding partner asking me if I was okay.

The horse I had been riding, who has never spooked on me before, randomly spooked at an unknown thing and I flew off onto the ground.

Standing up too quickly and needing to take a breather, I replied that I was fine, just a bit dusty, sore, and wondering what on earth was going on.

Thankfully, I’m okay. I am still sore and stiff, but after walking around and reconnecting with the horse, I got back on and cooled her down before telling her owner about it. I know that there could’ve been something that startled her, but I can’t shake the feeling that it was also a spiritual occurrance. I know that the enemy was trying to steal my joy yesterday.

But I didn’t let him.

Instead, I am going to use this experience as a reminder of how God took care of me since it could’ve been worse, of how far I’ve come as a rider to be able to just get right back on and explain the situation to others, and to be grateful that I am on the road to recovery.

This Christmas, no matter what you are going through, don’t let the enemy steal what’s rightfully yours. Jesus’ love is for you. It’s for all of us to celebrate and experience. And the joy that comes from that is yours too.

Merry Christmas! I’ll be praying that this holiday season brings you hope, love, and ultimately joy.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.
Psalm 34:9

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:29

Hope in the Midst of an Unknown Future

Are you feeling anxious about what the new year might bring? Here is some encouragement about who holds your future.

Don’t be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
Corrie ten Boom

I saw that quote on a day where the future feels…shaky. As we head into the new year, there has been a lot of speculation as to what 2021 will hold for us. Will the affects of COVID be over with by this time next year? Will we still have our health, family members, friends, or jobs? What if something worse happens next year?

So many questions and so few answers. I think many of us could use 2020 as a year to doubt God and His goodness.

But instead, I’d like for you to think of this past year differently. How has God shown that He is still good and still working despite all that’s happened? We don’t have to happy about all the difficulties we’ve faced this past year. But we should be able to find ways to have hope in the midst of it all.

I have talked to many people close to me about how having to stay at home has affected them. We all have agreed that by regular life going on pause, we have found new ways to connect with God. Now we are making it a habit to pray, read the Bible, and just spend that intentional time with Him. That should be the most valuable thing and best use of time for us.

As you get ready for Christmas and New Year’s, I hope that you can still feel joy, despite all the hardships you’ve faced this year. And as you step into the unknown, I hope you can believe that God is working through everything, no matter how things end up. Don’t stop trusting God just because others might or because things seem uncertain. Just think about the Christmas story and all the unlikely people God used to bring true love and joy into the world. He can and will use you too.

Today, make a list for all the unexpected blessings that have come from this strange year, and another list of things you are looking forward to in the future. No matter what you’re worried about, God has already taken care of it. He loves you so much and He knows what’s best for you.

Don’t give up. ❤

Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

The Unexpected Ways God Works

Have you been discouraged by prayers not being answered the way you had hoped?

I’ve been reminded a lot throughout this past week, and even before, about how God truly gives us what we need. He knows what’s best for us more than anybody else ever will.

I want you to think back to the last time you prayed, whether it was this morning, yesterday, or months ago. If you can remember, write down what you asked God for.

Now, looking back at that list, think about whether what you asked God for was phrased like example A or example B.

A) “Dear God, I really want this job. I think it will be the best job possible for me. I have asked so many people to pray for this and I believe that it’s Your will for me to have this job because I can witness to people and because I worked so hard that I deserve it. Thank you in advance, God.”

B) “Dear God, a new job opportunity has arisen for me. I feel like it is a job that You have given me the talents for, but ultimately I want to follow Your lead. If this is a job where I can serve you and others and fulfill my potential, then I will be pleased, but if not, I will know that there is something better out there for me. If there is a different job I must pursue, please help me have the courage to pursue it. Let Your will be done.”

I bet you could see a difference between the two prayers. One acted like God was a magical genie that would grant wishes while the other recognized how God is the One in control no matter what.

I think a lot of times we forget how much God knows about us. If you think about it, God created you. He had you in mind since the beginning of time. If you think your parents or anyone who has known you for most of your life knows you well, then realize that God must know you even more than they do! He knows us even better than we know ourselves.

I have a friend who knows me so well, and sometimes I joke with her that she knows me better than I know myself, which is why I ask for her advice so often! I know that she has my best interest in mind and that she will help me make the right decisions.

God is like that, only so much better. He has everyone’s best interest in mind and He’s able to make everything happen the way that it is meant to be. I know that can be so hard to believe, but it’s true.

Now, I want you to think about what you were praying hardest for last month. Or maybe even last year. Some time that isn’t too recent.

How has God answered that prayer? If He didn’t answer it the way you wanted, then would you say He didn’t answer it? Or can you think of how God’s answer was even better than what you could’ve imagined?

If you can’t see what God’s doing yet, that’s okay. Sometimes it takes months or even years. But it’s important to reflect on the ways God is working unexpectedly in your life.

I prayed about two months ago for God to give me new opportunities. God blessed me with something even greater– more ways to express gratitude as well as contentment about things that I had been stressed about for a long time.

Maybe God didn’t answer my prayer the way I had wanted. But He answered it in a way that was so much better. And now, I don’t necessarily even want what I had originally been praying for because I have realized that by the way God answered my prayer, I have gotten closer to Him.

Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we will ever have.

Today, I hope you can feel encouraged that despite your prayers not always getting answered the way you wanted, God is still working in your life for good.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose
Romans 8:28

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Genesis 50:20

Loving God Through Trusting Him

Is there something God’s placed on your heart that you are afraid to do?

I was watching a movie last night, a Christmas rom-com, which I would not recommend because it was pretty much a waste of time 🙂 However, I did get a lot out of one scene from it that inspired me for today’s Encouragement Thursday.

One of the main characters was trying to figure out if her coworker and best friend loved her, and she asked her father how he knew her mother was the one. He replied that she was willing to face her biggest fear for him. If you are willing to face your fears for someone else, then you love them.

This got me thinking. There are so many verses in the Bible about trusting God, but I don’t think we realize that it’s an act of worship. When we listen to God and do what He tells us to–acting on our faith–we are proving to God that we love Him.

So if we are too afraid to do what God tells us to, then do we truly love Him?

I’ve been thinking about that question a lot over the past couple days. I think we can certainly love God while having doubts. But I think the way to truly show God that we love Him is by doing what He commands. Sometimes God commands us to do things that we don’t want to do, or even worse, that we are afraid to do. But that doesn’t mean we have an excuse not to do them. It just means that we need to call out to God and ask for His peace and strength to overflow within us so that we can do what He asks.

God wants to help us. He wants us to become the people He created us to be. But that requires us to do our part, too. We need to ask God each day to help us listen to Him and to renew our faith. We also need to be willing to stop sitting around questioning whether or not we should do something and instead jump up and just do it.

I know that what I’m suggesting isn’t easy. I have a lot of trouble doing what God tells me to sometimes. But trusting God is vital for our spiritual growth. It helps us develop an even deeper love of God when we trust Him with EVERYTHING. Our relationships, our health, our finances, our future, our everything.

So today, think about something that God has been telling you to do, but you’ve been too afraid to do it. It’s not too late. God is patient and He knows that you may have needed some assurance before taking this leap of faith. Pray about it and allow God’s peace to fill you. Then, go out and do it. 🙂

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
James 2:17

You Are Here for a Reason

In case no one’s told you today, you are here for a reason.

You’re here for a reason.

No matter what anybody’s told you, no matter what you’ve been through, no matter how the past may hold you.

You’re here for a reason.

Despite all the failures, despite the dreams that have passed you by, despite the way you sometimes want to hide.

You’re here for a reason.

You were born at that specific time on that specific day in that specific location for a reason.

You were made with these amazing dreams, with these incredible talents, with those super deep feelings for a reason.

You look the way you do, you act the way you do, and you are who you are for a reason.

You are you because we need you. If you become like everyone else, then who will take your place? No one. Because you are irreplaceable.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:14

Expendable

Taking a short trip down memory lane for an important reminder about how God uses every season of our lives!

For today’s Encouragement Thursday, I couldn’t decide what to write about. So I went through some old journals a few days ago, and I found a rather insightful entry from sixteen-year-old me. Hope it lifts your spirits the way it did for me!

A lot of times, we think situations or people are expendable. We think “ugh, we could have been just the same without that” or “that person has done nothing helpful for me”. But you know, every situation changes us. Every interaction changes us. Every person put in our lives has a purpose and maybe if you actually let them change you (for the better) or help you grow, you can see how even the most difficult people teach us things. (Like patience, haha) Same goes for situations. A lot of times, the ones we want to erase from our minds are the ones that have made us who we are today. They are painful, not expendable. Not replaceable.

But most importantly, we are not expendable. We are vital, made for a purpose, and even when others see us as just another useless piece of trash, God sees us as His perfect creation. His loved creation.

Okay, I may have been slightly irritated or something with a person when I wrote that. I was probably frustrated with a situation I couldn’t control or something. But I think it’s so helpful to look back and see how God was moving in our lives even when we least expected it.

I have gotten so much from rereading old journals and thinking about the past. It’s important to not get stuck there, but it’s good to reflect on how far we’ve come. We aren’t the same person we once were. But we can take those amazing attributes from our younger years and combine that with the wisdom we obtain as we get older. Think about your own history. How have you grown as a person? How is God using this particular season in your life? What can you learn from how God has worked through you and for you in the past? God uses every age, every season of our lives. All we have to do is let go and trust His mighty plan for us.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:7-8

What You Already Have

Are you struggling to make sense of the season of life you are in right now?

I know that I talk about this a lot, but in a world full of fear, anxiety, stress, and comparison, it’s important to put life in perspective for a moment.

Don’t forget about what you already have. Don’t waste the season that you are in right now.

I’m currently towards the end of a Bible study about trusting God through different seasons of life. One key topic really stuck out to me. The best part of the journey is not the end destination, but rather how you are growing closer to God and as a person on your way to that destination. (Terkeurst)

The thing is, we are always so focused on the next best thing. We hear about a social gathering and we start fretting over whether or not we will be invited. We get a new job and already start wondering if we will get a promotion. We meet a new person and suddenly wonder what they can do to better our lives.

But the issue with that kind of thinking is that we are too focused on two things.

Our plan over God’s plan
Not appreciating what we already have

Our Plan Over God’s Plan Will Lead to Heartbreak

When we think that we know better than the One who created the entire world with everyone’s best interests in mind, we start believing that we are better than God.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. When you prayed last night that God would give you that new job, new relationship, or magically make everything work out the way you wanted it to, you were not actively thinking that you were better than God. But the truth is, that’s what we are telling God when we want Him to go along with our plans instead of us trusting what He has already planned for us.

You see, regardless of our attitudes, God’s plan will happen. But if we think positively and work through these seasons willingly, we will have so much more fulfillment than if we drag our feet through the whole process. And who knows, if you start wondering how God will use this season of your life instead of just dreading every part of it, you may find new opportunities that are even better than what you hoped for.

Two beings are harmed when we go along with our own plan instead of God’s.

That would be you and God.

Your heart will be so much more fragile if you only feel loved by the people you accept and if you only feel satisfied when things go your way. But if you keep an open mind when God tells you “no”, and actually celebrate God thinking ahead and closing a door for you so that you don’t travel down the wrong path, then you won’t ever have to experience that dark place that we can so often find ourselves in when relying on our own strength.

But you will not only break your own heart when you follow your own plan. God’s heart will break too. He loves you so much that He died for you, and when you don’t trust Him even after all He has done for you, then how do you think that makes Him feel? Like you don’t love Him or trust Him despite how He believes that you handle whatever comes your way.

The Penalty for Not Having Gratitude

You might have read that title and thought…huh? I don’t want to feel guilty today! I’m not ruining someone else’s life by not feeling grateful!

And you’re right, in some respects. This isn’t to make you feel guilty. We all struggle with complaining and having trouble seeing life in the “big picture”.

But the one you are hurting, my friend, is yourself, when you don’t appreciate the season of life you are in right now. You will miss out on so many opportunities that God is placing in your heart if you are only focused on the future. When you look back years later, wouldn’t you like to think that you made the most of every season of life you’re in? And who knows, this season may end up being more fruitful than you expect.

Best of all, if this feels like a season of waiting for you, then you have the opportunity to really focus on your relationship with God. You never have to wait to do that! Spend some time with Him today and think about where He might be guiding you.

Today, I hope that you can feel encouraged that God has an amazing plan for you, no matter what the world tells you. God wants to use you in incredible ways, you just have to listen and trust. Every day is a fresh start, so mark today as a new beginning for you. A new path that will take you closer to God and will help you remember that no matter what life throws at you, you are not in this alone.

The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

Thank You

Happy One Year Anniversary to this blog! How have you changed over the course of the year?

Today is my one year anniversary of posting on this blog! Thank YOU for being amazing. I hope this has been an encouragement to you, because that is the sole purpose of this blog, to spread encouragement and remind you of God’s love.

As I may have mentioned before, the day I started this blog was rough. It was actually the day after one of the worst nights of my life. I’m the type of person to bottle everything up inside, and it pretty much all exploded that day.

I’ve realized why I was so broken. It was because I was putting my faith in people and in circumstances. I was too afraid of losing what I had instead of focusing on what had been given to me in that moment.

I struggle a lot with really staying in the moment. I would say that I’m generally optimistic, but I do worry a lot about the future and about my relationships. I think that things will only get better if _____ happens.

But I need to stop.

And remember.

I have everything I need already.

And so do you.

You may not feel that way at all, and a lot of the time, I don’t either. But it’s true. God never gives us anything too big for us to handle when we have Him by our side. He can turn any situation around in ways we can’t even fathom. That’s what ended up happening with two of the things I had been so stressed about a year ago.

One of those things had to do with an important person in my life. I was worried that we would drift apart, and although that kind of happened for a season, we ended up becoming closer than we had been originally over the course of a few months. I just had to be patient.

For the other thing, I thought that we were going to have to put my dog down, who was my best friend and closest companion, the only one I ever really shared my emotions with. Well, God spared him for several more months, and because of that scare, I was able to actually celebrate those months and make the most of my time with him.

God allows us to go through difficult days, months, seasons, even years. But He promises us that we are never alone during those times. And in the end, I think you’ll realize why God allowed you to go through those hardships. It’s so hard to think ahead when we’re still in the eye of the storm. But if you keep your eyes on God and allow His peace to flow through you, then however long it takes will be worth it.

In the moment, those few months felt like eternity. But looking back, so much has changed in the course of a year. I’m still here, even when I doubted it sometimes. Life has changed very drastically for all of us, I’m sure.

But there’s one thing that doesn’t change, and that’s God. He will always be our source of perfect love, perfect stability, and perfect justice.

So today, if you have the chance, think back to where you were a year ago today. Have you changed as a person? How have your difficulties over the course of a year actually brought you closer to God?

And remember, there is so much to be thankful for. I guarantee that if you stop and really think about who you love, how God has blessed you, even in the small areas of life, that you’ll feel a bit more joyful.

Thank you for one year! Treat yourself to something sweet and virtually celebrate with me! 😉

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17