Liz Blog, Faith

He Heard You

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1 John 5:14 (KJV)

At the beginning of the spring semester, a good friend from high school visited me at college.

We kept in contact as she traveled, but after she got off her last train, she sent me a frantic text:

I FORGOT MY PURSE ON THE TRAIN!

She fortunately had her phone in her hand, but everything else, besides her backpack, was left behind.

The first instinct I had was to pray, and I replied to her that I did afterwards.

In the meanwhile, an employee searched the train, and she had gone to the lost and found at the station, but nothing turned up. Despite this, she had a great attitude about the loss, and we still had a fun weekend together. Nevertheless, I was a bit bummed and confused that she hadn’t found the purse, especially since I did believe that God heard my prayer and would answer it.

A few weeks later, I got a message from my friend about something she had forgotten to tell me. Days after she had returned from the trip, she received a package in the mail from someone that contained her purse and everything (including money) still inside it.

When I heard the news, I was utterly shocked and overjoyed. I was happy that she found her purse, and even more in awe that God had answered the prayer–even though I had forgotten about it.

Even when we forget about what we have asked the Lord, He hasn’t forgotten our requests, so we must remain submitted to Him.

Submitting to God means that despite the outcome of our prayers, we will still trust and follow His direction. We can have peace in this, knowing that He knows our needs. He is taking care of us, although He might be doing so in ways we don’t expect.

I had no idea that my friend’s purse would be returned in such an uncanny way, yet the fact that it was completely unharmed made the situation a larger testimony of how God works. She could have found it at the station, but instead, the purse was returned in a way that was out of her control–proving that a bigger miracle was behind it.

God hears every one of our prayers. As we wait on Him, we can have confidence and excitement knowing that He is preparing a great testimony in our lives of His faithfulness.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Hebrews 10:23 (KJV)

Liz Blog, Faith, Worship Wednesdays

Worship Wednesdays

Looking for new worship music?

Every Wednesday, you can now discover tunes through #WorshipWednesdays!

Worship Wednesdays will be a blog post featuring a worship song or Christian artist I’ve been listening to lately. Here’s what you can expect:

The pull //

This is essentially why I like the song. What draws me to it, maybe how I found out about it.

The message //

This is the overall message of the song (at least what I gather from it). What about it makes it worship? What is it saying about God? About faith?

I may even throw in a favorite line or two of lyrics that are particularly powerful to me.

The call //

This is my overall recommendation. When is it best to listen to this song? Or if you’re not quite convinced that you want to check it out, I might include why else it’s my pick for the week.

Click here to check out all Worship Wednesdays posts!

Keep a look out every week for a new Worship Wednesdays post! Also, comment or send a message if you have any worship recommendations (bands/artists, songs, etc.)!

 

Liz Blog, Faith

Perseverance, Part 2 – Who Do You Think God Is?

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

Psalm 145:18-19 (KJV)

(Read Part 1 here)

I’m an English major.

I knew I wanted to be one after the first English class I took in college. When the due date for our first research paper was near, my professor stressed to us the importance of finding valid sources for our topic. For clarification, he explained to us the differences between primary and secondary sources.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Primary sources are the original accounts of a study. They’re usually written by people who had direct connection to the topic or event you’re looking at, and they were probably written at the time in which it occurred.

Secondary sources are secondary accounts of a study. While they can be helpful, you can come across secondary sources that may give inaccurate information, since they are based on interpretations or analyses of primary sources.

Depending on what you’re researching, it’s fine to use either one. But if you’re looking for some pretty reliable, first-hand information, a primary source is your best bet.

 

Over the past few weeks, I have been meditating on what it means to understand God as our primary source.

God calls us to cast all cares on Him. I thought this was a “simple” idea, but I didn’t know what it looked like to give Him every emotion, every concern, every dream, and every thought. I had to realize I couldn’t hide anything from Him.

Psalm 145 states that the Lord is near to those who call on Him in truth. Not only are we being encouraged to seek after God, but we are encouraged to seek after Him believing in the truth of who He is.

Now I ask the question–who do you think God is?

Is He nonexistent? Is He cruel? Unfair? Just? Loving?

I have good news. God is not a mystery. In fact, He has revealed Himself to us clearly in the Bible.

There are secondary sources that have painted a distorted image of God that is not based on what the Bible says. Based on its own interpretations and analyses, society has created its own image of God that has deviated from the truth–but the only way to know the true character of God is to go to the primary source, which is His Word.

2 Timothy 2:7 encourages us to think over what God says–through this we gain understanding. In order to think about what God says, we must know Him and know what He says. It’s impossible to know God if we’re running from Him. In fact, the further we go, the further we will be from the truth.

I’ve found that many have fallen into the trap of attributing the evil in this world to God. If we realize who God is, we will learn that evil is the result of a fallen world that has run away from God. Again, the further we run away from God, the further we go into confusion, darkness and destruction.

 

A great illustration of this is in the book of Jonah. God called Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh, a city that had completely turned away from Him. Jonah knew that Nineveh was a wicked city, but he was stubborn and ran away from God (Jonah 1:3). Jonah sought out a ship heading to the city of Tarshish, away from Nineveh, but he was soon caught in a storm. The other sailors threw him overboard, believing he was responsible for the storm due to his disobedience.

Although God had allowed the storm, He shows grace to Jonah and provides safety for him–giving him an opportunity to acknowledge his sin and repent. Instead of allowing Jonah to drown, God provided a whale that swallowed him, and in the belly of the whale is where we see Jonah’s heart change. He cries out to God in prayer, asking for forgiveness (see Jonah 2). What’s incredible is that during this time he acknowledges that salvation comes from the Lord (Jonah 2:9). He saw what God was doing and that He provided grace even in his disobedience. After three days passed, Jonah was vomited from the whale and went to preach, as God instructed, to Nineveh–a city that desperately needed the truth. Because of this obedience, the people of Nineveh did repent and the city was not destroyed. God had compassion on them.

What we learn from Jonah’s story is that there is nothing we can hide from God. Jonah physically ran away from Him, but a lot of our running away is internal–in our heart. We also learn that despite our failings and our sin, God is incredibly patient with us and provides us with the opportunity to repent and come to Him. He’s so gracious that He still provides for us–just as He showed provision for Jonah. The message of repentance that God asked Jonah to preach to a lost city is still the same today.

Because of our sin, we live in a fallen world. Romans 3:23 states that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory–His standard. God is so loving, that although the world has fallen away from Him, He has provided salvation to bring us back to Him. God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. This way, we would not remain dead in our sins and have to suffer eternal punishment in hell. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we can have freedom and eternal life in Heaven.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10 (KJV)

This passage from Romans explains that in order to have eternal life, we must confess our sins with our mouths and believe that Christ has been raised from the dead. This is salvation. This is an eternal promise that shows God’s love for us. What’s amazing about God’s love is that while we have access to eternal life after death, He doesn’t abandon us during our time on earth.

God has a purpose for our time on earth. Unfortunately, sin and evil still exist in the world, so as a result, there are trials in this life. Nevertheless as followers of Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin–we no longer live under its power to control our lives.

When we follow God, He allows growth and fruit to bear in our lives, because it’s not in His nature to withhold. He is a God who gives. By giving His Son, He demonstrated His love for us. He serves as a model for us. He shows love is action. He is a God of action–that is, He is living and He is working–and all His action is of love. We were made to be image-bearers of Christ. If we get His character wrong, we’ll get ours wrong. In order to know our purpose, we must know Him first and foremost.

God is not the author of sin, but rather He is the solution to it. If He was an evil God who was the author of sin, He would have allowed us to suffer in this dark world–BUT He provided salvation. Therefore, His plan is not for us to suffer and stay in our sin but to be free from it. Through life’s trials, we can be perfected in Christ. Through these challenges we gain so much more of a clearer understanding about why it was necessary for Him to provide a way out of them in the first place.

It is a huge mistake to think we are “too far gone” for God. The blood of Christ is far more powerful than your sin. 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins to the Lord, He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He gives everyone the opportunity to repent and be free from the bondage and shame of sin. To truly be free from sin, after we repent, we must live righteously and no longer in our sins. We’re given a new identity in Christ–a new life, separated from our past–so our actions should reflect this.

 

Now, knowing who God is, how have I personally learned to persevere?

Through God’s Word, I have been able to understand the character of God–and that through all things He is glorified. Through trials He is glorified. He works all things together for good to them that love Him. We will fail over and over again. There’s nothing that God doesn’t know. There’s nothing you can hide in your heart. Yet He still promises to comfort those who come to Him. Nothing can separate us from His love.

It’s important to understand our role in perseverance. We must seek God and obey Him. If we say we love Him, we will obey His commandments (John 14:15).

How do you expect to hear God if you’re not even trying to listen to Him? How do you expect to feel close to God if you’re not spending time with Him? How do you expect for God to take control if you’re not letting go of your control?

God gives us a choice to choose Him. John 1:12 says “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” He chose to choose us. He chose to give the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Understand this: God cares for you. He loves you. His only Son died for you. He has the best for you. How many times does He have to deliver us for us to learn to trust Him?

Here’s the thing: we don’t have to go through a terrifying lesson like Jonah had in order to understand the consequences of running away from God.

We don’t have to wonder about God. It is foolish to run to secondary sources in the world looking for Him. Instead of running to what the world claims God to be, find out who He is for yourself. Go to the primary source that actually reveals the truth.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5 (KJV)

When we go through trials, we can react in two different ways. We can allow the trials to grow us and become closer to the Lord or we can succumb to sin. Understanding who God is gives us the foundation to have confidence that we will persevere through Him–because He loves us and wants us to persevere.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:31-32 (KJV)

Liz Blog, Faith

Does Prayer “Work”?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:6-7)

Does prayer work?

Short Answer:

Yes.

Here’s the long answer:

What exactly do we mean when we ask the question: “Does prayer work?”

Most likely, it means, “If I pray to God, will He give what I want?”

If this is why we come to God in prayer, I’d like to encourage us to reevaluate our thinking.

Don’t get me wrong–in prayer, of course we can ask God for things. Philippians 4:6 says to let our requests be made known unto God. In short, God wants to fulfill our needs and desires. As our Heavenly Father, He loves us and wants to supply our needs, and He doesn’t want us to suffer.

I should say–BUT He doesn’t want us suffer.

This means that although we have our own desires, ultimately God knows what we need in our lives and what will harm us beyond human comprehension. The things that may harm us the most may be what we are asking for.

Understand that God’s answer to our requests may not be what we have in mind. The good news is that His answer is always better than what we have in store–even if we don’t see it yet.

It comes down to trusting God. Do you believe God is who He says He is? A loving Father, an all-knowing, all-powerful God? If so, rejoice and be glad, because anything He gives will be a gift that will allow you to be shaped into His image of love, wisdom, and strength. He gives GOOD gifts.

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 ESV)

So what happens when we pray?

Through God, I’ve been shown and fully understand that prayer is a powerful weapon. It is (and should be) our #1 weapon, our first decision–not the last resort.

God has changed my heart and transformed my life through prayer. He restores, He heals, He listens, and He answers. I’ve experienced, seen, and felt these things all through communicating with Him. I like to think prayer is having a dialogue with God, and I still am left in awe of thinking about it this way–to be able to have a constant conversation with an all-knowing God is amazing, especially knowing how weak and limited I am as a human.

I want to invite and urge you to take prayer seriously. This is your answer. You will never go wrong in seeking God.

Just being able to pray to Him is a journey in itself–watch as He will transform your life and how you will learn to surrender and trust Him. Spend time with God.

You might be thinking:

“How can I improve my prayer life?”

Here’s a list of practical things that I do that has dramatically changed my prayer life:

 

Pray.

No more “I know I need to pray more.” No more “I would pray more if my morning wasn’t so busy.” Instead of thinking or saying these things, actually PRAY. It can be on your walk, in your office desk, in the lecture hall. You have free access to God anywhere and anytime. Unfortunately, today we idealize and idolize “busyness.” Who says you have to be busy 24/7? Society. Maybe parents. Peers. Coworkers. Yourself. But the Bible reminds us about the importance of being still (not restless).

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10 KJV)

(I actually wrote a post on stillness here).

Of course this doesn’t mean don’t do anything you have to do. We have busy schedules, and that’s okay. What’s not OK, is being “too busy” for God. If you feel like you’re at this place, reevaluate some things. Check your heart. What’s the purpose behind the things you “have” to do? Truth is, you’re just too busy with the wrong things.

Be intentional in prayer. Be active in prayer. Be diligent in prayer. Do you love God? Do you want to know what He has in store for you? Do you want to lay down your life for Him? Put Him first. No more excuses.

If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15 KJV)

 

Keep a prayer journal.

This is actually something I have been meaning to do for a long time, and I finally did this week. It doesn’t have to be anything special–I’ve taken an ordinary notebook and started jotting down prayer requests–as well as how God has answered these prayers.

It’s been amazing to keep track of what and who has been on my heart to pray for–and even more amazing to see how God answers these requests. A prayer journal serves as encouragement for us to look back and see how God actually is working in our lives.

Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; (Psalm 105:5 KJV)

Also, it is so important for us to keep others in prayer. This is true love–for us to ask God to redeem others and to intervene on their behalf–so that they might have the full life that only He promises–and most importantly that they might have eternal life in heaven.

The Bible encourages us to love others as we would like to be loved. Think about how overwhelming it is when we know someone else has been praying for us. Remember to pray consistently for others–those you know and don’t know. Pray by their name, pray specifically about their situation. See how God works.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, (1 Timothy 2:1 ESV)

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)

 

Incorporate Scripture in your prayer.

There is power in the Word of God. It is the source of truth, life and freedom–learn and study His Word to access these things.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NIV)

When we recite Scripture in prayer, we are affirming what God has already said. In Micah 3:6, God affirms that He is Lord and does not change. That means all the promises in the Word that He has said is YOUR portion!

Memorizing Scripture is a lifeline, especially when the enemy attacks you with doubt. Responding with the Word of God is encouraging to us and also will make the enemy flee from you. Why? Because God is powerful, and He has already conquered evil and death.

As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

(Psalm 18:30 NIV)

Not only do we affirm God’s promises by incorporating Scripture in prayer, but we affirm who He is. That is, that He is almighty and capable of answering our prayers and directing us in His perfect plan.

I like to think of studying the Word as a heart-check. Learning the Word allows us to submit to what God says–and knowing that God is good, we know that doing this is the right choice. But In order to find out who God is, we must go to the source that reveals who He is–the Bible.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

(2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

So, does prayer “work”?

Absolutely. Prayer works on hearts. Prayer works on lives. Prayer pleases God.

I urge you to pray. Cast your cares to God. Let Him heal you and show you wisdom. Praise and acknowledge who God is through prayer.

Liz Blog, Faith

The Truth About Praise

O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

(Psalm 98:1-4 KJV)

I look forward to looking back. I love to understand what I’ve learned in the previous months, what God has been doing throughout the whole process and how my faith has changed. One thing that became more apparent to me recently was the significance of praising God.

At the beginning of the summer, I wrote a blog post called “The Choice,” which you can read here. In that blog post, I spoke about the nervousness I felt starting a new internship but how I was deciding to make the choice to trust God through it, even though I didn’t know what the outcome.

What I learned is that through discomfort God often grows us the most.

I can happily say that I’ve had an incredible experience this summer, and I can only attribute that to Him. The funny thing is that I had a positive experience not because it was easy but because I realized that God was pushing me to grow. I realized that God was in the process of opening doors in my life with new opportunities and relationships. Yet if I hadn’t focused on what He was teaching me, I probably wouldn’t be satisfied in the way that I am. I probably wouldn’t have been able to clearly see the ways in which He was moving in my life.

I learned that I wasn’t supposed to simply sit through any initial discomfort and let it pass. Instead I was to lift up God and understand that He was truly working things together for good. I challenged myself to praise God everyday, especially in situations that were daunting. No matter how I was feeling, I wanted to hold onto one true fact: God is good, and because of that, there is hope, and I am taken care of and watched over.

Reflecting on this, I’ve asked myself: What exactly is it that praise does for us?

Praise is such a powerful manifestation of faith.

We are able to acknowledge God’s goodness and authority in our lives. His glory becomes more real to us. Instead of focusing on our challenges and shortcomings, we recognize the truth that He is able. This truth overpowers any hindrances in our lives. Nothing else matters. Nothing is impossible. Because God is good, and this goodness supersedes everything. When we praise God, it is surrender. It is allowing God the space to do everything He needs to do, instead of us fighting against Him in the midst of His work.

Surrender is understanding that we fall short but that God saves us from our weakness and raises us up in strength.

The enemy doesn’t want to see us acknowledging who God is and increasing in faith, so often he attacks us with thoughts of doubt, hopelessness, and despair–these things that gnaw at us from the inside. However, praise is nourishment to our faith.

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

When we praise God, we acknowledge who He is, and we believe in His promises. The Bible has so many excellent verses that serve as examples of this in which God is acknowledged for who He is within His promises:

“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (KJV)

  • We are given the promise that the Lord will protect us from evil things and stabilize us, in light of His faithful character.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)

  • What is incredible about this verse is how God is differentiated from men–unlike our nature to be slack, God is accountable. In fact, He is so loving to us that instead of allowing us to perish, He gives us the opportunity to come to repentance.

“For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” Psalms 33:4-5 (KJV)

  • This verse is similar to the previous one; although the world has fallen, God is so full of truth, love and righteous judgment that He still provides a fallen world with His goodness and mercy–in the form of salvation.

What all these verses have in common is that they display the promises of God that will come to pass–His protection, His goodness, His gift of salvation–and they shed light on who He is: a faithful God, a God who is longsuffering, a God who does things in truth. In a similar fashion, when we praise God, we acknowledge His promises that will come to pass, which we can be confident in because of who He is.

Our eyes open to how God is working in our lives when we praise Him. Praise is a weapon against the enemy’s deception. I once saw a quote that read: “I will see it, when I believe it.” In terms of faith, when we believe God’s goodness–when we decide to come to that understanding and acceptance of what is already true–we will see it in our lives.

You don’t need all the answers to what’s going on. It’s unfortunately in our nature to doubt, to question, to forget what we’ve been delivered from. However, I encourage you to remember that no matter what you’re going through, God is the same, and He is taking care of your burdens.

The first verse in Psalm 98 powerfully reminds us that God has done marvelous things and that He has already claimed victory. As followers of Christ–members of His kingdom–this is victory is for us to claim as well. Don’t allow your emotions to cause you to miss out on what God is doing in your life. Pray and ask God for the faith to trust Him and the ability to surrender everything to Him, and praise Him for all that He has done and continues to do.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

(Psalm 63:1-7 KJV)

Liz Ask LizMargaret

Ask LizMargaret

Have a Question? Need Advice? Need Prayer?

If you’re looking for answers from a Christian perspective, submit your question here at the LizMargaret Tumblr site, and it might just appear in a future blog post.

Not sure what to ask? Topics you can think about: Relationships, friendships, college, faith/Christian life, and more!

This new series has been something that’s been on my heart for so long now, as I would like for this blog to be a very interactive experience for whoever reads it! I hope it creates a space to engage in conversation that inspires spiritual growth and encouragement.

What do I mean by a Christian perspective? As a follower of Christ, I consider the Bible to be the foundation of my worldview, shaping the way I live my life, so any of the responses I give will be based on the Word.

Please send in any questions, prayer requests, or any topic ideas for future posts–I am very excited to hear from you and to see how God uses this!

Click here to check out all Ask LizMargaret posts and videos!

Liz Blog, Faith

Don’t Ignore the Signs

What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:12 NIV)

One of the most amazing things that happens when we build a relationship with God is that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf. The Spirit dwells within us and gives us guidance in every area of our lives. Maybe you’ve been praying about a job opportunity for months, and you’ve finally come across an offer–but something about the opportunity might cause you to shift your priorities in a way that distracts you from your walk with God. Maybe you’re in a romantic relationship that strips away at your relationship with Him. Or maybe you’re hanging out with people who lead you to compromise areas of your faith. If we’re being honest with ourselves, there are many situations in which it’s quite easy to see when something or someone is not right for us. Then we hold onto that thing or person, and there’s pain that follows from rejection or the consequences from the negative choices we’ve made.

1 Corinthians 2:12 says that by the Spirit we can understand–recognize–the good things that come from God. But what about the things that are not of Him? How do we prevent ourselves from stumbling into them and falling into a trap?

Flee.

Maybe you see the signs.

You know exactly what you’re about to get yourself into if you continue down a certain path. We are made new as Christians–don’t accept the old baggage and mistakes from the past. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The Bible teaches that the best way to rid of temptation is to flee from it, and I couldn’t agree more. If you keep someone around who is continuously hurting you, chances are, you will still get hurt by this person. The best way to detach yourself emotionally and psychologically from something is to first physically distance yourself from it.

Pray.

Maybe you’re feeling quite torn.

Guess what? God isn’t going to leave you alone to fend for yourself. Satan knows our weaknesses, and he knows exactly how to infiltrate our minds or use situations to keep us in a situation–especially emotionally. Confused about what you should do about a relationship you’re in…or that job that seems appealing? Seek God earnestly–purposefully and diligently set out time to quiet yourself before Him.

Taking action while in a state of confusion can be our biggest downfall. Being still may not be our first instinct because we live in a very fast-paced world. We want answers now. We want clarity–which isn’t a bad thing to want–but what if we have to wait? Our emotions–fear, excitement, infatuation–can sometimes be the loudest voices in our minds and drive us to make rash choices. But who is to say that we must accept this for ourselves? It’s astonishing how many verses call us to wait on God.

Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalms 46:10 KJV)

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (Psalms 37:7  KJV)

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. (Exodus 14:14 KJV)

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation [is] from him. (Psalms 62:5  KJV)

Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. (Job 6:24  KJV)

Accept rest. Understand that God does not give us confusion. He already knows how confused we are! He provides clarity through the mess.

When in doubt…

Aim for the decision that will glorify God. Sometimes, when you ask yourself…”Will this honor God?” or “Will this bring me closer to God?” you get the clarity you’re looking for. When you prioritize that relationship with Him, you are better able to distinguish what is right for you and what is not.

Think of it this way: people often say that when you know who you are and what you want, you are able to avoid the things that do not serve you. So, when your identity–who you are and what you want–is rooted in Christ, you are able to avoid the things that do not serve you.

Ultimately know that there can be great danger behind people and circumstances.

Be open to God’s will, His voice–because He may surprise you.  Proverbs 12:15 says that a fool’s ways seems right to him. Proverbs 3:7 tells us not to be wise in our own eyes. God places commands in His Word for a reason–because unfortunately, we tend to do the opposite of these commands (i.e. the unwise things). We want to trust our instincts, but we have such a limited view of the world and our circumstances that it will always be wiser to put our trust in the Lord, who holds the future and knows the hearts of men.

The worst mindset we can develop in our circumstances is one that is based on conditions: If this does not work out, then I will never trust God again. If this happens, I will never forgive that person. If this falls through, then I will be miserable. Absolutely not! Reject those thoughts. Don’t allow the enemy to trap you in a dry season by making these negative promises to yourself.

Understand that anything can occur in life. Sometimes, you do the right thing, and the right thing happens. Sometimes you do the wrong thing, and the right thing happens. Sometimes you do the wrong thing, and the wrong thing happens. And the hardest one of fall: Sometimes you do the right thing, and what we might perceive as the “wrong” thing STILL happens. If you base your mood on the results or responses you get in your life, you have already lost. People and circumstances are unpredictable.

The Word calls us to delight ourselves in the Lord. He blesses those that mourn. He blesses the meek. He blesses the righteous. One of the best ways we can delight in Him is to recognize situations that won’t honor our relationship with Him and avoid them. God doesn’t call us to reject these things to make us “miss out” on things or be “miserable”–He calls us to do these things, because He knows us so well that He knows exactly what will harm us.

When the Holy Spirit places caution on your heart, don’t ignore the signs.

Liz Blog, Faith

The Choice

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

(John 10:10 NIV)

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how to start off this post. It’s going to be a bit more personal than my previous ones, but I do hope and pray that sharing my experience will bless and encourage whoever is reading in some way.

So, today I started my summer internship, and well, it was hard. I was able to spend the first few hours of the day meeting other interns, which was definitely my favorite part of the day. I met undergrad and grad students, and I always find it fascinating to learn about other people, especially their goals and dreams. At this point, I was convinced I was going to love this place.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t love it now. I really appreciate the fact that I am here and what my assignment is. My co-workers are very kind, hardworking, and friendly. What shocked me was my workload, however. I expected to have assignments, deadlines and projects, but I just wasn’t expecting to get so much work so soon. I felt I entered this internship fairly, with an open mind, but now I was thinking, “God why did you bring me here? I can’t handle this.” The last thing I needed was stress in the summer.

Let me now trace back to a blog post I wrote a couple weeks ago called “The Power of Encouragement.” One of the points I expressed  was that I’ve seen God use other believers in my life to encourage me in different ways that I knew had to be from Him–often times, He uses these people to meet me right where I am.

Over the weekend, preparing for the internship, I naturally felt nervous, yet I was able to see how God provided for me while I was stuck in this emotion. A ministry leader I hadn’t spoken to or seen in years messaged me just to say that he’s been keeping my brothers and I in prayer during the past few years. A friend from a past retreat also reached out over the weekend to share a scripture that was on her heart and just to say she’s praying for me. Words cannot express how much I needed their encouragement. I wouldn’t have even thought that these two would have reached out to me. Nevertheless, I think this is a great example of how obeying God’s direction and acting on the commands that He places on your heart can greatly minister to others and ultimately reflect His awesome love.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  (2 Cor 1:3-4 NIV)

Looking back to this moment after a long day gave me encouragement.

But then I started thinking, what if this never even happened? What do we do when we don’t clearly see encouragement in our lives? How do we gain hope when there seems to be none or nobody in sight? Although God is always present, sometimes it’s hard to be reminded of His goodness and comfort. It’s easy to feel distant from Him.

In those times, I think it’s important to remember and understand one, simple fact:

God is a good God. No matter what is happening in life, God is a good God. This is a fact that never changes.

We have access to a good God as believers. But Satan can catch us in a snare–that is, a trap–of disappointment and discouragement. It is essential that we understand that this is not of God. Negative thoughts, fears, and insecurities are not of God. It’s not enough to even acknowledge that these are attacks from the enemy–we must reject these emotions in the name of Jesus. There is power in that name.

We may be asked to do big tasks on this earth–ones we feel completely unqualified for. Yet God has equipped us to do all things that come in our path. He’s equipped us with the grace to get through the day before it has even started.

This is what encourages me. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but God hasn’t given me life to worry about it. He’s given me rest to rejoice in it.

Now it’s hard for me to obey. It’s hard for me to accept this truth I cannot always see, but faith itself is the hope in things that are not seen (Hebrews 11:1). So I’m taking a stand to hold onto the Lord’s promises, remembering that He has provided for me before (even this past weekend!)

In all of this, I realize how essential it is to submit my way to the Lord. My way–my mind, my actions–and He will bring it to pass. I have a long summer ahead, but I’ve already been thanking Him for all the breakthroughs, strengths, and lessons that will come to pass. I realize how much my life is not about me at all. I’ve been so worried about my performance that I became caught in the enemy’s trap of despair. But when I realize that there’s a reason God has placed me in this particular experience, my performance is no longer this heavy thing looming above my head–rather it’s my performance for God that counts. I don’t know why He brought me here, but I trust that if I submit my ways to Him in all things, He will bring this to pass and in some way, me being here will glorify Him.

My experiences all come down to a choice: falling into the enemy’s trap–where my fears and my doubts reside–or serving God–my Rock, my Redeemer–instead.

I thought I’d end this post with a song I feel fits the topic. Listen and read the lyrics–I feel it has some serious, thought-provoking ideas to take away.

Jaeson Ma | Glory

Liz Blog, Faith

Seasons and Stillness

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.

(Psalm 127:1-2 NIV)

Bad things happen to people. Bad, bad things. Yet we must rise above our circumstances. There is a difference in how we should rise above circumstances as Christians, in which we have accepted the gift of having a relationship with Christ and eternal life in Him. That difference is security. God gives us security. Through Him, we are not lost, and we have hope.

We might find ourselves in seasons of despair–times in which there seems to be no answer, deep confusion, grief, and heartbreak–completely and utterly overwhelming times. If there’s anything I have been reminded of in these seasons, it’s that I am not in control. I have been in situations in which there is nothing I can do but let go. I cannot change things whatsoever, which is uncomfortable for someone like me who likes certainty. I like to know where things are heading. I like comfortability. I like peace. So, when things take an unexpected turn, it’s unsettling.

In times like these, I realize how important it is to be still.

Do not rush things. A lot of times, we like to take matters into our own hands and our solution eventually falls apart. However, we are called to wait on the Lord. We are called to do this simply because He is the only One that can make things work in the way that is best. Even when we make mistakes, He is the One that can fix them. We must be still because it allows God to do what He needs to do. Which to me, sounds amazing that we serve a God who loves us enough to work every detail in our lives in our favor. There’s so much peace in that.

These verses in Psalm 127 explains that anything that is done in haste and that is not of God is done in vain. Whatever “house” we are trying to build–a better financial or health situation, a relationship, a dream–let God build it. Let Him lay the foundation and finish the job. This does not mean to not work towards things. In fact, we should. God honors diligence. However, we can work as hard as we want in order to get something, but if God is not in it, it will crumble. This is simply because we are not God–we are human. We don’t know the future. I think it makes sense to let the One who knows the future handle the future.

In the meanwhile, we can be restored in Him. The Psalm continues to say that the Lord grants us sleep. I believe these times of sleep–of stillness–are purposeful times.

We can use these times to build our faith and to learn to trust Him. It’s sad that even after God has delivered us in the past, we can still doubt His ability to do it again. I encourage you to put an end to this pattern. Use this time to turn your heart around. Give everything to Him. Not just the big things. Even the smallest things you’re still holding onto. Give it all to Him and allow yourself to have freedom. God understands that we are small. We must understand how BIG He is.

We must take joy in stillness, allowing God to work in our hearts while He works in our lives.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

(Psalm 46:10 ESV)

Liz Blog, Faith

On Increasing Your Faith

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

(Micah 7:7 KJV)

Lately, I’ve realized how easy it is to forget God’s promises. Unanswered prayers and continuous trials are circumstances in which the enemy can slip into our minds and cause us to doubt or limit God. It’s key to acknowledge that this is deception. The enemy tries to infiltrate our thoughts by any means possible especially through negative situations, because he does not want us to reach our full potential in Christ.

Nevertheless, whom God calls, He equips. By taking practical steps to increase our faith, we can stand firm in His promises and persevere:

1) Ask

Go to God in prayer. When we have a relationship with Christ, we have access to actually communicate with the Creator of the Universe (which still blows my mind). It can be hard to believe that He is working things out for good, but we do not have to stay in this struggle alone. We are told in the Word that we can ask for godly qualities in which we might lack such as wisdom–surely we can ask for better faith as well.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13 (KJV)

2) Replace

Replace negative thoughts. This is something even society teaches us in order to think positively. Any form of discouragement can be replaced by the truth. We can hold onto thoughts like “Things will never get better” or we can claim “Things will get better.” Catching yourself in these moments of negativity and making effort to correct them will dramatically change your outlook on your situation. In my experience, I’ve found that this change in mindset is a process, and it can take time. Our minds constantly want to doubt when we do not see transformation in our lives. However, declaring the truth is not a one time thing. It’s a daily thing. Keep claiming it. There is great power in rejecting lies and deception.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

3) Praise

You have gone to God in prayer, and you have been claiming the truth of His promises. Get excited, because He has already been working in your life! Every year, during Thanksgiving dinner, each member of my family shares things that they are thankful for. When I hear even my youngest cousins thank God for “food” or their “house” or “parents,” I realize how easy it is to forget that these “little” things (things that are so common to us that we take for granted) come from God. At college, I’ve realized the things that have drawn me closer to Him, such as godly relationships, a solid church, and Bible studies are all blessings from the Lord. There are even so many things God has brought us out of, such as sickness, stress, etc., that we should praise Him for.

Acknowledging the things that have been provided in our lives is a great reminder for us that we can trust God. We can take our minds off what has not yet come to pass, give power to Him, and have security that He will never fail to meet our needs.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15 (KJV)

4) Thank Him

Claim your victory. Claim His promises. Thank God for what He is going to do in your life. God has answered your prayers before, and He will do it again. Yes, sometimes prayers are not in the way you expected. Rejoice in that, because as humans, we are 100% fallible, and God sometimes answers our prayers in unexpected ways to correct what would have otherwise gone wrong (if we had our way).

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 (KJV)

For me, I’ve found that I love to discuss God’s goodness with others. It allows me to see what He’s done in my life and how He’s blessed others, and it’s always super encouraging for me.

Remember that God loves you. It’s a concept that seems easy to grasp, but if we really understood that, we’d understand that His promises are true. Every last one of them. That we have no reason to fear (Joshua 1:9). That we will be provided for (Philippians 4:19) That we have no reason to fear death (John 11:25). And so on.

Through Christ, we have victory. We have already conquered the challenges that seem near impossible. Seek after Him during these “impossible” times. Seek after Him during times in which everything seems possible. Study the Word, obey God’s commandments, and dare to live righteously in a world that will tell you otherwise.

I have security in understanding that the God I serve is not bound by this world. He works things out supernaturally in ways that no human can imitate.