Liz Blog, Faith, Love Letters

Day 10: I provide peace | Love Letters

Peace: Inner contentment; serenity.

[Source]

During my second year of college, I did what I never thought I’d do and took a studio class in drawing. Over the course of the semester, I had a rewarding experience as I was challenged to learn various art mediums and concepts.

One of the most challenging concepts to draw was perspective–essentially, the ability to make something look “real.” You give an image a sense of depth by creating the illusion of a three-dimensional view on a flat, two-dimensional surface.

Visually, it’s like going from this:

To this:

With perspective, your image changes depending on your viewpoint–the spot where you (the artist) observe your scene. If I wanted to draw a building, I could walk around it and gain a different viewpoint at different areas–perhaps one spot will show the right side of the building, the other the left, and so on. At the end of the day, I could only choose one spot and draw that, giving only one perspective.

Meanwhile, there’s an entire building my eventual audience won’t see in my finished piece.

In our lives, we might view a current situation we’re in only from one perspective, because that’s where we are at that point in time.

You likely feel frustrated when you don’t like the place where you are now. Maybe you’re being unfairly treated by a “friend.” Or your job is getting increasingly stressful. Perhaps you wish you could relocate to a different place. The scene you’re looking at now doesn’t look so good, and it’s been draining you for quite a while now.

When we enter seasons of waiting, God gives us the opportunity to gain a better perspective. God’s love for you means He wants you to grow, to become a better version of who you were yesterday. Maybe the unfair friend is growing your ability to forgive. The stressful work environment is growing your ability to trust Him and not yourself. The desire to move is growing your ability to have patience–and wait until the best time.

In these difficult seasons when you’re longing for understanding, God first offers His peace. I can’t imagine a person who doesn’t want peace. Oftentimes, when we’re stressed and uncertain, we turn to everything but God. We want an instant sense of security. We keep searching and searching for it, but anything or anyone that isn’t your Heavenly Father cannot give you the peace you long for.

Nothing in this world has the perspective of the entire “building” you’re looking at except God. He is all-knowing, and He knows you can’t figure it out on your own. He offers His help, so you can lean on Him for peace–an inner contentment, or serenity.

When you rely on God for peace, He gives you a satisfaction that cannot be taken away from you.

Peace is the result of an understanding of your own shortcomings and a confidence in God’s care for you. It can look like saying, God I don’t understand this situation, but I know that You have control in it. You have the best for me, and I expect the best from You. I’m excited for what You have in store for me.

And you should be excited. God’s preparing wonderful things for you. Plus, He’s giving you the ability to mature and gain His wisdom in the process.

Instead of moving around, making decisions on your own, and putting pieces together, be still and seek God for the perspective He’s showing you.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)

Love Letter 10

14 days of learning God’s love. Learn about the Love Letters here.

⤎ Read Day 9

Read Day 11 ⤏

 

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Liz Blog, Faith

It’s Better to Believe

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

(Romans 8:24-25 NKJV)

Do you ever wonder what can get in the way of miracles?  sparklers_believe post.jpg

Sometimes, we can rely on rituals to “make sure” that God answers our prayers. Maybe this can look like feeling you need to pray the exact prayer you did the last time God blessed you…or making sure you wear the same shirt you were wearing when God helped you ace that test…or worrying that God won’t protect you today because you didn’t get up at 5:00 am to pray.

This is tiring! I believe that we should be disciplined in seeking God, but we’ve taken up a wrong mindset if we start to get paranoid that God won’t be there for us if we “mess up” on a made-up routine in our heads. The sacrifices we make to seek Christ, based on His Word, should bring peace in our hearts.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30 KJV).

Acts 16:31 reminds us that the foundation of our faith is believing God for who He is: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” However, the miracle of salvation is just the beginning. Believe that if God has the power to save you from sin through Jesus Christ, He has the power to provide for you in everyday life. And as Romans 8:25 encourages us, we can wait in expectancy for what He will do.

Continue reading “It’s Better to Believe” →

Liz Blog, Faith

Battling Through Uncertainty

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Psalm 130:6 (KJV)

Without batting an eye, I can tell you the top three most nerve-wrecking moments in college:

  1. The first day of class ever as a freshman…For me, it was a typical scene from a college movie. A gloomy, rainy day, and I walked into the wrong room for French. I survived, and it wasn’t really embarrassing.
  2. When final grades are posted. Even if you know your grade, something about those email notifications are absolutely unsettling. But you learn to just log in, take a look, and breathe.
  3. Starting your paper the day it’s due. There’s no better adrenaline rush than knowing you have 5 1/2 hours to write a research paper on a topic you haven’t actually researched.

These three instances have something in common: UNCERTAINTY. There was no worse feeling in those moments than thinking: What’s about to happen!? I’ve done all I can, and I have no control in this!

Beyond the classroom, uncertainty hits us in other areas of our lives. Our purpose: Am I following God’s will for my life? Our relationships: What if I don’t get married? Am I going to have solid friendships? Our finances: How am I going to pay this bill? How soon am I going to get another job? It can be completely overwhelming. Yes, God promises He will provide for us, but does that mean He will specifically answer a prayer we’ve been requesting for days, weeks, or years?

Continue reading “Battling Through Uncertainty” →

Liz Blog, Faith, Video

How to be Single | Video

It’s easy to fall into the trap of having faith in every area of our lives…except for one. It might be that you trust God with sharing the gospel, but you don’t trust him in your finances. Or perhaps, you trust Him with getting you through school, but faith runs short when it comes to your family.

I find that many people have this mindset when it comes to their dating life. But why is that? Has being single become a lost art? Today, I talk about this in my new video.

Click below to watch!

Liz Blog, Faith, Video

Times of Transition & Seasons of Silence | Video

It’s the time of year when we are constantly reminded of change–whether we like it or not. As spring transitions to summer, we attend graduations and weddings, start new jobs and take time off for vacation. However, change can be scary…it comes with a transition from the familiar to the unfamiliar, and during this time, it can appear as though God is silent.

How does God speak in these stressful and uncertain times? I discuss this in a new Youtube video.

Click below to watch!

Liz Blog, Faith, Video

Prayer…What’s the Point? | Video

If God knows everything, why should we pray? I’ve been asked this question a few times in the past, so I decided to answer it in a new YouTube video!

It’s such an important question to consider, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. What does prayer mean to you? How has it affected your life?

Click below to watch!

Liz Blog, Faith, Worship Wednesdays

Worship Wednesdays #13 | He Will Hold Me Fast

The profile // about the artist

Norton Hall Band - My Hope and Stay
My Hope and Stay (2016)

Norton Hall Band

  • Praise and worship band
  • From The Institute for Biblical Worship

The pull // why i like it

I heard this song on Spotify, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Beautiful instrumentals–(Love the violin!) Strong vocals. Powerful lyrics.

The message // what it means

No matter what the enemy throws at us, Christ Jesus promises to keep us and sustain us, and He will. The Lord spoke these words, so He will fulfill them. He delights in us, wants the best for us, and can set us free. All it takes is childlike faith to allow Him to work.

When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast

The call // best to listen if

You need a reminder of Christ’s love and promises for you. I love that this song repeats Christ WILL hold us. Claiming God’s promise is often the first step in seeing it manifest in our lives.

 

 

Liz Blog, Faith, Worship Wednesdays

Worship Wednesdays #12 | Seasons Change

The profile // about the artist 

United Pursuit - Simple Gospel.jpg
Simple Gospel (2015)

United Pursuit

  • Christian worship band
  • From Knoxville, Tennessee

The pull // why i like it

A friend of mine introduced me to this band, and I binge-listened to them on Spotify. Needless to say, I was hooked–especially to this song. Its calming melody always brings me into worship and acknowledging God for who He says He is.

The message // what it means

God is faithful and loving, and He is truly enough. Although the world around us, people and circumstances in our lives change, He does not change. His character and promises remain the same, and we can have confidence in that.

“Lord you’ve been faithful to plant the seeds
And you will be faithful to always send your rain”

The call // best to listen if

You need a reminder of who God is. There’s something beautiful in this worship, declaring the truth of His character over and over again…”Though the seasons change, Your love remains.”

Liz Blog, Faith

Baby Clothes & Growing Pains

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

(Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV)

Growing in faith is like growing out of your baby clothes. baby-clothes-white-short-sleeve-background-42489266

There are things you think you need forever, or things God even provides when you need them, that will no longer fit you as you grow. When you mature in Christ, God leads you on a different path than you were on before.

Conviction kicks in. When you abandon the things that hinder your relationship with Christ or cause you to sin, your desire for them lessens. The music you once listened to no longer appeals to you. Or maybe, the movies you once watched no longer seem OK. You stop enjoying the things that never brought glory to God in the first place. Then, suddenly, the friends you have don’t fit. It’s like you don’t have anything in common anymore. You don’t do the same things they do anymore. It feels strange. You’re not able to get past “hello” with those you could once talk to for hours.

And you wonder why.

These were your baby clothes–and you’ve grown! Your baby clothes were comfortable, one-size-fits-all, but God is putting you on a unique path. Not everything will fit you anymore. It will be a lonely path, because it’s a path that is made for you alone. Believe it or not, there are others who are following God, too, on their own unique paths. Nevertheless, you will be placed in situations where you are the only one following the Lord, looking for Him. But remember, the God you’ve trusted all along has not abandoned you on this path.

As you keep walking with Him, you’ll find how limited your baby clothes were. They begin to be restricting, because they are too small. You’ll find new clothes. You’ll find that God has more variety for you. Clothes come in different shapes, sizes, cuts, and fabrics. He knows your style. He knows who will fit in your life, and He will guide you to those relationships. He knows your future spouse, and He will supply that in His time. He knows the career you need, and He will arrange that for you. He knows which city, state, or country you need to be in, and He will get you there.

Your job is to walk behind Him on this path, because you don’t know what’s up ahead. If you walk in front of God, you’ll most likely veer off, trying on clothes that don’t belong to you.  It might be scary to leave them behind, but these things which are no longer for you will only toss you too and fro and bring confusion.

Your job is to not turn back to your baby clothes. They’re not for you anymore. In fact, if you look at them, they’re too tiny for you now. If you even tried to put them on, you’d rip them.

However, you’ve changed, and it’s beautiful. You’ve followed God, and you’ve transformed. If you ask God for direction, He will give it to you. And it will hurt at times. Many times. These are growing pains. You’ll have to turn away from the things you love. But if they’re not God-approved, they were never for you in the first place. If you try to keep fitting into old, ill-fitting clothes without God, you’ll have to keep mending the rips on your own.

This is the good news: Even if you veer off onto your own path, His path for you still remains. It’s waiting for you, so come back.

If you say God is Lord of your life, let Him be Lord.

Ask Him to lead you. Ask Him for the eyes to see what He wants in your life. Ask Him for the strength to respond to His calling.

If God leads you to abandon something, trust Him. He has variety for you. He has plans for you that are way bigger than your baby clothes.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

(Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV)