Renew and Restore: Trusting God

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeramiah 29:11 ).

I often wonder how it will all happen. God’s plan for my life. How will it come to pass? I’ve been told so many awesome things, but I wonder how it will happen. This process is teaching me to trust God and depend on him instead of my own reasoning. Is this lesson easy? No! I want all of these amazing experiences, but I am challenged to ask myself if I am really ready to take on the assignment that I am called to.

Everything happens for a reason. Even when we don’t understand tough situations and pray that trouble will leave us, we go through so that others can learn from the lessons that God desires to teach us. I have to learn to listen and to spend time with God. I know that I am easily distracted and my purpose requires me to be focused on Him. Everything is about Him. My life, my talent, even my salvation is a gift from the father that He desires to use to bring people to Himself.

I love God. I often wonder why He loves me. I know my thoughts and my ways, but he yet sees beauty in me. Daily I am learning. I am learning to repent. I am learning to read my bible. I am learning to stay away from sin, but sometimes I fail. I am a work in progress and I just desire to be used.

Salvation is a gift from the Lord. It was a gift that I desired when I was a part of the world. I know that God loves me because He choose me. I did not get saved by going to an altar, I simply went to church one New Year’s Eve and I did not leave the way that I entered in that night. Have I messed up? Yes, countless times, but my desire is always Him. God is a promise keeper. He is my consistency and He is my father. He is teaching me to be loved in a functional manner. God will not allow me to sit in dysfunction because it was once my comfort zone. I thought that I deserved to be mistreated because of how I treated people. I used to try to buy people into being my friend although I knew that they didn’t like me. God is teaching me to desire his approval. This is a daily struggle for me because every one wants to be liked right? I am learning that I am not made to fit in. I will make some people uncomfortable and this has protected me from false friendships.

God will use the experiences of others to bless you and inspire you. I get inspired by testimonies and many of my life lessons have come from strangers. God uses strangers to speak into my life. I often think that He will come one way and He shows me that He can use anybody to reveal Himself to me. I’m learning to talk to God as a friend. I can tell him anything. He listens <3

This walk of salvation has had its ups and downs, but I know that God is always near. He is growing my faith and teaching me to depend on Him more than I depend on man. I have been disappointed more times than I care to think about by putting my trust in people.

Blogging has become a blessing because it is therapy for me. I love to write and I desire to share Jesus. He has delivered me and saved me, not only spiritually, but naturally also. There are car accidents that I could have died in and there are sexual encounters that could have gotten me in trouble, but Grace <3

On this journey I have lost some friends. Everyone is not meant to go where God is taking you. I have had to deal with feeling rejected, forgiving people, telling my truth, and not being offended about everything. I pray that God continues to reveal those areas in my life and yours that are not of Him.

God is peace. God wants us to have His peace <3 He is a restorer and He makes things new. He is rich and desires for us to be wealthy, but we must first submit to Him. We have to lay aside our plans and pick up the plan that God has for us. God’s plan for my life blows me away. It is a plan that I cannot make come to pass on my own and I thank Him for His timing because it is perfect.

Every day I am learning to trust God and to seek Him for myself. I desire to pour into the world, but first He must pour into me. It is so important to have a personal relationship with God for your-self. You need that time with Him to sit in His presence and just be His child. Every sentence that I write means nothing if I don’t have Jesus for myself. We all have gifts, but our gifts are meant to glorify the father. How can we preach this awesome God if we neglect our own personal time with Him? Have a desire to seek God for who He is, not just for what He can do for you. Even when God says no, he is still good.

I never understood how important it was to seek God’s face and have an intimate relationship with him until this year to be honest. There is joy in the presence in God. I can be myself with Him flaws and all <3

I pray for a renewed relationship with Christ. I pray to sit at His feet and just admire Him for who He is. I repent for the times that I have neglected you Lord. Help me to acknowledge you daily. In Jesus name, Amen.

Recommended Listening: Crystal Aikin- I Desire More

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JaNina B.

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