He’s been faithful before; He will be faithful again.
God is faithful. He’s so good and his timing is incredible.
I’ve been at home by myself for a few hours, just sitting here worshiping, praying, and crying out to the Lord. I’ve had so much on my mind lately, and I was just wanting to talk another person about it.
I guess I didn’t realize how long it has been since someone told me, simply put, that they trust what God is doing with me. One of the things that encourages me more than anything else is when another person knows me to a point where they see all the things I struggle with, and they have the faith it takes to trust that the Lord is doing a good work in me. I don’t know why, but that definitely “puts the heart back into me” in the best way.
So while I was just hanging out with God, my phone rang. If someone’s calling me, it’s probably important, because I almost always call others first or simply text. What an opportune evening to forget to mute my phone during time with Jesus. My admissions counselor called me (I guess now I can call her a fellow student/friend…still getting used to that, haha). Anyways, we chatted a bit and she asked me about school, and work, and whatnot. But then she asked how my spiritual life is right now, and man, I about lost it. The question about made me cry right then and there, because that was exactly what I had been praying for. It was a beautiful conversation. I am so encouraged, and hopeful, and gosh I’m so glad that we have this beautiful fellowship.
While I was talking about all the things the Lord has been teaching me, I realized just how beautiful it all is, walking with God I mean. It’s so intimate. Ah, I don’t really have adequate words for what I’m feeling right now. He is refining me. I used to be in charge of this amazing ministry, and He really had his hand in it—He still does, actually. It amazes me how God has called me from one thing to another over the past several years, and though He keeps changing me, He remains steadfast. Walking with God is the most wondrous/crazy/incredible/intimate thing I have ever known.
And oh my, it’s beautiful.
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
The World Hates the Disciples
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’[c]
The Work of the Holy Spirit
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
(John 15 NIV)
^So much encouragement from this chapter tonight.
Praise the Lord!
