My hope is in the Lord.

I am starting today on my journey of giving up facebook for an entire month. My reason being that I truly believe that God has been trying to speak to me in quietness and trust but I have been distracted with worldly things, such as facebook, that distract me from the voice of God. God tells us in Isaiah 30:15 that "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength."

For the past few weeks I have not been feeling myself; like something was missing. I had been reading God's word and for some reason have not been believing it for myself at all. I found myself one day in my room just crying out to God that he would change my desires to HIS. It was in that moment I realized that the one thing that was hindering me from receiving the joy and satisfaction of my father was my own selfishness. I had been looking out for my own needs instead of the needs of others; I had undoubtedly come to a place in my relationship with Jesus that I was trying to obtain the things that I wanted instead of ultimately asking God for what his desires for my life are. I realize that Jesus is calling me to a new place in my relationship with him; to become a servant of his who throws of all of my sin and anything that is hindering me in becoming more like him. God gave me this verse and it hit me...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off EVERYTHING that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked our for us. Let us FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and perfecter of our FAITH, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that YOU will NOT grow weary and lose heart!" Hebrews 12:1-3

It is through this verse that makes me think about how much sin entangles us into believing lies from the enemy. BUT Jesus is the TRUTH, the WAY, and the LIFE. When we surrender our selfishness or anything that is hindering us from following JESUS wholeheartedly, there is SO MUCH FREEDOM. THERE IS FREEDOM IN SURRENDER, and I know it because he just did it in my life. Jesus continues to call us into a deeper relationship with him that involves surrender, TRUST, and FAITH. He is the author and perfecter of our FAITH.. While trusting in HIM, we believe that he gives us HOPE and a future, plans to prosper, not to harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11) ...And this HOPE is worth LIVING and waiting for. To look at the life of JESUS, and how throughout his life knew that he would pay the price of all humanity for all of our sin, that makes me fall to my knees in repentance, and all I can cry out to God and say is THANK YOU. Thank you JESUS for loving me that much that you gave your life for me on the cross, with all the shame I so easily want to hide from you.

JESUS is worth living for. Think about it, after everything we have done wrong, screwed up, or gone in the wrong direction, JESUS still died for us that we may have HOPe for the life yet to come.. to spend eternity with the one who created us. There isn't anything better than that. When I feel as though I can't make it, i look to JESUS, the author and perfecter of my faith, who died for me so that I may live for him.

This month is solely based on renewing my mind back to what JESUS is calling me to do. Believing in Luke 24:45 that JESUS will open up my mind to BELIEVE his word and to put that into action.