jehovah-jireh.

so here's the deal:

summer's coming. faster than i could have ever imagined. the closer and closer summer gets here, the more i must begin to fully embrace all that this summer will bring. the more i must begin to prepare my heart. the more i must trust. the more i must rely. the more i must abide. 

as may 18th (the day i leave for camp. and not to mention... kevin's birthday..) inches it's way closer by each page-flipped on the calendar , it finally hit me. oh man am i giving up a lot this summer. giving up time hanging out with my favorite, my family, my Shades.         

it's a lot to take in. 

the reality of my physical absence from my home this summer slapped me across the face tonight. i was overwhelmed. uncertain. questioning. confused.

"why, Lord? why are you calling me to give up all these things this summer? these are all GOOD things. things that bring You glory. so why?"

can i just stop and say that i am thankful that i serve a God who cares. He cares so much. enough so that He would reveal to me that in order for Him to receive the most glory this summer, i would have to pack up my things and move to columbus, texas for three full months. 

"THIS is how I will receive the most glory this summer. by you being absent from your loved ones, your comforts. in order that I may become all you could ever need. this is how I will be glorified the most." 

while seeking for comfort, the Lord brought me to a website that explains the different names of God. there was one particular name that brought me so much comfort and joy i didn't know what to do. other than worship and be completely content.

jehovah-jireh: the God who WILL provide. 

not who might provide. or who has proved to have a high percentage rate of providing. but a God who WILL provide. absolutely. every time. everything. every time. every time. 

when they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. but the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” and he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”  and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. so Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide” as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (genesis 22:9-14)

so here's the crazy thing. God asked Abraham to sacrifice, to kill his only son. this is the son that Abraham has waited years and years and years for! through this son, he would be the father of the nations. this is the son that God provided to fulfill His covenant with His people. this is THAT son. 

now Abraham, go and sacrifice him.

and what does Abraham do? does he question? does he delay? no. Abraham's trust was so deeply rooted in the Lord that he was willing to kill the only son he had because he trusted that through his son's death, God would be most glorified. (foreshadowing of Christ's death, much?)

what if my outlook on this summer was this? not resentment. not fear. not doubt. but trust. complete trust in the Lord that He WILL provide and sustain me through the distance, through the pain. that through all this, HE would be the MOST glorified. 

so this is it. i have decided: i will not withhold anything from the Lord. not my summer. not my time. not my life. nothing. because He has proved Himself over and over again. i can trust Him with these things. i can trust Him with everything.

may our hearts prayer be, "whatever. whatever to bring about the greatest & highest glorification of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. whatever the price. whatever the sacrifice. all so that the Lord may be MOST glorified." 

I am the true vine and my Father is the vinedresser. every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. abide in Me and I in you. as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (john 15:1-17)

it is good for me that i was afflicted that i might learn your statutes. (psalm 119:71)

1. 
   
2. tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
   just to take Him at His Word;
   just to rest upon His promise,
   and to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
3. 
   
4. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
5. how I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
6. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
7. 
   
8. oh, for grace to trust Him more!

i withhold nothing. 

how He loves

so somehow I'm just now jumping onto the John Mark McMillian bandwagon (if you aren't on board with his junk, get with it)

i was in much need of this truth this morning.. happy listening!

but if they confess their iniquity that they committed against Me.. if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham... when they are in the lands of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God.

but I will for THEIR SAKE remember the covenant with their forefather, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I AM THE LORD.

(Leviticus 26)

may your heart reflect on the truth that He brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of slavery, out of bondage to your sinful desires. and although we may go outside of our covenant with Him, for our sake, He remembers covenant with us. He is faithful. even when we aren't.

bless

let Love keep my will upon its knees

may my prayer like incense rise before You
the lifting of my hands as sacrifice
oh Lord Jesus turn Your eyes upon me
for I know there is mercy in Your sight

Your statutes are my heritage forever
my heart is set on keeping Your decrees
please still my anxious urge toward rebellion
let Love keep my will upon its knees

oh God, You are my God
and I will ever praise You
oh God, You are my God
and I will ever praise You

to all creation I can see a limit
but Your commands are boundless and have none
so Your Word is my joy and meditation
from the rising to the setting of the sun

all Your ways are loving and are faithful
the road is narrow but Your burden light
because You gladly lean to lead the humble
I shall gladly kneel to leave my pride


I will seek You in the morning
I will learn to walk in Your ways
and step by step You'll lead me
and I will follow You all of my days

bless

Him, we proclaim!

PASSION. a conference for college students. 
45,000 college students to be exact. 


that's 45,000 college students gathered for four days. 
45,000 college students from all around the country.
heck, all around the world.
all proclaiming and lifting high the name of Christ.
sacrificing money to end slavery.
giving up a portion of Christmas break to expand in the knowledge of Christ.


so I have one question:

WHY.

why aren't our campuses being transformed daily?

why aren't more people coming to Christ?

why are people still seeking fulfillment where there is none?

because no one has told them.

no one is telling them. 

these questions have been bothering me all through Passion and ever since I've gotten back to campus. today, I was slapped in the face with why this question was bothering me so much.


first day in english class, my teacher explains that this course is going to make us take a stand on certain issues and support why we stand where we do. 


my heart starts to beat a little fast.


she then proceeds to write down six questions on the board that we must answer. the last question? 


"state an argument that you can fully support"


my heart starts to beat even faster.


the first thing that came to mind was to argue that Jesus Christ is God's son. 
this is when my mind and heart began to fight it out. 


should I write down this argument? or should I take an easier route and make an argument against abortion, or something less controversial? 


then it hit me. 


if I am not willing to stand up in my class and tell my teachers and fellow students that I believe and know that Jesus Christ is God's son, then I have become one of the reasons why His name is not being proclaimed. 


my biggest frustration became my biggest nightmare. it became my daunting reality. 


the Lord revealed to me today that the reason why these questions of WHYs were bothering me so much is because I am the reason why. 


after class was over, I quickly walked back to my dorm to hash out this new reality I was just revealed to. 


thankfully, He is faithful. to provide. and to forgive. 


the first truth He guided me to was Romans 1. here are the words that jumped off the page to my heart:


for the sake of His name (vs 5)
Your faith is proclaimed in all the world (vs 8)
so I am EAGER to preach the Gospel (vs 15)
for I am not ashamed (vs 16) 


one word: PROCLAIM. 


I have gotten so comfortable with just showing people Christ, that I have forgotten an important and crucial part: to proclaim. 


St. Francis once said, "Preach the gospel at all times -- If necessary, use words." 


every time I read this quote, my heart would exhale. as long as I am showing people the Gospel, words are not necessary.


yes, we are to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:12)


but there is a crucial and undeniable part to this. 
we must proclaim. 


for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
how then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
and how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?
and how are they to hear without someone preaching?
(Romans 10:13-14)


you will receive my power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Jude and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
(Acts 1:7-8)


devoting themselves to prayer 
(Acts 1:14)


the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved
(Acts 2:47)

PROCLAIM:

to announce or declare openly

to make known publicly

to extol (praise highly) publicly

now therefore GO, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak
(Exodus 4:12)


do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. for it is not you who speaks, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you
(Matthew 10:19)




PROCLAIM




pray for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare boldly, as I ought to speak
(Ephesians 6:19)


to make the word os God fully known the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. to them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.


HIM, we proclaim!  
(Colossians 1:27-28)


You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
Your wondrous deeds and Your 
thoughts towards us;
none can compare with You! 
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told
(Psalm 40:5)

PROCLAIM!

may all fear be destroyed.
may concern about opinions of teachers, classmates, and anyone else pale in comparison to      proclaiming His name.
may we diligently pray that our eyes would be open to the numerous opportunities that are overlooked.
may we diligently pray that He would teach us His ways. teach us how to be His witnesses. 
may our confidence be found in Christ, 
yielding our words to His. 






nothing more. nothing less.










bless