God is so faithful!

Here I am, updating much sooner than I thought I would, but I have news to tell and want it to be made known.

My byword lately is faithful, specifically when used in reference to God being faithful. Yes, He is. Do you know how I know that? Because I have seen it. I have seen His faithfulness in my friend's lives and also in my own. He really does answer prayer, people. And when you are desiring and praying for the things that consume the heart of our Father, you will see Him fulfill those prayers and desires. When He promises something, He always accomplishes what He promised.

Take for instance, this trip. I have known where and for how long I was going since September/October 2007. For a young college student, that's a long time out to have concrete plans that will stick. Just think about the average number of times a college student changes their major. I know for a fact and am completely assured that it was God who told me His plans for me to move to Costa Rica after I graduate because: 1) going back to CR wasn’t even on my radar at that point 2) I was listening for God to tell me what His plans were 3) I’ve heard Him speak to me before and understand when He is telling me something, especially when He speaks this clearly 4) everything has worked out so far despite many glitches in the planning process.

Right now I am in the process of raising financial support, and though there are only 2 ½ months until my planned date of departure, I can be confident that God will provide exactly as much as I need whether it is above or below what my budget says I should have. He holds ALL things in His hands. My finances for fifteen months are nothing to Him. I praise Him today because I have needed to contact both my sending agency (NHIM) and the intern coordinator (Candace) at the Abraham Project. I had not been able to get in touch with them for two entire weeks, but I was able to talk to both of them over the phone just this afternoon. Now I can finalize my budget and continue on to the next step.

God is so good! Don’t ever doubt it or forget. Earlier this semester I read Deuteronomy 4, and I was reminded how important it is not to forget God and the things He has done. You see, Israel was a nation that God had chosen to be ‘His people’. He wanted to bless them by using them as a witness and testimony to all other people of His love and desire for them. But the Israelites constantly turned away from serving and honoring God even in the face of obvious miracles and blessings, such as freeing them from slavery to Egypt and miraculously providing manna (a type of bread), quail (when they complained of not having meat), and water on their journey through the desert from Egypt to the fertile land that God had promised them. And even in the face of denial, betrayal, and wanton disobedience, God fulfilled His side of the covenant with the people of Israel by not only punishing them when they were unfaithful and disobeyed but also by not staying angry. He really wanted them to understand how much he loved them, and still does, by showing them mercy over and over again.

In Deuteronomy 4, the Lord warns the people not to turn from Him and worship false idols. Moses, the author, reminds them of God’s awesomeness and distinction from human beings because He is the ultimate being: perfect, the originator of ALL power, and the creator of all things. Even though this passage talks specifically about the covenant that Israel had with God thousands of years ago, His character in light of that covenant is consistent and unchanging to this day. Therefore, I understand that the following verses apply even in the present time, and that anyone who has a part in the ‘new’ covenant—having accepted forgiveness from our imperfections and rejection of God by acknowledging His existence, love, and truth which was displayed by the Son of God, Jesus, who, though being God, humbled himself by taking the form of one of us and died an unjust and painful death though he did nothing wrong in His life and displayed His power by raising himself from death just to prove that He is who he said He is, and He does what He says He will do, and He loves you very much—should understand these truths.

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” vs 7

“Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Vs 23-24

(Following a discourse on what would happen if they DID turn to idol worship…)
“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you (consequences of breaking the covenant), then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.” Vs. 29-31

*All scripture taken from the New International Version (NIV). Emphasis and parenthetical notes are mine.

My hope is in Christ, in whom I live life to the fullest. Blessings!

Welcome!

This is my first post on my new blog! Thanks for stopping by. I won't begin posting regularly until later. But make sure to come read my updates when I do start blogging.

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