Recently I went on a trip to Palm Desert with five of my friends from high school except we're all adults now and WOW. It was incredible and worthy of posting about for suuuure.
ALSO! & Just for clarification! We were safe going into the trip and ON the trip. We legitimately had ZERO contact with anyone outside of our five-person group, and we wore our masks and sanitized our hands every time we stepped out of our house and our car.
This weekend though, I strengthened some of my most treasured friendships and I had a few phrases running through my mind while we were together.
The first one was the word "sacred." Whether that referred to our vulnerability as individuals or our strength in certain situations or simply the moments we were spending together, it was sacred. It was valued. It was treasured.
Second, the phrase, "For Your promise is Yes! & Amen!" & I'm not saying "yes and amen," I'm saying "Yes! And! Amen!" This phrase kind of showed up more and more the longer we were together.
This second phrase leads me to what I wanted to write about today. We all wrote devotionals for the trip and I wanted to share mine. So here it is!
I’ve been struggling a bit with my faith lately. Not in the way that I think “God doesn’t exist,” because I’ve experienced too much of the supernatural for me NOT to believe that God is real. HOWEVER it’s just been difficult for me to find time, or put in the effort, or whatever,,, and I continue to create these excuses. And while I know God doesn’t love me any less, I just need to refresh my faith.
Something that I guess I felt kinda called to talk about today though is GOD’s faithfulness.
Sometimes I forget that God can be faithful. & Not only CAN he be faithful, but he IS faithful. & It’s a present state of being.
And even when I don’t feel like I’m faithful or I don’t feel like I’m super present in my relationship with Christ, HIS faithfulness is unshaken. His promises for us are not dependent on whether our faith feels strong or not. They are PROMISES. Not deals.
2 Corinthians 1:19-20 states:
“For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom [I] preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says.”
IT GOES ON.
“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes” ascends to God for his glory.”
So to pause real fast and dissect what’s happening in those two verses; the way that these verses are even TRANSLATED reflects the Lord’s passion to pursue us. In verse 20, Paul’s saying that amen means “Yes” and not just yes in the word itself, but it’s enthusiastic. It’s translated WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK.
And Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth goes on in verses 21-22 saying,
“It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and has identified us as His own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything He has promised us.”
Now let’s break THOSE verses down!
As Christians, a lot of us are familiar with the idea that the Lord enables us to be His hands and feet. He has commissioned us to do His work here on earth. But if I’m being honest, it’s hard to feel like I’m dong that all the time. It’s difficult on days when my anxiety is high or my depression is overwhelming or my impulses are on overload or I simply just don’t want to do it.
HOWEVER, EVEN WHEN I DO NOT FEEL READY, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL READY, EVEN WHEN WE ARE SICK AND TIRED FEELING LIKE WE NEED TO BE “TURNED ON” FOR OTHERS, GOD’S PROMISES COVER FARTHER THAN WE CAN FATHOM.
In verse 23, Paul says, the BIBLE says, that “God’s FIRST INSTALLMENT is that [He, GOD,] GUARANTEES EVERYTHING HE HAS PROMISED US.”
READ EVERY WORD OF THAT.
He GUARANTEES. EVERY. THAT HE. HAS PROMISED US.
HE GUARANTEES EVERY PROMISE.
THAT IS INSANE.
AND the CRAZIEST PART is that our faith doesn’t depend on HIS FAITH towards us.
His promises will carry further than we can imagine. They extend well beyond our reach. And even when I don’t feel comfortable in my Christianity, (WHICH HAPPENS BECAUSE DOUBTS ARE REAL) His faith for me does not waiver. His love for me is not shaken. And that’s something that I can be grateful for.
That's all I've got for now. I just put a few photos from the trip in.
Much Love,
Del
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