Hope April 22 2019

This will be different than anything you have ever read of mine, enjoy!

I’m not the perfect Christian by any stretch and I don’t always like to advertise it on social media as if I’m trying to pound it down people’s throat because not everyone believes in God and that is their right. I sin plenty and then some, I also get in my head that I don’t want to come off as a false witness because I enjoy some adult beverages on occasion (putting it lightly). But God is the only one who can judge me and he knows my every move, he knows where my heart and faith are. I grew up in the church, it has always been an important part of my life but going to college you tend to stray away. You start to look at life with your own views and you start questioning everything that goes on because life can be a long confusing ride. I think it is a good thing when you start to question and then certain moments in life happen and you just have to look back in shock just to realize there is no explanation other than the plans of the Lord are prevailing. The older I get I start to realize more and more how important my relationship with God is and with my schedule I work a lot of Sundays so I’m not able to attend church regularly but I do watch The Elevation Church with Pastor Steven Furtick (highly recommend) once a week, I try to get into the word more and more as time goes on.

 I’ve been doing a great amount of praying about current situations in life for quite some time. Just trying to figure out what is next, where I need to be, or how I need to go about certain situations. It has taken a lot of time, and even more patience. Some of those prayers have been answered and I am so thankful. The last few years have really taught me how to be patient and just to trust in the plans that God has for me and my life.

I was sitting in Church on Easter Sunday hearing a sermon by Pastor Guyton and for the first time in my life, I started to take notes. This man was talking straight into my soul. Word for word he was describing the exact situation I am going through. He said “When you keep holding on, you have hope that tomorrow will be better. If you’re waiting, it says that you have hope and that you haven’t given up. Keep holding and waiting even when it seems like you should give up because the lord is working for you even if you can’t see it.” I’ve been waiting, hoping, praying, and don’t get me wrong I still am but the situation is better. It’s almost like God pushes us to our breaking point, just when you think you can’t handle anymore he delivers something to let you know that you’re doing the right thing, just to keep your head up and keep moving forward. Next he said “your situation can always change. It can always turn around, just keep your hope! I may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel but I will because ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Phil 4:13” I was hanging onto every word.

“Don’t put your hope in things or other people when God is the God of hope, put your hope in him. If I didn’t have hope where would I be today?” 

I am so thankful I was able to be there this morning because I needed to hear all of this. 

I’ve always kind of just rolled with the punches and thought it was just me and how I react because certain things I should probably get stressed about I just don’t really care because it typically always works out. But I realized it’s the peace of God, it’s my faith that allows me to be so carefree because he knows the plans he has for me. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

 

 

I say all of this with the hope that it can help someone else who might be going through something similar or just seems impossible to get through. There is light on the other side of the tunnel whether you can see it or not.

 

God Bless,

Kaleb