For the past several years I have taken to heart what I heard from a speaker at camp one summer. He talked about having a verse for the year that he would pray over and see how God would use that verse for that year. I liked this idea of focus and in the first year found myself drawn to scriptures from Hosea and Joel...and watched as my faith and hope in God's promises shape and transform my life. When I was in Cambodia I also had verses from Matthew and Ezekiel and a phrase, "I make all things new"...and in a country were there is so much heartache and pain I found hope and God healed my heart.
This year He has given me the word Relentless. I was thrilled when I discovered this word in my heart and excited by what it means. It is never stopping, never getting tired, never giving up. He will pursue till the very end. With in the first few weeks of this year I already can see God being relentless in all area's of my life.
As I pray for my relationship with Dan I find things coming to the surface that we need to talk about. And as we are talking through them (some of them being really hard things to talk through) we both know and are acknowledging how good these things are for us and for our relationship. I watch as God is pulling from my heart my selfishness and making me claim it and apologize for it. And the blessing is in laying down my pride and claiming my sin my heart keeps becoming more free. I find that it doesn't matter to me about being right in my relationships but that I am honest and honoring the people I love.
I am just at the beginning of this journey but feel thrilled every time I see God working and pursuing me and the people I love. I am being transformed deeper and I know there are going to be hard days, there already have been. But I also have felt that God is with me and as I fight for truth and freedom I feel peace that I am getting there. And in my devotions this week I sensed that maybe part of learning about God being relentless is also being called to be relentless too.
It is a call for me to pursue things in my life when it doesn't make sense to others. To see something that looks impossible and believe that it is possible. To not give up on God no matter how hard things get this year. And that I keep going no matter how tired I get because my strength needs to come from God. Relentless...again and again...deeper and deeper He calls me.
Relentless...God is Relentless!
December: Second reception in Michigan and Christmas
December: Second reception in Michigan and Christmas
