He understands.

one thing I'm learning more and more about God is that He understands me. He understands my heart and brokenness even when I don't understand myself. this weekend He reminded me that He knows what's going on with me and He cares. this post will probably seem scattered but these are the things God has revealed to me this weekend.

"sometimes God does not give you what you think you need from other people because He wants you to get it from Him." - Christine Caine

I love the song By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North. "why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?" I feel like that's what God is asking me. Why am I seeking for fulfillment and life in everything else? I have Jesus and He IS enough.

Matthew 6:33-34 (MSG) "Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." I love every bit of this scripture. God has it all taken care of. 

MercyMe has a song out right now called Beautiful. If you haven't heard it you should definitely take time to listen to it. Part of the lyrics say this "You are more than what's hurting you tonight. You are treasured. You are sacred. You are His." I want to soak up this truth and live in it.

I've been sick this weekend so I listened to some online campuses and sermons today since I missed being at my own church. It's crazy to me how God brought me to certain blogs and people to follow on twitter which led me to these churches and the sermons I heard tonight. It's something only God could do. What I thought was random, He had a purpose for.

Crosspoint Church in Tennessee is one of the churches I listened to. They are doing a series right now called This is our God. The two sermons I heard were about God's faithfulness and His goodness. Here are my notes from those sermons...

God is faithful!
 Lamentations 3
I am the man who has seen affliction
   by the rod of the LORD’s wrath.
² He has driven me away and made me walk
   in darkness rather than light;
³ indeed, he has turned his hand against me
   again and again, all day long.

 ⁴ He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
   and has broken my bones.
⁵ He has besieged me and surrounded me
   with bitterness and hardship.
⁶ He has made me dwell in darkness
   like those long dead.

 ⁷ He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
   he has weighed me down with chains.
⁸ Even when I call out or cry for help,
   he shuts out my prayer.
⁹ He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
   he has made my paths crooked.

 ¹⁰ Like a bear lying in wait,
   like a lion in hiding,
¹¹ he dragged me from the path and mangled me
   and left me without help.
¹² He drew his bow
   and made me the target for his arrows.

 ¹³ He pierced my heart
   with arrows from his quiver.
¹⁴ I became the laughingstock of all my people;
   they mock me in song all day long.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitter herbs
   and given me gall to drink.

 ¹⁶ He has broken my teeth with gravel;
   he has trampled me in the dust.
¹⁷ I have been deprived of peace;
   I have forgotten what prosperity is.
¹⁸ So I say, “My splendor is gone
   and all that I had hoped from the LORD.”

 ¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
   the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
   and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
   and therefore I have hope:

 ²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.” 

faithfulness- steadfast in affection or allegiance.

no one will be faithful all the time.

God is faithful and will not let you down.

because God is faithful...

You can trust that your past is your past.

1 John 1:9 - But if we confess our sins to Him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Trust Him with your present trouble. 

Put your trust in His identity (who He is - unchanging) instead of in His activity (your circumstances) **this was EXACTLY what I needed to hear tonight. I have been trusting in His activity for way too long.

God is most powerfully present when He is most apparently absent.

Matthew 11:28-29 - Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Trust in Him with your future plans.

Lamentations 3:24

The Lord is everything I need so I'm going to wait on Him.

Each day we can trust God or ourselves/everything around us.

Every other basis of hope besides God will let us down.

What would I do if I was absolutely confident that God is with me? 

God is good!

Exodus 33

For every misconception you have about God there will be a corresponding consequence. God in His goodness, gives to others in a way that is not limited by what the recipients deserve but constantly going beyond it. 

In response to God's goodness we should be grateful. 

All of life is a gift, we don't deserve any of it.

In response to His goodness, we should trust Him.

Thank you Jesus for internet sermons and for understanding me all the time. Thank you for being faithful and good. Let me put my hope in your identity instead of your activity. I love you!