What's to come?

Well, yet another year down, and another year of adventure. It truly has been a roller coaster year for me. I have been all over the board emotionally dealing with my degree, with my friends, and with my relationship with God. I went from being probably the furthest point I have ever been from God, to becoming the closest that I have ever been to God. In the past year I have learned so much from my mistakes and experiences. The Focus Leadership Institute has helped me learn from my experiences and has helped me see the uniqueness that God made me with. God has gifted me with some incredible strengths and has given me an incredible family and incredible friends who have been there for me through it all. I'm truly blessed to be where I'm at. In the past three months I have learned how to pursue God. I have learned the importance of recognizing my strengths and using those to serve God. I have continued to learn humility. I have seen how God really can use every experience to reveal something about himself.
God loves us. He hates to see us hurt and hates to see us ache. When we are hurting and don't understand the future, God is there with us, weeping. He wishes we could trust Him, because He knows our potential and our future and He hates to see us hurting because we fail to Trust. God does not make us fall into sin. As James says, "Nor does God tempt anyone, but each person is tempted when by his own evil desires he is dragged away and enticed." It's by our own evil desires that we fall from the Truth. But still God is there, wrapping His arms around us, whispering in our ears, "I love you!"
So often I pushed God away when He tries to come near. I refuse to allow anyone to come near to me. That selfish ambition creeps it's way in saying, "It's all about you!" Satan masquerades as an angel of light, tempting us with things that our human nature desires. And it is hard to resist. But James states, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you." God is calling us into a Holy communion with Him. He desires us and wants us to fellowship with Him. Search God, come near to Him. As it says in the book of James, "If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault. But when he ask, he must believe and not doubt." So seek out God in this new year, ask God for wisdom, but when you ask, believe what He tells you, even if it is hard. It's time to trust the Truth of God and to run into His open arms and hear his whisper, "I love you!"