Experiencing God

I have been going through a Bible study, Experiencing God, with some friends and God has truly been blessing me through it and I just want to share what I've been learning through it. Most of the statements are written by Blackaby. Sorry for the length!

The first week was about God's will and our life. 

• The first day started out by talking about how God is our map...no matter what. When seeking God's will for our life, we shouldn't ask questions like, "Lord what do you want me to do? When? How? Where? Who do You want me to involve along the way? Please tell me what the outcome will be." Instead, we need to say, "Lord, as You go with me, tell me what to do one step at a time. I will do it." John 14:6 says, "I am the way and the truth and the life." He knows the way and He is our way. If we are following Jesus one step at a time, we will be right in the center of His will for our lives. If we don't trust Jesus to guide us day by day, we will worry and that is not how we are supposed to live our lives. We are to live in freedom, which comes with trusting Him to guide us one step at a time. This even goes deeper. What do you do when God doesn't give specifics? Are you ready to follow God in the way Abram (later Abraham) did when God said, in Genesis 12:1, "Leave and go to the land I will show you?" We need to follow by faith...not sight.
• The next day talked about how, "What is God's will for my life?" is not the right question, but rather, "What is God's will?" The focus needs to be on God, not on our life!
• Being a servant was the topic of the next day. To be God's servant, we must allow Him to mold us and we must remain in the hands of the Master. This takes obedience and we must always remember God is the one putting everything together. Also, we cannot skip the relationship, for that comes first. Get to know Him on a deeper level, adjust your life to Him, and let Him love you and reveal Himself to you.

• The topic of the next two days were on God working through His servants. Three things that really stuck out was that 1) you cannot stay the way you are and go with God, 2) when you believe nothing significant can happen through you, you have said more about your belief in God than you have declared about yourself, and 3) don't measure your life by the world's standards. 

The second week was about looking to God.

• The first day was simple...it is not about us. It's all about Him. We must deny our self-centered life and return to a God-centered life to know and do God's will. We must submit ourselves to God. 
• God's plans versus our plans was the topic of the second day. The main point was that understanding what God is about to do where we are is more important than telling God what we want to do for Him. We must seek God's perspective. He wants to do it Himself through us.
• Walking with God is the next topic. The key to walking with God is not a method...it's a relationship with God. Remember that His revelation of His activity is an invitation for us to join Him.
• Day four and five were about God speaking. First, the key to knowing God's voice is not a formula or a method you can follow. Knowing His voice comes from an intimate love relationship with God. You have to depend on God alone. If you have trouble hearing God speak, then you are in trouble at the heart of your Christian experience. Next, God always speaks with a purpose. The moment He speaks to you is the time He wants you to respond to Him. Know that God has a right to interrupt your life anytime He wants! Also, take heart in knowing that if God has a task for you, He will expand your character to match that assignment.

I am still in week three, but it is about how God pursues a love relationship.

• Day one was about how we were created for relationship. The main question of the day was, "Can you describe your relationship with God by sincerely saying, 'I love You with all my heart?'" Mark 12:30 commands us to "love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." How are you doing? Know that everything in your Christian life, everything about knowing Him and experiencing Him, everything about knowing His will depends on the quality of your love relationship with God. If that is not settled, nothing in your life will be right. If you are having a hard time experiencing God, then something is wrong with your love relationship. Your experiencing God depends on your having a relationship of love. This relationship with God is more important than any single factor in your life. How is your love relationship?
• Having a relationship with God was about a relationship with God. And the main point was to see that we should want nothing else other than Jesus. Are there going to be rough times? You bet. But God uses those experiences to mold us for future usefulness here on earth, and in eternity. We must do what Paul did in Philippians 3:13-14...forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, pressing on towards the goal to win the prize. Let your present be molded and shaped by what you are to become in Christ, and remember that to be loved by God is the highest relationship, the greatest achievement, and the noblest position in life!
• Day three, walking with God, is as far as I got, but I just want to share some statements that really stuck out. 1) When your relationship is as it ought to be, you will always be in fellowship with the Father. 2) People who struggle to spend time with God don't have a scheduling problem; they have a love problem. 3) The more you know Him and experience His unfathomable love, the more you will love Him. You will want time alone with God because you love Him and enjoy His fellowship.

My Story

Something has really been on my heart lately and that is to share my story...the real one.

As many as you may know, I accepted Christ and was baptized when I was 7, but that is not the complete truth. Others of you may know that I had gotten off the right path and rededicated my life last summer, but that's not the complete truth either. Let me just stop right now and apologize to everyone who thinks either of these are the case. I made everyone believe a lie and I know I can't take it back now, but I so wish I could. Claiming myself as a Christian when I wasn't one was so wrong and I regret it so much, but it's in the past and all I can do is move on. Again, I am so sorry.

Here is the real story: 

Ever since the day I was born I was in the church and grew up in a Christian home, which I am so blessed I did. When I was 7, all my friends were accepting Christ and getting baptized, and so what did I do? I prayed the prayer to receive Christ and was baptized. But it wasn't real. It was all head knowledge and was never heart knowledge. When middle and high school came around, a lot of things happened in which turned me away from Christ and wanted nothing to do with Him. I would always run away from the problem instead of dealing with it, or would deal with it on my own in my own way. During these years, especially my high school years, there were many times when I was depressed and questioned a lot of different things, especially asking the famous question, "why?" me. But my whole life I acted as if I were a Christian and made everyone believe I was, but that is far from the truth. All throughout my life I knew I needed to accept Christ for real, but I kept telling myself I was already saved. Christ was always speaking to my heart and I would 'accept' Him at camps and such (those mountain top feelings), but then go on with the way I was living. It was never a real decision...until last summer. I was at rock bottom and had no where else to go, I was tired of running away, I wanted something better in my life, and I didn't want to be a slave to Satan anymore. I wanted to be free. I can remember that night like it was yesterday. As I was crying out to God running into His open arms I completely felt the darkness that was surrounding me just flee and a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I was finally free. Up until last summer, I was going through the motions of being a Christian, but since then, I have lived the Christian life and was baptized the Sunday before I left for school this year. I was convicted so much that I needed to follow through in baptism, so I was obedient and did just that. Ever since July 10, 2011 my life has not been the same. I have grown in my Savior, Jesus Christ so much and I still am everyday and I would not trade it for anything. Ever. This does not mean that my life is perfect. It's far from it and it never will be. I still have those rough seasons in life, but it's through those that I grow even closer to Him.
"...my greatest growth and the deepest truths God has to offer have been accomplished through the fiercest storms." - Mary Southerland