“You knock on the door of my heart
And I will answer You, I will answer You
You make me a covenant of love
And I will walk with You
Yes I will walk with You…” We Say Yes by Housefires

This year marks 7 whole years that I have been walking with God. Walking with God. (It feels surreal writing those words, for sure. How do one not be struck and filled with awe of the fact of walking with the Creator of Heaven and Earth?)

God, thank you for choosing me at Calvary; thank you for choosing me day in and day out. Thank you for Your love that not only purifies me but also makes me whole.

“I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid anymore
Your love has made a way…” We Say Yes

I will be the first to admit that I try to understand God. I know, how foolish of me, right? It’s definitely foolish but time and time again I try to understand God’s ways; I try to understand what He is doing. And today I came across these words: “As you do not know the way the Spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

I absolutely love the way God always, always humbles me with His truth. After I read those words I wrote them on a sticky note and posted it on my bathroom mirror. As often as I look in the mirror, I want to remind my ever failing heart and flesh: As you do not know the way the Spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

“We say yes God
We accept the invitation to Your love
We say yes God, You and You alone can have it all…” We say Yes

So Lord, tonight found me making a new confession in my journal: God? I surrender. I completely surrender the need to try to figure out how You would provide for me. I will close my eyes and hold Your hand. In Jesus’ name, help me Father stop to seek out Your ways. God, please forgive me for my unbelief! Help me with my unbelief, Father; please! From the bottom of my heart, I desire to stop my striving. I resolve to stop my striving. I desire to enter Your rest, Lord. Please, don’t deny me Your rest. God, I let go my striving. I will take Your rest.

Surely, You gave me Isaiah 30:15 for a reason as a theme for this year. “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength…”

“You lead me by waters that are calm
And I will follow You, I will follow You
You’re dancing and singing over us
And I will dance with You, I will dance with You…” We say Yes

Quietness

I am not good with quietness. A million things run through my mind. I have an idea about almost everything. God wants to quiet my knowing, He desires that I let go of my knowing and take His knowing.

7 years of walking with You God? And You haven’t given up on me? You spoke favor into my fears; You faithfully undo my failures and You have made straight all my crooked ways. You pursue me again and again and again until all my fears are washed away. At Calvary You crushed the devil’s head and forever won victory for me. What love is this?

What love is?

“I’ve made up my mind
I’ve got no more excuses
So we open the door and we let You in…” We say Yes

God, since last summer You have slowed me down. You have been reminding me to wait on You. The resounding verse has been Psalm 37:7, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…”

Slow down. God knows the rhythm of your life. Let this wait grow you into the likeness of His image.

And tonight a classmate reminded me to do more listening. She said something in terms of, “If you are always talking to God in worship, prayer, and the reading of the Word; You have to sit with God to also hear.”

I need to hear Your voice. And that was my conviction last month- my best month with You, Lord God- You whispered into my heart this, “you have to get acquainted to My voice.” “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27

You have to get acquainted to My voice.

Tell me please; what do you do when you hear your Savior desiring an encounter with you? Me? Of all people? The Creator of heaven and earth desires you. Please, please, I beg you, let that truth sink in.

“We say yes God
We accept the invitation to Your love
We say yes God, You and You alone can have it all…” We say Yes.

God, I accept yet again this invitation to Your love. Father, even the fact that You would consider me, is pure grace and holy wonder in of itself.

Slow down. God knows the rhythm of your life. This journey leads home to Him. And in case you forget often like me? He alone knows the way home. “Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Will you take His invitation to slow down long enough to know Him? To hear Him? To commune with Him?

We have got to be honest with ourselves, do we truly want God’s pace? Really, ask yourself, “from the depth of my heart, do I want God’s pace?” I will be the first one to admit that over and over again, I have asked God to go with my pace; I know, how disrespectful and straight up evil of me to ask God to follow my pace and my will. But this is the same God who takes me back. And that’s why Paul warns us against taking God’s kindness and mercy for granted. Paul writes, “Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 In Jesus’ name, may we never take God’s kindness for granted, I pray that we are always led into repentance. God, in His rich mercy and unending love has time and time again opposed my plans. Thank You Lord for opposing my plans.

Lord, 7 years in this union with You and I desperately desire to give up my will once and for all. I am tossing in the sea all that I thought my life should be. I am letting go from my heart and soul all my knowing. Each day, I want to learn again to dance with You.

God, I say Yes to who You are not who I think You are. I say Yes to Your pace and not mine. I say Yes to Your will now and forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord God for always taking me back.

I love you Lord and to all You give I say Yes. 

And dear soul? Please take this to heart, “Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6