His Timing

I sat at my desk, scribbling on my week's planner. Pointe on Monday. Debate class on Friday. Iran's nuclear negotiation deadline on Tuesday. Before long, I got to the "Notes" section of the page. At the top, I saw the small list I had written out the day before: "Colleges to Research".

Several university names were penned below that heading. A shiver went down my back, as I realized that one of those could be my future home for four years of my life. The feeling was one of excitement, but uncertainty. Because I still don't know the plan for my life.

I know what I'm passionate about. I have ideas of how I might want to spend certain seasons of my life. But I still don't know the big picture of what God has in store for me. My guess is, most of us don't. And something about that terrifies us.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about God's time table. In Revelation, Jesus clearly says in His letters to the churches "I am coming soon." 2,000 years later, we are still in the waiting. But He has not lost control. There hasn't been a mistake. He wasn't delayed by an unforeseen circumstance. This is part of His perfect plan. His time table works differently than I think we would like it to. But in the end, as Ecclesiastes 3:11 promises: "He will make everything beautiful in its time."

Many times, I find myself wrestling with the uncertainty of my future. I wonder how long I'll have to wait, until I know "the plan" for my life. I wonder how I'll find out. But look at the life of Jesus. His ministry didn't start until he was around 30 years old. God's own son, who was perfect and sinless in every way, who was truly equipped for every good work, grew in wisdom and stature, and went through a season of preparation, that lasted most of his life. His actual ministry only lasted three years, but those three years changed the world, because they had been built in God's timing.

One of the biggest things I think I forget, though, is that the life I'm living right now can have an impact, too. Contrary to the theme of many Disney princess movies, you do not have to wait for your Prince Charming to sweep you off your feet, in order for your life to begin. We are in a unique stage of lives right now. We can reach out to people on a huge level, beyond what we realize. Even in the things that seem the most mundane, there is an opportunity to love and be the hands and feet of Christ.

Think back to the parable of the talents. Each servant was entrusted with a small amount, and given the opportunity to do something about it. One servant refused to use what he had been given. Maybe he thought he would waste it. Maybe he thought it wasn't important enough. Maybe he was holding out for something more. But the other two used what they had been given. The task probably seemed completely mundane at times. But they knew they were working for their King, and using what He had given them. And those who were entrusted with little and used it were given more; those who were faithful in the smallest things were the ones who were esteemed by their King.

It's so easy to think that these seasons of our life don't matter. It's so easy to waste them, and so many of us do. I know I have wasted some of mine. But don't underestimate the importance of the season of preparation. God can use a willing vessel in unbelievable ways, as He is shaping you into who He has created you to be. I used to think that this season didn't matter much, because I was only around Christians. At the time, I didn't even know any non-Christians, and I didn't feel like I had much of an opportunity to reach out to them, or do important work for the Kingdom. Everyone I knew already believed.

But Christians are not any less valuable to the Kingdom. Just because someone is saved doesn't mean they don't need strengthening. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul writes about how he was comforted by a visit from Titus. I was struck, reading that passage a few months ago. Was Titus wrong to visit Paul?  Was he wrong to make a long trip to come encourage a body of believers, who had already been saved, instead of reaching uncharted waters with the Gospel?  No; he was right where God had placed him. God cares just as much about home schooled Christians as he does about unsaved souls on the other side of the world. Yes, there is a great rejoicing over the one lost sheep that was found, even though the ninety-nine had already been saved. But that doesn't mean the ninety-nine were any less valuable. I had always assumed the Christians around me were okay, and that I needed to be spending my life on "more important" things. But I've experienced some painful realizations and jarring conversations that have opened my eyes; Christians are not always as "okay" as they look. Time spent strengthening them is not a waste. Who knows?  Your love might change a life.

God's timing is perfect, and He does have incredible plans for you. But some of those plans are right here, right now, in the season of preparation. Don't be so busy looking ahead that you miss what He has for you in the here and now.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Save My Life",
by Sidewalk Prophets

(reflective, steady beat music)

My Resting Place

I love this time of year, when everything starts growing again. I love the feeling of waking up once morning to realize that the gray branches of the tree in our backyard have been sprinkled with tiny red buds of new life. I love the way the little plants around the neighborhood start poking their heads out of the ground. I love the sense of new life in the air. Because I know how desperately I need it. I am broken; living in light of the cross can be an uphill battle, and sometimes, it's so much easier not to fight. It's so much easier to entertain the distracting thoughts in my mind than to remove them. It's easier not to rest in Christ.

We're sure we can do it on our own, because we have in the past. We know we should be thinking about the cross, but convince ourselves that it's not worth the struggle, and it's okay to just think about it every once in awhile. We feel the need to reach out to others, but don't want to make them uncomfortable, so we assume they're fine.

I can say that because, so often, that is me. I know where my focus should be. But it's so easy to turn my eyes. And when I do, I can feel the Enemy's subtle lies penetrating my heart. But sometimes, I think they're inescapable, or even think that they're true. Other times, I'll find myself really enjoying the distractions he places in front of me. Often, those distractions are not even bad things, but when I don't guard my focus, good things can easily become ultimate things.

Most of you have probably heard me talk about the concept, from Ellerslie sermons, of being "In Christ". It's reflected in the Passover, when the Israelites painted the blood of a lamb on their doorposts, and the angel of death had to pass by. When Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross, He created a resting place; a righteousness to cover his people; a house marked by the blood of the lamb. If we are in Him, we are in His righteousness.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

-John 15:9

The cross did not just atone for our sin; it redeemed us forever from its power. On this side of the cross, we are no longer slaves to sin but sons of righteousness, and there is freedom to live as He lived. In Christ, there is freedom. In the house marked by blood, the second death and the power of the Enemy has no longer has to control you, because you are in His righteousness. We are redeemed, to live in victory, and walk a different path. Yes, it may sometimes be an uphill climb. Yes, we're broken, and we will fall. But our God is a God of redemption. Every year, right around this time, we can see reflections of new beginnings in the world as it begins to wake up from a long winter. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is willing to do the same in me.

He has made a house marked by blood. In the midst of whatever struggles we face, there is a resting place. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20, all the promises of God are "Yes", in Christ. Since this is a shorter devotional, I would encourage you to take some time to reflect on some of the promises of the life lived in Christ. Eric Ludy, pastor at the church of Ellerslie, outlines 46 of these promises, on pages 3-6 of this document, and it is incredible to think about!!

There is a resting place. There is freedom. There is new life in Christ.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Redeemed",
by Big Daddy Weave

(slower, quiet music)

The Cross

His firm, passionate voice broke as he read the words. The entire room was quiet with a heavy weight upon it. Some slipped out of the room with their heads bowed. Others reached into their purses for tissues. I felt the tears spilling out of my eyes, but it seemed so wrong to wipe them away. I was thankful I had left my hair down... it gave me something to hide behind.

Not that anyone was watching; the room was too full of the presence of Christ to notice much else. Sometimes, I had to wonder if He still felt the pain of crucifixion. It seemed as though we could, in some small, almost meaningless way, as the classroom lights flicked off for the second time and clips from The Passion appeared again on the classroom screen.

Never had I felt so ridiculous, so small, and so unbelievably loved as I did in that moment, when the Holy Spirit answered my prayer to encounter the cross more fully. It seemed so ridiculous that I had ever tried to fit something else in next to that terrible, painful, beautiful cross. Did it really matter if we got a debate slot to nationals that year?  Was it important that maybe some people did not see me as one of their closest or coolest friends?  Did I really need human validation?

But the feeling went beyond what I had wrongly pursued... there was so much more I had failed to do. I hadn't loved unconditionally. I hadn't washed the feet of those around me. I hadn't made communion with Him my highest good, for every waking moment of every day. I had clasped a cross around my neck, without being willing to live in its shadow.

Tomorrow, most of us are headed into the biggest qualifier of the year, in Lincoln. It's going to be exciting. Someone said 90% of the region is going to be there, and, looking at the confirmation list, I'm guessing that's a pretty reasonable estimate.

I've talked to so many people over the past few weeks about the struggle of focus. I am so easily distracted, and focus is one of my biggest struggles. Tournaments provide the atmosphere for extra distractions, and opportunities to lose focus.

Some of us will face those distractions in Lincoln this week. Others, who will not be at the tournament, will still be tempted and distracted, no matter where we are. But through it all, the cross is stronger.

At the foot of the cross, there is no room for anything but love. And at the foot of the cross, in Christ, the Enemy has no power over you. You have been freed to love those around you. You have been freed to talk openly to Jesus, whenever you need to. You have been freed to have access to the throne room of heaven itself. You have been freed to live for more than just yourself.

This week, before the tournament, or before whatever challenges and distractions you may face, I would encourage you to sit down and reflect on the cross. If you're like me, writing it out might help as well. This isn't going to be a long devotional, because, to be perfectly honest, I have no words of wisdom. I have nothing I can give you. I can only point you back to the cross. Today, if you truly believe in the power of the cross, spend some time losing yourself in its shadow.

Here are a few thoughts to reflect on:

    He was marred beyond human visage; He was a worm and no man.

    He prayed for your heart, in Gethsemene.

    He was silent, when accused.

    He forgave.

Even in His weakest moments, He was serving and protecting those He loved.

    Isaiah 52:13-15

    Isaiah 53

    Psalm 22

    Matthew 26-27

    John 17-19

This was one of my meditations on the cross, that I hope will encourage you. That reflection was longer, but often, my reflections are only a simple, broken, helpless cry for rescue. What I love about Jesus is that He hears and He answers, no matter how short, long, beautiful, or broken, the cry is. It's the heart He cares about.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame."

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Lead Me To the Cross",
by Hillsong

(slower, reflective worship)

I'll Count It Loss

What is your greatest good?

Tournament season is something that stretches all of us, on some level or another. We've worked all season on these speeches, and spent hours at the computer working on our debate cases. And we are so excited to compete, and see the hard work pay off.

And when it doesn't go as planned, it can hurt. We may feel like our time has been wasted when we see others advancing in the out rounds for debate, while our own boxes remain comfortably nestled in the student hangout area. It can sting to watch your speech event being announced during awards, while you are sit in the back of the auditorium, instead of walking across the stage.

"Humility."  "Glorifying God."  "Peace."  "Confidence."  We throw these words around so much at tournaments. And they are beautiful... but are they our focus?  Or have they simply become a legal safeguard, to make sure we at least have Christian values on our minds, if not in our hearts?

What is your greatest good at a tournament?  What do is your goal going into it?  Oftentimes, when people are asked this, they'll smile and say: "Well, I'm just here to glorify God!"  And that is wonderful... but is that your greatest good?  Is that your heart's longing, or has that become a cover-up for wanting your own gain?

It is not wrong to want to advance at tournaments. I certainly have that longing as well. But what does it mean, if that is all we walk away with?  Have we won anything, if our confidence is only in those awards?

I think Paul put it best in Philippians 3:

 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal,persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

-Philippians 3:3-11

I want that to be my greatest good; I want to come closer to God this tournament and see His hand at work in the hearts of those around me, and in my own life, and if I don't, it doesn't matter how well I do, because I have gained nothing!!  All I have is a little plastic round thing on a ribbon, presented by a league that seeks to equip students for so much more. God is giving us the tools to be world changers. But for what are we going to change the world, if we're not rooted in Him in the here and now?  I have nothing, if I have not found more of Him.

Why?  Because He is the Beloved. He is not a faraway, eternal Being who cares nothing about us, frowns whenever we do something wrong, likes to make us miserable, or doesn't understand us. He cherishes our hearts so deeply that He would die to save them. His arms hold the entire universe, yet he is holding you, as an individual, against His heart, ravished by one glance of Your eyes. He listens when you cry out. He answers you when you call. When you seek Him, He will be found. He loves us.

That love is my greatest good. I want it to be the longing of my heart. If I have not fallen more deeply in love with Him, I have nothing to boast in.

I am not my own; I am His, and He is mine. We lack for nothing.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Boasting",
Lecrae

(slower, thought-provoking rap)

It Is Well

Letting go of something you hold close to you is possibly one of the most difficult things in the world. Sometimes, it's a longing...a dream...even a person. And no matter what it is, if you treasured it, it is painful.

It's hard to invest something, pray about it, and then be willing to give the reigns to God, even if it never comes to the fruition you wanted. Tournament season seems to bring this out in many people; I've heard so many of my friends discouraged after their competitive season ends, wondering why God would lay a speech topic or a burden that heavily on their heart, and not take them to the next level of competition to share their passion. The feeling goes beyond competition as well; sometimes, I wonder why God would lay it on my heart to start a conversation that seems to have His purposes, and then allow the other person to drop the topic halfway through. I wonder why God would lay a prayer burden on my heart, and not let the situation work out. I wonder why God would place a specific person in my life, only to lose the friendship a few years later when our paths would go different ways.

I have to wonder if David felt the same way. He was chosen by God to be the King of Israel, and follow in His footsteps. He was anointed by the prophet. God's word had been spoken over him. And then...he was sent back to take care of his flocks. God had a laid a burden on David's heart. He had told him the plans He had for him. But instead of setting David on Israel's throne immediately, God told him to wait. His normal life resumed for a few years. Then, in a turn of events that startled the nation, he defeated Goliath and became a great warrior. Surely this was his step toward becoming King. But instead, he was hunted and despised. He was forced to hide in a cave with his men, to protect their very lives. The road to become King was rocky, and unstable, causing him to cry out:

3 "My soul is in deep anguish.
    How long, Lord, how long?"

-Psalm 6:3

But God knew the plans He had for this man... plans to prosper him, and not to harm him... plans to give him a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)  While David saw only the valley, God saw the entire panorama. And He was in control of it, every step of the way.

Most of us have walked that path many times. We hear God's voice. He gives us a passion. We fight for it. We appear to lose. But so often, we forget who we're fighting for. If God gave you a passion, He will not leave you to fight for it in your own strength. You are His beloved, and He will not abandon you. He does not change; if it's from Him, He has a purpose for it, and that purpose, although it may be different than what we thought it would be, will be carried out to completion, no matter what stands against it.

We believe that God will carry out His plans to completion, but I think so often, we are afraid to trust Him to do it.  We think we know better, and we create our own plans and expectations for a certain passion or situation. If it doesn't go the way we planned, we question why God wasn't there to help us...while ignoring that His plan is still in existence, and is far more beautiful than any plan we could create on our own. His plan may hurt, at times; it may not be what we wanted. His plan for a certain speech may be to inspire one life through your words, instead of taking you to finals at nationals. But, if your speech could change that life, wouldn't it be worth it?  If your message could truly alter one person, does it matter whether or not the world sees you do it?  Is this for your glory, or for His?

Surrendering our passions to God's plan is difficult, and can be painful. We still cling so desperately to the hope that our way could come to fulfillment, too... and many times, God blesses us by allowing that to happen. But ultimately, we have to trust that He knows what He's doing. If my plan stands in the way of His, then I want to be able to say "yes" to His, and let go of mine. I can only see the valley, but He sees the top of the mountain that He's bringing us to. He is in control.

"Let go, my soul, 

And trust in Him.

The waves and wind 

Still know His name...

And it is well

with me." 

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"It Is Well", 
by  Bethel Music

(slower, reflective worship)

(via Pinterest)

The Wasted Life

"I've wasted it!  I've wasted it.."

These were the words of a man who was saved near the end of his life. Before I heard this story as described by John Piper in his book Don't Waste Your Life, I had always thought conversions at the close of a life story were beautiful depictions of God's forgiveness and ability to change anyone. But this man, with tears streaming down his face, thought otherwise. He had finally encountered Jesus Christ and now, what was left?  He was going to see His king face to face. He was going to have eternal life. But the life he had been given in the here and now had been poured out over the things of the world. He recognized that he had been given a gift... and had wasted it. 

None of us wants to end that way. To look back on all that we've spent our entire lives on, and see that it was nothing. Life is precious beyond imagination. It's a kiss from heaven, the breath of God imparted to man, a one-time chance. I don't get my yesterdays back. And it breaks my heart to think about how many of them were wasted. How many more will I throw away? 

The idea of living a worthwhile life is not unique to Christianity. The culture is constantly telling us that we need to make something of ourselves. We have potential, that can't be thrown away. We owe it to ourselves to be the best. 

When I think of a wasted life, I think about something similar to the man in John Piper's book... a life spent chasing the things of the world and never truly understanding the love of Jesus. I believe that that love is all that matters. A life well spent is a life spent in that love, chasing it every waking minute, loving Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength....a life that will follow Him wherever He goes, even if it costs you everything. 

And when you pursue the life well spent...when you run the course, when you fight the good fight, when you finish the race, when you chase what matters, when you have faith in what is unseen, when you spend your life following Him and carrying your cross...the world is going to tell you you have wasted it. When you pour the best that you have - your very life - out at the feet of Jesus, they will tell you that you have just thrown away everything. 

And they wouldn't be the first. Jesus' own disciples said the same thing, when Mary of Bethany poured out the best that she had at the feet of Jesus:

3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a]and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you,[b] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world,what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

-Mark 14:3-9

One of the things that stands out to me most about this passage is that it's not just the world that will call a poured-out life for Christ a wasted life... in this chapter, it was Jesus' closest followers. Even other Christians may tell us we're wasting our lives by following. It's then that you have to ask, who am I really following?  Why do you want to live a fulfilled life?  It's so easy to want Jesus because He makes us look spiritual. In Christian circles like those we have in NCFCA, where we always pray before rounds and often encounter theology discussions in the competition hallways, there is such a strong temptation to want Jesus because of what He can give you. The question is, would you still pray if it was just you and Him alone in your closet that night?  Would you still press deeper into those theological concepts, with a thirst for Him?  Are you after Him, or them?  

It hurts to say this, because so often, I find myself wanting Jesus for what He can give me. But I have to wonder if even the lives of people like that man, who chased only the things of the world, were more full than some of ours?  Christians and non-Christians alike will chase the things of the world to find their fulfillment. But Christians do so under the banner of Jesus Christ. Are our lives any less wasted than theirs?

Last week, I found a song by a worship artist from the International House of Prayer that was inspired by this exact passage. The theme of the song is as simple as it is powerful; I will leave everything behind. I will pour out all that I have. I am willing to stand before the world, with nothing but what looks like a wasted life. I am willing to leave behind my own ambitions, my own dreams, my own loves from this world. The love of Jesus has moved me beyond anything else imaginable, and I will follow. In their eyes, I will waste my life. I will lose my life. 

Because in doing so, I will have found it. 

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Worship Song: 

"I Will Waste My Life", 
by Misty Edwards

(softer, reflective worship)

(if this song captures your attention, look up the next track on Misty's CD, written as a follow-up to this song,
called Do You Know The Way You Move Me)

The Unknowable Made Known

There is a truth in Christianity, that has existed since before the Old Testament was ever written. It's called the "Doctrine of Incomprehensibility". Professor Allen Hood succinctly described it this way:

God is unable to be completely known in any of His attributes.

God is beyond man. His glory is beyond comprehension. One glance at His face in all of its glory, and we die. He is too much for these earthen vessels. God is incomprehensible. God is unable to be completely known in any one of His attributes.

The God we serve is so much beyond all that we know, and I personally sensed that for so long whenever I worshiped Him. I believed He was real. I wanted to serve Him. I was intrigued with Him, and I was thirsty to know more. I prayed to Him. I read about Him. I thought I was on the right track, but I felt like I was missing something so deep within my spiritual life. As it turns out, I was.

Two weeks ago this Tuesday, I jumped in my Camry at 7:05am, and started the 45-minute drive to the International House of Prayer University (IHOPU). In spite of the arguments in my mind as to whether or not spending four hours of my day for a theology class was a practical idea, I was excited to go. As I drove, I asked God to send me an awakening, and show me Himself that day. Looking back, I'm amazed at how little I expected from that prayer, in comparison to how abundantly He answered it.

I met three of my friends at the front door, and we headed to our class. That first day, our professor shared his personal testimony and, while it was inspiring, only one statement stuck with me from that first class, and looking back, only one needed to:

"He's not a concept; He's a person."

My mind was shattered. Implicitly, I had always known this was true. But mental assent doesn't mean it's spiritually registered within you. I couldn't get over that idea.... God is unknowable, untouchable, unreachable, and yet He became a person. He's not just a distant idea. He's not just the most beautiful philosophy to ever cross the human mind. He's not just the highest concept of the universe. Jesus Christ was a man. He walked with us.

I left class that day, with one thought: It's real. This is not just a mental quest. This is not just a spiritual awakening or a feeling. This is a reality that transcends any human thought, emotion, or touch. And yet it has been made known to us through a man. A person, who wants us, who cherishes us, who pursues us, and hears us.

He understands every struggle. He took on your humanity, to bring you back to His heart. The life of Jesus made the incomprehensible God known. God cannot be known fully in any one of His attributes, but He can be known truly. Through Him, we do have access to the Father.

This C.S. Lewis quote struck me deeply when I first read it:

"Our model is the Jesus, not only of Calvary, but of the workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions. For this, so strangely unlike anything we can attribute to the Divine life in itself, is apparently not only like, but is, the Divine life operating under human conditions."

-C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Jesus has experienced even the little things that frustrate us. He has walked the path of humanity. He is the Divine life operating under human conditions. And that's not just a philosophical manifestation. He was a man. He is a real, knowable person, with personality, and life, and love. I had always tried to "love God", but never know how exactly that was meant to translate spiritually. I had been awe-struck and fascinated by Him, and dependent on Him. But it wasn't the same love I felt for people I cared about. I knew something was missing. After that first day of class, I began to fall in love with this man. I still have a long way to go. But He is beginning to teach me how to love and seek Him more fully.

Think about every spiritual quality you have ever admired in a guy, or any spiritual traits you could possibly want in your future husband. I would encourage you to take a minute sometime this week, and write every single one down. Then look at that list, and see if there is even one that Jesus Christ does not measure up to. If you find one, tell me, because I have yet to do so. He fulfills every longing.

It's hard to love someone you've never seen. But He doesn't leave you to fight on your own. A few weeks ago, after our theology class, we were talking about charismatic theology and the idea of speaking in tongues. I was expecting it to be an academic, informative conversation. But it went much deeper than that. One part of the conversation was specifically impactful: "I would encourage you to just open your heart up to God. He said that anyone who asks receives, and anyone who seeks will find. Even if it has nothing to do with tongues, He wants to make Himself known."

God does not play games with us; if you want Him with all your heart, He is ready to be found. He longs to show Himself to those who seek His face.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Worship Song: 

"King Of All the Earth", 
by  Brian and Katie Torwalt

(upbeat, uplifting worship)