Fighting for our Hearts' desires

Sometimes it’s so easy to back down and hide away from all your troubles. We think that God wants us to just accept this fate and have faith that He will change things. And yes, He will overcome all our troubles, but I am starting to realise that there is more to it than just acceptance.  He seeks your heart and wants to give us all that we desire. So what if God doesn't just want us to be passive and to just try and cope with everything that is happening in our lives? Maybe He wants us to shout out and ask Him for advice. He wants us to pray to be recovered. Right NOW! Not to just wait and learn to cope with the misfortunes that come our way, but to first ask Him if we should FIGHT BACK and listen to His reply! God wants you to turn to him to find strength. 

I heard a sermon at church by Ps. Charles Niemand about King David in 1 Samuel 30.

David and his men arrived back to their camp site to find everything completely destroyed by the Amalekites. Not only did they burn down all their houses and steal all their possessions, but they took away their wives and children with them. The bible says that David and the men were so distraught that “they wept until they could weep no more.”  After this, the men started to become bitter and David saw that he would be in danger. But instead of accepting his fate and giving in to his grief, David found strength in the Lord his God. 

Then he asked God whether or not he should go after the band of raiders and whether he would catch them. And the Lord answered and told him YES he would catch them and that he would recover everything that was taken from him. So he went out and it was exactly as the Lord had said.

I feel that this message is so important in my life right now because for far too long I have been trying to cope with everything myself, and all that I have wanted from God was peace and understanding. I have been trying so hard to change myself to be better adapted to handle all these things but I still feel as if I keep coming short of that. And this then leads to me feeling inadequate and as if I am not good enough.

But I've finally realised that it is time to seek STRENGTH from the Lord, and to be RECOVERED! In this very moment I want to be different. And not on a physical level, but deep down in my spirit, I want to be renewed and I want to FIGHT for God’s will to be done, and to achieve all the desires that God has placed in my heart. 

God can only do so much for us. He gave us the the power of choice and the right to have our own opinions. So now we have to believe that with Him we are greater than without Him, and that He is equipping us to better handle the obstacles in our path, and to unite His nations for His glory. 

Praise be to God, forever and ever!

"Take Heart"

There is a light
It burns brighter than the sun
He steals the night
And casts no shadow
There is hope
Should oceans rise and mountains fall
He never fails.

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again

In death by love
The fallen world was overcome
He wears the scars of our freedom
In His Name
All our fears are swept away
He never fails.

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again

All our troubles
And all our tears,
God our hope
He has overcome!

All our failure
And all our fear,
God our love
He has overcome!

All our heartache
And all our pain,
God our healer
He has overcome!

All our burdens
And all our shame,
God our freedom
He has overcome!
All our troubles
And all our tears,
God our hope
He has overcome!

All our failures
And all our fear
God our love,
He has overcome!
God our justice
God our grace,
God our freedom
He has overcome!

God our refuge
God our strength,
God is with us
He has overcome!

- Hillsong United 

"The Anthem"

"He's calling,

Wake up child, it's your time to shine! 

You were born for such a time as this!"

- The Anthem, Jesus Culture

Your Crush

Dear KCT...

It’s like my heart has broken free,

From the chains that have been restraining it.

And once again it is filled with all the fuzziness I thought I had lost.

The briefest handshake was all it took to help me believe in the potential of love again.

I look forward to getting to know you better.

xxx

Rainbow ♥

Written by Alyssa Joy Bethke:

To Pursue or Not to Pursue a Guy You Like?

• February 7, 2013 
• Relationships, Uncategorized
• alyssajoy

“If you’re a girl who likes your guy friend, is it okay to pursue him and let him know you like him?”

The question shone on our computer from stage. The room was dark, with hot lights shining on Jeff and me. My hand grasped my bible a little closer to my chest.

Ah, yes.

Oh how I remember those days (they weren’t that long ago!) of liking a guy so much my body ached. But the hardest part was that they were clueless. Or maybe they weren’t clueless, but simply weren’t interested in me? How many times I was tempted to ask them to coffee and quietly explain how much I liked them. How many hours I spent trying to analyze him and our friendship. How many times I prayed about the situation, gave my heart and desires to the Lord, prayed for that guy, and hoped that he would see me, want me, come after me.

Yes, I remember those times vividly. What do you do when you like a guy and want it to be known…So desperately?

Thankfully Jeff started answering the question first as I gathered my thoughts and let the Lord calm my nerves.

“Let me first say this ladies: if you pursue the guy first, you’ll be doing that for the rest of your life if you do get married. The guy will play the lazy card, and gladly let you take the reigns—forever. And you’ll be miserable. You’ll have to initiate everything else from here on out. But let me add this: You shouldn’t pursue him, no. But you can get in his way. Get in his way so that he sees you and has to run you over. He has to face you and knows you’re there. What does that look like practically? Maybe it means being at his games, going to bible studies that he’s involved in, sitting next to him in class, etc.”

Wise man.

As I thought about what to add, the Lord reminded me of 1 Peter 3:4,

“but let your adornment be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

A gentle and quiet spirit. That doesn’t mean that we have to be quiet little church mice! God loves exuberant, outgoing ladies just as much as the soft spoken ones! What it does mean is that we as women trust the Lord. It means that we so trust in, believe in, hide ourselves in Him that we don’t try to take matters into our own hands and take control. As women that’s really hard because one of the things we struggle with most is taking control. But we are commanded throughout scripture not to, and we don’t need to. We have Jesus as our advocate, the Father as our shield and the One we can hide in. He is trustworthy.

What it comes down to is this,

Do we really believe that He is in control? That He is able?

Do we really believe that if it’s God’s best, He can and will move in that guy’s heart to see us, and go after us?

Proverbs 21:1 tells us that the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord- that the Lord directs it wherever He chooses. If the king’s heart is in our Father’s hands, then most certainly that guy that we are crushing on is in His hands as well.

Ladies, God is able. God is in control.

Praise Jesus, then, that we can rest in Him. We can run to JESUS. We can tell him our deep desires, lay our hearts at His feet, and trust that He will work it out for His glory and our best.

Yes, put yourself in his way! Be available, be present. But check your heart. Do you believe in HIM? The One who knows every nook and cranny of your heart and is intricately and intimately working out His plan for you, dear one?

 ”Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will act.” || Psalm 37:5 ESV

The Person you wish you could be...

Dear Future Me, 

A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find!

Her husband depends on her, and she never lets him down.
She is good to him every day of her life, 

and with her own hands she gladly makes clothes.

She is like a sailing ship that brings food from across the sea.
She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and for her servants.
She knows how to buy land and how to plant a vineyard, 

and she always works hard.
She knows when to buy or sell, and she stays busy until late at night.
She spins her own cloth, and she helps the poor and the needy.
Her family has warm clothing, and so she doesn’t worry when it snows.
She does her own sewing, and everything she wears is beautiful.

Her husband is a well-known and respected leader in the city.
She makes clothes to sell to the shop owners.
She is strong and graceful, as well as cheerful about the future.
Her words are sensible, and her advice is thoughtful.
She takes good care of her family and is never lazy.
Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says,

“There are many good women, but you are the best!”

Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, 

but a woman who honours the Lord deserves to be praised.

Proverbs 31:10-31 

I want to believe that you are the very description of the above scripture, for there is no greater praise or honour than to be a strong and courageous mother and woman of God. I know that the journey has not been easy and that you may have had to give up a lot of things to get here. But looking forward to the future from where I am now, I see that only this would be completely fulfilling. In addition to this, I trust that you are also still a respectable doctor, making a difference in whatever small way that you could find. 

I have doubted myself for such a long time, but you will be proof, to no one but myself, that I am capable of achieving all these things. 

I hope that you always remember where you have come from, and all the blessings that have brought you to where you are now. 

Thank you for never giving up on our dreams. 

Love, Rainbow

Bitterness

In church today Ps. Charles Niemand spoke about asking God to be RECOVERED, so that our grief does not turn into bitterness, for bitterness soon turns into hostility if it has been nurtured for too long.

Don't focus on the "Why me?" type of questions, that we so readily ask ourselves when things happen that leave us feeling shattered, because it doesn't change anything that has happened. All it will do is hold you back. 

2 Corinthians 11:24-29

²⁴ Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.^[c] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

²⁸ Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul faced all these terrible things and didn't once ask, "Why me?" He knew that even though he was going through troubled times, his God had not forsaken him. Instead, he chose to be proud of his weakness because that is when  the Lord's power works best. His grace is all we need to gain strength. 

Always remember that the whole universe is NOT against you! You are not the only one that is facing or has faced some really tough things. Turn your eyes back to the Lord and your spirit will be renewed. Don't give up hope, for the Lord has overcome the world and He will never leave your side. 

To have a love...

To have a love fully committed to God and to growing together in faith

To have a love that grows stronger every day, no matter how far apart we may be. 

To have a love made complete simply swaying to the beating rhythm of our hearts.

To have a love content with silences that can be filled with the beauty that surrounds us instead of words.

To have a love filled with  a burning passion for life, adventure and experiences shared together.

Update

When I look back at my posts, they serve as a reminder of the many lessons I have learnt over the past couple of years, and sometimes they help me remember the plans and goals that I have for myself. It also reminds me of the type of person I want to be and to always remain positive.

But lately I just been rolling with the motions and I get caught up in negative thinking. I have so many things that I want to achieve with my life, but it sometimes feels unobtainable.

And yet, I am he only person standing in my way. I have been so incredibly blessed over the past couple of months. I have witnessed miracles and been surrounded by some really amazing people. My faith has grown incredibly and I believe with all my heart that God is working so hard to give me all my hearts desires. But as much as I turn towards Him, I also find myself turning away from time to time. It’s not that I stop believing, it’s just that I fail to follow through.

I find myself lacking discipline in so many areas of my life. I know that all it takes is one small step at a time, but I don’t understand why I lack the motivation after all this time. It is not like I have stopped believing that it is my calling to become a doctor. Working in hospital this past month has confirmed that for me. As scary and intimidating as it may be, I still believe that this is where I need to be.

Beautiful Autumn Sunset ♥

Cape Town ♥ I love this place