The Relationship that Matters Most ~ by Amy Vest

Deep in each of our hearts there is a longing so deep that nothing on this earth can satisfy… Do you know what I am talking about? 

The exciting thing is – God placed that longing there and He meant for it be satisfied!  He alone can fill it.

By His grace, I have experience this for myself and my life has been completely transformed!

I was just a typical little girl and did the things typical little girls do – played with dolls, tried to cut my own hair, and loved ice cream cones!  I grew up in a home where Jesus was loved, the Bible was read, and church was attended.  I heard the Gospel – the amazing News that Jesus died to save me from my sins and make me right with God – and the Lord drew my heart so that I received Him as my Savior from my sins and surrendered my life to Jesus my Lord as a young woman. 

Jesus transformed my life – I had a peace that I was forgiven from my sins and right with God, joy of being able to walk with the Lord and in His Truth by His strength, and the hope of heaven when I died.

The Lord continued to open my eyes and draw me to see that I was meant to go deeper in my own close and personal RELATIONSHIP with Him.  Not just know about Him, know and love that He lived in me, and pray every so often, but to have a real WALK with Him.

As I received His grace to respond and follow Him, I made Him my priority, began really seeking to know Him, and spend time with Him - I came to know Jesus as far more than the One I heard about in church, read about in my Bible, or even prayed to - He became more and more REAL to ME.

It was as I tasted Jesus for who He really is, experienced His love, heard His voice, saw Him real in my circumstances... that I had found what my heart had been longing for...and that Jesus is the Best Friend I could ever have!  He changed my life.  I found what I was longing for – like Psalm 107:9, “He satisfies the longing soul.”

I was satisfied in the Lord and His love for me, as I came to know His heart more, I knew I could trust Him in every area of my life, and I was filled with purpose to live for Him and be pleasing and beautiful to Him - not because I HAD to, but because I knew Him, and WANTED to, because I loved Him.  Since then, life has been an amazing journey with the Lord that I would not trade for anything!

Jesus is calling you to a deep and personal relationship with Him.
This relationship with Him is what you were created for, called to, and cannot be satisfied apart from.  Jesus came to earth to die on the cross and take the punishment for your sins so that if you trust Him to save you and give your life to Him, you can be forgiven from your sins, be made right with God, and have this amazing relationship with Him!  He is what you are longing for!  Oh, how He satisfies!

Jesus is more wonderful than words can explain!  He is kind, patient, holy, wise, loving, forgiving, holy, merciful, just, pure, perfect, gentle... We could go on talking about how amazing He is forever!  There are simply not enough words to express His goodness.  The more you know Him, the more you will discover the wonder of who Jesus is and the joy of knowing Him!  As you do, your life will be transformed forever.  You were created to experience this for yourself!  Jesus wants to be real to YOU!

This relationship with Jesus is a relationship you are called to embrace and grow in every day that you live.  Jesus is pursuing your heart. (“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Jer. 31:3) As you trust in Him to save you from your sins, yield your life to Him as Lord, and walk in His grace to receive His love and respond with love to Him (AWe love Him because He first loved us.@ 1 John 4:19), you will discover the deepest fulfillment in the world!  Just as your hands grow warmer, the closer you hold them to a bonfire, the more this joy in Jesus will grow, the closer you become to Him.

Are you ready for this - or more of this - yourself?

We could talk for hours about this topic, but here are some sweet aspects of your walk with Him*:

1. Hunger - We must recognize that there is a hunger for Jesus that is deep in each of our hearts.  Realize that when we try to fill that hunger with other things, it will always result in emptiness!  But, when we look to Jesus to meet that hunger, we will be satisfied.  This is something I see again and again in my own life! 

2. Helps - There are things that are beautiful helps in growing in our relationship with Jesus.  These include: walking in His grace, embracing His love, keeping Jesus as #1 in your heart and life, reading His Word - the Bible, spending time talking with Him in prayer, having a daily personal devotions time with Him, sharing fellowship with other Christians, listening to solid teaching, and more!  We must walk in them and treasure these as helps to know our Jesus more!

3. Hindrances - It is so important to seek for the Lord=s grace in detecting the things that hinder your walk with Jesus, including: self, world, sin, idols/love robbers, distractions, and other things.  These can be things that are wrong, or they can be good things that are taking Jesus= place in your heart.  It is always helpful to me to ask, AIs this distracting me or drawing me away from Jesus?@  This is something that I need to constantly be asking myself.

 

4. Hope - Because of who Jesus is and His faithfulness to His promises, as you seek Him, you can expect a deepening relationship with Jesus that results in the fulfillment and joy that you are designed to find in Him alone!

Practical application suggestions:

~Take time to pray and tell the Lord your desire.  He hears and will answer.                      

~ Share with the Lord your hunger for Him and ask Him do make you desire Him even more.

~ Choose one thing to help your walk with the Lord to focus on each day.

~ Ask the Lord to reveal to you the things that are hindering your walk with Him - ask the Lord=s grace to remove them or put them in their proper place.

~ Daily remind yourself of the hope you have in Jesus and knowing Him as you pursue this relationship with Him for the rest of your life!

~ Watch Him become more and more real to you - resulting in the longings of your heart being satisfied!

Recently, the Lord has shown me afresh the importance, joy, and peace of looking to Him as my #1 relationship - my God, Savior, Lord, Friend, and ALL!  Nothing and no one compares to Jesus.  Only Jesus brings the satisfaction that our hearts crave!  I need Him every breath I breathe and every step I take.  You and I have the incredible opportunity to grow in our relationship with Him every day of our lives.

Friends, I long for you to know Jesus yourself - and to grow in knowing Him for as long as you live!  How I desire for you to really experience the joy of a living relationship with Him!  This relationship with Him is the greatest thing in the world!  Jesus is what you are longing for and He alone will satisfy you!  AHe satisfies the longing soul...@  (Psalm 107:9) 

He stands with arms of love wide open, beckoning you, and waiting for you to come to Him! 

Will you receive His grace and respond?

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”  John 6:35

~   
                                                     

*The first conference video session AJesus is Your Best Friend@ (posting on February 14th) will give so many more thoughts on this most important topic!

"I love you, O Lord, my strength..."

"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." 
~ Isaiah 18:1-2

Announcing the January Giveaway Winner!

We are excited to announce that the January Giveaway Winner is: Alisha!!!

We are so blessed by each of you that took part in the giveaway and know that the time that you spent with Jesus and memorizing His Word is the best reward you could receive!

Please stay tuned for the February Giveaway!

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” 
~ John 10:10

The Amazing Journey ~ by Amy Vest

Do you like journeys?  Recently I arrived home from a road trip across America with my parents.  It was a time filled with meeting with Jesus, divine appointments, incredible fellowship with friends and family, time with my parents, ministry projects in the car, and so many memories.  There are lots of stories that I could share…

Today I want to share about a hike I took in Arizona and the lessons the Lord taught me about how an earthly journey is like our journey with Him.  I am going to share it simply with stories, thoughts, verses, and pictures.  I would love to have you join me.  Do you have your tennis shoes on?

My Journey Lessons:

~ Jesus is with you every step of the journey.  Even as I hiked, Jesus was always near me.  He is the most faithful Lord, friend, and Shepherd.  “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13  We are meant to share this journey of life with Him!

~ We must be drinking of Jesus as our living water.  In the warm, dry, desert-like terrain that we were hiking in, I needed to make sure that I was drinking enough water, or I could have become dehydrated and faint.  Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”  John 7:37  Jesus alone can quench the deep thirst of our soul.  If I would have tried to quench my thirst with anything else around me on the hike (sand, cactus, rocks), my thirst would only have gotten worse.  So, nothing but Jesus will fully satisfy the thirst of our souls.

~ Allow His Word to be your guide.  My closest friends know that I am not amazing at directions.  Left to myself, I can get lost.  It is so much more this way with life!  God, the One who created us knows what is best for us!  He has given us His Word, the Bible, to show us how to walk for our best and His glory.  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Psalm 199:105

~ It is important to watch and stay on the path before you.  As I hiked, there were times when all I could do was look at the next steps of the path in front of me, to make sure that I stayed on the path and didn’t step where I shouldn’t.  A few times, I did get off of the path.  A couple of those times had not so favorable results.  The first time, I was getting off the path to get a picture by a cactus… and heard a sound like a rattle snake – I decided to get back on the path and skip the picture!  Another time, I stepped too close to a jumping cactus.  They are a type of cactus that drops balls with needles that grab onto you.  One of the balls grabbed onto my tennis shoe and I could feel it poking through to my toe.  One of my friends got it off, and I am grateful!  “Ponder the path of your feet…”  Proverbs 4:26  It is so important that we are following Jesus as our Guide and staying on the path that He has for us!  When we yield to temptation to step just a little off of the path, we open ourselves up to trouble.

~ Value the fellowship of others on the same journey.  I had the joy of sharing the hike with my dad and some other friends.  It is amazing how the comradery of sharing the journey makes the times you have to work harder much easier.  In the Christian walk, the Lord has given us others to share the journey with and encourage one another in our walks with Him!  “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…”  Hebrews 10:24  Be sure that your comrades are encouraging you to a deeper walk with Jesus and not getting you off the path!

~ When you fall, receive His grace to get up.  Halfway through the hike, we came upon a rock peak with a cave at the top.  Dad and someone else decided to climb it.  I decided to follow.  The hill was pretty steep, with loose gravel and unstable rocks.  I had to balance to keep my footing.  We took a look at the cave and then started our way down.  Partway down, I slipped and fell.  I am thankful to the Lord that I didn’t get hurt badly at all – just some scrapes and bruises – and was able to get back up and hike.  In life we will have times that we stumble or fall.  The enemy wants to keep us down, dwelling on our mistakes.  Jesus wants us to receive His grace to get up and even more passionately follow Him!  “…the righteous falls seven times and rises again…”  Proverbs 24:16

~ Learn from others who have walked this path.  As we started the hike and hiked along, we asked the people returning from the hike for advice.  At points along the path, there were piles of rocks that other hikers had left to let you know that you were on the right path.  In the journey with Jesus, it can be so helpful to receive Bible-based counsel from others who have walked with Him for longer and can share from their experience about the journey.  Always compare all advice to the Bible. 
“…things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done… which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,  that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.”  Psalm 78:3-7

~ Treasure the joy of the journey.  Every part of the hike had a purpose.  The times when I was struggling up the mountain and breathing hard, as well as the times I was walking on flat mesas taking in the view.  Soak in every moment of the journey with Him – the joys, hard times, lessons.  Know He has a purpose in every part and embrace them all as opportunities to know Him, be shaped into His likeness, and have the chance to share Him for His glory.  Most of all, treasure the reality that He is with you.  “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Mattew 28:20

So, friends, we all are on a journey. 

It is meant to be an amazing journey with Jesus.

You must ask yourself these questions:

Who are you walking with?  Is it with Jesus?
Are you letting your thirst be quenched by Jesus?
Is His Word guiding your steps?
Are your friendships relationships with others who will encourage you on the journey?
When you fall, are you allowing Jesus to give you His grace to get up and keep going?
Are you learning from others who have walked ahead of you on this journey?
Will you find joy in the journey of today – walking with Jesus, embracing the path before you, and allowing Him to work through them to draw you close to Him, grow you in His likeness, and use you to touch others for His glory?

I close with this verse:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.”
~ Proverbs 3:24

You are HIS ~ Stacy

I wanted so much to matter to the world at large... As a young woman, I saw people whom I deemed important being treated with attention and respect, and I longed to be important enough to deserve those things as well. I look back on that young woman I was with a little sorrow. Wishing I had known -- not just understood logically, but really known and wholeheartedly believed then what I do now. The truth about my value. The truth about the life I was created to live.

Do you ever feel invisible? Unworthy? Do you find yourself sneaking glances at everyone else in the room to make sure you’re fitting in -- or at least not standing out? Do you ever assume that everyone else is in closer relationships than you, has more self-confidence than you, is better put-together than you, feels less needy inside than you?
“During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.”
Peter’s there, riding up and down in a boat that was “already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.”
The figure coming toward them wasn’t a ghost. It was their Savior.
“ ... then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”
Then he did what I do every single day. And what you do every single day.
“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14).
He took his eyes off Jesus.
When I yearn for the respect and recognition of others, I have taken my eyes off my Savior. When I burn with embarrassment over a silly mistake, reliving my bumbles and shortcomings over and over, I have taken my eyes off my Savior. When I ache for an earthly love that cannot satisfy the true longings of my heart, I have taken my eyes off my Savior.
“I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Ps. 16:8)

Amy has in the past set an empty little doll’s chair on the podium as she speaks at her conferences. The exhortation is to live for an audience of One. Who or what sits upon that chair in your life? For whom (or Whom) are you performing? Whose opinion of you drives your actions, thoughts, and purposes? Which conversations do you allow your mind to dwell upon, rehashing what was said and wondering how it made you appear? When my audience is Christ, I am focused on bringing Him glory, rather than preoccupied with fears about my reputation, desires, and future plans. When my eyes are on Christ, I see how I am valued and cherished by Him -- not how I look next to you.
The wondrous, awe-inspiring part of this is that living wholeheartedly for the Lord and in constant focus upon Him is the most fulfilling of paths we can follow. It brings the most joy, the most satisfaction, the most (the ONLY) peace, and the most contentment for the span of our lives!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

The world -- and even our own hearts -- will give us countless reasons to pursue things that bring earthly reward, pleasure, and security. Some would have us believe that it’s a careless or radical thing to consider ourselves slaves unto Christ. But the truth is that we all serve someone or something. When we choose earthly masters, we’ve thrown our allegiance behind that thief whose hidden purpose is to kill and destroy. When we instead “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), we choose to serve the only One Who gives life to the fullest!

But how do we do this? How do we turn what we know into how we live?
“Read your Bible, pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow ...”
Could the complicated questions of the Christian life really boil down to the basics we sang as kids in Sunday School? I have long struggled with how very much NOT ABOUT ME this is. God simply asks me to be in relationship with Him. I am to learn about His character, to seek His forgiveness for my sins, to study the life of His Son, to surrender to Him, to apply His truths to my heart by His grace. And He will do the sanctifying work in me? How great and loving is this God, to make this provision!

As to our part, here’s what it has looked like in my own life:

Replace “better” with “best”
Music is my favorite language, and for years I have enjoyed several kinds -- but there was specifically one kind I allowed myself to indulge in throughout my teens and twenties. A few years ago, however, I was convicted that, while they seemed innocent and very well could be to others, these songs had a way of drilling so deeply into my brain that I would literally lie awake at night trying to quit rehashing them. I’d wake up in the morning already singing them in my head. They colored what I thought about and what I meditated on. I had slowly allowed myself to settle for something second best.
When God revealed this as an area in which I needed to yield to Him, I initially grieved the loss of hundreds of “best friends” in the form of songs I loved and knew by heart. I then asked Him to begin to replace the time they occupied in my mind with thoughts of Him and praises to His Name instead. Not surprisingly, it was a prayer He was delighted to answer, and I now awake as David proclaiming:
“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love ...” (Psalm 59:16)
My mind is freed up to listen to His promptings, and my heart spontaneously sings praises to Him throughout the day -- sometimes even unconsciously! Something does not have to be overtly evil in order to be a sin or distraction in your life. Invite the Lord to test and try your heart and your habits, and prepare to be delighted by the best He’ll use to replace the better!

Give yourself the gift of time with Him
Several years back I decided I wanted to start running. I talked with “real” runners, read about running, researched the best shoes and sweat-wicking gear, and started a training program. The problem was that, after jogging a couple of blocks, I thought I was going to die. I had heard many times about something referred to as a “runner’s high,” where the runner ceases to feel any pain from the exertion and instead just experiences a heady thrill -- sometimes for mile after mile. I could never get far enough to transition into that stage, though, and started doubting it was even true. Until one day when I was preparing for a 5k -- my first “real” run -- and decided I’d push through no matter what it took. That day I experienced it. That day, I believed.
Sometimes I think of that experience in relation to reading God’s Word. I used to read my Bible out of a sense of guilt. I couldn’t believe that I would ever “hunger and thirst” for it as David did. I met Jesus and was forgiven of my sins when I was a very little girl. But I really met Jesus when I opened His Word. And opened it again, and again, and again, pushing through when my heart wasn’t in it. It didn’t take long before I anticipated that time. Then needed it. Then required it. And now, long for it as for nothing else.
I have a friend, a young mother, who has five children. She found it a constant struggle to spend time in God’s Word. One day He prompted her to pray that He would wake her before any of her kids woke up in the morning, so she could spend that time with Him. Her flesh screamed, “I need sleep!” But she made the most astute observation. Did Jesus not take the meager loaves and fishes and make them “enough?” Could He not also make whatever sleep she did fit in around 2 a.m. baby feedings enough?
When I applied this same commitment, I was astonished by three things:
The Lord DID “wake me” before my alarm went off. Every day.
I was never exhausted for having woken up to spend time with Him in the early morning.
He returned countless blessings to me for the meager offering of my time.
Think of it -- that the God of the universe values you and me enough that He longs to spend time with us!

Stay committed to your pursuit of Him
I’ve learned the hard way that we can’t store up spiritual health for tomorrow. Yes, we can learn and grow and draw nearer to the Lord, but we can’t do double devotions or extra prayer today and hope it will carry us into tomorrow. The times I’ve been neglectful of my daily time with Him, I’ve been astonished at how quickly my heart has grown colder to His voice. It’s not worth the lost time.
I wish I could go back to the young woman I was and invite her -- implore her -- to remember who she really was. Her intrinsic value as an heiress to the very sufferings and glories of Christ Himself (Romans 8:16-17)! All those insecurities and fears seem pretty silly now, knowing what I know, because what I know now is the truth from God's Word. I didn’t get more important when other “adults” were suddenly required to defer to me. Nor was I less important when they brushed past me, making me feel invisible and like just another kid.
How precious the truth that, when it comes to God and me, there’s no “just” before my name. I’m not “just” another hurting soul on his already too-full plate. I’m not “just” another seeking heart in a world full of wanderers. I’m not “just” another fearful, excitable, overextended, under-qualified, always-falling-short, earnest, eager being whom He is obligated to watch over. Indeed, I cling to the same promise Israel’s only Savior spoke to His children’s troubled hearts generations ago:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.” (Isaiah 43:1b)
Three words that change both my life on this earth -- a mere blip across the landscape of time -- and my very eternal destiny:

I am His!

That is the life we were called to live.

Called to Something More ~ Ashley's Testimony

            "Growing up in a loving, Christian family, I was taught about Jesus Christ from the time I was young.  I came to know Him as my personal Savior in first grade, after hearing the Gospel.  I realized that I was a sinner and needed Jesus to save me from my sins.  I always had a desire to do what “was right,” and most people considered me a “good girl.”  However, God had more in store for my life than merely being a good Christian girl.  Patiently and lovingly, He began drawing my heart to Himself when I was in elementary school, giving me a desire to read His Word every day and seek to please Him.  In junior high, He brought a handful of Godly young women into my life who graciously took the time to invest in me.  I learned much from their examples of joyfully walking with the Lord one day at a time, and trusting Him to take care of the future.  God continued to give me a longing for Himself as I entered high school, challenging me to gladly laid aside everything I was holding on so tightly to, and follow Him down the narrow way. 

           During my high school years, I was very aware of the fact that God was calling me to live a life beyond what society presented as normal.  While the world claimed that clothes, accessories, beauty, popularity, and male attention would bring confidence and fulfillment, the Lord promised me that time in His Word, prayer, and ministry to others would bring me what I was searching for.  It seemed like a backwards philosophy on life, but as I began to seek Him with all of my heart, I found that I was fulfilled.  I didn’t lack any good thing.  My life was abundant, not because of anything I had done or anything the world had to offer, but because Christ had become my life. 

            Had I been asked 2 years ago to write about the life God created me to live, I would have been able to share a sweet, nice-sounding paragraph with little hesitation. I thought I had everything figured out when it came to living the Christian life. I had a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, knew what I believed, had all my standards and convictions in place, and had great plans for the next few years of my life.  And then... certain circumstances took place where, suddenly, I found myself in a place (even though I was amongst other believers) where I found my every conviction and belief being tested.  Every standard I had stood so firmly upon in high school was questioned.  I found my relationship with the Lord faltering, yet I felt helpless to do anything to remedy it.  I didn’t know who I was anymore, or how I was supposed to live as a daughter of the King.

            In His lovingkindness and mercy, God began stripping away every part of me in order to re-build my life upon the Truth of His Word.  This process continues to this day, and I am far from finished learning the lesson.  However, the Lord has done much in my heart, revealing to me how crucial it is that my life is based upon the Gospel - that it’s Cross-centered. Growing up in a Christian home, my understanding and daily application of the Gospel was rather shallow.  I knew that I was a sinner and that I needed Jesus to save me from my sins so that I could go to Heaven when I died, but that was the extent of my comprehension of the Gospel.  How much I was missing!  God began opening my eyes to see that He chose me before the foundation of the world, predestined me in love to be His daughter, loved me even when I was dead in my sins, redeemed and forgave me by His precious blood, lavished His grace upon me, and sealed me with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1-2).  I realized that I was struggling to live the life He called me to live because I didn’t really know Him!  And I didn’t know Him because I didn’t understand the Gospel.  I’ve found that daily meditating on the Gospel is crucial to living the life God created me for.  Reading Ephesians 1 and 2 has been immensely helpful on this journey.  Additionally, spending time every day with God alone in prayer and in His Word is vital if I want to know Him and live the life He created me for.

            Although I am still sorting through many different things, this I know for sure: a life lived wholly for Christ is the only life worth living.  My quest is to know God, and find Him to be more than enough.  Only He can satisfy the deepest longings of my heart, only He is true Joy, and only He is the One who will never fail me.  My prayer is “that I might be weaned more and more from things material - even good, legitimate things - and have my affections set more firmly on Him whom to possess is to have everything. Who could ask for more?'”  (Jim Elliot)  ~ Ashley

~ Announcing the January Giveaway! ~

~ Announcing the January Giveaway! ~

The giveaway this month is a: “Beautiful to God” T~shirt!

There are 3 ways to enter:
1. Memorize our memory verse for the month and quote it to someone. (January’s is ~ John 10:10)
2. Share the link to the previous post OR this announcement on Facebook, your blog, or by email, encouraging your friends to join us - and comment on here on blog (www.lovingthelord.org) sharing one thing Jesus is teaching you as you study the topic this month – or all of the above! (Each one of these counts for 1 entry, so if you share it on all 3 and comment on the blog, you can enter 4 times!)
3. Read the article by Amy on the blog from last Thursday, watch the video, and take 15 minutes to pray talking to the Lord about it and asking Him to work in you.

You can email events@lovingthelordministries.org and tell us your number of entries by January 24th (you can enter a total of 6 times each month with the above opportunities)! We will announce the winner on the blog on January 31st!