A Step Out To Move Forward

After Lot left, the Lord said to Abram, "Look all around you — to the north and south and east and west. All this land you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as many as the dust on the earth. If anyone could count the dust on the earth, he could count your people. Get up! Walk through all this land because I am now giving it to you."

Genesis 13:14-17

Abraham... Our go-to-guy when it comes to being faithful. Before his name was even changed to Abraham, he still operated out of obedience to God. What amazes me about this passage is that here God is giving Abram this incredible blessing. He tells him he will be a father to many nations; his descendants will be as many as the stars in the sky or even the dust on the earth. There'll be so many that it's just about impossible to count! I always wonder how he felt in that moment..

So there it is, the blessing, God just plops in Abram's hands. Then he proceeds to tell Abram to "Get up! To walk in the land that I am giving you!" The land and promises and blessings are at hand if Abram will just be proactive in walking through what God has placed before him. It takes a step out to move forward. If Abram will take what God has laid before him, God will give the promise he has spoken. 

God has things he wants to give out of his great love for us. He desires to bless us, answer prayers, walk with us, and more! However, it does take action on our end. We must be proactive in our faith. Is there something God has placed before you and you're waiting for something else to happen? Maybe it's a talent or an opportunity. Now is the time to get up and walk in that! Walk in God's grace knowing that he has given this wonderful moment and now he is calling you to come forth. Walk in the land God has placed before you. He wants to take you somewhere new and his Spirit will be your guide. Many people pray for doors just to even appear. I know I do all the time! Well when God not only does that, but even opens the door for you, you can be sure he will guide you through it! He won't leave you in a moment he orchestrated for your life!

Abram believed the Lord. And the Lord accepted Abram's faith, and that faith made him right with God. 

Genesis 15:6

Later on in Genesis, God once again spoke to Abram about his future descendants. Because Abram took God at his word and believed the things he spoke over him, Abram was made right in his heart. God loves your heart. He loves you and everything about you! He designed you and me just the way he wanted. He only desires good things for his children, and when he opens a door before them his wish is for obedience so those good things may follow. What's holding you back today from walking through the door God is holding open for you? Get up and walk!

Happy Thursday!

❤ Ariel Christine

Ephesians 3:20

With God's power working in us, God can do 

much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. 

Lately, I've been taking extra moments to really examine my life (it's quite good to occasionally reflect) and I find my life blessed. There's nothing to complain about, nothing to not be thankful for; things have just been going well! However, the trouble lies in the future. Fear of the unknown and what's to come. And I absolutely hate, hate, hate when it comes into my mind because I know I should not be fearful! There's no room for fear when my life is in God's hands. He is greater than that fear; his greatness cancels that fear out. Then why do I feel like it's still there?

I believe I've mentioned this a few times over the past month or so, but Ephesians 3:20. It's one of my absolute favorite verses and it brings me such comfort. When I feel that fear setting in, I immediately have to pray. And I pray in all honesty to God. I say, "God... this is how I'm feeling... this is what's bothering me... this is what I'm scared for..." It's more like I'm just talking to God and letting him know my heart before I can even ask for anything. Besides, he already knows all these things (crazy, right?).

Every time I do that, I find that before I even get to asking for God to rescue me of my fears and doubts Ephesians 3:20 comes to my mind. He knows what I'm going to ask, and his Word tells me that he does greater than anything I can ever ask for. I'm asking for help and he does greater. I'm asking for relief and he gives me greater. I'm asking for him to go before me and he will do greater! I absolutely believe this with my whole heart. There's such a peace the moment I remind myself of this.

There's one thing left to remind myself of... Has he failed me yet? No, he has not failed me.

Think about it. Has God really ever failed you? If you say "yes," was it really something caused by God? Or did life just happen? God can use anything life throws at you for his greater good. He's never out to get you or set you up for failure. He will never fail you.

Have a great weekend ahead!
❤ Ariel Christine

Rid Me of Myself

Happy are those who trust the Lord. That is what your Word constantly screams at me. Yet I still get wrapped up in my own desires. What I want, what I need, and how I want my life to go. How selfish of me! God, rid me of myself. I want what you want. Make the desires of your heart, Father, the desires of my heart. My life is so incredible as it already is. I come to you everyday with prayers and needs, and you respond. You respond even when I have all that I could ever really need! If all I had was you, Jesus, I am complete. You are All-suffcient. You are enough for me. And the matter-of-fact is that I do have you, Jesus. I do have all that I need and nothing else could ever make me more whole. Anything more is a blessing and beyond; it's more than I deserve. How are you so good to me all the time, God? I ask for so much and yet you still give, give, and give. What love is this that I have encountered? No greater love will I ever know. This is real love, true love. 

I look at your heavens,
      which you made with your fingers.
I see the moon and stars,
      which you created.

But why are people important to you?
      Why do you take care of human beings?

You made them a little lower than the angels
      and crowned them with glory and honor.
You put them in charge of everything you made.
      You put all things under their control:
all the sheep, the cattle,
      and the wild animals,
the birds in the sky,
      the fish in the sea,
      and everything that lives under water.

Lord our Lord,
      Your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!

Psalm 8:3-9

I could never thank you enough, God. Your power and love is beyond belief. Rid me of myself and my fleshly desires. I belong to you. More of you; less of me. 

A prayer from your daughter, 
❤ Ariel Christine

In Agreement

This is the first post of 2013! Crazy. What a year 2012 was, and I only expect 2013 to be better! I'm declaring it to be a banner year. I am currently approaching the last semester of leadership college. I can't believe I'm going to be graduating in May. I feel like the past year and a half weren't even real; the time has just gone by. God has done more than I've ever imagined. How true it is when people say God will surpass you highest expectations and biggest dreams.

I remember back in high school when teachers, parents, and even friends would constantly ask me what I wanted to do with my life. What I thought were my dreams and the paths I would follow the day of high school graduation are now out the window. Within two years... God has changed everything. How do I feel about that? It's been the most incredible journey to date. It hasn't been easy (that's for sure!), but I know I am following God's will for my life and that out weighs the struggles and battles I've faced.

1st John 5:14-15

And this is the boldness we have in God's presence: that if we ask God for anything that agrees with what he wants, he hears us. If we know he hears us every time we ask him, we know we have what we ask from him.

These 2 verses struck my heart at the very beginning of 2013. I feel that God has guided my footsteps in his direction is such a way that if the things I asked for were in agreement with his will, he would allow it. If not, the doors were never opened or a path was not made known. Reading this I can pick out things in my past and see how it has played out to be true. I'd ask God for something and if it followed his will for my life or was in agreement with it, the opportunity would be made known. There were even some situations where doors were opened and I wasn't sure if I were to walk through them. Those were always the hardest because sometimes they were things really wanted and I had the opportunity to grab hold of them right in front of me. However, listening for God's voice in the opportunities he showed me signs and gave me revelation that it was not his will. He's been so faithful to me by always guiding my path and gently nudging me in his direction. These 2 verses even play out now in my life! I'm making big decisions now and asking God if he would open the possibly of something I want, and he has! I truly believe this is because it is something is agreement with his will.

Be encouraged today God has incredible plans for your life as well as desiring to make your wildest dreams come true! I feel that opportunities and blessings in life are a mixture of his will and your dreams put together. He never sets you up for failure; only success! Maybe if you don't exactly get the prayer answered you've been asking for, it could be for the better. God knows what's best for you! Look for his will and watch how he transforms your dreams to line up with that will! It'll be surprising. I truly believe as you dig deeper into Him, your desires will become his desires and your dreams will become his dreams. Even if I can't explain this all that well... I'll just say he has it all worked out and he's taking care of it. God knows what he's doing!

Happy Tuesday!
❤ Ariel Christine