Hope for Him

Nehemiah 9:17+21 But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them…Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.  The story of the children of Israel is so applicable to a sinner. Our lives and hardships can correlate to them by how God was always faithful in the end. God forgave them for their unbelief and was so gracious to them. So often I have unbelief. I leave in two days and my program is done in two months. I have no clue what I am doing. I can have unbelief but I know God will never forsake me. His steadfast love abounds every day. I have no need to worry or be anxious. My God will be with me in every step of the way. So often I forget that though because I want to control my life. I forget that there is a higher being who I have asked to lead me. I need a reality check every one and a while. I remember

Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;  and give me life in your ways So often I can get caught up in my thoughts. I think of something and I just go down a road in my mind. And most of the times it’s worthless things. It’s worthless things in this time in my life. I want to be in a relationship, I want a career, I want to be successful. Things I could never be satisfied apart from the Lord. I have been taking my thoughts captive and praying that the Lord would align my thoughts to his ways. I get so weary at school that I think about going home. And this is on the usual. It’s a daily thought process but I know I am to be present. I have also been praying that I would be present with the things the Lord has called me to in this time of my life. I want life in the Lord’s ways. His ways are perfect. Who wouldn’t want a perfect life? Well, a life perfect from being in the Lord’s will. I want that life. And I know that if I think of a life apart from God’s will

2 Peter 1:5–7 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. Reading this verse, there are seven qualities that make us more like Christ. Being saved we have been taken out of the world and its corruption. We are now granted promises of protection and deliverance from our Lord. As I maintain these qualities I can become more like Christ and experience more of his divine nature. I have been meditating on these things so that this week and the rest of my life I can always be adding to these. I am to add goodness, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Looking at these things I can see the lack of them in my life. Being only here in Uganda for two more weeks I want to finish strong. I can see the finish

It is very interesting because I am reading through the Bible in a year thematically as I came across this verse. I am reading through Number and Psalms right now. It is so interesting how both can correlate so well. The psalmist writes how the Lord brought the children of Israel through so much but they still did not walk in His ways. I have been challenged this week to walk in the Lord’s ways. That if I open my mouth, He will fill it. I’ve learned this week that if I need guidance from the Lord it requires faith. Ive needed faith to ask the Lord for strength as I work with kids each day. In this verse rock is looked at as a difficulty. And the Lord always gives us something sweet from a hard time or a rock we have to jump over. This week has been tough just like last. It was tiring being in class with kids who don’t listen or respect me. But there is honey that comes from the rock. A little boy in my class, Shadrack, is friends with Joel and he came to our home yesterday. This boy

  Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. This week has been full of trials. I have been daily battling my flesh. My flesh is being tested. School has been hard, I’ve been stressed out, we haven’t been able to get our visas, and this weekend is very busy. But this isn’t suffering. This is life. This happens all the time and I should not say, “woe is me”. That is why it's hard for me to tell others what I am feeling or going through. I bottle everything up inside until it comes out in frustration. But there is always grace. Thankfully. But this weekend I had to make a decision that my flesh did not want. And we will see what happens. But I am so thankful that every morning this week I have been able to get up and hear from the Lord. It has been fruitful to be able to