Him, Me & the Open Road

So today I went for a drive. I needed some time to myself and some time spent with God just thinking and praying about my life and everything that it entails these days. I started off just driving and ended up driving out to Eagle Ridge and around back into BG making a big loop and then heading to Preston Miller and hanging out reading my Bible until it was too dark to see anymore. In this time God revealed several things that I needed to work on in my life. Starting with how I spend time with Him.

It is crazy to me how easy it is to make God a check on our to-do list that doesn't get checked everyday because in our world there are seemingly more important things like school work, basketball season, friends, television, and other various things. I really opened up to the fact that today I needed God, not just when I had time to check him off of my list of things needing to be done, but all day every day and not only that that I need to spend time growing and learning about Him and studying His word. I need to pray consistently and not just be in the word and prayer when it is convenient and "schedule fitting" for me.

God also showed me that even though I fall short day to day, that I am His and nothing can take that away. Here is a song that came on during my drive that really struck me.

Happy Day

Fee

The greatest day in history
Death is beaten
You have rescued me
Sing it out
Jesus is alive

Empty cross
And empty grave
Life eternal
You have won the day
Shout it out
Jesus is alive
He's alive

Oh happy day
Happy day
You wash my sin away
Oh happy day
Happy day
I'll never be the same
Oh no
Forever I am changed

When I stand in that place
Free at last
Meeting face to face
I am Yours
Jesus you are mine

Endless joy and perfect peace
Illicit pain will finally cease
Celebrate, Jesus is alive
Yeah, He's alive

And oh, what a glorious day
What a glorious way
That you have saved me
And oh, what a glorious day
What a glorious name, yeah

Oh happy day
Happy day
You wash my sin away
Oh happy day
Happy day
I'll never be the same
Oh happy day
Happy day
You wash my sin away
Oh happy day
Happy day
I'll never be the same
Oh no
Forever I am changed
What a glorious, glorious day
I'll never be the same

While I was just spending time thinking today, I found a letter from one of my best friends that is full of scripture encouraging me in a time of need. Opening it up and reading it again was such a good thing. I have been in a really weird place (and am working to get out of it) and this letter was so encouraging and much needed. Most of the verses in the letter deal with trials and hard times and that everything will be okay. I think reading this made me realize so much more how I am falling short of God's will in my life and how much I need to be working towards him. Here are some of the verses that really touched me from this letter.

Galatians 2:20,21 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. I do not set aside the grace of God for if righteousness could be gained through the laws Christ died for nothing."

Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Hebrews 4:14-16 - "therefore, since we have a great high priest that has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one that has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we my receive mercy and find grace to help us through our time of need."

Psalm 40:1,2 - "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard me cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."

Psalm 28:7 - "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped."

There are so many other things that I could say right now about what the Lord taught me tonight, but for now I will just leave you with another song by Fee that I listened to tonight and was really touched by.

Lift High

Fee

Broken people call His name

Helpless children praise the King

Nothing brings Him greater fame

When broken people call His name

Lift high, your chains undone

All rise, exalt the Son

Jesus Christ, the Holy One

We lift our eyes to You

Sinners all exalt the Son

Your ransom paid and freedom won

We will see His Kingdom Come

When sinners all exalt the Son

Lift up your heads

Oh oh oh lift up your heads

Look on Him

Lift up your heads

Oh oh oh lift up your heads

Look on Him

Lift up your heads

Oh oh oh lift up your heads

Look on Him

Lift up your heads

Oh oh oh lift up your heads

Look on Him

Lift up your heads

Oh oh oh lift up your heads

Look on him

Lift up your heads

Oh oh oh lift up your heads

Lift high, your chains undone

All rise, exalt the Son

Jesus Christ, the Holy One

Lift high, your chains undone

All rise, exalt the Son

Jesus Christ, the Holy One

We lift our eyes to You

We lift our eyes to You