Hey, Everybody! I was thinking about something early this morning that turned my thoughts toward you. I’d just been going over my memory verses and started reflecting on the whole journey of faith. The ups and downs, the twists and turns. The pain and then sometimes the dullness that scared me twice as much as the pain. Then something would happen and revival would come and back in the saddle I’d go again. His Word would jump back off the page at me and I’d feel fully alive and wonder why I’d doubted. I rewound even further back to the years that I hoped so much that this God I’d been told about was real. I needed Him so badly. I found my heart believing and I deliberately placed my faith in Him. Then I thought about a specific season through which I went from hoping He was real to knowing He was real. Don’t get me wrong. I am still challenged to faith in many other matters and always will be, because “faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen” and “without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:1,6) But I seldom sit around and wonder if God exists and still speaks and still acts. Like you, I still see as in a mirror darkly and I wonder why some things happen the way they do and how it will all work out and what some things in Scripture really mean. But “I know the One I have believed in.” (2 Timothy 1:12)
We have so many new believers and even a sizable population of seekers in this community. Praise God, we do! We need to question our effectiveness the moment we don’t. So many of them would probably like to ask us how we “know” this God is real. So I ask those of you today to whom this applies to share a season in which you became convinced to the marrow of your bones that this is FOR REAL.
Think it through and be deliberate in your testimony. Please limit your story to one meaty paragraph so that we can read as many as possible. I can hardly wait. Let’s testify, girlfriends.
Wow, this has been a hard one to answer,because to limit why I know that God is real to one paragraph after all the ways that He has demonstrated this in my own life is so hard. I could tell you about how as a young teen of 17 he showed me that the life I was living was leading to destruction and how he saved me, Nah. I could tell you about how after I had walked away and ceased having an intimate personal relationship that He took me back in and restored me in ways I never dreamed, or how when as a young mother to two beautiful daughters who I didn’t birth, the enemy stepped in to try and steal and kill. Jesus protected them, held me in His arms and comforted me even on the dark days when I ceased wanting to exist and how He rewarded us later with a son. And everyone of those time would be a telling of His faithfulness to me and of His being REAL to me. What I want to tell you about took place in April of 2006, my husband walked into a hospital for back surgery and woke up from that surgery paralyzed from the naval down. The doctors called me into a room and brought me to him and told me that they had stopped the surgery due to his spinal cord swelling and that now they had him on heavy doses of steroids and that only time would tell the extent of paralysis or recovery. I do not remember my response, I do not remember very much of the 30 days that followed in that hospital or the next two and a half months of rehabilitation hospitals. What I do remember is this: He carried me! Jesus became my feet and walked me through days of learning about patient care, and bearing the brunt of anger & hopelessness from my wonderful husband who now somehow had to figure out how to be “the man” though unable to do the things he had always taken for granted.Jesus breathed peace into my spirit when I had to explain to our children that we weren’t coming home from the hospital yet, but that we would be home soon. My Jehovah God, my Rock and my Salvation suddenly became my Jehovah Shalom, El Shaddai and Abba Father. I can not explain to you everything that happened in the weeks and months to follow that lead us to where we are but I can say with unshakeable certainty that my God, my Shepherd – He had prepared the way in so many ways. I had been leading our Siesta Mama’s “Believing God” at the time we went in for surgery and in the weeks of living in a hospital room that followed that God’s Word became food and drink to me. With every step of therapy, every ounce of movement that was regained, I not only believed God – but I KNEW GOD. I Know that God is who He says He is, I KNOW that God can do what He says He can do, I KNOW that I am who God says I am, I KNOW that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me and GĂłd’s WORD is alive and active in me. I know these things because these seemed to be my only sane thoughts during these days.
Today my husband is still paralyzed, by the grace of God and many prayers he was able to walk our oldest daughter down the aisle with cane in 2007 when she married our wonderful son in love. Although he still spends his waking hours in a wheelchair, God has redeemed everything that the enemy has stolen. Our marriage is stronger than ever before, our children are all saved and serving Him, and everything that God has brought us through has brought us closer to Him. I KNOW HE is REal because I am still here, and still HIS.
Stunning. God is stunning. Thank you for sharing so openly.
What a testimony of God working in your life! God never promised us that walking with Him would be easy but He promises never to leave us! Praise Him!
His Jules. Praise the Lord. Godbumps all over as I read your testimony of His love. He is REAL. I believe.
What a beautiful testimony! After reading it, what came to my mind was the image and poem called, “Footprints.” Your story is an example of that. Jesus literally carried you through the most difficult trial. May He continued to be glorified in your Life and bless you as He is!
Wow…what a great topic…I grew up in a religious home so I am never sure that I doubted He was real…but He was not real to me…I lacked the relationship that so many I knew had with Him…too long of a story to share here but on 12/6/92 I asked Him to be LORD and Savior of my life. That is when life changed…I know He lives…He is real because His Holy Spirit came to live in me that day and of course took up permanent residency. He changed this woman…little by little He has been working at making me more like Him. He took away the sin of bitterness that was a consuming cancer to my soul and replaced it with a rock solid trust of Him that consumes me with a peace that indeed passes all understanding. He enabled me to forgive and love people that there is not human answer to love and forgive. He took a girl who desired nothing more than to be the center of attention and made her a woman who wants nothing more than to live to bring Him glory and honor. He has taught me who He is through His word…and proven Himself faithful over and over and over again. I could go on but I so want to honor the fact that you asked us to keep it brief. But may I end with this…I know He is real and no matter what happens…He holds me…Indeed the eternal God is our and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27 Thank you Jesus!
I’ve told ya’ll about my husband being an addict, and about the time that he fell back into old habits after being so sick that he was in the hospital for 5.5 weeks and had no choice but to take medications that exposed his weaknesses. This led to a period of horrible darkness in our marriage, but it was the time just before this that God had provided the light that would carry us through almost a 1 1/2 years of heartache, addiction and very nearly divorce. He always goes before us, ladies…
About 3 weeks before my husband was finally diagnosed with acute diverticulitus, my mom called me up and asked if I’d like a “free” day. As a homeschooling mom, those are better than gold to me! I took her up on the offer! But, instead of shopping I found myself pulling into an insurance company because their sign said, “New medical insurance available!” Well, we are independently employed and we’d been discussing changing insurance companies because ours was so yucky! However, you’d have to know me personally to know that on my day “off” insurance is the LAST place I’d be. That’s a work day in my world! But, there I was and I switched that very day because of the vast savings we’d receive…not to mention after the deductible we’d be covered 100%! That’s rare in the independently employed world, let me tell ya!
So, three weeks later…there we were. With only 3500.00 dollars out of pocket, and 100% of a 168,000 dollar hospital bill taken care of after all was said and done. But, God didn’t stop there.
One week into his hospital stay, my man couldn’t get his first doctor to really help him. We went three days without seeing him, at all. Not once. No blood tests, no nothing. And David isn’t a complainer…but, he was in tears. So, I fired the doctor. I told the nurses he wasn’t to be allowed into our room, and then promptly burst into tears because I didn’t know another colon rectal doctor and didn’t know where to start.
And then this little, quiet nurse steps up and says, “Ma’am, I may can help if you don’t mind me just making a quick call”. I almost tackled her in my attempt to hug her! That was about 3:00pm.
Around 11:00pm, David’s hospital room door cracked open and a white head poked in and in a Slavic voice I heard, “Hello, I’m Dr. ______. Would you mind if I visit you this late? Nurse _____ paged me and told me that you are in very dire need. I’ve just left a conference in NC, so that is why I’m getting here so late.”
To shorten this story, this doctor left a conference that was to last for another day just to help us. He stayed with us, ran tests that night and had my husband in surgery by 8:00am the next morning, where he discovered that David’s colon was within hours of rupturing from infection even though he’d been on antibiotics for months, and an IV at the hospital for almost a week. He had a collapsed lung and bi-lateral pneumonia. But, God’s biggest gift was yet to come….
After surgery, Dr. ______ came out of the surgical room, requested me to come to a private area just off the waiting room and in his sweet, quiet Slavic voice asked me this: “I do not know you, but I would like to pray with you if you do not mind.” I’ll never, EVER, forget that. We didn’t know him. He didn’t know us. We’d never heard of him, and only later found out that he is one of the top surgeons for colon issues in our area. AND HE WAS A BROTHER IN CHRIST!!!!!
Almost six years later my marriage is completely restored in ways that I could never have imagined even in my wildest dreams and my husband has never had another issue once his colonoscopy was reversed. God once again lead him out of his addiction and into a love affair with Him that is beyond what we could have dreamed possible!
God is real, sweet siestas.
Love ya’ll, Kristi 🙂
Your story brought tears to my eyes. It’s just like God to pull something so wonderful on you. Hallelujah!
That is just awesome! To know that this physician was under direct supervision of THE ULTIMATE PHYSICIAN! You just have to love the way God works.
Kristi,
This is an amazing testimony of God’s power and faithfulness. Thank you for sharing. Praise Him!
Wendy
GOOD stuff, kristi, thanks so much for sharing that.
Even though I grew up in a family that attended church, I was abused by my alcoholic dad. When I was in 5th grade, my parents divorced and my dad disappeared for a few years. All through my adolescence he would reappear for a couple of months and then disappear for a few more years. I learned to lean on the promise that God would be a Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5-6). He truly filled the void my dad left and became the father I never had. He healed my broken heart and walked me through forgiveness as a young adult. He replaced my shame with an understanding of who I am in Christ. I am whole only because of the miracle of grace and healing He has done in my life.
I have truly been held by God’s grce over the past 2 1/2 years. During that time my dad past away, and my mom was in poor health. Caring for her was truly a blessing that I had never experienced before. She became very ill and in and out of the hospital before joing forces with hospice to make the end days a time spent at home. I spent many days and nights running back and forth caring for her and crying-alot! She did pass away 1 year ago and I miss her everyday. God’s peace and comfort has made this most difficult time seem not so dark. Just knowing my parents are together again and rejoicing in heaven is true comfort! Thank God for his peace!
I have loved reading these comments! Feel like I’ve been to church. 🙂 I can trace the hand of God in a situation I never thought we would be faced with. But thank the Lord, my husband has been bold enough to say we have to put the house on the market. We can’t afford to keep it. It’s a LONG story, this move to ATL for a promotion, job loss/new job but less money.. and now this. My sweet husband has been carrying this burden for over a year trying to keep us in this house. We KNOW God wants us to sell. (Had an offer after two weeks!) In less than a month, God has opened up a door to a new home, (with all but 2 things on our wish list) the offer on this house, but most importantly…PEACE. His presence is so very strong. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt Him like this. There are few words… My memory verse during the unknown portion of this journey was Isaiah 30:21 “whether you turn to the right or left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying “This is the way, walk in it”. We did hear him. He was faithful to show us the next step. I’m so glad I quit fighting and said okay God, I believe you!
Blessings,
steph.
That’s the very verse I prayed for you this day, Steph! Love you so! Bev
And Bev…I love you! You are one
of the sweetest and most faith-driven
people I know! And have not met yet!
SOON my friend! 🙂
Steph,
That’s my #6 memory verse!
Whoa dude. 🙂
I love your sweet, sensitive heart…that I know
listens to God. xoxo
Two words, answered prayer! I gave God a chance to prove himself mighty in my life. I use to be just a crisis prayer warrior. “Oh God help me!!” He would answer because I was desperate. His grace!! I would thank him and forget him. Dig myself in a pit…”Oh God help me!” Cry out desperately, still not saved, and by his grace, he still rescued me. Went on with life…ignoring him..crisis..help..crisis..help!! Grace Grace Grace. Life going well…no crisis. Decided to ask him to help me to stop smoking. Prayed and prayed and prayed…nothing! Six months day after day…please God help me quit smoking. Until one night alone in my living room, watching 700 club, Pat Robertson stated, “If your listening and if you would die today would you be with God?” I said a flat out “No!” He said well you can have salvation today… I got on my knees and asked for forgiveness and received Jesus into my heart. I stood up and all of a sudden I felt this pressure in the center of my chest. It wasn’t painful but I new God was doing something. I actually said “God what are you doing?” The pressure got stronger and stronger and it was like I truly felt Gods hand on my stomach pressing in and I took in a deep breath and blew out my breath. As i blew out, this rolled off my tongue… “I am healed!” I could breathe better and new God took the smoking addiction away. I was jumping up and down. Fell back on my knees..thank you God Thank you God Thank you God. I was smoking a pack and half a day!!! Sept 22, 1992 10:00 pm. God visited in my home!! This was the best part..no withdrawal, and my friends could blow smoke in my face and I couldn’t smell it for four weeks!!!! It was a riot. I would say ‘blow it towards me” do it again…they would blow in my face and I couldn’t smell it. My friends got tired of me asking…..Anytime someone asks me if I smoked, I would tell him Jesus took away my addiction!!! Thank you Lord!!! I love you so much!!
I love your tesitmony….thanks for sharing.
When I found out my husband was having an affair; I thought my ideal family life for my two children and me was over. As I sank deep in the pit; the Lord rescued me and put a new song in my heart. Those days when I did not know what my husband’s plans were to be with the other woman or our family…I took the biggest step of faith in trusting God with my children and myself. He told me because of Him; we were going to be better than okay. A supernatural strength and power filled my mind, soul and spirit…it did get my husband’s attention. For the first time, he truly thought we might go on without him. Little did I know, God was in the process of working a miracle in my life; my husband’s life and the lives of our children. Twenty years later; we are in a marriage ministry to share with others the Hope that we have been given. To God be the Glory!!!
THIS GAVE ME GREAT HOPE – THANKS FOR SHARING AND KEEPING IT SHORT. I KNOW GOD IS GETTING GREAT GLORY HERE, BUT BECAUSE OF TIME, I AM SKIMMING THE RESPONSES AND TO READ THIS — PRAISE THE LORD.
I HAVE BEEN MARRIED 23 YEARS. ALMOST A YEAR AGO, I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE OTHER HUSBAND . . . I HAVE CHOSEN FORGIVENESS BUT WATCHED MY HUSBAND WALK AWAY FROM GOD . HE STILL IS, BUT I BELIEVE IN MARRIAGE. tHIS GAVE ME HOPE TO HOLD ON. OUR KIDS ARE 20 AND 16 AND i AM PRAYING AND BELIEVING. THANKS.
To God be the glory!! Thank you for sharing.
great question so relevant for my generation! we want to feel and experience. there seems to be a veil between the physical and spiritual (unseen) world that has only gotten pulled away a few times in my life. three years ago i went through a stillbirth with a little girl i deeply embraced as a miracle from God (long story).i did not think i could survive this loss mentally, so i begged God to show me his glory and he did. he fully aligned my spirit with his spirit and amidst the depth of pain there was a mental clarity and perspective that was supernatural, in addition to peace, love, comfort… something in me shifted and i have never been the same. related to this experienced, i also worked with a christian counselor with the gift of intercession and when she prays through strongholds/ soul ties with me, i feel like a holy fire/ electricity runs through my body and i am truly delivered. i know this sounds strange if you have never encountered that in the spiritual realm but my marrow has literally felt on fire from his presence and there is not a doubt in my mind that he is real!
This is a timely post! I feel God orchestrated it for a reason-to show me that He REALLY is with me/us! I have been struggling like I never have before for the last 10 weeks. There have been many times in my life that I know God was with me, or put someone or something in my path, or provided for my family in some way. I had shoulder surgery in early January and have had MANY sleepless nights since then. I’ve had lots of talks with God during the middle of the night when it was just the two of us. My journal looks like a well worn novel! Several times I came into my ‘nest’ as I call it, got down on my knees, asking God to take the pain away, to please heal my shoulder and let me sleep! It’s still tight and more pain than I thought I would have at this time. I’ve done exactly what the dr and my physical therapist have told me to do, along with prayer for strength and healing. Now tomorrow afternoon I go back to the dr. and he’s already told me he wants to ‘manipulate’ it-going back into the O.R. with a ‘sleepy’ drug. I’ve worked so hard to avoid this and I’m scared! I’ve even asked God what I did wrong to have to go through this procedure. Why after so many years of knowing He’s with me, do I feel so alone in this? I’m using your verse, Beth-“March on, my soul, be strong” this time, trying to plant it deep in my heart.
I really want Him to be there with me tomorrow as I talk to my doctor. I need His Strength and Courage and I feel He will be with me and in His time, I’ll see why this has taken so long. (in my opinion)!
Thank you, Beth for your sharing and caring for us!
Praying for you tonight, Bobbie, knowing that your precious heavenly Father will indeed be with you tomorrow. Praying that He will make His presence crystal clear.
I will be praying for you today, Bobbie!
sending up prayers for you Bobbie!!
Toni, Melissa, & His Jules, Thank you so much for your prayers–I felt them! God was SO present in that office this afternoon, it took on a whole new dimension! My doc was actually friendlier and NEVER mentioned the word manipulation!! At the end he said, I’ll see you in six weeks! Woohoo! He said I was improving on my own–I replied, No, I’m never alone!!
What a blessing I have received! I have a lot of work to be done, but with God’s strength, I will conquer this shoulder!
Thanks again! Love & blessings to you!
Awesome! Thanks for the update!
I know my God is real. There have been many days since my childhood that have left me hurting and sometimes doubting but my precious Lord brings to mind times when I knew only God could have been the reason for the intervention in my life. We grew up very poor. My brothers and I were made fun of for what we wore and how little we had. I remember a time when I was in the fifth grade and my older brother was in seventh, he had grown about 4 inches and none of his pants fit. You know, high waters as they called them. The kids were brutal to him. I remember my mom telling us to pray for him and this simple need for pants that fit. I will never forget a couple weeks later a lady from our church stops by and asked my mom if she thought my brother might have need for some clothes that her son had outgrown. They all fit like they were made for him. I will never forget that moment and my brothers expression. It still makes me cry to this day. God is real and loves us so much that what seemed like a big thing to my family was such a powerful assurance of how much God cares and is real. I will never forget His love. Thank you Jesus for providing that experience so that on the days of doubt I can know you love me and are real.
Thanks Beth for helping us reflect on Gods goodness and mercies. Jane
HOW PRECIOUS!!! He cares for us so!!
If I had to choose a season, it would be the one I am in right now. I am a single mother of three sons and my position was eliminated in Oct. ’07. It was a great paying job and while they offered me another job and told me I could keep my base salary, God told (ahead of the offer) not to accept the role. He said it was time to leave, for me to trust Him, that I would see His faithfulness. Over the past 3yrs5mths, it has been challenging. God told me at the beginning that He would not supply monthly or annual bread, but that I would have to trust Him daily [just like the widow of Zarephath]. He has spoken to my heart not to go on public assistance – not because there is anything wrong with it – but because He is to be my source during this season, and He has worked miracles. By God’s grace, my children have not gone hungry, God made provision for my oldest son’s college tuition, my two eldest went to Europe as student ambassadors and God has kept us in our home. Again, it has not been without significant challenges. However, my faith has increased tremendously. But the best part is that He is showing Himself to others [as the LORD Most High, as Provider, as Shelter, as Peace] through my situation. Similar to the three Hebrews boys in the fire, people are able to SEE Jesus, to know that He is real – not because He kept me from the storm but because they see Him walking with me in the midst of it.
Amazing! Continuing to pray BIG for your continued provisions!
I can’t wait to read all of these posts! Just want to share what the Lord has been showing me even these past few weeks. Faith is an interesting thing. I was having a conversation with the Lord about how sometimes I don’t “feel” saved or “feel” He is real and/or listening to me. As women, I think we are determined that we need to “feel” that God is real. Although the Lord does sometimes include feelings in my faith, a lot of the time it is an acknowledgement of the fact that He is. There is simply no other explanation that makes any sense. I mean – really? People think this entire perfectly designed Universe spontaneouly evolved from nothing and they call us crazy for believing in the One True God? In addition, His Word is true. Every bit of it, every single time – no matter what. I have lived 47 years and there is not one time – not one time – that I have found His Word to not flesh out to be true. This is not of man. So, while I love it when my feelings are in sync with the facts, sometimes, I just have to look at the facts and know that He is. He really, really is.
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real! I trusted Him when I was 4 years old. I have gone through so many times where I have tried to do things my own way. God let me have my way, stayed with me, and was there to rescue and comfort me when I came so desperately back to Him…time and time again. He is the One that I can talk to every day, at any time. He patiently listens to my worries, doubts, and concerns-even when I ramble. He gets it! He knows and understands the times when I am angry or so sad and hurt. Sometimes I don’t even have the words to express how I feel. My God listens, dries the tears, and brings me peace and direction. I know He smiles and even laughs when I share my silly and funny moments with Him. He slows me down and sets me straight when I try to stuff more into a day than a day was meant to hold. He gives me strength and confidence to accomplish so many things I know I cannot do alone. I need Him everyday! I love the fact that my God is so gentle, kind, and understanding. At the same time, He is my Rock, my Father, the only Wise God. I adore Him and praise Him for loving me and allowing me to come into His Holy Presence!
I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. I had a good life, career and marriage – the normal ups and downs in life but nothing to complain about. A woman at my gym had a pretty messed up life and she told my husband and me that she was attending church – we encouraged her. She invited us to church, and my husband said yes – I was mad but he convinced me she really needed the encouragement. We went and I cried a good part of the service. I had no clue what was going on – we continued to go and we both accepted Christ as our Savior. We very quickly got into children’s ministry (helping – not teaching) and the lessons taught us, as well as adult Bible study. Praise God our lives have never been the same!! God can use any person no matter how messed up to invite someone to church – and make an eternal difference. Love you!!
Okay, here it goes… About 20 years ago I was attacked by a serial rapist. Everything was set in motion for the act to take place. I went thru all the things I’d been taught in regards to praying against the enemy. Nothing worked. So I simply said, “Jesus, please make him go away.” HE DID!!!!
All praise to Jesus, as I was the only gal, out of many, who was not raped. No one can ever take that testimony away! JESUS IS THE REAL DEAL!!!!
Little Monkey’s Mama
Wow!
I don’t think I have had one particular season that has lead to my conviction in God. Rather, each season of my life gives me more reasons to believe in Him. In recent years I have seen my best friend healed from lies that she was believing through God’s revelation directly to her. I have known the truth of the Bible by doing it and seeing the unbelievable results (forgiving someone in my family who hurt me badly and experiencing the total restoration of that relationship). I have experienced God speaking to me to tell me who the man was that I would – and did – marry. I have seen my family transformed from dysfunction to healthiness and my little sister from a self-centered life to a life of joy when Christ spoke to her personally (this was literally a 180 degree turn from her old self to a totally different, happy person and my new best friend). I have heard so many “prophecies” from people who don’t know me that have been dead on. As for myself, God has also been working with me to save me from serious and unmerited self-shame and loathing. The progress I have seen in myself in the past year is MIRACULOUS and I have given my heart to God more than ever because He has never let me down. I’ve had my times of questioning and feeling lost, but I know now that He will get me through anything and everything.
Keep me steady God, I know my enemy is out there and he would do anything to destroy what we have.
Growing up in church, and then becomming heavily involved in ministry by the age of 18, I knew a lot about Christ. I also had a lot of “God moments.” In retrospect, some of them were probably completely emotional, but He loves me still. I think it became very clear to me that God was real, and no matter in my life is too small for Him when, after experiencing a miscarriage, I became pregnant again (a little over a month later) and carried that baby full term. I relied so much on the promises of God during that pregnancy, and now I have a beautiful 15 month old son who is so happy and healthy. I’m also glad to report, by the grace of God, there’s another on the way! and I know this child will be just as blessed and healthy. A heritage from the Lord indeed 🙂
I think it’s important to add that I was prophesied over that I was going to have a child before I found out I was pregnant again. It was one of those moments that just knocks your socks off!
I was in college. And I had just gone through an emotional season, confronting the man who had been my abuser as a child. You would think that I would have known God was real after the circumstances that allowed that conversation. Yet a couple of months after that, I was driving home through tear bleared eyes asking if God was nothing more than a coping mechanism.
The Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me go. Over the next few months, as life happened, there are moments that caused me to know He was more. Like an invitation to a conference from a friend I only see occasionally. A humbling and kind message about not rejecting Jesus’ love because what He did was enough, and the Spirit drew me back to God’s heart at that conference, and a mentor who prayed me when my old mental spirals would happen.
God passionately wants our hearts. He’s fully prepared to do whatever it takes.
I know my God is real, because he orchestrated things before and after my Dad’s death a week ago. I may not know until I get to heaven if my dad ever accepted Jesus, but I have a reassurance that I feel is from God. At the end of February I got a call that my dad was in the hospital (in another state). He didn’t want visitors or phone calls, he had very little energy. I prayed for God to reveal himself to my dad. God gave me Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Guess what my Siesta Memory verse was for 3/1?) I wasn’t sure if God meant that verse for me or for my dad. Since my dad didn’t want me to see him in the condition he was in, I sent a letter with some homemade goodies. I knew it was near the end of his life, so I gave it one last shot. I expressed what a wonderful dad he had been and gave him 3 (God-given) verses. John 14:1-6 (1-3 are my verses for Siesta memory for 3/15) Romans 8:38-39 (I think they will be Siesta memory for 4/1) and of course Deuteronomy 31:8. My prayer by then was for the Lord to hang onto him long enough to make him his own and bring him peace in the midst of his suffering. I spoke to my dad on the phone on Sunday 3/6 after thinking I would never get the chance again. He had received the letter and wanted me to know how much better he was feeling. His wife then told me his countenance was so much better. Two days later he was put in “at home hospice”. The day after that he was no longer alert, but I was told he was peaceful (I am sure that was God). He died Saturday 3/12/11. This past weekend was my rotation for singing on a worship team at church. I KNOW God chose the music set. EVERY song was written just for me. God even enabled me to get through 3 services with very few tears. I KNOW my God is real and He loves me and cares about the littlest things in my life. Now my prayer is that he will reveal himself to my dad’s wife who is “engulfed in sadness.” I am reaching out to her…but it is God that will do the mighty work.
This is so fresh in my mind and I am so thankful for the opportunity to share it.
I thought about you too today, Mama. I pray that someday I can have a cup of coffee with you (even if it’s when we’re in glory) just to share a moment like this. 🙂 A little over a year ago, in my despair, I called out to the Lord and He came. He showed up and helped me in ways I’d never dreamed. I was living in the tombs for sure. My ex-husband who two years prior promised not to be violent again, we went to marriage counseling. He seemed like he really wanted to put off any abuse and wanted to work on our marriage, take it to Christ, and let Him fix and transform us. It didn’t happen. I remember I was waiting to pick my son up from basketball practice. I literally draped myself over the steering wheel of my car and cried out to God. If Jesus would have jumped into the passenger seat, I would not have been surprised. He held me in that moment, gave me a plan to get my ex out of the house, lifted my family up to support me during a very dark time. Jesus truly became my peace and my provided from that moment. I’ve been clinging to Him and learning about Him, and loving Him more and more each day. What should have been one of the worst years of my life ended up being one of the best so far. I’m so excited to share Him with everyone. I can’t wait to see what He’s doing next and where He is going to lead me. I actually did have someone ask how I know Jesus is real. I said, just look at my life. It’s a train-wreck, yet I have peace in my heart and can laugh. Jesus is why. Only He can do that. I know with everything in me He is real and alive, and His Word is true and good. I told one of my co-workers if believing in Jesus makes me a better, more caring thoughtful person, would it be so bad if I’m wrong? But what happens to you if I’m right and don’t share My Savior who died for you too with you? I so want everyone to believe Him, not just in Him.
Thanks for asking. I could write a book on Him and what He has done for me. 🙂 I love you much, Mama. Big hugs to you.
I have several learning disabilities and was told I probably never finish high school. One of which is language assessment disorder effects my ability to cognitively obtain a language (including English) and was given a 10% chance of ever learning another language. I now sit here a college graduate from one of hardest public universities in Texas, fluent in French, a teacher myself and working towards my PhD. Despite me, My God has moved my mountains!
I bet you are an amazing teacher! Thank you for sharing! By the way, I’m a teacher too 🙂
Awesome awesome AWESOME! LOVE LOVE LOVE THAT! God is MORE THAN GREAT! He’s BEYOND words! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!
Wow, I love your testimony! God labeled you “capable” and “competent” so man’s labels couldn’t stick to you!
Praise the Lord! God is so awesome! To Him be the Glory! Bless you, Lindsey. Thanks for sharing this – it is so encouraging!!
About four years ago I desperately wanted a third child. My husband and I had been trying for several months with no success. One day I was driving and praying about a baby and God stopped me and said one word, “Adopt”. I remember thinking, “What???” I know it was God because adoption was never really something we had considered before. I had my plan and knew how I wanted this child to come into our family but God had a much different plan.
About two years later we were headed to China to meet our son. Life with our little man has been full of “God is for real” stories – way to many to write here! God has been so faithful to our family. The adoption has not been easy but God has never once let us down. I have seen His hand at work so many times and through our trials and joys with our son. I could not make it through a day without Him!
Today is my spiritual birthday! I am 11 years old day! I know the Lord is real for the work He has done in my life and heart. 11 years ago today I was deeply troubled and wanted to give up on life. I attended an FCA camp and learned about the power and love of Christ. I was saved that beautiful weekend at that camp. I felt like my life had purpose, God provided me with friends who loved me and believed in Him too. My love for HIM grew and I am still walking with Him today. Life is still not easy but God is so faithful and so personal with us all!
happy birthday, siesta sister
About 3 years ago someone invited me to Beth’s study, Believing God. “I am a believer. I already believe God, I don’t really need this.” I thought. But, I loved Beth’s studies and knew that I would learn something. So, I went. I was mesmerized from the opening sentence that asked, You Believe in God, but do you Believe God? (This is not intended to be a quote so forgive me, Beth, if I am not remembering exactly right.) As I went through that study I learned that I could love God and actually feel it. I did not know that before. I had always kept God (and people) in a safe intellectual non-emotional box. This is so strange in a way because I am so extremely sensitive. I think this was my way of staying safe. From infancy I had been in survival mode.
After the study, I got down on my face and cried my eyes out. Something I do not remember ever doing before. I prayed and asked God to help me learn to not just love Him intellectually but to feel love. I knew I had been hiding part of myself from Him. I could not even identify the cause or anything. I just knew that I needed to know Him. I was a believer, but, my life had no power. I cried out and asked Him “to take it out by the roots, whatever IT is”. I prayed that prayer on a Thursday and Sunday someone gave me a book that opened my eyes to things I had never known before. They had to have ordered the book because it was written over 20 years ago, not something they would have just seen in the popular section of the Christian bookstore. God had prepared the answer before I even asked. This is how I know He is real!! And, He is healing me more day by day. Praise You, Jesus!
I am struggling with the answer to the question because there are just so many reasons I know He is the REAL DEAL! But for me, it’s because I hear His voice daily and I am able to walk in the freedom of being who He created me to be. I was full of fear, sin, shame, control, sickness, depression, the list goes on… and my Father miraculously changed my life, shaking all the shakeable things out, and I now walk in His freedom. My marriage started out as an affair, and only HE could heal that relationship to the level that I now gladly submit to my husband and follow his spiritual leadership because only GOD could make him the spiritual leader that he is today. We lived in darkness for 12 years and praise God, He brought us out of that darkness and in to HIS light!!
I know that God is real because He is so very active in my life. Time and again I have seen Him work in my life. I have seen Him respond to my prayers in miraculous ways, and I have seen Him say “no” to certain prayers only to find He had something even greater and better in store. One fun story happened just over a year ago. In August of 2009 we had baby #3. I drove a four door car, but three carseats across the backseat were kind of crowded (my other children were 2 and newly 4, so they still had carseats). All of our family lives 5 plus hours away, so we need to travel quite a bit and we were feeling the need for a van. However, we didn’t have enough money to buy one yet and my husband and I both felt strongly that God was telling us not to take out a loan. We started praying for a van before baby #3 was even born. She was born in late August. Then in September our house finally sold after being on the market for 17 months. After putting the downpayment on our new house and purchasing some much needed new furniture we had $6000 dollars to put towards a new van. We didn’t think we could get a good van for that amount, so we stuck it in savings and started praying that our tax return that winter would be enough to add to it and buy a good used van. We were trusting the Lord and praying for His wisdom in selecting a van that would last and be in our price range. So, we tried to stay patient and grateful that we at least did have a car, even if the kids were packed in the back. Well, shortly after we moved into our new home in January 2010 our neighbors (who are wonderful Christans from our church) put a for sale sign in their van. We laughed and wondered if they would be willing to hold it for us until after we did our taxes and prayed we’d get $4000 back so we would have a combined savings of $10,000. We were praying that their nice van with only 60,000 miles on it would be about $10,000. So, my husband went across the street and asked what they were asking for the van….God is amazing! They were selling it for $6500 dollars! We already had $6000, and they were willing to take the for sale sign out and hold onto it for another month while we scraped to save up the remaining $500! We didn’t even have to wait for our tax return. Several times we had been tempted to just take out a loan and get a van. But we are so glad we waited and got to see God work in a way that was even better than we had hoped and prayed! And, driving the three kids around for 5 months in the smaller car and taking two out of state trips in the smaller car with our family of five definitely gave us an appreciation for our van that we may not have had otherwise! 🙂
I know God is ‘for real’ because I am a changed person. He saved me 13 years ago. For the first 7 yrs after I came to know Christ as my personal Savior, I prayed for my husband to be set free. Proof of Him again came in 2005 when my husband made such a 180 there was no way anyone could deny he was “new.” It is because of prayer, both private and corporate prayer, my husband and I are equally yoked. On March 6, this year, our youngest son repented from a couple of years of strong, painful rebellion. He ran into my bedroom exclaiming he had wrestled with God all night and he was back. He was done with the sin that was pleasurable for that season and wanted to walk with God. He said he believed God wants him to tell others about Him and to share His truth in His Word. The last two weeks have been so wonderful. He now takes his Bible and his “My Utmost for His Hightest” devotional to a lost friend’s house so he can show his friend what God’s Word has to say. God is real, so very real. Change like this can only be of Him.
This is an awesome testimony… Go, son!
As many others on this blog, I have believed in Jesus as long as I have memories. But, two different situations, totally opposite in comparison made me know that I know that I know! First, when that horrible phone call came and I knew that my brother had died. One and 1/2 years behind me in age, we were wonderfully close. I have always heard the phrase “peace that passes understanding”, but my sweet Jesus gave it to me! Me, of all people! I love to think about what my sweet brother is seeing and how I will, without a shadow of a doubt see him and Jesus one day. That made the Cross so real to me. Second, about two years before this accident, one night I had been praying and studying the Word and I just walked outside and prayed for Jesus to come – please come. Then I knew that I knew that deep inside my very being HE WAS, HE IS, AND HE ALWAYS WILL BE! AMEN AND AMEN
In November, 2009 I was blindsided with the dreaded word, “cancer”. I felt only confusion and went straight to the Lord to have the peace that I cherish so much in my daily walk with Him. I prayed, went to the Word, and decided to do the Bible study for the day from “Esther”. As I opened the workbook to page 197 this is what I read:
Beloved, take these simple words to heart no matter how many times you’ve heard them: your God cares about you! He wants to show you what He can do with your life and your negative conditions, but He wants you to know without a doubt that He alone is the author of reversals.
Wait like a watchman on the wall and when the first sign of reversal comes, don’t dream of calling it coincidence. Raise the roof with praise and ask the One who has begun a good work in you to complete it! He is not only glorified through our suffering, He can also be supremely glorified through our celebrating.
God showed me at that moment that he had His hands all over this one and He would see me through.
During chemo when I was experiencing the symptoms that go along with the treatments he came to me behind a curtain in a way that He has never done before or since. I could feel Him as if He were sitting in the chair with me.
I know for a fact that He will not fail me — He is faithful. Today I am cancer free and can say ,”Its been worth the journey!!”
Oh yea, my God is real!
The moment I realized He is real was a time when I struggled for several months about my adopted daughter. She was about 10 yrs old at the time and was questioning why she was given up by her birth mother. (She always knew that she was adopted at birth.) But at 10 yrs, the questions started forming a little deeper. I encouraged her to write a letter to her birth mom, and I promised to send it through our attorney. Long story short, I struggled because her BM wrote back, but said some things that a 10 yr old couldn’t possibly understand. I knew I had to protect her from this information. I prayed and prayed and prayed. She asked daily if a letter had come. One day, as I was on the way to pick her up from school, praying yet again (still) – “Lord, what am I going to do?” He very distinctly told me “just tell her the truth”. So I did. I explained that her birth mom had written back, but at this point she was too young to read the letter. I promised I would hold it for her – for when she was older and would understand better. She was mad at first, but I told her the answers to the “little girl” questions (ie:do you have a dog?) and satisfied that in her and she accepted that I was doing what was in her best interest. I’m so grateful to God for being there for me and our beautiful daughter. He has walked with us since (my daughter is 17 now). He continues to give me wisdom and peace, just when I need it! Praise to Him alone!!
I grew up thinking I was a Christian. I was confirmed as a teenager in a church, but I just knew historical facts. I did not understand that God could be an active part of my life. Religion was a formality to me. I was living my life by myself and for myself. By the time I was in college, I really didn’t even know if I believed in God anymore. It seemed meaningless. Even though I was not seeking God, he was seeking me. I began dating a Christian who was not living like a Christian and of course neither was I. Because of his church background he began to talk with me about God. I freely expressed my doubts and he questioned me and God began to open up my thinking. In the course of events, perhaps even because of our conversations he rededicated his life to the Lord. He took me to church and for the first time that I remember, I heard a message that allowed me to consider that life did not revolve around me. God loved me, created me and would some day judge me. I realized that I was a sinner and that by God’s grace, God through Jesus Christ’s suffering and death on the cross, he had provided a way to a relationship with him that was not from any of my own efforts. My response was to put my faith in Jesus. I have been justified by God and declared righteous through faith in his son. I responded to the gospel that day in 1972.
Just as many people have commented here, I know that Jesus is real for so many glorious reasons. One moment that I know without a shadow of doubt that Jesus was present occurred a few months ago. My husband and I were held at gunpoint here in a nice suburb of Houston while our two small children were sleeping in the running car. Our friend hit her knees instantly and began to pray for us and no one was hurt! We are children of such an awesome God…I want to tell everyone I meet about all the wonderful things he has done for me!
http://www.texaslaroveres.blogspot.com if you would like to read the full story, it’s posted under “Christmas Miracle”
Blessings to each of you sweet Sisters in Christ…
Wow, incredible testimony of God’s help in times of trouble! Powerful!
Hmmm. I have thought about this all day. There are so many ways to respond. I think that knowing without doubt that God is real is a deep seeded personal “knowing”. I personally have experienced many tragedies, fears, disappointments, etc. But the one thing that made me know He is for real was through an awful sin I committed. I literally was acting out as an adult (morally) after an incomprehensible event occurred in my marriage. I loved the Lord yet my flesh flamed out of control for just one week. I was even given a way of escape but did not take it. After “the dust settle” and I had my head on straight again, I was apologizing to the Lord. His sweet, quiet response still makes me grin. “I’ve got you covered.” The knowing of how real that forgiveness was that morning has made Him very “real” to me. Powerful!
I have been a follower since I was a child and have loved Christ dearly, but about 9 months or so ago, I question if He was real in any way. My husband had lost his job, we lost the first home we ever had, we had to uproot our family from a community and church we adored and had to depend on outside financial help to make the bills. On top of all this, my little family was battling with a staff infection that would not go away. I began to question who God was and what His word said. For three days straight I didn’t pray…I let God have it. Or so I thought. And then on the morning of the fourth day it was like a wave of love that washed over my weary soul. I realized by His sweet spirit that I was not alone, He was seeing me though it all as well as building my character, and after all I had said to Him, He was not angry. Feeling His love and peace deep within my being was like a child collapsing in the arms of their parent and releasing it all. He wasn’t the cause, He was and is the solution. Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus…(sing it Andre)
During my mom’s first cancer episode, I was just 22 and became the sole bread winner for our family. Whether or not my mother was going to survive was still in question and she began the first of 1 year and 3 months of chemotherapy treatments 5 days a week. She was really very sick and I was extremely stressed out and wondering whether God really was there or cared about me at all. I was wearing myself out with all the questions and worry and doubt. One Sunday morning, the pastor’s sermon hit home for me. He preached on how Jesus was in the boat on the Sea of Galilee when that huge storm blew up, threatening the disciples safety. They woke up Jesus and asked why He was going to let them die. He responded by quieting the wind and the waves. The pastor reminded us that there was still a storm, but the Master of the universe was inside the boat with the disciples. That revelation was like a light bulb illuminating my heart. I was in the middle of a huge storm but Jesus, the lover of my soul, was in the boat with me. I walked away that morning knowing that God is real and He does love me more deeply than I can comprehend. I haven’t wrestled with that question since that Sunday (18 years ago).
I agree with someone who said this posting is most definitely providential. I never post anything personal online; however, I do feel led of the Lord to share this. I became a Christian at age 30. Prior to this, I was married to my high school sweetheart. Sadly, after several years of marriage, I had an affair, left my husband, and insisted on a divorce. We did have problems in our marriage but nothing to warrant my sinful behavior. I began to live with the man who I had an affair with. It was during this time, about a year and a half after divorcing my husband, that Christ became real to me through a series of events. People had witnessed to me in the past, but it wasn’t until this time that I truly accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. Soon after accepting Christ, I made the decision to marry the man I was living with. The marriage was a disaster! We divorced after five years. I continued to grow in my Christian walk but was devastated and ashamed of my foolish decisions. Fast forward to today, ten years after becoming a born-again believer. God has continued to hold my hand, but I continue to have the wounds from my past. About a month ago, God impressed on my heart to cry out for healing. So I began to pray and seek God and His Word and read anything I could get my hands on related to emotional healing in a Christian’s life. Last night, during church service, God led me to Isaiah 54. It was as if this passage was screaming at me! I knew my Lord was talking to me. Today, as I was driving down the road, I just simply became broken. Christ whispered in my heart, “Everything is going to be okay.” A wonderful peace invaded my soul. He is for sure very REAL! Praise Him!
I was raised to believe that God was “REAL” my entire life. I was raised in a Christian home and so I’ve really never known any different. However, I didn’t realize what total faith in him was until about March of 2008. Until then, I had only been taught faith and not “REALLY” lived or walked it.
My son, while in utero (SP?) was diagnosed with having bilateral cleft lip and palate along with having the Dandy Walker Syndrome (he was missing his vermis in the lower part of his brain). Immediately, I was sent to a specialist who began providing monthly ultrasounds to confirm both diagnosis. After, searching the internet for information on both conditions I was pretty scared of the uncertainty of the DWS. It’s severity was too wide ranged and there would be nothing I could do to prepare for what was to come until after his birth. So, I decided then and there to give that one to God! I would no longer worry with that and instead I would speak with parents and doctors regarding what was to be expected with his facial repairs. I would now wait out the next 22 weeks until he came into this world. The day rolled around, and Brody came into this world as perfect as ever. Cleft lip and all!!! That night, we learned he had his vermis. No Dandy Walker syndrome!!! A miracle from God aside from the obvious miracle of childbirth. We were told just two week before his birth that he was STILL missing his vermis. But it was there!! Yes, I believe my God is REAL!!!!! He is as real as this 2 1/2 year old little boy is sitting here smothering me with kisses as I type this!! I love You My Lord and Savior!
Praise God, such a sweet testimony!
I know God is real because He brought me out of the miry pit and put in new song in my mouth. Being raised in a Christian home and going to church every Sunday I spent most of my teen years and a lot of my adult years in rebellion. Praise God, He has not given up on me. As I lead weekly Wed night women’s Bible study I find myself doubting and every Thursday morning I think I should just quit because I do not feel adequate. Of course I am not, it God doing it through me and for that I give Him praise.I keep showing up to lead Bible study each week and so does God.
Blessings to each of you and thanks for sharing your stories.
Janice
This happened just two days ago. Simple but meaningful to me. I was going to donate money to help Japan and an amount kept coming into my head which was too high for me. I tried to negotiate it down (this conversation is all going on in my mind) and I can only say that the Holy Spirit was not going to let me get away with any lower amount. This thought came to mind, “Do you REALLY think I won’t support you in this??” So, hand shaking, I entered the amount and hit submit. Two hours later, I went to Starbucks and they “surprised and delighted” me and gave me my drink for free! I KNEW that that was God giving me a small reminder that I could indeed count on Him.
When I was 13 I heard a message that said I was pretending to be a Christian. I was a fake. I was in church and doing mostly the right things but starting to pull away. I told God I would listen and make up my mind which way to go. Would I choose the wrong path of foul language and rebellion or His way? I knew His way felt a lot cleaner. I wanted to know for sure and stop being a fake. On my knees, I prayed and God overwhelmed my whole body because I kept telling Him I really meant it and wanted to know for sure. He let me know for sure. That was in 1967 Praise the Lord, I am His!!!
I’m with everyone else. One paragraph is just too short to tell why I believe God is real. There are so many reasons. I started to tell you about the time I fell off my horse and broke my neck, but God miraculously saved me from surgery and healed me. But, I feel Him leading me to tell you about my youngest son. When I was pregnant with T., I went into a period of depression that lasted until after his birth. During this time, God spoke to me and told me that the baby I carried would grow up to be a great man of God. That promise carried me as I knew that the suicide I contemplated would destroy God’s intent for my baby. T. was always independent and strong willed from the time he was born. He could climb out of his crib before he could walk and we would often find him in places he should not be. He hated school from his first day of preschool. Gifted and Learning Disabled are hard to cope with. Elementary School brought much anger and talk of suicide. When your eight year old wants to kill himself, it is almost more than you can bear. Especially when you know that the enemy attacked you in the same way. We tried four different schools, but middle school was a nightmare. He was bullied and then, T. was almost expelled for reacting to the kids who were bullying him. In the spring of his eighth grade year, things really came to a head. I was studying Believing God and so about wore my blue bracelet out praying for him. I decided to fast from sugar as a reminder to pray. I am a sugarholic so transferred that craving to a desire to see God work in my son’s life. During that period of time, about eight weeks, T. was not expelled, my health insurance sent him out of network to a wonderful counselor who specialized in angry adolescent boys, and he passed our state test to enter high school, and on his own, decided to enroll in a charter school that was a military academy in a neighboring county. He became a leader at his school and learned self discipline and the value of hard work. That time of fasting and prayer was the turning point in T.’s life but not because of what I did, but because God finally got my attention long enough that He could show me His power in the life of that boy who would grow up to be a great man of God. Today, T. is a firefighter/EMT and in Paramedic School. He still struggles with school, we still pray him through his tests, but he is succeeding. He has a love for God and for missions. He has been to Brazil twice and Haiti once on missions trips. He is engaged to a very sweet girl, and we could not be happier for them. And, he is only 19 years old! Honestly, there was a time, we thought he would be in jail by now. God is real. He keeps His promises, and He never leaves us. I know that for sure every time I see my son and remember the struggles he has gone through. And I know without a doubt that the promise God made is being fulfilled. T. already is a “great man of God.” I hope this encourages other mom’s who are dealing with difficult children. Believe God for your child and don’t stop praying.
There is no one single “poof moment” that I have. I have just always been crazy about Him. I have been battling a tough season of fear in my life right now. I thought I was free from it, but He wants me so free, that nothing can shake me. Funny, I can stand firm against a would be killer with a knife, but a bully makes me hide in my room. I am so grateful for this time, hard though it may be. He is so wild about me, that while I am struggling terribly with the circumstances, I have no doubt that He is working it all out for my good. I want so much to please Him and to be found faithful. He is all there is.
How do I know God is real? I’m not sure this is going to be in line with what you mean but its all I can think to say…His Spirit tells me He is. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude and wonder that as a lonely, little girl, from a broken home God called me. He put a love in my heart for Jesus and although I have not always walked the way He desired or as if I love Him, He continually calls me to Himself. God has been so good to me. Not because my life has been trouble free (a husband with pancreatic cancer, a daughter with lukemia & many complications from a bonemarrow transplant, job losses…) (p.s. there’s been lots of good in my life too :0) ) but because He has made Himself known to me. And then there is His word. When I read it prayerfully, with an open mind and heart, God speaks and makes Himself and the reality of Himself — well, real. God testifies to Himself and THAT tells me He is real. I could have all the physical proof in the world but unless I my heart is opened to hear Him and unless He speaks that proof would mean nothing. I struggle often and God needs to teach this slow learner with patience and repetition — but He is a God who is willing. Thank You, Jesus. I love you. You are more real than the computer I type this on.
After we had been married for a few years, after we had 3 precious little boys, while I was a stay at home mom and my husband was working full time and going to school I came the closest I’d ever been to just up and leaving. I was tired of being the only one who seemed to care, the only one who was trying to hold things together and getting nothing in return. I was tired of trying to get any hint of affection from a man who was just as tired as I was and who had no time left over from his obligations to share with anything besides his pillow! I didn’t have the courage to actually leave – how would I support 4 of us? – so I determined I would insulate myself and not need anything emotionally from my husband. It worked for a while until I became absolutely miserable. I didn’t really want to, but I knew that if God was going to heal me and my marriage it would have to start with me. I prayed God would cause me to fall in love with my husband all over again. Only God could have taken this cold heart and breathed life and healing into it. He is so faithful and after nearly 35 years of marriage I’m looking forward to the next 35 with this guy. He isn’t perfect by a long shot but God has knit us together in ways that only He could.
Two years ago God gave me a visual through the Grand Canyon of His reverant fear and awe. The last two years he has allowed circumstances which have brought me to hide my face, cry out, lay prostrate, lose my faith at times, feel desperation and yearn for him in my heart like I have never before and in an instant all was lifted. I was saved as a little girl of 5 and sought him most of my life but now I know I only saw a glimpse.
My mother committed suicide; I found her…My father died of complications after surgery for brain cancer…I was 13 years old. You can only imagine the pain, trauma, questions, doubts and life that came after that. This year I will be married 20 years to the man who lead me to a real and personal relationship with Jesus. I have 3 children, growing with Jesus….we aren’t perfect but we are growing in him everyday. I struggle with various daily ills, know what they are and truly try every day to rectify my wrongs, ask for forgiveness from those I hurt/love as well as from my heavenly Father. If not for the Word of God and His work in your life to minister to me through Bible Study, I don’t want to fathom where I might be. Thank you God for your mercy, love and freedom; and Thank you God for the right people in the right place at the right time.
I have battled anxiety most of my life. A few years ago, things got really bad. Stomach issues that were unpredictable and somewhat debilitating only fueled the anxiety. I became homebound. I knew that God was doing something, but what to do in the mean time? Then, I was delivered. Completely. My whole life changed through that trial. My personality had a complete makeover. Only Him. There is no other explanation. Not long after, we did the Daniel study at church. The three Hebrew boys went into the furnace, and all that was burned was their bonds. You said, sometimes we have to go through the trial to be released from what binds us. Amen! That’s what He did for me. Praise God!
I know God is real because when I go through trials, I know He is always with me. I may get angry at Him, but He still does not leave me. He has answered my prayers time and time and time again….maybe not according to the way I expect and most of the time not WHEN I expect, but His answer is always right. He wants me to have faith in Him. He is more concerned about my heart and having me and that comes through leaning on Him during life situations. I have grown to know Him through His Word. It IS alive and active and it IS truth. I have learned to hear and recognize His voice.
I know God is real because He takes my humanness, covers it by the Blood, and changes me through the power of the Holy Spirit to be something I couldn’t be otherwise. My husband and I have three young children and there are days, one of which was yesterday, that I was in THE DUMPS and needed the POWER of GOD to defeat the grip of sin on my attitude. I read through Psalm 52, spent much time crying and in prayer, and listened for what He wanted to teach me. I was obedient to His Voice, PTL!, and he was able to set my feet on solid ground, enabling me to be the Godly wife and mother He wants me to be.
So many…but the most recent one: when my son was born last year. I had spent a lot of my pregnancy terrified that I would lose one or both of my babies (we were expecting twins!) if not during pregnancy, then at delivery. My labor was lonnnggg and got VERY intense at the end. When my son finally came out (he was first), he was blue and did not make a single noise. My very worst fear.
Everything in the room, all the evidence before me, said PANIC.
And yet, I did not.
Because at the first sight of him, as I noticed these things, God said “wait” to my heart. “Just wait”. It was accompanied by the most calm and serene feeling I have ever felt.
THAT is not of me. THAT is God.
A moment later, from a far away corner where the nurses had rushed him, my son’s cry filled both the room and my heart, followed shortly after by his sister’s.
Thanks be to God, for He is real, and He is good.