We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, or we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. - Psalm 33:20-23
Derek and I are reading the Bible in a year with our church group. It has been such a great experience so far. We read a portion of various books of the Bible each day and we meet to dicuss our weekly readings each week. I have been keeping a notebook full of my questions and thoughts on what I have read. That really seems to help me understand everything more. I felt so unfamiliar with many parts of the Bible before (which was totally my fault). I am learning more everyday and I hope to be able to share that with others in some way.
Through this experience so far I have learned a great deal about myself. Reading through some of the Old Testament I wondered about the faith of these people who had God in their very presense. How could they not obey God when he was right there speaking to them? Then I thought about my life. I often wonder when God is really speaking to me. Since God is not speaking to me directly as we read about in the Old Testament, it becomes much easier for me to not listen to what God is trying to tell me. I also realized that I act just like those in the OT.
We praise God for the good, yet wondering where He is the rest of the time when life feels uncertain. I believe we can all look back on periods of life where we felt lost. I certainly can and it was terrible. Yet now being able to look back and compare where I am now in life has allowed me to see how God used that time in my life to bring me closer to Him. It allowed me to realize just how much I needed him and that my life was a mess when I alone had the reigns.
So after lots of rambling, my point is that I am trying very hard to listen for God. That I am trying very hard to remember that God's calling for my life may not be easy, or traditional, or something I can plan for. I am trying to alwasy trust and put my hope in Him :)
