I often think of the question Ashleigh shared a few posts ago: if I could only say one piece of encouragement to someone, what would it
be? I always come back to this: God is.
In Exodus 3:14, God describes Himself to Moses as, ‘I AM
THAT I AM.’ My grandparents have those words on a
plaque, and I would read it every time we were at their house, and wonder what
God meant; it's confusing.
We like to define God. We call Him mighty, merciful, just,
and loving – and He is. But He’s also far beyond what we can describe. We can’t
imagine the depth of His character, and I think that’s why God described Himself
to Moses as I am Who I am, and why Jesus also answers ‘I am,’ in the New Testament.
He isn’t definable in our terms.
‘Is’, or ‘am’, implies existence. No matter what else fails
or gives way, God is still there, immoveable. He cannot fail, He cannot change.
That alone gives us hope and assurance.
There is no qualifier, or definition: I am –, or God is –, and
I believe that’s because God can be everything we need, whatever it is. If
we’re in danger, God is a refuge. If we’re broken, God is a healer. If we’re
lonely, God is a friend. God is not limited to helping us in just one area of
life. His capabilities have no boundaries.
There are many
unknowns of the new year, and maybe it’s a little scary. But God is there, and He’s everything
we need. If there’s one thing I learned last year, it’s that regardless of
what difficulty or discouragement I’ve faced, more God is always the solution. And
when God is with us – or when we’re with God, as I prefer to say – we cannot
fail. So let’s go, 2018!
I have set the Lord
always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm
16:8
~
What are your feelings about a new year? Are there any
particular goals you’re aiming for this year? Do you celebrate or have any new
years traditions? If you could only give one word of encouragement, what would
you say?
Also, the biggest thank you, beautiful people, for making 2017
my most exciting year of blogging yet! You encourage, inspire, and bless me;
I’m so thankful, and pray for you all. xx
Wow wow wow such an encouraging post again Jessica. I really love this. Very true. God is. I love that. He is God and that is who He is. He is more real than we could ever imagine. Happy New Year ear friend and hope that this year again is a blessed one for you. Im excited to see what God's going to do.
ReplyDeleteJoanny
imachoccakeaholic.blogspot.co.uk
Praise God! He is so real. Happy new year to you too! I hope 2018 is a wonderful year for you as well. Blessings, and thanks so much for your comment, Joanny! xx
DeleteGreat post Jessica! I love how God said I am.... we can try to fil in the blank. He said I am. He is our heavenly Fsther. He is our friend. He is our rock. He is our refuge. He is King. And He’s so much more. I’m really looking forward to this coming year, though it’s hard to believe 2017 is over. I hope this year can be a time to learn and grow.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year and I hope you have an amazing 2018 :)
Yes to all those things! Thanks for sharing. And He's always going to be more than we can list, which is pretty incredible to think about.
DeleteThanks Sarah! Happy 2018 to you too. xx
It’s comforting to know God is there, Jessica. I felt very detached from God in 2017, which is disheartening since I was just so much closer to Him when I was younger??? I don’t want to push him away, but I don’t know how to spot Him, either. But I do want to be able to grow in Him.
ReplyDeletexoxo Abigail Lennah | ups & downs
I'm sorry that was your experience last year, Abby. It's hard when you have that desire, but God still seems distant. Something that's helped me is taking time away from distractions - having a social media free day, or spending time in nature. But God promises in Jeremiah 29:13: 'And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart,' so don't give up, friend! He will reveal Himself to you, and sometimes the times of struggle work out for our greatest good too. Thanks so much for your comment, and I hope 2018 is an exciting year of growth for you. xx
DeleteGreat post, as always! You post are so encouraging, and I love reading you blog! I love how you are striving to know God better and help other to do the same, thank you! I'm sure God is smiling down on you right now, and has amazing things in store for you in 2018! Keep being awesome, girl! :-)
ReplyDelete~Skylar
Aw, praise God! Thanks so much for your sweet encouraging comment, Skylar. I'm so glad this blog can be a blessing to you.
DeleteThanks again, and I hope you have a fabulous year growing closer to our Saviour! Stay strong! xx
This was a stellar post, Jessica :) Your encouragement is so inspiring and truly encouraging! These words really spoke to me.
ReplyDeleteKeep being the wonderful person God made you and Happy 2018 :)
All glory to God! You're so kind and thoughtful, Autumn. I'm glad this could be an encouragement to you. Happy new year - stay strong! xx
DeleteMan, this was such a fantastic post!! I love your perspective so much. I never understood what God meant either...but I always thought it sounded very wise. xDD This was suchhhh an insightful post!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it made sense, Amelia! Yes, I'm sure there's greater depths to it I don't understand yet either. Thanks so much for commenting, and all the best for 2018! :)
DeleteAmen! If I could share one word of encouragement with someone it'd be: take it to the Lord in prayer. And don't only lay out your troubles before Him, but then wait for His answer. Read the Scriptures and earnestly seek out what the Lord might be saying to you. I'll admit, that's something I need to do more often.
ReplyDeleteAh, that's such good advice! I need to grow in that area too. Thanks for sharing! xx
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