Hello. My name is Elaina as most of you know...but not because my parents named me. You see God knew my name before I was in my mother's womb. God knew what I would look like. God knew what I would be like. God knew the numbers of hair that would be on my head...and on my body. God knew how tall I would be. God knew how much I would weigh....before eating that bacon. God knew my eye color. God knew me from the inside out and that...that wouldn't stop when I was born...He knew me intimately then and He knows me intimately now.
He wants me to get to know Him intimately too. He wants all of us to and we all have that choice to make, but it is so very important to be in prayer and constant communication with Him. I remember when I was in such an emotionally and spiritually abusive relationship that I didn't know how to get out of it. I couldn't at all do it on my own strength...because I had tried. I had tried many times to. It took me over a period of a year to pray the words three or more times, "Let there be light." God wanted to know how much I wanted Him and how much I wanted to get out of that situation that almost killed me. When I finally called He answered.
I always knew prayer was powerful, but after that I understood it on a deeper level. He saved me from my life being potentially destroyed. All I had to do was communicate that I wanted to be free to Him. All I had to do was remember the One who I got to know through prayer and reading the Word, the only One I needed and need forevermore. When you hear people tell you to read your Bible it's for a reason. That's how we get to know Him. How do we know what is right and wrong? How do we know what steps to take? How do we know the direction to go in? How do we know Him deeper? It's the same in getting to know people deeper. We spend time with them, we communicate with them, we find out their likes and dislikes, we get to know their family, and we come to understand why they do what they do and why they say what they say.
If you looked at my Twitter a few months ago you would probably have seen a lot more "don'ts" than you do now. You would have seen me giving more pointers before looking at my life first. I have come to a realization that I need to take care of my life more and that alone would be the truest message. I don't tell people what not to do anymore because I have seen people tell you what not to do and then not show you what to do. Without God we are nothing. Without love we are nothing. If I'm not pointing you to God above all else ESPECIALLY when I'm speaking don't, don't, don't then I have failed.
I can't change you. I can't change your situation and neither can anybody else. Only God can change you and He changes you by grace through faith. As you let the Holy Spirit enter in and as you let Him lead you there will be evidence of change. There will be evidence of the fruits of the Spirit. There will be evidence of a heart of stone softening because of the love that only Jesus can give. There will be evidence of one living by the law of righteousness and not by the works of the law. You will experience a deep encounter with God that you cannot find with anybody else. You will experience a euphoria basking in His indescribable presence. He is called Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace. His name is Jesus and YOU are who He says you are - a child of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are His.
I said I wasn't going to make any resolutions that I'm not going to follow as we all head into the New Year, but let's all make one together if we're all serious: let us all come to a place where we're completely relying on God instead of anything or anybody else. We must be willing to give our lives for Him so whatever is holding you back from getting to know Him more be willing to lose. Let us all seek a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Lord our God. Let us take time to bask in His presence and to sit down and truly think about all that He has done for us - together and individually.
*Challenge yourself - Come up with ten things individually or as a family of what He has done for you that you are truly thankful for. Read Romans 8.
Ephesians 8:2-9 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
Romans 8:4 - "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
