He never lets go!

Returning from my unintentional hiatus, I must say I feel renewed in my spiritual life. There for a while this past semester and summer, I was between churches, not in the word regularly, and just, complacent. I had become a bit stagnant, not moving forward in my faith. There were the ups and downs, but none the less I just didn't make time to really, grow. Part of me wanted to, another part of me would just think about how I wasn't growing and would feel bad. I'm going to go ahead and say those thoughts making me feel bad, were not from God. Sometimes we feed into lies, and become discouraged. That is not of the character of God to discourage us from following Him, or to make us feel lousy when we fail. God, is love.

Just like God sent us His son, Jesus, to save us from ourselves, He also sent me a few lifelines during this time of when my engine stalled, and I just kind of floated. Fellow believers, my brothers and sisters in Christ, my lifelines. God never let go of me. They didn't let go of me. Like the shepherd who goes after the one lost sheep, out of the 99, he doesn't let up until it is found and returned safely. Just like the woman who lights a lamp and searches high and low for find her one lost coin out of the 10, she starts a relentless pursuit until she finds it, and then calls her neighbors because she has such joy in her heart that it has been found. They didn't let go. God didn't let go! I didn't lose my faith, I just became complacent, and now a new passion has been instilled in me.

This reminds me of the Matt Redman song, "You Never Let Go" and how he speaks of how God never lets go. (I've listed the lyrics at the bottom.) As I've made new friends who happen to be fellow believers at my job, and become stronger friends with others from college, I know that God has used them to pour into me in different ways, and show me different things.

Within the past two or three weeks, I've been a part of some really great conversations about God. What a blessing it is to be able to speak freely about our faith when there are places in the world that we can't. It's so refreshing to hear what God is doing and how He is moving in the lives of others around me. I'm becoming more aware of the need around me. The hunger that people have for God, they might not even know it is a relationship with Jesus that they want, but ultimately that's what would truly fulfill them, and they want it.

Conversations of a spiritual nature have been falling into my lap, and it is amazing! The harvest is certainly ready indeed! I've become aware of how others can fall away, distracted, or have become entangled in the vines and thorns that choke out spiritual growth. It has been put upon me to not only share the Gospel like we have been commanded to, but to revive, provide aid, and pour into those who have become ensnared, who have been attacked and almost snatched away by the birds, and have hit dry, desolate times in a scorching desert. I want to help cut away the vines of thorns, strike down the birds that plague them, and open canals to which streams of living water can flow freely and abundantly to them so they can grow, ending the drought. It's like I'm not even having to find conversation about God, it's finding me, and I absolutely love it!

God, I thank you, and praise your name for all that you are doing inside of me, and all around me. Please continue to pour upon me your love, and show me what I can do for you, and allow me to not only grow closer to you, but to those around me as well!

Refreshed and renewed,
Jason

These are the lyrics:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death 
Your perfect love is casting out fear 
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life 
I won't turn back, I know you are near 

I will fear no evil 
For my God is with me 
And if my God is with me 
Whom then shall I fear 
*WHOM THEN SHALL I FEAR* 

CHORUS: 
OH no You never let go through the calm and through the storm 
Oh no, You never let go in every high and every low 
Oh no, You never let go, Lord, You never let go of me 
(Verse 2) 

And I can see the light that is comin' for the heart that holds on 
A glorious light beyond all compare 
And there will be *AN* end to the struggles 
But until that day comes, we'll live to know You here on *THE* Earth 

And I will fear no evil 
For my God is with me 
And if my God is with me 
Whom then shall I fear 
*WHOM THEN SHALL I FEAR* 

*You keep on loving and you never let go* 

And i can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on 
and there will be and end to the struggles 
but until that day comes 
*STILL I WILL PRAISE YOU 
STILL I WILL PRAISE YOU*