Sunday 5 May 2013

Week 3-Season of Pruning


Why hello there beautiful people, it's me again lol :) 


Lectures have officially begun this week and boy was I excited for what God had in store. On Mondays and Fridays we have worship sessions, Tuesdays and Thursdays we have intersession and on Wednesdays we have Bible study. This takes place in the mornings between 8:30am & 9:15am. Worship on Monday was in Fijian and I struggled again and found it hard to enter into the presence of God. After the session I spoke to one of the base leaders Vika and shared my issue with her. I expressed that I feel as though I have sacrificed so much more than everyone else with regards to me travelling to the other side of the world yet am not getting much out of the sessions. 

Vika explained to me that God can still minister to me even in the midst of others worshipping in another language especially as this everyone else's mother tongue. After all worship is between me and God right?. I get so frustrated when everyone else is speaking in another language and there I am staring into space. Whenever I feel disheartened and annoyed I’m learning more and more to take my issues to my Father rather than taking my frustrations out on people. One of the things I have been reflecting on this week is why God brought me all the way to the ends of the earth. He could have taken me to an English speaking country but He didn’t. There must be a reason and purpose for Him bringing me to Fiji. In time I know it will all make sense. He must be preparing me for things that are yet to come!  

After my conversation with Vika, I took some time out to reflect. I opened my Bible and bam right in front of me was notes on being flexible. God speaks people, there is no such thing as a coincidence! (God has been grabbing my attention a lot through me opening my Bible to scriptures that are about situations I am currently going through). Whilst reading the notes, it mentioned that the flexible are those who yield themselves to the Lord and serve Him, they submit to God's will even when it goes against what they personally desire to do (Matthew 26:42). The opposite of flexibility in scripture is to have a "hard heart" and "stiff neck". God was speaking to me about how there are seasons He places us in new environments in order for Him to transform us and for us to depend on Him more. He will place us in situations where our character is tested and challenged. He wants to purify us so we can become gold (Micah 3:2)

Heart Surgery!

This week I have also been meditating on John 15 which is about The True Vine. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. A tree that doesn’t bear good fruit needs to be cut off and removed. The same way there are good fruits such as patience, lovingkindness, self control and gentleness, there are also bad fruits such as bitterness, anger, malice, stubbornness, pride, uncleanness etc (Galatians 5:16-22). God wants to remove the bad fruits and works of the flesh in our lives hence the process of pruning. 

I have realized I have a lot of things to work through, issues from my past and un-forgiveness has definitely been a big issue for me. I have found it hard to completely let go and forgive others and this week I came to realize the importance of forgiveness. It is fundamental in our spiritual life. If I fail to forgive others my relationship with God will become stagnant and this has been the case in the past. It’s time I lay it to rest and move on. I want to encourage you all to forgive those who have hurt you otherwise you become bonded to that person. Why allow that person to have power over you any longer? Also us failing to forgive others means the person continues to live with the burden, set them free and allow them to have peace. Let go and Let God deal with the person in HIS time.

Everything Has Changed! 
This week I have found myself drawing closer and closer to God. I have found myself falling more in love with God everything, I feel like a different person.  Before I came here, my plans where to come here for 6 months and then leave and go back to London and progress in my career, get married have kids and also have my ministry. But since this week’s lectures EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED! Like I have realized that apart of me was trying to find satisfaction and fulfilment to those things. It's like God was another part of my life and not the main part.

I was making plans and expected Him to bless them rather than asking Him what He wanted me to do next.  Now I'm not saying I don’t want to get married or have a career because I do (having said that at the moment I feel like I’m called to live a single life but I’ll save that for another time lol). At the moment apart of me feels like God is calling me to be a full time missionary. I know in time He will reveal all. Getting married and having kids comes second. God first. He is enough for me. I am satisfied with God alone and didn’t think it was possible for me to feel this way.

This week an ex-YWAMer came and was sharing her experiences about her life and relationship with God. She is 27 and was saying she is so content with God and was even quoting scriptures from Songs of Solomon about God’s love for her and her love for Him. The relationship between her and God is one like the a bride and a bridegroom. I was thinking wow as amazing as this sounds I questioned whether it was really possible for anything to truly experience that.  I spoke to God and told Him that I too want to experience what she has. I want Him to become my Husband (Isaiah 54:4). He has answered my prayers!

Jesus Take The Wheel

As I have been evaluating my life this week I have come to realize that Jesus hasn't been lord of all in my life. It's like I have been trying to control what happens in my life. My close friends know that I can be an very controlling person at times, I have my diary at hand and like to have structure and a schedule of everything.

Now however I’m truly learning to let go and allow Christ to have complete control of my life. So now if you were to ask me what my plans are after I finish outreach and graduate from this school, my response is I don’t know what’s next, I’m waiting for God to reveal my next step. Making Jesus Lord of all means we wait on Him to tell us what to do next and where to go especially when making big decisions. Proverbs 3:6 says in ALL of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

I’m also learning to live by faith on another level, it’s challenging yet exciting at the same time. I have gone from working full time 9-5:30 to becoming a missionary. Like things like perfume are a luxury lol. But in spite of it all I know that my heavenly father the creator of all things knows what’s best for me and His plans for my life are not to harm me but to prosper me and to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). His plans for my life are greater and better than my plans for myself so I surrender to You Lord and let You take control. My life is not my own, Jesus take the wheel, I'll seat in the passengers seat and enjoy the journey hehe.

To conclude, this week has been a life-changing week for me. The revelations I have been getting from God this week have been mind blowing. Like wow! Thank You Jesus and thank you all for reading. 


My email address is: josieagyeman@gmail.com, I would love to hear from you. 

Loads of love,
Miss Josie Jo 
Xxx

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