Journal for week 22

- I learnt from 1 and 2 Kings that, even though Israel had strayed ‘further’ from God than Judah, God sent His most powerful prophet to Israel. This shows that God is always willing to provide a way back to Him, no matter how far I have strayed. And He loves His people so much that He is willing to send His best to our worst.

- It would have been humanly impossible for the prophets to go through what they did without God as their strength. God also provided rest, He proved that H was in compete control of every situation, and He directed and provided in every situation.

- If I say “God, I’ve let you down,” that implies that I actually had something to give God in the first place. Instead, I need to rely on God as my sufficiency.

- The account of Elisha shows that God is interested in the small things in my day to day life.

- I have to be wiling to bring God the little I’ve got and trust Him to work with and multiply that (like in the account of the widow who took care of Elisha).

- I want to be like Elisha who was still preaching on His deathbed: I want my life to be 100% submitted to God.

- God tests me to reveal what is in my heart, to convict and to bring me to repentance.

- It makes sense to try to do things on my own until they begin to fall apart and I are forced to rely on God. But God wants me to rely on Him for everything.

- It is brokenness that brings the power of God in my live.

- True faith is believing that God is who He says He is. If I just have ‘faith’ that all things are going to go well, it is not true faith.

- My horizontal fellowship with others should be completely linked with my vertical fellowship with God. This fellowship with God is living and joyful.

- To have fellowship with God, I need to walk in the light because a compromising Christian is one of Satan’s most powerful weapons. I also need to confess my sin because the purpose of coming into the light is to reveal sin. There can therefore be no secrets. The love of God should motivate my obedience.

- The characteristics of fellowship are righteous and pure living, consistent victory over sin, assurance of salvation, discernment, and love of others as Christ loved.

- I am not to ask the Lord to walk with me but instead ask that I may walk with Him!

- I need to love God and enjoy the world, not love the world and enjoy God.

- I need to come to God recognizing that I have nothing to offer and thirsty fot His living water just like the woman at the well.

- The consequences of fellowship with God are burdenless obedience (motivated by love!), victory over the world (because God is in control, not me!), assurance of salvation (because my salvation is based on Christ’s work on the cross, not my own effort!), confidence in prayer (yay!!), and the strength to persevere.