Today I went to chapel here at Bethel University as I usually do on
Monday/Wednesday/Friday. As I sat down, I was expecting to just sing
some songs, hear a sermon, and then leave and go to my 11:10 CWC class.
Something was different today though...As we started singing the first song, I could feel God's presence so intensely that I couldn't help but get goosebumps all along my arms and legs. I knew at this point something was going to change in me. After singing my heart out for the Lord, the speaker got up front. He began by saying, "God has told me that someone in this audience really needs to hear this sermon. If that person is you, please take this to heart. You don't realize how important this is in God's plan for your life." After those few sentences, I was instantly glued to his every word. He talked to us about hope, and about how building our lives on the Lord our Rock is hopeful. He asked us, "Where do you find your hope?" and I thought about this for a moment. It occurred to me however, that I don't actually know what hope is. I mean I've heard it a million times and I know what it is within context, but I would never be able to explain it to someone fully. I made a point to look it up when I got back to my dorm, and this is what I found:
Hope is, "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best."
As soon as I read this my mind traveled back to a verse that the speaker used. That verse is Romans 8:28 which says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and who have been called according to His purpose." This verse goes way back for me. I remember being a 10th grader sitting in my Sunday School class taught by Debbie Griffith. Debbie has a vast knowledge of different verses, and so I was excited when she told us that we'd be working on memorizing scriptures that would help us through different life situations. The first verse we memorized was Romans 8:28....and it has stuck with me ever since. I use it as a constant reminder for myself of the goodness of God's perfect plan, and it really has helped me keep my eyes on God's flawless big picture rather than the small less-than-perfect situations I get caught in.
I'm not sure if my rambling is making sense, but the sermon today really impacted me. No matter what happens, God will turn it to His good. I remember Debbie telling me that it doesn't necessarily mean that it will work for MY good, but it will work for THE good. In other words, God will make it to HIS good. Bringing glory and praise to the Lord is the main purpose of my existence when you really get down to it. That is why we must strive to put Him first. We need to cling to the hope in the Lord that all things will work out for HIS good. I really needed this reminder today. In Christ Alone, My Hope is Found!
Something was different today though...As we started singing the first song, I could feel God's presence so intensely that I couldn't help but get goosebumps all along my arms and legs. I knew at this point something was going to change in me. After singing my heart out for the Lord, the speaker got up front. He began by saying, "God has told me that someone in this audience really needs to hear this sermon. If that person is you, please take this to heart. You don't realize how important this is in God's plan for your life." After those few sentences, I was instantly glued to his every word. He talked to us about hope, and about how building our lives on the Lord our Rock is hopeful. He asked us, "Where do you find your hope?" and I thought about this for a moment. It occurred to me however, that I don't actually know what hope is. I mean I've heard it a million times and I know what it is within context, but I would never be able to explain it to someone fully. I made a point to look it up when I got back to my dorm, and this is what I found:
Hope is, "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best."
As soon as I read this my mind traveled back to a verse that the speaker used. That verse is Romans 8:28 which says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and who have been called according to His purpose." This verse goes way back for me. I remember being a 10th grader sitting in my Sunday School class taught by Debbie Griffith. Debbie has a vast knowledge of different verses, and so I was excited when she told us that we'd be working on memorizing scriptures that would help us through different life situations. The first verse we memorized was Romans 8:28....and it has stuck with me ever since. I use it as a constant reminder for myself of the goodness of God's perfect plan, and it really has helped me keep my eyes on God's flawless big picture rather than the small less-than-perfect situations I get caught in.
I'm not sure if my rambling is making sense, but the sermon today really impacted me. No matter what happens, God will turn it to His good. I remember Debbie telling me that it doesn't necessarily mean that it will work for MY good, but it will work for THE good. In other words, God will make it to HIS good. Bringing glory and praise to the Lord is the main purpose of my existence when you really get down to it. That is why we must strive to put Him first. We need to cling to the hope in the Lord that all things will work out for HIS good. I really needed this reminder today. In Christ Alone, My Hope is Found!
