I wanted to share a recent experience of mine. A few months ago, a great change came for me and I wanted to tell about it.
For some time I had been struggling as a Christian. My relationship with God was not very intimate and I did not often pray very earnestly unless I wanted something. I would ask God to forgive me for my sins, but did not make much of an effort to not sin again. I behaved as if I could do whatever I wanted as long as I asked God to forgive me later. This is not exactly what I thought, but that is how I acted.
I believe I was a Christian. I did occasionally have some very earnest prayers, but I was a very corrupt and ungodly Christian. I also know I had a not so good affect on my three younger sisters. Without realizing it, they were getting bad habits from watching me. I thought that they should be able to take care of their own actions. I did not realize what an unbounded influence and great responsibility an older sibling has towards its younger siblings. I did not really care either.
As time went on, I kept living in this manner. I had serious thoughts now and then and even resolved to change my behavior at times. It would last a very short while, and then I would go back to the old way of living. I was quite unhappy. I could not feel at peace.
In May of this year, we started attending a new church. The first sermon seemed to speak to me. The Pastor spoke of having “form” in the Christian life, but having no “substance” with it. Without the “substance”, the form is no good. He gave an illustration of a coffee can made into a candleholder. You could punch a beautiful design on the outside of it and that would be the “form”. However, unless you put a lit candle inside of it (the “substance”) the “form” wouldn’t do any one any good.
I began to question how much “substance” I had. After the second sermon I heard, in which he spoke some more about “form” and “substance” along with other things, I began to realize how wayward I had become. I did not even have much “form” to speak of, much less any substance. I began to really pray that God would help me. I began to pay more attention to what God says in the Bible, but still I did not change very much.
One day I was feeling very miserable about my life. I was not sure what to do so I just cried out to God to help me. I reached for my Bible, which was near by and began to flip through it. My hand felt as though it was guided by some strange power and my eyes guided by the same. Each verse I read was for me. A few in particular I felt so much that I marked them in my Bible, a thing I rarely do.
Since that time, I have felt nearer to God. He is my Father and my very best Friend. I can tell Him everything. I can talk to Him at all times, about any and everything. I have a joy and peace that was never mine before in my memory.
It is for God’s glory that I write this. May He be glorified in this writing. Praise His holy name!
Rebekah ~ The Lord’s Daughter
Thank you for leaving a comment on my site. I really enjoyed reading your post. I have felt the exact same way before. I believe God is still wroking on my heart. I am so thankful for that! I have three siblings. How long have you been playing the piano? I have been playnig for 10 years.
Can I put you on my friends list? How did you make your site the way you did? It does not look like one of the templates that homeschoolblogger has you choose from. It was nice meeting you!
TTYL!
Blessings,
Katrina <><
I love you Rebekah!!
~ Mom
Yes it is true, his holy name must be praised and it's nice to see that there are people that actually still care about that. Some people don't even realize what God's name is! Psalm 83:18 in the King James (Old Version) says it all! Nice blog!! Very conversational and interesting :)
Edited by whodoesmommylove on Oct. 25, 2006 at 12:34 PM
Thank you for sharing.
I love you,
Your Sister Bethany
My testimony is very much like your's… I am so glad you are finding contentment in your Christian life. :-)
Come visit us sometime!
I am adding you to our friend list!
~Rose
Rebekah,
I'm glad I found your blog. My testimony is very similar. I was saved when I was 17 although I believed I was saved since I was 5 yrs old. I'm so glad the Lord showed me that I was a sinner in need of repentance. He used C.H. Spurgeon's book "All of Grace" to help me see what true repentance really is (as well as Acts 5:31 where I learned that repentance must be granted my God.) and Issiah 59:1
Anyway, thanks for sharing your testimony, come by my blog and check it out some time.