Day 52

I have been thinking and I know that in the recent weeks I have not been putting in my best effort into this blog and that has also been a reflection of my everyday walk. That is not to say that I have taken a step back but I got sidetracked and sort of tried to justify missing days and not living the way I am supposed to but that is what I (and I believe we) tend to do everyday pertaining to sin and as to why we do not get into the word and spend time with God daily. It is because we always seem to be able to find a way to justify what we are doing in our lives and so that makes it appear okay. Unless one is preaching 24 hours a day or being a missionary and working 24 hours a day, then one needs to be in the word and living a life pleasing to God. There are other exceptions which I cannot possibly cover them all but I think you get the point. I am going to make it a goal as I did at the beginning to accomplish a longer streak of consecutive days than the first one I set which I believe was 13 days or so longer than the original 30 that I planned to do. God is preparing me for bigger things and this is just a stepping stone for me and I know that many people have been able to get something out of this and i am glad about that. I need to stay focused on the prize as Paul stated in Phillipians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ." I intend to be all that God wants me to be because he has a higher calling for me and I know that I can fulfill it.

As I was thinking about Finals week, I was struggling to find something that could somewhat pertain to it but at the same time, I wanted to just find something that would fuel a dying fire because I know that in some areas I can start to lack and I wanted to keep it going. Isaiah 12:1-6 states, "In that day you will say: 'I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.' With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: 'Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for the things he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.' " For those of you facing finals this week and need a little pick me up, now is not the time to turn from God and say you are too busy "studying." He can and will give you strength to get through the week and will give you energy to do well but you have to ask him for help and show that you are willing to put in the time to seek him in the midst of a stressful time. The verse says "I will trust and do not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord is my strength and my song." Do you believe that your finals are too tough for God to help you out with or that he simply does not care? Well how about this, if you finals are too hard for him, why would he care to know every single hair that is on our head or every thought that consumes our mind? NOTHING is impossible for God and if we praise him for who he is and hat he does, he will be there during our time of need this week. He cannot put more hours in the day but he can help you manage your time so that you have plenty of time for sleep and studying as well as those oh so loved study breaks! Give thanks to the Lord and make known unto those around you what he has done and is doing in your life and he will bless you greatly for that. Do not expect him to respond with helping you pick up for slacking all semester, but he will do what he can to help you and it also reflects the effort you put in as well. He wants us to succeed but we have to be willing to do it and we have to apply these concepts to life and not ignoring him until we need something.

I find that this applies to me not just during finals week but everyday as a teenager. I have talked to people who view me as a Christian and they see how I live everyday and I may not be the best representation but I give off a better view than some do. I am not saying I am better than these people but I have just learned that people DO watch and see what I am doing throughout the day and the things I say and I have made the necessary changes in Christ to insure that I have integrity and can be a good representation of Christ. I give God praise in most of the things I do (not quite everything yet, but getting there) and I know that he is pleased with me because of it. I understand that God was angry with the way in which I used to live but he still loves me and it is my job to give him the praise that he is do. He truly is glorious and has changed me so much this semester. I understand how much I need to rely on the Christian body and him in order to stay strong in him and not fall into the world. I have read a few books that have helped me grow by showing me how to sort of overcome the human nature inside me that is pulling me in several directions. God walks among us everyday in Spirit and for some of us, he reigns IN us. He is superior and deserves all the glory for he is great and worthy to be praised. He has given me so much and for that I thank him. He is an awesome God and I will live for him for all my days.

I wanted to mention a song in this blog because I have been listening to it all semester and I think that even just singing it out loud is one of the best ways we can give God praise (as with any worship song) but only as long as we mean what we are singing and they are not just words.

I can feel the way you are and I want more
Like a warm summer rain or the quiet after a storm
rain down on me your glory, Lord
Let my heart know the wonders of your ways
Cause I remember being lost and alone
But before you know, I find myself with hope
Hope to dream of endless fields
with waves of green and be taken away
I'm taken away with you
As I look up at the sky on this glorious night
I can sense you here with me

Oh, I couldn't count the times I've allowed this sky
to remind me that you are glorious
God, you are glorious
It seems every single day I'm amazed
at the way this world reveals your love
I couldn't ever find the words
to explain the ways in which you are glorious
God, you are glorious

And daily I will let my life be a tribute
to the ways in which you are glorious
I wanna live in you
I wanna breathe in you
I wanna be all the things you've called me to
I wanna stay in you
Put my faith in you
I wanna let my life reside in you
Let glory rain down on me
As I look up at the sky on this glorious night
I can sense you here with me

Oh, I couldn't count the times I've allowed this sky
to remind me that you are glorious
God, you are glorious
And daily I will let my life be a tribute
to the ways in which you are glorious

I pray that you all take this to heart and will apply this scripture in the way it is fitting to your life. I am sure there is more for everyone out there other than just what I gathered from it. I believe that giving praise to God is something we need to do everyday and not just at church or when we are with other Christians. It is healthy for us and will reap blessings beyond anything we could ever comprehend. I hope you all have a good night.

God Bless, 
Joseph Robinson