" Yes To God "

                              I Don't qualify to be a women who says yes to God. 

Philippians 4:27

 

Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your heart and minds, as you live in Jesus Christ.

 

    Close up the book and place it in the stack of other unfinished books and project's .  Oh yes that is what I was about to do, before this study started, because I thought, ( I thought ) that I knew better and that what could I possibly learn by saying  " YES " to God that I haven't already Learned.

     I gave up everything a little over a year and a half ago, to take a blind Journey with God to get clean and learn a new way to live, putting down several crutches and changing my whole life. I will just give up my place in the small group and pass my book along to someone else, since I already read it before the study started.  I know what to do.

    Those five words I know what to do, are destructive, selfish and ego centric , my will has always failed me terribly.  Low self esteem and a learning curve, I say learning curve because the average person learns from their mistakes , I need to be hit over the head with a 2x4 before I learn, or at least I did in the past.  When the pain our weights the pleasure a person will change, and for me I was tired living in a vicious cycle of addiction.  That was my first Big YES to God.  Not a temporary decision based on an emotional charge, rather an life changing decision based on life and death.

    I have labeled myself, everything from loser, to addict to unworthy and on and on that list will go, I will feel not as accomplished as others around me and I will suffer some grave emotional ups- and downs , I have learned to find my identity in Christ Jesus, and I practice building character traits that re-new my mind, and our refreshing to my soul.  In James 4:10 We are to humble ourselves and the Lord , He will lift us up.  This is a formula that has proven true and well worth giving up my self-righteous rights.

    I have been blessed beyond belief and I am honored to be involved in this study, and I have built a few relationships on line with other women who also chose to say Yes to God.  It takes work, diligence and perseverance, to change from a self destructive life style, and to turn my will and my life over to the care of God, a God who has sent a Holy Spirit advocate to work on my behave, to instill with in my heart a desire to serve , in a loving , merciful, kind way all of my neighbors, today my neighbor is anyone I come in contact with, anywhere at anytime.  I keep this book close to my heart, and the simplicity of how to learn from another's experience is touching and heartwarming.


    This book has confirmed some of my beliefs and has created new beliefs , has caused me to search more, study my bible more, and actually has created a spark in other areas.  I currently have made a concrete no wavering decision to eat healthy and loose weight, Now it has only been 12 days, however through Christ, I am walking daily, doing a routine at a low cost gym, and I am staying more active, It is a saying YES to God moment and a daily reprieve that I have now incorporated into my God time my " white space " I am seeing results, because I am not doing on my own, I am doing it with God as my Coach, my partner, my best friend, I will be at 1.5 miles on the tread mill and I will pray , oh God, come on you give me the strength , then I recall this.

Isaiah 53

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

    I envision the crucifix and well, that's enough for me to push through the pain, or tiredness and thank him and continue to say YES.  I have along way to go, but I know with him on my side, I will not fall.

   
Job 42:5      “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.

    Not only do my ears hear, but my eyes see, and my Heart beats as one in and with Jesus , My life also can be seen through the prodigal son I squander it all, many times, and when I ran back home to my Father in heaven, he clothed me white and called me his own, he has taken my sin and he wants it all.


    My surrender and Saying YES has given me life, and peace, freedom and Joy, this is the power of saying YES to God.

Written By Pamela Joy Benigno

Thank you Proverbs 31
Thank you Lysa TerKeurst
Thank you small group leaders