EMPOWERING LIVES WITH PURPOSE:
Guest Writer:
Kristy Furlow – Louisiana.
(One of our sister Authors in the book- Surrendered)
Psalm 139: 3 & 5
“You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.”
The greatest joy of surrendering your life to Jesus is knowing that He goes before you and will use everything for good for you.
My heart breaks when I listen to people talk about God as a rule maker or to know that serving God is often viewed as a list of requirements and sacrifices.
Y’all! Walking with God through this life is the best thing you will ever do. He promises to go before you and lead you. The Bible doesn’t say that you will know the path. It says that He knows the path. All we have to do is follow Him. Stay close to Him. Hear His voice.
He sees what we can not see.
He knows what we can not know.
There is so much peace in this thought. The Creator of the universe, who sees the beginning and the end, knows me. He loves me, and He leads me through life in “triumphal procession” while He spreads the fragrance of Jesus all around (2 Cor 2:14) and places His hand of blessing on my life in the process.
What a beautiful thought!
Does this mean everything is always perfect and we won’t ever have trouble or pain? Absolutely not.
But it does mean that He will never leave us or forsake us. He will use everything for good. He will use our lives for His glory and give us eternal purpose and perspective. He will be our provider and our strength. He will fulfill His plans. He has given us a hope and a future.
God has brought me into a new season in my personal life, and I really want to give Him glory. He has done exceedingly and abundantly above all that I could ask or think.
Johnny and I joke that this story could be a movie, with all the twists and turns and unexpected surprises. Maybe it will be one day. It is a story worth telling, for sure.
But, my greatest desire is for those around us to see that God is good. Even in loss, heartache, sorrow, and tragedy…..God is good.
I pray that you will enter 2023 filled with hope! Surrender your plans and just pursue Jesus so He can lead you to the best plan for your life imaginable!
~Kristy~
I asked Kristy if I could share this with you today…
You see, Kristy lost her husband Clay quickly as he was diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer. He was her love, the man she served God with, and the father of all her children, and God called him home at what we all would consider a very young age. It was painful, and Kristy did not understand it, but she trusted God every step through grieving and moving forward. She clung to and honored Clay’s last words ( which you can read about in her story). It has now been some years since Clay’s passing, and Kristy has faithfully served God and honored God and the calling He placed on her life.
Johnny, (referenced in the above post) was her husband’s best friend. They met when they were 10 years old. They were very close until the day Clay died at age 46.
Johnny’s wife also died of ALS three years ago, and now God has brought Kristy and Johnny together in a very sweet way. All of their combined seven children, their in-laws, their parents, and their friends are very happy. It’s such a sweet reminder of God’s goodness.
Her story is incredible, and I hope that all of you can read it in Surrendered. This post brings HOPE. When I met Kristy through one of our leaders, Rusanne Jourdan, I was moved by her God story and strength.
When Kristy shared this news above, I knew in my heart that this could only be God. I asked Kristy if I could share to bring others “hope” in what we can not see ahead. May it speak to many of you as it did to me. I pray this devotion brings blessings and will continue to show what a beautiful God we serve and what He does with a Surrendered vessel.
Congratulations, Kristy and Johnny. May God bless this growing friendship in Jesus’ Name.