Melissa, If One Life: Love, Joy, and Hope Through TrialsSample

“I want my heart and eyes to be fixed on You, and You alone. I am the one who is to submit to You, and what a privilege. I pray as I’m fasting and praying, You’d reveal to me all my sin so I may surrender it and repent. I want to go the opposite way of sin. Mold me in Your image. Awesome God, may I take what I’ve read and learn it and apply it in my life as You wish. May Your will unfold in my life. May I not be too righteous, but humble and meek for You. I love You! Jesus, the emotional bond that we share fills me over, but I pray my feelings won’t direct my walk with You. Jesus, show me the power of Your Word and Your voice through it. Help me to see the power You hold out for me to grab, and Jesus, today may I give You all I have. Take this glorious life and child that Melissa dwells in and bring to fruition all Your will. Amen.” – Melissa Camp

Jesus said that if we wanted to be His disciple, we needed to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. He also said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” Abide implies a relationship that is solid. It has glue to it. It sticks, remains, and is not going anywhere. 

You do not turn to the right or to the left, but you remain steadfast on the path following Jesus. If your commitment as a Christ follower is going to have longevity throughout your life and into the next, then you must abide in Jesus and in His Word. If your life blows up, you stick, you abide, you obey His Word, and you keep on following. 

When your life seems to be falling apart and suddenly God has not met your expectations, what happens to your faith? This is really where life gets exciting so get prepared—it is coming! This is when your passion and zeal for following Jesus gets tested and it gets real. This is when life takes off into the atmosphere of the supernatural. 

Melissa had an abiding life with Jesus and His Word. Her journal entry is a beautiful example of the abiding life. It was not based on her feelings but on the solid foundation of God’s Word. Jesus showed up strong for Melissa, filling her with His Spirit, with His Glory, and catapulting her into the realm of the supernatural. 

Reflection

Are you prepared to follow Jesus and His Word through all of life’s joys and sorrows? Why did you decide to follow Jesus? Will that reason hold up in times of trials, disappointments, and testing? Remember, He is worthy, and He is with you always!