posted by Chad Paine • 12:39pm • December 3rd, 2008
It has been over a month since I was on my last Journey. Since then, the Lord has continued to draw me to Himself. God has been teaching more of what it means to trust in Him and wait upon Him…which seems to go against my natural inclination. =) But I have been encouraged to find that through His Word, I find all that I need for every circumstance that I am in. His Word is truth.
In the midst of all the excitement and business that comes during the Holidays, I recently came across a very profound and wise statement made by Oswald Chambers in his book “My Utmost for HIS Highest”
Beware of the “cares of this world,” because they are the things that produce a wrong temper of soul. It is extraordinary what an enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention from God.
Refuse to be swamped with the cares of this life.
The passage in Matthew 13 comes to mind, where the cares of the world choked the good seed (the Word) and it became unfruitful. It was a reminder for me to continually come back to the highest priority in life…my relationship with God. One of the things that God desires in my life is that I would bring forth much fruit (John 15). I must refuse and reject those things that would draw my heart away from the Lord and waste my time. Competing affections would be something that would stunt or even stop the production of spiritual fruit in one’s life.
Over the years, I have recognized that my quiet time is one of things that helps keep my focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. At this point in my life, with all the variables, different pressures and possibilities, there’s the tendency to be overwhelmed. But when I take each pressing issue to the Lord and lay it out before Him, trusting Him and not leaning upon my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5.6), I find a true peace and joy that I wouldn’t anywhere else. I love how God used King Hezekiah to so beautifully illustrate this principle there in II Kings chapters 18 and 19. When Hezekiah was given that troubling letter from the King of Assyria, what did he do? Upon receiving that letter, the first thing he did was go to the house of the Lord. There he laid it out upon the floor of the temple before the King of Kings, for his trust was in the Lord and not in himself or someone else. In verses 5 and 6 of chapter 18, it gives the following description of King Hezekiah:
He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments…
Everyday I have the opportunity to “lay out” the pressing issues of my heart before the Lord in my quiet time. Will I trust in His sovereignty and perfect plan? Or will I lean upon my own understanding and what I think is best? My quiet time is a time where I can pour out my heart to the One who never sleeps and will hear my call. But most important , it’s a time for me to listen. A time to be still…(Psalm 46:10) and hear His voice and receive direction and wisdom in order to know Him in a deeper and more personal way.
May the Lord bless us all with a renewed desire and passion to pursue Him through His Word that we might deepen that intimate relationship that He so desires with each one of His children.
~ Chad
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posted by Kendalyn Kowalchuk • 10:28pm • December 1st, 2008
Harboring inner rebellion and entertaining a secret relationship with a guy I knew my parents would never approve of, I made plans to move out the day I turned eighteen. Deep inside I knew what I was doing was not right and God would not bless me for this, but I stuffed it down for a false hope that I would be satisfied with my boyfriend rather than the Lord. However, I was hurting my family and myself by refusing God’s best. After the third month of this horrible lifestyle, my parents told me to pack my bags and then they dropped me off at the IBLP Headquarters. I was so upset and determined I would not change, but God had different plans.
After working on staff for three months, I attended my second Journey to the Heart. I seemed fine to everyone around me but inside that battle was raging. I wanted my own way and my own plans, but I couldn’t argue with the genuineness of those around me. Their love for the Lord, their surrendered lifestyle, their true joy that only comes from the Lord, and their satisfaction in Him placed before me a choice: me or God. I couldn’t go any longer! I broke and surrendered. I confessed everything to my parents, which was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! But it was worth it because the strength of sin is in its secrecy!
Confessing to my parents and turning away from my sin gave me a new humility, which I wouldn’t trade for anything! I have a new freedom and joy I never knew and now I love the Lord more than anything and am willing to serve Him with all that I am. I am truly satisfied, because He is all I need or could ever want!
~ Anna
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posted by Robert Staddon • 7:19am • November 25th, 2008
It’s so much fun to watch the Lord work in other people’s lives!
I have made a good friend who was raised in a Christian home. However, he had slowly begun to follow after the world. One night in my room he opened up to me and shared some things he had been struggling with like bad relationships with girls, partying, alcohol, and anger he had toward people in his past. He also had a lot of resentment toward his mom, who had been a minister for several years. He thought that she was overbearing and unreasonable in her standards and he was holding that against her.
That night I prayed for him and recommended that he share all those things with his parents. At first he was very closed to the idea of telling his parents about all of his faults. Then I shared my testimony with him about my Journey to the Heart and the amazing release I received after I told my parents the deepest things I was struggling with. He still was not convinced that night but I continued explaining the importance of being under Godly authority and showed him that God honors those who honor their parents.
Finally, he decided to call his mom and ask her forgiveness for his resentment. He also told her all the things he had done in his past with girls and alcohol and anger. Now his relationship with his mom is restored, he is reading his Bible every morning before class, and he is resolving the past issues he had with girls! He has also stopped drinking and partying.
I love knowing that if you obey the Lord he will show you the best things for your life!
~ Drew
June 2008 Guys Journey
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posted by Robert Staddon • 10:58pm • November 21st, 2008
posted by Sharon Kelly • 12:54pm • November 19th, 2008
“I don’t think anyone on our team will ever again be lulled into the tendency of thinking that the Christian life is a battle in the flesh – where we ourselves strive against life’s temptations, manage their consequences, and cope with circumstances. The power of the devil seeking ‘to steal, and to kill, and to destroy’ precious lives (John 10:10), and the power of God’s Word (the sword of the Spirit) 
to set them free, were never more clearly displayed to us than on this Journey. There is a battle going on for each one of us, and there are few sights sweeter than watching girls intercede for one another with tears of anguish and pleading. The desperation in each one for God’s deliverance, direction, and presence was beautiful, and the cries not unheeded! Praise the Lord who DOES let those find Him who seek Him with their ALL (Deuteronomy 4:29). ‘If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.‘” (John 8:31-32) ~ Brittany
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have gone on this past Journey to the Heart. The ten days in the Northwoods of Michigan were nothing short of supernatural. While the beauty of nature and God’s creation spoke to every heart, God’s presence was felt physically and one accord reached. Thanks to many people’s prayers, girls were counseled to salvation and to freedom from painful memories. As we spent hours on our faces before God, true brokenness was experienced in the life of each girl. As Paul Washer says, ‘If you get hit by a logging truck you’re never the same.’ We were hit by an awesome, holy, God and we have all been changed.” ~ Johanna
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posted by Robert Staddon • 7:43am • November 17th, 2008
In the same spirit as the popular Inspiration for the Journey and More Inspiration for the Journey posts, we now introduce Inspiration for the Journey III! Enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and remember to keep God’s Word always before the eyes of your heart.
Living the Journey Scripture Desktop Backgrounds
Click on a screen size below to open up a desktop background image. Then right-click on the picture and select “Set as Background” or “Set as Desktop Background.”
Wolf Lake Road — Psalm 143:8
photography by Andrew Jorgensen
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Still Waters — Psalm 23:2-3
photography by John Dalrymple
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Lone Tree — II Corinthians 6:17
photography by James Staddon
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Do you have an inspiring picture of God’s magnificent creation from the beautiful Northwoods of Michigan? Send it in, along with a fitting verse of Scripture, and we’ll consider sharing it on this website to encourage others who are also living the journey!
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