Verses for the decades|
Preparing for thirty came with a lot of looking back, looking around, looking forward and mostly, looking up. It really has been neat to look back and see that my three decades so far have been so marked. Not by circumstances, but by my Jesus. These are the verses that shaped me.
ONE John 14:1-4
Though I cannot fully speak for my first decade, I know I found Jesus in the woods at camp when I was eight years old and I have never been the same. Jesus is my everything. Growing up my favorite children’s church, Wednesday night church and camp songs were “Open The Eyes of My Heart, Lord”, “Big House” and “Waves of Mercy”. I always wanted a big family and I always wanted to be surrounded by people. As soon as I warmed up, I never wanted to leave. Growing up, I was entralled with people. I remember sitting at a table and studying the people around me. I could tell you every thing about the couple, the family, the person I watched. I connected with people through stories and in my mind, even if it was a one sided connection, those people were my people. I love John 14 because it is the reminder that Jesus did not just leave us here. Not only did He leave His Power for us (I would learn way later), He is right now preparing a place for us and it is a big big house with lots and lots of room. Because He is the God of Abudance (Psalm 36:8, John 10:10)! The Lord opened my heart in the first decade of my life and allowed me to see His Waves of Mercy and Grace that allows us to hope for Heaven as Christ followers. In this, I could walk into the Promise He always had for me from the beginning of time as He is preparing a place for me, not just there but here every step of the way. Little did I know how much my love for people would be my calling and knowing my place in Heaven was secure would be a lifeline in my life.
TWO Jeremiah 29:11-13 *verse 13
I began this decade building faith and later knowing no matter what, God would take care of me. Most of us know Jeremiah 29:11. The promise of God’s Plans is to prosper us, not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future. Some of the biggest marks happened here. I not only learned the Promise of God for His Good Plans, I learned that His Goodness and all that is Good in Him is not determined by our circumstances. But it was not easy. I was shattered, called to ministry and prepared well during this decade. God is Good, despite our circumstances in all things. But what I learned in this decade that marked me even more than this were verses 12-13. God’s Promise of finding Him when we seek Him with all our hearts walked me on a path I never doubted. The path that ties John 14:4 into this story, also. Though life is hard, He is not a God who makes it hard on us. He is not a God Who does not want to be found, known, heard or seen. He wants a relationship with us, He wants us to know Him and He does not want to just be a part of our lives, He wants to be all of our life. Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled… You know the way to the place where I am going.” He wants us to seek Him with all of our hearts because He wants to be found. I learned that here.
THREE Ephesians 3:14-21 *verse 20
I began this decade with calling; I did not know where, I did not know how but I knew my God was leading me and I knew He was good. My 20s were better, IMMEASURABLY MORE, than I could have EVER asked, thought or imagined. At 20 years old, little did I know, God would change the trajectory of my college years, my 20s and my entire life. In February 2013, as a college freshman just after my 19th birthday, I began praying these verses for the girls and moms around me. What I had not remembered is the prayer I found later in my 11th grade journal, “God, give me a heart for middle school girls.” What has become Girl Talk Ministries is beyond my wildest dreams and I get to live it out every day with my very best friend. To this day, I can not read, speak or pray Ephesians 3:14-21 out loud without crying my eyes out. God is so good. In this decade I got to do the coolest things, be in the coolest places, meet the people who are the coolest to me and live out my life in the coolest ways with my Jesus learning to truly rely on Him for ALL things. My 20s have never been about what I am accomplishing or I would be a failure. My 20s have not been about what I thought they would be or I would be way behind. My 20s were about living through His Preparation, living out His Plan and living according to His Power. And this why my decade was marked by the verse, ALL GLORY to God Who is ABLE to do immeasurably more than we can ask, think or imagine. Not in my own power, not in my own strength, not in my own will, or my own might… but according HIS POWER at work within me.
PREPARING FOR FOUR 2 Corinthians 4
And here we are, January 20, 2024, I began this decade grateful; looking back, looking forward, looking around and looking up, grateful. I am not alone. I am worthy. I am known. I am seen. And I am here on purpose because He is ABLE to do immeasurably more than we can ask, think or imagine according to His Power at work within us. And so are you.
Preparing for thirty has come with a lot of graitude and a lot of grace. The Goodness of God has been true in my life every day. I spent my thirith birthday surrounded by 1,300 high school students and leaders fasting and praying. I spent the first week of my fourth deacde in the last days of our church’s 21 days of prayer and fasting. I am loved, known and seen by the best people I have ever known and I do not just get that once a year on a birthday, I get to live this life with them, hand and hand, every day. Not in my own power, not in my own strength. Not in my own will, not in my own might. On my own, I am selfish, deserving of absolutely nothing; but I have seen the “but nots” so true in my life. “Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out.” (vs. 8-9 TPT) Some of the verses that have carried me through to thirty and I am taking into my 🫢 fourth 🫢 decade are all the verses of 2 Corinthians 4. It is really hard to just pick one, or even a few of them, because the entire chapter holds so much meaning and purpose. I do not know what God has in store for my 30s. I have what I am praying for, I have what I want, I have what I think… and I have seen in every decade, He has led me through the fire and He has been immeasurably more than I could ever ask, think or imagine. He will not stop now. I want all He has more than I ever want what I want. In darkest night, He is close like no other. I know Him as a Father and I know Him as a Friend and I have lived in the goodness of God. He will not stop here. I have been reminded over and over again, Jesus started His ministry at 30. I can trust my God is not done with me yet either! Your Goodness is running after me. With my life laid down, I surrendered now. I give You everything. “We consider living to mean that we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that the life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity. So, then, death is at work in us but it releases life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:11-12
“Now Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His Ministry…” Luke 3:23
All in all, my God is good and if you do not know Him, I would love to introduce Him to you. He is a God I can believe (John 14:1). During my childhood, I got to see that I can really trust Him to be the God I believe and the God Who cares for me. In a time when most people run, Jesus was already my best friend and through losing my earthly dad, God became the only Dad I would grow to really know (John 14:28). In my teenage years, I could see the Truth of seeking Him with all my heart and finding Him (Jeremiah 29:13). In my 20s, I got to see a lot of gods in a lot of places around the world who never measured up to Who my God is. My God will never fail. My God did not leave us empty handed, worshiping man made idols or running through hoops to earn favor with Him. He sent His Son, so He could know us. He left us with His Power, so we could live through Him. And He promised us He will be back to take us Home with Him. We are not home yet! (John 14:26-27, John 14) I could tell you so much more of what God has DONE over these last three decades, but more importantly, I want you to know WHO He is for yourself. John 4 is one of my favorite stories of the woman who was hiding from all those who had shamed her. Jesus told all she had done and she ran back to the very people she was hiding from to tell them ALL ABOUT JESUS! He turns our stories to His Glory! He is GOOD, He is DAD, He is POWERFUL, He is GRACE, He is TRUE, He is HOLY. And all the days of my life on this earth, I will take my every breath to be all that He is in and through me no matter WHAT comes my way, no matter WHAT I have, no matter WHAT I do… He calls me His Own and He wants you to believe Him (John 14:1-4), seek Him (Jeremiah 29:11-13), trust Him (Ephesians 3:14-21) and live for Him (2 Corinthians 4) too. Thank You, Daddy! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Holy Spirit! For all that You have been, all that You are and all that You will be!
Here’s to 30… Jesus, I don’t want to do this if you don’t go with me!
to be holy and effective igniting faith in others for themselves...
