Amazing

I know I just posted a blog about an hour ago, but I feel like I need to write another one dedicated to God and how He is working in my life right now.

I mentioned in my previous post that my pastor challenged me with jumping into the deep end of the pool in regards to my relationship with Christ. This was a week ago Saturday (today is Tuesday) and there have already been crazy changes in my life.

**Sorry this post is not well organized, try to bear with me**

First of all, our church is going through the book of John and the series is called Authentic Jesus. The section we are currently on (John 4-12 I think) is titled Authentic Revelation. The past few weeks have focused on John 4 where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well-famous story, if you've been in church you've probably heard the story, or at least heard it referenced. Here is one of the things I learned about this story:
-When people needed to go from Judea to Galilee, instead of going straight north through Samaria, they would go out of their way and go West to the opposite side of the Jordan River because there was a prejudice about the Samaritan people. But, when Jesus needed to get from Judea to Galilee, he went straight up through Samaria, where he met the woman at the well.
The story goes on to the point where Jesus explains to the woman that he is the living water, that whoever drinks of this living water will never be thirsty again. But those who drink of the water in the well, will be thirsty again. The woman is like us, dense, and doesn't get it. I didn't get it before either. Thankfully, Pastor James likes to break it down for us so we can get a better understanding of Jesus.

Switch to another thing...

I joined a small group last week that is doing the Beth Moore study on the book of James. Here's how little bible knowledge I have, did not know James was Jesus' younger half-brother. That's a pretty important fact that I just never picked up on, WAKE UP EMILY!!!! Since I joined the group a week after it started, I did all of last week's homework yesterday and learned all about James' upbringing. Today I have done 2 of this week's lessons (because I'm a slacker and put it off) and had to stop before moving on to the next lesson because of what it said at the end. She had us write 1 Kings 18:21 in our book and asked if God was saying anything...oh boy, you bet he is saying a LOT!
1 Kings 18:21
"And Elijah came near to all the people and said, 'How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.' And the people did not answer him a word."
Jaw dropped. Totally convicted. Oh my golly.

Switch....

You know my weight has been an issue for me. I'm lazy and I like to eat. However, this needs to change. A friend of mine told me about this free website called Setting Captives Free, that offers programs to people that are addicted to any number of things, food being one of them. Food addiction is something I've wondered about for some time, but never let that thinking get too far. The basics of the program is that you feast at The Lord's Table (being in the Word and talking with God) daily and get satisfaction from that and not from food. As people we have a need to be satisfied and will search the world for something that will quench our need, but the only thing that will truly satisfy is the Lord. They give you two eating plan options, but really the focus is on feasting on the Word. I started this yesterday and am already struggling. Prayer is welcome!!

Did you catch what I said in that last paragraph? Let me say it again, "As people we have a need to be satisfied and will search the world for something that will quench our need, but the only thing that will truly satisfy is the Lord." Maybe if you change the word "need" to "thirst" you'll see the connection that I saw.

The food addiction program I am working on is helping me to DRINK THE LIVING WATER to never be thirsty again-which is what Pastor James is preaching on at church-and just so happens to be the thing that I struggle with, as it is said in 1 Kings 18:21, that I need to follow God if I believe in him and stop living a "double life!"

WOW! I hope that hit you as hard as it hit me. It completely blows my mind that when you are in God's word, he really, truly speaks to you. You can be looking at 3 different things, like I am, and see the same message being yelled at you in all 3 things.

If you struggle with any of these same issues (which if you followed my erratic post here, you'll know this is really 1 issue) please let me know! I'd love to walk alongside other believers that are struggling in the same area, or perhaps you have already conquered this area and can provide some encouragement.

You are loved. :)