So you wanna be startin' somethin' . . .

“The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son . . .”
-Deuteronomy 1:30-31

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
-Deuteronomy 31:6

There is no fear in love . . . perfect love drives out fear.
-1 John 4:18

"Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
-John 14:27

Some days, I hate how much influence or power other people's words can have on me. A few days ago, my dad informed me that I need to date. I told him - do you know how old I am? He replied with, "and HOW many boyfriends have you had?" Then my parents tried to convince me to go out with one of my dad's co-workers (who hasn't even asked me out.) Thanks, mom and dad.

There have been specific events in my life where I have tangibly seen God work. He has healed me beyond understanding in times of devastation and delivered me from hellish circumstances. He has blessed me with a community that I did not know to ask for or expect. I have seen Him enable new ministries, transform lives, I have seen Him change my heart and desires. A few weeks ago, it was clear that He facilitated the buying and selling of my car (which is a story that still amazes me and makes me laugh).

“By His power He can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine”
-Ephesians 3:20

If He orchestrated the circumstances surrounding something as simple as selling my car, I should know that He's going to take care of the big stuff - relationships, my job, the future, etc. All I need to do is trust, rest in Him and seek Him daily.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
-Proverbs 3:5-6

If I listen to the words of my parents, I would not be trusting God's sovereignty regarding relationships in my life. There are plenty of stories in the Bible where people have taken things into their own hands out of impatience, distrust or disbelief, and have missed out on blessings as a result. The Old Testament is filled with stories like this. (Take, for example the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 more years than they needed to – Deuteronomy 1:32-46)

But, it's also important to know that God takes our mistakes and uses them for His good, and ultimately our good. I make plenty of stupid mistakes on a regular basis, and God has used those mistakes to teach me a lot. God is still faithful to us, loves us and blesses us when we're idiots. We can't screw up God's will - God is bigger than our mistakes, rebellion and ridiculousness.

What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all!
-Romans 3:3-4

. . . being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
-Philippians 1:6

In regards to the verses at the beginning of this post, we need to take comfort and refuge in the knowledge that God is fighting for us, and He will orchestrate, facilitate and provide for our every need. I know that these verses spoke to me this morning when I was mulling over the words exchanged with my parents a few days ago. We can't give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27) . . . and that's exactly what's happening when my parents' words stir up fear in my heart and cause disbelief and uncertainty that God will provide. (shout out to Lori for helping me come to this realization)

For more on rest and trust versus fear and anxiety, listen to J.D.'s "Live Free" - which is one of my ALL TIME favorite messages . . . pretty much changed my life. (click here)

For more on how God fights for us and delivers in ways that we could not ask for or even imagine, listen to "hailstones."

And finally, for some reassurance on waiting for and picking out the right person (holla to all my single ladies), please listen to this.