Have you you Forgotten

Father, I come before you today through your Son, Jesus Christ, and I lift up each and every person listening. I ask that you open their ears, their hearts, and their minds, Lord, that they may take your word and get filled with your wisdom, your understanding, because you give it all to us. I want to praise you and thank you and give you glory, and I pray all of this in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Hey there, it's Anna with God's Podcast. I have to ask the question, have you thanked God today? Have you praised God today? Have you give him all the glory that he deserves? In this episode, it is just that, thanking God, praising God, giving him glory, reflecting, growing, and understanding that your growth in Jesus you will see through this episode. I have a couple questions for you. Have you ever been in a stage in your life and everything is going perfectly? You were in a good place. You were finally happy. Did you thank God for that happiness? Did you praise God in these moments? Did you tell others of God's goodness? Or did you forget because your life was good and forgot about God's goodness, his presence, or think, why do I even have to thank him? Let me tell you, you do. You need to give God glory and praise in every part of your life, good, bad, whatever it may be, you have to praise him, glorify him, and let others know that it is him who blessed you because everything is from above. I want to share with you all a tidbit of just that in my life, of happiness, and a small part of my testimony because I believe my whole life is a testimony to God, but this is not the time to share it all. Everything in my life seemed to be going so right, but I forgot. I was in such a good place. I forgot to thank God. Looking back now, has this happened to you? Well, that is exactly what happened to me about 12 to 13 years ago. I was in such a beautiful place. My marriage was good. My babies were good. We just got out of the slump in our lives, a depression, a very traumatic time with the loss of my mother-in-law, who was a pillar, an angel in our lives, and then my father-in-law got very sick. It began to tumble very fast and things were turning upside down, inside out, and all around. We were just spending time as a family, enjoying our marriage, enjoying the kiddos, and all that we were into. My husband gave himself to God. He finally took the step in the right direction. Life seemed to be so amazing, perfect as you may. There was nothing to complain about, but all of a sudden, I had a Job moment. My life took a drastic turn. It literally was a nightmare. I will not go into detail because I am not ready to share any of that, and it's not just my story to tell. But let me tell you, I didn't react like Job. I didn't even come close. I had so many emotions, so many questions. Why? Why, God? Life was so good. I look back now and I have changed, grown up so much. My faith, my relationship with God became intimate. The growth was impeccable. I can see it now, but I did not see it then. I was angry, upset, but all of that led me straight to God. The anger, the not knowing why, how upset I was. The life I once knew was gone. The family, friends, gone. My life was stripped from me, and I would like to say I was just like Job and praise God from beginning to end, but that would be a lie. I was scared. I didn't know what to do or how to fix it. I was broken, completely lost and alone. I felt like I had no one to turn to, but realized I was completely wrong and it was not my place to fix the broken pieces. It was God's place to put it all back together. One day I finally broke down in my parents' bathtub. I cried out to God and let him know how I felt so betrayed, how I felt like I was being so faithful to him, how I felt like I was following him and his word. How could this happen when our lives were so good? How can we lose everything and everyone we know? I wept, I wept, and I submerged my entire body, even my face, in my parents' tub under the water, hoping to not have to come back up, or that when I did, it would all magically change. And I screamed at God. I let out all my anger, all the sadness, for the beautiful life I knew that was no longer, and I surrendered it all to God. I laid it at his feet, and I let him wrap his arms around me. I reemerged from the water, and I felt God. I knew from that point on, he was in control. It was no longer mine. God gave me the insight I needed that day to know that moving forward, he would lead me. Moving forward, he would protect me. Moving forward, I no longer needed to look back. The life I once led was dead, and I was made new in him. This was my Job moment. I may not have responded like Job did, but God said it was only temporary. You did not fall for Satan's test, my child. It was not done in vain, for you and your story will be a testimony someday. Maybe not today, but someday I will go into every detail. But today I can share that God got me through just like Psalms 23 says. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right path for his namesake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. You are my rod, my staff, my comfort. You prepare a table before the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. How beautiful is that psalm. God is your rock. Do not fear any evil, for he is with you. Have you had your Job moment? Have you had your moment where you may have not reacted in the way you probably should have and feel guilty for it? Absolutely do not. Do not feel ashamed. Do not feel as though you are unworthy for that. It is exactly what needed to happen. That is the reason God sent his only begotten son for you, so you can be forgiven, so you can be rewarded in him, reborn. No sin you commit will ever make God not love you if you ask for forgiveness. If you come to him and lay at his feet, he will always embrace you with his unconditional love, his mercy, his grace, because God is so good. Don't hide from him like Adam and Eve did in the garden, because they were scared. God wouldn't forgive them. It says, Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, Where are you? Adam answered, I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. And God said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? Adam said, The woman you put here with me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And Eve said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate. So the Lord said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals. You will crawl on your belly, and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. And that is where it all began, where God searches for you, where God forgives you. Nothing you do could stop God from loving you. So go back to him, seek him, and he will find you and give you rest, like the verse says in Matthew 11, 28. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. God is our shepherd. He will take care of you if you are willing to allow him to. Look, my life is not perfect. My life still has challenges, and I am sure it will also have more testimonies for me to share. Just because you walk with Jesus, or try to live like him, you will not have trials. We all will, as this world is only temporary, and Satan is allowed to tempt. But if you are faithful, and you seek him, and you ask for forgiveness each and every day, I know his promise will be so much more than I ever could imagine. Thank you for listening. Thank you for coming. And until next time, keep bibling, keep spreading God's word, and don't forget to praise God in the good, the bad, and so much more. Share this episode with someone in need, because we all need God. We all need to hear his word. We all need to know that we will be forgiven if asked. Seek God. Open your heart. He wants to have a relationship with you. God loves you, and so do I. So until next episode, have a great holiday, a wonderful week. May it be blessed and filled with God's favor. Father, I come before you, and I thank you. I lift up each and every person listening, whatever they may be going through, whatever season they may be in, whatever testimony that they may have, Lord, I ask that you guide them. You give them wisdom. You give them understanding. You give them the knowledge that they may need to come closer to you, to seek you, to cry out to you, to be angry, so that they can grow in you, and that their happiness will be able to say, it was all because of God. I glorify you, and I praise you, in Jesus' name, amen. I can't sell this beatin'. My freezer needs more beer, baby. The grass could use more rain. I'm leavin' on a hard day, and I can't complain. I'm feelin' free. I love the time I'm leavin'. I just feel crazy, lost, and on my way home. And I got a family that loves me. Some are lookin' right up above me. And I think I have to look. God bless you all. I'm the wealth of every nation. What a lovely man he is. When I take a look at it, all the things I take for granted. Sometimes when I get home, all I want to do, is kick back on the sofa, and kick off these work boots. I'm too tired to just sit here, and tell a story, cause I'm givin'. I stay up with the message, but I'm going to deny. Well, I'm feelin' free. I love the time I'm leavin'. I just feel crazy, lost, and on my way home. And I got a family that loves me. Some are lookin' right up above me. And I think I have to look. God bless you all. I'm the wealth of every nation. What a lovely man he is. When I take a look at it, all the things I take for granted. And I'm still livin', breathin'. I love the job I'm leavin'. And I just hit four green lights in a row. And I got a family that loves me. Some are lookin' right up above me. And I think I have to look. God bless you all. I'm the wealth of every nation. What a lovely man he is. When I take a look at it, all the things I take for granted. When I take a look at it, all the things that I take for granted. When I take a look at it, all the things I take for granted. When I take a look at it, all the things I take for granted. When I take a look at it, all the things I take for granted. When I take a look at it, all the things I take for granted. In Jesus' mighty name, amen. Don't take this life for granted.