Happy Sabbath friends! If you would have told me 2-3 years ago that he would be out of my life…I probably would’ve lashed out on you, and/or had a panic attack because he made me truly believe that I couldn’t live my life without him. If you told me a year ago today that he would be out of my life…I probably would’ve been so relieved because I felt so trapped September of last year. Myself 2-3 years ago would’ve been so shocked with how much I am thriving without the toxicity that was once in my life, and myself a year ago would be so happy and relieved for me that I got out before things got 10x more worse than it already was. How am I thriving and doing so much better than I was a year ago? Well, you can thank God for that. This other person made me believe that I couldn’t live my life without them being in it, but that’s because their goal was to tear me away from our Heavenly Father. The reason I keep referencing a year ago is because September 2023 was when I started to hear God’s voice start to speak to me again and He was slowly opening my eyes to how lost I really was and reminded me of the love that I truly deserved.

For three years I spent my days proving myself to someone else that I loved them with all my heart, in hopes that they would love me back the same way I loved them. Let me just say, it was quite exhausting doing so. It was even more exhausting because I slowly became more and more distant with God during the first 2 years with him so I could attempt to be even closer with him, over God. Isn’t that heartbreaking? I know. I hurt over the girl I once was because she loved someone way too much, and it was never once returned. On top of that, I walked away from Someone who I didn’t have to prove myself to in hopes that He would love me back, and that’s because it’s already written about the unconditional love that He has for us all.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For three years, I was probably the furthest away from God I have ever been, and yet, He still never gave up on me. Like I stated earlier, a year ago on September 2023, I started hearing His voice speak to me again. When this started happening, I slowly became more and more distant with him, as I became more and more close to Jesus. Unfortunately the other person could not let me go, no matter how hard I tried to get away, so I started talking with God about it and pleading to Him because I was suffering so much. Just a few months later, in either January or February of 2024, I get a call about him moving across the country. When I heard this news, I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t mad. I wasn’t even heartbroken about it. The feeling I was overwhelmed with was relief because I knew this was from God and it was my way out.

Even when it seems that there is no way out of whatever situation and/or place we may be in, God will always make a way. We just need to place our trust in Him and allow Him to take the wheel so He can brings us out of tribulation so we can be truly free.

“This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭16‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our God made a way through the sea, the mighty waters, the wilderness, and streams…this is evidence that He can make a way in our lives so we can be transformed and made anew in Him.

For three years, I thought there was nothing better for me. For three years, I thought I didn’t deserve love, or that I was too difficult to love. I can confidently state today that there is something better for me, and that is our Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus who died on the cross to save us from our sins. I can confidently state today that I do deserve love, and I am not too difficult to be loved by our Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus who died on the cross to save us from our sins.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

GOD LOVES US.

Let that sink in…

GOD LOVES US.

We don’t have to prove ourselves to God in order for Him to love us back. He already does love us! We just need to open our hearts to Him and allow Him to overwhelm us with His everlasting love and presence. I wouldn’t be where I am today if God didn’t save me. I praise His name each and every day because He saved me and made a way, when I thought there was no way.

I pray that if anyone who has read this message has went through something similar as I did for three years of my life, that they open their hearts to You, Jesus, that they may be transformed and changed as I was a year ago in September of 2023. I pray that you give them the same strength and knowledge that you gave to me a year ago that they are deserving of so much more than what they are putting themselves through. They are deserving of the unconditional love that You continually give to us. They are deserving of being free in You, Christ Jesus. Please be with every single person today reading this message that they may be blessed and given the strength to get out of whatever toxic / unhealthy situation they may be in. Please save them, just as you did me in the beginning of this year, so they may be free indeed.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Amen.