Each week I have the pleasure of serving with others as a student leader at Willowdale Chapel’s Jennersville campus. The students have a snack, some kind of activity and a talk followed by small group time. The time is so rich and it has been amazing to see the students grow in their knowledge of the Lord. The message also challenges me to grow in my faith, too.
This week our student ministry pastor, Jordan Lichty, shared about the unspoken truth of a relationship with God. We all wrote down and later shared our hopes and expectations for God, as well as God’s hopes and expectations for us. To be in relationship with Him we need to understand who God is and what He expects from us so that we can grow and become closer. This exercise was really good for me and I challenge you to write it out yourself!
My Hopes and Expectations for God
Love me unconditionally
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Be faithful to me
Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Protect me
Psalm 121:1-8 “The Lord is the keeper and protector of his people, and will not let them be harmed.”
Provide for my needs
Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Guide my life
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Is this not a God that we can trust? His death on the cross has proven to us that there is no length that He will not go to love us and care for us. He is so majestic that He was able to create a cosmic atmosphere above us with beautiful stars and planets. A sea that stretches across the earth that listens to his voice. He is the creator and sustainer of life that each tiny baby that we see was knit in a womb so intricately.
If we stop and look back on our life, we know this is a God who is worthy of giving our whole life. We may go through hard times, but He holds us close even when hard things happen because He is still loving and good. Sometimes things don’t make sense, but we hold onto who and what we know God is and have faith that everything will be fulfilled when we meet Him in heaven.
So this is what we talk about in youth group. Pretty great, right? I encourage you to make a list and then look in Scripture for where this belief is backed up. Discuss your thoughts with a friend. He is worth the relationship. Finding out who God is allows you to grow stronger because you will see that the same God who created all the beauty this world has to offer died for you and me so we can live forever with Him in Heaven.
It's an amazing honor to hang out with the kids at our church. And you never know how you’ll be impacted too.
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Susan Veenema and her husband, Jeremy, love exploring Chester County with their two older biological daughters and three adopted children. Susan has been in education for over 20 years supporting children with disabilities and their families. She currently works at the Department of Education. One of her greatest joys is leading women's Bible study and being a student leader for the Jennersville campus youth group.
People are her passion. She loves to read, write and study everything from history to social sciences to the early church. You'll always find her trusty German Shorthaired Pointer by her side.