Meagan Mankin
A quick peek into God's graciousness in my life:
My faith looked half-hearted in college. I wasn't thirsting to know the things of God and many areas of my life didn't bring glory to Him. When He uprooted me and moved me back to Houston, he brought me into a season of loneliness and intimacy with him. There He gave me the verse: "Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness" (Psalm 37:3 ESV) Or as some versions say "enjoy safe pastures." And that's where I was, a safe pasture. The Lord used the time to heal things in me, to bring sin and misconceived mind sets to light and to do a work in my heart. I sought to cultivate faithfulness. It was a season of healing, re-entering Christian community, and steadiness.
Then as the year changed, He put a new song in my heart. "The Sprit of The Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of The Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of The Lord" (Is. 11:2-3 ESV). And He began to open my eyes to many wondrous things-- things of His spirit. This faith was no longer "safe" and He was growing my heart. He was asking me to risk more, and in turn, believe more. In this season, He introduced me to the earthly love of my life, Blake. He asked me to risk in love and to trust the promptings of His spirit. I think it will always be one of my favorite seasons.
As 2012 faded into 2013, He brought me into a season where I realized that my greatest desire was His presence. Signs and wonders and those things were still written upon my heart, but as my newest verse says, "One thing have I asked of The Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of The Lord and inquire in His temple" (Ps. 27:4) The same sentiment is echoed in the lines of an old hymn "You can all this world; give me Jesus."
Now we are entering into a new year and I am praying for a new verse to be laid on my heart. As I review my old verses, I am overcome with thankfulness for what The Lord has done and is continuing to do in me. May He do in me and in you whatever brings Him the greatest glory in 2014.