Guest Article – Michelle Chapman
OUR GOD IS SO FAITHFUL
He promises He will never leave us nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5
I grew up in an alcoholic, abusive home. At age 18 I married against my father’s wishes to a man who was abusive as well. I divorced him at age 22. I met my present husband and remarried. We were both searching for “that something” that was missing in our lives.
At this time in my life I was a very bitter and angry woman. I couldn’t understand why all these things had happened to me in my life. I couldn’t stand the person that I had become. I had so much anger inside me and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I was searching for something but I didn’t know what it was. In 1994 I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. Suddenly I found what I had been searching for my whole life.
As I grew in the Father He began to work on me by tearing down the walls that had me bound to things of the past. The most powerful thing we have as Christians is the power of choice. We are miserable people by choice. So I chose not to allow my past to dictate my future. God promises in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”. We have to pursue God’s will by moving forward.
For over 13 years I tried to have a child. I went through several infertility treatments but none ever worked. So I began to ask why? When we are in confusion about why certain things happen in our lives, that’s when I realized I just needed to search for Him.
For the next 11 years I served in our youth ministry at church and God has blessed me by allowing me to be a spiritual mom to several kids. I wanted to be a blessing to the kids but instead I was the one who was blessed! So I’m learning untried faith is unreliable faith.
I’m finding out that you are only in tune with God when you are in tune with His Word. I have to stay in His Word for the times I need to fall back on His promises. I’m learning that I have to spend time with Him in order to have a relationship. Prayer is a matter of the heart. It’s a matter of opening up my emptiness into His fullness. We serve a mighty God and is worthy of all of our praise!
Because of Him,
Michelle Chapman
However I consider my life worth nothing to me, If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me – The task of testifying to the gospel of Gods grace. Acts 20:24
