{though the fig tree does not bud...}

Day after day, week after week, I continue to be astounded by the goodness of my Father. Leave it to him to lead me a beautiful congregation on my first Sunday...he would :)

In the weeks and months leading up to this huge transition, I was told by a few people that had done their share of moving that it can take a while to find a church and I was fully prepared for it to take a while. But God certainly has a way of exceeding our expectations! Those of you who I have spoken with since being here know that I comprised a list of 8 churches that I wanted to check out. I couldn't even tell you what it was that lead me to search for yet another church...But somehow I found myself on the page of Church in the City and even though it was a half an hour away, I just felt like I needed to visit it. 

From the moment that I stepped into the building, I felt so welcomed, so comfortable. I really appreciated the fact that the congregation wasn't too large; the people seemed a bit more approachable that way. Worship was a beautiful time of singing and dancing before the Lord. And the message...wow...more on that later. I met several lovely people and ultimately met a beautiful couple that leads a house church and really felt led to give her my information and pray about whether to join. On the drive home, the Lord basically confirmed in my heart that that was where he had me. It felt like home, even though it was only my first time.

There was a guest speaker called RT Kendall and his message was just so rich, I don't even know where to begin. It was preached out of the book of Habakkuk and it was all about having faith in God even when he seems to abandon us, forsake us, or even not answer our prayers. He talked about how when we suffer, we should really rejoice because great is our inheritance. Paul prayed for the thorn to be removed from his side and the Lord reminded him that HIS grace was sufficient for Paul. God allows us to suffer so that we can have true faith. Having true faith is being able to look at God and say "I don't know what you're doing, but I'm going to trust you anyways". Have you ever considered the fact that faith is a privilege? I hadn't. RT Kendall reminded us that a time is coming where there won't really be a need for faith. When Jesus returns and every eye looks upon him, it won't really require faith to believe in him. Jesus says blessed are they who have not seen and still believed. I think that this is also true of trials. We are blessed when we choose to believe, even when we cant't make sense out of what God is doing.

Habakkuk said it best in Habakkuk 3:17-19, one of the greatest passages in the whole Bible:

Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the field produce no food,

though here are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will be joyful in God my Saviour.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights.