Crowned in Purpose
Posted by: Jenna Perry from Weeknights | Monday, December 9th, 2024 ( 9:29am)
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33 John 16:33 is such a special verse, in which we can find so much comfort. These words spoken by Jesus and recorded by John are a reminder that, no matter what is going on in this life, we have the true victory through Jesus. Jesus is telling us that we WILL have hard times, we WILL be persecuted for carrying His name, we WILL come face to face with the enemy himself, but we don’t have to be afraid because we are covered by the blood of the One True King. In other words, no matter what we are going through, God gives us everything we need right when we need it. Jesus already won the war. OF COURSE he will take victory over our battles. I have seen him do it in my life many times, but the one I find most undeniable was when he gave me joy in the darkness of depression. When I was at my lowest, He not only picked me up from the rubble but told me exactly who I was. It wasn’t all at once, or a huge flood of overwhelming emotions (though, He works that way too), it was by slowly showing me who I am by telling me who HE is. I believe that it was a gradual journey because He was meeting me where I was and walked alongside me gently and at my pace. As I started reaching back to Him and His word—that’s when He gifted me His undeniable joy that defied all circumstances. When I stopped taking it into my own hands and ran to give it to God, He scooped me up and crowned me in purpose. I used to look in the mirror and hate myself so much, but God reminded me that I am His child, I carry His image, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and I am so loved—how could I possibly hate myself anymore!? I don’t hate the LORD’s other image bearers, why did I spend so much time hating myself, I carry his image too! God will give you exactly what you need right when you need it. God will also put people in your life to help guide you on the path that He set out before you. If you are going through a hard time, no matter what it is, He will bring you through it in victory! I would not change things for a second because my testimony glorifies Him, and nothing makes us lean on Him more than the valleys. Being pulled out of a battle makes us praise a little louder and love others a little harder. I am nowhere near perfect but that doesn't mean God won't use my flaws; He knows me and created me perfectly imperfect because He needed a ‘Jenna Perry’ born in 2001 to live through this time and do HIS will right here and right now. There was already a Peter, a Saul (Paul), a Noah, a Jonah, a Matthew…now in 2024 He wanted 23-year-old Jenna in Grand Rapids Michigan to be working at a local radio station. He has a purpose for you too! You are exactly who God wants you to be right where He planned for you to be. Maybe you are in a situation that is just plain miserable – we were never promised that we wouldn’t be – the only thing I know is that He is there with you, equipping you with the full armor of God, even if the equipment is not quite what you expected or wanted. So, this Christmas season remember this: you are loved, you are chosen, and you are held by the hand of God. Want to read more posts like this? Subscribe to the Good News blog to receive a weekly dose of encouragement from our team. 
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For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
COLOSSIANS 1:19-20 | NIVGrand Rapids / Lakeshore
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