Living the Journey

Before I went on the Journey, I felt myself dying. I saw the road I was on, and I knew where it was going. Pain was controlling my entire life. I was helpless, struggling, and losing myself. If I continued down that path, I would have become a monster. I could not live with myself if I ended up like that. That’s what broke me. I had no control over the pain and the lust. I begged God for the answer. And I have it now! He gave me another chance. After the way I abused Him, He still loves me. I know He does!

Every time I’ve been tempted since getting back, I’ve sought Him for deliverance and grace. He’s giving me victory! I haven’t been such a free person since I was a child. This is the greatest thing that I have ever experienced! What’s amazing is that this is only the beginning! I have the rest of my life to live for God!

~ David
March 2009 Guys Journey

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From the very first day of the Journey in the Northwoods, David saw how he could apply the truths that God was revealing to him. By the end of the week, David had found freedom from years of guilt and hidden sin.

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God touched my life in so many ways on this Journey! At first I did not really want to come; but then the Lord got a hold of my heart. The decision to seek Him with all of my heart on this Journey was one of the best choices that I have ever made in my life!

We started off our time in the Northwoods by studying about a murmuring heart. I would have been the first to tell you that I was a complainer; but I never saw myself as a murmurer! The Lord really convicted me about this and asked me to bless others when I felt like murmuring against them. This was such a freeing thing to do!

For quite a while before the Journey, the Lord had been convicting me in another area—He was asking me to be content in my singleness. However, every time I tried to surrender my desire for marriage to the Lord, the thoughts and feelings would come right back to me.

One day on the Journey we studied the deceitful heart and read about Eve in the Garden of Eden. Even though she had been given everything she needed for her happiness—a perfect husband, beautiful surroundings, plenty of food, and a close relationship with her Creator—still she was not content with what she had been given. Instead, she desired the fruit of the one tree from which she had been forbidden to eat.

The Lord spoke to me through this passage and asked me to be content in Him and pour my whole heart into living my single years for His glory! There were things that I could do for Him during these years that I could never do if I were married. He asked me to make the very most of these years of my life and live them with a passion, realizing that they are quickly passing me by!

I was also challenged that until I was willing to rest completely in the Lord, the longing in my heart would never really be fulfilled.

This time when I surrendered my desires to the Lord, I felt a real sense of His peace. I am happy to say that the longing has not come back! Now I’m at peace.

~ Joanna
March 2009 Girls’ Journey

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The bondage began when I was 14 years old. I fell into looking at wrong magazines and wrong pictures on the computer. This greatly damaged my relationship with the Lord because my sinful desire for these things was competing with my love for Him. I tried and tried to live right but I was not able to overcome this secret addiction.

Two years later, in July of 2008, I was able to go on a Journey to the Heart. God spoke to me in a quite but amazing way. He told me that I needed to put my trust in Him and receive His grace instead of putting my trust in myself to be strong enough to overcome temptation. I realized that I needed to renounce the lies that I was believing, such as the lie that "I will never be able to overcome this sin." God showed me what a long-lasting relationship with Him was all about—it is about living in truth and walking by His side!

After renouncing Satan’s lies and openly confessing my sin, I have had a whole new sense of freedom. Now I am seeking God first with all of my heart and not letting the things of this world compete with my love for Christ!

~ Jordan
July 2008 Guys’ Journey

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For many years I struggled with bitterness towards several people who had deeply offended my family. As a result, I had grown apathetic towards God and unconcerned for others. Conflicts often resulted because of my pride. Seeing the spiritual needs in my life, my parents encouraged me to take some time to seek the Lord on a Journey of the Heart.

As I flipped through the pages of the Journey manual, I didn’t think that I was guilty of any of the bad heart conditions that were explained in it. As the days went by, however, I became more and more convinced of just how sinful I had been. Not only did I have a prideful and murmuring heart towards God’s people, I also had an adulterous heart. Through salvation I had entered a covenant marriage relationship with Jesus Christ, but I had allowed other relationships to compete with my love for him. I had been expecting benefits from these relationships that only God could give, such as security, direction, and fulfillment in life. I had set this idol in my heart and depended more on it then I did on God.

I immediately asked God for forgiveness. I gave Him my competing affections so that nothing could take my attention from Him again. I confessed everything to my parents. The hardest thing was asking forgiveness of those whom I had been bitter toward and verbally blessing them. For the first time I felt a joy and love towards them. My relationship with God has been completely restored!

Now I have completely surrendered my heart, soul, mind and strength to God’s will. I will not let any competing affection come between me and Him. I will delight in Him and Him alone.

~ Natalie

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Harboring inner rebellion and entertaining a secret relationship with a guy I knew my parents would never approve of, I made plans to move out the day I turned eighteen. Deep inside I knew what I was doing was not right and God would not bless me for this, but I stuffed it down for a false hope that I would be satisfied with my boyfriend rather than the Lord. However, I was hurting my family and myself by refusing God’s best. After the third month of this horrible lifestyle, my parents told me to pack my bags and then they dropped me off at the IBLP Headquarters. I was so upset and determined I would not change, but God had different plans.

After working on staff for three months, I attended my second Journey to the Heart. I seemed fine to everyone around me but inside that battle was raging. I wanted my own way and my own plans, but I couldn’t argue with the genuineness of those around me. Their love for the Lord, their surrendered lifestyle, their true joy that only comes from the Lord, and their satisfaction in Him placed before me a choice: me or God. I couldn’t go any longer! I broke and surrendered. I confessed everything to my parents, which was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! But it was worth it because the strength of sin is in its secrecy!

Confessing to my parents and turning away from my sin gave me a new humility, which I wouldn’t trade for anything! I have a new freedom and joy I never knew and now I love the Lord more than anything and am willing to serve Him with all that I am. I am truly satisfied, because He is all I need or could ever want!

~ Anna

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