Coty Terry

God's lessons of patience for me (husband) I remember back when I was first coming to Christ, after I graduated college, I asked God to give me patience, to work that in me. I was warned, saying to be careful to ask that because then He'd put me in situations where I had to be patient. I didn't want to be afraid to ask something of God that He wants us to receive, that is part of His fruit, so I asked despite the warning. And boy, was I in for a treat. My first lesson of patience: go the speed limit. I felt convicted by God to stop speeding so much. (I would actually go up to 100 miles an hour on the highway - wild, I know. I wondered why my car's engine ended up dying.) I knew it was against the law, that it was probably wrong, but still, I wondered why. What are You trying to teach me through this, God?  And He reminded me that I asked to learn patience, and this would be a way. I speed out of a lack of patience because I want to hurry up and get to where I want to be...

We give up too quickly. Do you ever think that? Like, when it gets tough, we just want it to be over and would rather forfeit the potential reward than endure the trying time. Well, I’ll speak for myself. I often give up too quickly. Or, at least I want to, but thanks to God and His grace, He helps me hold on a little longer so I could reap the reward. But I give up quickly in thought, in desire, hoping God would just rescue me already or make things happen the way I want them as soon as… now.  Maybe He’s trying to remind me that it’s not about me but about Him. I constantly say to Him that I surrender, that “I give myself away” to Him, that I’m all His, so wouldn’t that include giving up my way for His way, my plans for His, my comfort for His Will? When Jesus came, He didn’t come so that He could just have fun and have everything easy and in the palm of His hand. He came so that the Father may be glorified, so that His Will may be done, so that we may all be saved through His dea...

I struggle with trust, trusting that someone else’s way is better than mine, even if I know they know more than I do, like God Himself. I’m not sure where that stems from, but I’m guessing a lot of my stress is rooted in a lack of trust of the Father. I want to trust that His way is better, even if it’s different than what I want it to be. I think I get caught up in the questions: What if He’s not working on our behalf and that’s why it didn’t happen as I expected? What if I didn’t pray enough like Daniel did for those 21 days to make sure the angels keep fighting? Or what if I didn’t ask the right questions or even obey as I ought or the person I’m praying for didn’t obey so things didn’t work out so I have to now fix things on my own because God won’t?  You see how that can be some faulty thinking that gets me down a spiral? Do you ever think like this?  It’s really not until now that I even fully acknowledged those questions. They’ve led my actions, but I didn’t realize tho...

After graduating college, I got a video production internship at my university. It was during that time that I really sought God, gave it my all, and so badly wanted to be surrounded by Him. And one day, as I went to the chapel to pray during my lunch hour, I got baptized in the Holy Spirit. I said, "I receive Your Holy Spirit," and immediately I got filled with so much warmth, more warmth than I felt in a long time. I had been so cold before then, always shivering with goose bumps, but that moment, my insides were on fire and I felt the joy and peace of the Lord. I started jumping and dancing around in the chapel, not caring if anyone were to walk in to pray themselves and see me having a blast. I was laughing and crying and praising. (I even wrote a song about it. Check it out here: Drunk on the Spirit .) I was so grateful, so happy, to be in the presence of the Lord, and to know without a doubt that He was truly there, in me and around me.  Imaging if every moment of our l...

Joseph was a favored man, favored by his dad, favored by Pharaoh, favored by God Himself -- yet, the suffering in his life was grand. He was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, and forgotten by the man who was supposed to rescue him from the dungeons. But when you read his story in Genesis 37 & 39-50, one thing you can't deny is that he was favored. In every scenario in his life, the Bible says God gave him success. When he was sold into slavery, he was so good at taking care of his master's home that he put him in charge of his whole household and everything he owned. And when he was thrown into prison, God granted him favor in the warden's eyes that the warden put him in charge of everyone in the prison and everything that went on. He held so much favor from God that even Pharaoh made him second in command and gave him charge over all of Egypt. He was chosen by God, and God's presence with him gave him the favor h...