I Needed to Trust Only in Christ
-Jennifer Hall

I Needed to Trust Only in Christ!

My name is Jennifer Hall, and this is my story.
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Hey, it is so good to meet you! My name is Jennifer Hall. I always enjoy meeting new people and hearing about their adventures in life and what has brought them to the place where they are at now. I am originally from a small town in Indiana near Chicago, IL. I grew up enjoying all the fun things in that area and after graduating from college enjoyed a couple of years out in Portland, OR.  After getting married, I moved out to Pennsylvania where I now reside. Most places I go, I love exploring the outdoors.  I love a good adventure, and I also love nature. It never ceases to amaze me how intricately designed all creation is and how much it points to a Creator that personally loves me and wants a relationship with me.
Growing up my parents were very purposeful in teaching us God’s Word, and I regularly heard many Bible stories and lessons from my parents and teachers in school and at church. One Sunday when I was around 6 or 7, I clearly remember one of my friends coming up to me at church and exclaiming that she got saved. In my mind I thought, “Oh my! I must need to do the same thing. I mean if she did it what would people think if I didn’t do it too.” I remember talking with my parents about it. They worked to explain what salvation meant.
"Growing up my parents were very purposeful in teaching us God’s Word."

Isaiah 64:6a says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;…” I was a pretty good kid, but according to this verse it didn’t even matter. Any good that I had done was filthy rags to God. I knew I had sinned against God and because of that I could not go to a place called heaven when I died. I needed a perfect substitute to take my place.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made Him, (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” I did pray a prayer that evening and for many years I would rely on that prayer as my “key to heaven” per say. 

Fast forward a couple of years and I was now in the fourth grade. My Sunday school teacher was Mrs Leslie. Despite the physical trial of cancer she was going through that year, she put her whole heart into her lessons and in encouraging us girls in many aspects spiritually. One evening she invited us girls over to her house and at the end of the evening she and some others began to share their testimony. I sat there and for the first time it really struck me that I truly did not have that testimony that they were sharing. They shared about a personal relationship with the Lord, and that was something I was missing. I pushed it out of my mind though and would reassure myself that I had taken care of that and thought it would be way too embarrassing and humbling to admit that I was not truly saved. This was a complete lie of the Devil and my pride and arrogance would prevent me from opening my heart’s door to Christ. 

All through this time my parents would encourage me to get into God’s Word. Often when I was struggling, my dad would quote Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” 

"I needed to only trust in Christ’s sacrifice."
One evening when I was 15, the Holy Spirit broke my spirit while listening to a message at church. I remember opening God’s Word and finally submitting my will and spirit to the Lord. I could not trust in any of the good things I was doing. I needed to only trust in Christ’s sacrifice. That was the key, I knew I was a sinner, but I had not been willing to humbly come before God recognizing MY sin put Christ on the cross. I still wanted control over my life. 

The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” That was how simple it was, and yet, I tried to over complicate things and let my pride get in the way of fully trusting in Christ alone.

Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? Have you put your trust in the Lord and surrendered your life to Him? The Creator of all sent His only Son to die on a cross so we could have a way to heaven and a relationship with Him. Living for Christ has been the most rewarding and fullfilling decision I have made. When I tried to control things, in all honesty, I was not happy and things did not go too well.Trust Him today; you will not regret it. The next time you walk outside, look around. There is so much beauty and design all around us and the One who created it all wants a personal relationship with us! ♥️