Slice of life of 18-year-old Hanaya Oki living in Kamakura, Japan, as she learns to do life with Jesus.
Hanaya Oki Series: https://superdifferent.com/hanaya
Hanaya:
Lord, you said don't worry about tomorrow. But it seems the earth is becoming a very chaotic world. The future looks bleak and uncertain. It's a hard place to be.
Jesus:
Hanaya, no matter what the circumstance is, you can choose joy. Worry will steal your today and the possibilities. Let no one and nothing hijack your joy and peace.
Being joyful is not the absence of tears, challenges, or denial of suffering or conflicts.
It's looking up with hope.
For the joy that was set before me, I endured the cross.
This life isn't it. If you lose your life, you will find it. Many are depressed because they think this is it. They live for this world. They don't believe in the world to come.
I am the future.
You have a higher calling. You're running a different race. This life is like an internship. What is the worst thing that can happen to you?
If you die, it's gain. You enter into my world filled with wonders and perfection. There are many places in heaven to see. You will have an amazing home. You will have a new supernatural body that doesn't age or get sick. You will see me face to face. I will brief you on your assignment as I come to rule on the earth. There is so much more that I and my Father have prepared for those who love us.
So you have nothing to lose. But you have one shot here on earth, to stock up on the eternal rewards for your obedience and faithfulness. And many will thank you because you did not give up. You did your part in my plan and it changed their lives.
The world is reaping what it has been sowing. Both the seeds of darkness and the light are coming to full maturity. You are of the light. I will teach you how to live in these times. I will show you the path of life. You will hear my voice, saying, "This is the way, walk in it".
In this world, you will have tribulations, but I am training you to be an overcomer. I'm conditioning your mind for endurance when the going gets tough. The times of greatest pressure can become the finest hour to rise and shine.
I'm shaking the earth. I own the game and all the chess pieces. And I planned you and others into my chess game. The devil does not hold all the cards, though it looks like he does. Fight the good fight of faith. Faith is of the heart, your spirit, not of the head. Do not overthink. Take one day at a time.
My kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And that kingdom is within you. If you listen and obey my voice, our Father's and the Holy Spirit's counsel, your peace will be like a river. You can fellowship with all three of us. Hold on to the written and the spoken Word. Believe it and decree it more than the facts. Never give in to fear.
Let go of the broken things you cannot fix. Walk by faith, not by sight. Your heavenly Father knows what you need. If He provides for the sparrows and clothes the grass of the field, wouldn't He take care of you? The path may be narrow, filled with joy and at times with sorrow. But He will take care of your tomorrow, as He does for every sparrow.
Hanaya, I want you to laugh at the days to come. Your times are in my hands. I am the ocean of joy refreshing your soul. I am your hiding place, your constant, in this uncertain world.