Recently, I was reading Psalm 34 when verse 14b jumped out at me as if it were in neon lights!! "Seek peace and pursue it." Immediately, I prayed, "How Lord?" As I have shared many times before and I am sure many times going forward that a thorn in my life is depression. And yet, I have come to the place that I can be thankful for this thorn (not always but more often than before - growth, yes?) because I know that God uses it in my life to keep me on my face before Him.
Anyway, this phrase...seek peace and pursue it has been a constant refrain in my life in the past month. In answer to my prayer, "How Lord?" He brought to mind, Philippians 4:4-8 (a regular go to in my life), specifically the Lord is near, don't worry about anything but with thanksgiving present your requests to God, and His Peace which surpasses understanding (every thought) will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. So I began chewing on this, thinking about it with regularity and trying to apply it specifically toward gaining peace in my daily life.
Finally, I feel the freedom to share with you. I battled. I cried. I fussed. I complained. I surrendered. I battled some more. At first, I didn't receive peace - just more worry and fear. Why? Because receiving peace in a process, just as seeking and pursuing are. I can't explain it anymore than you can, but we know that sometimes the peace that passes understanding comes instantaneously and sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes we have peace in one area, but not in another. Sometimes we gain peace only to take up the anxiety all over again. Part of the problem is our flesh and the other the enemy. But, I do know this...God is in charge and He understands, period. And He is not condemning us for the journey (even as it looks different than someone else's or different than we want it to).
I have been reading Charles Swindoll's book, Grace Awakening. A breakthrough happened for me when reading about Moses. This book brought out many things I had never thought about - it is a great read if you want to check it out. Moses was raised by Pharaoh's daughter, he had the best of everything. Education, wealth etc... he had confidence and yet when he killed the Egyptian who was tormenting the Hebrew, his life was derailed. He fled and no longer had any status, security or confidence - 40 years in the desert!!! He thought his life for God was over. He thought He had messed up God's plan to use him to rescue his people. We know differently. When God got Moses attention by the burning bush (Exodus 3) - Moses was anything but confident in his ability to follow God and do what He said. This journey, though it didn't "feel good" to Moses it ultimately led him to being humble and recognizing that nothing was impossible with God. Look at the relationship Moses had with God! Anyway, this and so much more (it would be a book, not a blog if I wrote all the words running around in me!!! lol).
God did use Moses. God is using you and me. We don't have the power to mess up God's plan, He is always at work redeeming and using what goes on in our lives to grow us and if we will let Him for His glory. It is so freeing to realize this once again!!! Yes, I tend to forget. In fact I tend to "borrow trouble," thus the need for me to seek peace and pursue it so diligently!
Our lives are not over if something happened to us that we feel has derailed us from what "we thought" God had for us - whether our choices/sin caused it or not. Even if our lives look different that what we thought "God had for us" -- He is still at work. He is not surprised. As Christ-followers, His plans and purposes for us will be realized, He knows them, they are good and they give us a future and HOPE (Jeremiah 29:11).
On this Journey His Way, seeking and pursuing peace is a constant effort - while it may culminate in peace for a certain circumstance another will come along. We must continuing seeking Jesus (He is the Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6), because knowing Him is the peace we are seeking and receiving. It is more of Jesus that is the answer to our pursuit. Experiencing satisfaction in Jesus = Peace.
Father God, You know I have so much more to say on this subject and perhaps You will give me the opportunity to share at a later date. Thank You for reminding me once again that You are in charge, not me, not my feelings. Thank You for reminding me that You will use me for Your glory as I surrender and trust You. And thank You for reminding me that my journey will not look like someone else's and that is exactly how You made it to be. Thank You for getting through to me and providing peace for this moment. Thank You for reminding me of my purpose in this life. God, a friend made the statement that she is "practicing being consumed by Your Great Love" -- yes, God this. Help me to spend my time practicing this and pursuing You as my peace and let go of the habits and sin of "practicing" being anxious and afraid. Afraid that I don't measure up. Afraid that I have missed Your plan for me, etc. These are just lies from the enemy, Lord. I know that I don't measure up, but Jesus in me does. I know that I have not missed Your plan because You are in charge, not me. Forgive me for falling into this trap over and over again. Father God, help me to be aware of Your Holy Spirit in my life and help me to listen and obey You. Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your forgiveness and Your grace and for being my peace... In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Friday, February 2, 2018
Monday, January 1, 2018
Grace Remembered
1 Peter 5:10, "Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen and support you after you have suffered a little.
The Lord prompted me to revisit this verse this morning. I have a tendency to read and read a verse and then somehow I lose track of it and God in His Grace reminds me once again. I am so thankful He does!
And then He encouraged me to look back at a few of the previous verses.
1 Peter 5:5b-9, "clothe yourselves with humility toward others, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time. casting all your care on Him because He cares about you. Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
As I was reading verse 10 and thinking how thankful I am for God's grace and being reminded that it is my responsibility to express that grace towards others I began reading back a few verses and of course I just kept going further back! I want Him to personally restore, establish, strengthen and support me - I want it with a passion that is difficult to express. I also want to quit suffering - and yet I know that is unrealistic. And yet, I want to be sure that I am suffering for His purposes and not because of sin in my life due to my own choices - make sense? I want to bring Him glory and yet so often I simply get in His way.
I "suffer" on an ongoing basis with depression and anxiety. This is not something I share proudly and yet I share it boldly because I know many who suffer in this way as well and I pray that it helps to know you are not alone. I continually pray for deliverance and help for this and yet it appears to be the "thorn in my flesh" that the Lord uses in many ways in my life. I am weary - still; and yet I am holding on to the Lord and the fact that He has a plan. More accurately He is holding on to me, because I often want to quit and He won't allow it.
Anyway, this is what He spoke to me this morning. I must continue casting my care on Him and not forget that He cares for me no matter how I feel or perceive things/circumstances. Praise God, He gives me the very strength and ability to do this because His Holy Spirit lives in me! I struggle, it is hard and yet He will overcome - in His time and in His way - this is my problem, I don't always like His timing and His way- just sayin'. Because of this "thorn" I do long for heaven in a way that I know I would not without it. Thus, I have joy deep in my soul when joy anywhere near the surface is nonexistent. It is well with my soul even as I struggle with this flesh.
So this was supposed to be a short, quick writing - lol - that never happens once I start!!!
Here is what I wrote quickly in reference to seeing His work of restoration etc. in my life:
Trust that God will do His part! And He will give me the strength to do mine -- if I let Him!!
Then He made me look back a few more verses - apparently, I like to read in reverse!!! Actually, I want the results without the work so many times. How about you?
The Lord prompted me to revisit this verse this morning. I have a tendency to read and read a verse and then somehow I lose track of it and God in His Grace reminds me once again. I am so thankful He does!
And then He encouraged me to look back at a few of the previous verses.
1 Peter 5:5b-9, "clothe yourselves with humility toward others, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time. casting all your care on Him because He cares about you. Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
As I was reading verse 10 and thinking how thankful I am for God's grace and being reminded that it is my responsibility to express that grace towards others I began reading back a few verses and of course I just kept going further back! I want Him to personally restore, establish, strengthen and support me - I want it with a passion that is difficult to express. I also want to quit suffering - and yet I know that is unrealistic. And yet, I want to be sure that I am suffering for His purposes and not because of sin in my life due to my own choices - make sense? I want to bring Him glory and yet so often I simply get in His way.
I "suffer" on an ongoing basis with depression and anxiety. This is not something I share proudly and yet I share it boldly because I know many who suffer in this way as well and I pray that it helps to know you are not alone. I continually pray for deliverance and help for this and yet it appears to be the "thorn in my flesh" that the Lord uses in many ways in my life. I am weary - still; and yet I am holding on to the Lord and the fact that He has a plan. More accurately He is holding on to me, because I often want to quit and He won't allow it.
Anyway, this is what He spoke to me this morning. I must continue casting my care on Him and not forget that He cares for me no matter how I feel or perceive things/circumstances. Praise God, He gives me the very strength and ability to do this because His Holy Spirit lives in me! I struggle, it is hard and yet He will overcome - in His time and in His way - this is my problem, I don't always like His timing and His way- just sayin'. Because of this "thorn" I do long for heaven in a way that I know I would not without it. Thus, I have joy deep in my soul when joy anywhere near the surface is nonexistent. It is well with my soul even as I struggle with this flesh.
So this was supposed to be a short, quick writing - lol - that never happens once I start!!!
Here is what I wrote quickly in reference to seeing His work of restoration etc. in my life:
- Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God!
- Cast all your care on Him for He cares for you
- Be serious! Be alert!
- Resist the enemy & be firm in the faith.
Trust that God will do His part! And He will give me the strength to do mine -- if I let Him!!
Then He made me look back a few more verses - apparently, I like to read in reverse!!! Actually, I want the results without the work so many times. How about you?
- clothe yourselves with humility toward one another
There is quite a bit I am expected to do in order to be in a place to receive the provision of God. The good thing is that He does not expect me to do it in my own strength (good thing because I cannot, neither can you), but He provides the very strength to do what He requires (Philippians 4:13).
God is the GOD OF ALL GRACE!! He is teaching me to love that word - grace - to find liberty to live an abundant life and yet it is a constant battle. Why? Because I must wrestle the enemy and resist Him by staying firm in the faith. How? By staying in His Word, by experiencing Him in His Word, not just reading it. By praising and thanking Him regardless how I feel - and man, is this hard for me. It often takes me a while to get there - sometimes longer than others - but the victory is that He ultimately gets me there. Remember, this life is a journey! Am I going to chose to walk it His way or my own? He allows me the choice. Sometimes, I wish He didn't, but this is how life works. I choose to choose His process, to do this journey His way and I pray that I will get better at choosing His way more quickly. But I will always be thankful that He never leaves me or forsakes me - no matter what I feel, think or even do. He draws me back to Him. He forgives and He promises to "restore, establish, strengthen and support me". He will! He does! and He is!
Father God, forgive me for often giving in to my feelings and my perceptions. Forgive me for forgetting Your provision and to trust that You will provide once again. Thank You for reminding me today. Draw me further into Your Word with more regularity so that I can see what it true. Strengthen me to trust You more. To walk by faith and not by sight. Please God, forgive me for grieving and quenching Your Holy Spirit by my choices and my attitudes. Enable me to rest in knowing that You have me in the palm of Your Hand and You are at work constantly. May I experience You and Your Presence often - may I be paying attention because You live inside me and therefore You are always with me! Enable me to live in Your grace and express it to others. May I clothe myself in humility so that You need not resist me but You are able to pour out Your grace upon me. Forgive me for being proud, for spending so much time thinking of myself and how I feel. God, for many years I have prayed that You would change me from the inside out and You are. It hasn't been and isn't very pretty because there are a lot of layers in there for You to work through, but God thank You for Your faithfulness to make me more like You. Please give me the mind of Christ. Enable me to take serious and be alert concerning the tactics of the enemy but not to allow my focus to be on him but on You. Thank You that I can humble myself under Your Mighty Hand, God and trust that You will work and protect me from the deceptions of the enemy. Have Your way in me, please Jesus...
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Listening Requires Action
Deuteronomy 6:4-8
4) Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
5) Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6) These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.
7) Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
8) Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.
9) Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Listen/Hear - Shema (Hebrew) - a verb (which means action:) - [Strong's Dictionary] obey, understand, diligently, declare, perceive, tell. To hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience), carefully. [Merriam-Webster] to hear something with thoughtful attention, give consideration.
So at the very beginning of these verses we are told to pay attention, to give consideration, to obey - in other words to take action not just passively listen and let it go in one ear and out the other with no effect upon our lives. This is critical. In our day and time we often "listen" with our eyes on our phones, on the television, on a book. And yet when we do this we are only barely making an effort to tune in to life around us we aren't really listening.
I don't know about you, but I prefer eye contact and attentiveness in a conversation rather than just a passing awareness. We are all guilty of this. In this passage, however, in reference to the most important thing in life - sharing Jesus with our children (and honestly, all who we come in contact with) we are told to listen and that listening causes moment by moment, daily, monthly, yearly and life-long action. And yet like the rest of life we can become complacent and just let life pass by without any real purpose or plan - constantly checking our phones or doing our to do lists. For what purpose?
This passage requires me to remind myself over and over again that the LORD my God is the One True God and that I must guard myself against idols in this life. The idol of placing my family, my hobbies, my job, my church, my friends, or anything else before the LORD in my life.
My purpose and your purpose in life is to first determine that the LORD, Jesus Christ Himself, is in fact our LORD and that He is "in My heart" - that He is in charge of our lives, that it is to Him we look for every single thing - hope, peace, provision, grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, direction, etc. and that we look to Him first and last and every moment in between. We must ask ourselves...Am I loving "MY" LORD with ALL my heart, ALL my soul, and ALL my strength?
The only way we have any chance of doing so is by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Thank You LORD for providing us the Holy Spirit! When we fall short in this (many times daily) we can confess it and repent and ask Jesus to be our strength! He provides for our every need!!!
Once I am certain of my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I must determine that I will listen to His command to love Him wholeheartedly, then I must repeat this over and over to my children and to those I influence in my life. Every area of life is covered here: Love the Lord Your God with ALL your heart, soul and strength!
Then, check this out: Repeat them, talk about them...when?... you sit in your house, you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up!!! ALL THE TIME!!! EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT. OF. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
God is in us. He is with us. We must simply look to Him, determine to recognize Him. Truly, He has done the hard part of it for us. After all Jesus Christ died to pay my debt of sin and He rose again so that I can have relationship with Him - NOW and FOR ETERNITY!!! He did this for you as well. Do you know HIM? Message me and we can talk about it. But I also know this, I make walking with Him hard - He doesn't.
So let's consider this... Am I listening to God or to my flesh? Am I loving God the way He commands me too? Am I committed to recognizing Him in every moment of my life? Am I willing to share Him with others? And if I am not, why? Do I have any idols in my life? Am I aware of Him as I go about this life? Am I loving others out of the love I have for Him and that love He has provided for me? Do I see Him? Do others see Him in me?
Father God, please forgive me for getting so caught up in the "busyness" of this life that I tend to just go on about my day without acknowledging Your Presence. Forgive me for being unwilling to share You in the every day moments of life or for even just being unaware. Thank You for Your constant, faithful presence. Thank You that You are always at work in me and through me never leaving me on my own. Thank You for convicting me and for loving me so much that You will discipline me. May I love You more and more each day and may those around me see You in me and desire to love you too! Have Your way in me. It is all because of You Jesus!!! Thank You!!
4) Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
5) Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6) These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.
7) Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
8) Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.
9) Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Listen/Hear - Shema (Hebrew) - a verb (which means action:) - [Strong's Dictionary] obey, understand, diligently, declare, perceive, tell. To hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience), carefully. [Merriam-Webster] to hear something with thoughtful attention, give consideration.
So at the very beginning of these verses we are told to pay attention, to give consideration, to obey - in other words to take action not just passively listen and let it go in one ear and out the other with no effect upon our lives. This is critical. In our day and time we often "listen" with our eyes on our phones, on the television, on a book. And yet when we do this we are only barely making an effort to tune in to life around us we aren't really listening.
I don't know about you, but I prefer eye contact and attentiveness in a conversation rather than just a passing awareness. We are all guilty of this. In this passage, however, in reference to the most important thing in life - sharing Jesus with our children (and honestly, all who we come in contact with) we are told to listen and that listening causes moment by moment, daily, monthly, yearly and life-long action. And yet like the rest of life we can become complacent and just let life pass by without any real purpose or plan - constantly checking our phones or doing our to do lists. For what purpose?
This passage requires me to remind myself over and over again that the LORD my God is the One True God and that I must guard myself against idols in this life. The idol of placing my family, my hobbies, my job, my church, my friends, or anything else before the LORD in my life.
My purpose and your purpose in life is to first determine that the LORD, Jesus Christ Himself, is in fact our LORD and that He is "in My heart" - that He is in charge of our lives, that it is to Him we look for every single thing - hope, peace, provision, grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, direction, etc. and that we look to Him first and last and every moment in between. We must ask ourselves...Am I loving "MY" LORD with ALL my heart, ALL my soul, and ALL my strength?
The only way we have any chance of doing so is by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Thank You LORD for providing us the Holy Spirit! When we fall short in this (many times daily) we can confess it and repent and ask Jesus to be our strength! He provides for our every need!!!
Once I am certain of my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I must determine that I will listen to His command to love Him wholeheartedly, then I must repeat this over and over to my children and to those I influence in my life. Every area of life is covered here: Love the Lord Your God with ALL your heart, soul and strength!
Then, check this out: Repeat them, talk about them...when?... you sit in your house, you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up!!! ALL THE TIME!!! EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT. OF. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
God is in us. He is with us. We must simply look to Him, determine to recognize Him. Truly, He has done the hard part of it for us. After all Jesus Christ died to pay my debt of sin and He rose again so that I can have relationship with Him - NOW and FOR ETERNITY!!! He did this for you as well. Do you know HIM? Message me and we can talk about it. But I also know this, I make walking with Him hard - He doesn't.
So let's consider this... Am I listening to God or to my flesh? Am I loving God the way He commands me too? Am I committed to recognizing Him in every moment of my life? Am I willing to share Him with others? And if I am not, why? Do I have any idols in my life? Am I aware of Him as I go about this life? Am I loving others out of the love I have for Him and that love He has provided for me? Do I see Him? Do others see Him in me?
Father God, please forgive me for getting so caught up in the "busyness" of this life that I tend to just go on about my day without acknowledging Your Presence. Forgive me for being unwilling to share You in the every day moments of life or for even just being unaware. Thank You for Your constant, faithful presence. Thank You that You are always at work in me and through me never leaving me on my own. Thank You for convicting me and for loving me so much that You will discipline me. May I love You more and more each day and may those around me see You in me and desire to love you too! Have Your way in me. It is all because of You Jesus!!! Thank You!!
Friday, September 8, 2017
God of ALL Grace...
1 Peter 5:10
Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. HCSB
I am overwhelmed by this verse over and over again. Will you look at it and then it's context with me?
Think of it in parts with me. Now - is in the moment, every moment!!! The God - Our One True God - who is the God of ALL GRACE promises to do this for us. I love that little word ALL!!! All is all; complete, whole with no ifs, ands or buts. I don't know about you but I tend to be the one who is always trying to add in the but what about this and what about that to God. I am often reminded that God's grace is based on Jesus and the fact that I am in Christ Jesus. It is never based on my worth, my ability to earn it etc and thank the Lord for that!!! Because of Jesus I receive ALL the grace God has to offer - with no exceptions!! Please God, help me to walk in the truth of this and convey that same grace to others with Your strength.
Did you see the next part of the verse? Remember the first part - THE GOD OF ALL GRACE - now for the next part - WILL PERSONALLY RESTORE, ESTABLISH, STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT YOU!! Those of us in Christ (we have accepted and trusted that Jesus died for OUR VERY OWN sin and was raised from the dead to give us new life) have the very God of the the universe, as our very own Father who will Himself restore us, establish us, strengthen us and support us!! Wow!!!! Thank You, Father God!!!
He is personally and intimately involved in your life as well as mine by the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirt - the Father will send Him in My Name - will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you."
Don't forget the last part of the verse (which in some other translations is at the beginning) - after you have suffered a little. Suffering is a part of the Christian life and life in general. It is to be expected - but we do not suffer without hope!! Romans 12:12, "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer." He promises to do all of this for us, but there is a caution that suffering is going to be involved in the process - it is inevitable. For all of us. But so is GRACE!! and so much more!!!
Look back at 1 Peter 5:6-9, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you. Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world."
Do you see our responsibility? God promises to personally restore, establish, strengthen and support us; however He requires that we humble ourselves before Him, trusting Him to do what He says He will. We must give Him our cares over and over again - every single time they rise up in our mind as cares again. We must be observant and pay attention because it is a fact that the Devil is our enemy and He wants to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10) us, our family's, and our lives. Anything he can do to render us ineffective for the kingdom of God is his plan. He doesn't care if we love the things of this life or do what the world says is acceptable (that is what he wants) - he only cares and fights us when we are seeking to bring God glory and to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Don't let that bring fear, but let it bring an awareness.
If you do not find yourself battling in this life - may I suggest a moment of reflection on what is important to you and what is your priority? This is a check that I use in analyzing myself to see if I am where God wants me. I am not saying storms and suffering will happen all the time, but if you find yourself rarely in the fight check your priorities and make sure that this earth is not your home. Hebrews 13:14, "For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come." Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Remember the rest of John 10:10, Jesus says that He has come that we may have life and have it in abundance. Are we walking in victory with Christ - in the spirit? Am I experiencing His restoration, strength and support in the midst of the suffering in this life? He says I can and I will!!!
Father God, thank You for the many truths of Your Word. Thank You for Your Grace, for the fact that You promise to personally restore, establish, strengthen and support us even as we experience suffering for a time. Thank You that You give us the ability to rejoice in You and hold on to Your Truth despite how we may feel. God, forgive me for often giving in to my feelings rather than taking my thoughts captive and walking in the truth of what I know. Thank You, Jesus for making all of this possible because You personally came to redeem and rescue us! You paid the sin debt that we could not. Please God, help us to walk in Your ways for Your glory. Use us as You will, in Jesus' Name.
Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. HCSB
I am overwhelmed by this verse over and over again. Will you look at it and then it's context with me?
Think of it in parts with me. Now - is in the moment, every moment!!! The God - Our One True God - who is the God of ALL GRACE promises to do this for us. I love that little word ALL!!! All is all; complete, whole with no ifs, ands or buts. I don't know about you but I tend to be the one who is always trying to add in the but what about this and what about that to God. I am often reminded that God's grace is based on Jesus and the fact that I am in Christ Jesus. It is never based on my worth, my ability to earn it etc and thank the Lord for that!!! Because of Jesus I receive ALL the grace God has to offer - with no exceptions!! Please God, help me to walk in the truth of this and convey that same grace to others with Your strength.
Did you see the next part of the verse? Remember the first part - THE GOD OF ALL GRACE - now for the next part - WILL PERSONALLY RESTORE, ESTABLISH, STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT YOU!! Those of us in Christ (we have accepted and trusted that Jesus died for OUR VERY OWN sin and was raised from the dead to give us new life) have the very God of the the universe, as our very own Father who will Himself restore us, establish us, strengthen us and support us!! Wow!!!! Thank You, Father God!!!
He is personally and intimately involved in your life as well as mine by the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirt - the Father will send Him in My Name - will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you."
Don't forget the last part of the verse (which in some other translations is at the beginning) - after you have suffered a little. Suffering is a part of the Christian life and life in general. It is to be expected - but we do not suffer without hope!! Romans 12:12, "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer." He promises to do all of this for us, but there is a caution that suffering is going to be involved in the process - it is inevitable. For all of us. But so is GRACE!! and so much more!!!
Look back at 1 Peter 5:6-9, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you. Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world."
Do you see our responsibility? God promises to personally restore, establish, strengthen and support us; however He requires that we humble ourselves before Him, trusting Him to do what He says He will. We must give Him our cares over and over again - every single time they rise up in our mind as cares again. We must be observant and pay attention because it is a fact that the Devil is our enemy and He wants to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10) us, our family's, and our lives. Anything he can do to render us ineffective for the kingdom of God is his plan. He doesn't care if we love the things of this life or do what the world says is acceptable (that is what he wants) - he only cares and fights us when we are seeking to bring God glory and to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Don't let that bring fear, but let it bring an awareness.
If you do not find yourself battling in this life - may I suggest a moment of reflection on what is important to you and what is your priority? This is a check that I use in analyzing myself to see if I am where God wants me. I am not saying storms and suffering will happen all the time, but if you find yourself rarely in the fight check your priorities and make sure that this earth is not your home. Hebrews 13:14, "For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come." Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Remember the rest of John 10:10, Jesus says that He has come that we may have life and have it in abundance. Are we walking in victory with Christ - in the spirit? Am I experiencing His restoration, strength and support in the midst of the suffering in this life? He says I can and I will!!!
Father God, thank You for the many truths of Your Word. Thank You for Your Grace, for the fact that You promise to personally restore, establish, strengthen and support us even as we experience suffering for a time. Thank You that You give us the ability to rejoice in You and hold on to Your Truth despite how we may feel. God, forgive me for often giving in to my feelings rather than taking my thoughts captive and walking in the truth of what I know. Thank You, Jesus for making all of this possible because You personally came to redeem and rescue us! You paid the sin debt that we could not. Please God, help us to walk in Your ways for Your glory. Use us as You will, in Jesus' Name.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
More than we can bear?!?
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (HCSB) No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it.
"God won't allow anything more than what you can bear." I hear this all of the time and it bothers me greatly because it just isn't true!!! The Bible does not say that. The verse that it is taken from
1 Corinthians 10:13 in context is referring to idolatry and sin. This verse and passage is saying that sin is common to all of us and that nothing will tempt us that hasn't already tempted someone else; however God is always there with us as believers. He promises to provide a way out from under the temptation, a way of escape, a way out so that we can endure and not fall INTO SIN. This promise has nothing to do with not having to face trials in our lives that won't break us or cause us to question and wonder at times if we will survive!!!
We have probably all said it at one time or another "Oh, God won't give you more than you can handle. It will be okay just trust God, He won't let you deal with more than you can bear." I am hear to tell you this is wrong and not biblical at all.
I have personally been to the point of not being able to handle "life" and all that it entails several times, even to the point of death and I know that I know that God was there with me at all times and yet He definitely allowed to me to face more than I could bear - because the fact is having to face more than I can manage helped me to realize that life is all about Him, that He is able and sufficient to handle anything - Not me! Not ever me!! There are times in all of our lives - in a variety of ways - that God allows things or we face things because we live in a fallen and sinful world and these are the times that we can see God most clearly. Not on the mountain top, but in the valley, the pit or in my case - under the pit ;)
Look at Job. He lost every single thing he had in this world besides his wife (Job 1). He called on God. He trusted God. But he struggled. He hurt in every way, emotionally, physically, mentally. He did not passively say "Oh well, I know God won't allow more than I can bear!" God did allow more than he could bear - from a human standpoint he was devastated - he would never be the same! He lost all of his children!! He lost all he had! And yet he knew that most important was that he belonged to God. He mourned, he lamented. He didn't pretend he was fine and that is wasn't a big deal! It was a huge deal!! He was human, it hurt like crazy!! And it was more than he could bear but he knew it was not more than his God could bear. He trusted God.
Do you think David enjoyed being hunted down by someone he thought loved him as a son (1 Samuel 15...)? Do you think it was no big deal for Hannah to be barren (1 Samuel 8...)? Do you think it was fun for Elijah to be chased down by an evil woman with such power (1 King 19...)? What about Paul? Do you think being in jail, stoned, etc. didn't bother him? Or Peter? On and on I could go.
Honestly, we all forget that those in the Bible were real people facing real emotions. Look at their stories and realize that the common denominator is that they suffered, they struggled and yet they knew their God was bigger - not their ability to bear up under the hurts, but His ability to see them through. It is wrong of us to say to that parent who lost their child - God won't give you any more than you can handle. Or the one facing the cancer diagnosis... on and on. Romans 12:15 says, "...weep with those who weep." We are to give one another the freedom to grieve. Our job is to point them to the fact that they are never alone, no matter how they feel. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us - He never ever leaves!!
So let's remember that when we are tempted to sin that this is not the same as dealing with hurt and loss or a life event that may overwhelm us. The fact is that there will be many life events - good and bad that overwhelm us and God will use them to remind us that we are not alone. That He has a plan and a purpose for us and He is at work. We will still be tempted sin in the midst of the hurt because we are human but we can know that God never leaves us and trust that He is at work drawing us to Himself and making us more like Him even in the unexplainable. We are here to bring Him glory and point others to Him. We will hurt, we will face loss, we will even be broken beyond what we can bear at times - but never alone, never abandoned by Him. He will see you through even when you do not see how He possibly could, or even if you doubt that He will. He can take your honesty - go to Him!! To come to the end of ourselves is the goal!! To rely fully on God!!!
Psalm 51:17 "a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise." (Matthew 5:3; Luke 18:14). Brokenness before the Lord is beautiful and something He can work with. To humble ourselves before God is what He has called us to. To recognize that we can do nothing on our own.
Father God, I know I have jumped on my soap box today. Please, Lord, use Your Words to encourage us. Help us to not fall into the trap of the enemy that nothing too hard will happen to us if we walk with the Lord. It just isn't true. Suffering happens. Life is hard even in the midst of good things. In our pride we often think we are in control and to suffer or fall is a reminder that we are weak, but Your grace is sufficient and You remind us that You are with us at all times. You are at work to bring about good for those that love You and are called according to Your purpose. Help us as we forget that the ultimate good for us is our arrival in heaven. The ultimate healing. The freedom from hurts will be in heaven in Your Presence for all eternity. This life is not heaven. This world is not our home. Forgive us for living as if it is and not having the urgency to tell others of the good news of the gospel of Christ. That Jesus alone is the answer - we have no other answer!! Thank You for Your forgiveness and Your unfailing love for us. May we love others with Your love and may we say less and love more.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (HCSB) No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it.
"God won't allow anything more than what you can bear." I hear this all of the time and it bothers me greatly because it just isn't true!!! The Bible does not say that. The verse that it is taken from
1 Corinthians 10:13 in context is referring to idolatry and sin. This verse and passage is saying that sin is common to all of us and that nothing will tempt us that hasn't already tempted someone else; however God is always there with us as believers. He promises to provide a way out from under the temptation, a way of escape, a way out so that we can endure and not fall INTO SIN. This promise has nothing to do with not having to face trials in our lives that won't break us or cause us to question and wonder at times if we will survive!!!
We have probably all said it at one time or another "Oh, God won't give you more than you can handle. It will be okay just trust God, He won't let you deal with more than you can bear." I am hear to tell you this is wrong and not biblical at all.
I have personally been to the point of not being able to handle "life" and all that it entails several times, even to the point of death and I know that I know that God was there with me at all times and yet He definitely allowed to me to face more than I could bear - because the fact is having to face more than I can manage helped me to realize that life is all about Him, that He is able and sufficient to handle anything - Not me! Not ever me!! There are times in all of our lives - in a variety of ways - that God allows things or we face things because we live in a fallen and sinful world and these are the times that we can see God most clearly. Not on the mountain top, but in the valley, the pit or in my case - under the pit ;)
Look at Job. He lost every single thing he had in this world besides his wife (Job 1). He called on God. He trusted God. But he struggled. He hurt in every way, emotionally, physically, mentally. He did not passively say "Oh well, I know God won't allow more than I can bear!" God did allow more than he could bear - from a human standpoint he was devastated - he would never be the same! He lost all of his children!! He lost all he had! And yet he knew that most important was that he belonged to God. He mourned, he lamented. He didn't pretend he was fine and that is wasn't a big deal! It was a huge deal!! He was human, it hurt like crazy!! And it was more than he could bear but he knew it was not more than his God could bear. He trusted God.
Do you think David enjoyed being hunted down by someone he thought loved him as a son (1 Samuel 15...)? Do you think it was no big deal for Hannah to be barren (1 Samuel 8...)? Do you think it was fun for Elijah to be chased down by an evil woman with such power (1 King 19...)? What about Paul? Do you think being in jail, stoned, etc. didn't bother him? Or Peter? On and on I could go.
Honestly, we all forget that those in the Bible were real people facing real emotions. Look at their stories and realize that the common denominator is that they suffered, they struggled and yet they knew their God was bigger - not their ability to bear up under the hurts, but His ability to see them through. It is wrong of us to say to that parent who lost their child - God won't give you any more than you can handle. Or the one facing the cancer diagnosis... on and on. Romans 12:15 says, "...weep with those who weep." We are to give one another the freedom to grieve. Our job is to point them to the fact that they are never alone, no matter how they feel. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us - He never ever leaves!!
So let's remember that when we are tempted to sin that this is not the same as dealing with hurt and loss or a life event that may overwhelm us. The fact is that there will be many life events - good and bad that overwhelm us and God will use them to remind us that we are not alone. That He has a plan and a purpose for us and He is at work. We will still be tempted sin in the midst of the hurt because we are human but we can know that God never leaves us and trust that He is at work drawing us to Himself and making us more like Him even in the unexplainable. We are here to bring Him glory and point others to Him. We will hurt, we will face loss, we will even be broken beyond what we can bear at times - but never alone, never abandoned by Him. He will see you through even when you do not see how He possibly could, or even if you doubt that He will. He can take your honesty - go to Him!! To come to the end of ourselves is the goal!! To rely fully on God!!!
Psalm 51:17 "a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise." (Matthew 5:3; Luke 18:14). Brokenness before the Lord is beautiful and something He can work with. To humble ourselves before God is what He has called us to. To recognize that we can do nothing on our own.
Father God, I know I have jumped on my soap box today. Please, Lord, use Your Words to encourage us. Help us to not fall into the trap of the enemy that nothing too hard will happen to us if we walk with the Lord. It just isn't true. Suffering happens. Life is hard even in the midst of good things. In our pride we often think we are in control and to suffer or fall is a reminder that we are weak, but Your grace is sufficient and You remind us that You are with us at all times. You are at work to bring about good for those that love You and are called according to Your purpose. Help us as we forget that the ultimate good for us is our arrival in heaven. The ultimate healing. The freedom from hurts will be in heaven in Your Presence for all eternity. This life is not heaven. This world is not our home. Forgive us for living as if it is and not having the urgency to tell others of the good news of the gospel of Christ. That Jesus alone is the answer - we have no other answer!! Thank You for Your forgiveness and Your unfailing love for us. May we love others with Your love and may we say less and love more.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Authenticity with Jesus and Others
I have read a few interesting books lately. One is entitled “No More Faking Fine” by
Esther Fleece. I found this book after a
friend sent me a YouTube video of an interview in which Esther Fleece talks
about her book. I highly recommend it –
it is 45 minutes that is well worth the time. Anyway, after watching the interview multiple times and sharing it with
many different people I felt the Lord leading me to purchase the book. It was excellent and very impactful, just as
the video was. Would you consider
watching it?
This book is about lamenting or about recognizing and
admitting that we as believers hurt.
“Lament is simply expressing honest emotions to God when life is not
going as planned.” God wants our
sad. He is not distressed by our
emotions of sadness – we need only look to David, or Jeremiah or Hannah or
Jesus Himself…. For some reason though in the church and as believers we have
conditioned ourselves or been tricked by the enemy that to share authentically
and vulnerably is a bad thing or at the very least is an inconvenience. This is so wrong. I believe that God intends to break us of our
pride and our self-sufficiency by using these hurts we experience to enable us
to see that He is the only one who is able to meet our every need. Then we are able to share the hope we find in
Jesus with others in a way that meets them where they are because it is real –
it is ours and it becomes theirs. Jesus
is our only hope!!
At one point in the book, Esther Fleece makes a few
statements that the Lord has used to impact me profoundly. “The only way to process the loss of the life
we had hoped for is to lament. And one
of the kindest things we can do for each other is to offer a safe space where
we don’t have to do it alone. The
ministry of presence is one of the greatest gifts we have to offer each other,
especially in the midst of heartache.” (p. 188). This is it!! God has called me to the
ministry of presence. He has been
showing me this for many years. It is
crucial that we come alongside one another and live life beyond the
surface. The enemy of our soul tries to
keep up from facing life head on with Jesus by convincing us to put on a mask
or pretend that all is well when that is not the case. We all struggle and admitting that is a great
beginning or connecting point in sharing Jesus with a lost and dying world!!
Consider Psalm 13.
1)
LORD, how long will You forget me? Forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2)
How long will I store up anxious concerns
within me, agony in my mind every day?
How long will my enemy dominate me?
3)
Consider me and answer, LORD my God. Restore brightness to my eyes; otherwise I
will sleep in death.
4)
My enemy will say, ‘I have triumphed over
him,’ and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5)
But have trusted in Your faithful love; my
heart will rejoice in Your deliverance.
6)
I will sing to the LORD because He had
treated me generously.
Do you see how David took his “lament” to God? How he shared fully his hurts, his fears, his
doubts and then his hopes and ultimately turned to praising God? This is a phenomenon only our Lord can do for
us! To go to Him honestly and without
restraint is a gift He has given us! (Hebrews 4:16) And in turn He restores us, our trust, our
awareness that He is mighty, that He is in control and no matter what things
look like around us or what is done to us – He loves us and He holds us in His
mighty hand!! (Jeremiah 30:17; Psalm
51:12; Isaiah 57:18; 1 Peter 5:10; John 10:29).
It is an ongoing process, a journey. I want to do this journey His way and not my
own.
Father God, I thank
You that though this journey can be awfully hard the fact is that when we
belong to You we never walk alone. Thank
You for Your provision at all times and in all ways – regardless of what we see
or don’t see. Thank You that we can
bring it all to You without fear and know that You are at work. Help us Lord to be willing to do the hard
things of facing our hurts – those we experience and those we cause – both for
ourselves and alongside the others that You put in our path. We all hurt, Lord, this is just a fact (John
16:33), but please allow us to surrender to You so that You may use our hurts
to point others to the hope that we have in You, Jesus. Help us not to get stuck in our hurts, but to
lament and process them so that You may use them for Your glory in Your time
and in Your way. In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
I can...because of Jesus
A look at a few of Paul's words in Philippians.
Philippians 1:20b-21, I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
Philippians 2:12b-13, Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Philippians 3:10a, I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him.
Philippians 4:11b, I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
Philippians 4:13, I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.
I have been contemplating my lack of contentment and in so doing I found myself looking at Paul and wondering how he claimed contentment?
He trusted Christ, period, whether he was to live or die, no matter what came. He knew that He belonged to Christ and thus he would live for Him, regardless and he looked forward to dying. In other words, he did not worry about what was happening to him or what would happen to him. He trusted Christ. Oh God, I want to trust You like this. Give me the faith of a child.
He tells me it is vital that we work hard revealing the fact that I am saved through Christ and to be determined to obey God, no excuses. After all, God, Himself, is the one who works in me giving the very desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Father God, please forgive me for trying to do things in my own power instead of using my energy to be determined to obey You. I am often more concerned with what I am doing instead of whom I am doing it for. I trust You to provide the desire and the power. I do want to please You.
Paul's desire was to know Christ and experience His mighty power. Is that my desire? Do I truly want to know Christ and experience more of Him or do I just say that I do? Am I wiling to suffer with Him/for Him? His contentment came with this and the fact that whatever came he knew he could do it because Christ would give him the strength he needed. He was never left on his own. Jesus, please give me the desire to know You and experience You more each day. May I not be content with anything less than to know You more. And may I trust, really trust that You will provide all the strength I need no matter what.
Father God, may You receive glory from my life and this daily struggle to surrender fully to You. I pray for Your strength to be content and full of joy. You alone know me and understand my battles and yet You promise victory, ultimately. May I put my eyes on You with more regularity and may I truly desire You as evidenced by my actions not just my words. I know that anything is possible with You, Jesus. Thank You for providing all that I need to live this life for Your purpose. Have Your will and way in me...
Philippians 1:20b-21, I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
Philippians 2:12b-13, Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Philippians 3:10a, I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him.
Philippians 4:11b, I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
Philippians 4:13, I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.
I have been contemplating my lack of contentment and in so doing I found myself looking at Paul and wondering how he claimed contentment?
He trusted Christ, period, whether he was to live or die, no matter what came. He knew that He belonged to Christ and thus he would live for Him, regardless and he looked forward to dying. In other words, he did not worry about what was happening to him or what would happen to him. He trusted Christ. Oh God, I want to trust You like this. Give me the faith of a child.
He tells me it is vital that we work hard revealing the fact that I am saved through Christ and to be determined to obey God, no excuses. After all, God, Himself, is the one who works in me giving the very desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Father God, please forgive me for trying to do things in my own power instead of using my energy to be determined to obey You. I am often more concerned with what I am doing instead of whom I am doing it for. I trust You to provide the desire and the power. I do want to please You.
Paul's desire was to know Christ and experience His mighty power. Is that my desire? Do I truly want to know Christ and experience more of Him or do I just say that I do? Am I wiling to suffer with Him/for Him? His contentment came with this and the fact that whatever came he knew he could do it because Christ would give him the strength he needed. He was never left on his own. Jesus, please give me the desire to know You and experience You more each day. May I not be content with anything less than to know You more. And may I trust, really trust that You will provide all the strength I need no matter what.
Father God, may You receive glory from my life and this daily struggle to surrender fully to You. I pray for Your strength to be content and full of joy. You alone know me and understand my battles and yet You promise victory, ultimately. May I put my eyes on You with more regularity and may I truly desire You as evidenced by my actions not just my words. I know that anything is possible with You, Jesus. Thank You for providing all that I need to live this life for Your purpose. Have Your will and way in me...
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