Tag Archive | God

It’s time to put aside spiritual laziness

As Christians we need to daily be refilled with God’s wisdom. We can make poor decisions that may have disastrous effects by making decisions based on feelings alone. When we operate without God’s wisdom we often lack good long term judgement. Perhaps the reason so many Christians are fumbling from one bad situation to the next is because they don’t feed themselves daily on the word. Instead, they run from one person to the next asking for help and guidance. I am sure we have all done this at one time or another but it is a really foolish way to go through our walk.

God will not give us a pass for laziness when it comes to falling into sin or our love waxing cold. We are to be diligently seeking Him and to do so requires we get into the Bible regularly. Anything less is asking for trouble. Some would rather have a t.v. preacher pray for their problems instead of getting on their face before God and seeking answers from the only one who can truly bring about the BEST result. We have an obligation to keep our hearts and thoughts right before Him and the only way to do this is through studying His word and praying.

There are Pastors worldwide overwrought with burdens from their parishioners who should be seeking God for their answers and not running to their Pastor every time they have an issue. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t go to our Pastors when we need advice, prayer or counselling. That is why God has anointed some for leadership but we are NOT to be running to them or anyone else because instead of seeking God ourselves we have chosen to be lazy and want someone else to get on their knees before God and seek His wisdom on their behalf!

Unless we are a new believer, we need to put away the milk and start eating the solid food of God’s word for ourselves. We need to be daily spending time with the “lover of our soul” and not always asking someone else to do it on our behalf. We need to grow up! It is each of our own responsibility to keep our walk with God right. No one else can do this for us. Then, as we come together collectively as a body, we are able to worship and pray in power and might. Each one contributing out of what God has given them.

There will always be situations where we need the intercession of others. It is a blessing and privilege as a Christian to have each other to turn to when in need. However, this shouldn’t be our daily routine. Let’s put away spiritual laziness and wake up to our own spiritual responsibility. When we do so, we are a mighty collective force!

1John 2:27 NIV ²⁷As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Psalm 119:18 NIV ¹⁸Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 NIV ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures,which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Joshua 1:8 NIV This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 119:105 NIV ¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

And finally…. 2Timothy2:15 NIV ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Commit yourself to spending time studying and in prayer daily and watch how God will give you the wisdom you need to walk your journey of faith and be a blessing to others!

James 1:5 NIV 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Faith and action go hand in hand

Jul27

If we really believe Christ is who He says He is and that He willingly suffered great agony and laid down His life for us to have salvation and intimate fellowship with God than we need to act like it! When we think about all that He has done for each of us we can’t ignore the fact He did this for each and every man, woman and child born. Knowing this we need to live our lives demonstrating the great love He has shown us to others. We need to wake up every morning and ask God what we can do this day to show His love and mercy to others. There are so many walking wounded looking for help in a world that can only offer temporary relief. You may be the only way they see Christ on any given day and therefore it’s so important we live our lives of faith demonstrating that wonderful love. There are several Bible verses telling us of the importance of not keeping our faith to ourselves but actually living it out.

James 2:14-26 NIV ¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder.²⁰You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Titus 3:8 NIV ⁸This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Hebrews 6:10 NIV ¹⁰God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

It’s pretty safe to say that both faith and works go hand in hand. By faith in Christ we are redeemed and joined in the family but we are not to be selfish and keep it to ourselves. God desires that we reach out to others and love them as He loves them. We are to be obedient to the things He tells us to do. Sometimes that can be something as simple as helping someone on the roadside change a tire. Other times we have an chance to pray with someone needing a touch from God or for salvation. The opportunities are endless!

Our first responsibility is to stay in close communion with Christ through prayer and reading the word. Then out of that sweet relationship we are to carry out anything and everything God asks us to do. If we try to do works without a relationship to Christ we are than simply being religious and God despises religious behavior. For example Jesus Himself said in Mark 12:38-40 NIV ³⁸As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

When we do stay in close communion with Christ we can’t help but want to do for others. It flows naturally out of the love He has shed abroad in our hearts! If you find yourself unmotivated to serve others or share your faith it’s time to do a heart check and see just how far you may have wandered from that sweet intimacy God offers. Spend the time it takes in prayer asking for God to reveal whatever it is that you have allowed to come between the two of you and once you have confessed it before Him ask Him what it is that you can do today to demonstrate His love to others.

Hebrews 13:16 NIV ¹⁶And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Flat tire (Photo credit: Alicia Nijdam)

Peace is available during the storms

Jul24

Yesterday my hubby and I visited a Doctor for a current health issue we are dealing with. When I looked around in the waiting room I couldn’t help but feel sad for others there that may not have God in their lives, having to deal with a crisis without Him. Too many people struggle through situations without the peace that He promises and offers to us when we rely on Him. It’s a peace that is supernatural. In our natural minds, everything cries out to worry when we come across a situation in life that we don’t understand, didn’t expect or can’t resolve on our own. As believers, however, we can turn to God and ask for His wisdom in our decision making, and His peace and assurance to carry us through the ordeal. He doesn’t DISAPPOINT!

If we find ourselves in such a situation, we only need to look to His word for our source of help. The Psalms alone, have so many awesome verses to claim during times of need..

Psalm 46:1,2 NIV ¹God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Psalm 121:1,2,3 NIV¹I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? ²My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. ³He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber.

God cares not only for the sick in body but the sick in heart.. Psalm 34:18,19 NIV ¹⁸The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 107:13-15 NIV ¹¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.¹⁴He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. ¹⁵Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

and finally Psalm 71:1-3 NIV sums it all up.. ¹In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. ²In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me.³Be my rock of refuge,to which I can ALWAYS GO; give the command to save me, for YOU ARE MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS.

If you are a child of God through Christ, it’s time to take Him at His word. He will be there for you during your difficulty and see you through! He promises and He cannot go back on His promises. Numbers 23:19 NIV ¹⁹God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Hebrews 6:17,18 NIV ¹⁷Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.

Wenceslas Hollar – The Psalms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Who does God say we are?

Jul19

When we look in the mirror in the morning we sometimes don’t like what we see. A little older, messier, crazy haired, or perhaps just plain tired. Too often we take that image of who we are and make it our identity. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we have accepted Christ as our Savior and become a child of God we have an identity that in our natural eyes we can’t see. It is our true identity however, as it is how our Heavenly Father sees us. If we live out of our old identity we find ourselves never quite feeling like we measure up. We lack confidence and therefore often find it hard to love others due to our own lack of self love. It prevents us from accomplishing the amazing things God has planned for each of us to do.

It is time for the body of Christ to live in our true identity. This identity can be found in the word of God. Thankfully God no longer sees us as we see ourselves and He wants us to live in our new identity. Christ died so that we could be made clean before our Father and walk in fellowship with Him daily. So how does God see those that have been born again into the Kingdom of God by accepting Christ?

If we don’t know, or haven’t really understood our new identity than it’s time we did. It will free us to become all that God wants us to be. Here are some verses that show how the Father now sees us….

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 3:16 NIV ¹⁶Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Peter 2:9 NIV ⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 NIV ⁴For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.

2 Corinthians 5:18,19 NIV ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

And here is a beautiful description of who we are and how we can now live! Romans 8:14,15 NIV ¹⁴For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

John 15:15,16 NIV ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

God chose us. What an amazing realization! Not only are we His children but we are His friends!

Romans 8:37 NIV ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Ephesians 2:6 NIV ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Ephesians 2:19 NIV ¹⁹Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.

God no longer sees us as foreigners outside His family but has welcomed us as His children and His friends. We are seated in Heavenly places in Christ. We have no excuse to go through life living out of our old nature when He has made us so much more in Christ. It’s time to start identifying ourselves as God sees us and living a victorious life through Him. The next time you look in the mirror and feel disappointment, remind yourself by quoting any of the above verses of who you REALLY are in Christ. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Once we believe and live out of our true identity in Christ, we are free to go out and help others without all the entanglements of insecurity. We are free to accomplish great things!

I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!

Basking in His Love

Jul17

There are so many blessings that come from being a child of God. We have His protection, His provision, His anointing on our life and His guidance in our daily walk. The greatest thing we have, over all these things, is His love and what a love it is! In our busyness of life we often forget just how much He loves us. Let’s reacquaint ourselves with that love by His words to us….

The ultimate demonstration of God’s love for us came through the birth and death of His son on our behalf, John 3:16 NIV ¹⁶For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The King of the Universe loved us so much that even the price of His own precious Son was not too much to offer in order to restore fellowship with us. Let’s hope we NEVER take that for granted.

Here are some other verses to meditate on, illustrating an awesome love from an awesome God…

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Ephesians 2:4,5 NIV ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved.

A beautiful promise for anyone seeking God, Proverbs 8:17 NIV ¹⁷I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

1John 4:9,10 NIV ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Job 34:19 NIV ¹⁹who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?

And one of my favourite verses, Psalm 86:15 NIV ¹⁵But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

1Peter 5:6,7 NIV ⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

We don’t need to carry around our anxieties and worries but can lay them at His feet and He promises to take care of us.

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV ¹⁷The Lord your God is with you,the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

This verse sums up just how very precious we are to Him, Romans 8:37-39 NIV ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is literally nothing or no one that can separate us from God’s love!!! No circumstances, no persecution, no individual, NOTHING can separate us from His love through Christ.

When we really grasp just how much He loves us and cares for us we can understand the importance of the following command,

John 13:34,35 NIV ³⁴“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Bask in His words of love to you until you understand just how deep that love is and then go out and love one another as Christ would love.

Spiritual Drought?

Jul16

We are currently experiencing very dry conditions in our community. Lawns that usually are green and beautiful are currently looking very burnt and barren! Though we have had wonderful hot temperatures, which most of us Canadians are glad to experience in our short Summer season, there has been very little rain. It really doesn’t take long before that lack of rain shows itself in our gardens, lawns and our wells for those of us that live in the country. It is rather amazing just how short a time need pass before the lack of rain shows itself in our surroundings.

As believers, we too can experience dry barren times. The source of the trouble is often the same. We lack water. The water being the word of God. Without going to the Bible daily for refreshment and growth we begin to dry up. We too need daily watering to keep ourselves strong in body, mind and spirit. It is through reading our Bibles that we grow up spiritually. We begin to see things as God sees them. We are beautifully transformed by the word.

Ephesians 5:25-27 NIV “Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

If you are finding yourself spiritually parched it’s time you drank from the well of the word. Get yourself into a daily habit of spending time reading your Bible without interruption. It’s vital for us Christians if we want to walk in the way God has called us to walk. We can’t make a difference in our homes, our towns or our world if we are dry and barren and have nothing to give. In North America where we still enjoy religious freedom we have NO excuse but laziness for not picking up our Bibles and being refreshed. Make it part of your daily routine and you will reap the awesome benefits and so will those around you!

Isaiah 40:8 NIV ⁸The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. ”

Feeling dry? It’s time to soak in God’s word.

English: Dry earth in the Sonora desert, Mexico. Español: Tierra seca en el Desierto de Sonora, México. Français : Terre asséchée du Désert de Sonora, au Mexique. Deutsch: Trockenrisse in der Sonora-Wüste, Mexico. 日本語: 乾いた大地、メキシコのソノラ砂漠にて。 Nederlands: Uitgedroogde bodem in de Mexicaanse Sonorawoestijn Polski: Wysuszona ziemia na pustyni Sonora w Meksyku. Português: Terra seca no deserto de Sonora, México. Русский: Высушенная земля в пустыне Сонора, Мексика. 中文: 墨西哥索诺兰沙漠干枯的土地。 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From the Heart to the Mouth

Jul13

How many times during the day do we speak without really thinking first? Sometimes the conversation is quite innocent. What do you think about this weather? How’s your family? etc. etc. No harm is done. It is just polite conversation that we use to engage with others.

Not all conversation is so innocent. We have all, at one time or another, gossiped or criticized others or repeated something we knew we shouldn’t, often without even thinking about what we were going to say before it slipped out! Our mouths are capable of bringing encouragement and blessings to others or harm and destruction. Wars have been started over words and wars have been ended by words. Our mouths have a lot of power behind them! It’s been my prayer that God would daily remind me to use my words more carefully. To stop and weigh my words before spitting them out.

There is so much negativity around us. I like to follow the news but seldom is there anything edifying or uplifting to be found. It is usually full of wars, disasters, abuse and crime. Good news is hard to come by! The world is full of individuals that focus on the negative in their lives. We all know people like this. They are the walking wounded that seldom have anything positive to say about their own lives or anyone elses. I’m not referring to people that are going through a difficult period and need encouragement here. We all need this from time to time but there are those who through their own confession have NOTHING good to say about anything or anyone. They are trapped in a cycle of voicing their woes and then experiencing exactly what they voice.

The Bible tells us that, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.” Matthew 15:18 NIV What we say out loud is just an example of what is going on in our hearts. If you find yourself being critical or negative on a regular basis it’s time to do some self examining. Our negative words can be an overflow of bitterness or unforgiveness from inside us. If so, it’s time to get on our knees and confess it before God and ask for God’s forgiveness and also by an act of our will we need to forgive others we may be holding a grudge against. If we don’t deal with whatever is causing our negativity we will go around causing unnecessary hurt and damage to others by our words.

Just as we have the potential to cause pain to others with our words, we also have the ability to bring love, blessings and encouragement into their lives. I know when I have gone through really difficult days and someone has called with a word of encouragement it’s been so uplifting. Believers need to take serious God’s word and the importance it places on the power of our spoken words.

Proverbs 18:21 NIV ²¹The tongue has the power of life and death.

Proverbs 13:3 NIV ³Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,
but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

Ephesians 4:29 NIV ²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Proverbs 16:24 NIV ²⁴Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Colossians 3:8 NIV ⁸But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Matthew 12:37 NIV ³⁷For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Start fresh…ask God to help you guard your tongue and think before speaking. There are many people out there needing a kind word.

Words (Photo credit: sirwiseowl)

God is in the details

Jul10

It is an exciting thing to live in God’s care. To be a child of God and follower of Christ gives us so many blessings and provisions others that don’t know Him miss out on. I just finished reading the book of Esther again. I have read it many times over the years but every time I read it I get so much more out of it. During this last year God has been teaching me how important it is to trust Him when things in life can be so utterly chaotic. It goes without saying that this time when I read Esther I was amazed to see how God could be seen in the smallest of details! We often look for Him to come to our rescue in a big grandiose manner but often He comes in ways that could easily be overlooked if we we don’t have our senses exercised by reason of use! (Hebrews 5:14)

I encourage everyone to read the book of Esther. It is an awesome book revealing how God is always looking out for His people and how He will always deliver His people when they turn to Him.

Esther is a young Jewish woman who was left orphaned when both of her parents die. After their death she is cared for by her relative-caretaker Mordecai. Mordecai hears of the King’s desire to replace his disrepectful current wife (Queen Vashti) with a new wife and works to get Esther presented as a potential bride to be. Esther 2:15-17 NIV¹⁵When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail ) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. ¹⁶She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.¹⁷Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

King Xerxes is not aware that Esther or Mordecai are Jewish. Mordecai has told Esther she is not to mention their nationality to the King and she respects his wishes. Then one day Mordecai hears of a plot to overthrow King Xerxes by two of the men working for the King. Esther 2:21-23 NIV ²¹During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. ²²But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. ²³And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

By Mordecai’s intervention, the King is saved. At that time Haman, a worker for the King, receives a hefty promotion because of the intervention. He does not give Mordecai any of the credit but instead resents Mordecai because of Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to Haman and his status. Esther 3:1-15 NIV 3 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. ²All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.³Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” ⁴Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.⁵When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. ⁶Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.⁷In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot ) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.⁸Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. ⁹If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”¹⁰So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹“Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”¹²Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. ¹³Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews —young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. ¹⁴A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.¹⁵The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

After hearing of the script, Mordecai informs Esther of it’s seriousness and the risk it brings to all their people. Esther 4:1-17 NIV 4 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes,and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. ²But he went only as far as the king’s gate,because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. ³In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.⁴When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.⁵Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.⁶So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. ⁷Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. ⁸He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.⁹Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. ¹⁰Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, ¹¹“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law:that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”¹²When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, ¹³he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”¹⁵Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”¹⁷So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

During this time, it was forbidden for anyone to approach the King without him having summoned them. Esther knew she would run the risk of being killed if she were to approach the King without his asking but she also knew that death would be imminent for not only her but all the Jews if she didn’t try. Esther 5:1-8 NIV 5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. ²When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.³Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,it will be given you.”⁴“If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”⁵“Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. ⁶As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”⁷Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: ⁸If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

Esther lays out a plan in which she will inform the King of the danger Haman has brought to her and her people. Haman however, is excited that only he and the King have been invited to the banquet. He brags to his wife Zeresh, who than suggests he get the gallows ready for Mordecai to be hanged. He is basking in what he believes to be the unfolding of his plan to have Mordecai destroyed along with his people. Esther 5:9-14 NIV ⁹Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. ¹⁰Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, ¹¹Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. ¹²“And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. ¹³But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate. ”¹⁴His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

Haman in all his arrogance and pride has no knowledge of what’s to come. That night King Xerxes could not sleep. He calls for one of his servants to bring him the book of chronicles of his reign to be read to him. A coincidence? I don’t think so! Esther 6:1-14 NIV6 That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. ²It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.³“What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.“Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.⁴The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.⁵His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.”“Bring him in,” the king ordered.⁶When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” ⁷So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, ⁸have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. ⁹Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor! ’”¹⁰“Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”¹¹So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”¹²Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, ¹³and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” ¹⁴While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.

What an awesome detail. Because the King could not sleep he decided to review events that had happened in his Kingdom. By doing this it is brought to mind how Mordecai had actually saved his life and was never recognized or rewarded for it. That one little detail would not only soften the King’s heart towards Mordecai but would create in him a desire to reward Mordecai. Both of these things became important when the following day the King is made aware of Haman’s intentions towards not only his wife, but Mordecai and all his people. Esther 7:1-10 NIV 7 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, ²and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted. ”³Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. ⁴For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”⁵King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”⁶Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. ⁷The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate,stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.⁸Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. ⁹Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”The king said, “Impale him on it!” ¹⁰

With Haman out of the way, Esther set about having the King write a new edict allowing the Jews to protect themselves when they were to be attacked. Esther 8:1-17 NIV 8 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. ²The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.³Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.⁵“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. ⁶For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”⁷King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. ⁸Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring —for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”⁹At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.¹⁰Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.¹¹The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. ¹²The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. ¹³A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.¹⁴The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.¹⁵When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. ¹⁶For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. ¹⁷In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

The book of Esther is filled with so many examples of God using people and circumstances to bring about his ultimate goal of blessing and protecting His people. The vilest intentions against us can be turned around when we put our trust in God.

How do I know this? Because His word says so..

Joshua 1:9 NIV ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 91:15,15 NIV ¹⁴“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.¹⁵He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

Isaiah 41:10 NIV ¹⁰So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Hebrews 13:5 NIV ⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.“

Esther and Mordecai

The Price of Entitlement

Jul4

Sadly, we live in a world where a great many are growing up with an overblown sense of entitlement. Many adult children have rejected the idea that their parents raised them and that as adults they should now support themselves and stand on their own two feet. Instead they believe their parents should still be funding their lifestyle and bailing them out of any mess they should get themselves into. They spend little or no time with their parents just enjoying their company and when these parents get a call from them they know that it comes with a request or demand! These kids shun responsibility and instead expect others to foot the bill for their needs and greeds. Though it would have been much easier to deal with this type of behavior when their children were young, it’s never too late to turn the tide and put their foot down. The longer a parent enables this type of behavior the longer the enabled will continue to drain them of emotional and financial resources.

Though most of us parents really enjoy helping out our adult children out of love, we should never feel that continuing to do so, while the adult child is not contributing, is a loving thing to do. Our ultimate goal as parents is to raise children to become functioning, self supporting adults that will eventually contribute positively to society. Blessings and support we give to our adult children should be out of our free will and not out of a guilt ridden sense of duty. When we see them working hard and taking care of themselves and their loved ones we often want to do what we can to support that. If we ,as parents, are able to give of our time, our resources or financially and we see them actively working towards this on their own than it is a pleasure to offer our support! However, if we see them living a selfish, irresponsible lifestyle it would be foolhardy to enable that lifestyle to continue. There comes a time for everyone to finally grow up!

In our walk with God we too can become like that adult child who looks to our Heavenly Father to intervene and bail us out of messes we have gotten ourselves into by our selfishness and irresponsibility. Some look to God like Santa Claus. They spend little or no time in His word or in prayer with Him yet cry out to Him with a list of demands and expect Him to meet them without any of the responsibility of obedience to Him or His word.

As believers, we are able to come before our Father and make our requests known. Not on our own merit but thankfully by the price Christ paid for us on the cross. Through our belief in Him and what He has done for us, we are given a special entitlement to the throne of God. However, we are not to behave as though that price came cheap! The Bible has much to say about our part in maintaining an unstrained relationship with our Father. That part involves our coming to Him through Jesus our Savior and walking in obedience to His word. If we are His children and understand the price He paid for our salvation and freedom we should want to walk in the way He has called us to walk. A way that keeps us in close fellowship with Him. A way that keeps our heart right before Him so that when we do come to God with our requests these requests are not rooted in selfishness alone. He loves His kids and promises to hear our cries. He also requires that for our relationship with Him to be maintained we hold up our end of the relationship. He would not be the wonderful Heavenly Father He is if He did all the giving and required nothing of us in return. It would be no different than the parent who raised their children to believe the world revolved around them and that they could make demands of everyone and yet nothing would ever be required of them. In other words a bunch of brats!

The Bible offers wonderful verses for us to hide in our hearts! Verses that remind us of our responsibilities as a child of God.

James 2:17 NIV ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

1 John 2:3-6 NIV³We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴Whoever says, “I know him,”but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:⁶Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

James 2:26 NIV ²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

John 15:14 NIV ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command.

Luke 11:28 NIV ²⁸He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

John 15: 9-17 NIV ⁹“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.

Acts 5: 29-32 NIV ²⁹Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! ³⁰The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead —whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. ³¹God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. ³²We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

And finally Psalm 119: 1-8 NIV sums up the way to walk… ¹Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. ²Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek Him with all their heart—³they do no wrong but follow his ways.
⁴You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. ⁵Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!
⁶Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. ⁷I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. ⁸I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

Those of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior are by grace entitled to come boldly before His throne. This is an awesome fact but let’s not neglect to spend time with the one who offered us this grace! Let’s keep our hearts right before Him by spending time in His word. Though God knows we will mess up from time to time and loves us anyway, let’s not take our entitlement for granted. Let’s walk as He’s called us to walk!

Romans 12:10 NIV 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

What are you feeding on?

Jul3

We live in a culture where we are constantly being educated about how to take care of our bodies. TV offers multiple shows with advise on what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat, when not to eat etc. We probably have more information today on what foods are best to fight colds and cancer and what foods to avoid to prevent obesity. Having said all that, many continue to eat at the wrong times, eat the wrong foods and struggle with the consequences that follow. Diabetes is on the increase, obesity is a problem that plagues North Americans and children are being diagnosed much more frequently with things such as ADD, ADHD etc. Unless we live in a remote location without access to outside media we have all the information we need to change our eating habits yet many of us continue to choose to consume things that may eventually negatively affect our health.

In our walk with Christ we see the same thing. God has given us all the instructions we need to keep our hearts right with him. The Bible is full of instructions on how we can avoid spiritual traps. The information is readily available to us but unless we are reading the Bible daily and actively applying it to our lives we remain stagnant in our faith. This spiritually cripples us as we are not living the life God has created us to live. We tend to fall into areas of sin that we know we should be avoiding such as gossip, selfishness etc.

Just as the information is readily available on how to care for our bodies by what we put into them, the information is readily available on how to care for our hearts by what we put into our minds. God will not supernaturally inject all this wisdom into our heads! We have to read it and by his grace, apply it in our lives. Christ came to give us an abundant life. A life that He can use to reach out to others. If we ourselves are stumbling along in laziness by neglecting to read His word we will never accomplish what He has planned for us. Some one out there needs our help and we need to shrug off idleness and get into His word and align our lives to live according to His word.

Here are but a few scriptures emphasizing the importance of what we put into our minds that will affect our hearts.

2Timothy 2:15 NIV ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Phillipians 4:8 NIV ⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Romans 12:2 NIV ²Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2 Corinthians 10:4,5 NIV ⁴The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.⁵We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This verse is one of my favourites. After spending years not reading the Bible as often as I should, this verse written by David means so much to me now, Psalm 119:11 NIV ¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

All of these verses emphasize the importance of God’s word in our lives. Without delving into His word we are not able to renew our minds. It is by His word that the renewal comes.

The next time you feel like sitting in front of the tv and snacking on something you probably shouldn’t be eating anyway, pick up your Bible and feast on God’s word. It alone will bring about permanent positive change and won’t even pack on a single pound! 🙂

Cover for a NIV Bible (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In EVERYTHING give thanks

Jun29

When trials and challenges come into our lives, we believers in Christ are often found complaining as if we are surprised that unpleasant things could be happening to us. I’m not referring to things that have come about as a direct result of sinful behavior or purposeful disregard. I’m referring to things that are often beyond our control. An example would be miscarrying or losing a child. A cancer diagnosis etc. Things that we ourselves have not brought about for the most part and have little to no control over.

Our first line of defence should be to go to God and seek His help. We also should get our church body to pray. Sometimes God chooses to perform a miracle and bring about perfect supernatural healing. Most of us have known someone or of someone who has experienced this. Other times God allows us to go through the trial without supernatural healing or visual intervention. He is working no less on our behalf than if He had performed a physical miracle.

He knows our heart and knows the best way for us to grow. So than, should we have to walk through our trial or wait on our answer and not receive an instantaneous response with what attitude should we walk through it? .We can grumble and complain like others that don’t have the confidence of their Heavenly Father looking out for them, or we can do what the word of God tells us to do. Put our trust in the one who created us and give thanks! Nowhere in the word does it say to give thanks in the good times and gripe in the difficult times. We are given very specific instructions that we need to be reminded of frequently…

Colossians 3:15 NIV¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be THANKFUL.

Can God’s word be any plainer than this?.. Phillipians 4:6 NIV⁶Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God.

Colossians 4:2 NIV ²Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and THANKFUL.

Psalm 106:1 NIV Praise the Lord. Give THANKS to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

1Chronicles 23:30 NIV ³⁰They were also to stand every morning to THANK AND PRAISE the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening.

Psalm 35:18 NIV ¹⁸I will give you THANKS in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.

And why should we always have an attitude of thankfulness and not grumble? Because as Psalm 9;9,10 says, NIV ⁹The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. ¹⁰Those who know your name TRUST IN YOU, for you, Lord, HAVE NEVER FORSAKEN THOSE WHO SEEK YOU.

Grumbling and complaining never accomplishes anything helpful, in fact it may hinder our answer from God. It certainly hindered the Israelites when they were walking in the desert! (Exodus 16) Before you open your mouth to complain, remember we have a Savior that was willing to lay down His life for us and provide a way for our salvation. We have MUCH to be thankful for! Not only did He die for us but He walks with us daily. If you are walking in God’s will and He has permitted challenges in your life you can be sure He will see you through them. In EVERYTHING give thanks!

Psalm 113:3 NIV 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.

If you belong to Him remember…

Jun28

Some of us have short memories. Mine certainly has been getting shorter the last few years! 🙂 Maybe it was turning 50, maybe not but there are times when I wish my memory was better. I often head downstairs to get something and find myself standing there looking around and wondering what on earth I came down there for….I have found it necessary to make lists or use my blackberry calendar more often these days if I want to be sure I don’t forget something important. I’ve read several articles over the last few years and apparently memory loss can begin as young as 20 years. I am referring to mild memory loss, not the dementia type. I also have read that the more children a woman has carried, the more memory loss she will suffer. Something about hormones and I don’t really understand all the details. I will claim both, I carried four babies and I am now over 50 so I have an excuse or so I will claim anyway!

There are some things I do not ever want to forget! Here are just a few of the awesome promises in the book of Romans that God has given to us that He intends for us to cling to and claim! They are worth hiding in our heart!

Romans 8:28 NIV ²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

What a beautiful promise this is! “That in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” If you are a believer and have accepted Christ you have been called according to His purpose! This means WHATEVER comes into your life God will work out for your good! This offers a huge amount of comfort to us! If we are believers and our serving him, nothing can touch us that He hasn’t allowed or that He will not work out for our good.

And secondly, Romans 8:38,39 NIV ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have been bought with a price! A price that is so precious that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus! If we walk in faith we don’t have to live in fear of losing that relationship. God has saved us and intends fully to keep us in His family! His Son paid too high a price to let us go!

Next time you find yourself forgetting something, remind yourself of these two verses. When we apply them daily our lives will be transformed!

Forget Me Nots

Our Great Physician

Jun27

When we believers get sick, often we do the same thing non believers do. We try and deal with our sickness with the medical profession alone. Though doctors, nurses and all the other workers in the medical field are very necessary, we have another resource that many of us neglect to consult. That would be the Great Physician. There have been many times in my life that I went and sought out medical attention before I even consulted God. God has been reminding me lately, through His word, that our first place to turn should be to Him. He not only desires us to come to Him in good times but also in times of difficulty or illness. My desire is that I will grow to the point where I will seek Him first before looking elsewhere.

Any time I have sought God for help He has never ignored my request. Answers have come in many different ways but He has never left me without help when I have asked Him for it. NEVER. He promises to hear the prayers of His children. He may use medical professionals in our journey of healing or He may not. My desire is that I go to Him first and ask for His guidance and healing. How He chooses to bring that about is up to Him but I want to seek Him first not last. There is an awesome promise in James that we need to remember.

James 5:14-16 NIV James 5:14-16 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

What a beautiful promise! My desire is to seek Him first and not as a last resort.

Exodus 23:25 NIV ²⁵Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.

Psalm 103:2,3 NIV ²Praise the Lord, my soul and forget not all his benefits—³who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

1Peter 2:24 NIV 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

A Reliable Hope

Jun26

Most of us have things we are waiting on in our lives. A circumstance we want to see resolved. A heart change in a loved one. A health issue we are going through and trusting God for. If we have committed our circumstance to God and have put our trust in Him we can rest assured He will not only see us through it but that as we go through the circumstance we will grow. We serve a God that hears our prayers and is faithful to His own. We don’t have to fear while we wait on our answer. We can rest assured that He will never allow anything to come into our lives that we cannot bear in Him. Hebrews 10:13 NIV ²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

It isn’t blind faith that we have, it is real faith. The kind of faith a child has in a loving parent. They know that no matter what is going on around them, their parent will take care of them and do everything in their power to protect them. Our God is even more reliable than the best parent out there. We can even have joy as we go through our trials because we know not only do we not go through them alone but that as it says in Romans 8:28 NIV ²⁸ We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.

So when storms come, and they will come we have reason to hope. Not blind hope but real hope. We can rest and put our faith in Him and know that the one that loved us enough to send His son to die for us will not leave us helpless or hopeless. His word is His promise to us and His word is full of hope.

Psalm 71:14 NIV ¹⁴As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

Romans 15:13 NIV ¹³May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 31:24 NIV ²⁴Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Importance of Fellowship

Jun25

There are so many things that keep us busy these days. Jobs, family, volunteering and too many other things to list. It doesn’t take too long before we can get bogged down with responsibilities. To keep on the right track and to keep joy in our lives we need to have a good prayer life and time spent in the word. These are two basics that keep our spiritual feet firmly on the ground. Along with these two things we also need fellowship. God didn’t create us to be islands. We need one another. We need the support of prayer and conversation from other believers. In the New Testament church, the apostles worked along side one another and encouraged each other as the need arose. This need hasn’t diminished but because many of us work outside the church the need is vital to have the support of believers to keep us walking right.

This past weekend we held our church picnic at our home and it was great to spend time having fun with our brothers and sisters in Christ. There was no drama, no discord just a group of people that love God having a blast with one another. When we get to know each other better we are better equipped to pray and help one another. We live in a world where many live and look out for themselves. In the church we need to be sure we don’t allow that to become our lifestyle. God has called us all to serve. If we get too bogged down we are not fit to help anyone. Having fellowship is vital. Whether it be a picnic, a potluck or a prayer meeting, we need one another. It can help recharge our spiritual batteries and remind us we are not lone wolves but we are a body, a body that serves and encourages one another and that reaches out and serves our families, our communities and our world.

1Peter 4:9 NIV ⁹Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Romans 12:10 NIV ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Galatians 5:13 NIV 13¹³You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Make time for fellowship.

Rise up and do something!

Jun21

We live in a dog eat dog world. Many believe that in order to get ahead we have to climb our way to the top. Bashing others is common place if it means making ourselves look superior. The squeaky wheel is often the one that gets the attention therefore being loud and boisterous gets results. Reality tv shows abound with self absorbed, selfish people that brag about their dysfunctional lives and demand others give them the attention they feel they are due. It’s pretty crazy out there!

God did not create us to be legends in our own minds! He created us to love and serve Him and to love and serve others. Philip2:4ESV Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. We don’t have to look far to see needs all around us. Though we can’t fill every need or help everyone out there, we certainly can start in our own backyards.

Some of us have family, friends, acquaintances or co workers that need our prayers. Intercession is something all of us can do and it is at the heart of bringing about change and help to others. It is helping in a way that man cannot help by calling on God and opening the door for Him to begin to work. Perhaps if we do this first, rather than as a last resort when man’s ways fail we will begin to see positive changes and answers far quicker. Galatians 6:2 ESV Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

There are many local charities that are already doing a great work helping others. Perhaps we can volunteer our time or our resources to help them out. For example, the Salvation Army has locations in most communities and they sure help others in very tangible ways. They provide food, clothing and other resources that many wouldn’t have without their help. Prov.19:17 ESV Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Perhaps if we have an ailing neighbour we could volunteer to make a meal or meals, cut their grass or help out with any other chore they may need assistance with. Babysitting is another way of helping out. In this tough economy many people have had to relocate from their hometowns to find work and therefore don’t have family around to help out when they really need a sitter. Luke 10:27 ESV And Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Sometimes something as simple as opening a door for someone with a disability or with their arms full can make their day a little lighter. A kind word can go a long way when someone if visibly upset. There is no limit to ways we can reach out. The only thing limiting us is often laziness. James 2:13 ESV For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

I am committed to spending less time on the couch and more time praying and doing. Time is short and there are many things that need to be done before Jesus returns. It’s time to rise up and do something!

Hebrews 13:16ESV Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Learning to help early in life. 🙂

We choose how we go through trials!

Jun20

Recently there has been a flood of friends and family facing trials. Some are health concerns, some financial and others in relationship conflicts. There is no way of going through this life journey without coming up against one if not more of these. Christians are not exempt of difficulties and trials. Some of us in our early years in faith believed we would be protected by a spiritual bubble that would prevent difficult, hurtful things from knocking at our door. This belief wasn’t based on anything scriptural but a naive belief that because we chose to serve God He would not allow anything “bad” to happen to us. Early death, sickness, financial hardships and all the other struggles out there would somehow pass us by. If we believed enough, these things would move on down the road and away from our doors.

This naive belief is based on our own lack of knowing God’s word and the words of Jesus to His followers. God never promised that life would be sunshine and rainbows every day. He never promised we would not struggle through difficulties. He never promised we would not lose a loved one long before we thought it was their time to go. In fact Jesus warned us in John 16:^{33 NIV}“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I personally have had to deal with some great losses in my life. When we lost our son Daniel, at age 20 in a car accident I grieved daily for about 3 years before I could really accept he was gone. Though he came to Christ as a young child and I knew I would see him again, I missed his smile, his crazy humour, his lovely face and his presence in the family! I still have days where I feel such deep grief over the fact that he won’t ever get to have a family, raise children and live out some of his dreams. I did however, have to get to a place where I trusted that God had his reasons for taking him home. He may never reveal them to me but even that is now okay. He knows so much more than I can ever know about the future. We can choose to grow bitter and angry and decide that because things didn’t go the way we expected them to go we will no longer walk with the Lord. There are many people out there walking down that dark road. Choosing that road will just lead to more discontent and bitterness.

When dark days come most of us will have a time where we pull inside ourselves, wallow in sadness and grief for a time but then comes the time for us to look to God.

Psalm40:1-3 NIV 1 I waited patiently for the Lord;he turned to me and heard my cry.2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,out of the mud and mire;he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.3 He put a new song in my mouth,a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

I believe in counselling and it did help me a great deal to talk to a counselor while I was working through my grief after the loss of our son, but even the best counselor cannot bring about the heart deep healing that only Jesus can. As we choose life, choose to move forward and allow God to heal those deep wounds we move out of our deep grief and into a place of acceptance and peace. Throughout our journey trials will continue to come and with every trial we have the choice of how we will walk through it. We can look to God knowing the truth of Romans 8:28 NIV ^{28 “}And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” or we can remain wallowing in our grief and bitterness. I choose life!

I choose life!

Standing on God’s Promises

Jun19

Most of us have been disappointed from time to time with people. Sometimes people will say one thing and do another. Perhaps someone has promised to do something for us or keep a confidence and they did not live up to their word. I think everyone has gone through this experience at one time or another. I know I have. It leaves us feeling disappointed and at times discouraged with people in general. We like to be able to count on others and when they let us down we have to deal the consequences.

Thankfully, we have one who will never act against His promises. God has promised so many things to His children in His word and we can take Him at His promises and hold Him to them. Unlike man, He doesn’t lie or change. Heb.13:8 NIV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

As His kids, we are so fortunate that there is so much available to us as we walk in His ways and in communion with Him. I want to mention just a few of the many promises we can stand on. There are too many to list them all here but they can be found in our Bibles. Here are three that are life changing as we take Him at His word.

1John2:1,2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

There is guaranteed forgiveness for our sins for anyone who asks through Jesus Christ. The verse doesn’t say maybe, or only for certain sins, or to those people who are nice! It says “If ANYBODY does sin, we have an advocate (one who argues for a cause, supporter or defender, one that pleads on another’s behalf; an intercessor) with the Father-JESUS CHRIST, the righteous One.

Luke 11:13 NIV ¹³If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Anyone who is a believer and is walking on this planet must realize how much we need the Holy Spirit. Without God’s Spirit we would not even be able to come to the Lord in the first place. Without God’s Spirit equipping us we would not be able to carry out the work God has for us to accomplish here. There would be no heart cry for the Saviour, no healing, no deliverance, no transformation in our hearts etc.. and all we need to do is ask!

Deut. 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

WOW! Those are powerful words. Who else can we count on to NEVER leave us nor FORSAKE us? He is with us every moment of every day. We can bank on that. No matter what the circumstance, what the trial or what the experience He is walking through it with us.

By soaking in, applying and standing on the absolute truth of the above three verses alone, our walk with God will grow more intimate and our love and forgiveness towards others will increase.

Malachi 1:11 NIV”For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of hosts.

Time for pulling spiritual weeds

Jun18

I love to garden. It is one of those things I do that I find very relaxing. It is naturally more fun to plant, water and enjoy the fruits of my labour but there are times when the work of maintaining is much more difficult. God reminded me this weekend how much my life is like that of my garden. If I want to enjoy the blessings of beautiful flowers or vegetables and fruits I have to get rid of all the weeds of sin.

When I came to Christ at a young age I tried to live a life that was in obedience. I was very regimented and lived too much under the law and missed out on the true message of grace. I still felt I had to earn my salvation way deep down in the depths of my heart. Over time it became a huge struggle because the one thing that was really missing was the joy that God gives when we learn to rest in Him and in what Christ really did for us. I was constantly trying to stay in God’s good graces, not realizing it is impossible to do so by my own efforts. Eventually I burnt out somewhat and gave in to compromising as I didn’t feel I could keep up with all the demands I thought God was putting on me. It was really demands that I put on myself trying to earn a feeling of belonging… Sadly I wasted a lot of years doing this.

This lead to compromised living. Never turning away from God but also NOT living in obedience.. I began to think, what was the point when I could never really measure up? During those years I allowed a lot of weeds back into my garden. Bad habits, bad attitudes, bad behaviours and selfishness. Over the last several months God has been showing me the various weeds I need to pull up! There are plenty and I am so grateful that He is a God of mercy and didn’t and won’t give up on me.

Psalm 103:8 NIV The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

I am so glad He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love! He longs for us to be in intimate fellowship with Him and though He loves us enough to accept us just as we are when we cry out to Him, He also loves us enough to not leave us there!! I can’t get back wasted years but I can be sure from this day on to serve Him out of love and not duty. To accept His mercy and grace and not walk in condemnation.

^{2 Peter 3:9 NIV}The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

So as I tend to my garden I am sure God will continually show me weeds that I need to uproot. It is not my favourite thing to do but it is necessary if I want to walk closer to Him. Some weeds look like proper plants and it takes discernment from God to see that they actually are weeds. I know I have done or said things that at the time seemed harmless but in my quiet time with God, He has shown me that my heart was not right in doing or saying what I did and that I need to bring it before Him. Some weeds look innocuous yet they have roots that go deep down into the soil of our hearts and if left, will strangle out the good surrounding plants. These spiritual weeds act like poison in our hearts and cause us to grow cold towards others or God if left unattended. I find that as God reveals these weeds in my life and as I begin to lay them at His feet and ask for change He is faithful and giving me the grace to change. Not in my own strength but through the Spirit He humbles and strengthens me in His love.

As Christians, we never arrive until we meet face to face with Jesus. Ours is a journey of growth. We will make mistakes, we will stumble, we will obtain war wounds but thankfully we have a Father that loves us and will help us get back on track as we seek Him. We have a Savior that died on our behalf so that we would have legal rights to come before God. Not in our own merit but because of the price He paid.

^{John 3:16,17 NIV}For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The Father’s Heart

Jun15

Many of us today have grown up with biological or step fathers that left a little to be desired. Often due to their own woundings many fathers are not capable of being the kind of father their children really need. Those of us who grew up with a father that didn’t nurture and that was not trustworthy in many ways often develop a deep distrust for our Heavenly Father. The only father we ever had was not trustworthy so why would we trust our Heavenly Father? When I became a Christian at 16 years of age, my longing was for a father that would hear me when I cried out to him. God answered that cry! He heard me and through the gift of faith, allowed me to grow in a deep relationship with Him. Through His word, I began my journey of learning who He really is and how He really feels about me.

The first thing I learned was that when I am sincere in seeking Him and His will He always responds. I have felt His presence when I have needed it most. In my darkest days of loss and sadness He has comforted me. In my days of struggling with issues, He has sent the Comforter to encourage me. Unlike earthly fathers, His love is never ending and limitless. Through His son, He has offered us a safe place and position that allows us to boldly come before His throne and make our requests known. He loved us enough to offer up His precious son as a sacrifice so that all of us would be able to have an intimate relationship with Him. That’s pure and undefiled love.

It’s not unusual to feel disappointment from time to time towards earthly fathers but it is an awesome thing to know that Father God will not disappoint us when we put our trust in Him. If your earthly father has hurt or offended you in some way take that hurt to your Heavenly Father and lay it at His feet. Lay it down and forgive. It will bring freedom. Holding onto your disappointments will just bring bitterness and wounding to your soul. Turn it all over to God. He will take those hurts and replace them with joy and freedom.

If you don’t have an earthly father, God will meet your needs. As Psalm 68:5 says, He is a “Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” Take Him at His word and then go show some love to your earthly father this Father’s Day!

1John3:1 NIV How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God.

Matt7:11 NIV If you, then though are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.

Jer 31:3 NIV The Lord appeared to us in past saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving kindness.”

Hurry Up and Wait..

Jun14

Most people today live a very hurried and busy lifestyle. Many of us have full time jobs and multiple responsibilities outside our homes along with the many responsibilities of the home and family itself. Whether we are single, married, with or without children or grandparents wanting to be involved in the lives of our grandchildren we are busy people. On top of this some of us our involved in activities/committees etc. at our churches. Life is very very busy. When we need something we can go online, pick up a catalogue or drop into a store and purchase it. When we need information it can be found quite simply by typing in a request on our keyboards or dropping into a library.

We have become accustomed to living fast and receiving fast. When it comes to our relationship with God it is not always so. I am learning to hurry up and wait… There are times when I bring a need or a desire of my heart to the Lord and He answers it within a day or so. There are other times when He chooses not to. He is all knowing and all seeing. I am NOT. He always answers our prayers correctly. Sometimes the answer is quite simply NO, other times it may not come for days, weeks or even years. How we spend our time waiting on our answer is critical. I believe the Lord is pleased when we rest in knowing He has it all under control. Fretting and stressing while we wait does nothing to see our prayer answered any faster. Resting and trusting gives allowance for our faith to grow. Abiding in His word and His love while we wait allows us to grow even closer to the lover of our soul. It does NOT come natural for me to rest and trust but I am learning that it really is the only way to respond. Recently God has put people in my life to remind me of this very fact. Our vision is so limited and we cannot possibly know one iota of a fraction of a percentage of what God does and therefore are really in no position to try and force God’s hand.

He loves us. This is something we can bank on! He is faithful. Another absolute. Therefore when we find ourselves growing impatient and annoyed at not seeing our prayers or desires answered when WE WANT them answered it is time to trust, rest and abide in His word. He will never disappoint!

Isaiah 40:31 ESV “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Psalm 37:34 ESV “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.”

^{Psalm 62:5,6}Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

The Poison Pill of Bitterness

Jun13

I don’t think any one of us can go through life without being tempted to hang on to feelings of resentment and anger towards another. When I was younger I resented my Dad for being the ogre that he was during our childhood. He didn’t nurture he demanded. He was very abusive towards my Mom and towards us kids. Did it hurt? YES! At the age of 10, my parents divorced. For quite a few years I was both hurt and very angry about the whole situation. Why did this happen to our family?

As a teenager I would often get upset and feel disappointment about the way things would turn out. People would not always live up to my expectations. NO surprise there as that would have been an impossible task. Then when I married young and started to have a family I would often feel disappointed that we were having to struggle financially when others seemed to be doing very well.

There are many reasons or excuses that we can use to hold onto anger and bitterness. The bottom line is not one of these excuses will help us deal with the poison that builds up in our hearts and minds when we do. Bitterness is poison! As long as we hold onto it and embrace it we will never move forward in our lives. We will continually see everything and everyone through the tainted glasses of bitterness. We in turn will poison those around us with our mouth and actions.

There is only ONE solution to bitterness and that is forgiveness. Nothing else works! As most of us know, seldom can we forgive in our own strength. We keep resurrecting the memories of what has been done to us. We must make a tangible effort to come before God and ask for forgiveness for carrying around this poison within us and ask Him to take it away. It is at first, an act of will. Feelings don’t have to be involved. We do it because not only does Jesus say we must but also because He knows when we do it will free us!!!!

I love the quote, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die!” This is so true. Bitterness will keep us bound up in anger and hurt and until we release it to Jesus we will never move forward in ways God desires us to move. Releasing it will bring FREEDOM!!

FREEDOM!

Heb.12:14,15″Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

Matt.6:14,15″For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Complain less…Pray MORE

Jun12

I suffered anxiety for a lot of my early life. It was something that started in my early years and it just always seemed to be there. When anything stressful would happen I would begin to worry and fret. The only positive really was it used to send me into a cleaning frenzy!! However, the downside was too great…It would affect my sleep, I would be very short with those around me and it would cause me to overreact to any little thing when my anxiety level was high.

As a result of this I would complain about what those around me either weren’t doing or doing that was making things more difficult. I would get incredibly disappointed with those closest to me about things that were very insignificant. I would gripe and complain and really it never accomplished anything! I have learned there is a better way. When something happens that is uncomfortable or difficult, when someone comes into my life that is particularly challenging I tell God on them. 🙂 Even bringing the issue to Him helps to keep it in perspective. Most people behave badly because they feel badly inside or they harbor bitterness. It doesn’t justify it but it does make it more understandable. I am grateful that we have a high priest that we can turn to that forgives us and accepts us when we screw up. That fact alone helps me to be able to forgive others.

Though most of us spend years trying, we will NEVER be able to change anyone. It is through prayer and the moving of the Spirit that true change comes. Change that results in deep heart change. Next time you come across a situation or person that causes you to feel anxious, stop and pray. Tell Jesus on them!

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

“Those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer.”~ R. A. Torrey

English: An anxious person (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No Battle, No Gain

Jun11

It should come as no surprise to those of us who follow Christ that we will be presented with daily challenges. These challenges can come in many forms. There are life circumstances that we may face that are beyond our control, people we may encounter, health concerns etc. If we were born on this Earth we WILL face battles in one form or another and at times from various forms at once! Though they are never enjoyed, they are to be expected from time to time.

Without the battle there will be no growth. That’s just the way it is. Just as exercise increases our physical muscles, trials increase our spiritual muscles. The key is in remaining obedient even when we would like to do anything but… The victory is always sweet when we do so. Some battles are for a day, some for years and some still for decades but there is always something to be gained by each and every one.

Ephes 6:12 (KJV) ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

If Jesus promised we would experience trials, we can be sure we will but remember and claim, John 16:33 (KJV)
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Though our trials often roll in like a storm cloud we are to take them to Jesus and stand firmlyon His word. He will never disappoint! 2 Corin 10:4 (KJV) 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.

livingmoreabundantly

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made Psalm 139:14

Tag Archive | God

It’s time to put aside spiritual laziness

Faith and action go hand in hand

Peace is available during the storms

Who does God say we are?

Basking in His Love

Spiritual Drought?

From the Heart to the Mouth

God is in the details

The Price of Entitlement

What are you feeding on?

In EVERYTHING give thanks

If you belong to Him remember…

Our Great Physician

Importance of Fellowship

Rise up and do something!

We choose how we go through trials!

Standing on God’s Promises

Time for pulling spiritual weeds

^{2 Peter 3:9 NIV}The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

^{John 3:16,17 NIV}For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The Father’s Heart

Hurry Up and Wait..

Isaiah 40:31 ESV “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Psalm 37:34 ESV “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.”

^{Psalm 62:5,6}Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

The Poison Pill of Bitterness

Complain less…Pray MORE

No Battle, No Gain

Ephes 6:12 (KJV) ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

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2 Peter 3:9 NIVThe Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

John 3:16,17 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

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Isaiah 40:31 ESV “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Psalm 37:34 ESV “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.”

Psalm 62:5,6 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

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Ephes 6:12 (KJV) 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

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^{2 Peter 3:9 NIV}The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

^{John 3:16,17 NIV}For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

^{Psalm 62:5,6}Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

Ephes 6:12 (KJV) ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.