Sifted as Wheat

Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

It seems that many of God's people have been going through times of sifting.  My husband and I have not been excluded.  A recent sermon preached on these verses gave me much needed comfort and encouragement.  

When wheat is sifted it is put into large sieves and is shaken and beat around violently to cause the wheat grains to fall through the holes in the sieve and the stones and dirt clods from harvesting are left behind.  

Jesus says that Satan desires to sift us as wheat.  Satan's goal is to beat us around through trials and tough times to get us to loose our faith.  Jesus tells Peter that He has prayed for him that his faith will not fail.  God could prevent Satan from touching us, but He doesn't.  He allows Satan to sift us and run us through trials.  Why?  Because in the sifting process the trash and rubbish of our lives is left in the sieve where God can help us to work through cleaning it out of our lives.  It is part of the process of sanctifying us and making us more a reflection of Him.  What Satan means for harm, God uses for good.

As we go through these times of sifting, we can be comforted that Jesus is interceding on our behalf to the Father.  He prays that our faith will not fail, so that when we come out on the other side of the sieve, we will be able to strengthen and encourage our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

Friend, if you are in the middle of trials, be encouraged that Jesus is praying for you!  He loves you and is using Satan's attack against you for good.

Dear Father, What a comfort it is to know that Jesus prays for me!  I pray for those of us who are experiencing sifting in our lives at this time.  Help us to persevere so that this will be used for good in our lives.  Amen

When my Heart is Overwhelmed

Ps 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Ps 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.

How often do we find our security in our spouses, our children, our pastors, our homes, our medical professionals, our health (when it is good), even our pets and the list could go on and on?  What happens when God begins to remove these props one by one out from under us and we become overwhelmed?  Does our whole world fall apart?

Where do we run too? What do we do when our heart is overwhelmed and we feel we are loosing our security?  The Psalmist says it best.  "...when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."  You can't get much more secure and stable than that!  God is our rock.  It is He and He alone who can hold us securely when everything else around us seems to be shifting and moving.

How are things in your life?  Stressful?  Overwhelmed?  Run to the Rock.  He is the only One that will be constantly stable and give you the security you need in a changing world.

Dear Father, My heart is overwhelmed.  I look to You to bring stability and security to my life.  You are the only One Who can truly satisfy.  Please help me to find my hope in You alone.  Amen.

You are Not Alone

Numbers 11: 11-14  And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?  Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?  Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.  I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

The thing I find interesting in this passage is that Moses is talking to God.  God has spoken to Moses time and again advising him and telling him what to do and supporting him in his position as leader to the children of Israel.  The God of the universe is Moses' adviser and supporter!  But Moses says, "I am not able to bear all this people ALONE, because it is too heavy for me."  

Have you ever felt this way?  Maybe you are a boss, or parent, or a pastor and you are dealing with bickering and complaining among the ranks.  There are many times I feel like this as I go about my parenting when my children are constantly picking at each other or complaining about something.  I feel like I am having to bear it ALONE and feel it is too heavy for me when in reality, I am not alone...the God of the universe is right there beside me.  His Word advises me of how to deal with what is going on.  If I will only stop and ask Him, He will guide and direct my steps and show me what to do.

Take heart today and remember that you have the God of the universe in your corner.  You are not alone in your troubles!

Dear Father, It blesses me to know that I am not alone.  You are right there with me.  Help me to never forget this.  Amen.

Upside Down & Covered with Water

Exodus 15:10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

God drowned the Egyptians in the Red Sea as they chased His people.  Robert Hendrickson in his book, QPB Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins  gives a good picture of what God did to them with the meaning and origin of the word overwhelm:

overwhelm.  Overwhelm means essentially the same thing as whelm, "to be completely overcome by something,"  but overwhelm is a more emphatic term.  Whelm has its roots in the Middle English whelm, meaning to capsize or turn a vessel upside down.  The English whelm was first recorded in the 13th century and soon took on the sense of turning a vessel upside down "so as to cover it" with water, which led to its modern meaning. (page 540)

The Bible says that God took their chariot wheels off.  Exodus14:25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.  I would imagine some of them tipped over as the wheels came off.  God overwhelmed them.

Have you ever felt like the Egyptians?  There are times in my life when I have felt like God has taken the wheels off my chariot, turned my life upside down and covered me with water.  Completely overwhelmed.  Verse eleven gives me hope.  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?   There are times in God's providence that we are overwhelmed.  He has a purpose for this in our lives, but it is good to remember that if God has the power to sink the Egyptians in the Red Sea, He has the power to turn our lives right side up again and pull us out of the water of despair.

Dear Father, You are mighty and wonderful.  There is none that is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises and doing wonders among your people.  Amen.

God Is Faithful

Psalm 119:74 ¶ They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.
75 ¶ I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.


These verses stood out to me in my Bible reading today.  I wrote the following in my journal:

"This section stands out to me.  When everything screams out that God is not fair, that he is treating me unfairly, it all comes down to will I trust Him or not.  Will I trust His judgements are right when it looks like everything is against me?  It says He has afflicted me in His faithfulness.  It seem like an oxymoron.  But is it?  Romans 8:28 says, " And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  Verse 29 says, " For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."  In His faithfulness he has afflicted me that I would be driven to Him, learn to be dependent on Him and that He would be able to conform me more to the image of His Son."

As I think further on verse 74, I think of what an encouragement it has been to me when I have seen someone going through a dark time in their life and yet they have continued to hope in God's Word.  This gives me encouragement to do the same in my trials.  
When your circumstances scream out that God is not good or fair, hang on to it that He is faithful.  He is good and He does have a good purpose for it all.

1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Dear Father, Your Word says that Your judgements are right and that You are faithful.  Please help me to hang on to this in difficult times, knowing that whatever you do is according to Your good plan and purpose.  Help me to rest in this fact when everything else seems to scream the opposite.  Amen.

Color Outside the Lines

Do you ever doubt God's faithfulness when difficulties come your way?  I enjoy music and one song in particular has blessed my heart.  It's called "Color Outside the Lines" . written by Tony Wood and Scott Krippaehne and sung by Glad.  It talks about how my life is a canvas and God is starting to color outside the lines that I have drawn.  The last verse says

I know You're faithful to finish what You start
You make even common things become a work of art
So keep on working it's Your name that's written on my heart
Chorus:
Color outside the lines I've drawn
Doing something different than I counted on
As you color outside the lines
I find the picture's not at all what I had in mind
But with one step back, it's clear to see
In Your hands life becomes a masterpiece.

When God starts to color outside the lines in your life, remember that He is faithful.   Here are some scripture verses that I collected to help remind me of God's faithfulness.  Print out some or all of them and next time God starts to do something in your life that you had not counted on, hang on to these promises of God's faithfulness.   I hope that they will encourage you as they have me.


Deuteronomy  7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

1Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

2Thessalonians  3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

1Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Psalm 89:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

Dear Father, I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.  ( Psalm 119:75)  Amen.

Our Sustaining Heavenly Father

Isaiah 46:4  "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.  I have made you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." (NIV)

I'm not all that old yet, but I do have my share of gray hairs, so I am glad I qualify for this promise!  

Here God promises to sustain us.  I looked the word sustain up in my dictionary.  Here's some of the meanings: 1. To provide nourishment 2. To keep going  3. to hold up:PROP

God will give you spiritual nourishment for your soul.  He will help you keep going when you'd rather quit.  When you are too weak to go any further, he will prop you up and support you.  He is able to do all this because, after all, he made you!  When you are unable to take another step he says he will carry you and rescue you.

Are you having some tough days?  Are you feeling overwhelmed, tired and not sure you can keep going?  Trust in our Lord.  He will keep his promises.

Dear Father, Thank you for the spiritual nourishment and encouragement from your word.  You are a sustaining God, full of mercy and I praise you for this.  Amen.

No Surprise to God

Psalm 139:13-16 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother¹s womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Do you ever feel like you just clutter up the landscape because your body doesn't work right?  As we age or have chronic health problems it's easy to forget that God planned out our lives before we were even conceived.  He skillfully formed us and we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  He planned our days before any of them came to be.  What you are going through is no surprise to Him.  He has a special purpose for you just the way you are.  Psalm 18:30 says, " As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him."  God's plans for you are perfect.  They may not be easy and they may not seem like the best from our perspective, but they are for our ultimate spiritual good and His glory.  Take refuge in Him.

Dear Father,  Sometimes when my life takes a detour it's hard for me to see Your hand in it.  Give me eyes to see that what you are doing with me is part of Your perfect plan and purpose.  Use my trials to build godly character into my life for Your glory.  Amen.

God's View of Complaining

Numbers 11:1 Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.

Complaining is so easy to do! We have all done it at one time or another. But I was convicted as I read this of how terrible complaining is in the sight of God. He was so displeased with the Israelites for complaining that he burned among them and consumed some of them!

Complaining is a grevious sin against God's sovereignty. When we complain we are in essence showing that we don't believe what God is doing is right or that we believe He is not really in control of things.

What kind of message do we send to others about our trust in God's sovereign control when we complain? I don't know about you, but this is very sobering to me. I hope will remember this the next time I am tempted to complain about my lot in life.

Dear Father, You are merciful and kind. If you struck everyone dead who complained, there would not be a soul alive on the earth. Yet, because you restrain Your hand, it does not mean you condone our actions. Forgive me for my complaining attitude. Amen.

The Nightmare

Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

The apartment was filthy. The walls were unpainted, and there were cobwebs and spiders in every corner. I opened the drawers and they were filled with filth. There was only one sink in the entire place, no place for a stove or refrigerator. It was dark and I saw a rat dart behind an uncovered pipe next to the wall. It was in a new town far from friends or family and this was where we were going to live now. I broke down and started to cry uncontrollably. Then I suddenly woke up and found myself in my bed in our home here in Clarkston. I was so relieved to be in this place! I have thought of that dream several times this past week when I have been discontented with something about our home and it never ceases to bring a renewed sense of gratefulness for what I have.

Even if we were to loose our possessions for some reason, the verse above says that the Lord is really all we need....He will never leave us nor forsake us and that is reason to be content with what we have. He will be our helper no matter what the circumstances are! The Apostle Paul found himself in a lot of bad situations. 2 Corinthians 11:26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; Yet in all of this he was able to say, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:" ( Phippians 4:11). The Apostle Paul also said, " Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." (1Ti 6:6-8)

How is your attitude? Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Are you content with what you have? Take some time out to think of the alternative. How much worse could your circumstances be than they are right now? Give God thanks for what He, in His providence, has provided for you right now. Give thanks that He will never leave you nor forsake you no matter what comes your way. It is an act of faith to give thanks when things are not going the way you think they should. It is a testimony to the world when God's people do this.

Dear Father, Thank You for a poignant reminder to be grateful for what you have provided for me. Help me to give thanks even in the face of seemingly bad circumstances because You have said You would never leave me nor forsake me. Amen

Twenty Biblical Purposes for Suffering

1 Peter 5:10 ¶ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

1. to make you perfect (mature)
2. to stablish you (set fast or firm)
3. to strengthen you (make you strong)
4. to settle you (get you to the place where you come to rest in Him)

2 Corinthians 1: 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5. so that we may comfort others like God has comforted us

2 Corinthians 1: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

6. so that we would trust in God, not ourselves

James 1: 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

7. to teach us patience & maturity

James 1: 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

8. to receive a crown of life for enduring

James 5: 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

9. to be an example of patience to others like Job was
10. to experience the pity and tenderness of God's mercy

James 5: 14 Is any sick among you? 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:

11. to allow others the privilege of ministering to us

1 Peter 1: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

12. for praise, honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ

1 Peter 4:1 ¶ Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

13. for purification from sinful lusts
14. to give us a more God centered focus on His will

1 Peter 4:12 ¶ Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ¹s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

15. to be a partaker of Jesus' sufferings

Romans 5: 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

16. to learn patience which gives us proven character (experience)
17. that we might have hope because of God's love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 5: 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

18. to teach us obedience

Hebrews 12: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

19. to confirm to us that we are the Lord's child and He loves us.

Job 5: 17 ¶ Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

20. for correction

O You of Little Faith!

Mt 16:5 -11¶ Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? "Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? "Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? "How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? --but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Here Jesus is trying to warn the disciples of the man-made doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees by using the leaven in bread as an object lesson. He tries to show them that legalism is like yeast. Once it gets started it grows and grows affecting everyone touched by it. However, the disciples didn't understand what Jesus was getting at and being simple-minded could only think that He was chiding them for forgetting to bring bread to eat. Jesus reminds them of the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand, how he fed these multitudes with just a few loaves of bread. His main point about the legalistic doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees was lost to the disciples because they were not trusting that Jesus could provide bread for them since they had forgotten to bring any along. They had forgotten quickly about how Jesus provided before.

How often have I begun to fret that my needs will not be met because I have forgotten how God has provided in the past? I wonder how many times there has been a lesson that God is trying to teach me in the middle of some trial, but the lesson is lost on me because I am too caught up worrying about how God is going to provide for my needs? Do you see yourself in this picture too?

One way to help you trust God more and learn the lessons He has to teach you is to write down in a journal how God has blessed and provided for you in the past. If you write it down, then when the next trial comes, you can look back and see God's provision for you in the past and know that He will provide for you this time too. This relieves you of the worry over what will happen and allows you to be open to learn the lessons He has to teach you through whatever your circumstance happens to be.

Dear Father, We are so prone to forget Your provision in times past. Help us to make it a point to write those things down so we will not forget Your past blessings and our faith will be strengthened in You. Amen.

The True Measure of God's Love

Romans 5:8  8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

There are times in our lives when trials seem to be the norm.  It is during times like these that it is easy to look around at others who don't seem to have any troubles and wonder if maybe God loves them more than He does us.  After all, the logic goes, if He loved us as much as He does them, He would spare us these troubles like He has them.  As we sit on our pity pot and compare our lives to the next person, it never occurs to us that the measure of God's love for us has nothing to do with the number of trials we have compared to the next person!

The measure of God's love for us was weighed out in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sin.  What makes His love even more remarkable is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.  He didn't wait for us to become worthy of His love first.  He knew we never could.  This is the true measure of God's love for us.

When you are tempted to doubt God's love for you, remember this truth and meditate on it in your heart.  

Dear Father, I often need reminding that Your love is not dependent on my comparisons of how I perceive You have blessed others over me.  Help me to always remember the true measure of Your love for me and that I truly am blessed with Your love.  Amen.

Turn Toward the Wind

Mark 6:48-50 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

Lately, since I have been fighting the same bug everyone else seems to have, I have felt like the wind is against me and I am straining against it. I am tired, wondering when I will ever get over it. However, as I was reading this passage, I see Jesus coming and saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

I am reminded of a book titled, "Turn Toward the Wind" by Dale Bourke. A couple years ago, I was in the hospital waiting room, waiting to have an xray taken when I looked down and saw this book. I picked it up and began to read, "...times of crises become moments of insight or insulation, a time to move closer to God as he truly is or a time to stubbornly hold on to our image of him." As I read on, the author tells of her experience in learning to sail a sailboat. Her instructor told her to find the wind and then aim her boat at an angle toward it. She felt as if God was telling her, "Face the winds of change and use them to propel you forward."

Are the winds blowing against you today? When the winds of adversity blow into your life, don't strain against it. Jesus says, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." Be of good cheer, turn your sails toward the wind and allow it to propel you forward toward Him. Allow it to teach you more of Who He really is and allow it to strengthen your faith in Him.

Dear Father, The winds will blow against all of us at some time or another. Help me to remember to turn my sails toward You and allow the winds of adversity to drive me closer to You. Amen.

Take Time Out

Mark 6:31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. (NKJV)

I often find myself rushing about through my day, not taking time out to rest and relax. If it weren't for my family, I might skip meals to add a few more minutes of productivity to my day. My doctor and my physical therapist have both expressed their concern that I take time out from the concerns of the day and find time to relax away from it all. Jesus tells His apostles, "Come aside by yourselves...and rest a while." Jesus knows the need for us to get away from it all and take time out to de-stress.

How are you doing in this area? Do you have a regular time when you take time out for rest and relaxation? Start today to do this. If Jesus saw it as important, so should we.

Dear Father, You know my tendancy to neglect taking time out. Help me to do this so that I can be more effective in service to You and my family and church. Amen.

God Dwells in the Thick Darkness

Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 18:11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
1Kings 8:12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed and depressed, like a dark cloud just followed you whereever you went? Have you ever felt like God has taken the sunshine of His love away from you? Maybe you feel like that today.

Read the verses above and see what it says about darkness. Those who dwell in the secret place of the most High abide under the shadow of the Almighty. What is the secret place of God? Darkness. It seems to be an unlikely place for God to dwell in. Yet, Scripture tells us that the Lord said he would dwell in the thick darkness.

I remember visiting Mark Twain's Cave in Hannibal, MO a few times as a child. When we were deep into the cave they shut the lights off to show us how dark it is. The darkness was literally so thick we could not see our hands even when we had them less than an inch from our faces. We could not see that anyone was near us even though they stood right beside us. When you are in a dark time in your life, you may not be able to see that God is right there in the darkness beside you. Perhaps He is silent and you feel that He has left you. He has not. He is there. He dwells in the thick darkness. He is giving you an opportunity to exercise your faith even when you can¹t see or feel Him in your life. This is the place where your faith is exercised and when we exercise, what happens? It makes us stronger. So as you exercise your faith in the dark times of your life, your faith becomes stronger.

Don't give up. Don't despair. God is with you. He has said He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Dear Father, In the darkness of my life, I pray that you would help me to always remember that You are there. I forget so easily. Amen.

Trusting God Who Raises the Dead #2

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

Have you ever experienced the death of a dream? Perhaps you had dreams of how life would be after you got married. Maybe you had dreams about how it would be when you had children or dreams about retirement. Everything changed when the accident happened or you got the medical report or the call from the police station. Your perfect dream died. Perhaps you found a great church and thought it would always be the way you found it, but everything changed and your dream died.

There is good news. We trust in God who raises the dead. He can raise dead marriages, dead relationships, dead churches, dead dreams...anything dead. Sometimes it isn't in His will to resurrect our dreams, but He will replace them with something infinitely better--Himself.

When we open our hands in submission to Him and release our dead dreams to Him, He will give us a new dream of what He wants to accomplish through us. His goal is that we would trust in Him and not in ourselves..."that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body...For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God." (2 Cor. 4:7-15)

Dear Father, You have the power to raise the dead. You also have the power to replace dead dreams with the life that is only in You. Give me grace to lean on your power and find new life in You alone. Amen.

Trusting God Who Raises the Dead #1

2 Corinthians 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

In my days before illness and pain, it was easy to forget that my life and all that I have is from God. I'd tend to go about my days with little more than a meal time prayer toward God. But if something went wrong in my day I'd go running to Him expecting Him to fix it. Many times He graciously did in spite of the little time I gave back to Him. For the most part, I trusted in myself for the things I needed. I was in control of my own destiny.

Enter illness, accident, and chronic pain. Suddenly my life was turned upside down. God knocked the props right out from under me. I realized that I don't have control. Like the Apostle Paul, I had the "sentence of death" in myself. It was the realization that at any moment I could die--anyone could. All it would take is one false move behind the wheel of the car. My self-sufficiency means nothing in light of the fact that every step I take is one step closer to physical death.

The flip side to all of this is the realization that I have no real ultimate control over my life. God does. It teaches me that since I can't trust in myself, I can trust in God who raises the dead! God who raises the dead! What better place is there to put our trust, than in a God who raises the dead?

No, I can't say I have enjoyed the problems I have to deal with. But I must say that I am thankful that God has allowed me to suffer in this way, because through it He has taught me that trusting Him is the only way to make my life worthwhile. He has taught me to spend time with Him like I have never spent before. I have learned more about His love for me during this time of suffering than any other time in my life.

How is it with you? Are you trusting in God who raises the dead or are you trusting in yourself? Has your difficult times brought you into a closer more intimate relationship with Jesus? He is waiting for you to come to Him and entrust your future and your life to Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that You will help me to seek Your will in all that I do. Help me to remember that You are the Source of all I have and that You are in sovereign control of my life.

The Abraham Principle

Genesis 22:1-2 ¶ And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Abraham had come to a point of crises in his life. God was asking him to sacrifice Isaac, whom he loved dearly. We read that he willingly took Isaac up to the mountain trusting God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. God took him right up to the point of holding the knife over his son. We have to wonder if there was a period where Abraham asked, "Why?". He had to choose God's will or his will. I call this the Abraham Principle.

There have been times in my life where the life of a loved one has been on the line and where my health has failed me. I have argued with God, asking in anger, "Why?" . In the case of my health, this made matters worse as I added stress to my situation. In the case of loved ones, it paralyzed me with fear and anger making an already difficult situation worse.

The Abraham Principle is being able to surrender to God whatever it is that you are afraid of loosing. It's telling God that whatever His will is in this circumstance, you are willing to trust Him regardless of the outcome. When I can surrender whatever or whoever it is I am afraid of loosing to God, He gives me peace and I am then free from the fear that paralyzes me from doing what I need to do.

Who or what is there in your life today that you are afraid of loosing? Follow Abraham's example and surrender the person or situation to God and rest in His Sovereign will and grace to get you through the trial. He is faithful.

Dear Father, Surrender is a tough thing for me when it involves loved ones, cherished things or circumstances.  Help me to willingly surrender them to Your will and trust You to see me through it. Amen.
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Run Your Own Race

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I was watching a TV program where one of the main characters was being coached on how to play chess. After several moves, her coach said, "Remember that you need to play your own game. Don't try to play someone else's game."

I was reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in the verse above. "...run with patience the race that is set before us..." God has set a particular race before each one of us. Your race is not my race. In a race, each runner runs his own race. He cannot run a good race if he is looking at the other runners, thinking about what they might do or how they might run their race. If he does this he is going to get off course and he may not even make the finish line. He is trying to run the other person's race instead of concentrating on his own race.

God has given us a race to run. Some of us have physical difficulties, obstacles in our race to overcome. It is tempting to look at the race God has given others to run and grumble because we think He has given them an easier course.
Sometimes we have perceived ideas of what others expect of us and try to run the race in a way to please them instead of Jesus. We feel frustrated with our physical limitations and instead of saying no to other's requests of us when we know it's beyond our physical limits, we say yes and then reap the consequences of taking on more than we can handle.

We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the goal we need to look to. If our eyes are on Him, we will stay on course and not be distracted by how others are running or what we think others are expecting of us. Our goal will be to please Him.

Prayer: Dear Father, Help me to keep my focus on Jesus as I run the race that You have set before me. As I encounter obstacles in my course, help me to respond in a godly way. Amen.

The Gift of Pain

What Pain Can Do
It can teach me patience
It can teach me endurance
It can bring me closer to God
It can strengthen my courage
It can give me empathy for others
It can teach me to trust God more
It can teach me what my limits are
It can teach me to take it one day at a time
It can teach me to find beauty in the small things
It can teach me to humbly ask for and accept help when I need it
It can teach me to learn to be thankful even when I don't feel like it
It can teach me to encourage others instead of feeling sorry for myself
It can give me more love and appreciation for my husband and family

What Pain Cannot Do
It can never take God's presence from me
It can never remove God's grace from me
It can never separate me from God's love
It can never take away my future home in Heaven
It can never separate me from the strength that God can give
It can never take away God's forgiveness of my sins & my salvation in Jesus

This Is Our God

Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?...

Isaiah 43: 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

Observation:  There is none like Him among the gods because there are no other gods.

Exodus 15:11...who is like thee...?

Hosea 11:.. for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee...

Psalm  50:21  21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Numbers 29:19 19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Observation: No one is like Him...and He is not like man.

Exodus 15:11 ...glorious in holiness...

Isaiah 6:1 ¶ In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 5 ¶ Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Ezekiel  3:23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Observation:  Man realizes the awfulness of his sin when he discovers the holiness of God.

Exodus 15:11 ...fearful in praises...

Psalm  40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

2Chronicles  20:21-22And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

Revelation 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

Observation:  God works through the praise of His people.

Exodus 15:11 ...doing wonders...

Job9:1-3,10-12 ¶ Then Job answered and said,  I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?  If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.  Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.  Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.  Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Isaiah  55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Observation:  God works in ways that are not easy for man to understand at times, but we know He does all things with perfect wisdom and knowledge.

In the School of Hard Knocks

 

Proverbs 30: 8- 9 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

I don't know about you, but I often must learn my lessons in the school of hard knocks.  When I was in Christian grade school, the principle would often threaten to apply the board of education to the seat of knowledge if we misbehaved.  I never had to experience that but I came close.

As God's child, many of the most valuable lessons He has taught me have been learned through tough times.  It is when things are going great and I am comfortable, I tend to get too busy and neglect my private times of worship with God.  I become "full" and in effect say, "Who is the LORD?".  Or, I may become dissatisfied with what I have and in a sense take God's name in vain by complaining that I don't have enough blaming Him for not providing for me.

When affliction comes my way, it eventually drives me to my knees and back to the cross where I belong.  It is during those tough times that God slows me down and begins to teach me more of what it means to be holy and to trust Him.

Going through difficult times is not fun or easy, but I can say with the Psalmist, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted."

Dear Father,  You know what is best for me even though You must sometimes use affliction in my life to teach me the lessons I must learn, You only do it for my good.  Please help me to always remember this when the going gets tough.  Amen.

 

God is Bigger than My Problems

Psalm 139:1 ¶ O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Psalm 139 has been a great comfort to me. God knows me intimately. He knows when I sit down and when I get up. He knows and understands my thoughts. He is with me where I go and when I lay down. He knows where I am going. He even knows the words that I am going to speak. He is behind me and before me and His hand is on me. This knowledge is hard to understand because I am a mere human and He is God.

He is all seeing, all knowing, and everywhere present. He knows my pain. He knows when I fall down and get hurt. He knows when I am distressed. He is there and He is in control. His hand is on me. I take comfort in this knowledge of my God.

Dear Father,
You are bigger than all my problems. I thank You for Who Your are, all seeing, all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere present. Amen.

"Ok, Lord, You got me! Now I get the picture!"

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

How does one develop the fruit of the Spirit? Have you ever wondered that? If you take a close look at this list, you will find that not one of these fruits of the Spirit can be developed outside of difficulties and trials. For example, as I was sitting here trying to get my Power Bible program to show me the Greek for goodness, I was frustrated to discover that for some reason this feature is not working as it is supposed too. The more I tried to figure out the problem, the more upset and frustrated I got over it. I was getting crabby and starting to hammer the computer keys as if to teach the computer a lesson. Patience, self-control..."Ok, Lord, You got me! Now I get the picture!"

Next time you find yourself in a frustrating or difficult circumstance, take a step back and ask the Lord what fruit of the Spirit He is wanting to develop in your life through it.

Dear Father, Thank You for a practical lesson in how the fruit of the Spirit is grown in our lives. Amen.

Letting the Peace of God Rule

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

The knot in the pit of my stomach twisted as the feeling of panic rose up. I wanted God to act on my behalf, but I wanted Him to do it MY way. My panic was a result of not trusting that He knew what He was doing. I wanted to be in control of the situation, yet I knew I had no control. Have you ever felt this way?

Our verse says to let the peace of God rule in your hearts. This phrase "peace of God" only appears twice in the Bible. The other reference tells us how to let the peace of God rule in our hearts.

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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We are to pray with thanksgiving and let God know our requests. We need to leave our requests with God and not take them up to worry and wring our hands over whether or not the thing will turn out the way we want it too. We are to rest in His will knowing that whatever the outcome, He will be there to see us through and it will work out the way He thinks is best for us spiritually.

Is there something in your life today that has you wringing your hands in worry? Do what you can and should do about the matter and then leave it at the cross with Jesus. Let the peace of God rule in your heart.

Dear Father, It seems worry is such an easy trap to fall into. Give us grace to not have to be in control, but to let Your peace rule in our hearts. Amen.

Be Still

Ps 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (KJV)

Our internet and email was malfunctioning over the weekend. When I got to church Sunday I asked a friend who uses the same server as we do if her's was acting up too. After all, if her's was having problems, then at least it wasn't a problem within our house. It had to be the server. But it turned out her email was working perfectly. As we sat down for church I worried out loud to my husband that I hoped it wasn't a problem within our house. I was thinking, "This could cost us money." My husband cut me off, "Don't be worrying about that!."

I have been memorizing and meditating on 1 Peter 3:1-4 where it talks about the wife's adornment not being only what she wears on the outside, "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." As I studied and thought about what it means to be meek and have a quiet spirit, I came across the following meanings: Webster's Dictionary says of meek: "characterized by patience and long-suffering" and of quiet: "calm, gentle, mild <quiet disposition>...calm, peace. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary says this: "meek and quiet--meek, not creating disturbances: quiet, bearing with tranquillity the disturbances caused by others. Meek in affections and feelings; quiet in words, countenance, and actions ". I was reminded of Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God:"

"Be still..."--be meek and have a quiet spirit. "...know that I am God"--if I am fussing about things, then I am not trusting in and showing that I believe in God's sovereignty over all the details of my life. This is why a meek and quiet spirit is so precious in God's sight, because it shows that we really believe He is God and that He is sovereign over all the details of our lives.

I was fussing over our email not working like I fuss over so many details of life and in turn was causing disturbance for my husband. I wasn't being still or having a quiet spirit. How are you doing in this area? Do you find yourself fretting about things that don't go right? Do you have a quiet spirit or do you stir others up when you are stirred up too? The remedy is to know that He is God. Realize that He is in control and be still.

Dear Father, It may be my nature to get worked up over things, but that is no excuse for not trusting You. Help me to stop when I start fretting and be still and know that You are God over all the details of my life. Amen.

Shine Your Light through the Cracks in My Pot

2Corinthians 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--  always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.


This has been a week where I have felt hard pressed, perplexed and struck down by a number of difficult circumstances. It is hard to not feel crushed, in despair, forsaken and nearly destroyed. But I am not. God has chosen us, weak earthen pots, cracked pots! If we were strong, and self-sufficient, then the world would see our own human power, but we are broken, cracked pots, nothing impressive for the world to look at, so that when God shows His power there will be no question it is Him that is working, not us. It will be Jesus and His power that people will see in our lives, not us. In order for that to happen, we must be dependent on His grace, not trying to struggle through the difficulties on our own. His grace is sufficient. His power is made perfect in weakness. We must be willing to wait for His timing too. We learn patience when we come to the place where we think we can't take it anymore. When we get to our wit's end, that is where God will bestow grace and patience to the meet.

Having a hard week? Feeling hard pressed, perplexed, struck down? Let God show His power in you. Depend on Him. He won't forsake you.

Dear Father, You know our disappointments, my struggles and weaknesses. Shine Your Light through the cracks in my pot and let others see Your power. Amen.