Always There

After I put my thoughts and inspiration from the Holy Spirit down in yesterdays post, I then began to pray. Tears of gratitude rolled down my cheeks for how merciful, loving and gracious God is toward me even though I don't deserve it. His unconditional and boundless love is so overwhelming to me that sometimes I just sit there inside of it speechless. Eventually, all I want is for Him to pour that same love over others who are hurting. I visualize Him carrying someone over rough terrain or through stormy waters and that realization comforts me. I know that He is ministering to them just as He is to me in that very moment. That's what prayer is.

I prayed for three specific things yesterday and within an hour of praying, two of the situations had calmed down dramatically. The Lord had put it on those people's hearts to call me and I got to see for myself that God had comforted them and rearranged their thoughts to ones of hope rather than sorrow. God saw how troubled I was about those dear souls and rushed in with His love to answer those prayers. The third prayer was answered this afternoon as I again received a call letting me know that the person was doing much better. My anxiety and fears were assuaged by God's kindness and thoughtfulness. I will never stop claiming that my favorite scripture is James 4:8, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Whatever your trouble is, I assure you from personal experience that God is full of love and mercy and is waiting for you to draw near to Him.

Prayer is how we get close to God in an intimate way. There are bold  prayers where we intercede for someone who is beaten down and fight a spiritual battle in the name of Christ for them. There are prayers that are silent as our heads lay upon a pillow speechless and we just let God minister to us. There are prayers of rejoicing as well as prayers of surrender. Prayers where we pour out our souls and ones where we just listen. As I testified earlier, God is faithful when we cry out to Him. He wants nothing more than for His children to come to Him and just spend time with Him. If your heart is troubled then I encourage you to simply be still and say a prayer.

If I had only one prayer it would be that every person could know just how much God loves them and that they would believe it.

It Is My Prayer

Habakkuk 3:17-19  Even though the fig trees are all destroyed, and there is neither blossom left or fruit, and though the olive crops all fail, and the fields lie barren; even if the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy in the God of my salvation. The Lord is my Strength and He will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the mountains!

How I love that scripture! It reminds me of a Psalm, the way it lays out all the true hardships YET, ends with joy being expressed to God for His salvation and strength! These words ring true even in today's circumstances and can be a great encouragement for us to remember that life will be a hard climb but God will get us safely over the mountains!

Having a belief in God is like standing on a high rock when the flood waters come. We have chosen wisely and are grateful for His protection. However, I find that our mind-set in times of trouble can be our truest joy or our unfortunate demise. Anyone can instinctively grab their family or simply run with a basic self-preservation mind-set to a place of safety. Then, with a sigh of relief, thank God. It is the unshakable faith however, of a mature believer who dwells in thoughts of God's goodness and has joy throughout the journey. The trip they take through hard times is sprinkled with words of hope, kindness to others, tough stands of faith, tears of gratitude, words of encouragement, wise decisions, patience and times of prayer.  Rather than plowing through life avoiding a deeper connection with the Savior the mature believer has learned through his "relationship" with Jesus to follow Him and trust Him throughout the journey.

I seriously spent most of my life with zero patience. I went from annoyed to freak out in seconds! My emotions ruled me! Yet, as I grew in my relationship with God over the years I went from a child who felt like everything was out of control to a woman who knew God had complete control. I've come to realize lately though that as long as "I" can keep most things under control that my faith seems pretty stable. As I re-read Habakkuk's prayer/song I can clearly see my worst fear and that is to have everything around me falling apart! There are some major situations going on in our lives right now but unlike Habakkuk, we have groceries. When I look out from our circumstance I see a house that is up on repairs, cars that just had oil changes, yards and gutters that are cleaned up....However, Habakkuk only saw despair as he gazed out. Barns empty, failed crops, barren fields and not even a blossom of hope on the fig tree! Habakkuk declares, "YET, I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as the deer, and able to tread upon heights." I WANT THAT KIND OF FAITH!

Or do I??? Faith is a muscle and it only grows stronger with use. We DO NOT grow outside the presence of pain and who wants that! I'll take a full barn and bountiful crops any day. But, there is something to be said for hard times. It is in those times that I ran to Jesus and found out not only how precious I am to Him but how precious He is to me. In my pain is where my most tender moments with Christ have taken place. The deeper the pain, the deeper His love touched me. He has wiped tears from my eyes, held me still when I couldn't stop shaking and sat with me when I was so alone. Most importantly though, He understood me when no one else could. I don't know why such ugly things happen on this earth except for the fact that it is a sinful world right now. I do know however that I NEVER want to go through anything without my Lord Jesus. I don't blame Him for pain, I blame Satan because it is sin that destroys. One day very soon the hammer of justice will come down on evil and there will be no more sorrow or tears. Until that day I am clinging to my Savior and all I can do is pray that we all will learn to praise Him in times of trouble rather than blame Him. That, dear ones is my prayer.

Footnote:
I have started back at the gym recently and anyone who works out knows that there are no results without commitment and follow-through. It is the same with our spiritual growth as we read our bibles, have fellowship with other believers, get empowered in our prayer time and seek God in stillness. As we do the hard work of drawing near to God through these acts of faith we will see the growth and strength in our attitude and behaviors. Then, the work of God becomes fruitful as others see Christ in us and we can share the good news.

Right now

He is with you right now. You are safe in His arms of love and He understands you. Breath calmly and read the Psalms. He will get you though this. Sorrow may endure for a night but Joy comes in the morning. Shalom

Hard Won

Great truths are greatly won, not found by chance, nor wafted on the breath of summer dream; but grasped in the great struggle of our soul, hard buffeting with adverse wind and stream. Author unknown

I awoke early this morning and headed down to our family room to spend some quiet time with God. I put on some beautiful music, turned on a lamp which warmed the room with it's amber glow and curled up with my coffee and daily devotional. My expectations were high of having a cozy, quiet and serene time on my couch all by myself. I had created the perfect atmosphere worthy of an Oscar for Set Design! Within moments my dogs were rustling and my little Chihuahua started crawling all over me acting strange. Then as she looked up at me with her sweet face, she threw up all over me and the couch! Within a few minutes my husband came out of the bedroom to start his day and all I could think was, "Seriously!" All I wanted was some serene time in a picture perfect setting and BAM, life was rolling!

I could feel a spirit of anger and frustration come over me as I scrubbed the couch and myself. My quiet morning now had the sound of  dishes being washed and the smell of cleaning products! I wanted to scream, "Can't I even have two minutes to myself!" but instead chose to go sit outside for a few minutes and pray. "Lord", I said, "I am so tired and stressed and all I wanted was some peace! Can't I have a little normal!" As soon as I murmured those words I heard the sweet voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart whisper, "This is normal."

I have lived my life with the notion that "normal" was something that was realistic and attainable. The events that happened this morning were actually a blessing to my soul. God gave me a lesson and I realized that this lesson will carry me when I otherwise would choose to fall. Normal is all the clammer and happenings that go on in a day. Abnormal is when they aren't happening as part of our life! The gifts that God gives us are not uninterrupted moments but moments that we allow Him to interrupt! Our greatest blessings are found in Him through the interruptions of life.

How many times in our life can we look back on and say, "I wish I did that different." How many times have we let the distractions, mishaps and interruptions of life cause us to take our frustrations out on our loved ones, friends, co-workers or even strangers? I have a quote over my desk that reads, "Know the difference between a disaster and an inconvenience!" Friends, let's learn to take a deep breath when life goes awry. Let us learn from the Master, Jesus, who longs to teach us how to take life in stride and keep our peace of soul composed when life becomes bumpy. Pull away from the circumstance and draw near to the Prince of Peace. Women who have children tugging at you, secure the kids and then take even a couple minutes to put some Christian music on in the house. Go and hide in the bathroom for a few moments and keep a daily devotional in there or a bible or journal. Men, go out to the garage or take a short walk before your fuse hits the powder. Anything is better than hurting ourselves or someone else with words of anger. Breath and pray.

Ephesians 6:12 states, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This paragraph goes on to describe to believers how to put on the armor of God. I suggest reading it for it is our only hope in a world of constant attacks. Another thing that I learned this morning is to laugh more. Life and all its troubles and frustrations can weight us down to a point where we become cave dwellers. Laughter lifts us up to the sky where there is fresh air and views of hope! Learning to laugh and smile helps us to not take ourselves or inconveniences so seriously. Pride and entitlement can be an awful trigger to anger and selfish behavior!

Lately, I have been making a conscious choice to ask God for His peace when I "feel" anxiety rushing in. I was convicted by the Holy Spirit the other day that the reason I did not have some of God's goodness was because I wasn't asking for it! He says to ask, seek and knock (Matthew 7:7), and I started doing that and he has been faithful as he has promised to replace my anxiety with his peace (1Peter 5:7) that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). We need to let our prayers trump our feelings. The sooner we come to grips with the fact that we have a CHOICE in every circumstance of how we are going to process and deal with it, the sooner we stop being victims of our emotions!

These battles are not easy, they are hard won. But, with a commitment to choose God in the ludicrous events of life we can find wisdom rather than foolishness, peace as opposed to frustration and joy instead of anger. Beloved, in every trial and situation there is a sweet lesson from God that can take our character from one of poor stature to one of integrity. We are always just ONE PRAYER AWAY from a complete shift of perspective! Choose this day who you will serve, the god of this earth who brings frustration, anger, malice, pride, regret, sorrow, shame....OR the God of love, who desires to transform you into a person gifted with wisdom, adorned with honor, instilled with peace and overflowing with joy.

Knock each small frustration down with a humble shout of praise before they build up and make you act unbecomingly.

1 John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"

You Don't Own Me

My first instinct when I'm wronged or someone I love is wronged is to get defensive. As I've matured in the Lord I have taken note that my defensiveness diminishes quickly and my heart sees the offender more as a broken person rather than someone to be despised. I am much quicker to pray than to curse one of God's creations now. That's not to say we don't need to use wisdom when we are dealing with an offender. Forgiveness does not mean we go running toward the problem! Forgiveness is an act of the heart that sets you free of any strongholds or bondage that the situation could have held you in. Without forgiveness we are just prisoners in chains. We are to release ourselves from the chains and through that freedom others will see the power and glory of God! His Love has no boundaries so it can travel much further and deeper than our hatred. Also, the work that His love can accomplish far surpasses all the damage that our resentment ever could.That is precisely why we are not to hold on to the situation but we are called to give our burdens to Him. God's love covers a multitude of sins and can change any willing heart. We are not the Savior, He is. It's not our job to fix someone else. It's our job to place them through prayer into the presence of God so He can love them. Our act of love is to set all involved free through forgiveness. To God be the glory!

Mark 11:26, "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."

That scripture alone propels me into obedience to God's request. The gate to heaven is narrow, which means we cannot fit through it if we are carrying anger, resentment, bitterness... Let's be sure that our hearts and souls are not tethered to the pole of bondage. I choose FREEDOM IN CHRIST. No one owns me but Him.

Pre-Praise

You are not some pauper begging for a crumb from your rich master. You are my child and I have given you my full inheritance. You may keep worrying and wondering whether I'm going to deliver you but I already have. You may be waiting for some kind of word from me but I have already given you My Word. You may be waiting for some sign of some other team to fail but your Victory will come. That is my promise. I'm asking you to come to me now in obedience and praise me for the victory that I'm going to give you. You are my child and your children are my children. If they ask you for bread do you give them a stone? Yet, you think that I will cast them into the wilderness. Draw near to me my child and I will draw near to you. I will replace your anxiety with my peace. I have never let one of my children down when they went to battle and I am certainly not going to start with you. I miss you. I need your friendship. Come back to me and believe me. I will not let you fall! You have been through the dark season of the soul but it's time for the Son to rise in your heart and mind. Come into my light,  be rested and refreshed. Have joy again! Please believe me with all your heart and mind.  Have Joy again!  Give praise to me now. I would love to Rejoice with you, not after I have blessed you but before the blessing. You may feel weak right now but that is only because I want it to be crystal clear to you that this Victory is from me and has nothing to do with anything that you did. I am a giver of good gifts. You and your children are surrounded by my invisible fiery Chariots of angels! No weapon formed against you shall prosper! The mighty War Horse will depart in confusion while you will have my peace.  Don't be embarrassed to dance and sing and praise me as my servant David did even though he was mocked by his wife. Let nothing, not fear, not Pride not anything keep you from praising me right now. My faithfulness endures forever.

Hit the Pause

I urge you first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 Timothy 2:1

As you scurry around attending to the days demands, consciously stop, take a pause and offer a prayer up to God. Pray for someone who needs intercessory prayer. Someone who is lost right now and needs faithful friends to stand in the gap for them. Pray for someone you don't agree with. Pray for our leaders. Pray for an enemy. Pray for those who are suffering. Pray for the displaced. Pray for your children. Pray for travel safety, Pray for yourself. Pray for your marriage. Pray....

Hit the  pause button and just simply pray about a few things. Step into the bathroom for a moment and say a prayer. Pray at a stop light, as you walk the dogs, while washing the dishes... Just start praying and then watch God's Spirit move. Change your mind-set from worry to praise.

Frame of Reference

Psalm 94:19, When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

As my body continues to battle this stomach bug I notice each day is increasingly more sad because I want to get out of this house and bed and start living again. An incident this time has brought me to a higher level though, a place where acceptance of suffering is more manageable. The other day when I was caring for my grand-daughter as she suffered from this same virus, I comforted her with a simplistic truth. Although you are throwing up let's list all the things that you aren't having to suffer with right now... No fever, no sore throat, no aches, no sinus pressure... you can see, taste, hear, feel my touch as I comfort you, you're not going through this alone, someone who loves you is with you, you have a support system of family and friends that will be there for you no matter what. You are in a safe place, snuggled in a cozy bed, there's heat in the house, clean water, amenities...  Then, we prayed for specific things regarding her healing.

Needless to say, we didn't wake up till late the next day. Her stomach bug had passed and she was smiling again. A bit upset that she missed Valentine's Day at school but definitely overjoyed about feeling better. Before she left for home with her dad I reminded her how God had met all of her needs the night before. Every single need we offered up to Him in prayer, He answered. I reminded her to build a monument in her heart and mind so as to never forget God's great love and faithfulness.

When tragedy strikes, illness oppresses, things break down, health fails or just the complications of life become stressful and overwhelming, we have choices as to how we're going to handle it. I still loose it and cry or complain but I put a time limit on it now. I regroup my thoughts and feelings as I speak new truths to myself. I call someone who I know will empathize with me, comfort me, make me laugh or say a prayer with me. I recapture a grateful heart and remind myself of God's love and presence. I smile in my pain as I thank God that He has put people in my life that will bring me soup or whatever I need. I know now that as bad as something is it can always be worse and it is for many others, so I think of those people and pray for them.

Some days we are on the top of the cliff having a picnic in the sun, other days we are hanging on for dear life as we dangle from a root cliff-side. Then, there are those days when we feel like we are plummeting to our demise, flailing and panicking with uncertainty. Where ever you find yourself, remind yourself, you are never separated from the love of God. Life can be ugly, scary, unfair.... but there is one truth that I cling to, God is with me not against me. Find your peace with Him and let Him comfort you. Let your gratitude for His presence outweigh your pain.

Romans 8:39, No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.