Stronghold

If I could tell someone what to do in a season of their lives that their struggling in spiritually, I would tell them a few things. Most importantly, they should be focused on God and what He can do through the season in their lives. What's most important is they they get into his word and acknowledge what the problem is in their lives. Most often the sin.

For me, I have gone through seasons where I could recognize the problem I had between God and me, but I wasn't willing to take the step up and be willing to change. So the first step is to change for the glory of God. This means we have to acknowledge the fact that you and I have a sin nature and so that sin nature only leads destruction and chaos in our lives. When we think about it, what sin is is the pathway, or the formula we swallow, that slowing drives us to the grave. So we have to acknowledge that because we have this sin nature from birth, we need to put all out lots into Christ alone. Not our friends. Not our family. Not our church support group. But in God.

The next thing is to acknowledge what John the Baptist acknowledged in the second chapter of John. We must become less, he must become more. In Psalm 103, the last verse says, "Let all that I am praise the Lord." I think this means our actions change into his likeness, as well as our countenance. I very well believe those who are closer to God, or are more obedient and aware of who God is in their lives, they tend to have a a demeanor of spiritual maturity just as Christ did. That said, we have to look at Christ to see the kind of life we should be living in. I've been in seasons in my life where the face in the mirror does not match the person who was once in a great spot with God in her life. She looked depressed or discontent. She looked hard. Not gentle. And I think that has proven to me to be indicator of where I am spiritually. It also shows if I am trusting in God or if I am trusting in people or things in this world. I have noticed also that my weight will fluctuate drastically based on how I am doing spiritually. There's been two bad seasons in my life where one I gained weight and then the other I lost it to the point of not being healthy. So I would say overall our outlook on who we are and who Christ is is the second thing we ought to do in those seasons where we are struggling with a stronghold or some sort of spiritual battle.

The third thing would be to not focus on the time period that it's going to take to be delivered from a sin. It's going to save you from getting discouraged if you believe the journey will be a while or it can make you content at a certain point that God intends for you to grow further in your walk with him in a certain area in your life. So overall, it's about knowing it will take time. When I was first saved, I had a lot to work through. I gave up a lot of stuff that deep inside I never wanted to give up. Giving them up was going to lead to fear and anxiety, and yet it had to be done. So I slowly gave up control of my life and focused on Christ. And it wasn't that thought in my mind "now I am going to focus on Christ and live for him." That's shallow compared to the depth that I really needed to go about to heal from my situation. I would say being a new believer, I had a zeal and a committed love for Christ that was so rooted and so child like that nothing was going to stop me. So when I say that my focus was on Christ, it wasn't because I knew I needed to focus on him so much as it was that heart and desire that I wanted to live for him. It was apples and oranges. I wasn't forcing myself, I was allowing myself by just getting to know him. And I think that's the thing we ought to do whenever we are struggling as believers. It's a simple fact that we focus on Christ, but it's more like "how can I fall in love with Christ?" A husband who has lost desire for his wife I hope would not just say, "I need to focus on my wife." Focusing on a something doesn't make it anymore beautiful or desirable than if we go and learn more about it, and analyze it in our minds to come to the conclusion we may just love it. So does the husband who wants to fall back in love with his wife. This is how I want to live for Christ.

The forth thing is we have to be willing to let God speak to us. We are born sinners. We never searched God out. That's evident in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve hid from God. We just don't have that natural love for him or desire. It's his spirit within us that gets our attention (thank God for that!). We need to focus on the idea that God will reveal to us what we need to change and what to do to change it. It's hard because we do not change for the better easily. Especially when we get older; we just have a sterner outlook on life. We're not easily swayed to change. So this is why we are told to be like children. By having a heart like a child, we become the clay that the potter (who is God) can mold easily. Having that in mind, we become good listeners, and it helps to do the other thing we ought to be doing, which getting into his Word. The Bible is going to teach us a lot of things about ourselves and the character of God. When we focus on him, we are molded into him. We become what we focus on. This is why I come back home and see mannerisms or idiosyncrasies that friends of mine have at college in myself. It's because I was around them. So it's like that when we are spending time with God more and more every chance we get. And I encourage, especially if you're going through a hard time in your life, to get into the Word every chance you get. I think we spend part of our days doing absolutely nothing of significance. We can be on Facebook for hours and it'll carry nothing beneficial into our lives, so much as the people we talk to on there. So our time spent in the word is going to be found in those times that we may think we need to just zone out or take break, or even times with friends.  We need to make that time for God so we can listen to what he has to say us. And so that's why I encourage it everyday; every opportune moment.

Another thing I would encourage is to pray. Prayer can be hard to do when we are in a season in our lives that we feel like we're away from him, but I find that it's those times that I say more on what's on my heart than what sounds good. That usually means my prayers can be as much as monologue to even two sentences. That said, I don't think that God won't bless the person who comes to him with a humble heart. A heart that wants to change (Psalm 40:4). In fact that's the heart that God honors. We see in Philippians chapter two that Jesus Christ had a humble heart. Though he didn't have to change at all, he had a heart for God, his father, and he was willing to live according to what his father's will was, not his own. And that's exactly as believers we are suppose to do.When we lose sight of the blessings that come with Christ, we can easily lose our focus. Think about how Christ never lost focus of the end result of his suffering upon the cross. "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine" are the words of Christ. This was his life long attitude and having that attitude kept him in that mindset of humility to where he was surrendering his life for our sins. And having that humility, he was open to God's will as well as communication with God. And that's exactly what we are to be doing as followers of Christ.

The last thing we should focus on any time in our lives are the seeds sow and what they will reap. When I look at the first semester of college, I think of  a lot of the seeds that were sown and are reaping right now. I will be honest, a lot of them are not good. But it wasn't just college, it was before I went there. These are seeds that were infused by my pride and distrust in God that seeing my life now, I know I have seen better days in my walk with the Lord. That's not to say that this is that end for my relationship with Christ or God wants to disown me. I rather be vague that it takes a lot of trust to believe that God is still here with me. Even with the seeds that I have sown, I have begun to refocus myself. I have come to realization that my stronghold has build itself back up, and I need help tearing it down again. I look to God and see his mercy. I look into his word and see the truth. I pray and hear him reply. And I seek more knowledge from wise counsel and I compare it to God's word. One thing that I want to point to that mirrors my life now is Psalm 42. David is in a great depression. For how long? I don't know. Why? It appears it could be for reasons that are similar to mine. I have sown seeds that were far from God's plan for my life. Ones that were not a part of his plan, but now he will work for his glory. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

This is my hope. 

There have been times before in my life that I have looked to God and he heals me from sin. He took me and molded me into his son's likeness and I was made right with him. What I need now is to fall back in love with him. To recollect on his word. To know it. To love him. When I write this post, I am writing at the a time that I am seeking mercy everyday from God. Mercy for the seeds that I have sown that are causing me to hurt him and myself. I trust when I finally post this that it will be at a time that you won't recognize that I even struggle. In fact, it will be when I have conquered this stronghold through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). 

Remember Christ rose from the dead to beat death. Death is what is bred through our sins. Through Christ, we are given strength to conquer those sins that are killing us slowly and ultimately live one day with him. Do not give up and do not fret. Because as David once proclaimed in his stage of depression, " Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him my Savior and my God."

Joy In The Morning

 
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." Psalm 126:5-6

"Stop trying to be strong; admit you need help."

I went through a period in my life where all I wanted to do was cry. I sat in my room numb to all that was going on around me. I was more anxious than anything. One night I got down from my bed and got down onto my knees.

"Lord, why do they have to treat me this way? Why did you let this happen?" I prayed.

I could not understand the circumstances, nor hear God audibly. I just felt a peace come over me as I continued to pray and burst into tears. It was like a whisper in my soul that said, "being strong is not about keeping from breaking down. It's about being weak so Christ can be strong."

So often times I think people try to be strong amongst pain, while still denying the pain that still exists. It's okay to mourn when life is tough. When a friend stops speaking to you. When a family member hurts you. Or when you are just scared of what life might bring next.  Remember David's words in Psalm 42:5-6a:

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad
 I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—    my Savior and my God!

This has been the place of my heart, as I know for some of you reading. Your heart grieves and all you want to do is pour our your concerns to God, yet silence is sometimes the most comfortable thing to do. Even emotions do not appear from out of you. Sometimes it's apathy for the world around you. Your emotionless self seems damaging and you cannot figure out why until you pray about or recollect on the concerns you have for the things in your life. Does any of this sound familiar to you?

I admit to being in tears on my knees and head down flat on the ground. Even rolling over to the side when I just needed to just cry. Pain comes, but it needs to be dealt with the Lord. Only he is going to carry our burdens (Matthew 11:30). Only he is going to make us strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). It's like we have to break down first, physically or emotionally, before we can recognize our weakness and our need for the Lord's strength in our lives.

Today, let him be your strength. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," but what does that really mean? It means being weak and recognizing the only possibility of strength is through Christ. This may require the breaking down in tears, but remember in the morning, our joy will return.

 
"...weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

Go to the Lord and trust in him.

Verses to Ponder

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. Psalm 57:2

But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me. Psalm 55:16

Meditation

(This is the other part of "How I Became A Christian")

When I was younger, I picked up a Bible and started to read it. No sooner later was I saved.

The challenges that came after I was saved included my lack of knowledge of what the Christian life looked like and basic knowledge of the word. I started reading the Bible during a difficult part in my life which in turn made me driven to study it even more. Everyday, any part of the day. I wanted to learn how to live outside my old life.

So once I accepted Christ as my Savior, I knew that I needed to get into the word. In fact, it came easily for me because I craved it! I can remember putting the television on for background noise as I flipped through the pages of the Bible. I was looking up verses on everything. From certain sins to fruits of the Spirit. I was gun-ho about knowing who God was and how I should be living as a saved person. I was a child who wanted to know her father. And it was probably one of the most thrilling parts of my life. It was like finding a gold ring on a beach. Or finding a pearl in the sea. The Bible was new to me, and every verse that spoke to me was better than ice cream on a hot summer's day. In fact, I was losing weight during the time I was saved because I was caught up in writing verses down, and less on my appetite!

Below, you'll some of the pages of references that I took down as I flipped through the glossary of one of the Bibles I looked through. I don't remember if I read all the references, but I do remember looking at some of the topics and finding verses that I wanted to memorize so that I could live them out.

 

After a while, I saw a transformation in me. I could see that I was reaping what I was sowing, which was God's word. When I look back at that time in my life, I think about how encouraging it is to see that at one point in my life God was my all. Every time I recognize he is not my all now, I look back to the place I once was. I was miserable, but it's not just because I was miserable that I want to continue living for Christ. It was because I knew he saved me. He loved me first. And I was completely and utterly in love with him. My fifteen year old self encourages me, now 23, because I see what I am capable of when I surrender to God. In the years that I have been saved, I have noticed that God uses my testimony to encourage others and to keep us passionate about the great things he has planned for those who have been called according to his good and perfect plan.

Today, I want to leave you with a verse that I found encouraging in one of my journals.Psalm 19:14:

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

How often are you meditating on the truth of God's word? Are you letting it mold you and shape you into his likeness? Or are you easily distracted sometimes, like I am? I think this happens when we do not make it a habit of getting into God's word and letting it grow in our lives. We reap what we sow, according to Galatians 6:9. So we ought focus on things that we want to reap one day. Not necessarily talking about goals in life like making money here, but what I am talking about is drawing nearer to God and letting him be Lord of our lives.

Challenge: Go on a hunt for verses that you need right now in your life. Maybe they deal with the strength you need in Christ or maybe the hard hitting truth of a sin in your life. You choose. Write them down on notecards, and every chance you get, read them to memorize them. Soon enough, you'll begin to reap what you sow by meditating on the truth of God's word.

Home

This earth is not my home
Just passing on through
Knew I wouldn't stay too long
Not with the hope of eternity, I knew
In my heart I know where I am going
This flesh is not my home
Only the spirit will carry me through this
Heaven above
I see the Light
Jesus Christ saves
When I was wandering in the night
My soul thirsted and hungered
And then I was filled
Eternity set in place in my heart
Better now, standing still
My flesh may fail
My heart may ache
But when I have the hope of going home
I can wait

Sin That Hinders Us

I am a wretched sinner.

I am not always communed to my God who gave me air to breath. I fail to thank him a lot of times, and I would rather have things my way, which eventually wouldn't work out or help people around me, or even myself. For the most part, I fail God.

James 1:14-15 says, "Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death."

What desires do I have that make me a sinner. A lot that would be outside the realm of the good things God wants to give and do with me. Maybe even things he would have me do for you.

What desires do you have that make you a sinner?

Think upon things that make you feel guilty when you do them, or perhaps weaken you overtime. You know our physical bodies can give out on us because of sin. Just see me as a living example. Discontentment has caused me to be lightheaded or cheated of breath at times. It's not what God has intended, though. Put in a simple way, he wants me to be at peace and rest in him (Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:11).

Think about your life today. Is it worry that robs you have living life to the fullest in Christ? Is it discontentment? Is it your desires in this world that make you not see the great and wonderful things from above God has for you (see James 1:17)?

This is what I suggest, but there are many ways you can go about this.

First pray to God. Tell him and ask of him what is hindering you from walking fully with him. It really is a serious thing when we have half of a wall made up of bitterness, anger, discontentment, or what not in front of us and God. Seek him with your whole heart, and He will surely bless him. Just be willing to listen to his answer and to be willing to obey it.

Then get into the Word. Maybe start in a Psalm, or a epistle. I like being able to connect to the writer and seeing their emotions play out just as mine sometimes have. That way you know the men and women before us who have walked a life in faith also had doubt and struggles. And needless to say, it feels both wonderful and humbling at the same time that even God's holiest of people still struggled with sin just like we do.

Also don't forget to thank God for his mercy above all else. Without the sacrifice of Christ we wouldn't have an opportunity to override sin in our lives. To throw away every hindrance of sin that so entangles us in our lives (Hebrews 12:1). Walking with Christ doesn't mean restrictions in life by the means of cutting out that give us lasting joy. Instead it is what gives us the lasting joy. The joy that doesn't get tarnished. The joy that is accompanied by peace.

Today do not miss the opportunity to spend time with God and thank him for his grace and ask for it to be extended by whatever sin you may have to deal with. God will help you.

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 15:13

Love One Another

Selfishness is a my gift. In fact, it's a natural ability. No one had to teach me to ignore the money cup that collects for children in Africa or to ignore the person sitting by themselves. I do it with ease sometimes too. I am that good!

I...

sound a little ridiculous, don't I?
Who would want to be friends with me if I actually thought that way? Well in fact, I technically do. It's in my human nature. I know what selfishness is, I just ignore that I am doing it sometimes, and that's when the spirit of conviction comes upon my heart. Why am I not helping my brothers and sisters out? Why am I in my comfort zone when there are areas where others need help? Why am I so selfish?

The Bible is a book on the human nature. We are naturally selfish. It's just easy to do. I sure hope my parents didn't teach me, "Regan, ignore that man on the street. He does not matter. He got there his own way, let him get himself out."

I am reminded  of the heart of Jesus when I was reading through a devotional that a friend gave me years ago that I am now just getting around to reading. In 2 Samuel 23:13-17 records when David sent three of his mighty men to fetch him water in an enemy's territory. When they came back, David recognized this, and would not dare drink the water that his friends had risked their lives for. Instead he offered the water as a sacrifice to the Lord. In doing so, I kind of got the impression David is showing honor both to the Lord and his friends, who risked their lives for his favor. How is this like Proverbs 3:3?

"Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart."

When we are willing to become a servant, we bless others and honor the Lord. Jesus said to love each other as ourselves. This implies there should be an equal value of myself to you, and vise versa.

It maybe as small as getting a cup of water for somebody or being a friend in a time of need, but putting ourselves on the same page, and putting God above to guide us in our relationships forms a perfect harmony that this world so tries to get right, but never has seemed to obtained.

Today, I challenge you something. Focus on  what you may do for others. Now here's the thing. Take yourself outside the picture of that a person is relient on your for happiness. That's placing yourself in God's position, and we have no right to be there. What I want to convey is the answer to these questions:

how does my speech help another person?
how do my actions help someone?
what do my brothers and sisters need that I could provide?

Again, we cannot do everything, or anything, for everybody. But what we can do is start off asking how we serve each other because we love each other. Remind each other that God is the ultimate source of what we need. Most importantly, salvation.

Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

This is the message that Jesus ultimately wanted us to understand.

Time

Before I even started college, I wondered how I was going to manage my time.

First off, what do you spend a majority of your day on? Is it work, school, family, time with friends, studying your Bible, prayer, or something else?

I would say that a majority of my day before I came to school was spent on either working at the supermarket I had a position at or working at home. I also hung out with friends, read my Bible everyday, tried to write regularly on this blog about what God's been showing me through his word, and I prayed for a heart for where He wanted me to go in my life beyond the point I was at.

Now that I am in a new chapter of my life, with a new routine and surroundings, I have begun to ask the Lord what he wants me to do with my time.

Psalm 103:5 says, "As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field." This is a repeated message throughout Scripture. Man's life is not compared to the strength of a hurricane or a tornado, but the frailty of grass and flowers of the field.

There is only 24 hours in a day, and I admit that I know I need 7-8 hours of that to not feel drained the next day. Yet here I am in college, and the only time I was able to get 7 hours of sleep was this Saturday morning. Sleep used to be a priority. In fact it still is, just not the one of my top ones. In one week at Northland, I have realized that life is not about my priority list, but much to do about Christ. He is the reason we live, and it's through him he promises joy and peace. We do not have to give those traits up to follow him. Comfort, maybe. But seeking after him, we see in time what we thought we knew as peace, comfort, and joy are actually not what God defines as them as. The way he defines these traits are much greater and wonderful.

So coming here to a Christian college, I see one challenge. My time for the next two or three years can be used on either studying the Bible just to have knowledge about the Word, and do whatever with it. Or I can still minister here, letting my studies become the driving force and knowledge I need to better equip myself for ministry. All the head knowledge cannot defeat a personal relationship with God. To have his spirit reside in me, and be manifesting himself through me for the rest of my natural born life here on earth. Praise God that I am not going to college for a degree. In fact it could be I'm a semester away from graduating, and he calls me to go somewhere else. Not a another school, but a mission field. Who knows?

But I know this.

Jesus told us as believers to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I have said over and over again I do not know where the Lord wants me, but I do know I have a passion to help the lonely, self destructive women, who may or may not know God. I want to be able to minister in communities in the States where the gospel is stale or not thought about anymore. I want to tell others about the God I know; not the one that has been people have used to abuse or manipulate others. I want to be God's comforting hands and his feet ready to go help someone who is in need. 

Now being here at school, where I am taking a full load of classes, I ask myself, "What am I doing with my time?"

Is it to study, or to grow in his likeness?
To know stuff, or to be wise?
To do well in school, or to be ready for the mission field?
To just sit in my room and study, or to be missionary now?

These things I ask myself, but maybe you should ask yourself something similar. What is God preparing your heart to do? It's not to memorize the book of a Bible for the sake of goodness, but it may simply be to love God to love others, and be used in your workplace, classroom, or church. Getting a degree has never really meant anything to me. I never really thought I'd be here on my way to get an Bachelor's, but here I am, if the Lord permits. What's important is what do I use my time for today. Not tomorrow.  
Reflection

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths"

Focus on this one passage of Scripture today. Then tomorrow. Then the next day. Then the next. And so forth. How does this shape your mindset on how you spend your day and how you follow the Lord? Ask him to lead you where he wants you as you trust in him.

Finding Contentment In Packing?

Cleaning out my room and closet to pack for college has been quite the chore.

I have been eliminating clothes from my whole wardrobe to either sell or donate. And the clothes I keep, I have been trying to coordinate what goes with what so I know right away what outfits work.

No, this is not a scene from the show "Hoarders." This is almost everything that I will be bringing to Northland, including: food, pots and pans, tupper ware, and other essentials.

Story behind this. A friend who went to the same school told me her secret to being able to store so much in a dorm room with three other ladies. For her shoes, she brought a wide tub that could fit under the bed. It didn't occur to me until tonight that I had TWO underneath my bed. One holding some artwork from when I was in elementary school through high school. Another holding VHS tapes! So I decided it was time to let the 90s go, and pitch the VHS tapes. Bye-bye X Files, Facts of Life, and Marilyn Monroe movies. I'll see you on DVD if I get in the mood.

After all this cleaning, I'm thinking to myself how much I have and how much I don't think I have. 

Maybe it's a girl thing, but I think I have enough clothes to last me for a while, but then a new season of clothes come out, and I figure I "need" new clothes (quotations to point to the fact I usually don't). Granted, the school I am going to required that me to update my wardrobe, but along the way I started buying knick knacks I may not have necessarily needed. So my solution has been buying what I think I need, waiting to see if I wear it, and if after a week I don't, I return it. This has saved me a lot of money, and has kept me from regretting seasonal outfits that could quickly go out of style.

And you know I have thought of what the Bible talks about regarding my issue of contentment. That is FIND IT! It's there! I just have to look straight at it to get the vibe for it. The Apostle Paul wrote how he found contentment in a jail cell. 

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.~ Philippians 4:11-13

The whole joyful book of Philippians is a prisoner's letter. Sounds ironic, right? If he had joy and peace, surely I can have it.

I might need to back up, and mention how I have a tendency to be sentimental towards things in my life. Things that have lived through my childhood. To give up a collection of VHS or clothes that have sat in my closet for years has made me swallow my pride of the comforts in life and do what I know need to do.

Selling clothes will give me a little more for the next few years as I go to college and not work. Giving clothes away can help someone who is in need. Pretty much not attaching myself to these things helps me stop at the line of being a hoarder, and be glad in the things I do have. Just like Paul!

This packing business is stressful, but also has been a great reminder of where I can find contentment. That is, no matter how many outfits I have or food I can afford through school, I can find contentment in Christ. I can do anything he gives me strength to do.

I sometimes compare myself to people in third world countries, and wonder what I can live without. I know a lot. I could probably give up a meal in a day, and still be okay. Or have five outfits, and not die of embarrassment. 

Tonight I want to ask, "What can we do without?" 

Probably a lot more than we would like to imagine.

Busy Days Ahead Of Us

This past week, and this week ahead, have been nothing more, but frazzling. Not frazzle in a bad way, but in a very good way!

I am getting ready to sail off to college this next coming Saturday, and one thing that has been on my mind is “how am I able to focus on what God wants me to do?”

I don’t know if you have been there before, but one busy day after another can rob time with God. That quiet moment all of us good Christians try to do each and everyday. I am being honest when I say I haven’t neglected time with God, but what I have neglected is watching what I do sometimes that is ultimately why I spend time with God. That is to be enveloped in him.

Jesus said, “"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)

What he means is as Christians, our lives are not based on the notion how much we are getting time with God, but more as what is this time with God doing in our lives? Is it molding it to match that of the life of Jesus? Is it showing who he is in our lives when we have the word moving us to live for him? All we doing all things for the glory of God?

As I go about my day, I try to focus on one thing. To stay focused on things above, and let that mold my day. My attitude, who I hang out with, and how I work are a few things that display the character of Christ that I abide in, or the lack thereof.

Today is a Saturday, and tomorrow is Sunday. Take some time to rest and study the Word. Perhaps read John 15, and take in the words of Jesus. Abide in your savior and his love. Let it renew you for the week ahead of you. And transform you in his likeness.

"Alright I Get It!"

Since making my choice to leave for school in the Fall, I have been tested.

Tested to the point of yo-yo-ing on the decision of whether or not to go.

Satan has been to his ways in my life, and after awhile, it's gets very very annoying. And recognizable too, that's it become much more easier for me to say no to the trap in store for me by him. That is, NOT to ignore the new adventure in life that God has in store for me.

For years, I have been wanting to get out of Champaign, the town I grew up in. Yet after high school, I just did the typical college student recession plan, and went to a community college. Nothing wrong with that, but looking back, I rather have gone to the bible school I am going to now straight after high school so that I wasn't wasting anytime. Needless to say, God has used the extra time I was in town to build some wonderful relationships, and for that I am grateful to have stayed a little longer.

Now to the new course in my life that I am stoked to see unfold!

Getting ready to leave home at anytime, no matter how far away you are going, it is always nerve wrecking. I have been feeling this way since about a month ago when it dawned on me I was leaving home soon. Getting closer to the day I leave, God has revealed to me through his word the journey he has for me. A mighty one, in fact. News that is brought to me none other by a few wonderful ladies in my life. As well as the revelation of where to place my focus on whenever I tend to worry or struggle with the future ahead.

First revelation:

  

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, 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."

The truth of this verse for me is to focus on the good that God has in store for me. I need not to be anxious about anything. I need to focus my attention on the good things he'll have me do, and then do them to see seeds I sow grow. And when I need to remind myself of how powerful and strong God is, I need to think of God as the psalmist did in Psalm 18:1-2.

Second Revelation

  "I love you, Lord, my strength.

  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

 

The Lord is my strength. The one who I stay close to in times I'm worry or am scared. I need to stay close to him to guide me through the uncertainty in life, and see what he will do with me as I let him lead.

Third Revelation

"Paul, an apostle —sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead...I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ...I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.They only heard the report: 'The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.' And they praised God because of me."

Paul was the worst of sinners. He was a contributor to the pool of Christian deaths during the time the church was being established. Under his "rule" in the Jewish community, many early Christians lost their lives. It took a revelation from Jesus Christ to wake him up to the truth of the gospel, and since that happened, Paul suddenly went from being the hunter to the hunted. The very people he persecuted he became. And he paid for being one ultimately with his life. Before that though, Paul was walked the Lord for years, telling others about his testimony, and sharing the good news about Jesus to others. He knew his new life of ministry was not appointed by the officials that he worked with to persecute the church; people before his Christian life who probably agreed with him all the way in persecuting the church and sticking to Jewish customs. It was in fact "Jesus Christ and God the Father"  who sent him as a preacher of God's word. No "human origin," but the direct command from God to go tell others about him is what made Paul move around the ancient world like crazy during his lifetime.

I don't know what the Lord has in store for me, but I do know this. 

My decision for the next step in my life is not based on human notion, but on the calling from Jesus Christ and God the Father. 

My parents have questioned me. People at church. Friends outside of church. A lot of people have questioned my decision on going into ministry, and it wasn't until recently I found that I couldn't make a democracy out of whether or not I should go to college. I just needed to go! And so I am, and I am 100% certain everyone will see the hand of God in my life. Because he has his control in my life. He has called me to go to school to learn more about his word to teach it to others.

I woke up to this morning with the latter revelation from a friend, and so the first words I said to God was, "Alright I get it!"

Now, I think I finally have gotten it.

I'm going on an adventure. I'm not going to regret it. And it's going to be everything that my heart has been yearning for all these years.

Praise God!

Blessings Flow

Last night was an emotional one. Full of laughter and tears, it was my bon voyage party, thrown by a few ladies at my church. Some of them I have known for months, others years. And it was surely a night that I will soon never forget. What a blessing to have so many women come together to celebrate the new adventure in my life. I cannot thank them enough, nor God, for all the blessings they have bestowed upon me during my time here in town.

Together, we have shared tears, laughter, wisdom, and many more gifts that have blown my mind. I never would have imagined relationships like these five years ago.

I think of Philippians 1:3 when I think of the many friendships I have formed while in town. Paul was declaring his gratitude for fellow believers at the church in Philippi.

"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God."

Ladies, and even the friends who were not at this get together, thank you so much for friendships. It means so much to me. I thank God for you just about everytime it hits me all that he has blessed me with. Thank you!

On another note, here are a few items that I was able to get, courtesy with a little help from my friends. ;)

These were cards given to me at the party. Balloons included.

Socks had to investigate.

One of the tops I was able to buy at Target, which will be part of my wardrobe at school. No sweats for this college student.

Two pairs of slacks. About $13 each, on sale. Yay!

I love, love, LOVE this cardigan. I can wear it with just about anything.

Another sweater. If you look closely, it is a little sparkly, but not too much. I saw it the other day. Didn't give it another thought, but I loved the colors, and had to try it on. It works for me.

I got a lot from my errand run tonight, including: razors, bandages, bath towels, hand towels, ear plugs, and a face mask to filter out the light when I go to sleep. If you cannot tell, I'm a light sleeper... And the husband pillow is just an added bonus from a friend who didn't need it anymore. I bet it'll be glad to be back at Northland. ;)

Thank you, friends, for the memories, and hopefully many many many more to come when I come back! If the Lord permits...



A Friend And A Bridegroom

"To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.” ~ John 3:27-30

In this passage, John the Baptist is being asked by people, who have heard about the ministry of Jesus, and are curious to know who he really is. John gives a straightforward, "That joy is mine and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less."

John compares himself to the friend who attends the bridegroom; the bridegroom being Jesus. It is the friend's joy to help the bridegroom get ready for the banquet. In this case John helped set Jesus' ministry. The friend does this for the benefit and ultimate glory of the bridegroom; not his own benefit or glory. So is this with John the Baptist who preached about Jesus up until Jesus took up his full ministry, and John was martyred. In this passage, John's words illustrate not just how we are to have a mindset as believers in Jesus Christ, but how we are to measure the depth of our priorities in life.

Has Christ become more than me? Is his image seen in me more than my old self?

These questions come to my mind when I think about him needing to become greater, and me to become less.

Will others notice the good in you that so clearly illustrates Christ has become greater in your life than your own self?

Take heart. When someone does notice of things that can only be from him, it means you have taken up the powerful words of John the Baptist in your life. Words that should shape our attitude in our own lives.

Always Be Joyful

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This has become one of my favorite verses. Partly due to the fact that I like to wimper a lot when I am going through tough times in my life. This passage from First Thessalonians reminds me that in everything, I can still look on the bright side of things, and find joy.

I can always be joyful because God's word says I should be.

It also says later in the passage to be thankful in all circumstances. This is sometimes hard to do. When I feel like the manager at my job is not treating me well, I can still be thankful to have a job. Being thankful in all circumstance isn't necessarily thanking God for all the bad, but it is thanking him for the good that can arise from the bad.

In the middle of the passage, going back, we find that we are to never stop praying. That makes me think of Philippians 4:8, which says, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

This is what should be our mindset should be in life. We should seek to surround ourselves in thought and in action with truth, honor, righteousness, purity, loveliness, and good reputable things. This is not just to protect our reputations as Christians, but to protect ourselves as followers of Christ. Satan loves to defile God's people when he can, and if we are not careful to meditate on the good things that are of God, then it can build a wall between us and God.

Going back to praying without ceasing, I think Philippians 4:8 because it reminds me that my mind should be on true, honorable, righteous, pure, and reputable things. Things I wouldn't mind have God see go through my mind. When you were little, did you ever do something you hope your parents wouldn't find out. Maybe it was in your room, and your parents knocked on the door, and the evidence was everywhere for them to see. You would have to say, "One minute" to get things right. It shouldn't be like this as Christians. Our lives (thoughts, actions, etc.) should be welcoming God into our lives.  We shouldn't be afraid to let God in. In fact, he is always with us no matter what, and knows what we are doing.

This is why when I think of Philippians 4:8, I think of Colossian 2:3:

"Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth."

All three verses (1 Thessalonians 4:17; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2) tie in together with the idea that we are to set our mind on the presence of God. When I think of prayer, I think of my time spent with God, and how holy and honoring that is. To hear that I have to pray without ceasing, it gives me more accountability to look at what I am thinking, saying, and doing 24/7. Everything I say outside of my quiet time with God he still hears. Why? Because we have a relationship together. He is with me always. This is why verses like Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2 remind us to remember his holy presence in our lives.

Lastly, 1 Thessalonians 4:18 speaks about how everything we just mentioned is the will of God for us. That is to pray without ceasing, be joyful always, and be thankful in all circumstances. How wonderful it is that God wants us to be joyful, thankful, and prayful in all in areas of our lives, no matter the circumstance. He wants us to rely on him in our lives, and not just walk around occasionally saying "hi" to him. Have you ever had a friendship that needed a break because you spent so much time together? Never will this happen between you and God. There's always something new to discover in your relationship with him, and there's always joy to be found in him.

Praise God today that he wants us more than we want him. I know we've had people in our lives we thought we clingy, but when you think about, when the Creator of the earth wants to be apart of your life, what a compliment, and blessing to know that he loves us enough to give us his presence in our lives daily. At any moment. Any day. He will be there for us when we need him. We just have to call, and he will come.

Application
Are your words, actions, and thoughts on things that are welcoming in the presence with God? That is, if God were a part of your conversation and thought pattern, how much would he be apart of it, or would you not be ashamed to discuss with him? My idea of prayer without ceasing means having a mindset on things in our lives that we are not ashamed to have seen in front of our God. What we say should be words we would be willing to use if we were in a church building. What we do is the same way.

As you go about your day, think about what you say, speak, and do. Does it fit the manner that you approach God? The manner at which you are aware of being in his holy presence?

Being The Christ In Somebody's Life

What do evil motives produce?

From what I can gather in James 2:1-4 and James 2:1-10, evil motives can produce, but are not limited to...

*Fighting

*Quarreling

*Ignoring our neighbor in need

*A hardened heart

*Selfish motives

*A “Me” attitude (everything I do should be for my own benefit)

In James 2:1-13, we are to be a light in this world by treating our neighbors as Christ Jesus taught us to treat them. That is with the motive of “loving our neighbor as yourself.” We obviously love ourselves enough to have those moments when we say, “I can’t do that.” Why? Maybe it’s a health issue, it’s a moral issue, or we just don’t want to do it. Now we can have self loathing tendencies, but that’s another lesson. Clearly in some shape or form we love ourselves. So are we to love our neighbors. And evil motives do not produce that type of love.

So what we find in James 4:1-10 is that evil motives also causes us to be a friend to the world. What does being a friend to the world even mean?

In the simplest form, it means that we become like the world, which in biblical terms usually, if always, means evil. The world has natural evil motives. No one ever had to teach you or me to do menacing things when we were little. It came very naturally. J

So when we think of being friends with the world, imagine blending into a crowd in a room. There are two groups in this crowd we can blend into: Christian and non-Christian. Based on how we talk, treat others, and go about our day, if we blend into the Christian groups, then we are true believers in Christ; we have good motives in what we do. If we blend into the non-Christian group, we are walking a fine line as Christians; we have evil motives. And we know what those evil motives look like. Just look back at James 2:1-13 and James 4:1-10.

The question now is “how do we witness to a lost world if we cannot become a part of it or be friends with it? No one is going to listen to us, are they?” The answer is yes and no.

Go to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12.

In this passage, we learn that living a holy life is noticed by God, and can you believe it: Non-Christians.

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

I strongly believe looking blameless in front of the world is going to gain a lot more appeal and respect than the Christian on the platform. The world relates to what they recognize as truth.

It’s okay to share Scripture and try to encourage someone who is not a Christian. It’s just a lot harder because they don’t have that mentality or mindset on the hope within us. Just recently, a friend of mine said that he had a lady from his parents’ church tell him she was praying for him. He told me, “I don’t know what that means.” And I really didn’t blame him. When someone tells me they are praying for me, as Christian, I find that amazing, and I am so thankful for it. For someone who doesn’t believe in the power of our God, it’s not so much a compliment or anything for that matter.

See God’s word can do a lot of things. It can discipline us. It can encourage us. It can guide us. It can also convict non-Christians (just like we all once were) to turn to Christ. Thing is, when we look at some parts of the Bible, some of it is meant for Christians to hear and understand, not non-believers.

I mean it isn’t a secret that the Bible says gay marriage is wrong or instructions on how masters should treat their slaves were discussed. Thing is, it isn’t really until we know God that we can understand why he set things into place or had the writers of Scripture discuss such topics. Something like slavery was discussed not because God believed it was right, but because he wanted to make sure that if the culture was going to do it, to at least treat their slaves with mercy and respect. To put a blanket over issues in the world, God would be ignoring people who so desperately needed him, and we know from Scripture that is not a part of his ways.

All this said, 1 Corinthians 2:14 teaches us that non-Christians are not going to see the truth of God. Therefore telling nonbelievers what God says in his word, or even trying to convey reasoning sometimes doesn’t go well because of the blindness nonbelievers have. So first off, I want to say don't be discouraged. God can use whatever you say to someone no matter how they react at the moment. Sometimes people do not feel like speaking to us afterwards, but that's alright. Even Jesus offended people with the truth. Secondly, try to study Scripture as much as your can. It's important to know what we are talking about, as well as being able to explain the hope within us. Sometimes I think we get carried away in explaining something (I am guilty of this) that we are not speaking from a biblical perspective, but from our own biases and opinions. If I don't know what to say at the moment, I try to swallow my pride and tell the person I can get back to them. Sometimes it's not the right time to say something. All that said, grow deeper in God, and when the time comes for us to speak up (whether from a conversation with somebody or a question from them), we can speak truth, and not manipulate anything to just be throwing pearls to swine. (Matthew 7:6)

But when it's all said and done, I think what it comes down to is that non-believers see various things from the Bible that are either intimidating or seem unfair.

Our job as believers is to show that there is nothing intimidating or cruel about being a Christian; that is knowing our God.

Recall 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12.

First we have to make the gospel of Christ appealing by proving to others that our lives are transformed for the good by knowing Jesus Christ. If we are not living according to the word (not always being joyful, not loving our neighbors, not seeking the good of others before our own), how is the gospel of Christ going to be seen to a non-believer? It’s not going to look good, let alone realistic to live by.

Going back to the James passages, where evil motives distract us from doing what God says, we have to remember that our testimonies as Christians give a purpose and appeal to believing in Jesus. This should kind of motivate us to have good motives in our lives. To win others to Christ.

We can show non-Christians how wonderful it is to know our savior by being blameless. Living for his glory. Being obedient to him. Living in a manner that anyone could respect. And ultimately being the Christ in people’s lives who do not know him. The world may not recognize Christ right away in us. But what they hopefully will recognize is integrity. The purity in us. The honorable behavior we keep.

And as you may recall, Jesus went into ministry late in life. His life before was spent building a reputation of integrity. One that was so solid that the only way people could really tear him down was to lie about him or misinterpret his sayings. This is how it should be for us as believers. Honorable reputations that no one should be able to point out the evil motives within us.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mind you, this is one way to keep a firm testimony to others. I would like to share more of what I have either discovered or thought about soon. I just would like to study more. It's always a blessing to be able to talk to people about our faith. Don't you agree? The key I find is to be open to hear whatever comes out of a person's mouth. Being offended or turning the conversation into a debate or argument is not going to let someone see Christ. If anything, listen to what they say, and see what truth lies within those person's words. Most often I see someone who had a bad church experience to know who Christ was or I see bitterness towards God translated into the church body. Keep an open mind, but protect yourself with God's truth and a support system. What you believe is the most important thing. Not what someone believes. If you cannot handle witnessing to a person, God will know this, and surely send someone else to be a messenger to that person. Just trust in him every step of the way.

Are You Relying On Grace Or On Your Good Deeds?

Sometimes at the end of the day I feel like a failure. I did no good deed other than the hustle and bustle of the day.

I feel like I missed opportunities to be a helping hand to someone or to do more than I was willing at the time.

Sometimes I feel like I don't know when to have an opinion and when to give in to someone's wants.

Sometimes I feel like I do something to please others without checking to see if I can actually do it.

Sometimes I want to do something for somebody, but a prior engagment prevents me from helping, so I am left feeling terrible.

I feel this... I feel that... I feel pathetic.

You know, I think all these thoughts of mine have been a part of some twisted scheme by Satan to feed my pride. I feel like the world revolves around me. Everyone needs help from me. My salvation is aquired by me.

No it's not. None of it is.

We look upon the face of God for this one thing. Grace that has led to a relationship with him. Being in a relationship with him we see what we can do because of him, not because of who we are.

Whenever I feel like I have failed God or people in my life, I need to cross examine myself, and ask:

Was I honestly not able to help, or was I being lazy?

Am I doing something the Lord has set before me, even I am missing out on doing something else that seems right?

What is my focus on: God or my desires? (Colossians 3:2)

Today as you walk into opportunities of whether or not to do something that seems right, we have to ask ourselves about our motives. Are they for God? Are they focusing on others? Are they coming from a pure heart looking at God or a heart looking at ourselves? Most importantly, if we don't do something in front of us, are we going to be upset over missing out what we could have done for God or what we didn't do for somebody? Are we afraid of upsetting God or that somebody?

I beginning to recognize that if we are afraid of upsetting anyone or being a bad person, we are not resting in His grace alone.

What we should do instead is ask what he would have us do today, not what we cannot do.

Did you ever hear how you shouldn't keep telling a child no, no, no? That's because it reinforces a negative realm of discipline, and it never encourages a child to know what is right. Much like our heavenly father who tries to discipline us.

He gave us commands, like the the Ten Commandments, but he also said to "love your neighbor as yourself" and "to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." Positive and helpful to know how we are straightout live for God. If Jesus had said, "don't hate your neighbor" or "don't hate the Lord your God with any part of your heart, soul, mind, and strength," it would seem like we were like that cow in a fenced area testing out its limits, and being zapped by the fence everytime for seeing where he could not go. Weird illustration, but I hope you get my point.

We focus on love, instead of hate. We focus on the joy in helping, not the terror of it.

God doesn't want to place limits on us. He wants to give us opportunities. When we look back ta a day and think, "Wow, I really blew it," think about whether or not you really spent your day doing what the Lord ask you to do compared to what the Lord didn't tell you to do.
It has helped me realize that I cannot do everything. I cannot make everyone happy. And I don't always find contentment in the so-called only righteous acts I can do on this green earth. You know, sometimes God just calls us to show up to work on time, call a friend, or take care of our family. Simply to show our God we love him in the opportunities naturally presented to us.

Let's stop beating ourselves up, and actually ask first what God will have us to do. Doing so, we focus on him, and less on our self pity.

Homework

Luke 18:9-14~ I read Luke 18 today, and found it to be enlightening to the simple fact that we rely on God's grace alone. Look at the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector, and ask yourself, "Who was more righteous in the eyes of God?" Why do you think this? Do you think the tax collector even knew what God thought of him after he prayed? Would he have to change his ways of living to honor God? You decide, but remember even the Pharisee wasn't seen as being honorable in the sight of God, even with all the good things he had done. It was all about the two men's hearts in this parable.

OR

Luke 18:15-17~ Reading about the disciples reactions to the children being handed to Jesus, why do you think they reacted the way they did? Is there anything you can relate to the disciples about in this instance? Perhaps a moment of knowing what you think is right, but not really? ;)

OR

Luke 18:18-30~ Do you think the ruler had the opportunity to serve God after talking to Jesus? Why do you think that opportunity was presented to him? Do you think he loved God or his money? Is what you do in a day based on your love for God or how much good you do?

Jumping The Gun

"...so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." ~ Philippians 2:15

When something bad arises, I like to assume what I am already going to do.

That could be dangerous.

See, when I have faced various problems where someone underhandedly hurts me, sometimes I think to myself, "This is what I am going to do to get back at them..." But I know I can't because I'm a Christian. Imagine me not saying that in a condescending way. I really do mean that I watch what I do as a Christian because what I do gives testimony to whom Christ is.

Sometimes I think our mistakes as Christians are so commonly done and widely known that people can see right through us. Some people have a good idea of what Jesus would do. Others might actually just be surprised to see what Jesus would really actually do. Needless to say we need to live like Christ, and therefore continually seek after him. Therefore if we ever questioned about what we do, we can say confidently that we did it for God's glory; to reflect the image of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

I speak today of my "jumping the gun" decision making process based off of this morning. I have many choices of what to do after waking up to find my work had called to switch me to another department. Make that the sixth department in one year and two months. It makes working there hard every time they do that. It's not easy to carry a joyful demeanor when you don't feel appreciated as a worker.

Still I hold onto this simple truth.

I never have gone to work thinking, "This is how I am going to get back at them for all they have done to me."

I never said to myself what co-workers of mine say, "They don't pay me enough to do that."

And I never once have tried to bash, mangle, or hate any manager that has treated me unfairly. I rather cry in my room and be found blameless and perhaps weak, than to be found guilty of deframing their name and being cruel in my attitude towards them.

As Christians we should be found blameless. We are carrying our savior's name as our image.

If we are seen hating another human being, being careless about our jobs, or doing anything else contrary to Scripture, we are scratching up the image of Christ we are given responsibility in holding.

Ephesians 1:13 says as believers we are marked with the seal of the holy spirit once we become believers in Christ. Later in chapter 4, verse 30, we are told not to grieve him. This means from the original language this text was written in, we can bring sorrow and sadness to the spirit God has given us. Can you imagine grieving the holy spirit? I feel like this puts our sinful ways at a level to where they don't offend God as much as they hurt him.

How humbling is that to know we can bring sorrow to the God's spirit? It actually makes me feel like I slapped the most faithful loving person in my life in the face. In fact, I think that is the equivalence of what I have done, spiritually speaking.

Here we are ready to say, "Lord, I'll do this for you," but really we are adding "...but I won't do that for you."

Jumping the gun decision making can get us into a lot of hurt and trouble in our lives. It can also hurt the image of the invisible God with in us. But most importantly, it can hurt him.

Today, let's not be hasty to make our decisions to what feels right or good. Sometimes it's our pride that gets in the way. Other times it's ignorance. Never be afraid to choose your gut reaction, but always try to align it with Scripture. Does it fit the image of the invisible God? Does it reflect his character at all?

If not, pray and rethink it through. If so, carry on what He would do. You'll shine like a star in this crooked dark world.

Fear Not

"God is our refuge and strength,
 A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change..." ~ Psalm 46:1-2a


I remember when I was younger, I was afraid of basements. This may have been due to the fact the boogeyman lived there up until I was probably six or seven years of age. Even then, and sometimes still, they give me the hibby-gibbies. Whenever we spent the night at my cousin's house, I would ask my mom to accompany me downstairs into their basement while I took a shower. This probably went on until I was twelve or thirteen years old. 


Again, basements are creepy!


I have been able to face my fears of basements, and I have come to the conclusion, not all of them have the boogeyman ready to scare me. Sure, the thought may cross my mind if it's not the boogeyman, it's someone else (okay basements still creep me out. There is no good lighting in that place).


Needless to say I one day faced my fear, and I don't' fear any longer to the point of being frozen in terror. 


Has there ever been a time in your life that you don't know if you can take the first steps towards facing your fear? The fear found when you make a commitment. The fear when you make a huge change in life. The fear of going into something that is clearly out of your control.


You know Satan is a liar, and a really good fear producer in our lives. Whenever we fear something that God could bless or clearly is irrational, it is sometimes Satan lying to us. Let's not let him win.


There are times that perhaps it's another factor that causes our fears, but what we know as believers in Christ is that we can come to him for truth, and he the truth is he is our refuge and strength no matter what may happen to us. Psalm 118:6 says, "The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?"

What can man do to us if we know the end story of our lives is being with the Lord? Bigger and greater things ahead of us; we just have to face a few more years living on earth where the demons roam, and the flesh and the world work together to create more chaos.

Today, we can take hope that no matter what this life may bring, God is in control. He is our refuge. Our strength. That mom who would go in the basement with you to scare away any boogeyman who dared try to harm you.

No matter what fear we have, I think what we really are afraid of is change. The mystery behind what could happen if one thing doesn't go one way. Whether it be an ailment or something that goes bump in the night, we as humans get anxious or excited over mysteries. The unexpected. What could cause harm to us or a person we love.

Biblically speaking, we cannot be harmed without finding comfort, joy, peace, or release from pain. Think about it.

We may be restless now from life's circumstances, but we know someday we will find rest from them. (Psalm 62:5)
We may feel afraid of something in our lives now, but we know can find joy in the Lord in any situation. (1 Thes. 5:18)
We may be on the edge from fear, but we can find peace when we trust in the Lord. And also hold onto the hope that in the end, we'll find that tug-of-war with our emotions that hinders our peace will be gone in heaven. Right now, we just have to choose to surrender to God each day of our lives to find freedom from fears, and peace. (Philippians 4:6-7)
We may feel pain and cry now, but there will come a day we will no longer cry tears or feel pain in our lives. Our father in heaven will take them away. (Revelation 21:4)

We will be free from all things that threaten our security, but until then, we have to hold onto these words mentioned in Scripture several times: "fear not."

As you face any change, or fear, in your life, remember that God is your strength and refuge. Your very present help in times of trouble. Though the earth change, he is who he says he is.


Promises

Go to the psalms, and search out traits of God that give comfort to you. There are several ones to choose from, and to find. Perhaps start in your favorite Psalm or start in the first one you flip to. It doesn't matter. Go to the Psalms, and discover an intimate look at who God is from writers who were in love with God.

 

Jenny and Tyler "Fear Thou Not"