Finding the Strength to Go On

" I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I Will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hands."

Isaiah 41:9-10

No matter what you are going through, it is essential that you remember that God

~the I Am

the living God

the Savior

the Redeemer

the provider

the Healer

the Nurturer

says:

I am with you

beside you

behind you

and ahead of you.

He also says, Don't be discouraged depressed defeated or troubled. For I am your God: You are mine, I won't let anyone harm you or anything defeat you; and I am yours, I am not a borrowed God not a foreign God not a stranger to you not unaware of your struggle. I am yours, completely. I will strengthen you to carry what I have given you to carry, and I will help you. I will carry you. You will not fall nor fail; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand with strength and wisdom.

How can we help but trust such a loving Father? How could we not believe in Him? How could we not let Him have His way in our lives? How could we possibly resist giving Him our pain and struggle and let Him make sense of it all?

God Bless, Love You and Have Yourself a Merry Christmas.

Live in Hope

"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Exodus 14:13-14

On the most discouraging of days, take the time to quiet yourself and turn your heart toward God, you will hear Him say, "Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1)

There are so many times that we face fearful circumstances. But the Word of the Lord remains: Stand firm, hold your ground (Psalm 40:2). God offers us the hope of deliverance. We can see it for ourselves, in our very lives and circumstances.

When you are struggling with pain, living a long time with a difficulty, take hope. When you are discouraged, or threatened by the giants you live with and face every day take courage. You are not in this battle alone. The Lord will fight for you. Even when you think God can't help this time, He can. He can make sense of the most senseless situation right in the middle of it . And all the while you are becoming an over-comer.

Question for thought:

What desire have you had that seems delayed in its fulfillment?

Walk in Integrity

"Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth."

Psalm 26:1-3

People of integrity correct their mistakes whenever possible, make amends when ever necessary, and repent when they have sinned. Persons of integrity grow form their mistakes and missteps, holding the goal of honesty, openness, and truth ever in the forefront. To be a person of integrity requires that we sacrifice pride and selfish attitudes.


Persons of integrity, who are aware of their shortcomings, prejudices, and failures pray with the psalmist: "Test me, O Lord, . . ." Psalm 26:1-2



Question of thought:
If you were to walk in integrity, what would that do to your perfectionism?

Living on God's Word

" How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word."

Psalm 119:9

The Christian life that is based on God's Word is capsulized in Psalm 119:9-16. If you are really serious about becoming an over-comer, you would do well to pattern your daily disciplines after the ones contained in this wonderful passage:

Seek God with your whole heart.
Hide His Word in your heart.
Remain teachable.
Speak of His words and ways.
Rejoice in God's will.
Mediate on His precepts, consider His ways.
Read God's Word frequently.

No matter how tough the day, no matter how much sleep we've lost the night before, God's Word must be our priority.


Question for thought:
How is you quiet time routine?

Cry Out to the Lord

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them form all their troubles."

Psalms 34:17

The Bible shows us how godly men and women cried out to God:

Cry out to God alone. Psalm 57:2

Cry from the deepest part of your heart and your pain. Psalm 130:1

Speak of your pain and your need to God. Psalm 5:3

Ask for mercy. Psalm 6:9

Ask for help. Psalm 5:2

Look to Him for shelter. Psalm 57:1

Trust God. Psalm 143:8

Wait for His response. Psalm 5:3

Rest. Psalm 62:1-2

Question for thought:

Why do we hesitate to ask God for shelter and refuge?

Eternally

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

How long the years ahead of us seem, and how short the ones behind us. We think in terms of seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, and years, no wonder it's so difficult to grasp the concept of living eternally.

All through the scriptures we are reminded that God is forever, not just forever in the future but forever in all that has come before. Genesis 1:1

So when God speaks to us of an eternal perspective, it seems beyond our comprehension. Fortunately, He does not require that we fully comprehend it before we accept it. We don't make facts true by believing them; they are true whether we believe them or not.

We don't wait for eternity to begin, eternity has no beginning, it was forever and will be forever. God had no beginning and has no end. Knowing Him is how we plug into eternity, the means by which we catch hold of something that has no beginning and promises that never end.

Knowing who you are in Christ is your connection to eternity.
Question for thought:
When you are struggling and it seems to go on endlessly, what thought patterns could you choose to change, not to minimize the problem, but to maximize your hope?

Being Different

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Romans 12:2

"Don't Get Mad, Get Even," says the world system. "Grab all you can get; and do unto others before they can do it to you." "Take things into your own hands; watch your back; don't trust anyone."

The Christian culture is different. We order our lives and live them by the principles of God's Word. We answer our accusers with truth, not anger. We choose to live open handedly and generously. We choose to make lifelong commitments and to love those in our lives with unconditional love. We make decisions to trust, even though we may have had our trust violated. We select attitudes based on what Jesus teaches instead of what life hands us. This is not a legalistic or perfectionist way of life; it is one of freedom and love as we pursue every godly principle until it becomes natural and the norm for us.

Living counter to our culture is our assignment and our goal.

Question for thought:

How have you chafed against the world recently?

Life in a New Dimension

"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

Romans 8:11

How do we navigate such stressful times? We begin by taking hold of several important truths:

1. God's life within us does not exempt us from the realities of this life, but adds a new dimension to it, as we saw in Romans 8:11
2. God's life within us does not mean we will not feel pain, but that we will have the strength to endure it and grow through it. (Isaiah 43:2)
3. In our Lord and Savior we find our identity when our reputation is damaged. (I John 3:1)
4. With Jesus by our side we answer our accusers. (Psalm 110:5)
5. Because of Jesus e are able to make sense of pain and struggle. Because of Him we have the strength to go on. (Psalm 9:11-12)
Living life in the new dimension means that we are no longer afraid to feel the pain of our struggles, and that we are confident of the strength to go on.

Question for thought:
What difference does life in a new dimension make in coping with everyday struggles?

"Papa, God"

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' "

Romans 8:15

When you and I received Jesus, we became His children: "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:12-13).

Read: Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 3:12 and 2 Corinthians 6:18.

I once lived apart from God, doomed to isolation and loneliness. But because of Jesus that has all changed. Now I am a child of God, part of His family, and I live in relationship with Him. Knowing who I am in Christ means that I must fully realize my relationship with my "Papa, God"; take advantage of the privilege of knowing Him; and find every excuse and reason for entering His presence as often as I can.

Question for thought:
If you were to climb up on God's lap and He were to tell you the story of how He loved you and found you, how would He begin?

Bought at a Price

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Jesus has come before God and all the universe to present you for adoption into His family. By accepting His redemptive work, your legal status has changed: You have become an heir! "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the prise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves" (Ephesians 1:4-6)

You were granted a changed status, both legally and spiritually, when you accepted Jesus Christ. As His heir, you now share all rights, privileges, and responsibilities with Jesus. You also bear some responsibility in fulfilling His purpose, and you are entrusted with stewardship over everything He places into you hands. As an heir, you can understand more abut His purpose, and you can grow in a more complete understanding of his will.
We are His children and He loves us.
Question for thought:
How does knowing your change in legal status help you to know who you are in Christ?

Too Heavy Responsibilities

"A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! my daughter is suffering terribly . . .' "

Matthew 15:22

Have Mercy On Me?

What is this woman saying? Her daughter is suffering terribly, yet she asks for mercy for herself. How can that be? You see, caregivers need mercy too. They walk the fine line between care-giving and care-taking. They try to adjust to living under permanent stress without giving up hope for healing and change. They face terrible reality every day, and they consciously, purposely fight to maintain a level of faith in order to survive.

Are you a caregiver? Have you sought answers and healing for someone in your care with no results? Perhaps you are one of a growing number of people sandwiched between elderly parents and the needs of your children. Are you pressured by the pain of someone near to you? If so, it's perfectly appropriate to pray for yourself and ask for mercy.

Ask for His mercy, and expect His grace.

Questions for thought:

Do you know a caregiver who could use a friend? Could you be that friend?

Never Good Enough

"And Jacob . . . finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah."

Genesis 29:28,30

The Leah Legacy

Imagine Leah's sadness. She always lived in the shadow of her lovely and charming sister, Rachel. Unloved, unappreciated, unwanted, will this be Leah's only destiny? Is doomed to this painfully existence all her life?

There are women who feel like Leah, who live her legacy every day. For those afflicted with the "Leah Legacy," there is hope. God wants you to know:

1 He remembers you and does not ignore your needs. (Psalm 9:12)

2 Only He can and will supply all your needs. (Isaiah 58:11)

3 He gives strength to your just when you need it. (Psalm 29:11)

4 He promises to wipe away all your tears. (Revelation21:14)

Question for thought:

Who loved you enough to die for you?

The Do It Yourself Trap

"So she said to Abram, The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her. Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife."

The Sarah Syndrome
Sarah loved Abraham. Her marriage was built not only on love, but on respect and partnership. Where he went she went, not as a shadow, but as a strong influence. By his love and respect for her, we can see that Sarah enjoyed an equality with Abraham that was rare for a woman in her day. But like so many capable women, she developed a set of symptoms that, when left unchecked, only lead to trouble. When we do so, we will find ourselves living with the sour consequence of a do it yourself life and will be lift like this.
1 Impatience.
2 No understanding of divine delay.
3 Jumping to the wrong conclusions.
4 Devising an alternative plan to "help" the promise along.
5 No satisfaction.
6 Complaining.
7 Shifting the blame.
8 Making the best of a bad situation.

Now lets take this and turn it around for the better. Sarah's way of overcoming her do it yourself syndrome.

1 She heard a word from the Lord. (Genesis 18:10)
2 She realized God moves in His time, on His terms, in His way, for His purposes. (Genesis 21:1-2)
3 She submitted to God.
4 She used wisdom in dealing with unbearable situations. (Genesis 21:8-9)
5 She asked for justice. (Genesis 21:10)
6 She experienced freedom/ (Genesis 21:14)
Question for thought:
Name one time when you took things into your own hands and ended up with sour consequences?

Overwhelmed By Circumstances

"Don't call me Naomi, she told them. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty... The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."

Ruth 1:20-21

The Mara Misery

Naomi was all alone, far from home, and feeling' blue. Her life was quite a change from ten years before, when she and her husband took their two sons and set out for Moab and the chance for a better life! For ten years the dream was working. Then tragedy struck, and her whole life crumbled.

When Naomi's circumstances became more than she could handle alone, she wanted family, she wanted to go home. Naturally, many of us turn toward home when we are overwhelmed by trouble. Whenever circumstance threatens you, whatever bitter experience intimidates you, remember this: You too have a Kinsman Redeemer. Jesus has already paid that price for you.

Bitter experiences that harass you will become sweetness as He touches them with His mercy. The pain that has dominated your life and affected your decisions must subside when embraced by His comfort and love. Let Jesus redeem not only you, but the hard places of your life.

Question for thought:
What circumstances are crushing your joy?

Assaulted by the Devil

"Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means."

Luke 8:1-3

The Magdalene Malady
Meet Mary outgoing in public, miserable in private. She was a woman of influence, a woman of position and means, and yet she was troubled by assaults of the Devil. Something much stronger had control of her. Mary was demon-possessed. Seven demons had attacked and invaded her, then drove her without mercy, so that she lived in a personal hell. Then she met Jesus and her whole life changed. Mary the tormented became Mary the triumphant.
We need not attribute every cross moment, every sinful or compulsive action to Satan or to demons, though as Christians we do believe there are dark influences around us. But perhaps you, too, enjoy good standing in your church or community while living each day in your own personal hell.
Well there is good news. The same Jesus who freed Mary can free you. The freedom Christ offers turns victims into victors. You no longer have to be known by the battles you fight, but by the victories you win.

Questions for thought:
How has Christ touched your life? What difference has that made?

Betterness Not Bitterness

"My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life."

Psalm 119:50

If anyone ever had a reason to be bitter it was Naomi. Far from home, her husband and both her sons had fallen ill and died. With no way to provide for herself, in grief, she turned to her daughters in law and begged them to return to their families. She had nothing to offer.

"Don't call me Naomi,' she told them. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. (Ruth 1:20-21) You know the story, Naomi did not remain bitter. She chose betterness instead of bitterness.

Is an obstacle of bitterness keeping you from a new life?

When tempted to be bitter, remember these five important principles:

1 God knows what you are going through. (Exodus 3:7)

2 He feels what you feel. (Isaiah 63:9) & (Hebrews 4:14-15)

3 He is on your side. (Romans 8:31-32)

4 He will work it out while He is at work in you. (Romans 8:28)

5 You can be encouraged hope is ahead. (2Corinthians 4:18)

You may have been drinking from waters of bitterness, but today Jesus is offering you a fresh cool drink from the sweet waters of betterness. ( John 4:14)

Question for thought:

If you weren't carrying bitterness, how would your life change?

Obstacles~Opportunities

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."

If you sincerely want to make sense of pain and struggle, it is required that you be able to see opportunity in obstacles. This is not the same as adopting a simplistic "silver lining in every cloud" philosophy. Rather, it means truly facing every obstacle, feeling every stress, and then, with determination, choosing to look beyond the obstacle to the opportunity you would not have otherwise.

In spite of all the obstacles you face, right now at this very moment God wants to show the life and love of Jesus through you, too. Will you let Him ? Will you allow Him to turn your obstacles into opportunities?

Stumbling Blocks~Stepping Stones

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.' "

John 8:12

You may be presented with a great difficulty before you inherit what God promises. You can let that problem be a stumbling block if you choose.
Your problem can intimidate you. You can choose to live near the promise,
within view of it. You may even be able to convince yourself that you're content. You can congratulate yourself on how far you've come and what it's taken you to get this far.
But nothing can keep you from reaching your promise unless you give up. No pain, no struggle, no past failure, no inability. There is nothing that can prevent you from finding the strength to go on, unless you choose to camp on the side of God's promises.

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

Question for thought:

What has God promised you?

What is in the way of your possessing that promise?

Blind Alleys~New Revelations

2 Peter 1:19

Lets Say your life is great. You are secure, serene, and at peace. Then God whispers something into your spirit: There is something you are convinced He wants you to do. You swallow hard. What God seems to be asking may ruffle things a bit. You like things smooth and calm, so you ignore what you have heard in your heart and decide to simply pray about it. You convince yourself that God didn't really mean for you to do what He has shown you.
Then the storm starts to brew in your spirit. God's Word is not as alive and exciting anymore. Quiet times become a bore, then a chore. Uncertainty replaces serenity, doubt corrodes peace.
Suddenly, its evident you've turned into a blind alley, with no light, no direction, and no way out.
In the bible Jonah's experience gives us the benefit of hope for getting out of the blind alleys we've entered.
1 He recognized how he got into the mess. (Jonah 1:10)
2 He took responsibility for his part and was read to pay the consequences. (Jonah 1:12)
3 He surrendered. (Jonah1:15)
4 Then God moved on Jonah's behalf. (Jonah 1:15)
5 Jonah prayed. (Jonah 2:2)
6 It got worse before it got better. (Jonah 2:3)
7 Jonah attempted to bargain with God. (Jonah 2:4)
8 He gave up hope. (Jonah 2:5-6)
9 He changed his focus. (Jonah 2:6-7)
10 He becomes thankful that he serves a living, powerful, wonderful God. (Jonah 2:8-9)
11 God saved his life. (Jonah 2:10)
12 Then God spoke again. (Jonah 3:1-3)
Don't believe for a moment that you have missed it. God hasn't changed His mind. Don't take chances with disobedience. The will of God calls you still. Obedience is not only the way out of your blind alley, it's a whale of a good deal!

Question for thought:
What "whale" is threatening to swallow you?

Dead Ends New Beginnings

" When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my fathere and say to him" Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men' So he got up and went to his father."

Luke 15:17-20

Not all obstacles are put in our way be others; we create a fair amount of obstacles on our own. Like the prodigal on, we to seek to grab out inheritance and go our own way. Eventually, though, we end up in a dead-end situation, with no apparent way out. Worse, we realize that we had the major part in arriving at that situaton.

But with every self-made obstacle, we can make a decision whether or not to "stay stuck"

To escape our dead end, we must do like the prodigal son: First, recognized when we've come to the end of our resources. Second, come to your senses, a pigpen is a good place to help you come to your senses. Next, make a decision, the prodigal son also planned his approach. And at the core of his plan he accepted full responsibility: "I have sinned," No defenses, and no excuses.

Decisions motivate to action.

We have been like this wayward son. We've gotten ourselves into some hard situations and found ourselves all alone, with no one to blame. We've had to retrace our steps and go back to ask for reconciliation. Its hard to do, but we've always been glad that we did. Now we can honestly thank God, who was waiting for us on the pathway home, for each obstacle that has brought us to our senses and given us a chance for a new beginning.

Question for thought:

What dead ends have you faced in your life?

What dead end threatens you right now?