Trusting God in the storms

Trusting God in the storms

by | Aug 30, 2017 | encouragement, General, Lord Hear Our Prayer

Sometimes the rush of life has you moving so fast down stream you don’t know which way the safety of the shore is. You find yourself being pushed along and feeling like you have no choice in the matter. Your mind is so filled with the things that are not only going on today, but tomorrow as well. These are the moments that we need to learn to slow ourselves down and remember that God is in control of our tomorrow. That He is the one we need to trust to get carry us through.

Jesus calmed the storm on the sea when the disciples were doing exactly what the majority of us would do; freak out. All they had to do was trust Him and remember that they just needed to put their eyes on Him, once again. Even though they were with Him, they didn’t always keep their eyes on Him. They didn’t always understand the full nature and the love of Christ. There are two parts to us; the human us and the spiritual us. These are constantly at war within us.

You may have heard this saying, “Two forces beat within my breast one is curse the other blessed, the one I love the one I hate, the one I feed will dominate.” The Bible reminds us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.” Not only is there a war going on around us; there is a war going on within us. There is a fight for who we are and who we will be. There is a fight for us to follow the nature of Christ and to follow the things of the world. Sometimes we are closer to one side than the other. Yet, even when we feel as if we are ‘failing’ as long as we remind ourselves to put our eyes back on our Creator and trust in Him to continue to keep us and know He has the best for us in mind. Then we can move forward in confidence and not fear.

Remember it is not about what someone else is doing. It is not about what someone else has. Or what they have accomplished. It is about our personal relationship with Christ. There will come a day that it will just be you standing before the throne. There won’t be anyone for you to point a finger at and ask, “what about him?” “what about what she did?” No the only question you will have to answer is “what about me?” What did you do? Where was your faith? Where was your trust? Maybe you ‘failed’, maybe you ‘succeeded’ but either way did you place your heart and mind on the things above and not below? Did you remember to look toward the hills from which comes you help? Did you remember to pray and praise Him in all situations?

It is never too late to place your heart and mind, your trust and faith, in Christ. Every day begins anew. Even every moment is one that you will never have again. You get to choose how you react and respond to this fast-paced world. It is not always easy. You may not always be able to choose one of the fruits of the spirit to help you react. You may react poorly. This is okay. This is part of who you are. It is what you do in the next moment and all the ones that follow. You will have ample opportunities to strengthen your faith and belief. Don’t be afraid to use them to place your trust in the Lord.

Prayer

Lord we thank you for this day and the trials we face. We thank you that even though sometimes we choose to react out of anger or despair, you see us where we are and hold us in your arms. You keep us safe in the shelter of your wings. We thank you that you have given us the opportunity to grow in your grace and love. We ask that you continue to help us to strive to follow you in each and every moment.

Help us not to harshly judge ourselves when we fail in these things. But help us to learn from every situation. To move forward and grow closer to you.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Show a kindness

Show a kindness

by | Jul 14, 2017 | encouragement, Fruits of the spirit

How often are we given the opportunity to show a kindness and we let it pass by? Sometimes it is the simplest of things, offering a smile to someone. Yesterday, a man on the street was asking for change; I have change, so I gave it to him at the light. His response, “God bless you”. This stood out to me simply because most of the time the people who are asking for money on the streets don’t really give this type of response when you give something to them. Yet, this gentleman who was asking for so little was also grateful enough to offer a blessing back.

What we put out returns to us. Some people will call this ‘karma’; yet the bible shows us time and time again how when kindnesses were given, they were returned as well.

2 Samuel 2:6 And now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing

David had just been anointed king, and his predecessor Saul had been buried by men of Jabesh-Gilead. They didn’t have to bury Saul. We know this simply because David says they showed a kindness by doing it. Then, David does two things; he asks that the Lord show them kindness as well as saying that he will ‘repay’ the kindness that was done.

Doing this one thing, showing a random act of kindness, they were going to receive double in return. What do we learn from this? When you give you receive.

Kindness is one of the fruits of the spirit yet it is often found lacking. It is easy to simply to pass over an opportunity we are given by saying or thinking “someone else will show it” or “someone else will do it”. Remember, what you give you receive. If you want to receive kindness, you need to give it.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Today, as you go through your daily activities and the opportunity arises, take a moment to show kindness. It costs nothing yet gets returns.

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Lord,

We thank you that you constantly show us kindness and mercy in our lives. Teach us to pass this attribute along to others. To allow us to be an example of your light through not only our words but our deeds. Our actions.

We thank you for all that you have given us each and every day. We thank you for helping us to grow and become more like you. Lead us along the path your would have us to go. Help us to stop skipping over the opportunities to show your love to others as we grow in your grace.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Back to Basics

Back to Basics

by | Jun 26, 2017 | encouragement

Isaiah 40:28

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.

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Tom van Hoogstraten

Is this your season of renewal? Have you been worn down by the weight of the world? Are you struggling to make sense of things that are going on in today’s society? I admit to being puzzled by all these ‘movements’ that insist they are seeking change in order to help make the world a better place. Often you find people united under one banner – yet they are all pulling in all different directions. Going nowhere fast. It is confusing to me how people will talk about creating something better and yet often, they are not willing to allow for spiritual purpose in their lives.

Christianity is often used as a negative instead of a positive. We find ourselves at the end of the blame stick. We know that we fight against spiritual principalities and powers, that the battle isn’t in the flesh, yet sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, does it? When you are faced with harsh confrontations and there are people who use the label of Christianity to promote some unseen agenda that does not show any of the attributes of the fruits of the Spirit, it can be difficult.

I want to encourage you to remember that we are called to show His love through our actions, words, and deeds. We need to remember to be productive in the way we treat, not only other believers, but those who don’t believe – by showing them the fruits of the Spirit. You can’t produce if you are tired, drained, emotionally discouraged. This is when you need to find time to renew. How do we do this? We seek God first in all things in our lives. We understand that HE never faints nor grows weary – but we do. We find our strength in Him. Take a time out. Seek Him. Hide under His wings while you recharge in His word. Find the peace and joy only He can give. Then when you feel strength returning, move forward covered in His love and share it with others, not just in word, but in deed.

 

Prayer

Lord, we come to you today and we seek your strength and love. We ask that you continue to renew our hearts and our minds. That we put you first in all things. We ask that you help us to be a light to the world as we reflect the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. Help us to understand your will in our lives today and every day. To glorify you in all the things that we do. Renew our minds, refresh our spirits and continue to guide us along the path that you would have us to journey. Remind us that you are always with us, even if we can’t always recognize you there.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

Do you know me?

Do you know me?

by | Jun 23, 2017 | encouragement

Here is an exercise for today. Go to a mirror and look at yourself. I mean, really, look at yourself. What do you see reflected? Do you see your flaws? Do you feel unhappy with what you see? Do you find yourself picking apart the reflection in the mirror? So many of us won’t even take the time to look at ourselves because all we see are the flaws. Sure, you use a mirror as a necessary evil to prepare for your day. Or for some people, it simply hangs on the wall and you do what you can to avoid it.

Here is a reminder: You are beautifully and wonderfully wrought. The physical body not only can change, but does change with time. Sometimes you may not like what you see, but take a moment and look deeper. Look in your eyes and what do you see there? Do you see the reflection of Christ? Do you see the light that has been set aside? Do you see what God sees in you? How perfect you are? You remain perfect just as you are.

Psalms 139:14

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

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If you look in the mirror and see a stranger, take the time to get to know yourself. Know “me”. If you find something in yourself that isn’t reflecting the person you know you should be, remember you have the power to change it. You have the power to grow spiritually. You have the power to improve your body, the temple of Christ. If you love what you see reflected at you, if you know you are on the path that God has for you. Rejoice in that. Don’t let vanity rule your life. Don’t let the standards of the world make your decisions for you. Understand that God doesn’t make mistakes, He makes miracles. You are that miracle.

Let your reflection be of kindness, not only for others, but for yourself. Let your reflection be of love, not just showing it to others but showing it to yourself. Let your reflection be of grace and forgiveness, not only for others but for yourself. Are you starting to see the pattern here? God doesn’t just want us to show others He also want us to show ourselves. How much greater can you give when you know the power that giving and accepting who you are and how you have been transformed by having Christ in your life? Transforming power. Changing the way, you see yourself will allow you to also change the way you see others. Step by step, day by day, as you grow in His power, strength and love, you can and will change your world. From the inside out.

 

Prayer

Lord,

We thank you for creating in us a clean heart. For helping us to grow along both physical and spiritual lines. We ask that you help us to remember every day who we are in you. Help us to remember to rejoice in your love, mercy and grace. Help us to see ourselves through your eyes.

Teach us day by day, moment by moment, that we are not only willing but able to do the things that you have set out for us. Help us to find the strength and resolve to move forward in who we are in you. Help us to see ourselves the way that you see us. Fill us with your love to over-flowing so that we may both know your love and therefore be able to share it with others.

We ask this in Jesus name,

Amen

Being you in service

by | May 6, 2010 | encouragement, General, Service

For they will know you by the “fruits” that you bear. How well do your actions line up with your ‘witness’. When you look at the way you have treated people throughout the day, do you feel as if you have been a light by your words and actions? Would those same people, when they look back on the day, agree with you?

We are the body of Christ. As with our bodies, not every part has the same function, but it doesn’t mean that we aren’t doing the job. It means we were called to a different job. Do you criticize your neighbor for not going out and shouting from the rooftops about Christ? We weren’t all called to be shepherds or ministers. If we had been, then there would be no flock for those to lead or encourage to go out into the fields and harvest.

Don’t feel down because you find it difficult to go out and verbally witness to people; perhaps your witness is in your actions. The way you speak, the way you serve, the way you give to others. Be proud of what God has given you. If you still find yourself ‘unsure’ of your own gifts, then seek God’s guidance. His word states that if we seek, we will find. Stand firm in this knowledge and be the best person you can be with the gifts God has given you.

Lord, we come before you and we ask for your guidance in our daily routines and actions. We thank you for making us each unique and yet a part of your body. We thank you that we can use our gifts to share your love with others daily. Lord, show us the path you would have us take this day – to glorify you in the best way that we can. To be a witness of your grace and your love, so that others may see you through us and seek you because of us. We praise you for these opportunities. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, Amen.