And Yet Do I Have Hope

God's Word is always timely.  Unlike white after labor day, it is never out of season.  After an enlightening night at Bible Study, I come home to have a personal talk with Jesus.  I am directed to a verse that expressed how a part of me was feeling.

Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is appalled within me.

( Psalm 143:4, NASB)

Another put it this way, ' I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. (NLT)

Now I am sure that there are some of you reading this that are saying, I have never felt this way.  I trust that God will take care of any and every situation.  If this is in fact the case and your faith has never been shaken then I say, "Hats off to you." I also say, "Just keep living."  Today I have stopped by to tell you that there are times when my physical being says, "I am on the verge of giving up.  God you are taking too long.  I have people that depend on me and I just don't understand your methods right now or the reason behind them." Or maybe you're saying, "Lord, why did you have to take my loved one.  I don't want to go on."  There can be a lot of reasons for wanting to give up.  You start to feel overwhelmed with life and you just don't know what to do. You feel alone, mistreated, and confused. Even though you had been going through, you always had hope and then things took a turn for the worse. 

But let me tell you how God works.  After reading this verse I begin to hum, 'When my heart is overwhelmed, my prayer is lead me to the Rock.  Lead me to the Rock, that's higher than I, O Lord.  Higher than I'.  I hummed it a couple of times and then I begin to sing out loud because you know there is something about knowing that there is no situation too big for God to handle and that you can go to Him anytime of the day or night  that has a way of lifting your spirits.  It helps you to put everything in perspective.  You see, David the writer of this Psalm was feeling  perplexed and overturned, lonely and afflicted.  He suffered both in spirit and in heart from the undeserved and unprovoked hostility of his persecutors. BUT (thank God for the conjunctions of life) he had a relationship with God.  Even in the midst of all his suffering his personal relationship with God and their history is what brought him through.  If you read on in this Psalm you hear David saying, 'I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Interlude  (Psalm 143:5-6, NLT)  David had come to know that God was faithful.  He had a proven track record and even though everything that was going on caused these feelings to stir from within, He still trusted God. He had hope.  You know how I know that he had hope, he begin to prayer, turning to the One who he knew could handle what he was feeling.  He wouldn't be judged and classified as a weak believer.  He knew where he help would come from. 

And that is what I believe this Christian life is all about.  You get to the point in your life where you know that you know that you know that your life is ten times better with God on your side.  In fact you can't imagine your life without Him.  There is a calming peace in knowing that the situation today may be totally different tomorrow because God is at work.  You might not be able to see how God is working it out in your marriage, in your finances, in your relationship, in your family, in your heart but you know that He is. And no one can sway you from this thought.  Some may call you crazy and that's alright.  They called Jesus plenty of names but  in the end who reigned victorious...JESUS!  It's a mighty good thing to know Him.  Just think even Jesus, who had to take off royalty and become like you and I, felt alone.  Remember when He cried out , "My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?"  Yet, He completed His task.  He finished His course.  And so can you.  It's alright to feel a little down sometime.  You're human.  Just don't stay there.  Reflect on what God has done for you in the past and get up out of that pity party.  Instead praise God that He has sustained you through this time.  Praise Him for His faithfulness and thank Him for what He is doing in your life. 

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

(This is a prayer you must pray.  Ask God to give You the words and then walk in your victory. In Jesus' Precious Name I pray Amen.)

Just A Prayer Away

'Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble'?  Psalm 10:1

I find myself at a familiar place.  A place of contradiction between my heart and my head.  My physical man and my spiritual being.  Here I stand at a place where God seems distant.  I know what the scripture says, 'Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there...even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast'. (Psalm 139:7-8,10, ESV)  Even so, with all that's going on around me I find myself like the Psalmist asking, "Lord where are you?"  Ever been there.  You sit and watch all the evil in the world.  Then sickness and death hits close to home.  Jealousy, envy, strife, murder, war, and so much more.  One would think that God would intervene and put a stop to all the madness. 

As I sit and ponder this subject, a puzzling thought comes to my mind...each and every Sunday thousands of people go to church.  Many who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, walking in favor with all the rights and privileges of a child of God.  They are fed the Word of God but when calamity comes they turn away afraid, doubting God. Why is that?   I can recall being one of those Christians (you know the kind who hadn't developed a personal relationship with the Lord outside of Sunday morning).  But over time there was something about the Word, the more you hear it, the more you want to know about it.  You begin to take every opportunity you can to spend time in it.  And I'm sure I am not alone.  But every now and then I get weak.  Things start to pile up.  The first couple of tests and trials, your faith is strong.  You stand firm in your faith.  Then the third and the fourth thing occurs and you begin to wonder if the end is in sight.  You find yourself with nothing else to do but cry out to the Lord.  "JESUS!, in the words of Leandria  Johnson's new single.  And just as quick as you call His name He is there providing you the necessary relief you need to run on just a little while longer.  He refreshes your spirit.  He restores your soul. 

So what is my response to the Psalmist in the verse above?  He is 'just a prayer away'.  It may seem that He is acting indifferent and unconcerned when in fact He is all the while working He is working on your behalf.  Call His name and I guarantee that He hears you.  In fact, you can call Him at the same exact time that I call Him and He hears both of us.  He knows your voice.  There is no limit to the amount of times you can call on Him, He is always available. He loves to hear your voice. Your minutes never expire and there is never a bad signal.  Each and every time you call He answers.  I know there are times that it seems you are all alone...that God doesn't care.  I am here to encourage you today and remind you that He does care.  Have a little talk with Him.  Tell Him everything that is on Your mind.  Spend some time in Your prayer closet.  Come out believing that God is working and everything is going to be alright. 

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your eternal presence.  I thank You because there is never a time when you are not near.  Help me to have a better prayer life. A more consistent prayer life.  One that turns to You, not only in a time of crisis but also during a time of calm.  Not just in a time of want but also in a time of plenty.  My heart's desire is to know You more. Lord I accept Your will for my life.  I know that whatever it is that You take me through, You will give me what I need to make it through.  Thank you for Your sustaining power and for refreshment.  In Jesus' Precious name I pray Amen. 

At The Proper Time

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  I Peter 5:6-7

Have you ever found yourself in a holding pattern?  What is a holding pattern?  In studying I found two definitions.  The first, 'The flight path maintained by an aircraft awaiting permission to land' and the second, 'A state or period of no progress or change'.  This is the point where you have taken off along a path, this walk called Christianity.  During this flight you are trying your best to follow the course mapped out for you through the Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  You have come to accept that 'in this world you will have tribulations'.  You know that test and trials will come.  You have developed a relationship with the Lord and believe that what He says He will do.  Your only problem is 'why is it taking so long'? You are at the point, at this very moment, that you are tempted to steer off course and take over as Captain.  Today I am here to encourage you not to do this.  If there is one point that has been inbredded in my mind, it is that our Heavenly Father knows best. 

It's hard sometimes to understand the concept that God sees everything that you go through and doesn't stop it.  You read in His Word that He has the power to speak and the winds and waves obey.  You sing a song that says 'He's An On Time God'.  But in the back of your mind, as you cry yourself to sleep quietly, you wonder if He really cares. You know, there is a very important fact that I have come to know and that is that it is not about understanding what is going on in your life.  It is more about trusting and believing that God who is Sovereign has it all under control and is working it out for your good.  He may choose to leave you on a difficult job or in a difficult marriage to help you remember your dependence on Him and to experience His power firsthand.  You may never win the lottery and escape all your financial worries.  I stopped by to tell you that there is nothing that you can do on your own.  There is no success that you have had in this life that He did not carefully orchestrate.  Yes, your life may be in a holding pattern right now but you can praise God for His ability see ahead to cloudy skies and stormy weather and keep you safe through it all.  You just have to keep the faith. 

Verse six talks about 'at the proper time', after giving some clear instructions on 'right living'.   I don't know about you but my first question was "When is this?"  Barnes Notes on the Bible gives two distinct thoughts as to what this might mean.  First, this could be an assurance that your deliverance would come at some point.  You will not always be in this state.  Secondly, your deliverance may come in due time, right when you need it. Maybe in the present life or maybe in the life to come.  In the meanwhile you are commanded to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, serving Him in all you do.  Go ahead and tell God all about your problems.  He does care and at the proper time He will permit landing.  It is no secret what God can do, what He has done for others He will do for you. 

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

I come to You at this moment thanking You and praising You for sustaining me. So many times I become consumed with the present that I can't see the bright future You have planned for me.  Help me to resist the temptation to do things on my own.  Let me wait for your perfect timing.  Guide my feet while I run this race.  I may not understand but I don't need to, as long as I'm in Your hands I know that everything is going to be alright.  In Jesus' Precious Name I pray Amen.

Think God

'If then you have been raised with Christ seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above and not on things that are on earth'. Colossians 3:1-2

You know the old saying, 'It's hard to see the forest for the trees'. The idea that we can't see the beauty of what is in front of us for looking at the minoot details.  It means that you are so deeply involved in a situation, and perhaps focusing too much on individual details, and not enough on the situation as a whole. Those times in life when circumstances try to hinder you and it becomes difficult to live the life God intended for you to live. Life just continues to slap you in the face.  There are all kinds of distractions or stressors, as the minister put it this morning, that might cause you to grow weary and tired.  A broken heart.  A stressful job.  A misbehaving child.  An unloving spouse.  Financial woes.  How better off your life would be if you would look upon them, not as individual circumstances, but instead look ahead to the big picture.  The beauty of what God is doing in your life.  The way He is using the circumstances of life (the good and the bad times) to make you into a person to be used for His glory.

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while now know that I often refer to the war that you and  I experience within.  It is more than just the battle between good and evil, right and wrong.  It's  those times when you are desperately trying to stand firm in your faith, fighting to see past what the human eye can see.  You are a Christian.  You have been 'raised with Christ' and because you are now alive in Him you should seek to understand the spiritual truths and the will of God.  So how does one go about doing this, especially when so many things seem to be upside down in your life.  You know what the Word says and you believe it in your heart.  But you just can't stop thinking about your circumstances.  This scenario is something that I have been thinking about for awhile, in fact it is my life right now.  So as I sat trying to block out all the noise in my mind in order to praise God and open myself up to receive the Word that I know God had prepared just for me, I begin to pray in my spirit.  And in an answer to that prayer, the Spirit led me to the verse above.  It's easy to sit and constantly think about a bad situation, a bad job situation or what may have caused you a broken heart, the loss of someone you love. But today at this moment I thank God for the alternative to dwelling on a bad situation. God instructs us to 'set your minds on things that are above'.  Literally, THINK GOD! It's about having an inner disposition to look upward in every situation.  Thinking Heavenly thoughts that come from knowing what God has promised in His Word.  One thought that kept replaying itself over and over in my mind is that 'God is still good'.  No matter what the circumstance, He is still in control and has a purpose for the pain. After being reminded of this very thing I realized the ball was now in my court.  It was time for me to make a decision.  Either I was going to continue to dwell on my circumstance or I was going to make an active decision to think on things above.  My choice....THINK GOD! When I sit and think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me, there is no competition.  He is my one constant!  My Everything!  My Calm in the midst of chaos!  He keeps the smile on my face and the joy in my heart.  And He is faithful.  He has come through so many times before and made a way out of no way and I believe that He will do it again.  What about you?  Will you trust Him?

Heavenly Father,

I love you.  You are amazing.  You are awesome.  Your presence is unmistakable and your power undeniable.  You are holy. You are faithful.  That is why I trust You.  No matter what the life may throw my way, I know that You will sustain me.  Lord, you give power to the faint and when I have no might you increase my strength.  I'm tired Lord but I am waiting on You.  I'm waiting for Your deliverance which is far better than anything that I could ever orchestrate myself. I don't want to make a move to the right or to the left unless I am sure that You are leading me.  Help me to 'be still'  so that I may experience Your salvation. All these things I ask in Jesus' precious name I pray Amen. 

Our Comforter

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."  John 14:18

I'm reading a book right now by Charles Swindoll entitled, Embraced By The Spirit. The theme of the book is about developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit and receiving the full benefit of His indwelling in our hearts. So what do you do when the very life that you have come to know is turned upside down?  When the very person you believed in the most lets you down.  Your security blanket is lost.  The one you love is gone on to live with the Lord.  Who will you go to now to have those conversations that you couldn't tell to anyone else?  The company is going out of business and you have mouths to feed at home. How are you going to pay your bills or buy groceries.   I know that, as a Christian, you want to tell yourself that everything will be okay.  That you can handle it.  You've read the scriptures.  You don't want others to know that this incident has shaken the very foundation of your faith.  You still say all the right things but when you are alone the questions begin to come. So what do you do?

When situations like the ones mentioned above are taking place in your life it is easy to feel like you are alone.  You feel like no one is there for you even though there may be people around you.  You may even feel that God has abandoned you.  After all He is sovereign.  He could have stopped this from happening to you but instead He allowed it to happen.  Now you are scared, worried, alone. Read again the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in John 14:18.  Jesus promised that He would not leave you comfortless (or orphaned).  Just another indication that God was looking down the road and working on your behalf.  He was making preparation for you to receive His promise.  Although you may experiencing some or all of the emotions I listed above you can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone for you have a Comforter.  One who will provide inner strength during your weakest moments.  A Comforter who is able to speak to the Father on your behalf when you don't have the words.  When the world that you once knew is no more.  Jesus himself, during His time down here on earth, experienced some of the very things that you may be feeling.  By giving us a Comforter, He was saying that I love you too much to abandon you.  I am going to provide for your future well-being.  Praise God!  He left you with everything that you would need for your time here on earth, especially during those difficult moments.

This word today comes at a very timely moment.  I think about how even though I grieve the loss of someone I loved, I am happy because of the things He left with me and so many others.  Driving in my car I hear the nuggets of wisdom that He shared throughout His ministry and I'm grateful.  I can only imagine how the disciples felt having experienced the teaching and preaching of Jesus firsthand.  How sad they must have felt when they learned of His upcoming death.  Which is why He quickly told them, "Don't worry.  I got you covered.  I am not leaving you alone. I will come to you through my Spirit.  I will speak to you through the Word.  I will continue to show you love through visits of grace and mercies that are new every morning.  That is why you can go on.  There is still work for you to do. 

Father, in the midst of my tears I know that You are still worthy.  Thank You for not leaving me alone to deal with the difficulties of life.  I rejoice because I know that it is in my weakest moments that you are able to stand up in me and show Your strength.  I know that the reason that I am still standing today is because of You.  I thank You today for the Holy Spirit that dwells within me. I know that there have been many times that I didn't have the words to say and yet the Holy Spirit made intercession for me and I'm still here today.  Help me not to doubt but to trust You and stand on Your promise that You will never leave me nor forsake me.  I will forever give Your name the praise.  In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.

Time to Grow Up

I absolutely love the way the Holy Spirit puts something on your heart through the Word of God and then that same theme shows up in different ways throughout your day, week, or your month.  Take for example the urging I have had over the past month just to be a better person.  Not thinking of myself more highly than I ought to think, but living to be the person God has destined me to be.  I realized a long time ago that I may never meet certain people's expectations of me but if I am living my life to be the person God wants me to be than that is what really matters.  The first question I had when this thought came to mind was "How?'  For so many years I have lived my life trying to be what others expected of me, I knew it would be difficult to erase that way of thinking from my mind.  The second thought that crossed my mind was that 'it could be done', but I needed help.  So I prayed. 

There is an awesome feeling when you realize that you can do nothing in and of your own strength.  That moment when you know that God has carefully orchestrated your life for such a time as this.  This does not have to be a time where you are in front of hundreds or thousands of people.  It may just be the moment when you realize that your children are watching you constantly and you just want to be better for them since God has entrusted their lives in your hands. The time when you look at those around you and reevaluate do they add or take away from the value of your life?  It's the time when you step into the reality of your salvation.  What do I mean by this?  The time when you realize you are just a sinner saved by grace and if it had not been for the Lord on your side, where would you be?  That moment when you become overwhelmed by the goodness of Jesus and at the same time you feel ashamed because of the way you have let Him down.  When you realize that it's time to grow up.  You don't want to be that Christian demonstrating the same behaviors you did when you were a babe in Christ. 

I Peter 2:1-3 says, 'So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.  Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grown up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good'. (ESV)

Bottom line is this, your spiritual life cannot grow unless some behaviors are changed.  There is a purging process that must take place and then the Word can do it's work.  What does it mean to purge? It means 'to remove (impurities and other elements) by or as if by cleansing'.  You have to get rid of some things...things that come from deep down within.  This is not the easiest process but it is a necessary process.  And for me, I wanted to do it.  After being raised in the church and then living my own life's experience and seeing how God carried me through it is the least I could do.  It is not enough to go to church Sunday after Sunday and still remain the same. To sit through 'the rightly divided word of truth' only to walk to the parking lot talking about as many people as possible, not even the preacher is off limits.   To witness firsthand the goodness of the Lord in your life and continue to have Him as an option instead of number one. I remember my Pastor saying that spiritual maturity had nothing to do with age. How true!  I especially like the way the study notes in the MacArthur Study Bible put it. 'Spiritual growth is always marked by a craving for and a delight in God's word with the intensity with which a baby craves milk'.  When something is good to you, you tend to want more and more of it.  That is what I believe Peter meant in this passage of scripture. You finally come to the conclusion that you can't make it without God.  You actively work with not against the purging process.  You begin to hate sin as God does.  You spend less time trying to expose the sin in others. You read more and more of His Word, craving it as a newborn baby does milk, allowing it to expose the sin in your life so that you can confess it and turn away from it.  You let the Word do the work!

Heavenly Father I come to you today thanking You and praising You for your goodness to me.  Your grace that saw me as a wretch undone and yet you extended your hand of mercy and gave me salvation so that I would have the right to the tree of life. Today, Lord I have but one simple request, Lord I want to be a Christian in my heart.  Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.  I'm tired of my sinful ways and ask you to remove anything that is not like you.  Help me to be a steward of the Word so that I can be an example to others.  Help me also never to think of myself more highly than I ought to think.  Instead as You change my life, let me reach back and help others.  All these things I ask in Your name Jesus Amen. 

Without Faith

As I was studying today and reading my devotionals I came across this quote.  It said, 'Remember it is the very time for faith to work when sight ceases'.  And we know that  'without faith it is impossible to please the Lord'.  (Hebrews 11:6)  These words made me think of my great Pastor during the past year.  I watched him come into the church, sometimes in a wheelchair, in order to do the one thing he loved so very much, and that was preach the Word of God.  He would come in just to say "hello" and during that time his words of wisdom would ring throughout the sanctuary.  Many times he would tell us what he was going to preach if he was feeling better.  He would give us the scripture reference, three key points, along with a teaser packed with so much fire that it left you wanting more.  That was the kind of Pastor he was.  His love for God came across in everything he did. Many times he would tell us that he didn't know what tomorrow would bring but he was going to keep on serving God, trusting and believing each and every day. 

As I have stated on many difference occasions, I learned many things from my Pastor.  One thing I learned that has carried me through adversity and uncertainty was to have faith in God.  I used to wonder about Hebrews 11:6.  I wondered why God would say that you could not please Him without faith.  I remember Pops breaking it down for me.  You see, when you don't have faith you are more likely to take the wheel, trying to orchestrate your own outcome as if you know what is best.  You are spending so much time trying to figure out how to fix the situation that you no longer hear the voice of the Lord. You are no longer walking with God; you are walking ahead of Him.  Instead of spending time in the Word and in communion with God, praising Him in advance for what is about to happen, you spend your time worrying.  Think about it for a second.  When you have faith in God , you have the confident assurance that He is going to do what He says He will do.  It isn't about what you can see; instead it is about believing in the Word of God and standing on the promises.  God is the only one who is able to bring help during our most extreme, difficult moments.  The storms of life may be raging and He is able to say peace be still.  Your heart may be broken, only God is able to mend your broken heart.  Even as I write these words I am reminded of a song that simply says,'I don't know about tomorrow.  I just live from day to day.  I don't borrow from its sunshine, cause the skies may turn to gray.  I don't worry about my future, for I know what Jesus said.  And today He walks beside me, for He knows what lies ahead.  Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand. But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand'.  It's time out for putting your faith in manmade things.  They can be here today and gone tomorrow.  But one thing I know for sure, one who never changes and that is my God.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He promised to be with me through it all and I'm holding Him to it.  When you pray, pray with expectancy!  Know that God hears and He answers prayers.  Ask Him to help you with that urge to take over control.  He can and He will.  Have faith!

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

Father I thank you for who You are.  In a world where there is so much change and uncertainty, Lord you are my constant.  I can come to You and I know that everything is going to be okay.  I thank You for not always giving me what I ask for but instead looking down the road to see what is best for me in the long run.  How many times, O Lord, have I moved ahead of your divine plan for my life to what I thought I needed.  Help me not to complain as You work things out on my behalf, instead help me to have faith.  I may not know how things are going to works out but I know that they will work out for my good and for Your glory.  I believe it and I know that it shall be even as You have said.  Thank you for loving me and caring for me in spite of my many faults.  Lord I want to be more like You.  Show me the way.  It is in the precious and wonderful name of Jesus I pray Amen.