I am so thankful and so grateful to all those friends and family who since hearing the news of Dude's upcoming deployment in December, have prayed and will continue to pray for Dude, as well as for me.
The Lord gave me this scripture this morning, as I continue to go to him more frequently about having complete peace about this.
He says in John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid".
I also read in Isaiah 26:3 - 4, another familiar passage, that has a whole new and fresh message for me - "You Lord, will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal". The Hebrew word for the peace mentioned here, translates into " a full, genuine well-being".
You might be in a place in your life when you too, need to know the peace that passes all human understanding. We all face different trials and tests of faith throughout our walk here on earth, and I pray that these passages will speak peace into your heart as they have done for me.
Blessings,
Janelle
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Take No Thought for Your Life
Today I'm posting from my devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest", by Oswald Chambers.
He says, "A warning which needs to be reiterated is that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, will choke all that God puts in. We are never free from the recurring tides of this encroachment. If it does not come on the line of clothes and food, it will come on the line of money or lack of money; of friends or lack of friends; or on the line of difficult circumstances. It is one steady encroachment all the time, and unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the standard against it, these things will come in like a flood.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, "Take no thought for your life". "Be careful about one thing only", says our Lord, "your relationship to Me". Common sense shouts loud and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing the thought that this statement is made by One Who does not understand our particular circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things so as to make them the one concern of our life. Whenever there is competition, be sure that you put your relationship to God first.
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." How much evil has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little imps have been looking in and saying - Now what are you going to do next month - this summer? "Be anxious for nothing", Jesus says. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father.
This all goes along so well with the series of teachings our pastor has started off the new year with - "In God We Trust".
This past Sunday's notes said:
1. Do not put your trust in yourself - Proverbs 28:26
2. Do not put your trust in your own wisdom and understanding - Proverbs 3: 5 - 7
3. Do not put your trust in money - Proverbs 11:28, 18:11
4. Do not put your trust in your own planning - Proverbs 21:30, 16:9
5. Do not put your trust in man's approval - Proverbs 29:25
This sermon really hit home with me, as well as the devotional today, as I am guilty of all the above at times. My prayer is that my faith in God's faithfulness will be strengthened, and I will look to Him more each day, to fulfill the promises He makes about meeting all our needs.
Have a blessed Tuesday...
Janelle
He says, "A warning which needs to be reiterated is that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, will choke all that God puts in. We are never free from the recurring tides of this encroachment. If it does not come on the line of clothes and food, it will come on the line of money or lack of money; of friends or lack of friends; or on the line of difficult circumstances. It is one steady encroachment all the time, and unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the standard against it, these things will come in like a flood.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, "Take no thought for your life". "Be careful about one thing only", says our Lord, "your relationship to Me". Common sense shouts loud and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing the thought that this statement is made by One Who does not understand our particular circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things so as to make them the one concern of our life. Whenever there is competition, be sure that you put your relationship to God first.
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." How much evil has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little imps have been looking in and saying - Now what are you going to do next month - this summer? "Be anxious for nothing", Jesus says. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father.
This all goes along so well with the series of teachings our pastor has started off the new year with - "In God We Trust".
This past Sunday's notes said:
1. Do not put your trust in yourself - Proverbs 28:26
2. Do not put your trust in your own wisdom and understanding - Proverbs 3: 5 - 7
3. Do not put your trust in money - Proverbs 11:28, 18:11
4. Do not put your trust in your own planning - Proverbs 21:30, 16:9
5. Do not put your trust in man's approval - Proverbs 29:25
This sermon really hit home with me, as well as the devotional today, as I am guilty of all the above at times. My prayer is that my faith in God's faithfulness will be strengthened, and I will look to Him more each day, to fulfill the promises He makes about meeting all our needs.
Have a blessed Tuesday...
Janelle
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Where Do You Put Your Hope?
Jack Frost paid us a visit last night! Here in FL, we get a few days of winter each year, but usually it doesn't get this cold this early. I have to say though, it is a nice break from the 90 degree weather we were having only a week or so ago!
Today's passage in Jeremiah 8, the Lord is repeating some of his statements from Chapter 6 - to me, this shows that he says what he means, and means what he says!
8: 10 - 13 - "Therefore I will give their wives to other men and thier fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace", they say, when there is no peace.
Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord.
I will take away their harvest, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them".
This whole passage speaks of economic disasters as part of the judgments against the people for their sinful ways.
Once again, he reiterates how greed has taken over them, and I find it amazing how he says that the leaders "dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious"; that's how this whole "bail out" by Congress seems to me. Everyone is in line now, wanting a hand out for fear that their businesses will collapse otherwise. Well when and where do you draw the line?
The ones who raked in millions of dollars each year, and the lack of oversight by our elected leaders, have gotten us into this mess, and the way they are handling it all, seems like they are trying to put a band-aid on a gaping wound.
He also repeats his warnings to us about those who say "peace, peace" - and promise us that it is near. We are in sad shape, if we believe that all our problems will be solved just because a new President who says he is going to change things and bring peace to us, is the solution to the problems we are all facing as a nation.
It is our duty as believers, to pray for our leaders - for those in authority over us. We need to pray that they will seek God for his wisdom to lead our country, and not trust in their own capabilities.
Here are a few passages that tell us where our hope and our trust should be, if we want to have real peace, that can only be found in God, through Christ Jesus.
Psalm 49:5-6 "Why should I fear when evil days come; when wicked deceivers surround me - those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 12 -13 - "But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings".
Psalm 62: 8 - "Trust in Him(God) at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge".
Psalm 188:8 - 9 - "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes".
Proverbs 3: 5 - 6 is one of my favorite passages, and one I memorized early in life - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. In ALL your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight".
And finally, look at how the Lord details out for us in Psalm 146, how He will take care of those who belong to him -
"Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - the Lord, who remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the alien, and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord."
One needs not fear all the chaos that we see all around us - we can have peace in the midst of it all, and that peace is found only in Jesus. He tells us in John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid".
Imagine having peace in our life, as Jesus had, knowing what he would suffer - he kept his focus on the Father, and now offers us this same peace. It's so powerful, it's something that we as humans, can't hardly wrap our brains around; it all comes back to faith and trust. We are to take him at his word, and he will fulfill the promises in his word to us.
I close today, with the words of a beautiful old hymn:
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace"
Have a blessed Wednesday...
Janelle
Today's passage in Jeremiah 8, the Lord is repeating some of his statements from Chapter 6 - to me, this shows that he says what he means, and means what he says!
8: 10 - 13 - "Therefore I will give their wives to other men and thier fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace", they say, when there is no peace.
Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord.
I will take away their harvest, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them".
This whole passage speaks of economic disasters as part of the judgments against the people for their sinful ways.
Once again, he reiterates how greed has taken over them, and I find it amazing how he says that the leaders "dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious"; that's how this whole "bail out" by Congress seems to me. Everyone is in line now, wanting a hand out for fear that their businesses will collapse otherwise. Well when and where do you draw the line?
The ones who raked in millions of dollars each year, and the lack of oversight by our elected leaders, have gotten us into this mess, and the way they are handling it all, seems like they are trying to put a band-aid on a gaping wound.
He also repeats his warnings to us about those who say "peace, peace" - and promise us that it is near. We are in sad shape, if we believe that all our problems will be solved just because a new President who says he is going to change things and bring peace to us, is the solution to the problems we are all facing as a nation.
It is our duty as believers, to pray for our leaders - for those in authority over us. We need to pray that they will seek God for his wisdom to lead our country, and not trust in their own capabilities.
Here are a few passages that tell us where our hope and our trust should be, if we want to have real peace, that can only be found in God, through Christ Jesus.
Psalm 49:5-6 "Why should I fear when evil days come; when wicked deceivers surround me - those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 12 -13 - "But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings".
Psalm 62: 8 - "Trust in Him(God) at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge".
Psalm 188:8 - 9 - "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes".
Proverbs 3: 5 - 6 is one of my favorite passages, and one I memorized early in life - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. In ALL your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight".
And finally, look at how the Lord details out for us in Psalm 146, how He will take care of those who belong to him -
"Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - the Lord, who remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the alien, and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord."
One needs not fear all the chaos that we see all around us - we can have peace in the midst of it all, and that peace is found only in Jesus. He tells us in John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid".
Imagine having peace in our life, as Jesus had, knowing what he would suffer - he kept his focus on the Father, and now offers us this same peace. It's so powerful, it's something that we as humans, can't hardly wrap our brains around; it all comes back to faith and trust. We are to take him at his word, and he will fulfill the promises in his word to us.
I close today, with the words of a beautiful old hymn:
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace"
Have a blessed Wednesday...
Janelle
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Yesterday I got to go out "junkin" - thrift store and estate sale shopping - and I was fortunate to find a few old Baptist hymnals. I just had to get them, because they brought back such memories from my childhood, and always having those at our piano at home. I used to memorize what page numbers my favorite songs were on.
Today I wanted to share the lyrics to the song, "Great is Thy Faithfulness"; a favorite of mine, and in times like we're facing, a good reminder that God is faithful, no matter what circumstances or situations we find ourselves in.
"Great is they faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with thee
Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou has been
Thou forever wilt be
CHORUS
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
ALL I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is they faithfulness, O Lord to me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
CHORUS
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
ALL I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is they faithfulness, O Lord to me
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
CHORUS
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
ALL I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is they faithfulness, O Lord to me
With the economy of the world in a tailspin, and wars and violence all around, Satan wants to keep us all in fear as to what is going to happen to us.
BUT the Lord says that His faithfulness will get us through and bring us to a place of peace.
I pray that you will put your trust in God's faithfulness today.
Janelle
Today I wanted to share the lyrics to the song, "Great is Thy Faithfulness"; a favorite of mine, and in times like we're facing, a good reminder that God is faithful, no matter what circumstances or situations we find ourselves in.
"Great is they faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with thee
Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou has been
Thou forever wilt be
CHORUS
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
ALL I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is they faithfulness, O Lord to me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
CHORUS
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
ALL I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is they faithfulness, O Lord to me
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
CHORUS
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
ALL I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is they faithfulness, O Lord to me
With the economy of the world in a tailspin, and wars and violence all around, Satan wants to keep us all in fear as to what is going to happen to us.
BUT the Lord says that His faithfulness will get us through and bring us to a place of peace.
I pray that you will put your trust in God's faithfulness today.
Janelle
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
What is Your Trust In?
Good Morning!
Let's continue in Jeremiah 5: 3 - 9: "O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. I thought, ' These are only the poor, they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.' But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many. 'Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife. Should I not punish them for this?' declares the Lord. 'Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?'"
Jeremiah went all throughout the land to try to find but one righteous person, and found none.
He went to what were the common people, thinking they would be different, but they were just the same as the leaders and everyone else - rebellious towards God.
The Lord compared them to well-fed, lusty stallions, for their seeking everything material and that which satisfied the lusts of the flesh, instead of the direction and faithfulness of God.
Sound familiar? Are we not living in a society that is self-serving, and trusting in the world's economy for their safety and well being?
Even the news reports say that during this election we are to have in less than two weeks, the main issue is the economy - not the safety and defense of our nation - money, and panic in "how are we going to live"? is the main concern for most.
I'm so thankful for God's grace, and that he has kept me focused on Him and His Word, and I've not experienced this state of panic. God IS in control - always has been, and always will be, even if things don't seem like it. He is forever working behind the scenes on our behalf, and we just have to trust him in that!
The Lord says that if we believe in him, and follow him, he will supply ALL our needs. Philippians 4: 19: "And my God will meet all your needs, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus".
We see in Psalm 37: 25: "I was young and now I'm old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken for their children begging for bread".
Hebrews 13:5 says: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "NEVER will I leave you' NEVER will I forsake you".
If you don't know the Lord personally - it's as easy as you just talking to him and telling him that you need him - that you're a sinner who can't do this on your own. Ask him to forgive you for all your days of sin and not trusting him to save you, and he will be there on the spot to do just that!
Then, you will be part of his family - his precious child, whom he will lead, protect, and take care of now in this world, and then for all eternity, as we go to live with him.
I close with this blessing:
"The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you
The Lord turn His face towards you and give you Peace".
Shalom,
Janelle
Let's continue in Jeremiah 5: 3 - 9: "O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. I thought, ' These are only the poor, they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.' But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many. 'Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife. Should I not punish them for this?' declares the Lord. 'Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?'"
Jeremiah went all throughout the land to try to find but one righteous person, and found none.
He went to what were the common people, thinking they would be different, but they were just the same as the leaders and everyone else - rebellious towards God.
The Lord compared them to well-fed, lusty stallions, for their seeking everything material and that which satisfied the lusts of the flesh, instead of the direction and faithfulness of God.
Sound familiar? Are we not living in a society that is self-serving, and trusting in the world's economy for their safety and well being?
Even the news reports say that during this election we are to have in less than two weeks, the main issue is the economy - not the safety and defense of our nation - money, and panic in "how are we going to live"? is the main concern for most.
I'm so thankful for God's grace, and that he has kept me focused on Him and His Word, and I've not experienced this state of panic. God IS in control - always has been, and always will be, even if things don't seem like it. He is forever working behind the scenes on our behalf, and we just have to trust him in that!
The Lord says that if we believe in him, and follow him, he will supply ALL our needs. Philippians 4: 19: "And my God will meet all your needs, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus".
We see in Psalm 37: 25: "I was young and now I'm old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken for their children begging for bread".
Hebrews 13:5 says: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "NEVER will I leave you' NEVER will I forsake you".
If you don't know the Lord personally - it's as easy as you just talking to him and telling him that you need him - that you're a sinner who can't do this on your own. Ask him to forgive you for all your days of sin and not trusting him to save you, and he will be there on the spot to do just that!
Then, you will be part of his family - his precious child, whom he will lead, protect, and take care of now in this world, and then for all eternity, as we go to live with him.
I close with this blessing:
"The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you
The Lord turn His face towards you and give you Peace".
Shalom,
Janelle
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Heeding the Call
I asked the Lord to show me which book in his Word to study next, and I'm going to start on the book of Jeremiah, which is found in the Old Testament.
Jeremiah was a prophet whose ministry started when he was about 20 years old. Often called "The Weeping Prophet" and "The Prophet of Loneliness", because he was commanded not to marry. He was also known as "The Reluctant Prophet", yet for more than 40 years, he was faithful to God's call in his life to go to the people of Judah with God's Word. During his time of ministry, he had strong opposition, and endured beatings and imprisonment.
He was sensitive and sympathetic by nature, but was sent by God to deliver a message of stern judgement.
This sounds like he could have lived in our day - there is strong opposition towards believers, and especially towards those who dare to stand up for what's right and wrong in God's eyes. I have seen this kind of opposition in the lives of many people, but especially in the lives of prominent people, who are in the media spotlight. When they profess their Christianity is a major part of their lives, they are ripped apart by the media, liberals who are elected officials, and tv talk show hosts who cater to the Hollywood crowd.
Although most of us will never be in that spotlight(Thank God), we too can expect the same kind of treatment from the world when we dare to take a stand against things like abortion, prayer in school, and other issues that oppose the liberal left.
In Chapter 1 of Jeremiah, it starts off with the word God gave to Jeremiah when he called him to minister. You can easily apply this to your own life, because God is reaffirming to him that he will be with him, even though at times his life will be hard, just as he is with us when we go through various trials and opposition in our lives.
1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Every person is known of God even before we are born. This same thought is written by King David in Psalm 139:13 - 18. This is something that the liberal left who support abortion do not believe. They don't want God or anyone else telling them what is right or wrong - they have set themselves up as their own gods, with their own set of values and laws.
In verses 6 - 8, we read of Jeremiah telling God that he doesn't feel qualified to fulfill this call, and we also read God's reply to him.
1:6: "Ah Sovereign Lord, I said. I do not know how to speak; I am only a child. But the Lord said to me, ' Do not say, "I am only a child. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you', declares the Lord."
How many times have we basically said the same thing to the Lord when we know he's telling us to do something? That which he is telling us to do at that time is probably something that might seem outrageous or silly to us, and we want to argue with him about it. God gives us opportunities each day to hear his voice and be blessed when we follow his command by obedience.
There was a lady in a grocery store one day who was behind me in line, and as I was taking things out of my buggy to put on the counter to get checked out, I noticed that she look distraught and was softly crying. At that moment, I knew the Lord was telling me to pray with her right there. My "flesh" was crying out "but I'm in a grocery store Lord", and hesitated a few minutes. The Lord was very insistent with me, and I'm thankful he was, because I received a blessing that day by following his lead and applying those verses above to my own life.
I didn't know the details of this woman's life - she was a total stranger, but I did turn around to her and said something to the affect of, "I know this sounds crazy, but I feel like the Lord is telling me that I need to pray with you right now, if that's ok with you". She began to cry more, and said, "yes please pray for me". I can't tell you what I prayed - this was back in the mid 1980's somewhere, but I can tell you that when I finished praying for her, that her countenance was changed, and she thanked me and said, "God bless you".
No matter how silly or off the wall something that the Lord asks you to do is, I would strongly encourage you to be obedient to that call. Just like he told Jeremiah, "don't be afraid, for I am with you", so too will he be with each of us.
Jeremiah was a prophet whose ministry started when he was about 20 years old. Often called "The Weeping Prophet" and "The Prophet of Loneliness", because he was commanded not to marry. He was also known as "The Reluctant Prophet", yet for more than 40 years, he was faithful to God's call in his life to go to the people of Judah with God's Word. During his time of ministry, he had strong opposition, and endured beatings and imprisonment.
He was sensitive and sympathetic by nature, but was sent by God to deliver a message of stern judgement.
This sounds like he could have lived in our day - there is strong opposition towards believers, and especially towards those who dare to stand up for what's right and wrong in God's eyes. I have seen this kind of opposition in the lives of many people, but especially in the lives of prominent people, who are in the media spotlight. When they profess their Christianity is a major part of their lives, they are ripped apart by the media, liberals who are elected officials, and tv talk show hosts who cater to the Hollywood crowd.
Although most of us will never be in that spotlight(Thank God), we too can expect the same kind of treatment from the world when we dare to take a stand against things like abortion, prayer in school, and other issues that oppose the liberal left.
In Chapter 1 of Jeremiah, it starts off with the word God gave to Jeremiah when he called him to minister. You can easily apply this to your own life, because God is reaffirming to him that he will be with him, even though at times his life will be hard, just as he is with us when we go through various trials and opposition in our lives.
1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Every person is known of God even before we are born. This same thought is written by King David in Psalm 139:13 - 18. This is something that the liberal left who support abortion do not believe. They don't want God or anyone else telling them what is right or wrong - they have set themselves up as their own gods, with their own set of values and laws.
In verses 6 - 8, we read of Jeremiah telling God that he doesn't feel qualified to fulfill this call, and we also read God's reply to him.
1:6: "Ah Sovereign Lord, I said. I do not know how to speak; I am only a child. But the Lord said to me, ' Do not say, "I am only a child. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you', declares the Lord."
How many times have we basically said the same thing to the Lord when we know he's telling us to do something? That which he is telling us to do at that time is probably something that might seem outrageous or silly to us, and we want to argue with him about it. God gives us opportunities each day to hear his voice and be blessed when we follow his command by obedience.
There was a lady in a grocery store one day who was behind me in line, and as I was taking things out of my buggy to put on the counter to get checked out, I noticed that she look distraught and was softly crying. At that moment, I knew the Lord was telling me to pray with her right there. My "flesh" was crying out "but I'm in a grocery store Lord", and hesitated a few minutes. The Lord was very insistent with me, and I'm thankful he was, because I received a blessing that day by following his lead and applying those verses above to my own life.
I didn't know the details of this woman's life - she was a total stranger, but I did turn around to her and said something to the affect of, "I know this sounds crazy, but I feel like the Lord is telling me that I need to pray with you right now, if that's ok with you". She began to cry more, and said, "yes please pray for me". I can't tell you what I prayed - this was back in the mid 1980's somewhere, but I can tell you that when I finished praying for her, that her countenance was changed, and she thanked me and said, "God bless you".
No matter how silly or off the wall something that the Lord asks you to do is, I would strongly encourage you to be obedient to that call. Just like he told Jeremiah, "don't be afraid, for I am with you", so too will he be with each of us.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
TRUST
Good Saturday Morning Everyone!
Today's passage out of Proverbs is one of my favorites. Verses 5 - 6 tell us about the blessings and benefits of allowing ourselves to have total TRUST in the Lord.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding; in ALL your ways, acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight".
Vs. 5: In the Hebrew text, the word trust in this verse refers to the "idea of lying helplessly face down. "
Don't lean means, "relying on something or someone else rather than supporting yourself".
That sure puts us in a vulnerable situation, but that is the place where the Lord meets us and shows us that He is right here with us, holding us in his hands.
Vs 6: I capitalized the little word ALL because I, like most everyone, has the tendency at times to trust God in some things, but then worry about other things. There is no detail of our lives that God doesn't care about, and there's no detail of our lives that he doesn't want us to bring to him and trust him with it. Whether it's our marriage, our health, our children, our finances, our jobs, our relationship to him - we need to turn it ALL over to him with the confidence that he will do what he says at the end of this verse - "make our paths straight".
Being a Christian does NOT mean that we won't ever have trials or face hardships. When I read the Bible and see what we call the "heroes" of the Bible, all of them faced many trials and suffering, which brought them closer to the Lord. Look at David - he was a little runt, the least likely to be chosen as King, and was mocked as he approached Goliath - the others had run away from Goliath in great fear. David said to Goliath, "Who is this uncircumsized Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God"? He told Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine, your servant will go and fight him." David had previously while out shepherding, killed both a lion and a bear, and said to Saul again, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine". David then approached Goliath, who was mocking and taunting him because of his size and age, and cursing him by his gods. David said to him, "You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord God Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head".
We all know the rest of the story - David took out the giant with one stone to the head. He had TOTAL trust that God would deliver him out of that situation, and his unwavering trust is what brought the presence of the Living God to him.
We all have our "giants" that we face daily - the Lord wants us to rely on His strength and power to fight our battles WITH us, and he will surely deliver us.
There is a song out by the group Casting Crowns, caslled "The Voice of Truth" - it's a powerful song that always gives me strength and encouragement when I'm facing my own "giants". If you google the group Casting Crowns, you can probably find an audio clip of this song. I'm going to post the words here, and I hope you will be strengthened and encouraged today by them, and this powerful passage from Proverbs.
Today's passage out of Proverbs is one of my favorites. Verses 5 - 6 tell us about the blessings and benefits of allowing ourselves to have total TRUST in the Lord.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding; in ALL your ways, acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight".
Vs. 5: In the Hebrew text, the word trust in this verse refers to the "idea of lying helplessly face down. "
Don't lean means, "relying on something or someone else rather than supporting yourself".
That sure puts us in a vulnerable situation, but that is the place where the Lord meets us and shows us that He is right here with us, holding us in his hands.
Vs 6: I capitalized the little word ALL because I, like most everyone, has the tendency at times to trust God in some things, but then worry about other things. There is no detail of our lives that God doesn't care about, and there's no detail of our lives that he doesn't want us to bring to him and trust him with it. Whether it's our marriage, our health, our children, our finances, our jobs, our relationship to him - we need to turn it ALL over to him with the confidence that he will do what he says at the end of this verse - "make our paths straight".
Being a Christian does NOT mean that we won't ever have trials or face hardships. When I read the Bible and see what we call the "heroes" of the Bible, all of them faced many trials and suffering, which brought them closer to the Lord. Look at David - he was a little runt, the least likely to be chosen as King, and was mocked as he approached Goliath - the others had run away from Goliath in great fear. David said to Goliath, "Who is this uncircumsized Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God"? He told Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine, your servant will go and fight him." David had previously while out shepherding, killed both a lion and a bear, and said to Saul again, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine". David then approached Goliath, who was mocking and taunting him because of his size and age, and cursing him by his gods. David said to him, "You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord God Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head".
We all know the rest of the story - David took out the giant with one stone to the head. He had TOTAL trust that God would deliver him out of that situation, and his unwavering trust is what brought the presence of the Living God to him.
We all have our "giants" that we face daily - the Lord wants us to rely on His strength and power to fight our battles WITH us, and he will surely deliver us.
There is a song out by the group Casting Crowns, caslled "The Voice of Truth" - it's a powerful song that always gives me strength and encouragement when I'm facing my own "giants". If you google the group Casting Crowns, you can probably find an audio clip of this song. I'm going to post the words here, and I hope you will be strengthened and encouraged today by them, and this powerful passage from Proverbs.
"Voice Of Truth"
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling meTime and time again.
'Boy, you'll never win!'"You'll never win"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a Sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!"You'll never win"
But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
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