Do Not Be Afraid

I thought someone else worded everything perfectly for me today, and this goes so well with the season I am in. So I am going to give credit where credit is due, and just share with you the February 15, 2013 devotional from "Words of Hope". They truly are wonderful and inspirational writers. This one is by Joy Petroelje.

Do Not Be Afraid

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (v. 1)

What are you afraid of? What worries invade your thoughts and keep you up at night? Perhaps it is the unknown, possible illness, or the loss of someone important to you. Maybe you are afraid of failure, unmet expectations, or even the darkness that falls each night.

Fear can shake our confidence. It may make us question the present and be apprehensive about the future.  The writer of Psalm 27 had every reason to fear for his very life. He was surrounded by is enemies, threatened by evildoers, the victim of slander. War raged around him. He felt as though his own mother and father had turned away from him.

When we are afraid we often seek comfort in  something or someone. We may either go home or run away. We may seek hope in things that do not last or turn to destructive behaviors to try to forget our fears. The psalmist took a different approach. He chose to turn to the only true source of comfort, the Lord. In God's presence he found confidence, beauty, and singing. God alone provided acceptance, a level path, and safe refuge.

The next time you are fearful, consider the safe and secure comfort of a loving God. Through his word and faithfulness, the Lord provides a sense of security like no other. When you know you are his child, you do not need to be afraid.

Prayer: Loving Father, I give you my fear, and I delight in your comfort.

Only Trust Your Heart, If It Is Centered Around God

Why do we wrestle with decisions? Why do we constantly make choices and then regret them, or wish we could take them back? Why do we feel one way this hour, and a completely different way another hour?

It is because the heart is treacherous and cannot be trusted...unless it is rooted in God. Our emotions, heart, and mind have a way of wandering to things that are not good for us. We usually do not even see it happening until it's too late...that is how Satan works, sneaking subtly into the smallest cracks of our weaknesses. Proverbs 23:19 reminds us of this:  "My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course." (NLT)   Our hearts course is to live for, through, and because of Jesus. Not for our own sin, desire, or control. We need to remember this in times of heartache or consequences. We must ask ourselves, "Did I cause this because of the choices and decisions I made that were rooted from my own wants and a heart looking out for my own desires?" Many times, the answer is, "Yes."

Proverbs 3:5 also reminds us of the Lord's command to trust in Him, because our own ways and human tendencies cannot be trusted. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (NLT)  This is one of my favorite of all verses in the Bible...it reminds us that He will NEVER steer us wrong, and brings only good, regardless of the sinless nature we possess. How comforting to know that God's love never fails, that He alone can bring us happiness, peace, and joy. And that He is the Almighty One who can always make our paths straight, and show us where to go. Although we cannot trust or rely on our own hearts to make wise decisions, His heart is ALWAYS wise and true.

Look to Jesus, Not Man For Your Wholeness

We all think about it, we all wonder, and we all look for answers. Why do things happen? Why DON'T things happen? Why do people hurt others? Why can we never seem to find complete happiness and peace? Why do the same things keep repeating themselves in our lives?

Simply put....most likely because we are looking to ourselves and others to fill our hearts and minds. We look to parents, spouses, children, friends, family, and community to make us whole. Make no mistake, all of these elements are very important in our lives, but not a single one of them (and not even all of them combined), can give the peace, happiness, comfort, and healing that we so need and desire in our lives. Only Jesus can heal our hearts and fill our minds with his Almighty Good. When we keep our sights on him, all things become easier, more manageable, and clearer. We can gain a sense of peace from knowing he wants to carry our burdens for us. We are not meant to carry our burdens, or the burdens of others. We are to cast them on Jesus for him to deal with as he sees fit...and then we are to trust in his timing and outcome.

Our sufferings make us richer by bringing us closer to God, reaffirming our trust, and building our faith when we see what miraculous blessings He pulls out of even the most difficult times for us. This is always easier said than done...but sisters and brothers, it is essential to us have a balanced life centered around Christ. Here are some scriptures I will leave you with today that will hopefully speak to you and calm your mind, as they have done for me:

(Ecclesiastes 2:26 NIV)

To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

(Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV)

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.

(Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV)

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

(James 1:2-4 NIV)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

(Romans 5:3-5 NIV)

 

 

 

A Passion To Serve

Passion to serve God, passion to serve others...passion! God told us that to be a leader and a teacher, we first have to be a servant and a student. The way we receive blessings is through the gift of giving. That is not to say we should serve with the sole purpose to receive blessings of our own...for that would be an intended motive that is impure. We serve because it is in our hearts, because it pleases God, and because we want to have a heart that can break for others. We want to be driven to compassion and strive to let the Lord shine through us and our cracks. God does not choose whole and perfect people to serve Him. Only through those people who are cracked and broken can He let His light and image shine through. I am not afraid or ashamed to say that I am a very, very broken person with many cracks. I am proud, because that means the Lord can use me so profoundly and greatly!

"Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry."  (Exodus 22:22-23)

"If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest." (Exodus 22:25)

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." (Isaiah 1:17)

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)

When we put God's priorities first, the blessings will come. Awareness leads to prayer: prayer leads to action: and that action leads to changing our priorities. Let's share our time, treasures and talents with as many of God's children as we can...only through serving and giving can we continue to grow and be used for the greater good to proclaim our Father's Glorious Name!

Holding Grudges...Hurting Hearts

Too often in life, we run into people who just cannot seem to forgive, forget, let go, or let live. Sometimes it is us who hold onto something far longer than we even realize. When we want to be a part of someone's life so desperately, yet they are holding some type or hardened heart towards us for something that could have been long ago in the past...it hurts. We want them to know God like we do, we want them to learn how God feels about forgiveness and loving each other, we want them to know that judgment and consequences are not their to dish out. But no matter how we wish, pray, and hope some people just do not seem to have any desire to know God, be a part of our lives, or be witness to learning about the way our Lord commands us to live. It is at that point that we may continue to try, wish, pray, and hope for that person or persons to see the light, to open their minds and hearts...but at the same time, we realize that it is only in their own time and by their own doing that they will seek out the Lord, His Word, and the mercy to let poison out of their hearts so that they may be set free. Only then can they see Christ's love as it is supposed to be, and right any wrongs with casting us out of their lives or harboring resentment towards us. So we continue to pray blessings upon them that they purify their hearts, trust in the Lord, and ask for their ways to be made right. But in the meantime, we must take a close look at ourselves and rid our hearts of any hurt, resentment, or judgment based on their grudge towards us. To free ourselves of this is to be free in Christ. Only He can right wrongs, and only He can bring people together in God's prepared time. Keep your hearts light....


"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV)

"You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord."  (Leviticus 19:18 ESV)

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."  (Matthew 7:1-5 ESV)

"Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?"  (Romans 2:1-4 ESV) 

We Are So Small...But The Lord Is Infinite!

When I wake up in the morning, and the first thing I do before my feet hit the floor is say, "I thank you for this day Lord and all that it brings. Please lead me in Your ways and have me do Your will. I am Yours." I say this every morning. I am somewhat of a perfectionist and I always feel I need to take on the world and accomplish so much and sometimes I forget to step back and remember how very tiny and breakable I really am. And that our life is not about being busy or having a lot of accomplishments, but in praising God for every moment, every breath, every opportunity, and every trial in our lives. Because through those things, He is shaping who He has designed us to become.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord … ”(Psalm 37:23) A step is one day in our lives. God has each day of our life perfectly planned out for us to the day that we depart from this life. We are on the yellow brick road with the yellow color now being the light of God Himself. Our job is to now live each day to its fullest, always trying to do the best at whatever God will be calling us to do for Him on that particular day. If we can learn how to keep this kind of mindset, we will be less likely to throw pity parties when things do not go the way we think they should.

It is God’s job to fully guide and direct our steps in this life. And all of this is given to us free of charge. We need to let go and let God. This is why the Bible tells us that we can now cast all of our burdens and cares upon the Lord – because it is now His job to take full and complete care of all of us from the moment we fully surrender everything over to Him. It is not our responsibility to direct our own steps in this life, this responsibility belongs to God and God alone! Otherwise we will drive ourselves crazy with all of the nervous energy that will start to eat at us and rob us of our peace and joy that we have in the Lord.

“O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23)

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass … Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:4,7)

His Arms Are Always Open...

We are human, we are imperfect, we make mistakes, we sin, and we regret. But through all of that which we continue to do over, and over, and over...God's arms are always the same. They are wide open, waiting for our return, and yearning to hold us close. Sometimes we can be stubborn and rebel, sometimes we feel unworthy, and sometimes we just plain lose hope. There is one being who NEVER is stubborn, NEVER rebels, NEVER feels unworthy, and NEVER loses hope. Would that not be the most wonderful one to follow? One who makes no mistakes, acts only out of love, and always forgives. Can we say that about any human? No, we cannot. So why do we follow humans, why do we try to fit in so desperately, and why do we care what other humans think of us and our ways?

It is part of our imperfect nature that we must struggle against every single day, in everything that we do. There is only one place we can go where we know that there are never mistakes made, we will be forgiven no matter how we falter, we are beautiful and perfect just as we are, and where we are loved unconditionally. That is only in God's loving arms...and in the shelter of His heart. Christ died for us...because the Lord loves us, feels we are worthy, and wants our praise. We owe all to Him, for without Him...nothing is possible. We simply need to open our arms...and ask Him to wrap us up in His.