Devotional Fuel to Reboot Your Mind

My mother, who is 90 years old told me this week, “The older I get, the more I realize I need to rely on the Lord’s leading. I seem to fully understand that now at my age, more and more. You cannot do it on your own. I now wonder did I get it when I was younger.” I love it when I get to have a great heart to heart conversation with my mother over the phone. She lives in the Midwest, so I cannot just jump in the car and go drive to see her. I am starting to write down her gems of wisdom in quick bits of conversation when she can hear me in our talks over the phone. Sometimes that is a challenge. Our phone conversations are special and are now filled with her wisdom as she looks back to her younger years. I am making memories to pass down to our daughter and daughter-in-law, so they will be able to pass them onto their daughters someday.

When I was younger I used to think I would have it all together when I was older – say in the middle age years at least. I am finding that is not the case. I still make mistakes. I still have struggles in life. I have to confess and humbly ask God’s forgiveness every day. I often wonder if I am making any progress? Each and every trial teaches me new things about God and my relationship then grows deeper still. That is never a negative learning experience of life.

Here Are Ten Verses From the Psalms About Relying on God:

Psalm 62:5: “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.”

Psalm 18:2: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 16:7-8: “I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

Psalm 23:3: “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Psalm 28:7: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

Psalm 34:19: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”

Psalm 37:5: “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.”

Psalm 55:22: “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 62:1-2: “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Psalm 119:92: “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”

Is there something you need to trust in God to do? Psalm 62:8 says: “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Lean on Him. God is your strength. He is your shield and deliverer. Place all of your hope in Him and ask for His abundant peace to fill your heart until it overflows.

Listen to “Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle.

 

 

I have a red leather chair in my office. I have a card on this chair that says, “Reserved: God’s chair.” This sign reminds me that God is right there with me. He sits or stands right beside me as Psalm 16:8 (NLT) states: “I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.”

Two verses that remind me to draw close to the Lord and He will draw close to me are:

Jeremiah 29:12-14a (NLT): “In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you, says the LORD . . .”

James 4:8 (NLT): “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

When our daughter’s two children were toddlers or younger, they would give out what she called a “pat-pat.” These were like hugs but carried the emotion of giving or showing love and admiration but with a stronger sense of empathy. I have had a period of needing several “pat-pats.” How about you?

Sometimes life is filled with days of frustration, exasperation, and feeling deflated. Can you relate? Welcome to my mess.

But God says that when we draw close to Him, He hears us. His door is always open. We don’t have to knock to announce we are standing there waiting to talk to Him. The Lord never tells us, “You already told me that.” He is always on call and standing by when we need to feel His love and compassion and need a “pat-pat.”

Psalm 105:4-5 (NLT) states: “Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given.”

When that someone hurts your feelings with their words, bring it to the Lord. Words can build up or tear down with cutting sharpness and sting. They have the potential to intimidate and attack one’s self esteem. But God will listen and come close to you with His divine compassion in those sticky times. Above all else stand firm in your obedience to God no matter what. Don’t let bitterness and resentment take root. Hold onto Ephesians 4:32 (MSG): “Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and as thoroughly as God in Christ has forgiven you.”

Satan will use any situation to draw you away from God rather than toward him.

We must live by our faith and not by our circumstances. As Amos 5:14 (NIV) declares: “Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.”

Perhaps God is using someone or something to show others that you are an example of what God can do in your life, in difficult and trying circumstances.

Now it is your turn. What has tested you this week? What are your current challenges? Can you let those irritations and feelings of indignation go? Forgive quickly and as thoroughly as God has forgiven you. Remember past answers to prayers God has given. Keep your mind on heavenly things. God’s “pat-pats” are waiting with open arms.

Listen to David Dunn’s song, “Today is Beautiful.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdj_w3MxQXo

 

 

Our Pastor Todd often says, “You are either coming out of a trial or going into one.” Which one are you facing this week?

When you feel like your circumstance may have an adverse outcome remember:

Psalm 121:7-8: “The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Proverbs 28:25b-26: “. . . But the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched. Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”

When your fears are overwhelming you remember:

Joshua 1:9 NIV: “Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

Isaiah 41:13: “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you do not fear, I will help you.”

When your energy is gone remember:

Isaiah 40:28b-29: “. . . The LORD is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.”

Isaiah 40:31: “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

When you are afraid of getting bad news remember:

Psalm 112:6-8a: “For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid . . .”

Proverbs 1:33: “But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

When you feel things will never change for the good remember:

Ephesians 3:20: “Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.”

Mark 6:50b-51a: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid. And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded . . .”

Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those that love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Yes, I have had circumstances where I could not see they would ever turn around into a favorable outcome. I can not change things that are out of my control, BUT God can. He can see into the future and knows what is best where I cannot.

I still have occurrences of anxiety or worry from time to time. Just because I have written a Bible study on fear, “Taming the Lion’s Roar. Handling Fear in the Midst of a Crisis” does not make me exempt from Satan trying to attack me in this area. I wish that was the case. However, I now have my spiritual armor on hand with the promises of God to strengthen my faith, in His shield of protection over me. This is a workbook and not a cookbook. Sometimes fighting our fears takes effort. It takes work. But Psalm 138:7 states: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.”

Yes, God is in charge of the how. He can remove the apostrophe and letter T in that word “can’t.”

My physical strength becomes drained when my schedule is overly full, or a pressing problem continues for several weeks. Exhaustion is one of the enemy’s ways to tempt us to want to give up. But resting on the promises of God gives me strength. Having a good night’s sleep or a mini-vacation also is in order at times.

I have been afraid of getting unfavorable results from various medical tests for my children when they were young, and now my husband and myself at times. Psalm 112:7-8 and Proverbs 1:33, are now my go to verses when I feel I just can’t hear what I don’t want to hear from a medical professional. But God keeps me secure in His hands. He knows the how.

So often my lack of faith thinks a bad situation is going to last forever and cannot change. Oh, but God has proved Himself faithful, and has shown me He can change hearts. He can change any obstacle and turn it around for our good in the long run. He is our redeemer. It just may not happen in my narrow time frame but can in God’s sovereign plan. I love it when God astounds me!

My prayer for today: Dear God, how I want my burdens to be answered and lifted quickly! Thank you that you are preparing my eternal home in Heaven that is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (1 Peter 1:4).”  This “stuff” will not matter then! So often I feel I just can’t take it anymore, but You have it all covered under your sovereign plan. When I think I “can’t.” You come along and remove the apostrophe T and it changes to “can.”  I need to walk by faith and not by sight. Teach me your Word during this season of my life like I have never known it before and make my testimony reflect its eternal truth. Amen.

Listen to Matthew West’s song “Mended.”

 

 

 

Proverbs 31:25 ESV: “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”

Proverbs 31:25 NLT: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”

Solomon wrote about the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. She has moral excellence, honest, trustworthy, diligent, frugal, creative in her gifts and talents, generous, unselfish, and is wise. She has confidence in God’s power and protection in her life which enables her to have a gentle and quiet spirit.

What about her strength and dignity? The Hebrew word for dignity is “hadar.” It means majesty; honor;  glory; beauty; excellency. ”Hadar” occurs 30 times in the Old Testament. Another verse, besides Proverbs 31:25, as an example of this word, is found in Psalm 104:1: “Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty.”

Sometimes the smallest irritations in life can catapult me into being highly irritated and upset. The agitation speed on my emotional computer goes to high speed. Anger starts to take hold and self-control of my emotions – not so much. I fail in my patience and am then humbled so many times.

I can still hear my Grandma Helmers voice saying to me: “This too will pass.”

In Proverbs 31:25 it says the virtuous woman can laugh at tomorrow – “without fear of the future.”

• Laughter releases feel-good endorphins which in turn reduces pain and increases pain thresholds.
• Laughter can help protect your heart by increasing blood flow and improving the function of blood vessels.
• Laughter relaxes your body for up to 45 minutes after a hearty laugh.
• Laughter lowers blood pressure and stress levels.
• Laughter has the ability in the brain to increase memory.
• Laughter boosts levels of serotonin and dopamine – the brain’s natural happy chemicals.

Worrying increases activity in the pre-frontal cortex (the rational brain) which is why worrying can make you feel more in control than doing nothing at all.

Don’t you want to be an esteemed woman? Someone who is admired, is calm despite the circumstances, and is considered to be of value? How I want to be that woman! Worthiness and being respected are qualities held in high regard in viewing this virtuous woman in Proverbs 31.

Have you blown it? Do you feel you have lost your dignity over a single inconvenient instance that just pricked your unpleasant reaction that was not the best? I am so often there.

Laughing is free. Doesn’t cost anything. I need to do it more often. I love to listen to Chonda Pierce’s YouTube videos online. She is often billed as “the Queen of Clean” and is a most-awarded female comic. One example to watch is her YouTube video titled, “The Merry Widow:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGmr2ayyXVk.    Watch for your disposition to lighten as you laugh when you watch her. I also recommend checking out another Christian comedian named Michael Jr. He talks about the power of laughter on his DVD, Laughing on Purpose.

My prayer for today: Oh God, You are so worthy to be praised! Both riches and honor come from You. Help me to laugh more at myself and the thistles in my life. Help me to control my expressions on my face better when I am exasperated. It all stems from my heart. You are good. Help me to be of value and benefit to others. May strength and dignity be mine as I laugh and look forward to the future You have planned for me.

Listen to MercyMe’s “Shake.” This song on YouTube makes me smile and laugh every time I watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJFA5Bitv7w

 

 

Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts of the intensions of the heart.”

Do you struggle with getting time in the Word and being alone, one on one with God, into your schedule each day? Here are a few tips and ideas to help incorporate in getting your God and I time done, when life’s hastiness tries to erode this needed requirement:

1. YouVersion Bible app. has a Verse of the Day. It also has devotionals to read. No time to read the Bible in the beginning of your day? Not a problem! Go to a book of the Bible in this app, pick which version you want to read it in, and it can read it out loud to you while you are putting on your make-up, etc.
2. “Marketplace Meditations, Today God is First,” by Oz Hillman. This author writes daily workplace devotionals for working people. He writes devotionals with the purpose of keeping your testimony and focus on Christ, wherever your employment may be.
3. “Today’s Insight for Living” by Chuck Swindoll. He writes excerpts from many of his books that he has written in this daily devotional. They are always quick and powerful.
4. Write out one verse on a card. Carry it with you throughout the day reading it often. Dwell on what God is saying to you in the verse. Tape it on your bathroom mirror. Repeat it out loud throughout the day. Then read it again before going to bed at night.
5. Proverbs 31 has 31 chapters. Read one chapter a day for a month.
6. Going through a hard trial? Go through my Bible study “Taming the Lion’s Roar. Handling Fear in the Midst of a Trial.” Available through Amazon or Barnes & Nobel.
7. “Jesus Calling. Enjoying Peace in His Presence. Devotions for Every Day of the Year” by Sarah Young.

Psalm 46:1 is a verse I have on my desk and I read it often: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.”

Sometimes, in what I am facing, a hug is such a comfort! I just received that this morning and it was so consoling. I needed a physical touch of compassion and some “apples of gold” words.

God’s compassion and comfort is never ending. A Bible concordance has a whole list of verses on “compassion.” I turned to that this morning and looked up the verse that was listed first: Psalm 103:13-14: “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust.”

How my heart goes out to my children’s needs or troubles. So my Heavenly Father does the same for me through His Word and His ultimate protection over me.

My prayer for today: God what do you want to say to me today? I am here. I am listening. Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Great is your faithfulness! Thank you for your gift of  ongoing grace that I do not deserve. Thank you for your peace that doesn’t come from the absence of troubles, but from the presence of Christ.”

Listen to Jonny Diaz’s song “Joy.”

Here are five verses about how to treat your enemies:

1. Romans 13:14: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”
2. Psalm 23:5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
3. Matthew 5:44: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
4. Proverbs 25:21-22: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.”
5. Psalm 110:1: “The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

It is hard to have kindness and love in your thoughts towards someone who has been an unjust offender in your life. We all have been seriously mistreated and hurt by others throughout our lives. But when you are working through the pain from the freshness of the incident it hurts and stings.

Joseph’s brothers conspired to kill him but instead ended up selling him to the Ishmaelite’s for the average worth of a male slave under twenty years old. But God had other plans for Joseph. Years later Joseph ended up rising to power as governor over Egypt, and God settled that score for Joseph. Bitterness over that memory of injustice and jealousy, did not take root in Joseph’s heart. Instead he was given the opportunity to face his brothers years later, because they were totally dependent on him for food during a time of famine. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph said to his brothers: “As for you, you meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Saul wrongly treated David, which gives us another example in the Old Testament to learn from. Saul tried to kill David, twice. But David knew God would take Saul’s life at His appointed time. He had the opportunity to take revenge and take matters into his hands, but did not out of obedience to God.

What lessons can we learn from Joseph and David?

• Trust in God to be your shield of protection.
• Trust in God for His retaliation and not your own.
• Be wise and alert for Satan’s weapons of : Guilt, shame, frustration, and feelings of failure trying to control your emotions during this period of time.
• God rewards for doing right because it is right and because it is the will of God.
• Be wise as a serpent and innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16.

We all will experience King Saul’s in our life. However, we have to leave payback and justice with God.

Don’t retaliate – just forgive and move on. Let God repay and walk away. Live in your own shoes.

Here is a quote from the book, “A Tale of Three Kings. A Study in Brokenness” by Gene Edwards:

1. Never learn anything about the fashionable, easily mastered art of spear throwing.
2. Stay out of the company of all spear throwers.
3. Keep your mouth tightly closed. In this way, spears will never touch you, even when they pierce your heart.

There is a time and place for confrontation and defending yourself. But Romans 12:18 HCSB declares: “If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Friends do not avenge yourselves; instead leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.”

God is still on the throne. Let Him fight your battle. Tell the Lord you will no longer hold onto the anxiety of blaming yourself about how naïve you think you were. God will be God. Let Him handle it.

Instead:

• Rejoice – Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
• Relax – Philippians 4:5 MSG: “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean revel in him!”
• Rest – Philippians 4:6-7 TLB: “Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything, tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.

If you engage these three “R” words you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

Sit before Jesus, where he sits on His throne, at the right hand of God. Watch Him astound you!

Listen to Rend’s YouTube song “More Than Conquerors.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p8_4NbrcKA

Do you have a Saul in your life? Let God handle it. Declare today that people will be people but God will be God! Let God be your battle cry. Let Him handle it.

Have you ever had one of those problematic situations where it looked utterly impossible to resolve or come up with a quick fix? It seems that sometimes life is pretty simple. Then other times trials torpedo and bomb us and all appears insuperably difficult. Hopelessness wants to be the temptation to take you down and place you in the pit of despair.

Living through the graduate degree program of endurance and perseverance is never easy. How do we handle stress appropriately during those dark days?

I have had a problem I have had to deal with that is continuing longer than I had ever expected. There is not a quick fix available. It is out of my control. I regret and admit it has held me captive.

But this is what I do know:

• Worrying will not solve the problem.

1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

Carrying around burdens, trials, and stresses of life, means I am not fully trusting God with my life. I need to not submit to the current state of affairs, but to the Almighty God who controls circumstances.

• Worrying will not shorten any predicament.

I have to fully trust that God has a plan and trust Him with the details. He knows the “how.”

• Worry competes with my faith in God’s ability to redeem right out of this bad situation.

Romans 8:28 always applies: “And we know that for those that love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

• Worrying sometimes is the result of feeling hurt from someone’s actions that have harmed us.

Romans 12:19: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Man’s impossibilities are God’s empowered possibilities. Hebrews 1:3b: “He upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

In Mark 6, the disciples were caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. It was a life-threatening storm. Jesus walked on water and got into the boat with them. Jesus said: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid. And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded.” Mark 6:50b-51.

Jesus saw the problem the disciples were experiencing. He came to them. Jesus got into the boat and sat with them. He calmed the storm, and it stopped. He fixed their life’s threatening predicament and kept them safe. The disciples were, and I love that word: “astounded.”

When troubles arise in life, we look at our problems through magnifying lenses. They too often take over and dominate our thoughts, so our faith is stunted and weak, and that is just what the enemy is after. He wants to deflate us like a used balloon that has all of the air released from it. It then is of no use. It can’t be upright and serve its purpose.

Lions attack sick, young, and struggling animals. They search out victims that are alone and not alert.

Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith . . . “

James 4:7-8 is the next step: “Submit yourselves, therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

Therefore, when caught in a boat, in the tumultuous sea of life, and it all seems utterly impossible, be steadfast in your obedience to God. Hang onto Him tightly. Only God knows the future. He can see beyond the horizon of the sky.

Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”

My prayer for today: “God I am in need of being astounded by You. I place my complete faith and trust in your almighty plan. Help me to completely take up the shield of faith so I can fight all of the flaming darts of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). With You nothing is impossible! Amen.”

Listen to “You Hold It All” by the Newsboys.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lVtkV2DWik

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What gives you comfort when you need it most?

Macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, pizza, ice cream, and soup, are considered comfort foods. There is a slogan that says: “Comfort food is wanting a hearty meal and a little taste of home.” That is what defines comfort foods.

After experiencing a loss or disappointment who is your go to person? Is it a friend? Or maybe your mother? A mother’s role never stops in being able to have those magic words that lessen the hurt and helps to restore hope. Mother’s know how to listen and nurture. Mother’s are born with compassion.

Personal contact is needed when sharing grief.

Job’s friends were not the best comforters. They assumed that suffering and tragedy was punishment of some kind of sin. They thought they had the answers as to the why rather than trying to be of help to Job. Then they took offense when Job didn’t agree with their assessments.

But God and His Word is the epicenter of finding genuine and lasting comfort. Here are several verses to hold onto when needing profound and lasting alleviation of feelings of grief or distress, which only the Holy Spirit can give:

Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.” Life is uncertain. But God is our shepherd. When we feel hedged in and surrounded, we are in the presence of God. That is our comfort.

Psalm 71:21: “You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.”

Psalm 119:50: “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.”

Psalm 119:76: “Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise of your servant.”

2 Corinthians 1:4: “Who comforts us in all of our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”

Jesus’s last words in Matthew 28:20b give us reassurance: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Sometimes we do not need anyone to tell us what to do. We are not asking for advice. We just need a hug and a smile. We need reassurance. All we are asking for is a listening and empathetic sounding board to bounce off our thoughts. Oh for those apples of gold words!

But, we have total acceptance and receive unconditional love from God, our heavenly father. He is our shield and rock. He is our good shepherd. He is our protector. He is the great I AM!

If I hadn’t gone through a series of Mt. Everest size trials from 1991 through 2013, I would have never written my first book, “Taming the Lion’s Roar. Handling Fear in the Midst of a Trial.” I desperately needed the comfort that only Christ could satisfy. I was in the boot camp of hard knocks. However, those trials taught me endurance, courage, and steadfastness. I had to seek and study the truth from God’s Word regarding fear, not knowing the future, and what is totally out of my own control. One individual verse became my lifeline –  Psalm 119:92: “If your law had not been my delight I would have perished in my affliction.” I would pray, “Teach me Your Word during this season of my life like I have never known it before and make this verse my testimony when I emerge from this place.”

Some people say that God will not give you more than you can handle. That is a total myth. That verse has to do with temptation and not storms in our life. Life provides us with more than we can handle. Yes, I am not strong enough, but God wants to be my strength when it is more than I can handle.

Christ just asks us to draw near to Him. He is waiting. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus proclaims: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Are you in need of comfort today? Do you need to share your pain with a person? Are you in need of compassion, understanding, patience, and a listening ear? I would be happy to do that for you if you leave a comment below, so that I can pray for you as well.

Some of the hardest lessons in life just take time to work through, pray through, and wait upon God’s timing and plan to be revealed. Sometimes there are no instant answers. But remember, you are in the presence of almighty God. He is waiting to give you hope.

My prayer for today: Dear Lord, give me your comfort today. I need it now. Thank you that I do not have to enter a password to receive your peace, hope, and comfort. You are the all-sufficient, Lord of Peace, the Alpha and Omega, the great I AM! You are my comforter.

 

Matthew 17:20: “. . . For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Often times our faith needs strengthening and needs to be enlarged. Is your faith being stretched right now? Do you need encouragement? I have been there a time or two or three.

In Matthew 21: 21b-22, Jesus tells the disciples to have faith and “do not doubt . . . And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive if you have faith.”

Has 2016 tempted you with doubt and feeling hopeless? I have had numerous people tell me they couldn’t wait for 2017 to begin, because 2016 was the hardest year they had ever experienced. Some had financial upheavals, others had heartaches with their children. Others were victims of fraud and working through those issues. Disappointments in  expectations often promotes discouragement.

Our personal faith in Jesus Christ is the core of our spiritual strength. Satan will do all he can to disrupt it and put feelings of uncertainty in our mind. He wants us to question if we really believe God can do it? The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy all that God has for you. He is full of distractions and confusion. Do not let him win.

I have been going to physical therapy for several lower lumbar back issues. The purpose is to strengthen my core in order to have better mobility without pain. The doctor at my recent check-up just told me that I have to train my mind and body to engage my core first (sucking in the abs), before lifting, reaching, twisting, sitting, vacuuming, or doing any bending from here on out, because then I should have a better ability to be able to function adequately, until other measures are needed next.

Our core is our body’s powerhouse. Not only does it facilitate movement, but it also houses our body’s central nervous system and inner organs. Your core muscles are considered the most important muscles in your body.

Just as our body’s core is the basis of our physical strength and mobility, so is our faith in Christ, the basis of our spiritual strength. Just as we strengthen our physical core, we must strengthen our spiritual core, which begins with faith. That is where everything starts and is our foundation while we are on this earth.

A mustard seed is only one to two millimeters in size. It is extremely tiny. A mustard seed takes three to five days to germinate. Mustard seeds grow into shrubs. So must our faith increase and progress in maturity. Sometimes our faith has to mature by going through trials. We never learn from our successes, but by our mistakes.

It is not the quantity or size of your faith that counts. It is the quality of your confidence in God’s Word and His immeasurable power in your life that matters. Faith like a mustard seed needs to be cultivated, watered, and nurtured, so that it will grow.

In faith, I must cast all of my anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7) and rest assured He’s got this! It is not for me to know how or why. God is in charge of those details.

In Times of Disillusionment or Discouragement:

• Engage your spiritual core which is your faith and confidence in Christ.
• Have verses hidden in your heart so the Holy Spirit can remind you of God’s truths while undergoing any trial. Memorize scripture.
• Jesus is your teacher. Be His student. Learn from Him.
• Let your light shine in spite of your circumstances.
• Faith believes without seeing the proof. Faith is the action!
• Review past answers to prayer requests.

Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

How to Strengthen Your Spiritual Core:

1. Spend more time in prayer and meditate on God’s word daily. Keep a journal of what God is saying to you as you read His Word. Record your prayer requests and date them.
2. Ask a trusted friend to hold you accountable for having more faith in God’s almighty plan for your life.
3. Engage your confidence in God, to perform the needed action when tested so the Holy Spirit will be able to fill your heart, soul, and mind with the peace only He can provide.
4. Be on guard against Satan’s efforts. Make Ephesians 6:16a become the script of your life: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one . . .”

Do you really know who Jesus is? Do you believe Him? Throughout the gospels, Jesus responded to people who didn’t have much faith. Jesus just wants us to believe He is the Messiah, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, our Savior, the Son of the living God. He wants us to have heart knowledge and not just head knowledge. He wants us to have no doubts that He can if He chooses.

Several years ago we went through a plethora of trials. It seemed as if they would never stop. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse it did. We didn’t know why. We asked ourselves if there was some deep sin in our lives that was the cause of these heartaches. The word agony pretty much describes how we felt. It was a very hard season of our life.

But “during that time period, God started a work within my heart and mind through Psalm 119:92: “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.” Psalm 25 was another great passage, along with many others, that God comforted me with. It gave me a passion to encourage others, through His Word, when they are going through a Mt. Everest-sized trial and start to wonder why, and if God really loves them.” Quote from “Taming the Lion’s Roar. Handling Fear in the Midst of a Trial,” by Linda Killian.

I have Hebrews 11:6 on a stand at my kitchen sink to remind myself of God’s promise to me during times of difficulty: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

“Faithfully carry what God has put in your hands right now. This is God’s will.” Louie Giglio

“Where are you the most proficient, most sufficient? Maybe that is precisely where God wants you to trust Him to do something beyond your ability.” Mark Batterson

May this be your prayer today: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: “That God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”