Struggling?  Me too . . .

Do you have a past?  Do you have friends & family?  Are you breathing?  Then you probably have a struggle or two!  Take this one for instance . . .

Words.  Some of us may be on the receiving end of hurtful words and some may be on the other end tossing hurtful words around without even thinking about it.  Words are a powerful weapon when they are used the wrong way.   They can tear people down without even breaking a sweat.   As a child I can remember saying “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”.   Another saying was “I’m rubber, you’re glue, and whatever you say bounces off me and sticks onto you”.  Oh, if only the words would bounce off.  Unfortunately they can stick to us and get lodged in our memory. 

So, what do we do?  It tells us in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 11.  “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”  And verse 13:  “Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  Remember, we do not struggle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (see Ephesians 6:12)

When we get dressed in the morning, we need to remember to put on the armor of God, especially the shield of faith.  Check out verse 16 which says “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”  How many darts can we quench?  All!

Testimonies are full of words and they can be used to encourage others who may be going through the same thing.  So, the question is, what do you struggle with?  More importantly, how can God use it for His glory?  Something to think about . . .

 

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, how much money you make or how healthy you are.  Life happens.  As I get older, I realize that I don’t remember a lot of life that happened to me.  Probably a good thing.  But there are things that I want to remember.

Throughout the Bible we are told to remember - Here are just a few:

Genesis 9:16 “The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth”.

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”.

Deuteronomy 32:7 “Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations.  Ask you father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you”.

Psalm 77:11 “I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old”.

Phillipians 1:3 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you”.

One of the things we need to remember is God’s Word.  But how did the people in Biblical times remember?  Surely their memory got dim as they got older. They didn’t have the Bible we have today to go back and read to remember. The Bible does mention in Deuteronomy chapter 4 that we are to talk to our children and tell them what God has done and they are to tell their children and so on.  That’s one way to preserve the stories. But for me, I am thankful that God was a journaler. (That’s probably not a real word) His Bible contains all the events that happened with details, names and places.  The more I read it, the more I remember.  But when I don’t remember, it is right there waiting for me to look it up. I can only imagine what God’s scrapbook would look like!

But what about what is going on right now in our lives?  Where can we go to remember all that God has done for us?  I have trouble remembering what God has done for me.  God blesses me everyday - but I don’t remember it from one day to the next.  If I had to sit down right now and compile a list of all of the blessings that I know about that God has done, it would be very difficult.  So, a few years ago, I started a blessings journal.  Got one of those blank journals as a gift and each time God blesses me, usually by surprise (something happens that I had no way of knowing would happen) I write it down.  Not every time – I don’t always remember . . .  But it does come in handy on those days when it seems like nothing is going my way and I’m discouraged.  I take out my blessing book and read some of the entries and then I remember how good God has been to me.

For example:

➧Thank you for the free backpack - it rang up the wrong price at Publix, so it was free.

➧Thank you Lord - my computer crashed yesterday and there was info on it that I greatly needed.  You allowed the computer to boot up just long enough for me to get my info before it finally crashed and stayed crashed.  Thank you Lord for giving me that info.

I would encourage you to do something to preserve what God has done for you.  Each night, think back over your day – did you notice the blessings?  Did you get a great parking spot at the grocery store?  Did the grocery cart have wheels that worked?  Did you hit all green lights on the way home?  Did you get an unexpected call or letter with good news?  You may think it’s all coincidences or just plain luck but God doesn’t do coincidences or luck.  He blesses us.  Take time to notice and then write it down.  It will come in handy the next time you feel discouraged.

 

Can you hear me now?

We all know that TV commercial from the past.  How many times have we actually said that to someone while on our cell phones?  I know I have said it.

Sometimes hearing is just a matter of listening.  We can hear things without really listening.  If we are in a crowd of people, we hear everyone talking but we don’t know what each one is saying unless we are actively listening to that one person.  When we talk to our friends, we listen to what they are saying and then respond.  We don’t just sit there silently, thinking of what we want to say - if we did that, we would miss out on what our friend was saying.  I know that there are times when I wish the person I was talking to would get to the point - I don’t have all day to listen to a long story.  I want to hurry them up so that I can get onto other things.  It takes patience to listen.  I know that I want others to have patience with me when I am talking.

Something happens when we listen.  We learn all kinds of things about that person.  (Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”) How can we rejoice with someone if we don’t know what makes them happy?  How can we mourn with someone if we don’t know the sadness they are dealing with?  Becoming a better listener helps us to be better friends.

There is also another person that we need to listen to.  Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But how can we know when He is speaking to us?  The same way we get to know our friends - by taking an interest in them and listening. God speaks to us through His Word.  When we study His Word, we become familiar with the ways of God. 

Think of it like a spouse or other family member.  We know those people so well, we can usually figure out what they will say in certain situations.  We are familiar with their habits and ways of doing things.  We know what foods or movies they like and don’t like. We are in tune with them.

It is the same with God.  When we read His Word, we find out all kinds of things.  We find out that God wants us to love our enemies.  (Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”).   If we think we need to get even with someone, chances are it’s not God giving us that suggestion.  We also find out that God “hates divorce”.  (Malachi 2:16 “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce”).    If someone tells you that God told them to get divorced, chances are that they weren’t listening to God’s voice.  I think you get the idea.

We can fool ourselves into thinking we hear the Lord.  Sometimes it is our own heart.  Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”  That’s why it is real important to get to know the Lord.  Then we can determine when it is God speaking and when it isn’t.  The bottom line is that we have to know His Word in order to know Him.  I want to encourage you to take the time to get to know God a little better than you know Him right now. 

 

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay”, says the Lord.  Romans 12:19

Which is quoting a verse from Deuteronomy 32:35:  Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.  

These verses came to mind the other day - for 2 reasons.  One reason was that I was praying with someone who is going through a terrible ordeal at the hands of another.  I prayed with her, and my prayer was that she would not take revenge but allow God to handle it.  The other reason I thought of these verses was because of what happened to a missionary friend.  Their house was broken into and their laptops, cameras, DVD player and other stuff was stolen.  For people in the United States, we simply call the police and then call our insurance company and before long we have new stuff.  That is not the case in other countries.  The stuff is gone and that is pretty much how it will be until they can afford to buy replacements.  Boy that makes me mad!  It probably makes you mad too.  Just imagine how God feels about it.  

But wait, after verse 19 in Romans, it goes on to say in verse 20:  Therefore “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

That’s a pretty tall order.  When something bad happens, what is my first response?  Am I thinking of revenge, of finding a way to get even?  Sometimes the answer to that question is yes.  I don’t actually do anything to get revenge, but I have thought about it.  And according to Jesus, if I have thought about it, it is the same thing.  I know that God brings situations into our lives so that we can see how we are doing.  Some days I do better than others.  The important thing is to notice what we are doing and what needs to be changed.  God is just waiting for us to run to him for help.  I don’t know about you, but God gives me lots of opportunities to see how I am doing.  I have decided that I am going to take the opportunities and make the most of it.  When I see areas that need work, I will pray about it.  Before long, God will give me another opportunity to practice what I have learned.  I am still learning, and I still need to practice but I can see improvement.

So, is revenge sweet?  No, it isn't and it's not biblical either.  The next time a situation happens that just ticks you off - stop in your tracks and consider what God may be trying to show you.  And remember, that God is the one who decides on revenge, not us.  Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to feed our enemies and repay evil with good and leave the revenge to God.

 

Waiting on God

One day I was wondering what is it that we struggle with the most?  I thought of love, relationships, finances, jobs, and all that kind of stuff.  But which one of these do we struggle with the most?  I didn’t know.  Then the “light” went on.  We don’t struggle with any of these things.  The thing we really struggle with is waiting for love, waiting for that new job, waiting for a spouse to get saved.  Waiting is what we struggle with the most.

I was listening to the radio one night and this verse was the verse of the day.  It was the New Living Translation -  Hebrews 10:36 “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”   The NKJV puts it this way “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

The words “patient endurance” is what got to me.  I want God’s will.  I think we all want God’s will.  But I don’t want to wait for it.  I want it right now.  This is where I get myself in trouble.  I tell God that I want to know what His will is for me.  Then, when He gives me indications of what that might be, I want Him to do it right now.  I am better off not knowing what His will is so that I am not focused on what is going to happen.  Instead, I am focused on what He is doing right now.

There is a worship song called “In the Middle” - which is about being in the middle of a miracle.  Every time we wait on God, we are in the middle of the miracle.  We are in the middle of what He is doing in our lives.  This song reminds me of that verse in Hebrews - patient endurance. 

Think of it this way.  When we go to get new brakes on our car we usually have to wait while the mechanic fixes it.  Let’s say the brake job goes long.  After we have waited for a while, do we give up and tell the mechanic to stop - that we don’t want to wait anymore and we take the car and drive off?  We don’t know how much of the brakes has been done - maybe it is only halfway done, yet we take it into our own hands and drive away.  Do we really want to do that?  It is the same way with God.  When we get tired of waiting on Him, do we take matters into our own hands and drive off - missing out on the best He had for us and possibly putting ourselves on a dangerous path?

Patiently enduring is the hardest thing that I have to do.  I can usually handle anything that is thrown at me - except to wait.  It’s not that I am impatient person - even though I am, but my way of thinking is this - if God has promised it to me, then just give it to me.  I fail to see the importance in waiting.  Why do we need to wait for months to get that perfect job or house or spouse?  We don’t have all the information but God does.

This verse has had an impact on me.  Now, when something comes up and I feel that I’ve waited long enough or maybe I just don’t want to wait - I think about this verse with “patient endurance”.  Can I patiently endure while God works out the details?  God has not let me down yet.  Even though I may never understand why I have had to endure certain trials, I have always come through those trials.  I have not perished nor have I been abandoned.  The trials have been hard and they have been painful, yet I am still here. God is faithful and He can be trusted to finish what He starts.

My encouragement to you is this - the next time it seems like God is taking forever to work out your particular situation, think about Hebrews 10:36 “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”  It is in the Bible.  It is God’s Word and we can trust it.

I hate clutter.  However, that doesn’t stop the cluttering from growing in my home.  I try to weed out the stuff that I don’t want or don’t use anymore but it gets replaced with other stuff.  Clutter isn’t just in our homes.  It is in our cars, in our school lockers and at the office.   But it is also in our hearts and minds.  Thoughts clutter my mind all the time.  There are times when I wish I could just turn it off!  Sometimes the thoughts are memories that bring me joy and I just want to savor those moments again.  Sometimes my imagination goes haywire, and I try to envision all types of scenarios of what “could” happen.  Other times it is thoughts from the past that I really don’t want to remember.  I have a plan of action for those times when I start thinking about those things that I don't want to remember or dwell on.  I start singing a praise song in my head, or I will start praying about something, anything, that has nothing to do with that particular thought.  It usually works. 

Isaiah 43:18-19a says this: “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?”

For 15 years I had kept journals of my devotion times and prayers.  I never looked at them, but they were all stored away in a closet for . . . . I have no idea why.  I guess I thought I would want to look them over someday.  Well, one day I took all the journals out of the closet, and I started thumbing through them.  There were prayers that I did not remember, and they were for people that I had absolutely no memory of.  I then realized that the journals weren’t for keeping.  Their job was to keep me focused during devotion and prayer times (because my cluttered mind keeps going off track).

So, I did something bold the other day.   I gave all the journals to my husband, and he took them outside and burned them.  For some reason, I felt lighter inside.  I was holding onto those journals and somehow they were cluttering up my mind as well as my closet.  There were things written in the journals that I did not want to remember as well as things that I couldn’t remember.  I still write in journals and I probably always will as it does help me to stay focused.  After a few years I will probably burn these too.

Revelation 5:8b says “. . . each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints”.  God keeps all my prayers in a bowl – I don’t need to keep a second copy in my closet!

 

MASTER KNITTER

KJV – Judges 20:11 “So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.”

NKJV – Judges 20:11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united together as one man.

1 Samuel 18:1 “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

Colossians 2:2 “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love . . .”

Colossians 2:19 “and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.”

The word “knit” is interchanged with “bound” and “united” depending on what version of the Bible you are reading.  So, it is reasonable to say that if we are “knit” together, we are bound or united together.

But, what exactly does that mean?  If you look at a knitting project, you can see how the rows are all intertwined with each other. Each stitch is interlocked with another stitch and that gives the garment strength. 

The same is true with people.  When we knit ourselves together with someone, our spouse, our family, our friends, we will have a support system that is very strong.  I was talking with a friend about friendships and how God puts certain people in our lives.  Each person in our lives contributes something to it.  Just like in a knitting project, each stitch gives the next stitch strength.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 says: “though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  (Yarn is typically several strands wound together.  That gives it strength.)

But who are we knitting ourselves to?  If we have joined ourselves to the world, then our “project” may not turn out the way we expect.  We may get pulled in one direction or another causing a “stitch” to be “dropped”.  Then that section of our lives may not have the strength it once did and now we are pulled apart easily.  There may be a “hole” left where a relationship once stood.  We can’t fix the hole.  Even with reconciliations, we can try to mend it but it will never look like the rest of it.  The mistakes will be easily seen by everyone who looks at it.  What do we do now?  We made mistakes and we messed up our project. 

Have no fear!  We have a Master Knitter!  When we knit ourselves to Him, he takes our mistakes and makes us into brand new creatures.  When we give our project to Him, with all the dropped stitches and mistakes, He turns it into something breathtaking. 

When we unite ourselves, or knit ourselves, or bind ourselves to Christ, we will have the strength we need for each day. Jesus will give us the wisdom we need to know who to knit ourselves to in relationships and who to avoid.  He will teach us some new stitches to add to our project.  He will help us to prevent those dropped stitches and He will be there to mend them when they happen anyway.  When we allow Him to surround us, we don’t have to worry about falling apart.  I saw a cute saying a long time ago and it stuck with me.  “A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel.”  I want to encourage each of you that you are a work in progress and God may need to mend some areas.  Trust Him to do it and you will be amazed at how beautiful you really are.

 TRUST GOD?

Trusting God.  It’s easy when nothing is going on in your life.  You’re just going about your business - no financial concerns, no health concerns, things are running smoothly.  Someone asks you about trusting God and you answer - “Of course I do.  Absolutely!  God is totally in control of my life.”  You might even have a hard time understanding why other people have a hard time trusting God.  God is faithful.  God is true.  God is loving.  God only wants the best for us.  How easy it is to trust God.

Then something happens.  You don’t know how it is all going to turn out.  All you have is God.  All of a sudden trusting becomes harder.  It would be easy to trust if you knew how it was all going to pan out.  But if you are stuck in a period of uncertainty - what then?

I had an opportunity to trust God in a very uncertain situation. A few years ago, I got some unsettling medical news.  I got scared.  Then I got on my knees.  I wanted to trust God with whatever He decided it should be.  But I wanted it to be nothing.  Nobody wants lupus.   Could I trust God to choose if I should have lupus or not?  Initially I couldn’t bring myself to even think that way.  Then, during the worship time in church, I suddenly felt a peace about it - a peace about totally trusting God no matter what He chooses for me.  Even if it means lupus, I could honestly say that I trust God.  I go for my final test in November, but it looks like I do not have lupus.  What do I have?  I have trust in God.  

If you are in a position where you need some help trusting God, I recommend Psalm 31.  (Note - read the whole Psalm) Trusting God isn’t hard in the easy times and it isn’t easy in the hard times but it is a choice we have to make.  Either we trust God or we don’t.  There is a verse in the middle of the Bible - Psalm 118:8 and it says “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man”.  Amen!

 EXCESS BAGGAGE

It seems like nowadays if you have excess baggage it is going to cost you.  If you fly anywhere, you’ve got to pack stuff really tight.  Anything that can’t be carried on board is going to cost you – and in some cases even the stuff you carry on board will have a fee.  It makes you think about stuff that you really don’t need.  In the “old days”, you might pack a few extra outfits just in case you need them.  Now you’re thinking that maybe you can wear each outfit twice and only pack half of what you need.

We have excess baggage in our emotional and/or spiritual lives as well.  Things we have hung onto since childhood, religious habits or traumatic events in our lives.  Instead of dealing with it, we have packed it away into the corners of our heart.  We carry it with us wherever we go.  And it is costing us dearly.  Every now and then we run into an old hurt and bam – the baggage pops open and a flood of hurt comes pouring out.  Some of us pack away bitterness and resentment and we tell ourselves that we are over it but it is really still there waiting for an opportunity to bust open.  Some of us pack away hurt feelings and abuses we have endured at the hands of another.  We don’t really want to feel all those old hurts again but that is exactly what happens.  We don’t really want to carry it around with us but somehow that is what we end up doing.

Matthew 11:28-30, a familiar verse that we all know but here it is: ‘Come to Me, all you 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.”  If our burden is heavy, it is because we have overloaded ourselves.  Jesus says that His burden is light.  Wouldn’t we rather have a light burden? I know I would.  Jesus wants our baggage.  I want to give it to Him.  But each time I do, somehow I find it again, rearrange the contents and lock it back up.

What’s the solution?  Well, we all know that Jesus is the answer.  But how do we do that practically?  How can we really give it to Him and not take the burden back onto ourselves?  The only way that I know how to do it is by praying at the exact time that it hits me.  I still carry around some old baggage.  I long to be rid of it.  Little by little I am making progress.  Each time something happens that triggers one of my old “bags” to pop open, I immediately start praying.  I try not to over-react to the current situation.  My emotions may still take over but I am praying through them.  Lately, I have noticed that it doesn’t take as long as it used to.  I haven’t gotten rid of all the bags yet, but the load does seem to be lighter than it was.

Remember that we have an enemy and he knows what our baggage is.  He will certainly go out of his way to put people in our path that are going to “push our buttons” that cause our bags to pop open and all our hurts to fall out.  He will use the people we love to say the exact thing that will cause those old wounds to open up.  We can continue to collect the hurts and add them to our already over-stuffed bags, or we can run to Jesus and ask Him to “kiss our boo-boo and make it all better.”  We can go to Jesus like a child runs to his/her mommy after a fall, knowing that the boo-boo is going to be all better with just one kiss.  They KNOW, they don’t just think it, but they KNOW that mommy is going to make it all better.  We need to KNOW that Jesus will take our burdens.   In return, He gives us peace and rest.  What a trade!

Who is Lazy?

Proverbs 6:6-11

Go to the ant, you sluggard!  Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain,

overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.  How long will you slumber, O sluggard?  When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep—so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everything was just handed to us – we didn’t have to work for anything?  It might be nice for a while – like a vacation – but I am sure we would get bored.  Even Adam and Eve, living in a perfect world (before the fall) worked in the garden.  Genesis 2:15  “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”  After the fall, the work got hard.

The Bible has a lot to say about working.  The Apostle Paul worked to provide for himself so that no one could say that he was in the ministry for the money.   1 Thessalonians 2:9  “For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.”   2 Thessalonians 3:7-10  “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you;  nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.  For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”

Notice that Paul says “will not” work – not “can not” work.  There is a difference.  If you are able bodied, then you need to work to support yourself.

But what about God providing all that we need?  If we are working, then we are providing for ourselves, right?  Wrong!  God provides our skills and abilities.  God provides the opportunities for work.  God will provide but it does require our participation.

Proverbs 14:23  “In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter[fn] leads only to poverty.”

God allows us to create a life for ourselves.  He gives us the skills, abilities, tools and resources so that we can have the best life possible.  It is what we do with that provision that determines what kind of life we will have.  This earthly life is just a blip on the radar in contrast to eternity.  But this earthly life will dictate what our eternal life will be.  We have free will and we can do anything we want.  The choice is ours.  However, choices have consequences.  No one is perfect and we all make bad choices at times.  We can land ourselves in a pit.  But we don’t have to stay there!

Not only do we have free will but we also have rules to follow.  We can choose to follow God’s laws or not.  The consequences of our choices will follow us into eternity.

On earth, we have man-made rules to follow as well.  When we choose to break the law, we have consequences to pay.  Could be a hefty fine or jail time.  Our choices will follow us during our time on earth.

So, here’s the choice.  We can work and provide for ourselves and our family.  Or we can not work and go hungry.  Maybe you have a job and you go to work every day.  You show up but you do as little work as possible.  You don’t really want to be there and you don’t like the work that you have to do.  Could it be that God has placed you there for a reason?

Colossians 3:22  “Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.”

Colossians 3:23-24  “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

A life time of work gives us an earthly reward – retirement!  (if we plan ahead)  Even the ant plans ahead and can enjoy the fruit of their labor.  Retirement is our reward.  If we haven’t worked, there is no reward – no retirement.  Only poverty will be waiting for us.

God requires us to be faithful in all that we do.  Whether it is a job to earn a living or a ministry to serve the Lord.  Do it with your whole heart.  Half-hearted attempts at anything are not worth it.  Picture God as your boss.  Would you goof off for Him?  What if the reward you received was only as good as the effort you put in?  What motives you to do your best?  Do you work only when someone is watching?  God sees it all!  There is nothing we can do behind His back.

Earthly rewards require work.

Eternal rewards require Jesus.

And you can have both!