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Friday, November 30, 2012

I AM WITH YOU

"I am with you," He whispers to my troubled spirit. "Don't worry about what is to come. Don't try to reason it out. I keep the future from you on purpose. Your faith is precious, and it cost me my life. Don't sacrifice my love for you by not trusting in me. Believing in me and trusting in me comes by hearing and knowing my Word. It comes through an intimacy with me that stirs trust in my faithfulness to you. Learn of me. Know me, and your future is secure in me. No matter what it might hold, it is secure in me."
   
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Thursday, November 29, 2012

YOU CAN HELP

Do you have a friend who is struggling with an addiction of some kind? Maybe you don’t believe you can help him experience freedom, but you can. You don’t have to be a spiritual giant.

Pray for him and with him. Intercession on behalf of this person not only gives you spiritual insight, but builds faith. Pray regarding what you share, and be sure it is confirmed by or does not violate Scripture.

Listen to him. Take time to understand what he is saying. Many times we don’t hear because we are planning what we are going to say next.

Do not judge. If someone confesses to you, do not criticize him. Realize that he reaches out to you because the Holy Spirit trusts you.

Keep his confession confidential. Whatever he reveals, don’t tell others. Treat his confidence as a sacred trust.

Encourage. Never forget to remind him that there is deliverance and healing in Christ.

Persevere. Don’t give up. Believe in him when he is at his lowest. Don’t allow him to isolate himself from other believers because of his addiction.

Share the Word. Assist him in Bible study, and help him discover God’s promises.

Be holy. Keep your own relationship with the Lord pure. If you are not open to the Lord’s correction, you cannot help him.

“Remember this,” James affirms. “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20). When you share the heart of Jesus, the Lord does the miraculous. Not only will the Lord save a person lost in sin from spiritual death, but Christ’s forgiveness for your own failures will take on an incredibly deeper meaning. Remember that the grace of Christ is more than sufficient to meet the challenge (II Corinthians 12:9).

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

In GIving, Receive

I am rich in Christ. I am called to generously give myself away. I am called to give all of Me.... my heart, my thoughts, my possessions for His sake. He is the greatest giver, and He is my greatest example. He gave of His time, so I will give of mine. He gave up personal comfort, so I will give up mine. He gave all of Himself for sinful me, He still gives all of Himself for my comfort, for my healing, for my understanding, for my sorrow, for my weakness, for my need. Because of what He has done for me, I also give. And in giving, I receive.

Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over, shall
men give unto your bosom. Luke 6:38

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

He Never Wastes a Hurt

Have you ever been hurt by another person? If you are human, you have been hurt. Do you harbor that pain instead of forgiving the one who inflicted it? Might you unknowingly blame God for the pain? No, you exclaim! You love Him. He is your Savior! If asked you would never believe you are angry at God. You are angry at the one who inflicted the pain. But isn’t it a possibility that anger toward the one who hurt you might actually be toward God for allowing something so devastating? The inability to forgive is a terrible cancer. It eats at your spiritual health, and not only destroys human relationships. It ultimately destroys your relationship with God.

“Do not judge,” Jesus instructs, “and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). Isn’t the inability to forgive really judgment of that person? Personal betrayal or rejection does not give you a personal license to be angr
y at God or anyone else. The Holy Spirit invites us to acknowledge our pain so we might forgive. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom,” Paul writes (2 Corinthians 3:17). To receive forgiveness we must give ourselves away—freely as Jesus gave his life. We are forgiven as we forgive others.

Rick Warren imparts in his popular bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life (Zondervan, 2002), that God never wastes a hurt. He writes, “If you really desire to be used by God, you must understand a powerful truth: the very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life—the ones you’ve wanted to hide and forget—are the experiences God wants to use to help others.” When you forgive, God never wastes your hurt. If you want to be used by God, you can’t harbor feelings of anger and hurt toward anyone. Give yourself away in your heart to the one who has hurt you, and you face the pain with the power and freedom on the Holy Spirit. You will discover that in giving yourself away, you will receive.

Jesus waits for our response. Are we willing to return what He has given? Will we actually do as He asks? Make something good come out of what is bad. Turn it around for God’s glory. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s forgiveness so others might be healed, too. Out of your life will flow rivers or living water.

“I will give you a new heart,” the Lord promises, “and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

Monday, November 26, 2012

No Separation

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Am I convinced that there is no separation? There is no separation from His love, but sometimes I don't feel the peace that I long to know. When I lose that peace, I feel separated. Because I love Him and want to obey Him, I yearn to make sure that my decisions are what He wishes for me. I have a fear I will make the wrong decision and fail God. What I don't understand in that moment is that He is in control, and if the desire of of my heart is to follow Him, He will take my decision, whatever it might be, and bring about His plan for my life.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3).

I am convinced that He knows my heart. I am convinced that there is no separation from His love. I am convinced that since He knows my desire to follow Him, He will take whatever decision I make, and bring about His purpose for my life.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Just a Thought

Do you think a person who struggles to believe in the grace of Jesus hasn’t experienced the grace of Jesus? That person might understand in his mind that Jesus Christ can set him free, but doesn’t believe in his heart that all things are possible with God. I can say or write that I believe “ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE”, but I must appropriate that belief through faith.  Faith should always grow in me. I may have defeated one giant, but I will always face another. I didn’t begin my journey in Jesus with developed faith. For strong faith to be real in me I need to keep yielding, and seeking and learning. I sometimes see a new believer isolating himself! Please don’t! If you are a new believer, don’t isolate yourself because your roots are shallow and sin harasses you. Jesus Christ didn’t save you in your perfection. He saved you in your brokenness. Seek mature Christians for guidance. As you grow in Christ’s grace, the power of that grace increases.

Friday, November 23, 2012

It's About Him


When you first experience the pull of the Holy Spirit to do something, you may not immediately understand what the Lord wants you to do. One day in response to persistent prayer, spiritual awareness suddenly arises, and you realize what God actually wishes from you. The thought of it scares you, but then apprehension finally gives way to acceptance. With acceptance comes anticipation. Ministry begins in fervent desire. You serve the Lord unquestionably, and believe the ministry you offer makes a difference. You experience the joy of knowing you are in the Lord's will. But in the midst of the joy of service you unexpectedly deny what He has required of you. You make a mistake-something that makes you question your worth. You question your calling, and if you have what it takes to continue. You turn to the Lord in repentance.

“Lord, what should I do?” you ask.

“Do you love me?” the Lord wants to know. The unanticipated question strikes hard. You might be Peter on the shore, leaning over a bed of glowing embers, warming his cold hands, and remembering another coal fire where he had failed Jesus.

“Yes, Lord, you know I love you,” you murmur.

The question is repeated twice, and each time you answer, you are abruptly aware of your failure. The Lord gently lifts your trembling chin to peer into eyes that also once burned into Peter’s. It is at this moment your failure is gone, and you, lost in His gaze, know you are forgiven. “If you love me,” the Lord instructs gently, “feed my sheep.”

Soft and undemanding, the words are a statement to the fact that you have been called. Lovingly the Lord has brought you to your place of denial-your place of failure, and then called for your sacrificial best so that you might understand that your worth is found in the humility of your heart. What is the actual price of your sacrificial best? Being sold out to the Master means that no price is too high to feed His sheep. You must rise from the altar of your coal fire, and make Him your altar. He is your focus now, not your failure. Never allow your failure to hinder you, but to continually humble you.You should continue to humbly share Christ’s message, His heart, and His love. Learn from your failure, and move on. Remember that ministry is not about you. It is about loving Him, and feeding His sheep. Leave the failure of your denial, just as Peter did, and rise once more to His calling.

Remember...... “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans 11:29)!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

HIs Call is Enough

He calls me, and I am to obey. "God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). Whatever comes against me will not succeed if I stay focused on His purpose.

There will be hard times, but I must keep calm in His never-changing purpose and unlimited power. If I lose my peace for even a moment, I must give Him my unrest, and my struggle. I must regain His peace (Philippians 4:6-7). I can accomplish nothing when I am upset and in a quandary. In giving Him all that I face, I get rid of my selfish needs, and concentrate on His purpose for me.

I will never believe that I cannot do something He has called me to do. The one who called me is faithful, and He will do the work (1 Thessalonians 5:24). His work is only accomplished by His spirit working through me.

Focusing on His call, I will concentrate on the daily things which must be done to work toward His vision. If I lose the focus, I will lose the purpose for my life. If I rush the work to attain His purpose, I will become discouraged by the immensity of it all. Daily I lay down my cross, and ask Him to come, and lead. In these moments I know that one day, I will understand it all. I don't have to know now. I will know then, and that is enough for my journey.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Give Thanks


Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

One Sunday, now more than twenty years ago, I learned a valuable lesson. It was my time to sing a special. The accompaniment tape started in the wrong key. Instead of immediately requesting the sound man to find the correct track, I struggled through the whole song. While singing about cherishing the Lord’s name, I actually fumed in anger.

The scripture for the sermon that morning floored me! It stated that in all circumstances I had to give thanks for this was God’s will in Christ Jesus for me (I Thessalonians 5:18). God clearly explained that I was more concerned about how I “sounded” than where my heart was focused. I had to learn a lesson of humility from that wrong key! And for the lesson, I had to praise Him!

How do we deal when a different key dispels our lives? How do we deal with the unpracticed or the sudden change from the norm? When suddenly faced with a difficult circumstance that pulls out all the stops, what do we do? Do we get angry that the problem happened? Do we let our emotions take over, or do we give praise in the midst of the suffering, and realize that we can learn something from it having occurred?


“Through Jesus,” the writer to the Hebrews declares, “therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15, NIV). That Sunday morning I discovered that singing in the wrong key had been a real sacrifice of praise. Singing was a privilege that He had extended, and one that I had not regarded as a gift. I had returned His gift not as a gift of my heart, but as an offering of a bad attitude. My offering of praise that morning had been horribly amiss, but He had gratefully taught me what it was meant to be.

The hardships of our lives shall always be sung in an unsure key. When on the mountaintops, God allows us to sing beautifully in the right key! In the uncertain valleys He provides His melody for our discordant days. When we praise Him in the midst of pain or discouragement or embarrassment or loneliness or sadness or illness, the heart has become right through its growth in faith. After the service that Sunday, I opened my Bible to I Thessalonians 5. There within the morning’s lesson, I found other words that supported the truth in Hebrews 13:15! “Pray continually” (I Thessalonians 5:17). I flipped over to Hebrews. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15).

Continual prayer. Continual praise. Continual sacrifice. The Lord took my stubborn heart that Sunday, squeezed out the last drop of self-pity, told me to get up and continually praise Him no matter what the circumstances of life might offer. And no matter in what key they just might happen to be.

Do you give praise in all circumstances? If not, the direction in Hebrews 13:15 is obvious. All it takes is your recognition of His gift to you, and a willing heart to offer a sacrifice of praise. Faith is your reward, and your promise of things not seen.

Monday, November 19, 2012

I Am Thankful

I am thankful for the moment you came into my life. Everything changed in that instant. I was no longer alone. I was no longer bound in the dregs of my past. In that instant... in that moment, I knew I was loved no matter what I had done or been. Your love has set me free to be me. You always see my potential and lift me above the circumstances that try to destroy me. You walk with me everyday, but more incredibly and wonderfully you live inside me. It is your heart that loves through me, and it is your forgiveness that flows. I have none of my own. You make all the difference. You make my life complete, and for that I cannot give you enough thanks.

Today I give you all the praise and thanks I can. You are my life, and my God. I love you, Jesus, for loving me beyond measure... beyond anything my limited mind can imagine. You just are, and in your constant promise, I am fulfilled.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Never Alone

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

There is a peace that fills and calms the person who trusts in God. And that peace rises from a deep faith that knows and has experienced the constant and unfailing love of God. He is a God who provides all of my needs, not because of any obligation, but because He cannot deny His love. It is a love that died for me and gave all for me. And that enduring love longs to take care of me. I am His child, and there is nothing that I will ever face alone. He is the same forever, and He is my God.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Comfortable or Character?

Have you ever noticed how you hate to feel uncomfortable? I hate that feeling of unrest. There have been many times, when I have been in the middle of a problem, where I just have wanted to work it out quickly and easily. Perhaps God doesn’t want me to work out my problem comfortably or easily or quickly. What does working something out so I can feel comfortable have to do with God’s will for my life? Might I be missing a lesson by taking the reigns in my own hands?

In Luke 14:16-20, Jesus actually talked about how a man desires to feel comfortable. This is the parable of a man who gave a dinner party. Invitations were sent out, and excuses were given.

Listen, I’ve just purchased some land.”

I just got married.”

Oh, too bad! I’m just on my way to try out a new yoke!”

Each excuse revealed that the invitation caused an inconvenience. Inconvenience and feeling comfortable are not compatible. Jesus has issued an invitation to follow Him. That is inconvenient. Is it comfortable? Hardly. But if I decline His invitation I will miss the value of a wilderness experience.A wilderness experience has the potential to create “character”. A few words that come to mind are honesty, integrity, patience, kindness, and diligence. I don’t develop “character” in easy times. I must be willing to launch out into the deep; be willing to feel uncomfortable; be willing to experience vulnerability; and be willing to run the race set before me. How I, in my humanness, long to avoid the discipline of the race! But Jesus wishes me to be like Him.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Peter 1:5-8).

Make every effort to add these virtues, Peter writes. Feeling comfortable or escaping a lesson to be learned is not making an effort to add anything to my life. It is time to allow these virtues to be added. For example, how is goodness added to faith? Testing of my faith either brings bitterness or produces profit. I will either reap the good or dwell on the bad. It is my choice. Will I learn from my experience? Will I accept the invitation to grow from it, or am I too busy like those with the excuses given in the parable? Am I trying out my own yoke instead of His? His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. Comfortable, it’s not, but it becomes lighter as I yield to the lesson. To add knowledge to goodness, I must surrender again. As yielding continues, the lessons learned bring strength to face the unexpected. The character traits of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love shall become His bedrock in my life. For these to be real, I have to walk by faith through the valley to realize the bedrock of the mountain. Feeling comfortable will keep me in the valley instead of lifting me to new heights.

Now that is a lesson learned. I can walk through the valley with the strength of the mountain.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Abundant Life

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
Do you see God as being generous? He is! He gives abundant life for earth, and abundant life for eternity. This is the reason He came. To give His life for souls! To give us life instead of death! To give us victory instead of defeat! To speak peace instead of turmoil! To bring rest in the midst of the storms of life!
Jesus Christ came so that we may know overflowing life in Him. He gave all for that purpose. He sacrificed all He was for all the ugliness that we are. In His gift to us He becomes the vine that empowers. We are the branches. When the life of the vine flows into ours, we bring forth new growth! We flourish in His presence. Our being becomes one with His.
Whatever you might face today, He has already given victory. He is Peace. Joy. Strength. Power. Healing. Patience. Forgiveness.... He is everything you cannot be alone. But when you are one with Him, He is all you lack. His Life flowing through your veins is all you need. So look to Him, the Author of your faith, and take courage. It is only in Christ that you can have the greatest peace, strength, power, healing, patience, forgiveness. But you must live with Him, and in Him. Then and only then will His life accomplish the miraculous in your life.
This is abundant life! This is your purpose, and your promise. This is the reason He came. For you.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Stand Strong

Life is not easy. It is a hard-fought war. I will lose the many battles along the way unless I rely on the Lord's strength and power. With His strength I can stand against the storms. I can stand against the hardships. I can face the giants with His hand in mine. I'll be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might! No weapon formed against me will prosper if I stand in His power. If I stand in Him, all that tries to destroy me will be defeated.

I will hold unswervingly to the hope I profess, for He who promised is faithful. Against all foes, large or small, I will say that nothing shall make me afraid. I will stand strong. I will stand rock-solid in His power. Having done all I can.... having given all that I am.... leaning on Him.... relying on Him.... I will stand powerfully and invincibly against any enemy in this life. For He is my refuge. For He is my strength. For He is all that I need.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Sacrifice Your Fence

Do you have an area of your life where you sit on a fence? I believe that we all have such an area. We regard it as a place of safety, but it is not. We yearn for it to keep fear at arm's length, but all it does is keep away any hope. We sit on the fence because not sitting on the fence means that we must make a decision one way or the other. If we get off the fence, we will be forced to commit to something. We will either believe or not believe. We will either have faith or not have faith. We will either accept or reject. We are afraid to commit because we might be wrong. On the other hand we are afraid to not commit, because we might be wrong. So we are imprisoned on our fence. The fence has not become a place of safe retreat, but it has become a jail. What we might not realize is that staying on the fence is really a choice. It is a choice to remain in bondage instead of discovering freedom.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit,” Paul imparts, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). The Holy Spirit will liberate me from my fence, but I must be willing. I must choose to let go of its false protection, and make a commitment to believe in His faithfulness. The fence does not protect me. It is a place where non-commitment will destroy what little faith I have.

Before his death Moses spoke to the Israelites and instructed them to choose prosperity and life instead of destruction and death (Deuteronomy 30:11-15). They had remained on their fence afraid to go into their promised land, but now was the time for them to choose. Not stepping out on faith to claim their promise was choosing death over life. Choosing to get off their fence and move into their promise was going to cost them something. They would have to overcome the barriers to their promise. Letting go of the fence means that we must face our own giants. But we do not face them alone. Just as the Israelites moved forward in faith with God's protection, so will you, and so will I. Getting off the fence does not mean that I will fail. It means that I have chosen to trust Him and His promises. It means that I have chosen life.

My promised land waits. Yours waits. It is a land where walking by faith in God's faithfulness is all that we need. It is a land where we face the unknown with the assurance that all is well in His protection and providence. “Choose life,” the Lord pleads, “the land is waiting for you to enter and possess it!” The ability to choose life rests within your heart, but it is only discovered in making a commitment to believe in God's faithfulness to you. 

Choose to believe in His faithfulness to you, and let go of your fence. He will not fail you. He will carry you through pain, fear, and doubt to your own promised land because you have chosen to believe in Him. Faith comes as a result of great sacrifice. Sacrifice your fence, and trust in Jesus Christ who sacrificed all for you. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Friday, November 9, 2012

Forget, Perceive, and Persevere

          Have you ever been faced with something so fearful that drawing your next breath seemed impossible? Have you ever longed to forget what has happened, and dwell on the promise of something greater? Have you ever wished your mind would think only of good things, and believe in what God promises? Have you ever yearned for a greater faith to trust in God’s purpose? Have you ever longed for a peace that is lasting? I have!

“Yes!” our hearts hope, and “impossible” our minds declare. And here lies the battle. We want to believe. We yearn to believe. We hope to believe. We cry out to believe. Even though we are meant to be new in Christ, even though we know that all things in our lives are meant to be new, and even though we believe the old should be over, we struggle to move forward in faith. We cannot perceive what this new life, free from the bondage of old chains, really means.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past” (Isaiah 43:18). This Scripture tells us not to wrap our minds around what has happened, and not to continually think about the past that has defined us. It instructs us to make a decision to forget the past. Forget is a strong word, and it means “being unable to call to mind, unable to summon up, or unable to picture.” Now that sounds incredible! Not to remember or even have a picture in my mind of past fears or failures. Forget means that the past is gone. So we shouldn’t continually think about it or dwell on it. He will keep me, and He will keep you in perfect peace when our minds dwell on Him (Isaiah 26:3). 

“See,” the Lord states, “I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it” (Isaiah 43:19)? When my mind does not dwell on what has been, hope is much easier. See is another strong word, and it means “to understand, realize, or perceive.” It doesn’t mean to just look. Look has no depth, and is concerned with appearance only. See takes look somewhere it has never gone before. See expectantly believes that God is doing a new thing. Faith is the “new” thing. Faith is not dormant. It is alive. It springs up. Can I not perceive it? Can you not perceive it? 

           We must forget the former things, bar them from our minds, and be renewed in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4:23). We choose to remain confident because we know God does a new thing. “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36). We shall rest assured, because we know He is faithful. We will persevere until the new is perceived. In all things we will seek His will, and He will reward our diligence. We will give Him the past, the fear, the failures, all that has gone wrong, and His peace that passes human understanding, will guard our thoughts (Philippians 4:6-7). His promise of peace is real. His promise of faith is real. We choose to forget the former things, and believe in the promise He has for us (Isaiah 43:18-19). We choose to let go of the former things which have defined us, and believe that His promises of faith, of peace, of victory, of joy, of healing, of hope, of purpose, of freedom, of every good and perfect gift, are real.

“I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (Isaiah 43:20-21).

Thursday, November 8, 2012

There is No Limit

Sometimes I feel limited in what I can do. But I must understand that there is no limit to what I can accomplish. If God has called me to do something, He will supply the strength that I need. I will never give up because something seems beyond my power to accomplish. In my weakness, I shall realize His strength.  

I love pansies. They bring color and beauty in the coldness of a winter morning. Sometimes, when it is freezing, they are shriveled and withdrawn. As I pour warm water on them, they open to the winter morning and stand strong in the frigid air. I might be weary and shriveled, but I still stand, and wait for the warmth of His Spirit to bring new life to whatever task He has given me.


And as He pours His power into me, I realize that in Him all things are possible.

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
(Matthew 17:20)

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

At His Cross

I must always remember that I am just an instrument. It is not my place to make things happen. God is ultimately in control. What I must do now is work hard to do the work He has called me to do. The things that have hindered me from yielding completely to His will must not hinder me anymore.

Where does this complete surrender begin? It begins in me. I am the only one that I can make surrender. I am the only one that can allow Him to crucify me. I am the only one who can experience the victory of His resurrection through the selflessness of His cross. I must lay down all that I am.... my worries, my burdens, my struggles, my thoughts, my desires, and all of me. I must surrender all of me. It is ridiculous for me to bear my own burden when He has given me the perfect place to lay them down... at His Cross.

If I am to lay all this at His cross, what does it really mean for me to take up His cross and follow Him? The cross that is given to me is the way that I discover how to crucify my own desires. It is only my own self which hinders the flow of His life through me. I come to His cross to lay down my own cross and to find His. It is in this surrender that I discover His power lifting me from the selfishness of my life into His life of peace and joy.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall
keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

Monday, November 5, 2012

Hold Fast!

Whatever problem comes my way, I will face it with His peace. I will remain assured that the Lord is with me, and He will carry me. I will not turn my back on what He has already accomplished, or forget what He has promised will come. No matter the challenge, I will meet it with faith in His faithfulness flowing through me. His love and strength will carry me to the end. It is the last few miles which reveal the depth of His claim on my life. I refuse to fail Him, because He will never fail me. 

Have I had prayers that have never been answered because I did not hold fast? Why did I give up? Maybe I thought it was too late, and I must act for myself. Perhaps I thought God would never act, and I must try to make something happen instead of waiting for His best. I want to always hold on with courage, and faith in Him. Not one of my prayers or cries for help goes unheard. The Lord hears, and will aid me in every way possible. If I will listen and hold fast, and not try to humanly solve problems without Him, I will discover the treasure of a deeper faith. He will unlock treasures that others who have given up have never received.

The Lord aids me in every possible way. If I bravely face my problems, and hold fast to the promise of His answered prayer, I will discover His peace. If I follow in the way He directs me, I will find success in every area of my life. This morning I joyfully wait for His promise in His time. I will not give up. His presence is with me, and I will live with Him in control. There is peace in letting go and letting Him handle what I cannot handle.. So I have let go, and in Him, I have joy and peace.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3).

Thursday, November 1, 2012

I Find Me

"I'm so glad, Lord, you accept me in my frailty. I am who I am with you. There is just you and just me. There is no image I have to keep. There is no agenda that has to be met. There is no perfection that I can maintain. You see beyond all my limitations, and you love me still. You always see my potential, and never my failures. You know what you have created me to be, and that is not something that I must struggle to receive. I am a new creature in you because of who you are. Not because of who I am. The idea that the you love me with an everlasting love is beyond my human capability to conceive. It just is. And you just are. And in that wonder, I find me."

Faith is Your Evidence

    How often do we doubt God’s willingness to meet our needs or give us the desires of our hearts? Perhaps we don’t believe because we are ...