IN HIS TIME

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, KJV).

 

There are times when God does not speak. There are times when He reveals nothing in answer to my prayerful heart questions. There are times when He gives no direct guidance. Thankfully, my path is clear enough to know I must grow more in knowledge of Him. I must trust in Him although I do not see or hear. Quiet prayer communion with Him will give me what I need even though I have no answers at the moment.

He may ask me to wait silently, and to expect just the grace of His presence. The wait will bring greater faith. And the result will be comfort and peace in the midst of any storm. I give Him all my struggles and questions and pain and unanswered questions, and in the giving I discover peace beyond what any human mind can comprehend.

 

I will hold unswervingly to the hope I profess, for He who promised is faithful. I will stand rock-solid knowing He has heard my prayer, and He will answer in His time. Having done all I can.... having given all that I am.... leaning on Him.... relying on Him.... I will stand and wait to hear what He says to me. For He is my refuge. For He is my strength. For He is all that I need.

Philippians 4:6-7

Hebrews 10:23

Press On

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

I will have courage and not fear. Today I start again, and put my old mistakes behind me. He gives me a fresh beginning. I will not worry or be frightened. If His forgiveness was only for the righteous, it wouldn't be needed. Not one of us is perfect. We all have fallen short. But His forgiveness is new every morning.

So why do I worry? He longs to give me that fresh beginning, but my life is dirtied with worry and anxiety. As long as I dwell on what is bad in my life, I cannot see His promise of new life. Why should He help me when my worry would rob me from even recognizing His blessings? In spite of my past or circumstance, He blesses those who put Him before all other things. He blesses a sacrifice of praise.

I press on toward my prize. I forget what has been, and I praise Him for transforming my life. I shall be joyful and realize that with another beginning, I once more step out in faith to trust and believe in His promises that never fail.

I CAN COUNT ON IT

This is for Sept. 18

“I know what I’m doing,” says the Lord, “I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you, and bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it” (Jeremiah 29:11-14, MSG).

I can count on it. He knows what He is doing. I don't have to know His plans, but I do need to trust and have faith in His faithfulness. When I seek Him with all my heart and desire Him more than anything else, I will discover more faith to believe in His promise of deliverance. As I persevere in living each day in His will, I shall receive His promise (Hebrews 10:35-36). He will bring me out of the place where I have suffered and felt abandoned. He has great Joy for me. I can count on it.

My Path

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105).

If His Word guides me, there is no problem or circumstance or difficulty that can rob my joy and faith in Him. He reveals what I must do with all things that arise, but the light of His presence and power must go with me. He is there to comfort and cheer, and not there to reveal future events that I am not meant to handle in my present moment. If I fully trust Him, then I have peace in the present, and no worries beyond it.

As He accompanies me along my path, His light reveals only a few steps. The path, as it twists ahead, is darkened, My future path is dark because the light of His presence lights my way NOW, and when I reach another bend in the path, He will light the way THEN. As the future of today passes into the present of tomorrow, His presence will walk with me. The same light which guided me–the same power–the same peace will continue to guide my way along my path.

His beam reveals the lightened path ahead. I know there is a bend that will come. I will trust His unchanging hand. I have committed my life, and I will never turn back. His light is all I know, and it is all that I need to have strength for whatever lies along my path.

His Rest His Power

He directs my steps. I will go forward trusting in His constant presence. I hear the gentle guidance of His voice, not in my mind, but deep in my spirit. I am at peace because He is in control. I have discovered the peace that passes my human ability to understand.

When I am at rest, I am in His peace. He works His greatest work in me. He can work through my life when His peace has claimed it. I will go forward carefully always taking time to pray and to rest. I will not become frustrated with the work that clouds my mind. I must be still, and know that He is God. If I work in frustration, the result of my work will be just as frustrating. If I work in His peace and in His power, the result will be wonderfully rewarding and fruitful. Discovering His rest before all activity brings His peace no matter what lies ahead.

Work which comes from prayer and rest brings results that are beyond measure! It brings miracles instead of frustration. I can do ALL THINGS through Jesus Christ who gives me His strength. And His strength comes not as a result of struggling to find it. It comes from times of quiet rest and prayer.

Proverbs 16:9

Philippians 4:6-7

Psalm 46:10

Philippians 4:13

All About Your Soul

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful” (I Thessalonians 5:23-24, NLT).

Has the Lord held you fast.....just as He has held others strong through the centuries? Those disciples might have failed except for the power of the Holy Spirit. His Way has been alive and well because many were willing to stand strong no matter what they faced. It has held strong because those who believed in Him were willing to suffer and some to even die for His truth.

Living for Jesus Christ has nothing to do with the body. It is all about the soul. The life you live in Jesus is not about what is comfortable. It is not about how you feel, or even your circumstance. We often choose the easier way... the one less strenuous and risky. He calls us to walk in the way of truth...to be willing to lay down our lives if necessary. It is a hard calling, but it is ours, and it for our utter fulfillment in this life. It brings a Joy that surpasses anything else.

If you live your calling, you are molded by His faithful and unchanging hand. You blossom spiritually through all the struggles you face because He is your power. If you refuse His calling, His purpose in your life is thwarted. If you reject His calling, your spiritual growth is deferred. You discover a sadness that cannot be appeased, and spiritual sorrow that grieves your spirit.

He is not about feeling. He is about truth and commitment. Stand strong in Him. Live what is best for your soul. Be willing to face each obstacle that commitment to Him brings. Your reward will be exceedingly great. Your soul will rejoice that you have not only grown closer to Him, but that in Him, you have discovered more of Him and less of yourself. You have discovered real life. You are called. I am called. If we live for Him, He is faithful.

MY PROMISE

“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5b, NLT).

Whatever I face, I am not alone. He is my warrior. Whatever my personal struggle, I know He is my rock. He stands strong for me. Whatever oppresses, I know that He is my deliverer. He lifts the heavy burden. He redeems all that I have been, and His payment takes care of all of my life.

This is my hope. Whatever sorrow or pain might come my way, it will not last forever. The promise of His peace is real. The sorrow I feel anticipates the joy to come. His strongest children are those who, in the night of weeping, confidently believe in the promise of joy in the morning.

Catch Those Foxes

 

“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom” (Song of Solomon 2:15, NIV).

Do you struggle with self-control of your thoughts? I have been there! The lack of self-control of your mind is not the result of huge problems that come your way. It comes from letting the little doubts, worries, and small concerns add up. You become so burdened with these accumulated little “foxes” that the vineyard of your mind produces fear instead of faith.

If anything begins to trouble you in the least way, deal with before it grows and overwhelms your mind. Stop and pray. Don't speak your doubt. Bring it immediately to God before you do anything else. Rise up off your knees and leave that initial thought of worry with the Lord. Determine to bring your thoughts captive to the Holy Spirit. Nip those little worries in the bud before they grow out of control in your mind. Train your mind to focus on the Lord, and faith will replace fear with perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

You are the Lord's vineyard, and to produce good fruit, you must surrender your mind and allow Him to take care of those little foxes that destroy. Never allow any little worry or doubt to grow out of control. If you do, then your actions will not be determined by the Holy Spirit, but controlled by your run away thoughts of fear. His purpose is to bring forth the greatest potential in your life. Allow Him to prune your mind, and bring you to full harvest.

ONLY VICTORY

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 8:37-39, NIV).

If I know in every fiber of my being that God loves me, then I have an overwhelming desire to know Him to the fullest. It is a desire to know Him to a depth that even my mind cannot comprehend. If I seek Him with all my heart I will find greater faith. If I trust in God with greater faith, I will know the depth of His faithfulness because of His loving sacrifice for me. My mind and heart will stand strong knowing that nothing can separate me from His love. He will give me a conquering heart and a steadfast mind. I will stand, and having done all that I can, I will still stand. I will conquer my foes, my fears, and my obstacles, because He is not just with me. He is in me, and He gives me the strength to rise to even greater victories.

I become more than a conqueror. I walk in newness of life and freedom from the past, from fears and circumstance. I walk above that which would destroy me. And in Him there is no failure. There is only victory.

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME! NO, IT ISN'T!

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

It is so easy to find fault with others and not look for their best. Someone did something wrong. Someone said something that was insensitive. Someone is selfish. Someone doesn't take my feelings into account. The list goes on and on. This is how it is when I want things my way. I have the attitude of “I'm right and you're wrong.”. Actually, when I don’t line up with Scripture and God’s plan, then it is just wrong. It is not my job to judge others. Judging others reveals selfishness, and shows I have no selfless consideration. It is not my job to decide what others do and say. I can't control another person's action, but I can control my reaction externally and internally. Externally I can allow it to just roll off my shoulder instead of turning it into a chip on my shoulder with a bad attitude. Internally I can allow the Holy Spirit to deal with feelings that rise up, and bring them under His control. As Christians we sometimes need to have a hide of a rhinoceros and and heart of a dove.

Satan’s plan is to destroy all of our relationships with others with selfish thoughts and bad attitudes. He especially uses a chip on the shoulder to destroy relationships with family, friends, and especially church family. Some of the biggest misunderstandings are because of something which started as trivial and then grew out-of-hand. Where God builds His kingdom, Satan tries to destroy. Satan will fail when faced with forgiving hearts and minds. He will fail when we recognize the importance of another person's heart. He will fail when we put another person's need before our own. God blessed us with individuality. The plan of your life, and the plan for my life is not going to be the same, but we must live out the love of Jesus in non-judgmental and forgiving relationships.

Are we easily hurt or offended? Do we have feelings of rejection? If we don't allow the Holy Spirit to heal hurts and damaged emotions these feelings can erupt at a moment's notice. Feelings and emotions which are not placed at the foot of the cross can erupt in ugly bitterness. If they aren't crucified with Christ they can conquer our minds and hearts.

There is healing of the hurt of past, the present, and the imagined hurt of the future. The past is gone. The present is what I allow Him to make it, and the future is not mine to know anyway. I will make every effort to be “renewed in the spirit of my mind” everyday (Ephesians 4:23), I will always ask the Lord to show me when I need to change my attitude, and when I need to just forgive. I want to learn the freedom of not needing to have the last word.

Leisa Rayborn and Lynn Lacher