Pure Joy

Following her stroke my friend, Peggy, shared a dream with me. She was a small child walking home from school. In the distance home waited, but the road offered obstacles that were difficult to maneuver. Her legs scarcely jumped over the large ruts, and her arms, weighed down with books, barely managed the load.

Life is a long road home. Many times we face incredible pitfalls, and obstacles. Hopefully, we will develop the faith that will carry us to the end. “Consider it pure joy,” James writes, “Whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance! Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:3-4).

Greater faith is found through perseverance. Perseverance must be strong in each of us to handle life’s unexpected circumstances. What a riveting image! There is a work inside each believer, and it can only be completed through a willingness to endure! The Lord’s perfect will is for faith to spring up in the midst of heartache, pain, and turmoil.

Trials and suffering should inspire spiritual growth. “These have come,” Peter imparts, “so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (I Peter 1:7). The trying of your faith during hardship should develop the ability to persevere. Christ reveals that we are to be perfect just as our heavenly Father is perfect. Perseverance is meant to spur each believer on toward this goal (Matthew 5:48).

God has given His divine promises so that we have the strength to stand against sin, to be part of His very nature, and to grow spiritually. To escape sin’s grasp, and to be more like Him, spiritual growth is not an option. Peter explains that we must add to faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and brotherly kindness. We can’t add these alone (II Peter 1:3-7). Only the Lord supplies the strength for this accomplishment, but we make the decision to step out in faith.

Paul writes in Ephesians, “Be strong in the Lord (be empowered through your union with Him); draw your strength from Him (that strength which His boundless might provides)” (Ephesians 6:10, Amplified Bible) Do I want to be a productive and available tool in God’s hands? Then I must grow in perseverance through times of suffering, and be available for His purposes. My faith in Jesus Christ should be my most valued possession! When Jesus calls me home to test the value of its worth, what will He discover? Shall I have remained a child or endured and matured?

My attitudes, thoughts, and desires should be those of a mature adult, and should be first to arise in difficult circumstance. Most of all, they should spur me on toward the perfection found only in Christ. What I have within must be tested to see if it has any worth. Untried, it has no value, but tried, it is refined by the fire of the Holy Spirit. My friend, Peggy, faced the road ahead of her with a strength of character that she had learned in her walk with the Lord. How you we face ours? “Consider it pure joy,” James writes. We should joyfully learn perseverance from suffering. God wishes us to understand that it is a joy of the purest kind.

Pray to Soar

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV).

Do you feel defeated? Are you aching to soar above all the trials in life that have come your way? Are you discouraged because you have waited and not seen your promise? Perhaps it has been this way for awhile, and nothing changes. You ask for more faith, and it just doesn't seem to come. Then one day you discover in the Bible this statement. “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). This rocks you to the core. Rejoice in your suffering? That is exactly what it says, and the reason for it is the best. You rejoice, not because your trial produces pain, but because it creates spiritual maturity in you. It grows your faith......if you rejoice in it, and determine to learn from it.

Consider Romans 5:3-4. Suffering creates the need to hang on....to persevere. Perseverance reveals the strength found in good character. Good character (virtue) is what is grown as a result, and produces the ability to have great hope. Hope doesn’t disappoint, but fuels your faith (Romans 5:5). You rejoice in the fact that you grow in spiritual maturity. Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). Hope that needs to be seen says, “I kind of believe, but let me just see enough, so that I can really believe.” This is human hope..... not hope born of spiritual growth in God. It is not the kind of hope that trusts that the unseen will come. It is certainly not the hope that understands how to wait patiently. It is definitely not the kind of hope that inspires faith.

Spiritual hope does inspire faith. It springs up when you have learned to allow Him to handle what you can't handle....when you have allowed the trials of life to create the ability to wait patiently. Have you ever considered waiting as being equivalent to hoping? “Do you not know?” Isaiah declares, “Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in (or wait upon in KJV)) the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31, NIV). Here God is revealed as one whose wisdom surpasses human understanding, and who is incapable of failure. He becomes not only the God of power revealed through His creation, but also the God of power given to His creation. He is your gift to gain spiritual hope which produces greater faith.

Your own resources aren’t enough to generate this kind of spiritual hope, and the ability to wait hopefully. For this to happen you must exchange your strength for His. When you give the Lord your concerns with the assurance that He is in control, spiritual hope not only springs from suffering, but also produces a greater faith that waits for what the world considers impossible. Now waiting only makes you stronger instead of defeating you. You have grown from suffering to hope, and from hope to faith.

Pray to soar on wings like eagles! Pray to persevere! Pray for growth of character! Pray for spiritual hope to wait expectantly for His promise! You will not grow weary or faint in the process. Your faith will hold you strong.

Change

 

Change is inevitable. It can be frightening, but, if your life is safely hidden in God, you cannot fear change. He never changes, and remains the same “yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is your constant foundation in this vacillating world. Trust Him when what happens does not seem for your best. Learn His lesson, and apply it to your life. It makes the next change, whether good or bad, easier to handle, because you have learned spiritual balance and poise in a world that offers no solid foundation.

 

His power to handle change is available at all times. Claim it, and use it constantly in life’s changing moments. His power, His strength, His faithfulness, His consistency, His balance-it is all yours to exercise everyday. You can never ask too much of God. His provision is unending. He is unending. Living in Jesus Christ is abundance beyond any measure.

 

“See, I am doing a new thing!” the Lord proclaims. “Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 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 43:19-21).
 

Whatever change lies ahead, He has made a way to provide exactly what is needed for your journey. You are His child, and He will not forsake you or leave you. Praise Him and accept His joy. It is His gift to you.

 

HIS JOY

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b, NLT)!

Are you seeking joy in your life? Not just any human definition of joy, but something deeply embedded in your very being.....something that just springs up immediately when trouble comes and life is hard? A spring of His life whose water never fails? A deep joy that rises from faith in His love for you?

Are you lacking strength to stand when trouble hits? Without His strength, you shall fall. You shall fail. You need His joy. Joy rises from faith in Him no matter what life throws you. Joy is not only “a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight” (as defined in the dictionary), but the joy of the Lord is a source of strength that springs from a solid faith in God.

Joy can be that extreme happiness that comes when the Lord does something incredible, but it is also that solid foundation that stays calm, peaceful, and at rest when you don't see His hand move. His joy is not dependent on feeling. Don't be dejected or sad, Nehemiah declares, because the joy that comes from the Lord is His strength.

When His foundation is strong, then joy is strong. With His joy in your life, you discover that the times that are hard are easier, and the times that are bursting with happiness are more intensely felt because of His faithfulness.

The joy that comes from the Lord is your strength. The more you “know” Him, the more you will understand the depth and the strength of His joy. There is a joy that rises from complete trust, faith and peace in Him. If you are seeking, don't let go of the hem of His garment. You shall find.

His Extended Hand

I breathe easily knowing the concerns of my heart are safe in His hands. I will rest in Him. Rest is trust in not only His ability, but His willingness, to take care of my heart's cry. Incessant activity reveals uncertainty, doubt, and distrust. If I do not know and understand that He is always taking care of me, then I will not rest. 

 

“Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1). I choose to believe this. I will say it again and again. I will rely on its promise. This is a beautiful truth that waits for me to stop trying to save myself, and reach for His hand. This is a truth that says He hears my cry, and in response throws me a lifeline. 

I will hold on to that truth, and hold on to the rope. It is so ridiculous for me to try to save myself. I end up fighting against the very one who has come to rescue me! And in the process I make His rescue even harder. He waits for me to let go of everything else, and just hold on to Him. He waits for me to trust that His rope is all that I need to not drown.

Letting God have all of me is letting go of all my preconceptions, my agendas, my control, my ideas, my wants, my attempts to muddle through problems, my lack of belief, my unworthiness, and accepting His perfect love for me. That is the Hand He has extended....His perfect love. I need only to grab hold of Him. And I will never drown in my own failure.

The Wind and the Whisper

The Wind and the Whisper

By Leisa Speed Rayborn

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave (1 Kings 19:9-13).

Elijah was zealous for the presence of The Lord!   But he experienced great exhaustion and discouragement.  The wicked Queen Jezebel had a mission to take him out, and he had given every ounce of strength in his mighty work for The Lord.  He sought refuge. In extreme fatigue, he asked God to let him die.  He seemed to think that he was the only one  in Israel that hadn't bowed down to the false God, Baal.

The Lord told him to go stand on the mountain.  Many times in Scripture God used three signs to accompany His presence: wind, earthquake, and fire.  He spoke to Elijah in a whisper.  His presence, found in this still small voice, suggests Gods works in gentle ways as well as powerful ways.  Oh, we should all have this passion for His presence.  Without His presence, the “spiritual bones” which structure our lives become dry, weak, depressed, withered, saddened, anxious, distant, severed, detached, and unconnected.  In our desperation, we long to be reconnected with Him.

Worship is beautiful and a true gift from God.  As we give of ourselves in honor and praise, He gives us release and freedom from the fear of our temporary circumstances. Our open communion in worship with Him fills us with His presence.  As we draw near to Him, whether on the mountain or in the valley, He will draw near to us.  What are your circumstances today? God seeks your heart in worship. There you will find relief and His peace which passes understanding in ways no words can express.

Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker (Psalms 95:6).

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks (John 4:23).

Give Me More

“Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”  Mark 9:24

This cry to believe in God's faithfulness is the cry of someone who yearns and seeks all of God. Not only is it a cry for greater faith, but it also reveals the spiritual hunger of the one who cries out. It is the cry of one who believes some, but within His soul, cries, pleads, longs, and yearns to believe completely.

As I grow in my knowledge of God, I understand Him greater as my Savior, and realize He is my constant friend. His power becomes more real in my life, and I believe in Him more and more. But at the time time, I am more aware than ever before of failing in complete trust. "Lord, I believe. Help Thou mine unbelief." This is cry of my spiritual heart. I believe, but I long to believe more, so I cry out for more faith. My faith increases, and then I cry for more. This is my journey of spiritual growth in faith in my Savior. Step by step I grasp His promise. Each step as it becomes secure in Him provides a sure foundation for the next step to come. This cry for more faith is my soul's hunger to trust completely in my God. To conquer all lack of trust.... to conquer all unbelief, I surrender all of my will, all of my self-control, all of my efforts, all of my agenda, all of my desires, all of me to His greater plan for my life.

He hears my cry to have greater faith. He answers my prayer with more faith, but at the same time He answers my prayer with greater power to understand where I need even more faith. Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief! As I make every effort to grow spiritually, He leads me upward in greater faith. With each sure step I receive faith that cannot be shaken.... faith that is more sure and strong. If I increase in Him, His faith will increase in me. I will lack nothing as I move upward toward the prize of greater and greater faith. 

My journey continues. He leads me step by step. If I never stop, I will never lack.

The Peace of a Steadfast Mind

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

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.

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.

The Lord aids me in every possible way. If I 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 strength and success in my life. This morning I 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.

FROM "GOD CALLING": Stray Sheep

Oh Jesus, guide our footsteps lest we stray.

For straying, My children, there is no cure except to keep so close to Me that nothing, no interest, no temptation, no other -- can come between us.

Sure of that you can but stay at My Side, knowing that, as I am the very Way itself, nothing can prevent your being in the Way, nothing can cause you to stray.

I have promised Peace but not leisure, heartrest and comfort, but not pleasure. I have said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation"; so do not feel, when adverse things happen, that you have failed or are not being guided, but I have said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

So learn of Me the overcoming Power of one who, though spat upon, scourged, misunderstood, forsaken, crucified, could yet see His Work had not been affected by these things, and cry triumphantly from His Cross, "It is finished."

Not the pain, the mocking, the agony, but His Task.

Let this thought comfort you. Amid failure, discord, contumely, suffering, even now may friends and angels be prepared to sound the chorus, "It is finished."

And he went a little father, and fell on his face, and prayed,
saying O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  Matthew 26:39

The Great Worth of My Surrender

 

Life is filled with constant irritation. Those irritations can spur me on to spiritual growth or they can destroy what God wishes to produce in my life. Whether good or bad, my life is a result of my attitude. “Rejoice always,” Paul encourages, “pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It is God's will that I have a good attitude in all circumstances. I will rejoice no matter what. I will pray continually no matter what. A no-matter-what attitude can lift me above whatever I face. I absolutely surrender to the lesson—not to the circumstance.

 

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy,” Paul instructs, “to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2) Do I have a sacrificial attitude? Do I long to be a living sacrifice? Or do I fight against the lessons of life? Strength, joy, peace, and a no-matter-what attitude come from surrender to God's perfect and pleasing will for my life.

 

Surrender is not an option, and it certainly does no good to rage against my circumstance. When God’s incredible mercy is my reason for living, then surrender is something that comes through the renewing of my mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. I yield to His lesson for my life. I sacrifice that “fight” against powers that are beyond my control, and gracefully accept His lesson. By accepting His discipline, I accept the lesson found in His discipleship. Learning God's lesson becomes my passion.

 

Over half a century ago, Jim Elliot, a young Presbyterian missionary, was killed in Ecuador by Acua Indians. His wife, Elizabeth, wrote years later about her husband’s passion for the lessons of life. “Discipline is the wholehearted yes to the call of God. When I know myself called, summoned, addressed, taken possession of, known, acted upon, I have heard the Master. I put myself gladly, fully, and forever at His disposal, and to whatever He says my answer is yes.” Nothing will destroy me when I know myself as called to give all to Him. Nothing will come against me when I yearn to know what strength He gives me in the struggles of life. I can discover that I need “not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present my requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

 

What is the cost of my surrender? Letting go of who I think I am. Letting go of my desires. Letting go of my goals. Letting go of my agenda. Letting go of my control in every circumstance and every situation, and allowing God to lead me. When I let go then I have counted the cost of surrender, and determined letting go is worth everything for what I receive in return.