Race with Praise

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV).

I can't count the many times in my Christian life that these verses have inspired me to keep running the race of faith–to keep reaching for the prize that I shall receive–to persevere to win–to throw off everything that keeps me from pressing on–to fix my eyes on Jesus who ran this race–to not give up or lose heart! This race to live a life of faith which honors God can be a great hardship. So many times we just want to give up, but God says not to lose heart no matter what we face in life. A verse in the next chapter of Hebrews reveals something that makes this race so much easier. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” Hebrews 13:15, NIV). One of the most powerful things we can do to make this race easier is to praise the Savior for whom we run it. This verse instructs us to continually give God a sacrifice of praise. It is easier to praise God on the mountaintop when everything is right in our world than down in the valley when life is hard. But we are instructed to continually praise Him no matter what we face now or what lies ahead. If we praise Him on the mountaintop, He rejoices with us. If we praise Him in the valley, our praise is a sacrifice that honors His faithfulness. Whether high or low, we praise Him because in all things He carries you, and He carries me.

Praising God no matter what I face in life reveals how much I trust Him. It reveals who He is in my heart, and how much I have focused my mind on His truth. When I praise Him in all circumstances, He rewards my praise with the grace of His presence. He is my God, and He will never fail me. His strength and joy will conquer all that comes against me. He is my guide through the pitfalls. No weapon can rise against me. He will protect me. No discipline can tire me. I will learn the lesson He wishes to impart. I will not blame another, but will face and accept responsibility for any thing that I have done. I will also forgive anyone who has hurt me so that the enemy can't destroy my faith. Nothing shall terrorize me. I will trust God to take care of any fear that tries to defeat me. I shall persevere, and hold on. I will run this race and make it through any difficulty because I have praised Him in all moments. He is my strength because I have none within myself, and in my weakness, I have discovered His. I run the race with a heart and mind to endure at all costs, and I praise Him because He is the reason that I run.

Finally Peace

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Here in this moment I am finally still.

All that has bombarded my mind is silenced.

The voices that have plagued me are no more.

Here in this moment there is no need to analyze–no need to know why.

My mind is at rest in your peace which surpasses my human need to understand.

If not for your moment of surrender and sacrifice, I wouldn't have this moment with you.

I wouldn't have this peace which has come from surrender of self–of a need to know.

Here in this moment I surrender all I have struggled to perceive.

I sacrifice my attempt to control that which has bound me.

I lay down my heart upon your altar of grace.

Here in this moment I am loved as I have always longed to be loved.

I only know that you are my God, and that is all I need to know–nothing more.

Here in this moment I have you alone.

Here in this moment I hold eternity.

My Light to Guide

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105, NKJV).

When His Word guides and empowers my life, there is no problem or circumstance or difficulty that has the power to destroy my faith in Him. His Word gives direction to handle each circumstance that arises, but for the light of His presence to guide me safely through each moment of life, I surrender all of my will to His. I surrender not just some of my will, but all of it. If I try to handle whatever I face alone without His guidance, I will ultimately fail in my attempt. If I allow Him to direct each decision that I make and each step that comes, I will follow His lead safely and securely into a future that He alone knows.

Circumstances may lie ahead that I would never be able to handle in my present moment. If I trust Him, then I have peace in the present, and peace in His promise to take care of my future. As He accompanies me along my path, His light reveals only a few steps. The path, as it twists ahead, is unclear and shadowed. It is darkened because the light of His presence lights my way now. When I reach another bend in the path, He will light my way then. I need not worry at what might come. As today passes into tomorrow, He will walk with me. The same light which guided me–the same power–the same peace will continue to guide my way.

Today's path starts to dawn, and I anticipate what the next hour will bring. However life has a way of changing everything. The path may unexpectedly bend, and I must surrender to its lesson knowing the light of His Word will reveal and sustain and guide and empower. The path of life always changes, but His strength and support and power are constant. He never changes. I will trust Him for my moments now, and those that are around the next bend. I have committed my life, and I will follow His will steadfastly through this life into the next.

Reaching for Our Runner's High

Are you someone who can't handle well what you face in life? Do you look for something that will ease the pain of hard circumstances with a quick solution? A quick solution is the easy answer, but it doesn't require any change on your part. It makes you feel better for a moment, but it doesn't last. Eventually the problem will be exposed for what it really is–something which controls your thoughts and actions. Life will remain the same until the Lord is allowed to change you. He will not be a quick solution. His solution takes surrender and sacrifice, but it will last, and you will discover a spiritual "high" in Him that brings peace.

We live in a society of instant fixes. We don't want to wait for anything. We rush through busy lives unable to take a moment to discover the beauty in God's creation. In our hurried commotion we don't hear the voice of the Holy Spirit calling to the void within us. He whispers, “I'm here”, but we do not hear Him. He tries to hold us when we are hurting, but we do not feel His grasp. He waits, but we do not respond. He longs to carry the pain, but we do not let it go. Letting go means that we will have to allow Him to have control.

The depth of the Holy calls to the depth of man. “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me” (Isaiah 42:7, NIV). We fight against that deep call because it means that we must allow Him to sweep over us. It means that we must sacrifice “self” in order to soar in Him. Instead of learning to soar on the wings of the Holy Spirit, we seek an instant solution which sets us up for failure. To soar through anything we face in life we must sacrifice our need for an instant answer. We must yield to the lesson God wishes to impart. We must face our problem head-on, seek His will, and surrender to whatever is required.

Life will overwhelm us if we have not prepared ourselves spiritually. Faith must be exercised for it to grow stronger. We make a daily decision to fill our lives with His presence instead of our preconceived desires. We make a decision to surrender our busy time to take time for Him. We feed our spiritual lives everyday through prayer and study of His Word. We seek Him for the best answer instead of taking the easy way out. We believe in what He reveals in His Word, and we stand upon it. We speak life to problems instead of death sentences. We look for the best when the world looks for the worst. We believe when the world says to give up. We place all the faith we can muster in His strength and His promises, because we believe He never fails. We let go of fears that have defined us, and allow faith in His love and care to define who we are. These are conscious decisions that we make everyday to soar above what the day brings.

Spiritual grow is not instant! It does not just happen! We train to be spiritually stronger. Consider a runner who prepares for a marathon. He does not just decide to run a marathon. If he does he has set himself up for failure. He trains for many months until he has the strength and ability to run the race and finish it. Have you ever heard the term "runner's high"? It refers to a euphoric state of mind experienced by many runners during a long run. When the body is pushed to the limit, as in a marathon run, it begins to experience pain. To compensate for the pain the body produces endorphins. Not only do endorphins have a pain-killing effect, but they also produce a sense of well-being.

Isn’t this what the Lord wishes for us as we grow spiritually? That we get to the point where the circumstances of life spur us on to soaring heights and pain brings us to a greater faith in His ability to handle life’s struggles? There is a peace that passes all understanding, but it is only found in giving each trial to Him. It is only found in our thankfulness for His provision (Philippians 4:6-7). It is only found in letting Him have control. When we have discovered this euphoric peace of mind, we have found our “runner’s high”.

C.S. Lewis was once asked why he still prayed when it looked as if God was not going to save his wife from cancer. His answer is powerful in its truth. “I pray because prayer changes me.” God never changes. He is our constant in the storm, but we must change and grow spiritually in order to realize it. When we surrender and began to exercise our faith, He becomes the wind beneath our wings, and lifts us above whatever we face. No, He is not an instant answer, but He is the best. He lasts, and in Him we not only run the race of life, we soar through it.

Times of Refreshment

“When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings” (Psalm 84:6, NLT).


Autumn is almost upon North Georgia. It was in the air as my cousin, Marilyn, and I drove these last three days through high valleys and gazed down through thinly scattered clouds from high atop Brasstown Bald. Leaves were just beginning to turn a pale pumpkin color that always announces the bright red and yellow hues of fall are soon to follow. The pungent smell of apples was discovered in tiny hollows tucked between winding curves. Even though the sky was a crystal blue the rain that had washed the laurels and hillsides the day before we arrived still moistened the mountain air.


Our trip was a time that was very needed–one of retreat and sharing that had waited far too long to take place. Only six months apart in age, my cousin and I had known each other since infancy. There had been times together throughout sixty-six years we had lived in different states, but those times together had always come with a hurried purpose to visit family. Two years earlier life had been hard on both of us. We had lost our mothers. That year we had walked through, what the psalmist so perfectly described, a valley of weeping. As we drove the twisting curves of North Georgia roads, streams followed our journey. Cold mountain water sliced through and around rock formations refreshing life within the streams. And as we talked and shared, we found for this moment in time, a place of renewal and refreshment all our own. We were safely cocooned sharing our hearts with each other and with God.


Life is too short and uncertain not to share moments. Those moments don't just happen. Planning times to be together takes effort. But it is an effort that is worth whatever work is needed. Such moments bring a joy that can never be replaced. The time you spend with those you love is too precious. It is too priceless. Life is a but a vapor. You are here one moment and gone the next. Take time out of your busy life of work, smart phones, laptops, and iPads to reach for a hand, hug a shoulder, or wipe a tear. Slow down before life with its special moments of love passes you by. My cousin and I were born in 1948. It was the beginning season of our lives where we grew from baby to adult. Before we realized it summer was upon us with marriage and growing children. Now that we are in the autumn of our lives, we reach to love the next generation of our family and the next as life continues. One day winter will be upon us, and soon it will be time to let go of this world and join our Savior and mothers in heaven. But for now we have discovered, as the psalmist also wrote, that in these autumn years the rain of His blessing always refreshes, and especially in moments where we have shared our hearts.


As the seasons of your own life change, remember this. Weeping in your valley only lasts for a night. Joy comes in the morning. The sadness of one day anticipates the joy of the next to come. Reach out to those you have in your life now. Share your heart and forgive where it is needed. Love where it is needed. Cry with those in your life, and then rejoice with them as they discover new purpose and hope. It is truly your circle of life that is only broken by death. Live to the fullest before your circle is broken, and never waste a moment to love those God has given you. These seasons of life will always need times of refreshment. Create your moments with those you love, and the rain of His blessings will continually clothe their hearts with memories that will sustain and comfort when you have passed on to be with Him.

Faith Before Feelings

Do you often feel alone and wonder where God is? Do terrible thoughts sometimes fill your mind and bring fear? “So do not fear,” God promises, “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, NIV). Even though you may feel alone and have terrifying thoughts, God is just waiting for you to trust Him. You can't trust your feelings. They will betray you. But you can trust what God says in His Word. He will not betray you. His truth is rock-solid, and unchanging. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). You may feel afraid. God says, “you don't have to be afraid, because I am your God.” You may feel evil battering you. God says, “I will deliver you from all evil.” Then He says something that will cost you something, but in the cost you will find greater faith. He says to look beyond your feelings and step out in faith. “Trust me,” He says, “and don't be afraid.”

Faith will cost you. It will cost you to trust in something that you cannot see or cannot feel (Hebrews 11:1). It will cost you to trust in the truth in God's Word over your feelings. Faith is a decision, and when it is made, feelings will one day fall in line with His truth. That “one day” will come through training your mind, your heart, your very being to believe in God's Word instead of your feelings. It is a battle to be won. Finally on that “one day” you will discover it is easier to believe in God's Word rather than trust how you feel in a moment of time.

Make a mental decision to believe Him. Step out in faith today, and give God a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15). Praise Him for the promise that His truth is greater than how you feel. You can trust Him over everything else. He gave His life to earn your trust. His Gospel is your answer. Does it have a message for those who suffer from fear, depression, and loneliness? Does it promise healing for a battered faith? Yes! It does. “For if it doesn't” writes David Seamands in Healing for Damaged Emotions, “then we had better put a padlock on our church doors, quit playing Christianity, and shut up about our good news.”

“Trust me,” He says. “Don't worry because I am your God. I will strengthen you, and uphold you. You are never alone.” Faith trusts God over any feeling! When you don't worry, you are strengthened! You grow to realize that you are not alone! He has your life in His control.... in His Hand. What an incredible, amazing, and life-changing truth!

Free from the Debt

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32, NLT).

Do you hurt over something that you feel has been done to you? Perhaps it wasn't intentional, but you are convinced that it was. Whether intentional or not, you hurt because of it. Don't allow anger and bitterness to fester and grow. Don't react with harsh words and anger. Don't isolate yourself in your pain and feelings of rejection. If you close the door of your heart, you close your heart to the healing forgiveness that the Holy Spirit imparts.

Forgiveness is so necessary for our spiritual survival, and our peace in this life. It is God's requirement. It means laying down feelings and listening. It means a willingness to face the hurt in order to understand. You might discover that what you thought happened never happened. You might discover there was a reason for something that you never knew about. Make an effort to face the hurt and reach out. If you don't try, you gain nothing. If after attempting to discuss things you still are convinced that you were intentionally hurt by this person, then what are you going to do with it? Forgiveness is still what is needed for your heart to be set free from its hurt.

Paul writes that we are to be kind and tenderhearted toward each other, forgiving each other as Jesus Christ forgave us. Jesus came to offer us the greatest forgiveness. If we believe in Him, then forgiveness should always reign in our heart over any anger or hurt. God created us to be forgiven. He gave His life to forgive you and to forgive me. Without His forgiveness realized in our own life, we will never be able to completely and unconditionally forgive. “When we fail to accept and receive God's grace and forgiveness,” David Seamands imparts in Healing for Damaged Emotions, “we also fail to give unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace to other people. This results in emotional conflicts between us and other people. The unforgiven are the unforgiving, and unforgiving complete the vicious cycle because they cannot be forgiven.”

Christ's forgiveness breaks into this vicious cycle. Our sin has been fully forgiven. He has paid our debt in full so that we don't have to hold another person in a debt of unforgivness. We were created to be debt-free “where we love each other because we are loved. Where we accept because we are accepted. Where we grace one another and are gracious because we have been graced. We know the joy of having seen the Master tear up the charge card that we have spent beyond paying!” (David Seamands, Healing of Damaged Emotions . We have been freely forgiven so that we can freely forgive! With Jesus' love flowing in our hearts, we are free to live a completely debt-free life.

Call

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV)

This verse is an incredible promise of God, but it is more than that. It is an absolute truth in God's constant and abiding Word. If you call to Him, He will answer. You do not ask a void for an answer. You ask the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God. You ask the Creator of the universe. You ask your loving God who knows you better than you know yourself. You ask your Father for His time, and He gives it willingly and unsparingly because you are precious to Him. You ask the Lord who is everywhere at the same time, and yet He is there for you. You ask an all-powerful God who is there for all who believe. He brings the same power to your need that He used to raise Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19). There is no other name that you need, but that of Jesus Christ.

He answers you with great and unsearchable things which you do not know. You may not understand them all after he imparts them to you, but you believe because He is your God. He only imparts truth. You believe them by faith, and you trust by faith. One day you may understand, and one day you may not understand. It is alright either way. You have His peace either way. Because you love Him deeply and intimately as He has loved you, there is peace in either knowing or not knowing–in understanding or not understanding. You know that He knows best so there is no struggle against His will. There is acceptance and rejoicing. He speaks to your longing spirit and heart because you have peace no matter what happens or what you may feel. You receive completely and trustingly from His unending bounty.

Pray to Him. Cry out to Him, and He will answer you. It is when you want all of Him, and have given up all of yourself, that the unsearchable things He imparts, fall behind the importance of His presence in your life. The unsearchable truths are magnificent, but His presence in your life is beyond anything your mind can even imagine. Call to Him and discover His unspeakable joy and peace.

I Will Exalt You, My God

(Psalm 145, NLT)

He is still God! Faithful! Miraculous! All-powerful! Righteous! Merciful! Compassionate! Unchanging! Enduring! Kind!  Always close! Hears my prayer and answers! Provides! Protects! Heals! Saves!  Loves me forever!  I will praise His name!

1 I will exalt you, my God and King,
    and praise your name forever and ever.
2 I will praise you every day;
    yes, I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    No one can measure his greatness.

4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
    let them proclaim your power.
5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
    and your wonderful miracles.
6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
    I will proclaim your greatness.
7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
    they will sing with joy about your righteousness.

8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 The Lord is good to everyone.
    He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 All of your works will thank you, Lord,
    and your faithful followers will praise you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
    they will give examples of your power.
12 They will tell about your mighty deeds
    and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
    You rule throughout all generations.

    The Lord always keeps his promises;
    he is gracious in all he does.14 The Lord helps the fallen
    and lifts those bent beneath their loads.15 The eyes of all look to you in hope;
    you give them their food as they need it.16 When you open your hand,
    you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.17 The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
    he is filled with kindness.18 The Lord is close to all who call on him,
    yes, to all who call on him in truth.19 He grants the desires of those who fear him;
    he hears their cries for help and rescues them.20 The Lord protects all those who love him,
    but he destroys the wicked.

21 I will praise the Lord,
    and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
    forever and ever.

I Let It Go

It takes time for a priceless pearl to form or for a Christian to discover the inner beauty that comes from the trials of life. A pearl's perfection comes from the constant irritation of sand within an oyster. Life is filled with constant irritation. Those irritations can spur me on to spiritual growth or they can destroy what God wishes to produce. 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, NIV). 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. Trusting God with a “no–matter–what–happens attitude” can lift me above whatever I face. I 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, NIV). Do I want to be a living sacrifice? Do I long to have a sacrificial attitude or do I fight against the lessons of life? Strength, joy, peace, and a “no–matter–what–happens 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 giving myself 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. By gracefully accepting the pruning of the Master Gardener's hand upon my life, I accept the lesson found in His discipleship. Learning God's lesson becomes my passion.

I can never humanly count the cost of surrender. Too much mental analysis of the cost, and I may retreat from the depth of inward commitment that surrender needs. Too little consideration of the cost, and my commitment of surrender may not last. I just let go of who I think I am. I let go of my desires, of my agenda, of my control in every circumstance and every situation, and allow God to lead me. I allow God be in charge of my life. I have spiritually accepted that letting go is worth everything for what I receive in return. It is in the moment of surrender of all that I struggle to control in my life that I discover the grace of His peace (Philippians 4:6-7).

God gives me the freedom to choose either my own way or His. I now seek that priceless pearl. I will sell all of myself to Him in order to possess it. When I surrender all the shallowness of who I have been for the fulfillment of who He is, I discover that in giving His life for me I have become His pearl of greatest price. Such love is beyond my mind's ability to understand. But I don't need to understand. I just let it go, and accept the miracle of His priceless worth.