Victory in the Valley

I remember the moment many years ago when I heard a minister instruct a congregation that “God is not in your valley. He is just in your victory”. God is not only in my victory! He is also most definitely in my valley! If the Lord had not been with me in each valley I would have never survived to live in victory. The valley is our opportunity and to grow spiritually stronger through the grace of Jesus Christ. The valley reveals how much of His strength we have and whether we shall fail or make it. We do not know of what we are made until we are tested. It is in the valley where we discover who we really are and who He really is. It is in the valley that spiritual maturity has the potential to flourish.

In the midst of a trial we become weary and anxious when we don’t know what is next. “Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul wrote, “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6:7, NIV). We are to pray with thanksgiving in our heart—choosing and then allowing God to be in control. No matter what our human mind perceives or analyzes we are to believe in His promise and omnipotent ability to handle what we are incapable of handling on our own. We are not to worry about anything because we are instructed to petition the Lord who not only created every molecule in this world, but also controls each one. Is He not also able to handle any problem? Thanking the Lord for His provision reveals trust in His promise and faith in His character. Thanking God brings His peace. The promise is clear. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

“You have made this too simple,” perhaps you insist. “It is not that simple.” But His direction is simple. God did not make His promise difficult. We make the valley difficult by not applying His direction in the midst of the struggle. We miss the peace of God because we try to humanly analyze each struggle instead of leaning on God to lift us above the trial or to carry us through it. Your mind can only be guarded from fear of the unknown when you praise and thank God for His faithfulness—when your thoughts dwell upon His infinite grace instead of worrying and creating potential scenarios. God knows what His accomplishing scene will be. Trust Him for it, and spiritually “analyze” His loving promise instead of humanly expanding your problem.

Be willing to endure the earthly trial for the spiritual lesson God wishes to impart. He may lift the trial or He may let it remain, but it is His decision. Seek the Lord each day and discover your burden is much lighter when you focus on the Lord instead of what is going on in your life. You will discover His supernatural peace when you give your trial to Him through prayerful petition. It is a peace that nothing in this world can offer (John 14:27), and it can only be found through the struggles of life. It is a gift from the Savior to lighten your load (Matthew 11:30).

The night before His crucifixion Jesus reminded His disciples of all the things He had instructed them “so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV). Christ has overcome every problem that exists. You don't just “survive” in the valley. You “flourish” because Christ has poured living water into what might have otherwise been a desert. You have allowed Him to turn your valley into His victory.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

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Rejoice in the Rain

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you

—Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)

Do you realize that life is not about waiting for the storms of life to just end? There will always be storms. Life is about learning to rejoice in the rain. It is about bringing the Lord a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15) no matter what storm rages in your life. You can't wait the storms of life out. You must launch into the fury in faith, trusting the Lord to help you handle it with grace.

Jesus Christ is the very best truth for your life. His truth is not lessened by trials and suffering. If you practice what is right, continually dwell on what is good, and trust the Lord, you will discover God's promise of peace and joy in the midst of any trial.

Do you rejoice in His faithfulness or does worry anchor your mind in fear? If God is with you, why should you be afraid? This Scripture from Philippians imparts the truth that if He is with us we can have perfect peace of mind and heart. We can’t worry and live in peace at the same time. Anxiety and worry will destroy peace of heart and mind. God, however, assures those who have made Him Lord that He is constantly with them as they face the raging storms of life. If we know Him, we have His constant care, and faithful promise to carry us through to the end.

In the midst of your storm is exactly where God is. He is the fourth man in your fire, and the strength that holds your arm high above the battle that wages. He is the living water that quenches your thirst in your desert place. He is your song when no one else is singing. He is your victory! Let's rejoice in Him always. Let's give Him our fears with thankfulness in our hearts that He will handle what we are unable to handle. Let's dwell on what is good and worthy and noble, and put these into practice in our lives. Our God of peace will be with us. All will be well even when the storms rage.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

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A Free Slave

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (I Corinthians 9:19-23, NIV).

I am free because of what Jesus has done for me, and I choose to make myself a slave for the sake of others. What does that mean? I become as others so that I might understand their plight, and offer them the hope that I have received. Paul said that he had become all things to all people so that some might find Christ. That is my call, too, and it is yours. Not to force any superiority or knowledge or faith on anyone else, but to live my faith and offer it–to become as someone else in order that I might understand how to share it.

What a powerful thought! If I become as Christ, and make myself a slave to others, then in offering my life for the sake of someone else, the gospel lives in me. His message of sacrificial love is offered. Jesus, who was sinless, became sin, and took it to the cross. There He sacrificed His life so I might be free from sin's control. I am free because of His love. But I choose to be His because of that love which gave everything for me. If I can identify with someone in need of His love, and give all my heart’s attention to them, the Holy Spirit can reveal the deepest need that only He knows. He can guide me in what I say and do. When I become less for the sake of someone else, then Christ can be much more in me. He can then use me to help someone see the freedom and potential He has for their life.

I have a story to tell and to share. It is a story of Christ laying down His life for my sake. It is a story of redeeming love, and freedom from all I have been. I am a free, and only a slave by choice. He is the best choice I could ever make, and His life is the greatest I could ever offer. John said it best. “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4, NIV). He is the life that is offered to all mankind, and the only light which reveals the depths of the human heart. I will allow His light to shine in me, and the darkness will not overcome it. I will make myself a slave for the sake of others. In my freedom, I choose Him.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

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New

He makes all things new. We forget that truth so quickly. Every gift He sends, every promise, every renewed hope helps you to rise above what otherwise would hold you back. This world will try to bind you, and keep you focused on every lie the enemy tells. It is the enemy's cords that attempt to bind your spirit, but it is God's Spirit that severs those ties, and breaks all the lies. It is God's power that gives you wings to reach His height, and discover His joy which is your strength.

A broken spirit can soar again. As tired as you seem or feel, remember that He makes all things new. That is your promise, and it is true. You shall not only walk again. You shall soar again. He speaks to your broken spirit, and broken heart to not give up, but to trust in His promise to make all things new.

He does not just make some things news. He makes ALL things new.

Copyright 2018 Lynn Lacher

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Pain and Joy

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.

—Romans 12:15 NLT

Rejoice with one who is happy, and cry with one who is hurting. Be whatever is necessary in each moment. Listen with not only your mind, but with your heart. To share in someone’s grief is a gift that gives you strength through your own pain. To share in their joy is something that makes you appreciate the blessings that God has given you. Be ready in season and out of season for the person He sends to you. Listen to their suffering, and you will soon rejoice with them in new awareness of His love. Pain that is experienced today often becomes part of the joy of tomorrow—for not only the one who needs you, but for you.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

Essence

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

—Mark 9:24b

“Lord, I believe, but help me overcome my inability to believe!” This the cry of the heart of His child who longs for more faith. These words reveal areas where I lack faith, but they also reveal how my faith has grown. Sounds like a paradox, doesn’t it? “I do believe, Lord, yet I need more faith to believe.” As I grow closer to Him, I know Him more, and experience His power in my life. But at the same time I am more conscious of the times when I fall short of complete trust in Him. This is the spiritual growth. There is increased ability to believe, and then comes a plea for greater faith. It is a cry to overcome all my unbelief. It is a cry for complete and perfect trust in Him. My heart’s cry is heard, and He answers my prayer with more faith. He also reveals where I still lack in faith, and imparts the power to walk the path that leads, step by step, upwards and closer to Him.

Trusting Him completely is my gift to Jesus for all He has done for me. I have a friend who says trust is that perfect place of rest that comes from knowing He takes care of all the concerns of her heart. He has all things covered because that is what He promises in His Word. Another friend says that perfect trust comes when the “essence” of all she is rests in Jesus. Christ’s perfect love casts out all fear, and then perfect trust rises from the heart. Our human minds cannot analyze the depth of such love, but our hearts can receive it. The Lord speaks to our hearts and minds to be still and know He is God (Psalm 46:10)—to focus on Him (Isaiah 26:3). When I allow all the “essence” of who I am to rest in Jesus Christ, perfect trust will blossom.

If you are struggling to trust Him more today, decide to trust Him more. Make “help my unbelief” the cry of your heart. Make a conscious decision, and bring your thoughts captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). You can never reason trust. Your mind can never grasp it. Perfect love is birthed by faith in Jesus Christ, and that is where perfect trust will take root. Allow the “essence” of all you are to be at rest in the “essence” of who He is. You will be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Ephesians 4:23), and perfect trust will bloom.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

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Only I Can

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

—Romans 12:10 (NLT)

Love. Be devoted. Have compassion. Honor the need of someone else as greater than your own. I read today’s verse from Bible Gateway, and immediately asked myself if God sees this in me. Even if I may hear how kind I am from other people, I always need to ask myself if it is true. The Holy Spirit wishes me to understand the reason I help others. “Love each other with genuine affection,” the New Living Testament reads, “and take delight in honoring each other.” He wants to make sure that the reason is from genuine love with no agenda behind the action. If I have no agenda, I will find great joy and delight in what I am able to share.

It is my heart on the altar. Not anyone else’s. “Create in me a pure heart, O God,” the psalmist cried, “and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10, NIV). Only I can examine the real motive of my own heart, and allow the Lord to create a steadfast one within me. Only I can be renewed! Only I can offer a heart without motive—one that is holy and pleasing to God. That is my true worship—my heart on the altar—my life not about me, but all about Him.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

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Go for the Vision

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. ” (Joshua 1:9, NLT).

With the vision of God's Promised Land just within their grasp the Israelites couldn't muster enough faith to face the giants who lived there. For years they wandered in the desert knowing their promise was just within reach, but they also knew that they would have to overcome obstacles to receive it. It would not be handed to them on a silver platter. They lived in fear of what it would cost.

Does this sound like us? We see our vision and understand God's promise awaits our action, but we just can't make the commitment to reach for it because of the fear of what it will cost us. It might cost money or time or work. But that is not the most important cost. It will cost our complete surrender and it will cost faith. That is the payment that is required. We want the promise, but we don’t want to face the giant of our own fear of what may happen. We don’t want to face possible failure. Our promised land is within reach, but it requires obedience, commitment, and trust in God's faithfulness. Instead of reaching for His promise, we become settled and comfortable where we are.

God told His people then, and He tells us now, to be strong and courageous, to be obedient and committed. Know the Word. Fill your mind and heart with its promise and the strength that it brings to receive His promise. Do not be afraid, and never be discouraged. Reach out and make the commitment that is needed to receive His promise. Disillusionment and discouragement will retreat with commitment to Him. Fear will vanish with action. When we step out of the boat in faith, we will walk on water because He is our “paraclete”—the One who comes along side to keep us from drowning—the One who is with us wherever we go.

Are you sitting on the edge of your vision for your Promised Land? “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, NLT). Faith gives you the assurance that those giants are nothing when faced with the power of God. Faith is your confidence to move forward in His will for your life believing He brings about His promise. “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36, NIV).

What is your vision?  What has God promised you?  If you are wandering in a desert of dry bones, it is time to speak life to what God has promised. “God will make this happen,” Paul wrote, “for he who calls you is faithful” (I Thessalonians 5:24, NLT). It is time to move forward trusting that God will supply all that is needed to overcome the obstacles. It is time for your vision to live.

© Lynn Lacher 2017

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Stand

My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

—1 Peter 5:12b (NLT)

Do you know what it is like when suddenly what you believe is your purpose is written in someone else’s words?  I don’t know why I had never noticed this message in Peter’s words before, but now it anchors and encourages me. It is the message of my heart—for believers to know that the troubles they have are not meant to defeat, but edify them. “I am writing,” Peter says, “to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1, NLT).  Paul writes to encourage these believers that the hardships they experience living in foreign lands are truly a part of God’s grace for them. They are not to give up, but to stand firm.

Do you feel you are living in a foreign and strange land? Well, you are. “This world is not our permanent home,” the writer to the Hebrews imparts. “We are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:14, NLT). Yes, we are looking forward to that time one day when we shall live with Him, but for now we live our faith in a land where we are often misunderstood and judged. “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it,” John writes, “but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of it” (John 5:19a, NLT).

To come out of this world? To withdraw physically from it? No. You come out of it by allowing His grace to change you so that you see this world as your opportunity to live and share His unconditional love. What you experience in this world—whether rejection or trials or problems—are all opportunities to live the truth of His Word. To experience and grow in the knowledge of God’s grace, your faith is tried and fired by life.

The reason that I write is that I must. It is a part of me that I cannot deny. I write because of my purpose, and today I found my purpose written in God’s own words. I must assure you that what you face in this world is a part of God’s grace. It has the power to not only change you, but to change someone else.

“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us,” the writer to the Hebrews advises. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a, NLT). Don’t give up. Stand strong. Keep your eyes on Him, and run your race. He cheers you on to the goal. Stand in His grace. He is all you need.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

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Out of the Ashes

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

—Psalm 112:4 (NIV)

If you are struggling in darkness or circumstances beyond your control—if you are living an honorable life filled with kindness and compassion, you will not remain in that darkness forever. Light will dawn. His promise will come. You will climb out of that hole. His light will guide you safely through your battle—your turmoil—your pain—to His healing peace.

“Such people will not be overcome by evil,” the psalmist continues. “Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly” (Psalm 112:6-8, NLT).

Stand in His promise. When you belong to Jesus Christ, the evil of this world will not overcome your faith. And that faith may be as small as a mustard seed, but its strength can flourish in the midst of hardship. It would be wonderful if you lived in a world where you only knew good things every day. But life isn’t just the good. Bad circumstances are a part of life.  You don’t need to fear what is bad. God will take care of you. You can face whatever happens. You can stand confident and fearless in spite of it.

“To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,” Isaiah imparts, “a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory” (Isaiah 61:3, NLT).  Evil does not win. His blessing will rise from that which tries to destroy. Not only will you rise from the ashes in His power and promise, you will remain strong, planted deeply in His purpose. Nothing that comes against you will defeat you. Out of the ashes, you will rise.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

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