Life Changes

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

—Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Life is not still. It constantly changes. Change means the circumstances you have relied upon or maybe even those you have come to accept, are no more. When things change for the worse, you might grieve the loss of what you thought would last. When they change for the better, you can even have difficulty adjusting to what is new. No matter what happens in life, God is your permanent foundation in this uncertain world. Jesus is your cornerstone of faith. You cannot fear change because He never changes. He is the same “yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). 

His perfect plan for your life always inspires hope and promises His best. Trust Him when the seasons of your life change. Lean on His truth, and apply each lesson in wherever circumstance life places you. When you live by faith in a world that offers no solid foundation, change does not throw you. The power of the Holy Spirit is always available. Claim it, and allow Him to strengthen you with the gift of His peace. God’s power—His consistency—His balance in life are yours to exercise every day. You can never ask too much of Him. His provision is constant. Living by faith in His grace provides abundance in everything life brings. 

“‘I am about to do something new,’ the Lord proclaims. ‘See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed.’” (Isaiah 43:19, 20b-21a, NLT). 

Whatever change lies ahead—whatever season comes, God makes a way to provide what you need. His heavenly resources are always available. His river of living water continuously flows rejuvenating your life. You are His child, and He will never forsake you or leave you. Praise Him and receive His spiritual peace. It is His perfect gift for your life—for you to understand that in whatever change occurs, He has an amazing plan for your life.

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

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Waiting for You

I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

—Jeremiah 31:3 {NLT)

I know the weight of your pain and the struggle of your battered mind over this thing that pulls you from trusting me. Just let it go. You are like a drowning person who, instead of reaching for the safety of my grace, holds on to very thing that the enemy has decided will drown you. This lie holds you in bondage to fear and keeps you from experiencing the depth of my love. I have sent servants into your life to encourage you. I have sent those who love you with my love and share my truth in love. They pray for you day and night and will never stop until I am able to reach you. I love you with my everlasting love and draw you in unfailing kindness. Please listen. Please, I’m beseeching you. I'm reaching out to your heart. Will you allow me to love you? I’m waiting with open arms. In my embrace you will find peace. Come to me, child, and be free.

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

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Confident Trust

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

—Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)

Do you trust God, or have you lost hope? Without trust in God, you will not have hope. James defines this trust as being "confident.” Are you confident that God loves you and takes care of the concerns of your heart? Confident trust rises from faith the size of a little mustard seed and grows stronger when nourished with the Word through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. 

“Remember the great reward confident trust gives you!" James writes. In Hebrews 10, James goes on to write of the great reward of eternal life that Jesus promises. When life is hard, patient endurance is needed. Knowing your promise of heaven will keep you focused on God’s purpose in your life. And when your life on earth has ended you will receive this reward. 

Do you "get through life" by thinking of your reward in heaven or do you "enjoy abundant life" now?  Abundant life is not everything being in place—running smoothly with no problems. Life is hard, but confident trust in Jesus inspires peace and joy no matter your circumstance. You live abundantly without the enemy stealing your hope and shaking your faith. "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy," Jesus says. "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10, NLT).

You discover a rich and satisfying life through confident trust in God. This trust fuels your faith. Hope always inspires. Peace is constant. Joy always rises. Fear does not shake you. Others don't wound you. You know who you are in Jesus. You understand that abundant life comes from the new life Jesus has given you. There is nothing you can "do" to make it happen. You have confident trust because the Grace of Jesus has changed your whole perspective. You know Him as never before. 

The Grace of Jesus has set you free from the lies of the enemy! Do you know it? His Grace has set you free from fear!  Do you experience it?  "Learn of me," He whispers, "and you will find rest for your soul!"  When you learn about the precious gift of righteousness He has given, you begin to see beyond your circumstance with His eyes instead of your own. You begin to hear His promise instead of worry or fear. Confident trust rises and fuels your faith. The rich and satisfying life Jesus promises is yours.

If you are hanging on by a thread—living with fear—just waiting for heaven, Jesus has the rewards of peace and joy that confident trust promises now. This life is not just a waiting game. It is a springboard for the greatest joy of heaven. His Kingdom lives within you right now. Grab hold of it with confident trust.

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

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Grace Transforms You

Christ himself has brought peace to us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations.

—Ephesians 2:14a,15a (NLT)

Do you keep striving to be good enough, and then feel condemned when you aren’t perfect? Jesus saved you from the treadmill of never being good enough when He exchanged His holiness for your sin. On the Cross, He ended the system of commandments and regulations, but the mindset of having to earn His love and the need to prove you are good enough didn’t end. Only the Holy Spirit transforms your thoughts and renews you in the spirit of your mind. Only He changes your mindset from a need to prove yourself to a place where you are at peace in Him. Working for Jesus—when it is free of judgment—then becomes service which flows out of His love.

The Holy Spirit changes the way you think when you surrender this struggling to prove yourself worthy and choose to believe that His grace has made you a new creature. When He took your sin, He assigned His righteousness to you. You are saved because He saved you. You can't save yourself by trying to be good enough. You can't make everything right by what you do. The change that affects your action takes place in the renewing of your mind—in the way you think. By faith, you believe that the grace of Jesus has the power to accomplish in your mind what He imparted to you at Calvary.

^“Suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ,” Paul wrote to the Galatians, “and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God” (Galatians 2:17-19, NLT).

Paul said that when he tried to keep the law, it condemned him. Die to a works mentality because it will defeat you. Don't rebuild the old "system"—don't allow who you were before Jesus saved you to determine who you are now. In His grace, you are free from sin’s condemnation because the consciousness of sin was the system of the old law. Jesus’ grace gives you a consciousness of righteousness so that when you sin, you are convicted instead of condemned. You have the assurance that you are forgiven instead of the lie that you can never change.

“This is the only work God wants from you,” Jesus once told the disciples. “Believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29, NLT). The only work God wants from you is to believe in Him. Have faith to believe that His grace which changed you at Calvary, now changes the way you view Him—that it changes the way you think. He doesn’t judge you. He paid the price for it. Get off the treadmill. Rest in His love and acceptance. Allow Him to work in you, and then He will flow through you in love. You will not be able to contain the gift His has given. It will transform every part of your life.

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

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Fullness of Joy

You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy. At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

—Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)

Lord, my path lies before me. You are always with me. Your peace becomes as natural as breathing as I grow to understand the truth of what your love has given me. When you died for me, you gave me all of you, and you took all of me. Ripping all of my sin, my pain, my fears from me, you gave me your life. Where I was once guilty, I became innocent with your righteousness. My old sinful nature was gone, and I was new in you. At the cross, you poured into me every spiritual supply I would need to carry me safely and abundantly through this life into the next. 

Abundant life is in your presence, Jesus! I have a fullness of joy no matter what life brings. When I accepted you into my heart by faith, you opened up the resources of heaven to me. For many years, I didn’t understand what that meant. I had to allow you to renew my mind—to change the way I think about you. I don’t have to live in fear that I can never be good enough. I don’t have to struggle anymore seeking just one thing to make you love me. You accept me. You guide me. You gently discipline me with your love. Your grace has set me free. 

Jesus, I am humbled and amazed. Peace is your constant gift. I have contentment without an agenda. Joy spills over into the hard days of life. The enemy tries to lie, but his voice fades away. Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice which saved me from myself and imparted everything I need to stand strong in this life. Filled with joy, I am free in your grace.

I have no debt! I run into your arms without hesitation. You said “no more” to my sin­—to my pain–to my fear. You said it is finished. I have abundant life with you now, and the promise of abundant life with you in heaven. What an honor to know that you sit at your father’s right hand praying for me as I live out my days on this earth—waiting, just as I am, in anticipation for the day I will be home.

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

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Handle with Grace

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

—Galatians 5:13 NIV

Dear Lord,

How can we praise you enough for your blessings?  Much of the time, we focus on our own needs or what we haven’t seen accomplished. You do a perfect work each day. Help us to understand it! Open our eyes so that we recognize the work of your amazing Grace not only in our hearts but also in others. 

We pray for those who haven’t experienced the healing power of your Grace to be set free from illnesses which hang on—physical pain that weakens—emotional distress that wounds—despair that can lead to depression. Lord, we ask you to renew our minds and mold us continually. We surrender any preconceived ideas to become the potential you see. All of these and more, we lay at your feet. 

You were broken and spilled out for us. Now healed by the gift of your life for ours, we lay down our needs upon your altar and rise to peace and victory in your presence. Fill us with your power, Holy Spirit, and with humility to handle each spiritual gift you impart with great wisdom. Guided by your care and discernment, your gifts heal a broken heart—encourage a struggling soul—raise a soul to walk in freedom. Your potential is limitless. 

If we focus on the new life you have bought us—on the gift of your Grace—your unselfish love on Calvary—we have the power to serve others from a clean heart without agenda. We can be so changed by your Grace that we honor another person’s need more than our own. 

Jesus, help us to impart your spiritual gifts with respect and care—mercy and compassion. We surrender to your love so that our hearts remain pliable, healed, and empowered by your Grace. You make our surrender the power which heals someone else’s broken heart. Never let us make it greater or less than your purpose. But always as you wish. 

Copyright © 2019 Lynn Lacher

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Your Reflection

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

—2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

Whose reflection do you see in your mirror?  Do you see the old person you were before the Grace of Jesus ripped open the veil that kept you from God’s presence? Perhaps you still wear the mask you wore before you believed in Jesus. You don't need to hide in fear of God. The love of Jesus for you at Calvary changed everything. God is not angry at you. He knows you intimately. He is in your spirit whether you “feel” Him or not in your mind. Until you see in your mirror the "new you" He has made, you will not see your reflection as He sees you. And how does He see you? He sees you through the eyes of His Grace—righteous because by faith you asked Him into your heart. Jesus took God's judgment for you. He took your guilt and shame. There is no need to "do" something to feel His forgiveness. He has forgiven you! You are free of that person you were. You are free of the enemy’s lies to destroy your faith. God loves you and wants you to come without hesitation into His presence. He wants you to "be" with Him.

Until this Truth renews your mind, you will never see yourself as He sees you. When you put on the new person He made you at Calvary—when the way you think is changed by the Holy Spirit—when you allow Him to open the eyes of your understanding—you start to see yourself as sees you. Your vision clears. The old veil that has covered your spiritual understanding is removed, and you have clarity. You understand His Grace doesn't judge your performance. It doesn't see the faults you see in the mirror. Grace sees the finished work in you that Jesus accomplished on the Cross. God gives you His Resurrection power to believe.

It is so frustrating trying to change the way you think about yourself. It is so much easier allowing the Holy Spirit to change your perception. "By his divine power," Peter wrote, "God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3, NLT). The Lord—who is the Spirit—has imparted EVERYTHING you need to live the righteous life that you RECEIVED when you were born-again in your spirit. When you allow Him access to your mind, you believe by faith that His divine power will change your perception. When you grasp the love of Calvary in your soul, you see the new person He has made you. 

That veil that has hidden His promises from you is gone! The reflection of His glorious image in the mirror will inspire you so much more than your own! Believe and allow Him to love you with the gift of His life for yours. 

©2019 Lynn Lacher

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Rest in Me

Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Child, you love me with all your heart and serve me with all your strength. You try so hard always to offer your best. But you struggle with fear. You battle with feelings of not being good enough. You fight with emotions that rise to shake the faith you have labored so hard to hold on to. You are tired and weary. You have no rest in your mind which constantly fights for peace. You can’t fight for peace, my child! When you choose to let go of your constant questioning and just believe in who I say you are, you will discover rest for your soul. You will know that I am your peace. 

Instead of laboring so hard to be perfect for me, please allow me to teach you the Grace and truth of my life for yours. Quit striving so hard to please all those who judge you. Quit working so hard to be perfect in your own eyes. You can't be renewed in your mind by my Spirit—you can't be set free from your fears—until you receive a spiritual awakening of the freedom I won for you on the Cross. 

Do you really believe you understand the depth of my love for you on Calvary? If you did, you would be free to walk in my peace. You would be free of fears that plague you. You would rest in my love. 

I am your answer. I ask you to let go of all your preconceived ideas about me—all you have been taught—all you have reasoned and analyzed—all that you have understood with only your natural mind. You are new in me—every day—every moment, you are a fresh creation. You will not know it and experience the healing depth of my Grace until you understand in your mind who I say that you are.

You are blameless in my eyes! I gave you my pure Spirit when I took your sins. You need not battle with guilt and shame and fear. There is no penance—nothing perfect for you to do. I did what had to be done. The battle is over. Come and know my love for you. Let my Spirit teach you. You are new. Rest in me.

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

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Free in His Love

“The Holy Spirit,” Paul writes, “produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things” (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT). 

Nothing can stand against the power of His grace changing your life. The new nature—His righteousness that He ascribed to you at Calvary, gives you the ability to conquer selfishness, fear, anger, bitterness, resentment, rejection, and every human emotion that rages in your mind. All things are possible when the all-powerful God of Grace has made you righteous by taking your sin to the Cross. When you intentionally choose to put on the new nature He has given you, again and again, self is denied. You are able for the Holy Spirit to teach you the truth of His Word. You draw closer to understanding what He has done for you. When your mind perceives that nothing can separate you from His love­—nothing can destroy the work He finished at Calvary, you are changed by His grace. You find peace. You live the fruit He imparted to you when you were born-again by His Spirit. 

Never forget that He lives in you, but He can’t guide and direct your life if you don't allow it. Allow Him be real in you. Surrender to His Grace. You don’t do the work! He does. You choose to put on your new nature. He does the job when you let go and let Him bring forth His purpose.

There is no law more powerful and potent than the fruit of the Spirit guiding your life. When you continually put on your new nature, living the fruit becomes as natural as breathing. You live the Word because you love Him. You cherish the Savior who saved you. The law only exposed sin. It could never make the payment for it. Only His righteousness in exchange for your sin could. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Choose faith over fear. When His Grace anchors your life, you have nothing to prove. You are free in His love.

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2019/05/free-in-his-love.html

Joy Comes

Praise God in your difficult time, and faith flourishes. Worry turns to trust. Sorrow is lifted. In your most pressing moment you experience His calm. With release of worry and fear to God, your mind is quietened and reassured by His Spirit. Peace then rises from within no matter how dreadful your circumstances—no matter your inability to make things better—no matter what you have been told or heard. You have Jesus alive in your spirit. He owns your heart. He waits to handle the things that you can’t. In the consistent release of your worries to Him, you remain in His peace. When you know all is well, joy comes.

—Philippians 4:6-7

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

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