Do Not Lose Sight!

"Jesus never lost sight of where He was headed  -  that exhilarating finish in and with God  -  He could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now He's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through.  That will shoot adrenaline into your souls" (The Message Version)!

Dear Child of God,

What are you putting up with right now? 

Is your child off track?  Is your boss mean?  Is your bank account running on empty? Is your spouse inconsiderate? Are you having difficulty getting your joy back?  Are you lonely? Does this political season have you fatigued and worried?  Are you struggling with your health? 

Whatever your struggle is, there is a way to navigate through the unrelenting, tough seasons of life: Do not lose sight of where you are headed!

Christ was able to face the unthinkable by focusing on the "exhilarating finish," which put Him right next to God. 

That is our ultimate and glorious destiny as well! 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help us to never lose sight of where we are headed. We look beyond our current problems, and focus on our final and glorious destination right alongside You.  Thank You that when our faith takes a hit, we can redirect our attention like Jesus did and receive a much-needed boost for our souls!  In Christ's name, AMEN!  

Encourage Yourself!

1 Samuel 30:6 “David was in great distress because the people in their bitterness said he should be stoned…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

Greetings,

When we are upset, going through troubles, and find our faith failing we are to encourage ourselves in the Lord.  I, thank God, have never experienced people wanting to stone me, but have had moments of great distress nonetheless. The right response is to encourage ourselves in Him.

How do we do that?    

For me it’s all about purposely reminding myself that God has never let me down. He has seen me through every trial, and I am grateful.  He has seen me through loss, and my heart sings because no matter how tough, every single loss is temporary.  He has guided me down the tricky and often confusing paths of being a good mom, and my kids are alive, I am alive, and we all love each other deeply and powerfully. He has steadily led me in those moments when I did not know what to do, and looking back, I can clearly see His wisdom at every turn.

One such season of complete, “What do we do now?” happened when the company Jorge worked for suddenly went bankrupt.  Within a few days our income stopped – came to a dead halt – and both company cars were repossessed.  I am not too ashamed to admit that we never saw it coming, and that my husband actually rode the bus for a while.  It was rough.  The bills still demanded payment, the kids were in private school, and we had a mortgage to pay. 

Night after long night Jorge and I would go to the Lord and freely admit that we needed Him.  We had no clue what to do or where to turn.  Looking back now we can both see the hand of God moving actively in our lives to get us back on our feet again and onto steadier ground.  The decisions made in the aftermath of that trial, were made only after consulting with God about everything and anything.  God has lifted us higher than we could have ever imagined, Jorge is working in a field he loves, he is his own boss, and enjoying God-given success.

In his distress, David encouraged himself in his God, and ultimately, God “delivered and protected him (Read 1 Samuel chapter 30).”  In our distress, God delivered and protected us as well.  He’ll do the same for you.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We encourage ourselves in You today by saying Thank You for Your faithfulness.  You have been and will always be with us each step of the way.  May we sense Your presence more than ever.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Faith Under Pressure~

Faith Under Pressure

That's the title under Chapter One in the book of James, and I think we all know about pressure.

I certainly have been feeling it lately. And my hubby, God bless his honest soul, was pulling out of the driveway last night and hit my soon-to-be-son-in-law's new car. Ouch!

I always say that if material damage is the worst of it, then no harm/no foul. It's still a bother and an expense sis boom bah, but Rayray's future husband took it in stride, and I love him :)

But what about other pressures? Health, relational, emotional, financial, familial...that's where we really feel the strain sometimes.

Is it possible to have strong, unwavering faith in certain circumstances?

Yes, but before James One even addresses that, look at what it says:

Verse 2-4

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Pure joy? Really? Is that even possible? Is God toying with us? I am supposed to look at the mess I am in and have joy? So what if testing produces perseverance? What if I don't want to let perseverance finish its work so that I can be mature? Maybe I like being a spiritual toddler.

First thing to consider: Like it or not, no matter what, you will face a trial. Not wanting to go through one won't help you avoid it. It's called life. So now that we have agreed that trials are an inevitable part of life, let's proceed with the attitude that if God is telling us to have joy in the middle of them, then it is possible and it will lead to good things.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You know our hearts and You know that we don't always--okay--practically never ever--have joy as we suffer through a difficulty. But because you are encouraging us to go for it, we ask You to fill us with joy no matter what. We do not want to be lacking in anything. In Jesus' name, AMEN!