So it is week one, day one, of a new online bible study from Proverbs 31 Ministries. I did A Confident Heart by +Renee Swope in October, ending in early December, and it was LIFE ALTERING, as some of you may already This month we are starting one called "Made to Crave" by +Lysa TerKeurst and I think it is going to be just as amazing! Today was the first day and I read chapter one. My socks + Made to Crave = ROCKED!!! [yes I am a dork, but I am already blown away by the feeling of empowerment in this very first chapter]
At the end of the chapters there is a section of "personal reflections". These questions/reflections were very difficult for me. They really made me think... and, well, reflect. I wrote down my reflections in a notebook I will be keeping during this study and although I won't always share every detail with my blog fans, there is a point, or maybe a few points, I thought I would share today. I know there are countless women, and even men too, out there who feel the same way I do, who struggle with daily cravings and addictions too. More than 40,000 women signed up for this study so I know I am not alone. But for those who are not signed up, those that have not found this study or one like it yet, for those who might just happen upon my blog, I want to reach out and let y'all know, you're not alone either!! The whole purpose of this blog has been to reach out to people who are as lost as I was and let them know it's OK... it's OK to still be finding your way, it's OK to mess up sometimes, it's OK to be a 'baby Christian', and it's OK to seek and ask for help. So... if you struggle with any kind of addiction, my friends, read on! and stay tuned through the next few weeks... I have a feeling God is about to do something REALLY big!!!
So, here are the things I learned in chapter one today...
1. We were made to crave God and only God... when we crave other things like money, sex, food, drugs, alcohol... whatever addiction you struggle with that comes before God, we are allowing that object and Satan to control us. We are prisoners of that addiction. God never intended for us to live like that. There is freedom in the blood of Jesus and God wants us to crave a relationship with Him so that we can live in THAT freedom, NOT live in the restraints of worldly addictions.
2. There are three ways that Satan tempts us into craving worldly things instead of God. Cravings for physical things such as food, sex, alcohol, etc. Lust of the eyes, or wanting what we see, such as money, social standing, etc. and Boasting, or finding our significance some where other than in God, such as name dropping, bragging, or exaggerating stories, etc. When we allow God to provide our physical needs, our material needs, and base our identities and significance on who God says we are, we won't need to search for those things any where else BUT Him.
3. When you focus on the prize [salvation and Heaven] and submerge yourself in the word of God you will be less susceptible to Satan's temptations. When you God is on your side, and you are armed with His word and His promises, nothing can stand against you. No matter what your addiction is, it will never be stronger than the power of the blood and the power of the word.
This third part is the part I really want to share with you guys. I have a lot of thoughts and reflections about this part and I feel strongly that I need to put them out there. Y'all know I can get carried away every now and then so just hang in there with me...
God's word is mighty powerful and alive and active. All we need to do is read it, let it sink into our souls, and let it work! God does not speak just to hear himself talk, He sends out His word with a purpose and a reason and it will not come back to Him empty. When he sends rain it does a job and does not return to the Heaven's until it has done that job or nourishing the Earth. How much more powerful and beneficial do you think the word of God can be than mere rain? When He sends out his word it will do great things, but if we aren't living in that word we can and will miss out that amazing power. Ephesians 6:10-20 speaks of the Armor of God. That armor comes from the word of God. The belt of truth... God's word... the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace... God's word... the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. When these things are teamed up with a righteous heart and the shield of faith you will be unstoppable, my friends!! The more you read his word and the more time you spend talking with and spending time with God the stronger your armor will get. Your shield of faith will grow stronger too, as you get to know God and as you call on his name in different situations and he comes through for you, time and time again, your faith will grow stronger and stronger. Just like Gideon in Judges chapters 6 and 7, he asks God several times to prove himself. Gideon tests God, so to speak, and each and every time God does exactly what Gideon asks Him to do. With each test Gideon's faith grew stronger and stronger until he was a mighty warrior standing tall and ready to do battle for the Lord... and God delivered the Midianites into Gideon's hands just as he promised he would. Now I am not telling you to "test" God, but I promise that as you seek him and seek the truth if you go to him in prayer asking for his strength, even ask him to show his faithfulness to you, he will not disappoint you. He will reveal himself to those who seek him and as he does your faith will grow stronger. As you get to know him better and better through his word your faith will grow stronger. His love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out. The deeper into the word you get and the more you see the evidence of this the stronger your armor will get.
Now let's go take a look at how Satan tempted Jesus and see God's word in action!
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’" Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." Matthew 4:1-11
Every time that Satan tempted Jesus he quotes scripture back to him. Jesus was stuck out in that desert wilderness for 40 days! No food, no water, for 40 long days and long nights... and when Satan tempted him to turn those stones into bread he could have done it. He could have said 'ya know what, I am the son of God and I am hungry and I am going to eat!' But instead he fully submerged himself in the word of God and said 'get away from me Satan, my father gives me EVERY thing I need!' I know you're probably sitting there right now going, 'but that was Jesus, I could never be THAT strong!'. And you're right, right now, today, you may not be that strong, but as you grow in your faith and get to know God and rely fully on him, you WILL be that strong one day. Satan couldn't stick around in the presence of God's word, that's how powerful it was, he had to tuck his tail and run away! Think for just a moment how that mighty word could work in your life... think back to the most recent time you were tempted with whatever addiction you struggle with.
For me that was just this afternoon. I went to have lunch in town with my mom and my son. This little place has the most amazing chili cheese fries and chocolate milkshakes ever! Just the type of food that is a real weakness for me. Now, here is a little secret about me for y'all so you won't be fooled into thinking I am any better or stronger than anyone else out there... I am a compulsive over eater. All my life I have filled whatever void there is in my life with food. If food tastes good I just can not stop eating it. No matter how full my stomach feels, I just keep stuffing and stuffing, hoping my heart will feel full too. Of course, it never works, and I feel even worse about myself after, and it takes hours to be able to breathe normal again... but I just keep doing it! Even I don't understand it, but there is the truth of it. So here we are with this big mound of chili and cheese topped goodness and a thick, creamy, chocolaty yumminess to wash it down. Half way through I was getting full. And guess what? Yep, you betcha... enter Satan and his trickery! There he was whispering in my ear, one more bite won't hurt, Jordan, it's so good you know you want to... come on, you don't want to be wasteful do you? Remember, waste not, want not" Oh yes, he knows just how to play into my emotions, what triggers to trip, what strings to pull. I could very well have given into all of that. I could have thought 'ya know what? He's right! I gotta finish this!' And had this been just a month or so ago I probably would have! But today I was empowered by and armed with the word and strength of my father, the King of Kings! Today I was able to tell Satan... 'get outta here you big bully! My God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever! [Ps 73:26] and he provides all that I need! He will fill and fulfill my heart far longer than these fries will fill my tummy! And just like that Satan was gone, Jesus was there, and I didn't keep stuffing my face until I was miserable!
Now I am not trying to brag here, this was one victory today. Tomorrow I might fall flat on my face and end up eating Blue Bell straight out of the carton until I am ready to puke! I certainly hope that doesn't happen, I will pray for the strength to keep that from happening... but my point is any day could be a failure just like any day could be a victory. Praise God that today I had a victory! And pray to God I can have another one tomorrow! The real reason I share this with you guys is so that you see that it wasn't just Jesus being strong, it was the WORD of GOD being too strong for Satan to stand up to it! When we are armed with the word of God there is NO addiction that can keep control of us for very long! Every day might be a battle but with God on your side you can keep racking up the victories until you have won the war!
I know my thoughts can be scattered and spastic at times but I really hope that this blog made at least SOME sense to y'all today. I pray that it helps someone out there who struggles as much as I do. The goal here is to keep blogging for you guys regularly as I go through this bible study so we can be victorious together! Y'all feel free to comment so we can support and pray for each other! Love y'all always!! Don't give up!!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
My Testimony
Hey guys!! Sorry I have been lazy and not blogging lately :( I know... shame on me... but I will be blogging more often soon since I am going to be starting a new bible study this week and I will want to share with you guys as I go... plus they have this awesome blog hop thing once a week during these online bible studies... so that should be pretty cool... anyways, on to today's business... I am going to share my testimony with all of you today. I didn't want to post this sooner because I was giving this testimony to my church today for the very first time ever... there are things in the written version that I left out this morning because I was trying not to take too long. LOL! There will be a video version coming along at some point in time and I may post it as well, but for now, here is the typed version... hope it touches someone!
In Revelation we are told that our testimonies are our most powerful tool against Satan. Although I can't recall the exact chapter and verse we are told there that the head of the beast will be CUT OFF, his power will be CUT OFF, because of our testimonies and witnesses to the power of Jesus Christ. God began laying it on my heart many months ago that I should give my testimony. I argued, pleaded, and drug my heels. I had every excuse in the book why I couldn't or shouldn't get up here and tell all of y'all the sordid details of my past. But He kept nudging me and nudging me, so here I am. I don't want to dwell a whole lot on the details of my past but you have to know where I was, what Jesus carried me out of, in order to fully appreciate just how miraculous and life changing the blood of the lamb really is.
Some of my very earliest memories is of being in church with my Granny. I was brought up good ole, traditional, Southern Baptist... tried and true. I was baptized when I was 8 because I was the "new girl" in the Sunday school class and the 3 most popular girls were doing it so I did too. The church where I spent the majority of my life, from 8 to 18, was your every day, typical, small town, Baptist church. In the 10 years I attended there we must have gone through 4 or 5 preachers. All the deacons were related and if you stepped on one of their toes you stepped on all of them and it wouldn't be too much longer before you were politely asked to leave. I guess out of survival instinct those preachers didn't get around to teaching true scripture too often. I am not judging or condemning those people but you have to understand, I was in church every time the doors opened, but I was never taught or shown how to have a life based on scripture. I was never taught the importance of being IN the word.
So my church experiences were not as beneficial as they could have been, to say the least. Then take into account my home life. My parents divorced when I was very young and my father was not present for most of my life. Neither of my parents had close, personal, daily relationships with Christ at that time, and my mother's second husband carried a Bible in one hand and a constant beer bottle in the other. Because I was not strong in the word and my faith was not scripture based I was very vulnerable to Satan and his lies. My step father was very verbally abusive towards me and every time he said something negative Satan was there to back him up, and I had not yet heard all the many truths of God's word about who and what I really am IN him, so I believed those lies.
Through a lack of good father figures and a lack of scripture based faith I was left to develop my own image of God. Just like a celebrity in the tabloids, you hear all this stuff about them, so you think 'oh yeah I know who they are', but you only know parts of them, half truths, and even some all out lies about them. That is how I "knew" God. I knew what I had heard about him, what others had told me, but I had never taken the time to sit in his presence, read his word, talk and listen with him, and get to know HIM right from the source. I decided that God was this big, intimidating guy sitting up in the clouds shaking his head at all the bad stuff I was doing. I decided His love for me was based strictly on my performance. When I was good He loved me and sent blessings and when I was bad he took away his love and blessings and I had to earn them back.
When I was 16 I attended a true love waits weekend retreat with my youth group. At the end of the weekend I made a promise to myself and God that I would save myself for marriage. Less than a year later I met an older boy who showed me a lot of attention I had never had before. My self esteem and confidence were non-existent and he preyed on that. Despite any and all warnings from my mother I decided I was in love with this boy. By the time I turned 17 my true love waits promise was broken. Then here came Satan again, whispering in my ear, telling me I had failed God, I had broken my promise, I was dirty and defiled and he could never love or look at me again. I had messed up and could never earn my way back into God's good graces so why even try? Shortly there after my step mom had a little girl and three weeks later that little baby girl passed away. There was Satan heaping on the guilt and agony, I was so bad and God was so angry with me that he had to take Chloe away to teach me my lesson. Had I ever read the word and been in the scripture I would have known that these were all lies. I could have armed myself with God's word and not believed these things. But I didn't. So from 17-23 my life spun out of control. That older boy I had been seeing turned abusive and controlled my mind and much of my life for several years. He would yo-yo in and out of my life. During the times he wasn't around I filled the void with alcohol, occasional drugs, partying, and random men. I felt empty inside and kept trying to fill the holes with these worldly addictions, never seeing or knowing that those holes were God shaped and He was standing just in the background waiting for me to notice him and turn to him again. I broke every commandment there is... all 10 of them.... some of them too many times to count. I lived life thinking I had lost God's approval so what's the use? I might as well enjoy myself now and then when I am really old and gray and lying on my death bed I can ask forgiveness and it'll be all good.
Then in November of 2007 my cousin, who was only one month younger than me, died of leukemia... 5 months later, just after my 22nd birthday my grandfather died too. During those first 5 months after Lauren passed I crawled into a bottle and stayed there. When Grandaddy followed so soon after it snapped me out of it. I was an ostrich with my head in the sand and God came along and kicked me in the behind. I realized there might not be an old and gray death bed to ask for forgiveness on...
But my faith still wasn't scripture based so that "wake up" was very brief. Although I got out of the bars and settled down with one man, my life was still way off track. Between July of 2008 and November of 2009 I met and moved in with a man, got pregnant, got married, found him cheating, had the baby, and watched him walk away. I had sworn to myself all my life that I would marry one time and one time only. When I married it would be for keeps, divorce was NOT an option. But when your marriage is based on 'oops we got knocked up we better do something' instead of being based on God, it can't last long. So from November of 2009 until March of 2011 I was lost and struggling. I was barely treading water financially and trying to raise a little boy without a father... I was totally lost once again.
In March of 2011 we found the Hubbard Cowboy Church. Even when I strayed from God and church I had always had this little nagging in the very bottom of my heart, the back of my mind, like a craving for a relationship with him... even when i ignored it. So when mom found the website for a Cowboy Church i thought, well why not... southern baptists didn't do me any good, let's give em a try. The first time we walked up we were greeted like long, lost family members. The very first sermon was on why you need to be in church. As the Sundays went on I found that I was being given true scripture teachings for the first time in my life. Every Sunday God was convicting me of something through these sermons. But I'm stubborn so you know that's not the end of the story.
Last January I decided that my new year's resolution was to draw nearer to God. You see the more we came to church and the more I really listened to the sermons and let them sink in, the better life was getting. My life was turning around. I finally made the connection... when I am trying to get closer to Him things get better. So you know I posted this on Facebook of course... and at the time I had no idea what kind of prayers and power I would bring on myself by putting that down in some form of writing. This last year has been nothing short of amazing for me. Through out the year I can't count the many times that I felt the presence of God, drawing me back to Him; The many times that I felt and noticed Him working many things in sync with each other strictly for the purpose of turning my heart back to him. Songs on the radio at just the right time. Bits of scripture dropped in front of me by others, or social media, or on my phone, over and over again. I finally read the book "The Shack" even though I have had it on the shelf since it was first published and never opened it. Even something as small as a book planted yet another seed in my heart.
But I think the biggest turning point was late September, talking to my sister on the phone, she told me she had signed up for an online bible study through Proverbs 31 ministries. In my head I was thinking, oh that's nice but I could never do that, when do I have time for a bible study. And then I heard my own mouth going, "oh i would LOVE to do that with you". Huh? Then I thought, oh well maybe she will forget... a week later my book arrived in the mail because she had signed me up. The bible study changed my life. God had been preparing my heart all year to be open to that bible study... and boy did it blow my socks away. It is called "a confident heart" by Renee Swope. Although the entire thing was life changing there were parts that touched me deeper than others. One being a deeper look at the story of the woman at the well. I thought I knew that story already but when this study took me deeper into it I could not believe how well I related to this woman.
Long story short, this year I finally found myself in the word. Now I find that I can't get out of the word. If you don't hear anything else that I have said today I want you to hear this part... No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no matter how long you have gone without being close to God, He is still there waiting on you. He still loves you. When you turn to Him, when you accept Jesus, it really and truly is all washed away. Romans 8:1 says "therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The most wonderful truth I have learned this year, probably the most wonderful thing I ever will learn, is this... No matter how "bad" you think you are the blood of Jesus is enough. I lived a long time believing that God's grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness applied to everyone BUT me. This year I have learned that when you think like that you might as well be looking Jesus in the eye and telling him "your sacrifice wasn't good enough for me, your blood wasn't strong enough to cover me". I assure you His blood IS strong enough.
I want to leave y'all with two things... 1. you can not worship what you do not trust, and you can not trust what you do not know. The only way to get to know God better is to get into His word, spend time with Him, listen as much as you talk to Him... if you seek Him you WILL find Him and you will never be disappointed. and number 2. There will ALWAYS be more power, love, grace, and mercy in the blood of Jesus than there is sin in you... He's got ya covered...
In Revelation we are told that our testimonies are our most powerful tool against Satan. Although I can't recall the exact chapter and verse we are told there that the head of the beast will be CUT OFF, his power will be CUT OFF, because of our testimonies and witnesses to the power of Jesus Christ. God began laying it on my heart many months ago that I should give my testimony. I argued, pleaded, and drug my heels. I had every excuse in the book why I couldn't or shouldn't get up here and tell all of y'all the sordid details of my past. But He kept nudging me and nudging me, so here I am. I don't want to dwell a whole lot on the details of my past but you have to know where I was, what Jesus carried me out of, in order to fully appreciate just how miraculous and life changing the blood of the lamb really is.
Some of my very earliest memories is of being in church with my Granny. I was brought up good ole, traditional, Southern Baptist... tried and true. I was baptized when I was 8 because I was the "new girl" in the Sunday school class and the 3 most popular girls were doing it so I did too. The church where I spent the majority of my life, from 8 to 18, was your every day, typical, small town, Baptist church. In the 10 years I attended there we must have gone through 4 or 5 preachers. All the deacons were related and if you stepped on one of their toes you stepped on all of them and it wouldn't be too much longer before you were politely asked to leave. I guess out of survival instinct those preachers didn't get around to teaching true scripture too often. I am not judging or condemning those people but you have to understand, I was in church every time the doors opened, but I was never taught or shown how to have a life based on scripture. I was never taught the importance of being IN the word.
So my church experiences were not as beneficial as they could have been, to say the least. Then take into account my home life. My parents divorced when I was very young and my father was not present for most of my life. Neither of my parents had close, personal, daily relationships with Christ at that time, and my mother's second husband carried a Bible in one hand and a constant beer bottle in the other. Because I was not strong in the word and my faith was not scripture based I was very vulnerable to Satan and his lies. My step father was very verbally abusive towards me and every time he said something negative Satan was there to back him up, and I had not yet heard all the many truths of God's word about who and what I really am IN him, so I believed those lies.
Through a lack of good father figures and a lack of scripture based faith I was left to develop my own image of God. Just like a celebrity in the tabloids, you hear all this stuff about them, so you think 'oh yeah I know who they are', but you only know parts of them, half truths, and even some all out lies about them. That is how I "knew" God. I knew what I had heard about him, what others had told me, but I had never taken the time to sit in his presence, read his word, talk and listen with him, and get to know HIM right from the source. I decided that God was this big, intimidating guy sitting up in the clouds shaking his head at all the bad stuff I was doing. I decided His love for me was based strictly on my performance. When I was good He loved me and sent blessings and when I was bad he took away his love and blessings and I had to earn them back.
When I was 16 I attended a true love waits weekend retreat with my youth group. At the end of the weekend I made a promise to myself and God that I would save myself for marriage. Less than a year later I met an older boy who showed me a lot of attention I had never had before. My self esteem and confidence were non-existent and he preyed on that. Despite any and all warnings from my mother I decided I was in love with this boy. By the time I turned 17 my true love waits promise was broken. Then here came Satan again, whispering in my ear, telling me I had failed God, I had broken my promise, I was dirty and defiled and he could never love or look at me again. I had messed up and could never earn my way back into God's good graces so why even try? Shortly there after my step mom had a little girl and three weeks later that little baby girl passed away. There was Satan heaping on the guilt and agony, I was so bad and God was so angry with me that he had to take Chloe away to teach me my lesson. Had I ever read the word and been in the scripture I would have known that these were all lies. I could have armed myself with God's word and not believed these things. But I didn't. So from 17-23 my life spun out of control. That older boy I had been seeing turned abusive and controlled my mind and much of my life for several years. He would yo-yo in and out of my life. During the times he wasn't around I filled the void with alcohol, occasional drugs, partying, and random men. I felt empty inside and kept trying to fill the holes with these worldly addictions, never seeing or knowing that those holes were God shaped and He was standing just in the background waiting for me to notice him and turn to him again. I broke every commandment there is... all 10 of them.... some of them too many times to count. I lived life thinking I had lost God's approval so what's the use? I might as well enjoy myself now and then when I am really old and gray and lying on my death bed I can ask forgiveness and it'll be all good.
Then in November of 2007 my cousin, who was only one month younger than me, died of leukemia... 5 months later, just after my 22nd birthday my grandfather died too. During those first 5 months after Lauren passed I crawled into a bottle and stayed there. When Grandaddy followed so soon after it snapped me out of it. I was an ostrich with my head in the sand and God came along and kicked me in the behind. I realized there might not be an old and gray death bed to ask for forgiveness on...
But my faith still wasn't scripture based so that "wake up" was very brief. Although I got out of the bars and settled down with one man, my life was still way off track. Between July of 2008 and November of 2009 I met and moved in with a man, got pregnant, got married, found him cheating, had the baby, and watched him walk away. I had sworn to myself all my life that I would marry one time and one time only. When I married it would be for keeps, divorce was NOT an option. But when your marriage is based on 'oops we got knocked up we better do something' instead of being based on God, it can't last long. So from November of 2009 until March of 2011 I was lost and struggling. I was barely treading water financially and trying to raise a little boy without a father... I was totally lost once again.
In March of 2011 we found the Hubbard Cowboy Church. Even when I strayed from God and church I had always had this little nagging in the very bottom of my heart, the back of my mind, like a craving for a relationship with him... even when i ignored it. So when mom found the website for a Cowboy Church i thought, well why not... southern baptists didn't do me any good, let's give em a try. The first time we walked up we were greeted like long, lost family members. The very first sermon was on why you need to be in church. As the Sundays went on I found that I was being given true scripture teachings for the first time in my life. Every Sunday God was convicting me of something through these sermons. But I'm stubborn so you know that's not the end of the story.
Last January I decided that my new year's resolution was to draw nearer to God. You see the more we came to church and the more I really listened to the sermons and let them sink in, the better life was getting. My life was turning around. I finally made the connection... when I am trying to get closer to Him things get better. So you know I posted this on Facebook of course... and at the time I had no idea what kind of prayers and power I would bring on myself by putting that down in some form of writing. This last year has been nothing short of amazing for me. Through out the year I can't count the many times that I felt the presence of God, drawing me back to Him; The many times that I felt and noticed Him working many things in sync with each other strictly for the purpose of turning my heart back to him. Songs on the radio at just the right time. Bits of scripture dropped in front of me by others, or social media, or on my phone, over and over again. I finally read the book "The Shack" even though I have had it on the shelf since it was first published and never opened it. Even something as small as a book planted yet another seed in my heart.
But I think the biggest turning point was late September, talking to my sister on the phone, she told me she had signed up for an online bible study through Proverbs 31 ministries. In my head I was thinking, oh that's nice but I could never do that, when do I have time for a bible study. And then I heard my own mouth going, "oh i would LOVE to do that with you". Huh? Then I thought, oh well maybe she will forget... a week later my book arrived in the mail because she had signed me up. The bible study changed my life. God had been preparing my heart all year to be open to that bible study... and boy did it blow my socks away. It is called "a confident heart" by Renee Swope. Although the entire thing was life changing there were parts that touched me deeper than others. One being a deeper look at the story of the woman at the well. I thought I knew that story already but when this study took me deeper into it I could not believe how well I related to this woman.
Long story short, this year I finally found myself in the word. Now I find that I can't get out of the word. If you don't hear anything else that I have said today I want you to hear this part... No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no matter how long you have gone without being close to God, He is still there waiting on you. He still loves you. When you turn to Him, when you accept Jesus, it really and truly is all washed away. Romans 8:1 says "therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The most wonderful truth I have learned this year, probably the most wonderful thing I ever will learn, is this... No matter how "bad" you think you are the blood of Jesus is enough. I lived a long time believing that God's grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness applied to everyone BUT me. This year I have learned that when you think like that you might as well be looking Jesus in the eye and telling him "your sacrifice wasn't good enough for me, your blood wasn't strong enough to cover me". I assure you His blood IS strong enough.
I want to leave y'all with two things... 1. you can not worship what you do not trust, and you can not trust what you do not know. The only way to get to know God better is to get into His word, spend time with Him, listen as much as you talk to Him... if you seek Him you WILL find Him and you will never be disappointed. and number 2. There will ALWAYS be more power, love, grace, and mercy in the blood of Jesus than there is sin in you... He's got ya covered...
Friday, January 3, 2014
Good Morning, Friends!! Thank you, Jesus, I am alive and well for another day and another chance to glorify you in all that I do!
So, I overheard a couple at Wal-Mart yesterday complaining that they still carry 'Duck Dynasty' merchandise. They were upset and going on and on about how 'that man doesn't like the blacks and the gays so I am not buying his stuff'
Are we really still talking about this? Yes, it seems that some of society hasn't moved on just yet. Now, I am not going to get on any soap boxes this morning but before I move on to the rest of this post I would like to say this: If you have read the ENTIRE article that got every one in such an uproar you will see that the writer twisted and skewed Phil's words. The writer himself has the filthiest mouth I have ever seen; and when you look at the direct quotes there is NOTHING in them that shows any kind of hatred from Phil toward any type of people. His words have been twisted and cut up into bits and pieces to be used for whatever agenda is on the table at the time.
This should be a great lesson to the rest of us Christians out here. We are under a microscope. We are under a lot of scrutiny. And it is only going to get worse before the end times and the second coming. Being a 'Jesus Freak' has lost all it's coolness guys. The rest of the world thinks we are crazy, or over-zealous, or backwards or behind the times... we aren't up with the rest of society. But that's ok... we know we are following God's word. We are staying true to the gospel, we are spreading hope and love and Jesus as much as we can and there will be some 'haters' out there. Keep your heads up... our Father IS coming back for us. But in the mean time... could we do better?
Phil and his family are on the biggest microscope of all, people are watching, and the enemies are just waiting for one little slip up to use against him. Recent events prove that the enemy will use ANY thing he can against us. He will twist things around until he gets what he wants. We have to be very careful. We have to be very diligent in our lives. I need to be reminded of this about every 5 minutes once I step out of bed in the mornings. But today I want to leave you with a bit of scripture that will help us remember how we must behave as Christians in order to be the best witnesses for Christ that we can be.
"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you." Titus 2:1-15 NIV
Let's try to stick together, prayer for one another, and stand firm in the teachings of the Bible. I need all the help I can get to maintain self control at times. But if we practice these things we won't give the enemy any ammo to use against us. They will have to tell lies in order to trap us and in the end they will look like fools. Trust in the Lord, he will guide and protect us! Have an awesome and blessed day friends!
So, I overheard a couple at Wal-Mart yesterday complaining that they still carry 'Duck Dynasty' merchandise. They were upset and going on and on about how 'that man doesn't like the blacks and the gays so I am not buying his stuff'
Are we really still talking about this? Yes, it seems that some of society hasn't moved on just yet. Now, I am not going to get on any soap boxes this morning but before I move on to the rest of this post I would like to say this: If you have read the ENTIRE article that got every one in such an uproar you will see that the writer twisted and skewed Phil's words. The writer himself has the filthiest mouth I have ever seen; and when you look at the direct quotes there is NOTHING in them that shows any kind of hatred from Phil toward any type of people. His words have been twisted and cut up into bits and pieces to be used for whatever agenda is on the table at the time.
This should be a great lesson to the rest of us Christians out here. We are under a microscope. We are under a lot of scrutiny. And it is only going to get worse before the end times and the second coming. Being a 'Jesus Freak' has lost all it's coolness guys. The rest of the world thinks we are crazy, or over-zealous, or backwards or behind the times... we aren't up with the rest of society. But that's ok... we know we are following God's word. We are staying true to the gospel, we are spreading hope and love and Jesus as much as we can and there will be some 'haters' out there. Keep your heads up... our Father IS coming back for us. But in the mean time... could we do better?
Phil and his family are on the biggest microscope of all, people are watching, and the enemies are just waiting for one little slip up to use against him. Recent events prove that the enemy will use ANY thing he can against us. He will twist things around until he gets what he wants. We have to be very careful. We have to be very diligent in our lives. I need to be reminded of this about every 5 minutes once I step out of bed in the mornings. But today I want to leave you with a bit of scripture that will help us remember how we must behave as Christians in order to be the best witnesses for Christ that we can be.
"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you." Titus 2:1-15 NIV
Let's try to stick together, prayer for one another, and stand firm in the teachings of the Bible. I need all the help I can get to maintain self control at times. But if we practice these things we won't give the enemy any ammo to use against us. They will have to tell lies in order to trap us and in the end they will look like fools. Trust in the Lord, he will guide and protect us! Have an awesome and blessed day friends!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!!! I love New Years... it is one of my top 5 holidays! [I really like holidays so I had to have a list of favorites lol] Today is a brand new year, a clean slate, a chance to start anew and be better than ever! If 2013 didn't really go your way, that's ok, cause now it's 2014! You can start today and make this year everything that last year wasn't! Even if last year was great for you, you can start today and just keep getting better and better!! I LOVE new beginnings!!
These last few days leading up to the new year God has been tapping me on the shoulder, saying "psst, Jordan, I have something you need to listen to, something you need to share". The same bit of scripture keeps turning up, over and over again. First it was the "verse of the day" on BibleGateway.com, then it was the key verse in my daily devotional. Then several, at least 3-4, of the pages that I 'like' on Facebook had graphics posted the last couple days, and today, with these verses on them. And if that wasn't enough 3 or 4 more friends that I follow also had these verses posted.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19
So, yes... God got my attention! Of course it's going to turn into a blog post, right?Well, yes... but I have a little more back ground I want to cover before I get to the heart of this post. Any time God starts pursuing me with verses or messages like this I like to go get one or more of my bibles and read it myself. I don't know why but reading it as I am holding a Bible in my hand just helps me more than reading it online or even in a devotional book. I also like to read, and re-read, passages in different versions. I own a NKJV, an NIV, and a Message Bible. I like to read them all and compare and read some of the background info to better grasp and understand what God was saying then and what He is saying to me NOW. [They don't call it the living word for nothing! It applied then, it applies today, and it will apply forever after] So when I started reading these verses "someone" tapped me on the shoulder again and said 'dig a little deeper, read a little more'. I was lead to go ahead and read the entire chapter and to share my reflections on this chapter with all of you. I have faith that at least ONE person out there somewhere needs to hear/read this today. I believe God is using me as a tool to spread His message and He knows better than I that someone out there will be blessed by this. So, if you're ready... here we go!
At the risk of boring you to tears [because I know that not everyone finds the history of the Bible as interesting as I do] I would like to start with a little bit of the background for the book of Isaiah. The book is written by the 8th century B.C. prophet, Isaiah, who preached God's message to the southern kingdom of Judah during the latter half of the 8th century B.C. Isaiah's ministry is roughly dated between 740 and 700 B.C. The book is sort of split in two sections. Chapters 1-39 is set in and around Jerusalem and brings a message of judgment on the Lord's people. Chapters 40-66 is set in the Exile in Babylon and beyond and brings a message of comfort and hope.
The book 6 key messages for God's people.
1) The Lord is the sovereign God. He is the only God. No other gods exist.
2) God is holy. He is separate from man. He is perfect moral purity.
3) The nature of sin is uncleanness, rebellion against God; it is universal in scope; it is forgiven only by God since sacrifices do not remove sin.
4) Faith in the Lord is the essential need of everyone.
5) God preserves a remnant of His people.
6) The Messiah is identified as a kingly figure who reigns in righteousness. The Messiah is also identified as the Suffering Servant who suffers not for any wrong He has done but on behalf of others.
Most of these show up in chapter 43. It also reflects both of Isaiah's overall messages of judgment and of comfort and hope. For the sake of not making this blog post an entire book on the subject I will try not to go totally line by line but I would like to review chapter 43 of the book of Isaiah and the messages that we can take from it and apply to us today. I am saying a prayer now that God will speak through my keyboard today, that HIS message will be here, not mine; and that someone will be touched by it.
When reading verses 1-4 I am so very uplifted. These lines are telling us WHOSE we are; that we have been bought for a high priced and are precious and valuable to the Lord. He is also sending us a message of comfort and hope; an assurance that we are not alone, He is there to protect and guide us. I like the Message version of these verses best:
"But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end- Because I am God, your personal God, The Hole of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you." Isaiah 43:1-4 The Message
How beautiful is that set of verses when you let it sink deep into your heart? We don't have to fear anything, God has REDEEMED us! We are FREE to live a fearless life! I find comfort in the simple words "you're mine". When you come from a broken home, or a not-so-perfect or traditional family those words alone can give you such comfort; a sense of belonging. You have a FAMILY and a HOME in Christ. Look at the last few lines... He loves us SO much that would give anything for us! He WANTS a relationship with you. He gave up his SON to have a close and personal relationship with YOU.
And these uplifting words don't stop there. As you read on in verse 5 we are told "fear not, for I am with you". I have been in a dark place in the past where I felt so all alone. I felt like no one could ever understand my pain, no one else had ever sinned as badly as I had, Satan fed my doubts and insecurities and made me feel so isolated and lonely. But here it is in writing, God's promise to me, and YOU, that we are NOT alone. He is with us! Verse 7 goes on to say "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." I love that! I am called by his name and I was made for HIS glory. I don't have to do anything else at all expect worship him! That's what I was made for, that's all I have to do... Love God... that's all! If we love Him we are covered by His grace, no question about it! This is touching on Isaiah's 4th message to the people. Faith is an essential need for all of us. Here he is reminding us, all we need to do is love God and have faith and we are on the right track!
I am going to lean on The Message again because this version is a little "simplified" and is so easy for the majority of people to understand and grasp. It's a version tailor-made for people who didn't grow up constantly taught the scripture. For those of us who are just now submerging ourselves in His word and getting to know it better. The next section I want to address is 8-13, so a little long, but bare with me, this is a good one!
"Get the blind and the deaf out here and ready- the blind [though there's nothing wrong with their eyes] and the deaf [thought there's nothing wrong with their ears], Then get the other nations out here and ready. Let's see what they have to say about this, how they account for what's happened. Let them present their expert witnesses and their case; let them try to convince us what they say is true. "But you are my witnesses." God's decree. "You're my handpicked servant So that you'll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am. Previous to me there was no such thing as a god, nor will there be after me. I, yes I, am God. I'm the only Savior there is. I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene. And you know it, you're my witnesses, you're the evidence." God's Decree. "Yes, I am God. I've always been God and I always will be God. No one can take anything from me. I make; you can unmake it?"
In these first few lines we are touching on the judgment part. He's calling them out for the things they did before that landed them in exile in Babylon. I am reminded a bit of a parent talking to a child, or a group of children, after finding the broken lamp hidden behind the sofa. 'Let's get everyone out here and see what y'all have to say for yourselves!' Think back to your childhood. There will be a moment, or moments in my case, where mom or dad came home to find a mess or something broken and no one wanted to take responsibility. You remember the lecture and the questions. Who broke this? Who saw it? Gathering everyone's side of the story, all the while they most likely already knew the answer. Just last week I came home from work to notice a crayon mark on our TV screen. Already knowing the answer I asked my only child "Sam did you mark on the TV with your crayons?" Immediately he began to deny it. Next he tried to blame it on his Granny. Finally he said "yes mom, I marked on the TV, I'm sorry." Israel and Jacob's people were no different than every scolded child who ever lived or ever will live. They had fallen into moral and ethical impurity. They had sinned, just like all of us. Just like any parent who loves their children God passed out judgment and punishment; but like every parent He still loves His children. This applies to us as well as Israel. When we disobey there will be consequences. When we are not living in His will we are missing out on blessings and making things harder on ourselves. But there is hope! Just like my son's time out, the hard times won't last! But that is further down in the scripture. In these lines, after he has called everyone out He goes on to say 'y'all are my handpicked servants, the witnesses to my glory. You know that I am God and when you take the time to get to know WHO and WHAT I am and enter a personal relationship with me it's all going to be alright'! These verses go back to Isaiah's first message that God is the only god.
Now, verses 14-15 are nearly as heavy, we are getting a little past the lecture. "God, your redeemer, The Holy of Israel, says: "Just for you, I will march on Babylon. I'll turn the tables on the Babylonians. Instead of whooping it up, they'll be wailing. I am God, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King." Just like a daddy... He will go to war for you! He will step up in the face of your enemies and say 'I don't think so, this one belongs to me, you can't touch them'. How comforting is that? Just like the conversation I had with my Sammy, just because you're in trouble, you did something wrong, He may be disappointed but his love for you never ends! He will never leave you, He is there with you, still loving and protecting you. Verses 16-21 He goes on to assure us that new and better things are coming. The judgment and punishment is almost over! Good days are coming! This is going back to Isaiah's 5th message. God preserves a remnant of his people. Not all of them will perish. Those who turn to Him and trust in Him will be saved and delivered out of exile. The same goes for us today. Judgment day WILL come for ALL of us, but for those who accept Christ will not perish!
Verses 22-24 He reminds them again of all that He did for them and how they did nothing in return. He reminds them how they got where they are in the first place. Just as children sometimes tend to do to parents, Israel was stingy with the 'thank yous' and the appreciation but they were sure quick to run to God with their problems. He tells them 'I'm fed up!' But then we get to verse 25... I love this one...
"But I, yes I, am the one who takes care of your sins- that's what I do. I don't keep a list of your sins." Isaiah 43:25
He doesn't keep track of every thing you have done wrong. You did it. You hit a few hard times, missed a few blessings, took your 'punishment' or 'time-out' so to speak... then it is done. He doesn't keep holding it against you. He isn't going to bring it up later and throw it in your face the next time you mess up. He loves you, he forgives you, if you lean on him you can learn from this mistake and move on to bigger and better things! The chapter ends with the Lord telling them to bring forth their arguments and try to dispute what he has said, but just remember that you have all sinned and look at what happened to Jacob and Israel when they didn't listen to me.
This may be a little overwhelming for some people, I know. But think about it for a moment... yes, you got scolded, you got lectured, you feel a little chastened... but He gives us SO many promises in this chapter of how He still does, and always will, LOVE you!! God never changes, no matter what we do, He is, He was, He always will be!
I know this was a long post guys but I truly do hope that it helped or touched someone today! I know it has helped me, being in the word renews my spirit and I love discovering new promises from God all the time. I love to be reminded that the Bible isn't just a history book of what happened, it is a living word that applies to and can work in our lives today. I pray that all of you meet the new year with confidence, love, and peace!
These last few days leading up to the new year God has been tapping me on the shoulder, saying "psst, Jordan, I have something you need to listen to, something you need to share". The same bit of scripture keeps turning up, over and over again. First it was the "verse of the day" on BibleGateway.com, then it was the key verse in my daily devotional. Then several, at least 3-4, of the pages that I 'like' on Facebook had graphics posted the last couple days, and today, with these verses on them. And if that wasn't enough 3 or 4 more friends that I follow also had these verses posted.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19
So, yes... God got my attention! Of course it's going to turn into a blog post, right?Well, yes... but I have a little more back ground I want to cover before I get to the heart of this post. Any time God starts pursuing me with verses or messages like this I like to go get one or more of my bibles and read it myself. I don't know why but reading it as I am holding a Bible in my hand just helps me more than reading it online or even in a devotional book. I also like to read, and re-read, passages in different versions. I own a NKJV, an NIV, and a Message Bible. I like to read them all and compare and read some of the background info to better grasp and understand what God was saying then and what He is saying to me NOW. [They don't call it the living word for nothing! It applied then, it applies today, and it will apply forever after] So when I started reading these verses "someone" tapped me on the shoulder again and said 'dig a little deeper, read a little more'. I was lead to go ahead and read the entire chapter and to share my reflections on this chapter with all of you. I have faith that at least ONE person out there somewhere needs to hear/read this today. I believe God is using me as a tool to spread His message and He knows better than I that someone out there will be blessed by this. So, if you're ready... here we go!
At the risk of boring you to tears [because I know that not everyone finds the history of the Bible as interesting as I do] I would like to start with a little bit of the background for the book of Isaiah. The book is written by the 8th century B.C. prophet, Isaiah, who preached God's message to the southern kingdom of Judah during the latter half of the 8th century B.C. Isaiah's ministry is roughly dated between 740 and 700 B.C. The book is sort of split in two sections. Chapters 1-39 is set in and around Jerusalem and brings a message of judgment on the Lord's people. Chapters 40-66 is set in the Exile in Babylon and beyond and brings a message of comfort and hope.
The book 6 key messages for God's people.
1) The Lord is the sovereign God. He is the only God. No other gods exist.
2) God is holy. He is separate from man. He is perfect moral purity.
3) The nature of sin is uncleanness, rebellion against God; it is universal in scope; it is forgiven only by God since sacrifices do not remove sin.
4) Faith in the Lord is the essential need of everyone.
5) God preserves a remnant of His people.
6) The Messiah is identified as a kingly figure who reigns in righteousness. The Messiah is also identified as the Suffering Servant who suffers not for any wrong He has done but on behalf of others.
Most of these show up in chapter 43. It also reflects both of Isaiah's overall messages of judgment and of comfort and hope. For the sake of not making this blog post an entire book on the subject I will try not to go totally line by line but I would like to review chapter 43 of the book of Isaiah and the messages that we can take from it and apply to us today. I am saying a prayer now that God will speak through my keyboard today, that HIS message will be here, not mine; and that someone will be touched by it.
When reading verses 1-4 I am so very uplifted. These lines are telling us WHOSE we are; that we have been bought for a high priced and are precious and valuable to the Lord. He is also sending us a message of comfort and hope; an assurance that we are not alone, He is there to protect and guide us. I like the Message version of these verses best:
"But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end- Because I am God, your personal God, The Hole of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you." Isaiah 43:1-4 The Message
How beautiful is that set of verses when you let it sink deep into your heart? We don't have to fear anything, God has REDEEMED us! We are FREE to live a fearless life! I find comfort in the simple words "you're mine". When you come from a broken home, or a not-so-perfect or traditional family those words alone can give you such comfort; a sense of belonging. You have a FAMILY and a HOME in Christ. Look at the last few lines... He loves us SO much that would give anything for us! He WANTS a relationship with you. He gave up his SON to have a close and personal relationship with YOU.
And these uplifting words don't stop there. As you read on in verse 5 we are told "fear not, for I am with you". I have been in a dark place in the past where I felt so all alone. I felt like no one could ever understand my pain, no one else had ever sinned as badly as I had, Satan fed my doubts and insecurities and made me feel so isolated and lonely. But here it is in writing, God's promise to me, and YOU, that we are NOT alone. He is with us! Verse 7 goes on to say "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." I love that! I am called by his name and I was made for HIS glory. I don't have to do anything else at all expect worship him! That's what I was made for, that's all I have to do... Love God... that's all! If we love Him we are covered by His grace, no question about it! This is touching on Isaiah's 4th message to the people. Faith is an essential need for all of us. Here he is reminding us, all we need to do is love God and have faith and we are on the right track!
I am going to lean on The Message again because this version is a little "simplified" and is so easy for the majority of people to understand and grasp. It's a version tailor-made for people who didn't grow up constantly taught the scripture. For those of us who are just now submerging ourselves in His word and getting to know it better. The next section I want to address is 8-13, so a little long, but bare with me, this is a good one!
"Get the blind and the deaf out here and ready- the blind [though there's nothing wrong with their eyes] and the deaf [thought there's nothing wrong with their ears], Then get the other nations out here and ready. Let's see what they have to say about this, how they account for what's happened. Let them present their expert witnesses and their case; let them try to convince us what they say is true. "But you are my witnesses." God's decree. "You're my handpicked servant So that you'll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am. Previous to me there was no such thing as a god, nor will there be after me. I, yes I, am God. I'm the only Savior there is. I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene. And you know it, you're my witnesses, you're the evidence." God's Decree. "Yes, I am God. I've always been God and I always will be God. No one can take anything from me. I make; you can unmake it?"
In these first few lines we are touching on the judgment part. He's calling them out for the things they did before that landed them in exile in Babylon. I am reminded a bit of a parent talking to a child, or a group of children, after finding the broken lamp hidden behind the sofa. 'Let's get everyone out here and see what y'all have to say for yourselves!' Think back to your childhood. There will be a moment, or moments in my case, where mom or dad came home to find a mess or something broken and no one wanted to take responsibility. You remember the lecture and the questions. Who broke this? Who saw it? Gathering everyone's side of the story, all the while they most likely already knew the answer. Just last week I came home from work to notice a crayon mark on our TV screen. Already knowing the answer I asked my only child "Sam did you mark on the TV with your crayons?" Immediately he began to deny it. Next he tried to blame it on his Granny. Finally he said "yes mom, I marked on the TV, I'm sorry." Israel and Jacob's people were no different than every scolded child who ever lived or ever will live. They had fallen into moral and ethical impurity. They had sinned, just like all of us. Just like any parent who loves their children God passed out judgment and punishment; but like every parent He still loves His children. This applies to us as well as Israel. When we disobey there will be consequences. When we are not living in His will we are missing out on blessings and making things harder on ourselves. But there is hope! Just like my son's time out, the hard times won't last! But that is further down in the scripture. In these lines, after he has called everyone out He goes on to say 'y'all are my handpicked servants, the witnesses to my glory. You know that I am God and when you take the time to get to know WHO and WHAT I am and enter a personal relationship with me it's all going to be alright'! These verses go back to Isaiah's first message that God is the only god.
Now, verses 14-15 are nearly as heavy, we are getting a little past the lecture. "God, your redeemer, The Holy of Israel, says: "Just for you, I will march on Babylon. I'll turn the tables on the Babylonians. Instead of whooping it up, they'll be wailing. I am God, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King." Just like a daddy... He will go to war for you! He will step up in the face of your enemies and say 'I don't think so, this one belongs to me, you can't touch them'. How comforting is that? Just like the conversation I had with my Sammy, just because you're in trouble, you did something wrong, He may be disappointed but his love for you never ends! He will never leave you, He is there with you, still loving and protecting you. Verses 16-21 He goes on to assure us that new and better things are coming. The judgment and punishment is almost over! Good days are coming! This is going back to Isaiah's 5th message. God preserves a remnant of his people. Not all of them will perish. Those who turn to Him and trust in Him will be saved and delivered out of exile. The same goes for us today. Judgment day WILL come for ALL of us, but for those who accept Christ will not perish!
Verses 22-24 He reminds them again of all that He did for them and how they did nothing in return. He reminds them how they got where they are in the first place. Just as children sometimes tend to do to parents, Israel was stingy with the 'thank yous' and the appreciation but they were sure quick to run to God with their problems. He tells them 'I'm fed up!' But then we get to verse 25... I love this one...
"But I, yes I, am the one who takes care of your sins- that's what I do. I don't keep a list of your sins." Isaiah 43:25
He doesn't keep track of every thing you have done wrong. You did it. You hit a few hard times, missed a few blessings, took your 'punishment' or 'time-out' so to speak... then it is done. He doesn't keep holding it against you. He isn't going to bring it up later and throw it in your face the next time you mess up. He loves you, he forgives you, if you lean on him you can learn from this mistake and move on to bigger and better things! The chapter ends with the Lord telling them to bring forth their arguments and try to dispute what he has said, but just remember that you have all sinned and look at what happened to Jacob and Israel when they didn't listen to me.
This may be a little overwhelming for some people, I know. But think about it for a moment... yes, you got scolded, you got lectured, you feel a little chastened... but He gives us SO many promises in this chapter of how He still does, and always will, LOVE you!! God never changes, no matter what we do, He is, He was, He always will be!
I know this was a long post guys but I truly do hope that it helped or touched someone today! I know it has helped me, being in the word renews my spirit and I love discovering new promises from God all the time. I love to be reminded that the Bible isn't just a history book of what happened, it is a living word that applies to and can work in our lives today. I pray that all of you meet the new year with confidence, love, and peace!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Matthew West - Hello, My Name Is (Lyrics)
I know I have not blogged in a little while and I am very sorry for that friends. We have had an illness in the family and getting prepared for the holidays... I have been slightly busy and have neglected my blog. Guess it's a good thing I have not committed to an exact frequency of postings yet! LOL Anyway... I was listening to my favorite Matthew West song, "Hello, my name is" and it got me to thinking. This song always moves me but when I dig a little deeper inside myself I realize why it moves me. It speaks a truth that I have only just recently begun to allow to sink into my heart. I want to share that truth with you guys. So here ya go:
Have you ever felt like you were so small and insignificant that God really wasn't all that worried about you? Have you ever felt like such a total screw up that maybe he had just thrown up his hands and given up on you? Have you ever thought that your sin was so bad, or the place in your life where you were was so dark and far away that God couldn't reach you? Or maybe that he didn't want to reach you anymore? Have you ever felt totally alone and defeated? Yep? Me too! Infact I have spent the better part of my life thinking God was way too busy to worry about a train wreak like me. I was nothing to Him. I was insignificant. I was no saint... I have done things in my past that I was so ashamed of I couldn't even say them out loud. Things that made me think God wanted nothing to do with me... but guess what! I WAS WRONG!!!
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
Today I want to talk about those lies that Satan whispers in our ears telling us we aren't important, God doesn't care, we are so bad and awful that he doesn't want us any more. Those are LIES. The devil is a liar and a deciever. He will tell you anything to try and keep you from God. God's word is the truth and the only truth. Yes, sin is seperation from God. Before Jesus if you sinned you were apart from God and the wages of that sin was death. But, Jesus paid your debt. You are free and clear! The slate is whiped clean. Now we can have a close and personal relationship with God no matter what our sins are because we are washed in the blood of the Lamb.
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 Satan knows us almost as well as God does. He knows where are weaknesses are, he searches them out, measures our resolve. He prowls in the darkness like a lion waiting for just the right moment to pounce and attack you. He will use what he knows about you to entice you to sin. He carefully aims temptaions and snares at us, like a hunter aims his rifle. Our weaknesses are his targets and he is an expert marksman.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1Peter 5:8
He is that whisper in the ear of the strong-willed telling them they can do it all on their own, they need no one, they are strong and self-sufficient. He is that nagging fear in the back of the mind of the anxious. He is that small voice whipsering that "just one piece of cake" won't hurt to the woman who is overweight and trying to diet. He finds that young girl without a father, longing for the love of a man, any man, and lies and tells her that this man or that man can fill the empty places in her heart. Satan is the one telling you "it's just one little sin, no biggie, you can do _____" He is very carefully casting his net and luring you into him.
Once you've given in to that temptation he takes it one step further and convinces you that your sin was so horrible that God doesn't love you anymore because of it. Satan will lie and twist any thing and every thing he can to convince you that God is no longer on your side. Satan was once an angel himself, he knows the scripture, and he will use even that to pull you down into his world of dispair. Matthew 7:15:20 talks about true and false prophets. We are told in these lines of scripture that a good tree can bear only good fruit and a bad tree only bad fruit. Satan loves to use lines like these to whisper in your ear "see, you did a bad thing, you are producing bad fruit, you must be a bad tree, and God hates bad trees." Satan tends to forget that while he may know parts of you, God knows ALL of you. God knows your heart. He knows the deepest, most intimate parts of you. God knows that deep down inside you are fundamentally good. You may do a bad thing from time to time but that does not make YOU bad.
We do not have to allow our sins to define us. Even though Satan wants us to believe that lie, we don't have to. We have been set free by Jesus Christ. Jesus willing came into this world, walked a perfect life, and was nailed to a cross to pay for YOUR sins, so that you may not be judged, condemned, defined, or heald captive by them any longer. When you have come to know and believe and trust that, you are FREE. The say "the truth will set you free", Jesus says "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through ME." John 14:6. Jesus is the truth that will set you free from condemnation.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood- to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. Romans 4: 23-25
See, Satan very convieniently forgets to add in the part where God knows that we all sin. He knows that we are not perfect and never will be, he knows that we alone can not be justified or redeemed. That is why He sent his son as a sacrifice for us. Alone we are nothing but dirty sinners, unworthy of God's love or grace. But through Jesus Christ we are cleansed, bought and paid for, ransomed out of our dark, desolate, sinful lives. We are saved and justified through the blood of the lamb.
"Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses." Acts 13:39
I have spent a large part of my life judging and condeming myself. I have listened to Satan's lies and distanced myself from God and the church. I have stood back praying for everyone around me, believeing that God would work in their lives, but not mine. I believed that God was a good, kind, and loving god for everyone but me. I allowed Satan to isolate me and make me feel all alone. I allowed his lies to convince me that I was the only one in the world who had commited the awful sins that I had. I was the only one who was so horrible that God could never love or forgive me. I believed that where I was God could never reach, or even want to reach. I was a lost cause and so small and insignificant that God couldn't be bothered with hopeless, ugly, old me. I know that there are so many of you out there today probably thinking and feeling the exact same way. I want you to know YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You are not the only sinner out there. We ALL sin. Satan will make you feel like an isolated case, he will tell you that no one else is as horrible as you and if you let your sin be seen no one will love you or want to be your friend ever again, not even Jesus. But please hear me friends, SATAN IS A BIG FAT UGLY LIAR!!!! He will tell you anything, ANYTHING, to draw you further from God and closer to him.
"Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throught the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1Peter 5:9
God knows us inside and out. He created you in his image. He knows you will never be perfect but he wants you to come to him, get to know him, persue a personal and intimate relationship with him. When you do that, when you get into his word and get to know him, you will find that he loves and persues imperfect people just like you and me. When you look into the heart of your Saviour, Jesus, you will find acceptance, not judgement; love, not hate; comfort, not rejection; a perfect love that is enough to fill every empty place in your soul and restore every ruined place in your heart. As Renee Swope points out in her book A Confident Heart, "Hold on to this promise and live in the power of its truth: because God's love is perfect, you don't have to be!" That is what I want for all of you, to be able to rest and find comfort in that statement. You do not have to be perfect. You do not have to earn God's love. If we had to earn it or be worthy of it we would all be doomed, we will never be worthy or 'good enough' for God's love by ourselves. But Jesus IS enough. Jesus IS worthy. Jesus has paid the price for YOU, so that WITH him you can come to the Father and recieve his good and perfect love.
I want to leave you with one last bit of scripture. Three of the most powerful verses I have ever read. When I read these lines and really let them sink in, I feel so loved, so cherished, so important to God. These lines make me feel like a weight being lifted off of my shoulders, like chains of bondage being released, the ropes of sin that have bound me being cut away. Through this promise from God I feel fully free to love and be loved by Him.
"You were dead in sins, and your sinful desires were not yet cut away. Then he gave you a share in the very life of Christ, for he forgave all your sins, and blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of his commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. In this way God took away Satan’s power to accuse you of sin, and God openly displayed to the whole world Christ’s triumph at the cross where your sins were all taken away." Colossians 2:13-15 TLB
My prayer for all of you today is that you find freedom in the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As we go through this week of holiday festivities, gift exchanges, church services, family gatherings... I pray that you find time to allow the true meaning of Christmas, the story of Jesus' birth, life, death, and ressurection really sink in for you. I pray that the truth of his love will sink down deep in to your heart and you will accept that love. Turn away from Satan and his lies, stop allowing him to make you feel bad, ugly, unworthy, unloved, or whatever else he makes you feel. Turn instead TO GOD and let him set you free to be the beautiful, loved, honored, and cherished CHILD OF GOD that you are. Merry Christmas friends!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Casting Crowns New Song!! "All You Ever Wanted" Live 9/12/13
What Mark Hall says at the beginning of this video is SO important... I hope that you all really listen to that part... If you are not in the word, if you are not seeking God and getting to know Him you will make up your own idea of who he is based on failed relationships or "bad" father figures in your life and that is NOT who God is... I have spent the past 20 years with the wrong image of God in my mind. I went through the motions of being baptized when I was young because it was just what you did. You get too close to that "age of accountability" and you better get dunked so that when you're done doing all the "bad stuff" you wanna do you can just say "oh yea, forgive me" and get into Heaven at the very end. I went through my teen years going to church and youth group and every activity they had every time the doors were open and I STILL didn't know who God was, I STILL wasn't in the word learning about Him. In my mind he was this big, judgmental, perfect being who sat up in Heaven shaking his head at what a disappointment I was and he didn't really care about little ole me, I was insignificant and eventually he would give up and walk out on me just like every other man in my life. When I was 17 and lost my baby sister and felt a pull to the ministry I got freaked out, I let Satan whisper in my ear, and I turned and RAN from God as fast as I could. I spent years blaming him for the loss of Chloe, and all the other loved ones I had buried so young. When my cousin died just before our 22 birthdays and my grandfather followed her just 5 months later I heaped that on top of God's "discretions against me". I sat judging HIM and blaming him and accusing him of every injustice and every bad thing that had ever happened to me. I accused him of doing all the same things these earthly men had done to me. In the past 6 months I have come to know who God really is, I have immersed myself in his word with a thirst and hunger to know him like no other feeling I have ever felt. I see now that he has sat patiently waiting on me to stop throwing my little 2 year old tantrum over not getting my way, over life not being "fair", over all the loses and broken hearts of my past and come to Him to learn who and what he is and what he has to offer. Today I know him for the kind and loving God that he is and I have given him the only thing he ever asked from me... my heart. I have learned that he is NOT who I judged him to be. He is truly awesome and amazing and GOOD. When you read his word you find the bible is FULL to overflowing with PROMISES he has made to us... and guess what... HE. ALWAYS. KEEPS. HIS. WORD. In Philippians 4:6 we are told "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." And that's great, pray about everything and don't worry, right? But go a little further. Read verse 7...
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
There it is... a promise from God that we ALL need to let sink into our hearts... not our heads. When you take your troubles, your heartache, your trials, you deepest, darkest moments, to God he will give you Peace, which TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING. I have wasted so many years DEMANDING answers and understanding to WHY this or that "bad thing" happened to me. God does not owe us any thing, but through his love for us he will always work things for our good. When you turn to him he will give you peace, you don't NEED to understand every thing, HE understands every thing, all you need is to be still and know that he is in control. He's "got" this. Some day we will be in his presence and we will be able to look back on this life and see how all the pieces fit into place. We will be able to see past our individual hurt over certain things to see how it worked in the grand scheme of things and how it worked out for the greater good. That may not comfort any one when they are hurting and stuck in their own small part of things, and that's ok... it's even ok to feel that way and to hurt for your own loss and not really care how it works out for every thing else.... but one day it will all make sense... for now I just pray that those of you who are still as lost as I once was will find the Peace that he promises us. Let him wrap his arms around your soul and your aching heart today and let go of your need to understand and just rest in the peace that IT WILL BE OK.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Worry
God has been beating me over the head with a certain topic this week so I thought maybe I should blog about it so that someone else out there might get as much help from it as I have. The topic is Worry. But first let me start with telling y'all about my week... it's slightly comical actually. It started with Sunday night bedtime stories with my 4 year old. Every night he picks one story book and when it is finished we read a couple pages out of his children's Bible before our bedtime prayers. Well as fate should have it the very last sentence of the last Bible story I read said "don't worry, have faith". The next morning my son woke up happily chirping "have faith, don't worry". As he was dancing around the house I opened my email. I am currently doing an online bible study through Proverbs 31 ministries and what do ya know? This week's topic... worry! So I think 'ok God, I hear you, you want me to stop worrying... got it.' Monday and Tuesday I went through my bible study and my daily devotionals going 'yeah, yeah, don't worry, pray about every, I know that already... now did all the bills get paid? do I have what we need for supper tonight? where is my grocery list? what about that deadline at work?' I sure was NOT listening to what God was trying to say to me. I was blowing Him off... HIM, GOD... goodness when will I ever learn that ignoring God NEVER works!? So this morning I wake up late... again... my kid wouldn't get out of bed... again... Naturally I started in on my usual lecture "Sam, you have GOT to hurry up, brush your teeth, take your medicine, drink your juice, get dressed, Mommy CAN NOT be late again this week!" Then I finally get him wrangled into the car and we take off and my mind is going a million miles a minute. I was thinking about things I needed to get done at work and things that needed done at home and Christmas plans and the list goes on. I tell myself, even know, that I was only 'thinking' about those things when you and I both know I was worrying... one of the things I really excel at! Well since God obviously hadn't gotten my attention earlier in the week he got a little creative today. As it turns out EVERY radio station was full of static this morning. All the way to my son's school, nothing but static! I was getting a bit frustrated. So as I was leaving the school parking lot I said aloud 'God, please let me find just ONE station that doesn't have static, please!' A moment or two later I finally found a station that would come in and it just happened to be a Christian music station. I said a little 'thanks' and happily bee-bopped on down the road. Well about a mile or a little less from my work the music went off and a pre-recorded program came on, I didn't catch the name of the man delivering the sermon, but I bet you can guess what the topic was... yep... worry! And do you know what I did? First I laughed out loud then I said 'I hear you God and I am NOT worrying, I'm fine. I'm not nearly as bad as I used to be with my worrying, so every thing is under control.' At that EXACT moment the man on the radio said "We all worry... now don't deny it, you know you do". My jaw literally dropped and I really did look up and go "seriously?!?" So of course I got back in my car and listened to the rest of the program and I want to share with y'all what I have learned this week.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6:25-27
What is worry? The word worry comes from an old German word; wurgen. Which means "to strangle". Let's think about that for a minute. Before I turned my life over to Christ I worried way more than I do now. I worried about every thing, all the time. I worried to the point that I would develop stomach ulcers and be physically ill. My worry really was strangling me. I was allowing doubt and worry to creep into my mind and my heart; little by little at first, then more and more until it was consuming every aspect of my life. In the last couple of years as I have been growing closer to God and learning how to really turn my life over to him I have noticed that I worry less than before, but I still worry way too much. There are still days when I worry so much that I let myself go into a total tailspin. I get so anxious and on edge from the worry that I am mean and cranky at home. My poor 4 year old sure doesn't deserve mommy yelling about a few innocent splashes in the bathtub. My mother doesn't deserve me criticizing her for 'forgetting' the coffee at the store again... especially when I am the one who forgot to tell her we were out in the first place. But those are the things that I allow to happen when I have allowed Satan to whisper in my ear all day about what a failure I am for not keeping a cleaner home or giving stricter discipline to my child, or any number of other things. Some times I spend all day worrying and all it does is ramp up my anxiety and turn me into a very ugly person. It quite successfully strangles my personality and turns me into some one else that I really don't like very much.
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:28-34
As you read these verses you may be thinking, like I did at first, 'oh yeah that's all well and good but I am an adult, I have responsibilities! I can't just go along not ever worrying about any thing. If I don't worry about the bills who will pay them? If I don't worry about my kids' school projects how will they get done?' Did you know that of the things we worry about 40% never happen. Another 30% are about unchangeable deeds of the past. 12% is focused on opinions of others, which we have no control over. 10% of our worry is over our personal health, worrying only makes that worse! Only 8% of the things we worry about concern real problems that we can influence. That makes our worry seem a mite silly, doesn't it? I feel especially silly when I remember that I have an all-mighty God who tells me not to worry at all! He provides every thing for us. He even provides an alternative to our worry! Philippians 4:6 tells us "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything". We don't have to worry ourselves into an early grave! We can pray about the things we worry over. We can pray about our responsibilities. We can pray about EVERY thing!
1Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you". How amazing is that?! We have a wonderful and loving father who WANTS us to come to him with our problems. He wants to know what we worry about. He WANTS to help us! You can lay all of your worries at the foot of the cross and leave them there and our loving Father will help you. If you take time to be still and listen I assure you that He will provide an answer to your worries and anxieties. He wants to do that for you... will you let Him?
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus tells us that he wants to help you carry your worries and responsibilities. In my studies I discovered this verse in Matthew 11 and decided to dig a little deeper. When I did that I had an "ah ha" moment. A 'yoke' in Biblical terms is a double harness for two animals to pull together. Often, one harness was larger and meant for the stronger, more experience animal, while the smaller was used for the animal that was being trained. It fills me with such joy and comfort to know that I love and worship a God who values me so very much that he invites me to harness myself up next to him and allow him to pull the heaviest part of the load and teach me his ways so that I may handle more and more as I grow in my faith. I hope that this has helped someone out there reading it. I hope that it gives you comfort and hope and helps you to let go of some of your anxieties today. Let's pray for each other that we all might learn to worry just a little less in the days to come.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6:25-27
What is worry? The word worry comes from an old German word; wurgen. Which means "to strangle". Let's think about that for a minute. Before I turned my life over to Christ I worried way more than I do now. I worried about every thing, all the time. I worried to the point that I would develop stomach ulcers and be physically ill. My worry really was strangling me. I was allowing doubt and worry to creep into my mind and my heart; little by little at first, then more and more until it was consuming every aspect of my life. In the last couple of years as I have been growing closer to God and learning how to really turn my life over to him I have noticed that I worry less than before, but I still worry way too much. There are still days when I worry so much that I let myself go into a total tailspin. I get so anxious and on edge from the worry that I am mean and cranky at home. My poor 4 year old sure doesn't deserve mommy yelling about a few innocent splashes in the bathtub. My mother doesn't deserve me criticizing her for 'forgetting' the coffee at the store again... especially when I am the one who forgot to tell her we were out in the first place. But those are the things that I allow to happen when I have allowed Satan to whisper in my ear all day about what a failure I am for not keeping a cleaner home or giving stricter discipline to my child, or any number of other things. Some times I spend all day worrying and all it does is ramp up my anxiety and turn me into a very ugly person. It quite successfully strangles my personality and turns me into some one else that I really don't like very much.
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:28-34
As you read these verses you may be thinking, like I did at first, 'oh yeah that's all well and good but I am an adult, I have responsibilities! I can't just go along not ever worrying about any thing. If I don't worry about the bills who will pay them? If I don't worry about my kids' school projects how will they get done?' Did you know that of the things we worry about 40% never happen. Another 30% are about unchangeable deeds of the past. 12% is focused on opinions of others, which we have no control over. 10% of our worry is over our personal health, worrying only makes that worse! Only 8% of the things we worry about concern real problems that we can influence. That makes our worry seem a mite silly, doesn't it? I feel especially silly when I remember that I have an all-mighty God who tells me not to worry at all! He provides every thing for us. He even provides an alternative to our worry! Philippians 4:6 tells us "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything". We don't have to worry ourselves into an early grave! We can pray about the things we worry over. We can pray about our responsibilities. We can pray about EVERY thing!
1Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you". How amazing is that?! We have a wonderful and loving father who WANTS us to come to him with our problems. He wants to know what we worry about. He WANTS to help us! You can lay all of your worries at the foot of the cross and leave them there and our loving Father will help you. If you take time to be still and listen I assure you that He will provide an answer to your worries and anxieties. He wants to do that for you... will you let Him?
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus tells us that he wants to help you carry your worries and responsibilities. In my studies I discovered this verse in Matthew 11 and decided to dig a little deeper. When I did that I had an "ah ha" moment. A 'yoke' in Biblical terms is a double harness for two animals to pull together. Often, one harness was larger and meant for the stronger, more experience animal, while the smaller was used for the animal that was being trained. It fills me with such joy and comfort to know that I love and worship a God who values me so very much that he invites me to harness myself up next to him and allow him to pull the heaviest part of the load and teach me his ways so that I may handle more and more as I grow in my faith. I hope that this has helped someone out there reading it. I hope that it gives you comfort and hope and helps you to let go of some of your anxieties today. Let's pray for each other that we all might learn to worry just a little less in the days to come.
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