Exchanging Anxieties for Peace

Do not be anxious about anything…

Yeah, we’ve all heard those words before. Do not be anxious. Totally impossible, right? God, do you have any idea the kind of day I’ve had? A litany of struggles and challenges and unanswered questions come to mind, right?

Do not be anxious about anything…

 (without Me)…

 in every situation,… by prayer… present your requests to God. – Phil. 4:6

Oh. You see, it is not God’s plan that you go through life feeling alone. In sorrows and in joys, God wants to be there for you. He doesn’t want you handling everything on your own. You were created to be with God. It is a lie that God only wants to see you and hear from you when you are full of praise and thanksgiving.  It is His desire to have you share everything with Him. Isn’t that what this verse, His Word, says? In every situation, go talk to God. And His Word comes with a promise:

 And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (v.7)

The Living Bible translates it like this:

 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

I can’t explain how that happens. I can just testify that it does happen. I pray about some stressful concern and it’s like a poison oozes out and God fills that space up with some kind of assurance that it’s going to somehow work out. He’s powerful like that. Not even my most humongous, overwhelming fear stops Him from reaching me with some kind of comforting word. Sometimes it’s a piece of a scripture verse that I somehow recall. Sometimes it’s a line of a song being played in the background. Sometimes a thought expressed in a devotional or a book I am reading. But He reaches me. He knows how to calm me down and grant me rest. It’s amazing to me that He can do that without even changing my circumstances. He expands my trust in Him. And by His mercy and grace, if I get anxious again, I can go talk to Him again. And He will calm me down again. Even if it’s about the same thing. God is like that. Ready for you to rest in Him. Every time you turn to Him, you can receive. Trade your anxious thoughts for His peace right now.

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. – Phil. 4:6-7 (THE MSG)

The Unending Trial

So many on my prayer list are suffering with physical pain. Prayers for miraculous healing. Prayers to see them through to the other side. For some, relief comes in a day. For others getting better takes longer. And for still others, they seem to live in some kind of pain day after day without any relief in sight. It takes the wind out of their sails. If they don’t go through the “normal” routines of life:  (to work, to a family meal and then some TV or off to a child’s school event - before bed) … they must wonder, “Who am I now?” What if getting through it doesn’t mean healing the way I define it? But something else…

When you live a “normal” life of work and family, many of us squeeze in a 5-minute devotional into the schedule. Then it’s on to what has to be done. Their purpose in life. But when your life is filled with some kind of pain, all you can think about is pain. Your prayers are all tears. And frustration. Questions.

That’s when you need to go deeper than most, to know God in a bigger way. You need to turn up the worship music because you can’t find the words to praise Him on your own. You need to meditate on scripture and say over and over the words of promise that you hang all hope upon. And you write down every praying thought and phrase and scream and cry and question and fear… until you have exhausted the topic altogether and you can think of nothing more to pray. Because once you are freed from all that, you can hear God and sense His tender touch.  Today’s agenda - get deep into God like no one else.  Just abide in Him and with Him… at a level no one else will discover while in their busy little “normal” world.

James 4:8

And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you…

Deut. 4:29

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

God will show up for you. May He grant respite as you spend time with Him. May He grant some kind of peace and acceptance in your new normal. May you be blessed with indescribable courage and strength while you feel weak. May you sense His power and realize it is sufficient for the day. Will you abide at His request? Comfort and rest are waiting for you there…

Unto the Lord

“O dear God, here I am, Lord, trying to spend some focused time with You. Trying to desire a more loving, ‘can’t live a minute without thoughts of You’ kind of life, instead of  praying to You an ‘I want’ list every morning and scratching it off some mental to-do list before going on with my day, my way. I feel guilty for not loving You as great big as You deserve. I think I should be consumed by Your awesomeness.

The furnace kicks in. The sunlight streams in through the window. The scent of vanilla caramel tea... the whole day before me to get some things done. Time for work. Time for play, Time for rest. And I pray this day isn’t lived out as a clanging cymbal (1 Corin. 13:1), but in whatever I do, may it be as unto the Lord (1 Corin. 10:31), and not unto man. Lord, if I become anxious about anything, may I calmly turn to You and just tell you what’s on my mind. You are great big, all-wise, all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful and have chosen to call me Your child. I am safe under the protection of Your love in a way I’ve never known. Truly I am safe. Truly I am protected. Worries and fears do not have to dictate the direction of my life. God of the universe has chosen and desires to tend to my every need. Lord, I will seek You with my whole heart. You are worthy of  my trust. It is safe to share every kind of thought and feeling with You. I will not curl up in a ball and lie stagnant in condemnation. For You came to save the world (John 3:16-17). And I am saved. I will live today saved. To the honor, glory, blessing, praise of You, God. Amen.”

Y'all Come! - God

“Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31b

Alright! That’s what I’m talking about. Sunday morning, get away from the rat race. Time with Jesus all to ourselves. No pesky crowd of needy people swarming Him and us!

But the crowd came and Jesus saw things differently. He had compassion…

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things. – mark 6:34

Jesus saw the needy people and spent time with them. Teaching. Probably some listening too. And hugs. They were looking for relief and thought he would give them something to fix their situation. But He taught them.

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. – Mark 6:42-43

There were leftovers so even more people could have joined them – and we often reference that point when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. There is room for more. But are we really ready and willing to accept more into “our” fold, which is really God’s fold? I pray a difference is made in our minds that its God’s church and God’s table and God’s children. What do you envision when you pray for church growth? Ten more fussy babies? Rag tags in jeans and T-shirts? What about really wealthy? What about really wealthy of a different nationality? What about rehab prisoners done serving their time? Ten of those okay? With their families? Those struggling to maintain middle class… the Lord has no such filters. God loves them all. God’s house. God’s table. God’s people. If we believe God leads and guides us, surely He leads and guides them… to “your” church doors? No, God’s church doors.

Lord, please send ten wiggly babies with their parents. Send ten prisoners set free in more ways than one. Send wealthy people of every color. Send ten families living paycheck to paycheck – that all may come and hear what You have to teach. May there be groups and crowds of such diversity that no one distinction stands out any more than the rest.

When you pray for church growth, is this what you envision? It is God’s plan that all might come to know Him. Do you really want to be a part of that – under your own church roof? Excuse me, I mean, God’s church roof?

God's Daily Bread

I was feeling guilty. Guilty because as important as it is to read your bible every day… I haven’t been doing it every day. And it’s not because I’m overly busy either. Just got interested / distracted in doing other things. I usually read my bible in the mornings. So when other things happen at that time of day, well, later on in the day doesn’t feel right. Know what I mean?

God doesn’t want us feeling guilty. In fact, He opened my eyes today on some of the other ways I have been connecting with Him and His Word.

For instance, I recently joined an online diet coaching program and she talked about how believers get a new, clean spirit but not a new, clean flesh. So my flesh is always going to be trying to tell me what to do based on feelings (I don’t feel like exercising; I don’t feel like drinking more water, I don’t feel like reading my Bible...) But I have a new, clean spirit within me now and that spirit gives me the desire to obey God despite my feelings. And when I obey, I am rewarded. It made me think of something in the Bible about the sinful nature having their minds set on what that nature desires but those who live according to the Spirit have their hearts set on what the Spirit desires.

I’m also into an interesting Christian novel and one of the characters in there was talking about not giving up or doubting God no matter what. Don’t you dare doubt or question His character. God is always present, God is always working for good on your behalf. Trust Him no matter what. And I am reminded of verses in the Bible that talk about nothing being too difficult for Him, and that His plans are better and greater than my plans.

God finds me and feeds me His “daily bread”. Lots of times it’s from the Bible reading I do in the morning. And sometimes He has other ways of causing me to think on Him. His Word came to me and spoke to me – through an email and a fictional piece; I was able to remember some basic teachings from God’s Word. You see, He does take care of us; He does lead, guide, direct our steps. He does. Provide. Sustain. Encourage. Equip.

Two-Way Conversation

I know that there have been plenty of conversations regarding if God hears our prayers. We pray and pray and don’t seem to get an answer. Right?

But in God’s Word we read and we trust that He does hear. Remember poor ol’ Hagar out in the wilderness. Her and her son, Ismael, dying. But God heard the boy’s cries, and He responded. So we know, God hears.

The thing I sometimes wonder and worry about… do I hear God? Do you ever ask Him for guidance or direction and wonder if you will actually hear Him? Is there anything in the Bible that gives us hope that somehow, somehow, we will hear Him when He responds, as Hagar did?

The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. – John 10:27

There. There you go. You are capable of hearing His voice. He, Who has promised to cheer and to guide – you will hear Him.

It’s another one of those supernatural, divine, miraculous things God takes care of. You just need to settle down, and listen, and not shrug off the first thing that comes to mind just because you think it’s impossible.

Write your question to God down on a piece of paper. And then write down everything that comes to mind after that. Stupid or not. Write all these thoughts down for a few minutes. You might just surprise yourself with an answer from God Himself.

Little Ol' Mustard Seed

And He (Jesus) could hardly accept the fact that they wouldn’t believe in Him. – Mark 6:6 (TLB)

Another version says, “… their lack of faith distressed Him so.”

Especially when you think that faith the size of a mustard seed is more than enough. Are we sometimes guilty of not even having that much? Even when things were / are miraculously healed immediately, we raise the bar and wonder if God will do this – this next thing. When He has been faithful for forever in meeting our needs including our greatest one: a Savior; and an on-going relationship with Him. Are you wondering what God will do for you now? Or if He’ll do?

I’ve seen everything from safe travels on a snowy road, to job placements, to cancer survivors. Sins forgiven and people getting up and walk (or play guitar again!) (Mark 2:9). I’ve seen people rally around the poor, the needy and the brokenhearted. And soldiers home from the war.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! – John 16:33

He gives you His peace (and strength to persevere towards that certain hope). God can do and will do and does do – miracle upon miracle –

What if I gathered up all the miracles in my life and you gathered up all of yours, and all our friends did the same – can you imagine the overflow of power coming down from heaven? I am reminded of the woman that touched His clothes in the crowd – and power went out from Him. He felt it. She felt it. And was freed from her suffering. (Mark 5:27)

From before your labor and delivery, to long after your release from this life to the next, God is your Sustainer. He will uphold you with His mighty right hand. (Is. 41:10) He Who raised Jesus from the dead (for you) will certainly raise you up and strengthen you and hold you up in whatever you face today. (Eph. 1: 19-20)

Get a mustard seed and hold it between your two fingers. Press into it every one of these 40 days of Lent and believe – in His resurrection power.

Be Filled with the Spirit

Be Filled with the Spirit

I’m starting diet #4,127. I found a new program that is more spiritually based and I’m going to give it a try. Why? When so many other times I’ve failed? I mean, I’ve counted calories. Avoided carbs. Avoided sugars. Avoided this and that. And exercise? I’ve walked. I’ve run. I’ve gone to the gym. Thought about denying myself food all day long. Aren’t these diets all the same? And there were times when I did lose some weight. Ta-da! Or so I thought. Until the weight started sneaking back on. Plus a few pounds more! I ended up worse off – weighing more than I had before dieting. Unbelievable, right? But has the same happened to you?

Then I read Luke 11:24-26:

²⁴ “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

Is that what happened? Was I so focused on the diet and the exercise and weighing less, emptying myself of bad “spirits”, that I forgot to fill that space up with good “spirits” – God’s presence. I left myself open to be invaded once again.

Watching your diet and exercise is a good thing, but your core reason for doing so must be a godly one. Not just so your “container” looks nice. But to be healthy, strong, vibrant and alive, alert and clear-minded – to do God’s will for your life. You were created with purpose and calling (yes, you were!). God desires you to be well for these reasons. And His call is full of beauty and blessings. Be healthy enough to enjoy them!

Miracle Musings

Read Mark 2:1-12

This is the story of Jesus healing a paralytic. Following are some notes I journaled while reading this story – I paused and stopped and reflected at various spots and pondered over different phrases:

… the people heard that He had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door… Lord, I pray that word of Your presence would be heard and felt and that many would gather.

… many kinds of people were there… from teachers of the law to paralytics. They were all in one place listening to what Jesus had to say. Was there judgement, sideways glances, segregation? Sounds like everybody was mushed together – singles and couples and groups of every kind; united in wanting to hear Jesus, despite their history, present condition or position. Lord, I pray that we, too, could come together – different in many ways but united in desiring to hear from Christ.

… immediately Jesus knew in His spirit… Lord, I pray that we would be so in tune with You that we would know in spirit as well; that we would know You that well and immediately be moved in our spirit.

… two miraculous God-things: … your sins are forgiven, and get up and walk… Jesus does indeed have such authority because it happened. If both are equally miraculous, and He causes the paralytic to get up and walk, then too, He must be able to make sins forgiven.

… in full view of them all… remember that so many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door. All these different people with different levels of spiritual belief saw the paralytic get up and walk – in full view of them all. If you had been there, could anything change your mind about what you saw with your own eyes? Especially if a lot of other people confirmed it! If Jesus can do one miracle, can He do two? Or more? Have you even seen anything like this? Is anything too difficult for God?