Apr 8

I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! (Psalm 91:2 AMP)

John Wesley said "we need not be solicitous how to avoid, so much as how to be improved by, heaviness.  Our great care should be so to behave ourselves under it, so to wait on The Lord in it that it may fully answer all the design of His love in permitting it to come upon us.  That it may be a means of increasing our faith, confirming our hope, and perfecting us in all holiness.  Whenever heaviness comes, let us have an eye to those gracious ends for which it is permitted and use all diligence that we may not make void the council of God against ourselves."
What a great reminder that God doesn't promise no storms in life, he promises to 1) be with us - Matt 28:20, and that His grace is sufficient - 2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
Yesterday I vowed to pray over each and every situation. I had to travel yesterday and in the height of yesterday's storm, it occurred to me that driving would be easier than flying.  I was able to split the driving with Reja getting a little work done en route.  It was also much more relaxing than waiting in airports on delayed flights and then getting in late. I also found that some upcoming deadlines aren't this week, but early next week giving me an important extra day in the office to wrap things up.
Prayer.  It really works!

Peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27

In these verses Jesus is really trying to explain to his disciples that He is about to leave them and die, but He's not going to die and they will see Him again.  That is an extremely difficult concept to explain.  We might be more accepting of it having already heard His story today, but at that time, that just had to be inconceivable.  But that wasn't all!  To add to the difficulty, He is trying to explain that He is leaving so that the Spirit can come to them.  How do you explain the Holy Spirit to these men?  How do you explain a concept without reference to them?  I mean, the Holy Spirit is in me and I have trouble explaining it to others today! 

Jesus is handling this topic very gently.  In this chapter of John, I can sense His delicate speaking and reassuring words to them as a parent would speak to their children before leaving on a journey: "Everything is going to be okay.  You are okay.  I'm not going to be physically with you but am available by phone.  If you need anything at all just give me a call."  And a phone call would be equally as foreign to them as this topic of "I'm leaving you but will be with you".  What? 

Jesus had just reassured his disciples a few verses earlier in John 14:18-20.  "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me.  Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you."  ("On that day" being a reference for when I receive the Holy Spirit and their day of Pentecost.)  What?  The disciples had to be confounded by this.  Okay, okay.  Let me get this straight.  You are going to die, but you will come to us and we will see you and you will live and you will be in God, we will be in you and you in us?  ...  Rrriiiiiiiiggghhhtttt (eyes roll).

Sometimes our children don't understand everything we say will happen, but they just go along with it trusting us that it will be alright.  I imagine all of the disciples fit this description here.  And most of the time I do also.  I certainly do not understand everything that happens, but I just accept that "Father knows best" and hope I don't get lost.  I bet all of them are asking Him to repeat this several times and trying to take notes on anything they can find. 

You could interpret verse 27 as, "I'm leaving you peace and it's not just a moment's peace as you already know, but it is My peace and it is eternal.  It will be with you for as long as you are as it will be inside of you.  Do not worry and do not be afraid.  You are not alone."  Jesus is not only trying to explain the Holy Spirit, but He is now trying to describe what the experience and feeling will be like.  It will be inside of you and will be foundational.  In even the most dire circumstances, YOU WILL KNOW I AM THERE.

There is no greater love than this.  Jesus was not content to just remain with us physically.   He had to die so that He could live so that we could live so that He could live closer to us by living within us.  I know this feeling.  I have been so close to Julie that I just wanted to be within her soul.  Even this morning we prayed that Jesus would "sew our hearts together" and "to show us even more closeness and bindings that we can't conceive".  As close as we are and as much as we yearn to be closer, we want to be even more together and only Jesus knows how that can be done.  He saw a way to be with us in our very hearts if we would only accept Him, so He made that way a reality.  

Apr 7

John 14: ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] (AMP)

 

How does one measure "Peace?"  I can remember praying for the peace only God can provide when my Dad got sick and ultimately died.  I received that peace immediately and never doubted God's love or good intentions for all of us.  That is divine peace - a peace I could not conjure up on my own.  Currently, however, work is stressing me out.  I've got a lot to do, cannot get it all done, and can tell people are noticing and are disappointed in my performance both superiors and subordinates.  Yet, I simply have no more to give.  I'm tapped out.  Empty.  I'm not at peace at all when it comes to work.  

 

So what's the difference?  In my Dad's case, I knew there was nothing I could do to "fix" him.  Therefore, giving that problem to God was simple and straightforward.  I prayed like I've never prayed before and had no problem letting God work as He saw fit.  My job, however, is different.  I have a role.  I have things I must and can do.  I pray for God's leadership and direction, but when I get to work, my mind is racing with all I've got to do and my neck is so tense I live with an unconquerable (at least with over-the-counter meds) tension head and back ache all day.  When I come home, I'm grumpy and irritable taking out numerous frustrations on innocent family and friends.  So why is it so hard for me to find peace in the midst of the "storm" of work?  

I'm convinced that my methods must be at fault.  I'm not making God Lord over my work.  Although I pray for leadership, wisdom, knowledge, direction, and for my efforts to glorify Him, I must be casting aside His lordship over each individual task, conversation, meeting, and controversial issue.  

 

I note with interest that Jesus promises to leave us His peace, but it comes with a command to "Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  It is obvious to me that my stress is symptomatic of a failure to obey.  I've let my heart and my body become overwhelmed by the task at hand.  It's time to quit trying to work so hard, and try harder to simply trust Him.  Trust Him that He will enable me to complete whatever task He deems important and that He will inspire me with the answers, direction, responses, and products that He needs me to provide.  Stress is a witness to fear of failure, to fear of harm, or to a lack of trust.  It is not from God.  It is from my sin nature which I am commanded to conquer, yet I am completely and utterly unable. 

1 Peter 5:⁸ Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [^[a]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. ⁹ Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (^[b]identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. (AMP)

 

Today I vow to pray over every new task, encounter, and event.  Instead of trying to work harder, I vow to pray harder.  

C'mon. Seriously?

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. - Luke 6:27-28

I like Tony Dungy's comments on this verse. "C'mon. Seriously?  If Jesus told me I could choose which of His teachings I didn't have to follow, this would easily make the list." 

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. - Luke 6:32-35

Ouch!  Again, I defer to Tony's thoughts.  "The truth is, how many of us have problems loving the people who love us all the time?  We hold grudges against them, fail to forgive them, get angry, and refuse to pray for them.  So if we can't even love those who love us, do good to those who do good to us, or pray for those who pray for us, how in the world are we going to love, do good to, and pray for those who don't do any of those things?"

I think he is very insightful in that commentary.  Jesus in His teaching is giving us the benefit of the doubt that we love those who love us and do good to those who do good to us.  But oh how we fail at even that!  That thought is like a sledge hammer to the forehead.  What a depraved person I am!  I don't even measure up to the beginning of the teaching so how can I possibly make it to the goal of the teaching?  "How in the  world" Tony asks.  It's not in this world; He is out-of-this-world.  Only God can rule my heart and lead me to this.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:36

As a Christian, I should be an extension of God's grace and mercy.  As God has extended His grace and mercy to me, so should I extend it to everyone around me.  Not because they deserve it, I certainly don't deserve His, but because that shows the character of God.  I cannot demonstrate Him to others in any higher form than this.  Only by relating to a personal demonstration of extended grace and mercy here in this world will some people ever be able to understand God's extension of grace and mercy.

Have you ever forgave a large debt to someone who didn't deserve it?  What if they even didn't ask to be forgiven?  Jesus did.  Have you ever been kind to someone?  What if they were cursing you while you helped them?  Jesus did.  Have you ever loved someone?  What if they hated you and plotted against you while you loved them?  Jesus did.

I find myself in a deep reflection of awe at the depth of Jesus ...  and in a sense of wonder in why I am so unwilling to accept some of these concepts while being so needy for them.  What a hypocrite I am!  I pray that God would slay my resistance to being able to embody His nature.

Matthew Ayars says in his post, The Psalms: Wounded Healing, "Healing and redemption always comes through suffering—this is one of the central dimensions of biblical soteriology (understanding of salvation). That salvation always comes through pain. If this were not the case, the Cross is unnecessary. So often we’re ready, poised to bear our cross for the deliverance of another. The question to ask, however, is are you ready to bear the pain of your deepest self before the Holy One for the sake of healing? Perhaps we have the faith, but lack the courage. He who brings healing also offers courage and strength."  

Well, am I?  Am I willing to be healed so that I can accept Him fully and have the ability to show grace and mercy to the extent that He did?

Apr 4

Luke 6: ²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (NIV)

 

I can clearly recall two events in my life where I've put this to practice and have seen God honor it by blessing me in the end.  The first occurred while I was still in college (Go Dawgs!  Don't lose to anyone today...).  I had a truck stolen my junior year and I thought the world was simply going to end.  I prayed for the people that stole it, and after two weeks or so, I actually started to mean those prayers.  In the end, God found me a replacement and the insurance money paid for my Sr. year as well as the truck payments until I got my first job. 

The second was a work situation in the mid-late '90's.  One particular coworker not only berated me for my lowly education (after all I only had a Bachelor of Science in engineering), he piled on about how weak-minded I was to be a Christian and believe in God in spite of no factual evidence of Him.  He cited my belief as further evidence of my lack of rigorous and in-depth technical training in the science of conclusions drawn strictly from scientific observation (Satan has clearly blinded him to the work of God going on all around him, but that is a topic for another day).  Until that time, I had always prided myself in being able to work with anyone.  This man is the only person I've ever had to go into formal mediation hearings to solve interpersonal conflicts.  I was so worn out by that experience, I left that job and moved to another part of Eglin AFB altogether just to escape the oppression. 

Approximately 12 years later, I was the chief engineer for a significant program that ran into technical issues.  When our Commander convened a review board, this man's name appeared on the list.  I was already afraid that I would be fired as a result of the technical issue and when I saw his name on the review panel I was sure that it would be a humiliating experience along the way. 

As God would have it, however, I was not only retained in the position, I set up a recovery plan that leveraged this man's experience and organization to run a risk reduction effort.  We're now collaborating on a separate project and are bringing our two organizations along in this collaborative effort. 

I just spent the last two days out of town with this man.  Not only is there a sense of mutual respect, but we enjoyed some time over dinner sharing personal experiences.  One of the members of his team had just returned from Haiti (where she worked with Brett Bundy on a medical team - I didn't know her PhD in metallurgy qualified her to be that kind of doctor!) and we spent quite a bit of time swapping stories of our experiences in Haiti and our take aways.  He actually listened and interacted with great interest and even caught himself in mid-word and apologized profusely when he started to take the Lord's name in vain. 

I obviously had no role in changing this relationship other than to leave it and pray that God would give me the grace to forgive him.  God honored that prayer, albeit some 12 years later. 

So what's the point?  God honors our faithfulness!  Even when it seems that others would be better off without us, God doesn't give us that option.  He said to love them, even if they are our enemies.  At that point in my life, I couldn't bring myself to do anything other than pray for that man and not publicly disrespect him (I did plenty behind his back for which I've repented). 

I'm obviously not perfect.  There should be many other such stories, but sometimes I simply like holding a grudge.  One thing is for sure.  God didn't stop working just because my situation changed and I didn't think I needed Him to work in that situation anymore.  Thanks be to Him that He showed me He is even bigger than those who refuse to believe.  One other thing is also obvious.  God can use even me in spite of my lack of qualifications or past sins.  Wow.  He's awesome!

My Shame Cup

The hardest things are not those that the world knows of.  Down in your secret soul unseen and unknown by any but Jesus, there is a little trial that you would not dare to mention that is harder for you to bear than martyrdom. --Selected

We all have that wolf deep inside that we keep suppressed, that we try not to feed, and that has no good in it. One of the issues that consistently come out when I talk to men is how hard it is to sit down and pray with our wife. The usual answer is that our wife knows where we really live, that is, they know what we’re really like – the failings that most others can’t see. And many felt like they were being hypocritical by leading a spiritual prayer. … I could discuss many faults with this logic in relation to God’s Word, but for this topic it will suffice me to say that we’ve all felt unworthy to bring ourselves before God at various times no matter how much we hear and read He loves us and wants us to come to Him. Here is an excerpt from a previous devotion that I feel compelled to include today:

In my own life, I have tried very hard to get rid of my shame cup but yet it remains.  I have had so many horrible and disgusting thoughts and I fall to them over and over.  I can’t clean my mind enough to finally get rid of them once and for all.  So, when I pray to God for forgiveness, I am usually praying over the obvious failures and hiding my shame cup because those things are far too bad to even consider letting a pure and holy God stick His fingers into.  I mean, it’s horrible and I hate and despise it.  The shame from this cup keeps me from looking God in the eye.  I can’t lift my head to see God because this cup weighs me down and keeps me in crud.  People say I’m a good person and that I am a positive influence, but I know the truth. I am a horrible person and my shame cup proves it.  I know God knows all about it, but I just can’t imagine having to make Him clean that cup out.  

What did I just say?  “Make Him”, I can’t make God do anything.  This means He wants to do it - Jesus willingly climbed on the cross.  How could a righteous and holy God willingly want to clean that disgusting and vile shame cup of mine out? It is not a question of if God can take if, but a question of will I give it to Him.  Yet there God is with His hand out, waiting on me to let go.  Or, He has already cleaned it out and He’s just waiting on me to accept it and be the person He created me to be.  “You can do all things through Me” Jesus tells us.  I mentally see me as being ghost-like and having to pass through Him, but my shame cup won’t pass.  I pass through, but I am held by my hold on my shame cup.  Jesus will not let that pass through Him.  So, in order to do anything for Him and in Him, I’ve got to let it go. 

Take it, oh Lord and forgive me completely!  I tremble in the agony of sadness and sorrow of my depravity.  Then, my soul jumps and my heart soars, my shoulders no longer slump under the weight.  What’s this?  Where is this from?  Why?  The burden is lifted, a burden far heavier than I even knew I was carrying. 

Where's the burden pulling my head down?

I look all over but it cannot be found!
Jesus lifts my head and looks me in the eye.
He carries my heart to the heavens on high!
Oh what a Savior that would take such a thing
And love me forever with all of His means!

Encourage!

Encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Encourage each other in what?  In the fact that "Christ died for us" (v 10) and "we can live with Him forever."  Many times the Bible reference of encourage means "to be strengthened in faith or belief" but also there is a sense of excitement in the reference as "to shout praise".  In Matthew 9:2 Jesus said as He healed the paralyzed man, "Be encouraged, my child!  Your sins are forgiven."  In Matthew 9:22 Jesus said to the woman who was healed touching the fringe of his clothing, "Daughter, be encouraged!  Your faith has made you well."  "Shout praise and be strengthened in your faith!  Your sins are forgiven!  Your faith in Me has made you well!"

Philippians 2 asks in verse 1, "Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?  Any comfort from His love?  Any fellowship together in the Spirit?  Are your hearts tender and compassionate?"  Where is your praise Paul and Timothy are asking them.  Where is your encouragement in Christ, Christian?  Where is your faith?  Where is the fellowship of body?  Where is the depth of your hearts? ... The underlying questions are: Why are you not encouraged?  Why are you not encouraging one another?

This is what we are to reinforce in each other.  We are to shout praise that "Christ died for us" and that "we can live with Him forever" and be strengthened in our faith together!  Paul said in Romans 1 "When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours."  In Romans 15:32 he said "by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other."   Sounds like worship to me.  We should worship together speaking of the greatness of God to one another, discuss when our faith was tested in failures (as my Emmaus card reads), discuss how God answered our prayers and praise Him for it, and in so doing all of our faiths will be strengthened.  We will be encouraged and our hearts moved for one another!  We will be in fellowship and comforted by His presence among us!

I pray that there will be someone I can be an encouragement to today ... and who will encourage me.

Updated Edit: I remember back in college there where times when I could "feel" my Aunt Jean's prayers for me.  They were there encouraging me as I was trying to pass and graduate without goofing everything up too badly.  I miss my Aunt Jean and her prayers.  Maybe I can be that kind of silent encourager for someone.  Maybe they will know through the Spirit that they are supported and loved and be encouraged too.

Domination

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. - Romans 8:5-6

"Domination".  A word that implies rule and control, but even more.  It is a supremacy, something that you can't get by or over.  In chess, domination refers to a chess piece with wide movements that cannot avoid being captured.   In sports, when a team is being dominated by another team it becomes apparent to all observing that there is nothing that team can do where the other team doesn't crush their efforts. 

Paul writes here that our sinful nature dominates us when we focus and stay mindful of sinful things.  Unfortunately, I have lived here and have been dominated.  It is the worst place I've ever been in my whole life.  It is misery for the soul.  Guilt piled on top of feelings of failure piled on top of realizing your inadequacies piled on top of disappointment piled on top of discouragement piled on top of guilt piled on top of feelings of failure .... it just keeps piling up over and over again.  At the bottom of this time I wrote, "I just want to stop living.  I am having trouble discerning who wouldn't be better for it.   I felt like God told me early on that it would be more selfish to die than to live, but now, I'm not so sure.  I just want to stop living.  ...  I can't kill myself in any way that would be proper for my family to accept.  So I have power over nothing.  If I am to die, God needs to kill me in a way He sees fit.  If I am to live, He has to do the living.  I can't live anymore and know that I will only hurt others.  If I keep living, it will happen.  I will hurt someone God loves.  He should kill me."  That is the domination of the sinful nature when we focus on and think primarily about sinful things.  Its ultimate victory being putting us in a position where we cannot move.  All that is left is our removal from the game, "letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death." 

"Domination".  There is another domination.  If we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Living God, we think and dwell on the things that please His Spirit.  Philippians 4:8 says "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things."  If we focus on the Spirit we can think and meditate on those characteristics of God.  It is these things that are pleasing to the soul; that give life to our soul; that fill us with joy; that opens our eyes to see the blue skies and the green grass; that opens our ears to hear the sweet sound of a baby or children laughing; that opens our heart to hold precious the touch and closeness of all those we love and who love us.  This is how we want to experience our days. "Letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." 

Be dominated today, but be sure it is by His Spirit and in so doing live a life worthy of living.

Apr 2

Romans 7: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (Romans 7:15 NIV)

I hope I'm the only one who can identify with Paul on this one, but this happens to me all the time. Last night I had a pizza.  I should have ordered the salad and quit, but no I had to have the pizza.  I could have quit after two or three pieces, but no I wasn't miserably stuffed so I ate the whole thing.  Maybe it was the fact that I'm out of town and can relax my diet a little, or that I'm with a bunch of hearty eating men, or maybe...well I could go on with the excuses, but they really aren't the true reason why "I do what I do not want to do and what I hate, I do!"
The real reason is that I take my focus off Christ. Recall the story of Jesus walking on water from Matthew 14: “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:28-30 NIV). When Peter had his focus on the storm, he was afraid.  When he saw Jesus and focused on him, he could move his personal mountain (fear) and perform the miracle of walking on water.  When he lost his focus on Christ and returned it to the wind and waves, he began to sink.  I'm so glued the story didn't end with Peter's 9-1-1 cry "Lord save me!"
Matthew 14: Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 NIV). Note the word "immediately."  Just when Peter thinks he doesn't need to focus exclusively on Christ, he is defeated by his own fear.  I'm thankful that our God is in us, constantly with us, and ready immediately to save us from ourselves.
Lord help me in my unbelief and lack of discipline.  Help me not to focus on my own failings or (sometimes more importantly) the failings of others, but solely on you. For when I focus on you, you help me rise up and walk above the storms of this life.  Thank you for saving me from myself, forgive me for requiring constant correction, and help me stay focused.

The Root of the Problem - Part II

So, in part I of this thought discussion I said "I choose Jesus".  Am I sure?  Jesus is clear about what that means.

Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" - Luke 9:23-25

There is some strong language in that.  "Take up their cross daily and follow Me" and "to save their life will lose it".  Granted this is only for the person who wants to follow Jesus.  The first question is "Do I want to follow Jesus?"  Since I answered yes then the next question becomes "Am I sure?"  Jesus is clearly indicated some kind of sacrifice is required, but what exactly?

The phrases "deny themselves" and "lose their life" is clearly indicating a sacrifice of myself.  But not all of myself as a suicide, but acknowledgment that there are many, many pieces and parts of my conscious, emotional health, desires, goals, pursuits, dreams, thoughts, and soul that I need to be willing to sacrifice.  In essence, anything that I am clinging onto as "my precious", to claim a Lord Of The Ring phrase.  If there is any part of me that has not been developed and molded by Jesus then it must be sacrificed, lost, and denied.  If it has been created by me or by someone else, its not worthy of His call. 

By doing this we will follow Him and save our life.  No manager wants a part-time employee, no coach wants a part-time player, no friend wants a part-time friend, and no spouse wants a part-time spouse.  If we being evil understand an uncommitted heart, how much more does our Lord, the Creator, understand this!  He wants our heart to be committed, not part-time and not sitting on the fence.  Believe in Him or don't but don't pretend to do one or the other!

I said "I choose Jesus".  And yes, I'm sure.

Comforter

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble. - Psalms 46:1

I sought the Lord, and He answered me;
    He delivered me from all my fears. - Psalms 34:4

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    He delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalms 34:17-18

Too many times, it seems, have I had to cry out for rescue.  But then, the wisest thoughts I can muster tell me I haven't cried out enough times. 

God is my safe haven.  A missionary friend of mine once told me that when life was shooting its arrows and collapsing all around me that I should just visualize myself as a small bird, and to just scoot myself back under the safe and warm wings of my mother bird (God) who would protect me and keep me safe.  Just get under those wings and keep my head down.  I have always remembered him for that.

God is an always help, not a sometimes help.  It is here that doubts creep in and disturb me.  The world is collapsing and I am desperate for help but I don't see any real intervention.  Here is where I have to make a choice, do I believe that God is not helping and not there OR do I believe that He is always there and this is a part of His help.  It is always a faith issue.  Jesus said to ask, believing.  I ask knowing He is there and believing that whatever the answer or help is, it is the right help.  "I sought the Lord, and He answered me" David testifies.  He is always present and always on my side.

"He delivers" me from my fears and from my troubles.  The One who loves me enough to provide a way from my sins never does not love me.  What greater fear or trouble can I have beyond eternal separation from Him?  He has already delivered me!  If I am filled with gratefulness and thankfulness, by comparison to this deliverance, what fear or trouble is relevant today?  By comparison to an eternal salvation, what fear or trouble can He not deliver me from? 

But our loving Lord doesn't stop with just being a safe haven, answering us when we seek Him, and delivering us, He pulls close to us when we are broken-hearted and our spirits are crushed.  He comforts and consoles us and is the closest friend we can have who cares for us more than any other.  May I find a way to be as He is to those around me.

Apr 1

Psalm 46:¹ God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

 

I've noticed that when it comes time for prayer requests, the focus is always on the sick and the dead.  Why?  I'm convinced it's because these are things over which we have little or no control.  Therefore, we want our creator to handle these things for us.  Otherwise, we want to handle things on our own.  It is very infrequent that I hear someone say, "I'm struggling with this person and we need prayer."  Or, "I struggle with this sin and I need your prayerful support and accountability."  Or even, "I'm struggling with my parents or my kids, or my neighbors."  I usually don't ask for prayer for at least two reasons, one is I don't want to bother people with my little issues and two, I don't want to bother God with them either.  Just wait, however, until I get sick or someone near to me gets sick or is in the hospital and I dial up that 9-1-1 prayer that starts out "Oh GOD help me!"

It's so good to know that God isn't just our refuge in times of trouble that is beyond our control, but at all times.  The Psalmist says that God is "ever-present."  How awesome is it to know that God cares about even the most miniscule issue in our lives.  In Matthew 6 Jesus tells us that he clothes the flowers and feeds the birds - how much more must God care for us!  I pray that I'm not just a 9-1-1 Christian that looks to God to recover when things are beyond my control, but that I'm a full-time Christian constantly turning to Him for guidance and "ever-present help" at ALL times.