be thankful

There are times I forget  and times I really don't take time to notice, but I am so blessed. God has truly been good to me. I haven't earned it nor do I deserve it, but I am blessed. Does that mean hard times haven't come? No. It does mean that God has been with me through it all. I was looking  through some old pictures and recalled times my son had surgeries,  times of loss, times of rejoicing, my kids being baptized and playing in the snow. As I looked at pictures of loved ones lost and all the fun times, I could think about how God's goodness has carried me through every moment.  My husband and I will be celebrating our twenty fifth anniversary next month. That is twenty five years of learning to trust God, praying for one another, and learning how to love each other the way God loves. It's years of failures and victories. It is the ups and downs, good and bad. It has times when I held him up and times he held me. I am so thankful for a husband that seeks God and turns to God to become an even better man. I am thankful for my two children who are blessings. I am so proud of them and who they are. I rejoice as they are growing and learning how to serve God and others. Have they always been perfect angels? No, of course not. But they are wonderful. I am thankful for my life and health. I am thankful for my job and yes, even my bills. I am thankful for my church and my family. I have so much to be thankful for.

Why am I saying all this?  Because I can so easily focus on what has gone wrong and all the stresses. I can get so caught up in worry over many things, most of which I cannot control. I can fret and worry over finances, health,  my kids, the future, etc. When I do this, my eyes and my heart lose focus on  the goodness of God.  I begin to lose the joy and peace. I begin to feel the fear and depression. I begin to fail and question more. My faith wanes and I begin to complain. It slowly gets ugly. This is exactly what God does not have in mind for us.

He has not given us a spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)He does not want us to stress and worry. He says we can cast all our cares on Him he cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7)  He is able to give us all we need and provides for us in ways we can never even imagine when we put all our faith and trust in Him. When we are thankful and full of praise, we are able to keep the right attitude and keep our eyes focused on God.

O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Psalms 108:1 KJV

We can keep thankfulness as our attitude and change the way we see our circumstances.  When we are grateful, we show appreciation and actually feel more happiness and peace. We more easily recognize our blessings. We see the blessings all around us rather than focusing on the problems.  We can look to Jesus to get us through and know He has already taken care of us by giving us the greatest gift of all: salvation.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 KJV

As we approach Thanksgiving,  I hear so many talking about being thankful and counting blessings.  There is joy in the counting of blessings. I love the feeling in the air at Thanksgiving  as people take time to recognize the blessings and appreciate the goodness of God. We need to keep that attitude all year long, not just for a season,  but for a lifetime. Imagine how much worry we could avoid if we just stayed focused on being grateful  rather than finding reasons to complain. I am going to do my best to make thankfulness my heart's first thought rather than worry. I am going to try to stay thankful even after the special day has passed on by. Every day, I want to start with saying thank you to God for the blessings of the day.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Psalms 140:13 KJV

Thank you, Lord, for all Your blessings on me.

peace , not anxiety

We often question ourselves and what we are are supposed to do. We have self-doubt, anxiety and worry. We may not really believe that we are actually chosen and ordained of God to do a work for Him. We may become fearful, lonely, and even depressed. BUT, He has called each of us to share His love and the great news of the Gospel with those around us. We have purpose in Christ and we are loved by our creator. He did not form us for no reason. He has a plan for each of us.

Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;
Jeremiah 33:2 KJV

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

God wants us to realize that He wants the best for us and has set a plan in motion. We need to trust Him and place our faith in Him to the utmost. We should not worry or fear when we are putting every bit of our faith and trust in our loving God.

Anxiety is on the rise in our society. Every day anxiety keeps people from reaching out, trusting, and living the life with which God has blessed them. Anxiety destroys relationships and creates depression and hurt. Anxiety tells you that no one cares, that you aren't good enough, and actually creates hurt when there shouldn't be. Anxiety causes you to find fault and feel hurt from someone who truly had no intention of hurting you. Anxiety is not from God. It separates us from Him.

Anxiety is a spirit that goes against the will of God to keep you from really trusting and believing in the plan God has for you.

 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
II Timothy 1:7 NKJV

We have many good reasons to put aside anxiety. The biggest reason is it is keeping us from a good relationship with our heavenly Father. We cannot truly trust Him nor can He truly fulfill His plans in us when we allow anxiety to keep us from giving Him our heart fully and completely.  We aren't able to give everything to Him when we listen to anxiety's lies.

We need to find ourselves at an altar and repent for not trusting God and ask for His help in defeating anxiety once and for all. Living in anxiety keeps us from the peace and joy that God has for us. We need to live in His peace and experience true Joy rather than what anxiety has created.

Jesus spoke these words about peace and joy:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27 NKJV

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:11 NKJV

We need to understand that anxiety is not God's will for us. His will is peace and joy. He offers us good things and wants to give us good gifts. He does not want us suffering and fearful. He wants better for His children.  He has the best for us, not just getting by,  dwelling on hurt or fear of hurt. That is the goal of the enemy of our soul.  He wants to destroy and keep us from the goodness of God.

We can call on Him and He will answer. He will bring about His mighty will in us if we turn it all over to Him.
We can cast all of our cares at His feet and walk in faith knowing He is taking care of it all for us. He will lead us and make our paths straight.  He will answer our prayers, meet our needs and supply for us in  ways that will amaze us when we call on Him in complete faith and trust.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah 33:3 KJV

I pray we can put aside the fear, worry, hurt and trouble that anxiety has caused. We need His peace and joy operating in us. That is what will change lives, draw the sinner to the love of Jesus, and make us truly effective in the Kingdom of God. Let's call on Jesus when we hear the painful whispers from anxiety telling us lies of pain, hurt, and fear. Let us find strength in Jesus and the in the Word of God to stand in faith, live in joy and claim peace that only comes from Him.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7 KJV

grounded and settled

I always find encouragement and challenge when I read Paul's writings. Paul was sold out to the work of God. He denied all else so he could preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone. God used him mightily to spread the message to not only those he spoke to, but also to every generation since through his writings. Paul wrote half of the New Testament.  He gave details and explanations about what it means to live as a Christian and to be Christ like. When I read his writings, I end up feeling challenged to be better, to change and allow more of God in me.  I highlighted the following verse a few weeks ago and it still stands out,  especially the first part.

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Colossians 1:23 KJV

Grounded and settled.  We must be grounded and settled in the gospel. We cannot allow anything to draw us away or distract us from the truth of the gospel.  We can see examples all around us of beloved friends, family and even leaders whom have lost the way in Christ.  We try to understand, explain, and even question why, but we are not always able to change their minds on our own.  Only they can come to the realization that they still need Jesus in their lives.  They are not grounded, rooted, nor settled in the truth.

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Luke 8:13 KJV

We need to be aware of where we stand in our faith. We need to be settled and grounded,  immovable. We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from the  truth of God's Word. We need to always be in the process of drawing closer in our relationship with Him. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. When we become complacent,  even comfortable with where we are, is when other things can creep in and take our focus off of God. We become lackadaisical in our commitment to Him.

This happens in many relationships. This same thing happens in marriage and other important relationships. Ideas, thoughts, and distractions enter in when we are not proactively guarding our hearts and minds from distraction or malcontent. Many hearts are broken by lack of attention, lack of pursuit, and downright betrayal.

God will never be the one to turn away, cheat, lie, or break our hearts. We do that ourselves when we do not pursue Him with our actions, our thoughts, and our love. We become unsettled and are no longer standing firm on the foundation of his truth. We become easy prey for the lies and distraction of unbelief and betray the One who loves us most.

We need to keep our eyes on the prize, our hearts set on Him, our minds engaged in His word, and our actions ever leading is closer to Him. We need to be as Paul said, grounded and settled, and cannot be moved away.
Regardless of what others may say and do, we need to stand our ground.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13 KJV

We must be ever mindful and on guard of the attacks against our minds, hearts, and faith. We can easily be persuaded when we are not on guard and sure of the truth. We need to be ever seeking more of God to find strength,  we need to be emersed in the faith, encouraged and be an encouragement  to others with fellowship aand church attendance, as well as seeking God through prayer, Bible study,  and fasting. We must daily be engaged with the Spirit of God to be lead by Him and protected by Him
He will guard our hearts and minds when are submitted to Him in obedience. We cannot give up on Him. He will never give up on us. He will never leave us or forsake us. How can we ever forsake Him? He redeemed us by the shedding of His blood. He bought and paid for our salvation and freedom. He set us free. He loves us more than anyone else we could ever meet. I cannot turn back now. I am all in. I am His and He is mine. My commitment is rooted in His blood and in His love for me. I want be able to say as Joshua said:

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord , choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .
Joshua 24:15 KJV

I may not be able to change your mind or anyone else's mind, but my mind is made up. I will be grounded and settled. I will not be  moved away from the gospel. My root will be planted in God's righteousness. I am firmly planted in the Rock, Jesus Christ.

A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
Proverbs 12:3 KJV

that ain't right

We are often very aware of what is right and wrong. We teach it to children and tell them to choose the right things. We expect good and right and condemn the wrong very often. In our society, we hear many people talking about how someone did something and they  may say, "That ain't right!"  We are quick to see how someone fails and identify the wrongs and the rights. Our political arena is full of people pointing fingers and calling each other out over perceived wrongs. As the story continues, we often find that same wrong coming back to haunt the accuser as well. 

I am no longer surprised by the next scandal or the next accusation. Politics in America, and the world, has become a rather sad display of accusations, backbiting, and lack of morality. This isn't about being progressive, conservative, or anywhere in between. This is about what we truly need to understand.  We need to realize that we all have a choice to make about right and wrong. We all have a responsibility to live by what is right. The truth about right and wrong starts with the little choices so we can make the big choices later. We must do our best to choose good based on  the truth of God's word . We will be held to that standard in the end . 

My son was telling about a little situation at school and I responded by explaining that doing that particular action would be stealing. He replied, "but everyone does it, and the teachers said to."  My husband simply replied, but it is still wrong and we don't do wrong just because others do it or say to do it. We choose to do what it right because God says to do right.

James 4:17 says "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is a sin." We are given plenty of direction and explanation in the Bible about what is right and what is wrong. We are given a clear understanding of what is sin and what is not. We are then given the opportunity to apply this truth to our lives every single day. We make a choice to do what is good or to sin. Simply put, you choose to sin even when you know what is right. 

There are people out there saying, "You do you." or,  "I choose my truth." There is no truth outside of God. We need to understand that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6). We cannot find real truth outside of obedience to the Word of God. We cannot explain it away, or change it. We cannot ignore it and hope it doesn't really mean what it says. God spoke and it is truth. His Word is truth. He is truth. We can only find good and right in Him. We can only find peace and happiness when we submit to Him and His ways. We can only find true contentment by believing and obeying His word and choosing to follow Him.

Joshua 24:15  And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

I have this on my wall of my living room for my family to see and read. I hope we all have this embedded and buried deep in our hearts so it will nourish our faith and help us to everyday choose to serve the Lord through our actions, our thoughts, and our lives. I do pray that my children and my family chooses to do what is good and not allow our sinful nature to continue to rule our hearts and our lives. 

Deuteronomy 30:19I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

We have a choice we make every day and sometimes every moment. We have a choice to choose life and truth or not . I want to choose life. I want to choose blessing. I choose to do what is good. I pray I can make that choice every moment. When I fail, I will choose to run to the Savior and make it right. I want His approval above all else. I want to show my love for Him by how I live my life and the actions I choose. I want my choice to say that Jesus rules my heart and He is my first choice. I want my life to be a reflection of His truth and His love for me. Let us pray that our choices are for good and what is right according to His Word. 

trust through the process

I often bake and I enjoy making things. I like getting to that finished product and seeing what I have accomplished.  It takes a process to get to the end product. I cannot just throw in some flour and say it is a cake. There is a recipe, measuring, mixing, and baking. There is a time of cooling and a time of decorating the cake.  It takes an ordered process and it takes time.
In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 we learn there is a time for every purpose under heaven.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1‭-‬8 KJV

There is a time for going through a process. A process means there is change and growth. Growth means we are in a process.  We don't instantly become adults.  We go through a process.  Living in this life should mean we are growing.  We may be fully grown adults, but we should still be in a growth process, maybe not physically any more, but spiritually, emotionally, and in maturity.

When I cook or bake, there is a process. When something is being built , there is a process. We are also in a process.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5 KJV

This life has good times and bad times.  We go through times of struggles and times of victories. Each of these are part of a process that God is using to bring us closer to Him. He wants to use these opportunities to change us, mold us,  and make us more like Him. God asks us to trust Him as we go through these processes.  We may feel like we are being mixed up or even put through a fire.  We may see a lot of things that want to capture and hold our attention to get us to take our eyes off of God. We may become distracted, overwhelmed and maybe even lost in the many things of living in this world.  But God says to keep our eyes on Him and our faith firmly placed in God. He has our best interests in mind and He knows where we have been,  where we are, and where we need to go. We are going through a process. He may even be taking us through a process to increase His will in our lives. We may not see the recipe or even know where we will end up. God does. He is the Master and the Potter. He is working on us and taking us through a process of growth and change if we allow Him to do what He has in mind.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 KJV

There is a purpose for our process. There is a purpose for every trial and every victory. There is a God walking with us, leading us, and carrying us through every thing we face in this life. We only need to trust Him through the process. His ultimate goal is to bring us closer to Him every moment so we end up spending eternity around the throne in heaven. He want us to run the race with endurance, fight a good fight,  finish the course, and keep the faith. I Timothy 4:7.

Each part of the process is our opportunity to place our faith in Jesus, to lean on His wisdom, to trust Him completely, and to find strength in the joy of the Lord.

He is my Shepherd

The other day I realized that I have known one particular verse pretty much my whole life. Psalms 23:1  The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. I recall being very small and being able to quote this verse with my mom and in  Sunday school. This verse has been planted and embedded in my heart and mind for a long time. It popped up the other day in my mind as I was thinking and praying about some concerns and then again a little later on my Bible app as the verse of the day. I realized that God was reminding me that He is a good Shepherd that cares for His sheep.

The Hebrew for this verse is Jehovah Rohi. This literally means "The Lord our Shepherd." It means that God is a caring God who takes care of us and our needs. He provides and protects. That is what a good Shepherd does for His sheep. He doesn't leave them alone and in need. He is there tending the sheep and watching over them.

I needed to be reminded about how much He cares for me and all of us that day. We sometimes get so focused on life and the problems, we forget to rest in the knowledge that He is a good Shepherd watching over us in loving care and concern. He knows well what we need and what is best for us.  In Matthew 6:8 Jesus said,
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
This tells us He is already aware and is working on our behalf. We don't need to worry, we only need to trust Him.

Why do we need to know the scriptures and verses such as these? These verses help me when I need to remember what God has promised and remember who He is.  I need to know that His word speaks about my needs and even my desires. There are promises in His Word meant for all of us. Reading His word reveals these promises and learning them keeps them hid in our heart to rely on and sustain us when we need encouragement and strength. We can recall these verses and find life abundant to keep moving forward and keep growing faith in Him.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalms 119:11 KJV

My parents taught me scriptures early on. They planted a love for God's word and made sure I could find my strength in the Word of God.  As a tiny child I knew The Lord is my shepherd. I have never forgotten this verse. It still brings  peace and comfort some 40 plus years later. It is the Word that sustains and builds my faith.  I can still rely on God's promises.  I find there is no other joy or comfort like God's  word.  I am grateful I have Him to turn to in all situations, good and bad. Plant the Word and hide it in your hearts and your children's hearts.  Give them and yourself the best source for life that there ever will be.

run the race with faith

I enjoy reading. I especially enjoy reading the Bible. The Word of God often reveals things about God and challenges the reader to be better and move closer to God.  Yesterday, as I read Hebrews chapter  12, the first verse kept my attention.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1 KJV

The eleventh chapter had just listed heroes of faith, ordinary men and women whom had displayed faith in God during extraordinary circumstances. Here in the very next chapter we are immediately called to recognize the great groups of witnesses surrounding us, the men and women who are the examples of faith who can attest to what God did, can, and will do. We can read their life stories. But I also thought about the witnesses of our walk with God. We have people all around us that will witness our lives as we walk in faith.  We need to be aware that we can look at those who have gone before and strive to live a faith-filled life as they did and at the same time, be an example of faith to those around us.

The second part of that verse tells us that we need to lay aside the weights and sin that holds us back and works to destroy our faith. We cannot run this race of faith carrying around weights and permitting sin to be in our hearts.  These things will cripple our ability to be a faithful example.  When we hold on to those things, such as anxiety, depression, self-doubt, fear, addiction, bitterness, and so on, we cannot run for very long and our endurance is no longer there. We are weighed down and bogged down with life's frustration and cares. We have to lay all this down so we can really run in faith.

Paul knew this. He knew that this would not be easy, but he gave us a key to help us  in verse two.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 KJV

We only need to look at Jesus. He endured the cross for us. He offers us life. He can help us lay aside the weights and forgives the sin. He changes our lives so we can run.  He is the author and the finisher of our faith.  He will keep working on us so we can endure and finish this race, not just barely make it, but with endurance and victory. He will take the weights for us. He said,
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" In Matthew 11:30 KJV. He takes our heavy burdens so we can run freely and gives us a light burden instead. We can become an example of what faith in God can do.

I encourage each of us to look at the examples, the witnesses of faith we have laid out in scripture and around us to see what God can do, then be one of those examples of faith to those who need to see what faith in action. Lay down the weights and sin and run the race that is before you. Run with faith and be a witness to someone else.