Category: Confidence

Posted on

A Place of Help & Hope

As a child I used to look up in amazement when planes flew over. They were a completely new phenomenon to me. I wondered where they were going and how they could possibly stay in the air. To a four-year-old it was a miracle.

We are told to lift up our heads in the Bible. But that doesn’t mean to turn our heads up, it is an attitude of the heart. This was an attitude that King David took. Turn our focus heavenward. Looking up is looking beyond ourselves and looking to someone higher, looking to God the Father.

“ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” Psalm 24:8-10

Are you looking up today? Are you looking beyond yourself and finding God’s directive on how you should function today? It’s easy to get discouraged and even depressed with all the world’s happenings and Jesus knew that these days and times we are living in would be taxing to our mental peace at the very least so He gave us this command.

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:25-28

So many things around us are in turmoil. Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, weather disruptions, political unrest, bias, hatred, financial uncertainty, relationships failing. All of these things wear on us emotionally, physically and spiritually.

The prophet Isaiah had this vision from the Lord.

“I saw the Lord sitting on a very high and wonderful throne. His long robe filled the Temple. 2 Seraph angels stood around him. Each angel had six wings. They used two wings to cover their faces, two wings to cover their bodies, and two wings to fly. 3 The angels were calling to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord All-Powerful. His Glory fills the whole earth.‘” Isaiah 6:1-3 ERV

The Lord is still on His throne. He is still in control and we can trust Him! God is not taken by surprise, and He has a plan for our good.

Don’t let your heart fail or become fearful – lift up your head for your Redeemer (redemption) draws near!

Posted on

Are You Weary?

” O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

This was the song on my heart when I got up this morning. “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, written in 1922, just after World War I ended and the US was entering the “Roaring Twenties”.

But souls were weary and these words came as a refreshing reminder.

“Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The Lord is the eternal God, Creator of the earth. He never gets weary or tired; his wisdom cannot be measured. 29 The Lord gives strength to those who are weary. 30 Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall 31 But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.” Isaiah 40:28-31 CEV

Over the past few days I have talked with a number of people who are just “weary”. Not getting enough sleep, too much to do. Facing situations that don’t seem to be changing quickly enough. Financial difficulties and stress.

Weary.

“Your love is faithful, Lord, and even the clouds in the sky can depend on you. 6 Your decisions are always fair. They are firm like mountains, deep like the sea, and all people and animals are under your care. 7 Your love is a treasure, and everyone finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. 8 You give your guests a feast in your house, and you serve a tasty drink that flows like a river. 9 The life-giving fountain belongs to you, and your light gives light to each of us. 10 Our Lord, keep showing love to everyone who knows you, and use your power to save all whose thoughts please you.” Psalm 36:5-10 CEV

So much in this Psalm reminds me of Psalm 23 and Psalm 91. Our Father is faithful and fair. His love is everlasting and we find shelter under His wings. He gives us a feast in the presence of our enemies and life-giving living Water for our refreshing. He gives us light for our path so we don’t stumble and fall and His loves gives us strength when we feel weary.

Oh yes, He is mighty God! Jesus said His mission was to tell the world about the Father.

“ My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so they can know him too. 28  If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. 29  Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.” Matthew 11:27-29 CEV

Are you tired? Are you weary? Are you worried? Come to Jesus and find rest!

Posted on

All I Need

Sometimes the obstacles of life can seem pretty daunting but that’s when we know it’s time to refocus our attention on the One that is greater than us.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:7

Might and power aren’t necessarily the right tools to use when things seem overwhelming; sometimes the best defense are those who are weak and have been empowered by God. Remember David and Goliath – young David was no match for the mighty giant who had been a warrior since his youth; but David’s confidence wasn’t in his own might but he was focused on the Lord.

Then there was Joshua taking the city of Jericho. A mighty walled city, a seemingly impenetrable fortress – but the foolishness of walking around the city for seven days and then shouting and blowing trumpets on the seventh day in obedience to God’s direction caused the walls to fall flat.

In my college days I learned that having a relationship with Jesus – trusting Him, relying on Him with complete confidence – was my source of completeness and strength. I’ve had to grow in that knowledge because many times I have failed to depend on Him, thinking I could handle things myself. But He’s been patient with me.

We sang a chorus back in those days: “He’s all I need, He’s all I need, Jesus is all I need”.

The Apostle Paul knew it would be hard for us to comprehend the power that God has given us when we are in Christ so he prayed that we would have understanding.

“I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. 19 And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. It is the same as the mighty power 20 he used to raise Christ from death and put him at his right side in the heavenly places. 21 He put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings. He gave him authority over everything that has power in this world or in the next world. 22 God put everything under Christ’s power and made him head over everything for the church. 23 The church is Christ’s body. It is filled with him. He makes everything complete in every way.” Ephesians 1:18-23 ERV

We are filled with Him. He makes us complete in Him! He adds multiplied blessings to our lives but it’s not the blessings we seek. It’s Him – it’s Jesus.

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

God’s power is working in us, through us and for us! Be strong in the Lord. He is ALL I NEED!

Posted on

A Gnarly Tree…

or as the prophet Isaiah put it, “oaks of righteousness” or the planting of the Lord.

Can you even imagine what this tree has experienced in its life cycle? The winds, the rains, the hurricanes, the drought, the fight to survive and thrive!

I think of trees like this as well as the giant redwoods, the sequoias, massive olive trees and cedars groves when I read what Isaiah, David and the other Old Testament writers refer to when they write about those who are righteous.

The term “righteous” isn’t some unattainable religious goal. No. Simply put it means to be in right standing with God. Righteous is a term that can be applied to all of us who have placed our faith in God.

“ Christ never sinned but God put our sin on Him. Then we are made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.” II Corinthians 5:20-21 NLV

“But he finds joy in the Law of the Lord and thinks about His Law day and night. 3 This man is like a tree planted by rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time and its leaf never dries up. Whatever he does will work out well for him.” Psalm 1:2-3 NLV

Isaiah, the prophet, wrote these words about Jesus hundreds of years before He was born.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has chosen me to bring good news to poor people. He has sent me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent me to tell those who are being held and those in prison that they can go free. 2 He has sent me to tell about the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day our God will bring punishment. He has sent me to comfort all who are filled with sorrow. 3 To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope. Then they will be called oaks that are right with God, planted by the Lord, that He may be honored.” Isaiah 61:1-3 NLV

Jesus spoke these words in a synagogue and it made them so angry they tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. (Luke 4:17-30, read it)

Some people still get angry today when they are told that we have received right standing with God because of what Jesus did.

A life lived in Christ is a life of thriving in the storms. Our roots go deep into His word, our branches sway in the wind, we provide shelter to those in need, comfort to those who are weary.

We become gnarly old trees who have been planted by the Lord and we stand grounded on His word.

Posted on

Caution Low Power

Every morning I pick up my laptop and share what the Lord has put on my heart for that day. After I post, I look at what others have posted overnight, read through emails and then do some research.

Inevitably, I will receive this message. “Power supply at 10%. Plug into power source.” And if I don’t heed the warning, I will get another one in a few minutes telling me I only have 7% of my power and if I ignore that warning the laptop just shuts down.

Do you ever feel like that? Your power is in short supply, you’re running low and about ready to shut down? I’ve been there many times and that weariness is my warning that I’m operating on stored power and need to reconnect to the power supply.

In Acts, Jesus had spent 40 days with His followers proving to them that He had died, rose again and was fulfilling the Father’s plan. Their main concern seemed to be the Roman government. They wanted to know if Jesus was going to set up His earthly kingdom and do away with the Romans. Jesus said to leave that up to the Father; He would handle things. (a good word for us today)

Jesus then gave them what He saw as their primary mission.

“Jesus said to them, ‘The Father is the only one who has the authority to decide dates and times. They are not for you to know. 8 But the Holy Spirit will come on you and give you power. You will be my witnesses. You will tell people everywhere about me—in Jerusalem, in the rest of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.” Acts 1:7-8 ERV

Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to give testimony of what God has done in our lives. Starting first with those closest to us and spreading out from there. Our family, our friends, neighbors, work mates…

The Book of Luke puts it this way.

“You saw these things happen—you are witnesses. You must go and tell people that they must change and turn to God, which will bring them his forgiveness. You must start from Jerusalem and tell this message in my name to the people of all nations. 49 Remember that I will send you the one my Father promised. Stay in the city until you are given that power from heaven.” Luke 24:47-49 ERV

Jesus knew they needed to be connected to the power supply, the Holy Spirit. It was essential. Jesus didn’t do any miracles or ministry until He had the Holy Spirit empowering Him and He doesn’t want us to attempt anything on our own either.

We need to be connected.

Thank you Father for reminding me that my power is draining and that I have a power source with unlimited supply. I desire to stay plugged into You today!

Posted on

Praying or Complaining

I hate to admit it but some days it’s more of the second than the first. Let me explain.

Several years back I heard a teaching on prayer. The minister made a comment that I think I will always remember.

“If you go to the Father in prayer about something that is bothering you and you come away still worried about it, you weren’t praying you were just complaining.”

Some mornings I find myself complaining! Ugh!!

I think I am casting the care of the situation over on the Lord. But, when it keeps coming up and I am worried that the situation won’t change, I realize that all I have been doing is complaining about it.

Now I know none of you ever do this, telling the Lord you are rolling all of the care over on Him, He can handle it and then proceed to worry. Yep, I’m the only one so, this is for me this morning.

These are such great verses – resist the devil and he will flee. So, one more time I am handing my care over to the Lord and I will resist the enemy by praising God and not worrying. Every time a thought of worry comes up, I will replace it with praise, thanking the Lord that He is in control and the enemy will have to flee.

“So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. 7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.

8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy, and he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to attack and eat. 9 Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith. You know that your brothers and sisters all over the world are having the same sufferings that you have.” I Peter 5:6-9 ERV

Be humble – admit that “God I can’t handle this so I’m giving it over to You! You are the One who has my best interest at heart, You are the One who can bring change that I can’t even imagine.

I will keep my emotions in check; I will refuse the devil’s invitation to fear. I will stand strong with my faith firmly placed in You and Your provision. I won’t complain. I will pray and thank You for being in control. In Jesus name.”

Here’s to a praise filled, worry free day!

Posted on

Be Strong – Be Courageous

These words came fast and with great emphasis this morning. These words are from God’s heart to yours!

“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 CEV

“Be strong and brave, all of you who are waiting for the Lord’s help.” Psalm 31:24 ERV

“ I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 CEV

“When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage” Psalm 138:3 CEV

“Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. 22 He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him.” I John 3:21-22 CEV

“Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.” Isaiah 41:10 CEV

“ David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart become weak because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ 33 Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go and fight against this Philistine. You are only a young man, while he has been a man of war since he was young.’ 34 But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant was taking care of his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and fought him and saved it from his mouth. When he came against me, I took hold of him by the hair of his head and hit him and killed him. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear. And this Philistine who has not gone through our religious act will be like one of them. For he has made fun of the armies of the living God.’ 37 And David said, ‘The Lord Who saved me from the foot of the lion and from the foot of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.‘” I Samuel 17:32-37 NLV

I’m not sure if you are facing is like a lion, a bear, the city of Jericho or an army that wants to destroy you, but God’s message is “Take heart – Be Courageous – I AM with you”!

Posted on

What’s the Plan?

It’s Monday. Here in America it’s a federal holiday, President’s Day. What are your plans for the day?

How far out do you plan your activities? Are you spontaneous or do you schedule everything?

Personally, I like to have things run smoothly but I like to do it with the least amount of planning as possible. I have friends who always ask the question, “What’s the plan or what’s on the schedule”. To them I answer nothing, let’s just go and see what happens.

You see we can have such a rigid plan or tight schedule that we overlook what the Lord has for us. The phrase stop and smell the roses isn’t Scripture but it is Biblical. We need to be open for the large and small interruptions in our plans so that we can see what “new” things the Lord has in store for us.

Jesus was always willing to be interrupted by people. I love the words “moved with compassion”. He had a plan but that plan was to touch the lives of those around Him.

“People might plan what they want to say, but it is the Lord who gives them the right words. 2 People think that whatever they do is right, but the Lord judges their reason for doing it. 3 Turn to the Lord for help in everything you do, and you will be successful.” Proverbs 16:1-3 ERV

Trusting the Lord to direct our steps is never a waste of time. He has a plan for us and His plan is that we touch people’s lives. We need to be open to His direction and He will cause us to succeed.

Now by no means am I saying that we are to go through life haphazardly or without a plan or direction; only that we need to be willing to let the Lord interrupt what we have planned for a bigger purpose.

Verse 3 in the Amplified Bible has always been a favorite of mine:

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” AMP

Be open for a divine redirect.

“ The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord shows him what to do.” Proverbs 16:9 CEV

So, what are your plans for today? The journey of life is more interesting and certainly more enjoyable when we allow the Father to direct our path!

Posted on

I’ve Been Thinking

When either Dave or I say that to each other, we laugh!

That’s one of those phrases that precedes a statement that is about to bring about change. It could be corrective, expensive, hard work or all three at once.

Let me tell you this morning – I’ve been thinking.

The Apostle Paul gave us this instruction, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”. Thinking like Christ…can you imagine having every thought be one like Jesus had? Jesus said that the things He did and thought were what pleased the Father. Now, that my friend, is definitely something worth striving for.

Jesus, who had been with God the Father at creation, walked by people every day that didn’t recognize Him as God. In fact, some of them were trying to shut him down because they thought the things He was saying were blasphemy. He had some people coming to Him to get their “miracle” fix.

After he did the miracle of feeding 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, they people came back wanting more – why work and go to the market when you can just go to a Jesus meeting and get food for free.

His closest friends, his twelve disciples were thick headed so many times that he had to re-teach his message to them in private so they could understand. Peter came to him and asked how many times should I forgive when I’m offended – seven? No, Jesus said; seventy times seven., in one day. Their thinking was so far removed from this message of Jesus. Each day his heart was filled with forgiveness and love for those He dealt with.

But before we criticize them too harshly we need to examine our own thoughts. How do we react? Do we walk in forgiveness? Are we willing to go over what’s important until someone “gets it” or do we just blow them off and say they’ll never learn? How do we treat people who want to use us or those who just ignore us?

“Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, 2 then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. 3 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. 4 Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. 5 In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought.” Philippians 2:1-5 ERV

Focus on one thing today – thinking like Jesus!

I can guarantee, your life will be fuller and more rewarding that ever before; it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Renew your mind and then when you say “I’ve been thinking” it will be something others can take to heart.

Posted on

My Choice

What I’m about to say may shock you. I am pro-choice.

Don’t stop reading. Let me explain.

“My body and mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever.” Psalm 73:26 CEV

“You, Lord, are all I want! You are my choice, and you keep me safe.” Psalm 16:5 CEV

“ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.7-8  Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means our sins are now forgiven.” Ephesians 1:3-7 CEV

I woke up this morning thinking how thankful I am that God chose me – He chooses us! And then I heard my heart say, “Father, I make You my choice”. Yes, I am very definitely pro-choice. God doesn’t demand that we love Him, He give us the choice.

You all know I love getting up early in the morning and starting my day in the quiet. It didn’t use to be like that.

I didn’t always enjoy being alone with just my thoughts. My heart would become anxious; I would want to turn on the tv or the radio – anything to block out the silence, anything not to focus on the unrest or the distress that I felt churning in my spirit.

Maybe you’re like that. No wanting to get up and be “alone” with yourself and with the Father. Wanting to get up and get going right away to keep yourself from pausing in the quiet of the morning…

King David wrote in the Psalms to “be still and KNOW that I AM God”. Know = to be intimately acquainted with, a deep personal knowledge or understanding.

“God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 And so, we won’t be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea..10 Our God says, “Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me.” 11 The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:1,2,10,11 CEV

This verse says to calm down where the KJV says be still. Take time to let what you just heard sink in.

God has made the choice to be our strength, our peace, our help, our defender, our protection and our Savior. We need to make the choice to “calm down” and “be still” so we can learn that He is God and He has chosen to be kind to us.

It’s our choice.

It was reading, learning and applying God’s word that brought me peace.

” With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

When I come to His throne, in the quiet of the morning, I find grace, mercy, kindness and help. I find Jesus! I can’t imagine starting a day without this time.

The choice is ours! My choice is to choose God!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress