Category: Encouragement

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Few or Many

Which is better many or few? I guess that would depend on the circumstances, right?

This morning I was reading in I Samuel. King Saul was going out to battle with the Philistines. His soldiers were scared and had deserted him. Many of them were hiding in caves, among big rocks and some even went to hide in old tombs. Saul was greatly outnumbered. They were many, his army was few.

Saul’s son, Jonathan, was with his father as they strategized a battle plan. Saul was hesitant because of the size of his army and the many who had deserted.

“That day, Saul’s son Jonathan was talking with the young man who carried his weapons. Jonathan said, “Let’s go to the Philistine camp on the other side of the valley.” But Jonathan did not tell his father.

2 Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree at the threshing floor at the edge of the hill. Saul had about 600 men with him…These men did not know that Jonathan had left. 4 Jonathan was planning to go through a pass to get to the Philistine camp. There was a large rock on each side of the pass. The large rock on one side was named Bozez. The large rock on the other side was named Seneh. 5 One of the rocks faced north toward Micmash, and the other faced south toward Geba.

6 Jonathan said to his young helper who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s go to the camp of those foreigners.[c Maybe the Lord will use us to defeat them. Nothing can stop the Lord—it doesn’t matter if we have many soldiers or just a few soldiers.”

7 The young man who carried Jonathan’s weapons said to him, “Do what you think is best. Whatever you decide, I am with you all the way.”

8 Jonathan said, “Let’s go!” I Samuel 14:1-8 ERV

At times, circumstances seem stacked against us. The odds are overwhelming. We’re not qualified enough; expectations of others seem to be over exaggerated; financially we’re limited; physically we’re weak.

In times like these we remember our teaching from yesterday; we are in Christ and so we do like Jonathan and we go for it!

“Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way.” Proverbs 3:5-6 ERV

When we follow the Lord’s direction it doesn’t matter if we have an army standing behind us or we stand alone, in Him, we are the majority and able to win any battle. We may feel like David standing before a Goliath of a problem but we can stand there in confidence because it was David who won with God’s help.

Look at today’s challenges. Get a word from God and go for it. Nothing can stop the Lord!

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Not My Power

“I am the Lord All-Powerful. So don’t depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit.” Zechariah 4:6 CEV

When I woke up the words above were the ones that came to mind. Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts. This is an all encompassing word of encouragement.

Right now, I have a friend who is facing a very serious heart surgery. One of my children is recovering from back surgery and another has a surgery scheduled next week. Our youngest daughter is pregnant and has had a rough time with morning sickness. We have friends who have been overwhelmed by business details and work situations.

As I was praying about these areas and many others the Lord kept reminding me of the verse above. Not my might, not my power but total dependence on the Lord. When I finished praying I found these words that I had written a couple years back…

What’s your focus when you wake up in the morning? Is it the project before you – the diagnosis you recently received from your doctor – the financial challenge that seems overwhelming? Maybe it’s physical pain in your body – a relationship that is factured and fragile – possibly physical danger and unrest?

If those things remain in the forefront of your mind, your day will wrap itself in worry, distress and then eventually lead to despair and depression.

However, if your focus is on God’s goodness and His provision you will find hope, joy and peace. That’s why I love starting my mornings in the Psalms – it is good to begin each day celebrating the faithfulness of the Lord.

“Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole world sing to the Lord! 2 Sing to the Lord and praise his name! Tell the good news every day about how he saves us. 3 Tell all the nations how wonderful he is! Tell people everywhere about the amazing things he does. 4 The Lord is great and worthy of praise. He is more awesome than any of the “gods.” 5 All the “gods” in other nations are nothing but statues, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 He lives in the presence of glory and honor. His Temple is a place of power and beauty. 7 Praise the Lord, all people of every nation; praise the Lord’s glory and power. 8 Give the Lord praise worthy of his glory! Come, bring your offerings into his courtyard. 9 Worship the Lord in all his holy beauty. Everyone on earth should tremble before him. 10 Tell the nations that the Lord is King! The world stands firm and cannot be moved. He will judge all people fairly. 11 Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be happy! Let the sea and everything in it shout for joy! 12 Let the fields and everything in them be happy! Let the trees in the forest sing for joy 13 when they see the Lord coming! He is coming to rule the world. He will rule all the nations of the world with justice and fairness.” Psalm 96 ERV

Let the Lord rule over the circumstances in your life today and receive the peace that floods in when you let go and trust God. It’s not our might or power but HIs Spirit that brings the answers and defeats the enemy.

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Victory Is Ours

Yesterday we celebrated the ultimate victory, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! He defeated death for us and in turn, brought us to a place of new life. Our new life in Christ is one of victory.

The Christian life is not for the passive or timid. Each day we will need to stand strong against our enemy when he attacks. The difference with our war is that we win IF we continue to stand and not give up. It doesn’t matter how big the enemy MAY appear, God is greater and He has secured our victory with the power of His word.

The weapons that our enemy uses most are lies, discouragement, fear, and deception. Those have been his tactics from the beginning. He used the same arsenal of weapons on Jesus so why should we think it will be any different with us.

The Apostle Paul tells us what to do when such weapons are being used. “We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. 4 The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5

We must protect what thoughts we allow to enter and reside in our minds. Whenever thoughts that are contrary to God’s Word show up we must immediately capture that thought and replace it with one that does reflect Christ. Best way I’ve found to do that is to begin praising God for what I know is true. Tell the enemy you know who he is and that he is a liar; always has been and always will be. He’s never told the truth yet and then begin to praise God that His word is true; always has been always will be.

“To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.” Ephesians 6:10-13 ERV

Stand strong today and when you’ve done all you know to do stand on the promises of God. STAND!!

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Beauty, Joy, Praise

This morning I was thinking about the disciples. What a sad and dark day this must have been for them. For three years they had been following Jesus. They gave up friends, family and business attachments to be one of his disciples. And now He was gone.

Perhaps you are experiencing a similar loss. Possibly you’ve just received some devastating news. You need comfort and there seems to be none. I want to bring you good news today. News that will beautify, news of joy, a reason to praise.

Where did the disciples go once Jesus was in the tomb? Did they all stay together? I’m sure they feared for their lives. If the Jewish leaders had killed their Teacher, would they be coming for the disciples next? The Scripture is silent on these issues and only leaves room for speculation. But we can assume that they were disheartened, misplaced and full of sorrow.

They loved Jesus and now He was gone!

As I put myself in their shoes a verse came to mind.

“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

The disciples had heard Jesus preach these very words. It was a part of every message that He gave to people everywhere He went. This was His mission; the reason He came from heaven. And now when the disciples needed to hear it most where was Jesus? He was in a tomb.

But…

He didn’t stay there! He rose victorious. He defeated death and destroyed Satan’s power.

“O death, where is your power? O death, where are your pains? 56 The pain in death is sin. Sin has power over those under the Law. 57 But God is the One Who gives us power over sin through Jesus Christ our Lord. We give thanks to Him for this.” I Corinthians 15:55-57 NLV

“Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:14-15 ERV

However, on the day before the resurrection the disciples were at their lowest point. Maybe that’s where you are today. Has life left you with sorrow? Are you mourning a loss of some kind? Have your dreams been shattered and all hope seems to be gone?

I wanted to bring beauty to the blog this morning. That’s why I chose this picture of Calla Lilies. They are a sign of resurrection, purity, holiness and new life. They can be a reminder of God’s amazing love and His promise of restoration.

If your heart is heavy, pour out your disappointment and heartache to the Father in prayer. He promises to take the all you give Him and replace it with beauty, joy and a reason to praise. His resurrection promises that!

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The Power of Resurrection

As we approach Easter, our thinking has to be centered on the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. “Christ in you the hope of glory” as the Apostle Paul said. Truly think about that – Christ living in me! His life, His power, His provision, His strength!!!

What if Jesus had gone to the cross with the same attitude as many Christians today? “Father God, I know you said in your word that I would rise on the third day – I certainly hope so. I hope I’ve been good enough for you to do a miracle for me; I hope that I’ve been reading the Torah every day and that my tithes are paid up and that I’m spending enough time in prayer each day for you to keep your word! I hope my WORKS have made me worthy to receive from you.”

Hogwash!! Again to quote the Apostle Paul, “we are saved by grace through faith; it is not by works lest any man should boast but it the gift of God”. Period, end of story!

The new life we have in Christ is God’s gift to us – a gift! We receive it by faith and believe that God in His unconditional love and everlasting mercy has given it with no strings attached.

Now I can hear some saying “yes, God the Father did that for Jesus but I’m not Jesus”. You’re right you’re not but if you are born again, Jesus is living in you. Look at what Paul wrote to the Romans about living in the power of God.

“So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. 3 The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin. 4 He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don’t live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit.

5 People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about what the Spirit wants them to do. 6 If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. 7 Why is this true? Because anyone whose thinking is controlled by their sinful self is against God. They refuse to obey God’s law. And really they are not able to obey it. 8 Those who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God.

9 But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. 10 Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God. 11 God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit lives in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. Yes, God is the one who raised Christ from death, and he will raise you to life through his Spirit living in you.” Romans 8:1-11 NIV

In Christ, we (you and I) have been set free from the law of sin and death. Yes, we will sin but we aren’t enslaved to it any longer – we have a greater power living in us, the law of the Spirit. And yes, our physical bodies will die but we will live forever with the Father. In fact, our eternal life started the day we accepted Christ as Savior. Because our spirit was born again and our spirit will never die.

Sin controls us as much as we allow it. We have power over sin.

“The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you[a] free from sin and death. 3 The Law of Moses cannot do this, because our selfish desires make the Law weak. But God set you free when he sent his own Son to be like us sinners and to be a sacrifice for our sin. God used Christ’s body to condemn sin. 4 He did this, so that we would do what the Law commands by obeying the Spirit instead of our own desires.” Vs 2-4 CEV

We were powerless but now we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. When circumstances arise that make you think you “have to sin” or that you can’t resist or overcome, remember this – you are a new creature in Christ, old things have passed away and all has become new.

Paul wrote the Book of Romans to give us all insight on how God the Father sees us. He sees us victorious and filled with power. It’s not our own work but the work of the Holy Spirit whom the Father sent. He sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower Jesus and after Jesus went to heaven the Holy Spirit was sent to do the same for all believers.

“God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit lives in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. Yes, God is the one who raised Christ from death, and he will raise you to life through his Spirit living in you.” verse 11 ERV

The same Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us now and He is working to quicken (make alive) our mortal bodies, bringing us resurrection life over the power of sin and death.

Thank God for Jesus’ resurrection and thank God that His resurrection power lives in us!

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Put A Little Love in Your Heart

A few days back I was sharing with you on kindness. The simple act of being polite is monumental.

This morning in my reading I came to these verses in I Peter.

“So all of you should live together in peace. Try to understand each other. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Be kind and humble. 9 Don’t do wrong to anyone to pay them back for doing wrong to you. Or don’t insult anyone to pay them back for insulting you. But ask God to bless them. Do this because you yourselves were chosen to receive a blessing. 10 The Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy true life and have only good days, then avoid saying anything hurtful, and never let a lie come out of your mouth. 11 Stop doing what is wrong, and do good. Look for peace, and do all you can to help people live peacefully. 12 The Lord watches over those who do what is right, and he listens to their prayers. But he is against those who do evil.” I Peter 3:8-12 ERV

Basically – enough said!

If we would just follow this instruction on a daily basis our lives would be honoring to the Lord and our relationship with others would be enhanced.

Jesus told his disciples that our words are like seeds that cause fruit to grow in our lives. Either good fruit or bad, the choice is ours. Solomon said the same thing in Proverbs and James said if we learn to control our tongues we are mature people.

“I tell you that everyone will have to answer for all the careless things they have said. This will happen on the day of judgment. 37 Your words will be used to judge you. What you have said will show whether you are right or whether you are guilty.” Matthew 12:36-38 ERV (Jesus words)

“Make your words good— you will be glad you did. 21 Words can bring death or life!
 Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.” Proverbs 18:20-21 CEV (Solomon’s words)

“It is the same with our tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it can boast about doing great things.

A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 The tongue is like a fire. It is a world of evil among the parts of our body. It spreads its evil through our whole body and starts a fire that influences all of life. It gets this fire from hell.

7 Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. 8 But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness. 10 These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. 11 Do good water and bad water flow from the same spring? Of course not. 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree make olives? Or can a grapevine make figs? No, and a well full of salty water cannot give good water.

13 Are there any among you who are really wise and understanding? Then you should show your wisdom by living right. You should do what is good with humility. A wise person does not boast.” James 3:5-13 ERV

Scripture is pretty tough when it comes to the words we speak!

We are to be examples of Jesus so let’s stop and think before we speak. Let’s cultivate good fruit for our lives. Let’s speak words of kindness, things that will build others up and not tear them down.

Let’s be kind!

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Told You So

Don’t you just hate hearing those words! They generally come when you’ve made a mistake and the person saying them tried to warn you about the outcome but you didn’t listen.

A few days ago I was reading about the Apostle Paul and some words of advice or warning that he gave to a ship’s captain. He told the captain not to set sail but his words of advice were ignored.

“Men, I can see that there will be a lot of trouble on this trip. The ship, everything in it, and even our lives may be lost!” 11 But the captain and the owner of the ship did not agree with Paul. So the army officer accepted what they said instead of believing Paul.” Acts 27:10-11 ERV

So they sailed on. Paul had no choice, he was a prisoner and was being escorted to Rome. Shortly after they set sail they ran into a terrible storm. The storm was so severe that the crew began to throw things overboard. They went days without seeing the sun or the stars. There was no way to navigate. They had lost their bearings but worse than that, they had lost all hope!

Hopeless!

“For many days we could not see the sun or the stars. The storm was very bad. We lost all hope of staying alive—we thought we would die.” Acts 27:20 ERV

And that’s when Paul stood up and said “I told you so”.

“The men did not eat for a long time. Then one day Paul stood up before them and said, “Men, I told you not to leave Crete. You should have listened to me. Then you would not have all this trouble and loss. 22 But now I tell you to be happy. None of you will die, but the ship will be lost. 23 Last night an angel came to me from God—the God I worship and belong to. 24 The angel said, ‘Paul, don’t be afraid! You must stand before Caesar. And God has given you this promise: He will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ 25 So men, there is nothing to worry about. I trust God, and I am sure everything will happen just as his angel told me. 26 But we will crash on an island.” Acts 27:21-26 ERV

Kind of a good news/bad news situation. We will be saved but we will crash. Wouldn’t you love to have Paul as your traveling companion? (I say that tongue in cheek)

But here is the good news. Paul got a message from the Lord for all on the ship. Don’t be afraid – there’s nothing to worry about. I trust God and everything will be alright!

You may be in a storm right now. It seems like it has been going on forever. You’ve lost your bearing and all hope is gone. You are sure you will crash on the shore and all will be lost.

But God…has a different outcome!

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

“Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.” Ephesians 6:10-13 CEV

If we trust God’s word, keep it as our primary focus, we will still be standing when the storm is over. Let God’s word be your final authority! He will save us from the storm.

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Through the Looking Glass

Do you remember getting to use a magnifying glass when you were a kid? My grandmother had one on her desk and I remember her showing me how to use it when I was in first or second grade. It was amazing the detail you could see…

There was a time I used a magnifying glass as a part of everyday life. I had a job once and it was my responsibility to examine an item for flaws or essential markings. I would go over the piece with my naked eye and then with a glass and list everything I saw on it. Very often I would find maker’s marks that no one else had seen. The people I worked with called it “Kristi Vision”.

Just a few days ago Dave and I were looking at something and he asked for the magnifying glass. Out it came and our examination of intricate details was in full view. This kind of magnification is a good thing. However there are some Negative Nellies out there who like to examine and magnify their problems. It’s as if they want to see only the worst and their tunnel vision excludes the best. That can be disastrous.

The last two days I have focused on, magnified, Psalm 40 and I would like us to finish up there today.

“I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart; I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation. I have not hid away Your steadfast love and Your truth from the great assembly. 11 Withhold not Your tender mercy from me, O Lord; let Your loving-kindness and Your truth continually preserve me! 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about; my iniquities have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me and forsaken me. 13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let them be put to shame and confounded together who seek and require my life to destroy it; let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor who wish me evil and delight in my hurt! 15 Let them be desolate by reason of their shame who say to me, Aha, aha! 16 Let all those that seek and require You rejoice and be glad in You; let such as love Your salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified! 17 [As for me] I am poor and needy, yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me. You are my Help and my Deliverer. O my God, do not tarry!” Psalm 40:10-17 AMP

You’ll notice King David pointed out the problems he was having and there were quite a few but in verse sixteen he changed his focus. Let the Lord be magnified. It is always appropriate to magnify the Lord and recognize that He truly is our Help and Deliverer! He centered in on all that the Lord had done for Him in the past. He stopped looking at his circumstances and looked at his deliverance.

God has not changed – He remains the same yesterday, today and forever. His word has promised to bring us out with victory when our enemies attack – “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4 NKJV

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:57-58 NJKV

When we place Him in priority, when we focus on God’s word, His love and provision above our circumstances, we magnify the Lord. In looking up we find the answer to life’s most difficult problems and there we find our deliverance and our help!

Get out your glass, clean the lens and focus on the goodness of our God. Let the Lord be magnified!

Look up today. Magnify the Lord!

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Stuck, Really Stuck

Dave and I have been watching a show made for Australian television that focuses on a ranch run by women and the struggles they face. They have both cattle and sheep. It seems they are always out on a muster. At least once of twice a season they come across a sheep that has gotten stuck in the deep mud at the edge of the creek. It takes a lot of hard work to get them out. That happened again when we were watching the program last night and it made me think of a verse in Psalm 40.

I shared with you from the middle of Psalm 40 yesterday. These verses at the beginning of the chapter had a greater impact after watching the struggle of both the shepherd and the sheep on that show.

“I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. 3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord. 4 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers of false gods.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered. 6 Sacrifice and offering You do not desire, nor have You delight in them; You have given me the capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a more valuable service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require. 7 Then said I, Behold, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me; 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; yes, Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:1-8AMP

It amazes me how often King David talks about being in a miry pit (adverse circumstances) or facing enemies (personal or spiritual ones) and how over and over again he thanks the Lord for delivering him out of them all. It’s always something to sing about. David drew on his work as a shepherd as a correlation to the way the Lord provided for him when he faced troublesome times. He saw the Lord’s deliverance on more than one occasion; he lived it daily.

God was always faithful! And David was always ready to do what God had asked of him – he delighted to do God’s will. He had learned that in doing God’s will there was protection, peace and provision. It was a place of blessing.

The Apostle Paul’s greatest desire was to share the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ with others. He was always ready to share when given the opportunity and he prayed for opportunities. Paul faced many obstacles on his missionary journeys. He was thrown into prison, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, lied about, mistreated constantly but he said the hardship couldn’t compare to being able to share the Gospel.

“He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 NLV

Paul knew that Christ would be his strength. He knew that there was no situation where he was weak that the Lord wouldn’t strengthen him. Maybe you feel like you’ve been stuck in some pretty deep mud. Immobilized by your circumstances. Don’t lose hope! God is there and He will bring deliverance and strength.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

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Recovering From A Storm

Our last few days have been anything but quiet! You all know how much I enjoy the peace and tranquility that I have here in our neighborhood. It has been disturbed in a big way.

Some of you will remember we had a huge hail storm back in October. The hail was the size of golf balls and it pelted us for almost an hour. The trees and shrubbery were stripped of their leaves, cacti had holes shot through them and the cars were dimpled with hail marks. Window screens were shredded and one of our sky lights were broken. It was a hard storm.

What we didn’t realize until a couple months ago was damage had been done to our roof. First one neighbor and then a few others called their insurance companies to have adjusters come assess the effects of the storm. It was quite wide spread in our area. When we called, we found that our roof needed to be replaced because of the damage that had been sustained from the hail.

Two days ago the workers came and began stripping away the old roof. Our home is a flat roofed, Santa Fe style home. They spent all day peeling away the damaged roofing material. Yesterday they came and began laying the new roof. The banging, pounding, deconstruction and reconstruction was almost deafening. There isn’t a picture in the house that is hanging straight. Little bits of dirt and dust that had lived in the vents for thirteen years was now on my furniture and floors. David even put pillows under some of our hanging lights in case they fell.

After the workmen left yesterday I sat in the living room enjoying the quiet. The peace had returned. However, they will be back again today to finish the job. Sitting here my heart was filled with empathy for those who live in areas that are ravaged by floods, tornados, hurricanes, fires and devastating earthquakes; those who face complete loss while I only experience a few days of inconvenience.

These storms may destroy physical property and possessions but many experience the loss from storms that devastate their emotions, their sense of inner peace and their spiritual well being. In these cases it’s important to remember the one who can repair the damage and restore the peace.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’

4 Then the old cities that were destroyed will be rebuilt. Those ancient ruins will be made new, as they were in the beginning.” Isaiah 61:1-4 ERV

This was written about Jesus and told what He would do when He came to earth. He came to heal, deliver, comfort, bring freedom and rebuild. He came to restore us who have suffered loss and destruction.

“You, Lord God, bless everyone  who cares for the poor, and you rescue those people in times of trouble. 2 You protect them and keep them alive. You make them happy here in this land, and you don’t hand them over to their enemies. 3 You always heal them and restore their strength when they are sick. 4 I prayed, “Have pity, Lord! Heal me, though I have sinned against you.” Psalm 41:1-4 CEV

“I know what you are like! But I will heal you, lead you, and give you comfort, until those who are mourning 19 start singing my praises. No matter where you are, I, the Lord, will heal you and give you peace.” Isaiah 57:17-19 CEV

I don’t know what storm you have been through. I don’t know the destruction that has come to your heart but God does! He comes with a promise of comfort, healing, restoration – peace. If, when, we come to Him he promises to give us peace and rest.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

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