Strong?

Over the last 2 weeks, in the midst of the hectic life around me during this time of the year, I've had the time to relax by browsing on Pinterest or by catching up with people via facebook.  As we near the new year, I'm noticing a shift in posts and in conversations.  While this shift to new things and resolutions can be a good thing, I have been broken by some of what I've read.

Things like...

You were given this in life because you are

strong enough to handle it.

Live strong in 2012.

God will never give me something I can't handle.

None of those things are wrong...exactly.  But each one of them and many more like them lack one truth.  You see the emphasis in these things is on the Me/Myself/I.  The focus is on what I can do or what YOU can do.

Have you ever stopped to think about this?  I have been...lately especially!  Our family, church family, and friends have all endured many hardships over the last year. 

• We've seen loved ones die suddenly.
• We've experienced dire financial circumstances.
• We've watched dear friends pack up and move away knowing we will most likely never see them again in this life.
• We've watched children make devastating choices.
• We've watched children make amazing choices...but those choices will affect our family's life forever.
• We've dealt with illness, injuries, and the pain that comes from those.
• We've experienced unfairness at work or at school.
• We've walked with our children through unimaginable heartbreak.

Really, I could go on and on!  This morning while catching up on facebook, God kept impressing on me the FACT that I cannot ever be strong enough.  Many of things my personal family has been through this year and in years past would have left us paralyzed if we had had to be strong enough to deal with them.

PRAISE GOD we didn't have to be strong enough!

You see God tells us in His Word over and over that HE IS OUR STRENGTH!

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Psalm 18:2  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

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.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

While we are commanded over and over again throughout the Bible to "Be strong.", that strength always comes from the Lord.  I'm so thankful that He is my portion and my strength, and that although He calls me to be strong...to hold on...to have courage, He ALWAYS supplies the strength for me to do those things.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

A current song on Christian radio is a great reminder of the truth that we don't have to be strong enough.  God is strong enough for both of us!  Strong Enough by Matthew West

Blessings,
Cindy

Gain the world and lose my soul

³⁵ For ^(A)whoever wishes to save his ^[a]life will lose it, but whoever loses his ^[b]life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  Mark 8:35-37

I love early morning wake-up calls.  No, I'm not crazy (well maybe a little), but I'm not talking about the early wake-up calls of an alarm.  I'm talking about those times when God wakes me in the wee hours of the morning, long before most people are up...long before I had planned to get up...even long before the sun comes up.  Some time back a dear Christian woman helped me see that those early morning nudges when you really should be sleeping are times when God is calling you to spend time with Him...in prayer and in His Word!

This morning around 4:30, I was all the sudden awake.  I had not been dreaming that I remember.  There hadn't been any noises to wake me.  I was simply awake.  During the hour that followed, God placed so many of my friends and family on my heart. 

Friends and family who are facing illness and eminent death of loved ones.

Friends who are agreeing in prayer for an injured young man in Colorado.

Friends who are praying their children home from orphanges all over the world.

Friends who are caring for children who aren't their own, but love them dearly anyway!

Children called to ministry!

Moms and Dads of children called to ministry.

Teachers planning for the upcoming year.

Students who will be placed in the care of those teachers.

Friends and family who are awaiting word on new jobs.

Friends and family praying for God's guidance in choosing a home.

Friends who are struggling with who God really is.

Friends who are longing for a time past when life seemed to be good for them.

Friends and family who seem to have a longing for God in their lives but are still living in the world.

Friends and family who can't see that what they need...all they need...is the Lord in their lives.

So much flooding my mind that the only thing to do was pray.  As much as I had to pray about, there was one 'theme' that kept coming back to me.  The heaviest burden was for friends who are searching--for peace, for comfort, for love, for answers.  God kept bringing these people back to the top of my list.

After much time just sitting with God in the darkness and silence, I got up and went for my Bible.  Since Sunday's Sunday School lesson and memory verse, God has placed on my mind the idea of living for Him versus living for the world.  It seems that everywhere I turn, I'm faced with the images and words of people struggling with this.  As I searched through my Bible, I found many passages addressing living for Christ instead of living for the world.  Then, a image came to mind that has stuck there this morning.

Yep, that's a fence!  As I thought about this image of a fence, I thought about how many times in my life I straddled the fence--one leg on God's side, one leg on the world's side.  I remember trying with all I had to live both ways.  But it simply wasn't possible.  I am either for God or against God.  There is no middle ground or room to play with the setup.  As Christians, we either are or aren't!  As I pondered more on this thought, I thought of areas in my life where this has been a struggle.  I thought of areas where my friends are struggling right now as I type and as you read.  So many of us have faced, are facing, or will face choices that will define which side of the fence we are on.  We have to ask ourselves...I have to ask myself...who or what are we living for.

When I'm on FaceBook, do I try to sit on both sides...posting nice scriptural things one hour and then derogatory things the next?

At work, do I try to sit on both sides...praying with coworkers over a need one day and gossiping the next?

At home, do I try to sit on both sides...encouraging children to keep garbage out of their lives in the morning and then watching a TV show that goes against that encouragement that night?

The list could go on and on. 

Today, my prayer is that I will always choose God's side.  My prayer is that my friends who are struggling with where they belong find the One true God and live for Him.  My prayer is that God will convict when we stray.  My prayer is that He will call those searching for peace and comfort to Himself.

¹⁵ Do not love ^(A)the world nor the things in the world. ^(B)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, ^(C)the lust of the flesh and ^(D)the lust of the eyes and ^(E)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ^{17 (F)}The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who ^(G)does the will of God lives forever.  1 John 2:15-17

Thankful for early morning wake-ups,

Cindy

Had it not been...

Don't you love when God speaks to you?  Isn't it so exciting to be reading in God's word and feel like...no, KNOW that He is speaking directly to YOU?!  Don't you just get giddy when what you are reading hits home so hard that you know that God put you in that passage on this day so he could whisper sweet things to you?  Our God is so amazing!  He never ceases to amaze me.

This morning, I was continuing my study in Psalms.  (I love Psalms!  Who doesn't?)  Anyway, I'm up to the Psalms of Ascents that were said/sang as the people traveled to Jerusalem and to the temple.  Most of these Psalms are quite short.  Usually, I study 2 to 3 a day because of their length.  However, this morning, Psalm 124, which is only 8 verses, struck me so that I had to stop after reading it several times and share it with you.

It is a "Song of Ascents, of David" that is 8 verses.  It talks about Israel's past.  But...my oh my, when we take this and apply it to our lives...when I take it and apply it to MY life...WOW!  Here it is...

Psalm 124

"Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,"

Let Israel now say,

"Had it not been the Lord who was on our side

When men rose up against us,

Then they would have swallowed us alive,

When their anger was kindled against us;

Then the waters would have engulfed us,

The stream would have swept over our soul;

Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul."

Blessed be the Lord,

Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth.

Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper;

The snare is broken and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

Read it again!  Truly I understand this is an account of how the Lord saved the Israelites from destruction.  However, has he not done the same for us as believers?  Does he not do the same for us day after day? 

What if the Lord was not on our side?

I can not imagine living my life without God on my side...in my life.  I can't fathom going through the daily grind without Him.  I certainly can't begin to imagine facing life's biggest challenges...a sister who fought cancer, health issues of parents, raising children and all the issues that go with that, financial problems, tragedies in life that we don't have the answers for.

As David says, "Blessed be the Lord!"  Or thanks be to God for not turning us over to our enemy or giving us over to ourselves.  Our help truly is in the name of the Lord!  Amazing...the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End, the ONE who created EVERYTHING...

HE IS ON MY SIDE!

DO YOU HAVE HIM ON YOUR SIDE?

Blessings,

Cindy

There are many times in our lives where there seems to be many more questions than answers. It seems to come in cycles in my life. Things are going well...or at least not bad...and then situations or circumstances seem to mount up all at once until there is a mountain...or even a mountain range...of problems or unanswered questions right in the middle of my path.

When I get to this point, I find myself asking the same questions over and over.  Why is this (fill in the blank with any given circumstance) happening?  Why is my family having to endure yet another hardship?  What have we done to deserve this?  Why?  Why?  Why?  My emotions start to simmer.  Then, they start to bubble a little bit more.  There are times that they get to a boiling point...this doesn't necessarily mean angry...just not controlled.  When I get to this point, I may cry if you look at me or say, "How are you doing?"  Have you ever been there?  Sometimes I think I'm the only one, and then I reason that surely I'm not.

Thankfully, I have someone who loves me unconditionally.

Thankfully, I have someone who knows me better than I know myself.

Thankfully, I have someone who knows my circumstances and

knows what I need before I even utter a word.

Thankfully, I have someone who will listen when I cry out to Him.

Thankfully, I have someone who doesn't turn His back on me...

even when I have these bouts of emotional turmoil.

Thankfully, He gave me a guide to help me through not just the hard days, but everyday.

Thankfully, I have someone who has ALL THE ANSWERS!

 

During the times when I have more questions than answers and my emotions threaten to control my life, I have my Lord to comfort me and He gave us the Bible as our guide to live by everyday...on the rough days and the great days! 

 

The Bible is full of words of hope and comfort.  It's full of words of wisdom and reproach.  All of which we need during the times in our life when things aren't going the way we think they should be.  I've been reminded over the last week or so of the importance of reading and meditating on and yes, memorizing scripture as I've studied Psalm 119. 

 

Psalm119 is 176 verses that tell us over and over that the Word of God is vital for our lives.  (If you have never or haven't lately truely studied it, I'd suggest it.)  There are several familiar verses that many of us memorized as children. 

 

Psalm 119:11  Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.

Psalm 119:105  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

While other verses are not as familiar, their strength is mighty.

Psalm 119:73  Your hands made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.

Psalm 119: 97-98  O how I love Your law!  It is my meditation all the day.  Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.

Psalm 119:136  My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Your law.

(This one jumped out and slapped me in the face this morning.)

I could go on and on.  Just this ONE Psalm...one 'chapter' in the Bible...FULL of ANSWERS...because it tells me I should be searching for my answers in God...in the Word.  That is where all the answers are found.  I am so grateful I have Him.  I can't imagine living one day without Him.  My heart aches when I see people searching for answers in the horoscopes or through a psychic reading.  They will not find the answers there.  Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.

So although I'm going to face problems today and every other day just like anybody else, I'm going to cling to the promise of this worship song...

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
(Townend/Getty)
Blessings!
Cindy

But God...

As I was reading this morning in Psalms after my study in 1 John, I came across some of my favorite words in scripture...

BUT THE LORD...

Over the years, as I've studied, read, and listened to the Bible being taught, some of the words that always send chills through my body or grab my attention the most are...

BUT GOD...

Now, I'm not talking about the way we use the phrase in our sinful whiny ways.  "But GO-O-O-D-D-D!  That didn't go the way I wanted it to go.  Can you fix it please?"  or "But GO-O-O-D-D-D!  I always try to do the right thing and it seems that bad things are always happening to me."  or  "But GO-O-O-D-D-D!  I only went here or did that one time.  Why should I face the consequences?" or "But GO-O-O-D-D-D! You didn't answer that prayer just the way I had planned or wanted you to."  I'm sure if you close your eyes and listen, you can hear the voice of a child screaming, "But Dad!"  Well, sometimes we're the same way with God.  However, I digress...that is not the wonderful BUT GOD I'm talking about today.  You'll  have to excuse me, because just thinking about those little GIANT words, gets me so excited!

There is no way I could give you an exhaustive list, but I want to share a few BUT GOD instances from the Bible.  These are so encouraging!  When we're tempted to whine and complain and dig deeper into our own pitiful pity pit, we should stop and think...BUT GOD!

 Genesis 45:6-8 (New International Version)

6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 BUT GOD sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

 

BUT GOD...

Are you in a time of financial famine, perhaps?  Is there a drought in another area of your life?  Been there, done that...would have bought the t-shirt, but didn't have the money.  Dear friends, BUT GOD!  If He can save a land and people from famine that had lasted 2 years and was going to last 5 more years, He is more than capable of delivering us from our hardships, too! 

Psalm 73:26 (New International Version)

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,

BUT GOD is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

God doesn't promise us sunshine and rainbows every day of our life.  We aren't promised a life without sickness or pain.  Our flesh may fail us in many ways...we may get sick or we may be tempted by fleshly desires that lead us toward or to sin.  We may find ourselves in that pitiful pity pit where we allow our emotions to control our lives.  BUT GOD!  When our strength comes from Him, we are more than able to get through anything.

 Romans 5:7-9 (New International Version)

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8BUT GOD demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

How exciting is verse 8?!  Do you understand the full meaning and depth of what it is saying?  To help us get the picture of this love we need to go to another BUT GOD...this time it uses BUT THE LORD.

Isaiah 53:9-11 (New American Standard Bible)

9b Because he had done no violence,
nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10a BUT THE LORD was pleased
to crush Him, putting Him to grief;

 

Wow!  God loves me and you so much that He was willing to have His son, Jesus Christ, put to horrible, cruel death as a substitute for my sins and your sins.  Not only was God willing, but Isaiah tells us that it pleased Him to do this for us.  Because Christ died in our place, we only have to believe in Him as our Lord and Savior...believing...not just with our heads but in our hearts...that He died a cruel death on the cross in our place, was buried in a tomb, and was raised from the dead three days later to accept that substitionary atonement for our sins.  That is so amazing to me!

I'm a sinner!  You're a sinner!  BUT GOD!  BUT CHRIST!  Now, I'm a forgiven sinner who God calls His child!  WOW!  Just WOW!

1 John 3:1 (New American Standard Bible)

1a See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God

So, the next time things aren't going our way or our path gets foggy or rutted, let's stop and think...

BUT GOD...

>is my salvation

>is my refuge

>is my hope

>is my strength

>is my help

>is my deliverer

>is my _______!

(You fill in the blank.)

Blessings,

Cindy

Rain

Rain, rain, go away...

Come again another day...

As children, we were conditioned to think of rainy days as something to wish away.  Rain was something that got in the way of our plans.  It messed things up for us.  We carried this belief with us into adulthood, too.  While, on the surface, I suppose it is true...rain can mess up plans for a picnic and can slow down travel and can even bring with it devastating floods...rain brings so much more than the down side of things that pop up in our minds. 

Rain brings new life.  It revives wilted life.  It washes away dirt and grime.  It refreshes when things get hot. 

This morning, as I sat on the couch in the quiet of kids sleeping late preparing for my Bible study time, I heard it.  Heard what, you may ask.  The wonderful sound of a summer rain.  It was like an invitation from God calling me to come sit on the porch.  So I took all my materials and out I went.

After my Bible study, I stayed outside to just enjoy the rain.  It didn't take long for me to need to grab my camera.  As I snapped pictures, I began to really ponder rain...literally and figuratively.  A new friend, Teresa (someone I know God sent into my life that will be a close friend) mentioned a song the other day that I happen to love, too.  It's "Jesus, Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me.  While I was snapping away, that song came to my mind as did "Praise you in the Storm" by Casting Crowns. 

Over the last few weeks, months, and even year(s), our family has had its share of rain and even storms in our life.  Praise God for the rain!  God has used that rain to wash us, revive us, refresh us!  It's not easy to praise God when it's raining in our lives, but it is always RIGHT to praise God.

The last verse of Mercy Me's "Jesus, Bring the Rain" says:

I am Yours regardless of

The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me

By suffering Your destiny

So tell me what's a little rain

When we consider what Christ did for us and continues to do for us, the only correct response to every single thing in our life is PRAISE.  Instead, I know for me the first thing that I do when a little rain sprinkles down in my life is WORRY.  However, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 25-34 to not worry.  To sum it up, it basically says that if God takes care of the birds and the flowers, won't He take care of us so much more than them?  Worrying accomplishes no good.  While praising God is always correct!

Psalm 34:1 "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."

So, let's pray for, help and encourage each other through the rains and storms of life.  Instead of joining in on the 'woe is me' parties, let's look for the rays of sunshine peaking through and if they can't be found just yet, let's praise God for what the rain will bring. 

Proverbs 10:25 tells us "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever."

Blessings,

Cindy

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:10-11
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

As the house is extra quiet this morning (we do the kids' gifts on Christmas Eve so they aren't up yet), I've had a chance to have my devotional time by the Christmas tree with a great cup of coffee. My devotional this morning was Psalm 30, which has the wonderful verses about weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. When I pondered on these verses and what they mean to me in my life, I couldn't help but think about all the people I know (and those I have never met) who do not know the true JOY of Christmas. I'm not talking about getting gifts or even spending time with family and friends, both of which I truly enjoy. I'm talking about Jesus, sent to earth as a baby so that as a man he would die because of and as a sacrifice for MY sins.

I cannot imagine walking through life without having a personal relationship with Christ. That relationship is what gets me through everyday...good or bad. With Christ, I know that I may have times of weeping, but joy WILL come. He may bring it quickly or it may be postponed until He returns. Either way, joy will come in the morning!

Now the question is, what am I going to do with it? If you are blessed with a personal relationship with Christ, what are you doing with it? Will we keep this precious gift to ourselves or will we share it this Christmas and in the year to come?

Merry Christmas!
Cindy