WHEN LIFE HAS US PUZZLED

James 1:5-6 NLT If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

I saw this photo of two jigsaw puzzle pieces and thought they’re a bit like life when we feel ‘puzzled’ or when we can’t seem to work things out.😊 

We all have times when things don’t appear to want to come together, when we have more questions than we do answers. So what do we do then?

Well there’s only one Person who knows all the answers so we go to Him. The Holy Spirit is our Counsellor and our Helper and He tells us what to do in the verses above. Divided loyalty is when we ask every Tom, Dick and Harry for their input and we become confused. It’s only God’s input we want!

The trouble is, do we ask but then forget to stop and listen for the answer? Do we dash off to do the next thing? Maybe we could all do with learning to give God the courtesy of sitting and listening long enough to receive the answer. It’s a bit like ringing the doctor and asking for advise and then putting the phone down before he draws breath to reply! Or listening to the answer then ignoring the advice!

Have we ever asked God but already decided what we want to do before hand? Or we didn’t like the answer so we delayed doing it?  Jesus said the Holy Spirit would show us things to come, that He would give us wise counsel but He doesn’t always answer on our time table! I heard of one lady who asked the Holy Spirit to speak to her and she waited and waited and had no response so she fell asleep waiting. Later that night the Lord woke her right up, and what she heard changed her life.😊

God does answer us but it may not come when we expect, it may come as an impression to do something, or a verse of scripture or through some other way, but He has promised to answer us, so this is to encourage us to make sure we’re still listening and willing to do as He says, even if it’s not always what we wanted to hear!😊 Amen.

Photo by Vardan Papikyan on Unsplash

DAY AND NIGHT

Psalm 74:16 NLT Both day and night belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun.

Have you ever heard anyone say,”I woke in the middle of the night and everything seemed so much better!”? Probably not!😊 We usually hear people say things seemed to feel so much worse in the night but when the morning came they saw things in a different light.

This verse reminds us of how powerful our God is because He made the night, with the moon and stars, He made the day with the sun, and He knows what’s going on throughout the earth whatever time it is. God is with us in the depths of the night, or in the brightness of the day, and He remains the same, He doesn’t change like we do.😊

Psalm 139:12 NLT but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

So what difference does that make to us? It gives us confidence that whatever time of day or night, if we’re anxious, if we’re suffering illness or pain, whatever our condition, God is right there with us to strengthen and uphold us. He’s there to comfort and give us His peace, His assurance that we can trust Him to bring us through and out the other side of our troubles. 

Our feelings change but God is constantly good and faithful to us. He’ll never let us go and He has us in the palm of His hand. So be encouraged whether the moon is out or the sun is shining, God is there with you and take heart from these words…

Psalm 139:17-18 NLT How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 

Lord as we go into our new week, whether it’s the middle of the night or during the day, we thank You, You’re always with us. You are our God, our strong tower, our refuge and our fortress and we trust You Lord. Amen.

GOD GIVES US LIFE

Nehemiah 9:5-7 NIV

“Stand up and praise the Lord your God, 

who is from everlasting to everlasting.”

“Blessed be your glorious name, 

and may it be exalted 

above all blessing and praise.

6 You alone are the Lord. 

You made the heavens,

 even the highest heavens, 

and all their starry host, 

the earth and all that is on it, 

the seas and all that is in them. 

You give life to everything, 

and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

7 You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

These verses say it all and if we’re still breathing then it’s because God has given us the breath to breathe and it means we can praise the Lord for all His goodness to us.

We know the earth will one day be folded up and a new heaven and a new earth will come in it’s place but until then we can thank the Lord for the wonders of this one, that every morning and evening He paints the sky with a glorious new sunrise and sunset and give Him all the glory.

So let’s join together with the multitudes of heaven and fellow believers across the earth today as we lift high the name of Jesus and remember He is the God who always keeps His promises from everlasting to everlasting. How reassuring that is.😊 Thank You Lord. Amen.

Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

WHEN WE DON’T KNOW WHY

Psalm 37:5-6 NLT Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.

Have you ever been asked a question and as you scratched your head you’ve had to admit, “I don’t know”. There is so much we don’t know in this life even if we have a degree, or we’ve travelled the world, or had multiple experiences, there will always be things we don’t know!😊

There will come a time in all our lives when things happen, either to us, or to others around us, and we won’t know why. We’ve probably all asked the Lord the age old question “Why?” We’ve been confused, frustrated or just worn out trying to figure it out. But a better question would be  “How will I react, not having the reason, if I never know why?” 

One of the greatest tests of our faith is when we don’t know why, and we have a choice to make. If we’re wise we’ll decide to say, “I’m going to trust You Lord because you know why and You are a good God and I don’t need to know why. I trust you Lord because You are righteous and fair and You loved us enough to go to the cross and you’ve promised not to withhold anything good from us so I’m going to trust You, no matter what. Till I breathe my last breath I’m going to trust You, even though I don’t know why things are the way they are, or why they haven’t resolved the way I wanted. I trust You.”

When we do that, the enemy is defeated and he has no power over us. Scripture reminds us what will happen when we choose to trust God. Isaiah 26:3 NIV You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.  Jeremiah 17:7 NIV But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

It doesn’t say we’ll be blessed when we shake our fist at God and wail and moan! It says we’ll stay in peace and be blessed and be shown what to do next, when we trust Him.😊

So this is a gentle nudge, next time we want to ask “Why?”, to decide to simply tell God we’re going to trust Him, no matter what, even though we never know why. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x

MINDFUL OF THE RIGHT THINGS

Nehemiah 9:17 (NKJV) They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. (NIV) They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,

I wonder what your mind is full of at the minute? Perhaps it’s full of Sport, or full of everything you have to cram into your day? Maybe it’s full of confusion or worry, or you’re angry with a situation or even angry with God? Or maybe your mind is full of the holidays to come and all your lovely plans; full of gratefulness for being alive and mindful you’re loved by God?

Whatever it is our mind is full of, God wants it to be full of acknowledging His presence in our lives, of the goodness and kindness He has poured out on us, of the wonders of His world around us, full of the knowledge that He will never forsake us, and of His loving care.

When our minds are full of all the right things we have peace in our spirit, we have the deep down joy that comes from knowing who we are in Christ. We can remember we’re beloved and accepted and approved by God because of Jesus, that we have been given the name of Jesus, which is above every other name, and He has given us His authority to use it to bring down strongholds in our lives.

Society is big on ‘Mindfulness’ at the minute - it’s fashionable! But God’s mindfulness is not fashionable, it’s essential for our walk of faith in Christ. When we’re mindful of all the blessings of God, when we give thanks, when we rehearse His goodness in our lives, then our mindfulness will produce the fruit of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.😊

God is reminding us to be mindful of Him today, so let’s ask for His help to clear our minds of the things that distract us and aren’t helpful, and instead let’s choose to fill our minds in the coming days with the goodness and kindness of our God, with the wonders of His grace, the amazing gift of His righteousness and who He has made us to be in Jesus.😊 Amen.

Photo by Léonard Cotte on Unsplash

A BAG OF POTATOES

1 Peter 5:7 AMP casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].    

Have you tried lifting a big bag of potatoes lately? If you have you’ll know how heavy it is, especially if you have to carry it very far, as a friend of mine shared with me recently!😊

In the same way, life can feel like we’re carrying a very heavy bag, not of potatoes, but of burdens and cares that are just too heavy for us. They may be worries about family situations, or big health issues, perhaps they’re financial burdens and all of them seem to weigh us down, growing heavier and heavier the longer we hold on to them. When something happens that’s ‘another’ thing to worry about, it can feel like it’s the last straw that breaks the camel’s back!

A bag of potatoes is full of individual potatoes but when they’re all together they seem much heavier. Maybe your worries are not all big. Perhaps you think you can handle some of them on your own but God never intended us to carry any of them, regardless of how big or small they may be! He said to cast all our cares!😊

I read some good advice a long time ago, where it said to write down each ‘worry’ on a piece of paper. Then see yourself hand it over to our loving Father because He loves us so deeply and He’s the only One with shoulders big enough to carry it all. Then rip the piece of paper up into pieces and put it in the waste bin. You’ve handed them over!

It means they are now in God’s ‘IN’ box, they’re no longer in our bag of cares, no longer our burden but His, and we can have confidence knowing He is dealing with each and every one of them in His time and in His way and He will help us with our part in it all. When the enemy comes and whispers in our ear, “What about so and so”, we can tell him we’ve handed that care over to God and it’s not our burden any more.

Let’s read it again - 1 Peter 5:7 AMP casting all your cares (all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares about you (with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully).    

If your cares are weighing you down and maybe you can’t sleep, then the Holy Spirit is encouraging us all to know it’s time to hand those things over to our Good Shepherd and trust Him to sort them out, and as we do, allow His peace to fill our souls and enter the rest Jesus bought and paid for, for us.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Mads Eneqvist on Unsplash

PREPARE OUR HEARTS

2 Chronicles 12:14 NKJV And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

When we prepare a meal we first have to think about what we want to make, what would be best for all concerned. We assemble the ingredients, turn on the oven, etc. and (in my case), we hope it turns out all right!🤣

In the same way we’re willing to take time to prepare a meal, we need to be willing to take time to prepare our hearts to seek the Lord because if we don’t we may be like King Rehoboam and fall into doing something we shouldn’t be doing, or starting on a distracting road which pulls us away from God.

So how do we prepare our hearts? It helps when we shift our focus from all the daily routine, from the distractions of the digital world, from the pressure of other people’s expectations, and set aside some time to focus our attention instead on reading God’s word, seeking to know Him and His way of doing things, listening for His inner voice or an impression, if He wants us to change the way we do things, or think differently.

Maybe you think you don’t have time, you’re too busy? If so, then maybe the Lord is trying to get your attention to prioritise what is important, to remind us spending time with Him is what we need most!😊

God wants our attention because He loves us and He is always seeking to bring us into His good plans, but if we don’t spend time with Him how will we know what they are? Think of the good things we might miss! Think of the warnings God might be trying to give us to prevent us being harmed. 

God says He rewards those who diligently seek Him, so I hope that encourages us to shift our focus for a while, to prepare our hearts and find out what the Lord is saying to us in the coming days.😊 Amen.

Photo by Babs Gorniak on Unsplash

ROBIN WITH NO TAIL

Philippians 4:13 NKJV I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The other day we noticed a little robin hopping about in the grass and he had no tail feathers. We don’t know if they never grew in from when he was fledged or if something has pulled them out, but he definitely hasn’t got any! Despite his lack, he still manages to fly and do what other robins do!😊

Maybe you feel like you’ve had some of your tail feathers pulled out recently or you’re lacking something which you feel could put you at a disadvantage, but I felt God was saying it won’t stop you from flying either!

2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.”Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.

God says His grace will be sufficient for each day, that His mercies are new every morning and that He will supply whatever we need. So even though we may feel like we’re missing something, God will fill the gap if we keep our eyes on Him and focus on what we do have and not on what we don’t have.😊

Maybe you don’t have what you used to have and you feel like something has messed you up. Mephibosheth felt like that and yet when David gave him the benefit of his covenant he had his father’s lands and servants restored to him, he had all the help he needed, and he ate like a king at the kings table!

Whether we’ve had something taken away or not, or we’re feeling a sense of loss, God is reminding us we’re in covenant relationship with Him and He will provide whatever it is we’re going to need in the days ahead. So don’t let the enemy make you think you’ll just have to hop about in the grass, but look up and know God says He’ll make sure you can still fly anyway!😊 Amen.

Photo by Chris on Unsplash

PAY NO ATTENTION

1 Corinthians 13:5 AMPC It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

Have you ever been riled up by what someone has said or done? Ever recounted an ‘episode’ when someone offended you? I think we can all put our hands up at some time when we’ve done it. We may think we’re justified in our indignation at the time, and yet the Holy Spirit is teaching us it’s not the best way!😊

The whole of this passage from verses 4-8 is about the quality of love and we often hear it read at weddings. Maybe it would help us if we read it every morning before we bounced out of bed! It might just put the brakes on some of our more unloving thoughts, whether it’s towards a person, or the government!

It says to pay no attention to a suffered wrong. That’s not easy is it? And yet it’s the life God has called us to and the only way to live it is to let God’s love, which the Holy Spirit has already put in our hearts, have more say in our lives. When we want to bite back, when we want to have the last word, it’s when we have a choice to make. Will I surrender to God’s love, let it have it’s way and have a gentle answer, or will I go with the flesh!?

It’s a bit like parking where we’re not supposed to. We’re not supposed to stay parked on an offence or there will be a fine to pay! 

Galations 5:6 reminds us that our faith will only work through love and if we’re finding our faith is struggling and things don’t seem to be working, then maybe it’s worth doing a ‘love’ check and see if we’re holding on to an offence or to an evil done to us or someone else.

As we go into a fresh week, God is saying to each one of us, it’ s time to pay no attention to those offences anymore, let them go, take no more account of them. God has forgiven us so much, now it’s our turn to forgive others, and let His love flow again. In Jesus name. Amen. 😊

Photo by J Dean on Unsplash

SHOUT JOYFUL PRAISES

1

Psalm 66:1-5, 8-9 NLT

Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! 

2 Sing about the glory of his name!

Tell the world how glorious he is.

3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!

Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.

4 Everything on earth will worship you;

they will sing your praises,

shouting your name in glorious songs.” Interlude

5 Come and see what our God has done,

what awesome miracles he performs for people!

8 Let the whole world bless our God

and loudly sing his praises.

9 Our lives are in his hands,

and he keeps our feet from stumbling.

The lovely thing about praising God is that it takes our eyes off ourselves and our problems and it lifts our eyes to the only One who has all the answers. He has the solutions before we have the problems so we can know we’re in good hands.😊

Verse 9 reminds us that our whole lives are in His hands, not just our work, or the family, or our finances. Absolutely everything is in His hands, and that includes our emotions, our struggles and every aspect of life. There’s nothing too big or too small that we can’t come and talk to God about it and know He’s already put things in place for our deliverance and provision. What a wonderful God we serve!

We know David stumbled morally and yet he was saying God kept him from stumbling, He kept him spiritually anchored despite his failure and when he repented God forgave his sin. Maybe we think, because we’ve sinned, or wandered off, that God has given up on us, but He still has a strong hold on us to keep us from falling away, and gives us grace even when we fail and make mistakes. 

What a merciful God He is and it’s no wonder the Psalmist wants us to tell the world how glorious He is. God loves us, He is for us, He is fighting our battles and wants us to be fruitful and successful. What more could we want? 

Let’s give Him all our joyful praise today and lift His name on high. The Psalmist says to do it loudly, to shout it out, not timidly or half heartedly but with all we’ve got, wherever we happen to be. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash

THE THREE CHEERS

Do you need cheering up today? Has life been wearing you down a bit lately? If so, I thought we’d look at the three cheers of Jesus and hopefully they will do what He intended them to do and cheer us up too.😊

Matthew 9:2 NKJV Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

1ST CHEER - The Power of God to forgive sins and the power to heal. Jesus says, “Cheer up!”  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and so what He said then still applies to us now.😊

                                                                                ***

Matthew 14:27 NKJV But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

2ND CHEER - the Presence of God. We can cheer up because Jesus is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit. He’s always with us and He will never abandon us! (Hebrews 13:5) No matter what we face, or what we’re afraid of, we’re never on our own. God is right there with us in the trouble.😊

                                                                                ***

John 16:33 NKJV These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

3RD CHEER - the Promise of God. We have the promise of peace in the trouble and the ability to overcome it through Jesus. 

                                                                                ***

Jesus has forgiven us our sins and paid for our healing, we have His presence at all times no matter what the trouble, and such a wonderful promise of peace and overcoming ability.

The Power, the Presence, and the Promise of God. Jesus has given us three reasons to cheer up, now can I encourage us all to give Him everything that’s pulled us down, and just believe what He says and let Him cheer us up too. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET

Psalm 113:3 AMP From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the Lord is to be praised [with awe-inspired reverence].

Just at the moment we are experiencing our second heat wave in the UK in the past few weeks, and many of us do struggle to cope with the heat because we’re not used to it. Although it’s lovely to wake up and see a sunny sky instead of a cold, wet, grey dismal one! Yesterday it was around 36 degrees!

So often when we read this verse we think of the old song “From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same”, and it can become a bit too familiar. But the Psalmist reminds us that every moment of our day, whether it’s sunny or otherwise, we can be praising our God with awe inspired reverence.

I don’t know where the sun rises at your house but it rises at the front of ours and gradually moves around to set at the back. Because we’re all so focused on the sun at the minute wouldn’t it be good to turn it into focusing on our God and recognising how wonderfully powerful He is and how amazing that He knows each one of us by name. He knows how many hairs are on our heads and He’s even aware of when we sit down or stand up.😊

Wherever we happen to be today, even if we’re feeling the heat, let’s praise the Lord for His goodness and kindness to us which never changes regardless of the weather.

His sun has risen and gone down on generations before us and whether it’s shining or not, we know our God is always providing and caring for us, no matter what season we’re in.

So next time we feel somewhat overwhelmed with the heat, maybe we can turn it around, grab a tall cold glass of water, and praise our God today with the awe inspired reverence He is due.😊 Amen.

Photo: Bobby on Unsplash

GOD IS FIGHTING OUR BATTLES

2 Chronicles 32:7-8 NLT  “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people.

We all have battles of one kind or another. Some are bigger than others but whatever size they are God doesn’t want us to fight them on our own! He goes as far as to say we can be strong and courageous even when we’re not very brave in our own selves, because we have the Greater One inside us to call on.

The Holy Spirit is with us around the clock and He reminds us that God is our strong tower, God is helping us and fighting our battles, and God is for us not against us! The trouble is we tend to forget!

So what battles are you fighting today? Are you battling fear or lack of finances, battling health issues or family troubles? Maybe you’re battling with doubts? Whatever it is, God wants us to know we don’t have to face those battles in our own strength because we have the Creator of the universe living on the inside of us and He does the impossible, He brings our enemies to their knees and wipes them out, He delivers us and sets us on high.

If we focus on the battle, on our enemy, we become discouraged because we know in ourselves we can’t win, but when we focus on who our God is and how He is helping us fight our battles the whole ball game changes! We are on the winning side, we are coming from a place of victory, so we’re going out to win! That’s the mindset God wants us to have.😊

Let’s be like King Hezekiah who encouraged his people, and encourage one another to remember we have the Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, living inside us! Remember He is our Helper, our Counsellor, our Comforter, our Standby. We’re not alone in it all, we have a Champion on our side and His name is Jesus and He always wins! Praise His name. Amen.😊

Photo: Nghia Le on Unsplash

THE POWER OF ONE

John 1: 40-42 NLT Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus….

The power of one. One what you may ask? The power of one person who can tell someone else about Jesus.😊

When Andrew heard Jesus, he realised he had found the Messiah and he immediately went to find his brother Simon Peter to bring him to hear Jesus for himself. We don’t hear a lot about Andrew but he did a wonderful thing in that one act because Peter then went on to speak and literally thousands were saved  - because of one person, Andrew, doing his part first.

So often we think, “I’m only one person, what can I do?” The truth is we can be used by the Holy Spirit to speak a word about Jesus, a word about what He has done for us, and that word can help another person come to know Jesus for themselves.

One word from God can change a person’s life for eternity. One touch from God can put them on a new path that leads to life and we can be the one person who gives them that word from God. It may only take one smile, one kind act that opens someone’s heart, and we can make ourselves available to God for Him to use us at any moment.

It only takes one person to plant a seed so faith can grow. One person to speak a word of encouragement when people are low. One person to tell someone they can have a new beginning, a new hope, a way forward out of the mess, because of Jesus.

At some point some ‘one’ spoke to us about Jesus, about His love and forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit gave us the opportunity to come to know God as our Father, to have our sins washed away, and our future was changed forever. 

Lord, give us the courage to be available to be the ‘one’ who does the same thing for someone else. Amen.😊

Photo by Miguel Ángel Padriñán Alba on Unsplash

KEEP TRUSTING

Psalm 56:3 CEV 3 but even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting you.

The Bible is full of stories of peoples’ lives who have stepped out in faith to believe for something, or to do what God told them to do, but then things happen to set them back. Joseph is a classic example. He had big dreams where others would bow down to him but then he ended up in a pit. Things go from bad to worse and he finds himself a slave for 13 years and sent to prison for something he didn’t even do. He waited and waited while time was ticking by!

Do we read that he gave up? Do we discover that he became bitter? No. Actually we read how he tried to help someone else get out of the prison even when he was afraid he would never get out himself. We read that he forgave his brothers for causing all his grief in the first place and He kept trusting His God, regardless of his setbacks, regardless of the time it took!😊

Maybe circumstances have ganged up on you and you feel like you’re struggling to keep going, the answers are taking too long, or you’re afraid for the future, of what might happen, and how will it all work out? Maybe a friend or a family member has put some doubts in your mind about the step of faith you have taken and it has discouraged you? Perhaps things have gone from bad to worse and you wonder where it will all end?

If so, God wants to inject some encouragement into each one of us today because He reminds us again: Galations 6:9 TLB And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.

Don’t give up trusting! God is always working behind the scenes and He knows what He is doing and where we’re at. His timing is always spot on, and He’s saying even when we’re afraid, for whatever reason, keep trusting Him and don’t be discouraged because His plans will be worked out at the right time. Amen.😊

SAYING WHAT GOD SAYS

Proverbs 18:21 CEV Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.

I expect we all wake up some days and want to go back to bed! Days when  our body feels out of sorts and we struggle to get our thoughts going in the right direction!

We hear people everyday saying things like: I’m tired, I’m depressed, I’m discouraged, I’m fed up, I can’t do this or that, I, I, I! Their ‘I’s are all headed the wrong way!😊

We all come under attack sometimes and we may be tempted to think, “Where is the victory?”  So what do we do to make it real and relevant?

When I was feeling a bit like that the other day I decided to just declare out loud who God says I am, not how I felt, or what I thought, because they didn’t help! Instead I simply chose to say what God says and He says this… (and you can say them too)…

I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Let the weak say I am strong!)
I am righteous because God has made me righteous!
I am healed, because the Word says by Jesus wounds I have been healed.
I am enough because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I am anointed and can do whatever God calls me to do.
I am above the situations of life, not beneath.
I am blessed going out and blessed coming in.
I am an overcomer whether it feels like it or not, because the Greater One is in me.
I am victorious because Jesus gave me His victory and I choose to believe it.
I am a child of God and have access to God’s throne of grace at any time to receive whatever I need.
I am in Christ and He is living in me to will and to do what pleases Him.
I am loved by God and have His joy and peace in me.

By the time I’d spoken some of those things out loud by faith, something began to shift. Sometimes we have to draw the line in the sand and no matter what the enemy whispers in our ears, we need to declare we are who GOD says we are, even when we don’t feel like it, and God says you and I are all of the above things!😊

We are a people who walk by faith and faith comes by hearing, so as we go into our new week, let’s hold our heads up high and start declaring out loud so we can ‘hear’ it, who we REALLY are, not how we think we are, or how we feel. And we can do it over and over again whenever we need to. Amen.😊

NO COMPARISON

Psalm 71:19 NLT

Your righteousness, O God, 

reaches to the highest heavens.

You have done such wonderful things.

Who can compare with you, O God?

When the Queen of Sheba heard the wisdom of King Solomon and saw the glory of all he had done she was overwhelmed (2 Chronicles 9:8). But Jesus later said of Himself, “A greater one than Solomon is here.” (Luke 11:31). 

Jesus far surpasses Solomon because Solomon’s wisdom and wealth was only a shadow of the wisdom of Jesus and the wealth and glory of our God who has pavements made of gold!

When we hear about Solomon and his achievements and his treasures of precious things, we may think “Wow”, but God is letting us know they are a drop in the ocean and can’t even be compared to His glorious Son and all He has done, who now sits on the throne beside His Father in heaven.

Psalm 113:5-6 NLT Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high?…. Scripture constantly reminds us that nothing and no one can compare to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our Redeemer, our Risen Conquering King who is coming again.

We can rejoice and give thanks today because our King of Kings is the greatest. He was willing to suffer and die for us. He’s the only One who can work miracles and He loves you and me, which is a miracle in itself!😊. So let’s give Him all our praise today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 72:18-19 CEV 

Lord God of Israel,we praise you.

Only you can work miracles.

 We will always praise your glorious name.

Let your glory be seen everywhere on earth. 

Amen and amen.

Photo by Ashin K Suresh on Unsplash

“HITHERTO” !

1 Samuel 7: 12 KJV Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

“Hitherto”! I love that old fashioned word because it’s powerful!😊 I remember reading this verse years ago and it resonated with me. It’s about Samuel telling the children of Israel to rid themselves of their idol worship, and praying for the Lord to help them fight against the Philistines. The Lord answered his prayer and the Israelites were able to defeat their enemies. 

Samuel then erected a stone to remind them, and called it ‘Ebenezer’ which means ‘hitherto has the Lord helped us.’ In other words, thus far, up till now, has the Lord helped us.😊

Can I encourage us today to know that whatever we are dealing with, whatever the future looks like, we can remember and give thanks to God for the way He has always helped us in the past. He is a faithful God who has promised to help, uphold and strengthen us, and as His children, we know He always will.

We can all have an Ebenezer stone, a ‘Hitherto’ stone in our minds. It’s when we remember to thank God for the countless times He has blessed us in the past. For our homes, for the support of our families and friends, for His provision and loving care. To be grateful for all He has already done, and to keep reminding ourselves that He will not fail us and will always help us in the days to come.

When I feel downhearted it always helps me to say to myself, “Hitherto!”, and remember I have the Greater One living in me and He will provide whatever I need.

So next time you feel overwhelmed in any way, just keep thanking the Lord for His goodness, for His blessings and whisper under your breath, ‘Hitherto!’, and know He has your future all sorted out, and you’re safe in the palm of His loving hand. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

Photo: Courtesy of Y. Willis

WOUNDED SO WE CAN BE FREE

Isaiah 53:5 NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We can probably all remember riding a bike as a kid and falling off. It usually meant we ended up with a few extra scars where the grazes healed over!😊

But there are other scars people carry all their lives which are not visible. They are scars where they’ve been deeply hurt, scars of offences which have never been dealt with or forgiven. Maybe words were spoken that undermined and limited them. They may be scars of rejection from family members, or loved ones, or friends who let them down. They are old wounds which can suddenly open up if they’re not healed properly.

God knows all about our wounds, but He wants to remind us today He’s done something about them because Jesus carried the wounds inflicted on Him at the whipping post, He experienced the wounds that nailed Him to the Cross, that pierced His brow, and every drop of His blood, every one of those wounds He bore for our sake so our wounds could be healed. 

Maybe they’re wounds of sickness, wounds of depression, wounds of loneliness or abandonment, scars of betrayal or guilt or shame. Whatever it is, God says Jesus bore it all for us, so we could be free, so we could be whole, so we could know peace in our innermost being. The punishment that brought us peace was on Him.

If you’re carrying some scars, old wounds from decades ago or just yesterday, Jesus asks you to see His wounds today and know He understands every one of yours, and He wants you to exchange them for His healing, His forgiveness, and His peace. He already paid the price by suffering for you.

I don’t know who this is for today but God does. You may have received His forgiveness for your sins, so why not bring all your wounds and scars to Him as well and let Him breathe His healing peace into them all, even the ones that are buried deep. 

It’s time to let them go and give them to Him today, because Jesus heals the broken hearted, He was wounded so you could be made whole, so you could be set free, because of His great love for you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Alex Noriega on Unsplash

STANDING THROUGH THE STORMS

Psalm 34:19 AMP Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, But the Lord rescues him from them all.

Things can suddenly flare up in life and we don’t always see them coming but God does. Our God is never taken by surprise and He already has all the answers to every situation before we get there. We can know for sure that whatever we need will already be waiting for us when we need it.😊

When a family member is suddenly taken to hospital, when there are questions we don’t have the answers to, we can be confident that our God is working in the background bringing about the best outcome. The enemy may try to rattle us, but our God holds us steady in the storms. He reminds us that He is stronger than anything that is thrown at us and He will be there to bring us through.

Matthew 7:24-25 NIV “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

The parable of the two houses, one built on rock and the other built on sand reminds us that when our lives are built on Jesus our house will still be standing strong after the storm has blown itself out. Our part is to put our armour on and having done all, to stand.😊 

So if you are going through some storms today, take heart, our God loves us with an everlasting love. He knows what we are dealing with and He is fighting our battles, He is smoothing out the way ahead and if we’ll keep our eyes on Him we shall come through victorious with a testimony to His great goodness and kindness to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.😊

OVERTAKE AND RECOVER

1 Samuel 30:8 AMPC And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? The Lord answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.

Now you may not have been burgled, or had your car burned to the ground, which I know from experience is very distressing, but we will probably have had something stolen from us by the enemy over the years whether it was our health, our peace or our joy, or maybe our finances.

David and his men experienced the enemy attacking and stealing their belongings and worst of all their wives and children. Their enemy burned their homes to the ground and took everything away. David and his men were so distressed they had no tears left to cry but he encouraged himself in the Lord. He knew where to turn and he asked God if he should go after what was stolen. God told him to pursue, and overtake his enemy because he wouldn’t fail, he would recover all! How encouraging that is to us today.😊

When the enemy steals our health or whatever it is, God didn’t say to sit down and let the enemy get away with it. Instead God said we have a Saviour who has made us overcomers, more than conquerors, so we can resist the enemy and command him to give back what he stole. Proverbs 6:31

God has told us that Jesus has already won the victory over the devil, and His victory has been given to us, so we have been given authority over him, to take his hands off everything belonging to us. 

In the courts of heaven we are seated with Jesus at the right hand of God, which is mind boggling but true. We are actually seated in Jesus, in His victory, not in defeat. It’s good to remember we’ve been given His authority over all the works of the enemy.😊

At the end of WW2, the war was won but the soldiers still had to go out and enforce the victory where the enemy hadn’t surrendered. We too have our part to play in not just standing our ground, but to go and take back the ground belonging to us in Jesus, take back what the enemy stole.

Praise God we are not victims, we are Victors. The Holy Spirit is encouraging us today to remember Jesus has authorised us to pursue, overtake and recover all in His name. Amen.

Photo: Joylynn-Goh on Unsplash