There is literally nowhere that we can go that is out of God’s reach. God never wearies listening to the burdens of His people. There is no situation we will ever face that is out of God’s control, so the best place to be is right with Him. All the pain, suffering, adversity, difficult days and years – they all have a purpose. God is using them to make us perfect, to make us into the image of His Son. You may have heard this statement before: Nothing is impossible with God. It’s true my friends. Absolutely nothing is out …
Building Confidence
Have you ever watched a child whose upbringing has been supported and loved, face a challenge? Their past experiences have prepared them that they can do anything if they put their mind to it. Shouldn’t we all act like God’s children? If you truly have a relationship with Christ, you will have the confidence to face anything life launches your way. My hope is in Christ alone. And even though there are days when my self-confidence is fading, I can trust God to build me up. Jeremiah 17:7 – “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose …
No Need to Worry
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. – Philippians 4:6 In a moment of worry, it may be hard to remember to pray and to lay all that is on your mind in that moment down at the altar and turn it over to God. This may not be something that someone can learn to do over night. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years to stop in those moments of worry and turn them over to God. I gave my life to Christ …
From Anxious to Joyful
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” – Psalms 94:19 When I was younger, I battled social anxiety. It started as not being able to speak up in class, when a teacher called on me, I sat there in my seat, frozen, and to scared to speak. This often led to me being forced to stand in the hallway for most of the class because my teachers couldn’t understand why I was unable to answer a question. As time went on, it went from not being able to speak in class, to not being …
Caught Up in the Riptide
One morning, after reading a study on taking thoughts captive, I had an instant visual. My prayer time is in the shower every morning. The water crashing over me somehow reminded me of the ocean and it’s tide. As I began to meditate on all I was learning about, I saw it plain as day. Now, I have never been in a rip current, but I have heard about them from native Californians. I warn my children about them whenever we are at the beach, to look out for them and remind them what to do if they find themselves …
Trusting in the Power of Christ
Early in my ministry, I often exhausted myself trying to manage everything. Though I knew with certainty my assignment came directly from God, I routinely behaved as if He expected me to carry the load alone. As if results came through sheer grit rather than the works of His hands. When one of my team members forgot or failed to complete a task, I felt responsible to step in and catch every ball that happened to get dropped. Though I talked a great deal about faith-filled, surrendered living, I routinely behaved as if our results depended on me. Unfortunately, …
The Word of God Works Always
When people tell you, “Try out the fortunetellers. Consult the spiritualists. Why not tap into the spirit-world, get in touch with the dead?” Tell them, “No, we’re going to study the Scriptures.” People who try the other ways get nowhere—a dead end! Frustrated and famished, they try one thing after another. When nothing works out they get angry, cursing first this god and then that one, Looking this way and that, up, down, and sideways—and seeing nothing, A blank wall, an empty hole. They end up in the dark with nothing. Isaiah 8:19-22 MSG It’s easy at …
Trust
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15 NAB Trust It is difficult to try and solve things ourselves but we this is what we instinctively try and do. Think of the times when we try to take control, end up getting stressed and overwhelmed. If we had taken a moment to quiet our mind and give it over to God, the outcome would have been different. Experience teaches us again and again how we are not in …
Choosing to Trust God
Even in a time of great suffering and affliction, David begins his worship with a declaration of his trust in God:In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. What if we chose to do the same? How easy it is to declare our trust after the crisis, after the provision, after God has answered our prayers, and after He has provided all we need. It requires little faith to declare we trust Him after—but a great deal of faith to trust in advance (and in the midst) of the crisis. Perhaps it is a mindset that comes …
Time to Trust
“Trust in him at all times, you people: pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 The Psalmist instructs us to trust at all times. “All times” includes: Times of plenty and times of want Times with and times without Monday morning and Friday night Anxiety and peace Debt-free and bankrupt Benign and malignant Rough waters and smooth sailing All means all. Life tells me that believers run to God in times of difficulty but tend to “drift” when all is well. Has that been your experience? Looking over my shoulder, I …
Trusting That He Knows
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 God has a plan for us. It is a plan for our good. His plan includes prosperity and hope. Is it enough that we know that He knows what the plan is? Do we insist on knowing all the details in advance? Knowing that He knows and being okay with not yet knowing ourselves is choosing to walk by faith. By its definition, faith includes an element …
Trust Brings Overflowing Hope
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 Overflowing hope. Hard to ponder the magnitude of what that means. Hope on steroids? Hope beyond imagination? Hope that defies the imagination? Perhaps it is all that and more. And it can be ours … it is ours! This overflowing hope is one of the many by-products that come to those of us who trust in Him. To trust in God is to rely upon Him. …