Life Has No Movie Soundtrack

The scenario: Someone is on a stroll through the woods. The scenery is beautiful, in the background you can hear the padding of footsteps in the quiet peacefulness. Slowly the background music creeps into the scene signaling something is about to change. Suddenly the eerie sounds of music grows louder and a stranger runs onto the path. For those of us watching the movie, we anticipated something was coming because the music in the background prepared us for it. If only life was like that. The problem is. . .

Life has no movie soundtrack!

If life was more like a movie, we would know that something was going to happen because of the music or sounds playing in the background. For example, you are sitting in a restaurant having a quiet dinner and some comedic music begins to play nearby. You feel rather lighthearted for some reason and a moment later the waiter drops an entire tray on the floor. Ripples of quiet laughter erupt in the restaurant.

Or let's use that same setting and play the sounds of the dun-Dun-DUN near the handsome couple having dinner together. A sense of dread comes over the restaurant and everyone braces for what happens next: The woman tells her significant other that she wants to break up. She stands up and throws a ring in his lap while he sits with mouth agape. Cue the sad violin music.

You get the picture. Movies or television programs give us hints about what's going to happen by the music and sounds being played. This music actually manipulates us into feeling a certain way to help propel the storyline.

Real life is so much different. You suddenly find out someone wants to have a discussion with no clue about what's going to be discussed. Since the meeting was not planned, you immediately begin to anticipate the worst and pour over anything that could be wrong. It's so easy to imagine the worst rather than the best. If only there was a movie soundtrack to give you a clue!

I don't have any great revelations to share about this. It's really just a thought that occurred to me recently as I have watched life unfold all around me. Surprises--good and bad--come with nary a clue and definitely no soundtrack hints. Sometimes the blessing is in the surprise otherwise knowing the future would not be good.

I guess as believers in Jesus the best thing to do is to be prepared by staying close to God because nothing surprises Him. We have to keep our eyes on Him. He knows what is coming long before I do and the the Bible is full of examples like: Joseph, Sarah, Job, David, Peter, John, and Paul. Hebrews 11 is a list of people who trusted God when they weren't sure what was going on and God honored that faith.

I may not know what's going to happen in the next minute, the next hour, the next month, or the next year. However, I do know the Lord promises to be with me no matter what--even without the background music!

I know the Lord is always with me.    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. - Psalm 16:8

The Maze of My Life

This is the longest I've gone without posting something on my blog. I've taken short breaks before, but those were intentional. I've had a few blog ideas and even started one, but haven't had the time to really flesh it out. So, it just sits here. Frankly, there's probably not that many people who regularly keep up with it anyway. But, today I'll just do a little stream of consciousness writing instead. So the writing may be a little different.

Life--the maze of my life--has gotten a bit crazy lately. I won't go into the details here. Those closest to me know what some of those details are and that's enough. Suffice it to say, I've had some challenging days in the past few months.

When I first chose this blog name, I thought it was kind of a cute word play. But, life is often a series of mazes. Mazes are places that force you from one end to the other. Sometimes you find yourself crossing the same path time and time again. Other times it looks as if you've finally found the way out only to discover that you've run into a dead end. I hear people have gotten lost in corn mazes. Put a mouse in a maze and it sniffs its way to the end where there's a reward for him.

The only thing that remains constant through it all is Jesus. I may not see Him with my eyes, but He's there in the maze with me. John chapter 16 tells the account of Jesus talking to the disciples before the crucifixion. Jesus reassures them and tells them not to be afraid when He had to leave because the Holy Spirit would be here for us. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our "come alongside."

If we believe Jesus to be our Savior, when the road gets tough and the path is dark, we have someone alongside us to show us the way.

I'll leave with a few verses of Scripture...

Proverbs 3:6
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take. (NLT)


Isaiah 45:2
I will go before you
    and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron. 


Exodus 43:14
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 

Give What You Have

I was reading this VERY FAMILIAR Bible story last week. Some Bible stories are so familiar to us that we have a tendency rush through them with the "been there, done that" mentality. Really, the feeding of 5,000 is one of those Bible stories we learn as children and hear over and over and over. It's a great story of a miracle, but often the focus of the story is about the miracle of Jesus.

For your reading pleasure, here's the account of this story from the passage I was reading. Go ahead, I'll wait until you're done...

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand - Matthew 14.13-21

As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. 

But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot 

 from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, 

and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, 

and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go 

to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. 

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, 

and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, 

he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people.  

They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up

 twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day,

 in addition to all the women and children!

So, did you see anything new in this passage? When I was reading this story last week, I suddenly noticed something I hadn't seen before. I don't know if it was the translation I was reading (NLT), if it was the Matthew passage instead of another Gospel, or maybe it was the Holy Spirit teaching me. Perhaps all three!

Here's what jumped out at me while reading it this time...

The disciples had this extremely practical idea: Let the people go home before dark to eat. I'm sure the disciples were shocked when Jesus told them, "You feed them" (verse 16). I'm imagining the disciples were a bit puzzled by that response. They already knew they did not have enough food available to feed that many people. Jesus asks them to bring what they have.

Just bring what you already have...

What you already have is enough...

Whatever God is calling me to do, I have enough. Just bring it.

You and I may not feel we are fully prepared, fully trained, or fully funded, before setting out to do something the Lord has called us to do. I know I often feel woefully inadequate, but actually that's probably a better place to be because God gets the glory in whatever happens instead of me.

There may be times when we are fully prepared. But, more often than not, we may be called to give from our weakness--inadequate as it may be.

By bringing what we have, Jesus blesses it and multiplies it--for His glory. 

Wordy Wednesday

Source

For those who may be new to this blog, on Wordy Wednesdays I like to allow God's Word to speak for itself instead of me doing the writing. Sometimes I only share scripture and other times I might write just a little to accompany it. This week I'd like to share just a little.

Watching the events that have happened in Oklahoma the past few days has been heart-wrenching. Television cannot do it justice. Our minds (at least my mind) has become so accustomed to seeing destruction on television and movies that we it's hard to grasp the reality of death and destruction. We tend to get a little numb to it. The moment that hit home with me was watching video of school children shortly after the tornado ravaged their school. Children were standing there in shock. Adults were doing the best they could to comfort all the children, but they were outnumbered. I saw one little boy, perhaps ten years old, standing alone and looking shocked and frightened. I'm sure he was trying to lay eyes on a familiar face. I wanted to reach through the television and hug that child.

Even when I feel like life isn't treating me well, when I feel all alone or lost, I know that the Lord will sustain me. He's here. He's ready to reach out and put comforting arms around me. I only need to acknowledge His presence and ask for help.

Tragedy has a way of putting things in perspective. May the Lord sustain us all during these rough days.

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;

you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the Lord,

and he answered me from his holy mountain. 

I lay down and slept,

yet I woke up in safety,

for the Lord was watching over me.
I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies

who surround me on every side.

  Psalm 3:3-6

What Are You Trusting In?

"What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?"

Those were the words spoken by the Assyrians standing just outside the city of Judah (2 Kings 18:19-24). This may be ancient history, but there is modern day application to this story. The Assyrians had already conquered nearby Samaria. Now they were standing outside the city of Judah politely, but firmly requesting that King Hezekiah surrender.

Typically we think of conquerors as those who storm the gates. They shoot first and ask questions later. But sometimes the enemy stands outside and attempts to use reason to gain control. Why not? If bloodshed can be avoided with a little attack on the mind, give it a try.

King Hezekiah was one of those good guys. He trusted the Lord, obeyed God, and removed pagan shrines in the land. He followed in the footsteps of his ancestor, King David. Consequently, the Lord blessed him. But,the enemy still showed up. Hezekiah tried to smooth over any wrongs his people had done to the Assyrians. He offered reparations of gold and silver. It did no good. The Assyrians weren't interested.

That's when the mind games began. The enemy was standing outside their city walls asking them to surrender. When Hezekiah refused, the Assyrian representative accused them of relying on their own intellect or on another army to rescue them. After Hezekiah refused to surrender, the Assyrian man pulled out all the stops by suggesting that God wanted them to surrender. He implied that God had led them to have Judah surrender because of something they had done.

Here's where the present-day life application comes in. We're cruising along in our lives, trying to follow God's path, being obedient yet not always succeeding. The enemy sneaks up beside us to remind us of those times we've failed and entices us to surrender. He fills our heads with doubt and fear. We try to stand firm in our faith, trusting that the path we're on is the one God want us on. Inside we wonder if he's right...Maybe God did send this circumstance to get me back into His will or to punish me? 

Hezekiah stayed firm in his faith. He prayed rather than responding to those threats (2 Kings 19). The Lord responded by delivering them. In fact, more than 100,000 Assyrians died in their sleep. God stepped in and helped calm their fears and He took care of the enemy. Hezekiah did not trust in his intellect. He did not trust in the strength of his army or Egypt's army. He trusted God.

The enemy seems to be telling me to "throw in the towel," with lies such as: 

The odds of finding a mate at your age are very low. It's time to give up. 

You don't have what it takes to write. There are plenty of writers out there already.

I could go on and on with a laundry list of lies, doubts, and fears. When I hear these, I need to remember to pray and consult the Lord. I need to remember to trust in the God, His promises, and not in anything or anyone else.

What lies are you listening to? Have you consulted the Lord about it?

I'll end with these verses from Psalm 56:1-7.

O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me.  

My foes attack me all day long. 

I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, 

and many are boldly attacking me.  

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 

I praise God for what he has promised.  

I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  

What can mere mortals do to me?  

They are always twisting what I say;  

they spend their days plotting to harm me. 

They come together to spy on me— 

watching my every step, eager to kill me.  

Don’t let them get away with their wickedness; 

in your anger, O God, bring them down.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Read Psalm 23

The twenty-third Psalm has to be one of the most familiar passages to--well, just about anyone. It's so often heard quoted at funerals and consequently used in those types of scenes in television shows and movies. So, even someone who may not be familiar with the Bible has probably heard this verse. It's really quite a shame that it's been relegated to funerals, though. The text is so rich and relatable to every day life!

Last weekend this psalm came to mind as a multitude of concerns bombarded my thoughts. April has been a difficult month for friends and family. I've had sick friends, others having surgery, some have had tragic deaths or near-deaths. There have also been a few horrific events which have made the headlines. I have a "threshold" of just how many pressurized events I can process at one time before feeling overwhelmed. I get to a point of wanting to "Cry Uncle." Is that just me or does anyone else feel that way? When it gets like that, I just keep thanking God that He never gets overwhelmed by these circumstances. He's got it all under control.

When I thought of this psalm, the line that came to my mind over and over was verse four. I memorized this psalm in the King James version, so I heard this in my head...

Yea, though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff 

they comfort me.

But, rather than thinking about this as a funeral verse, I pondered what David was really saying here. Basically, he is saying that no matter what--NO. MATTER. WHAT.--is going on all around him, he has absolutely no reason to fear the evil happening. Why? Because God is there.

I took great comfort in that verse several times this weekend. And to punctuate all of that comforting goodness, God decided to bless me with a few more reminders of this great Psalm. Two of my favorite Bible teachers posted about it on their Facebook pages today! So, I just have to share this quote from Tony Evans,

"It's 'yea, though I walk through the valley.' 

Not 'yea, when I sit down and whine in the valley.' Keep walking."

 

So, take a few moments and read this psalm with fresh eyes. Think about the love and care of aShepherd, for His beloved sheep (that's me and you). And even when we're in a dark valley, even when the news around us goes from bad to worse, we can talk to our Shepherd about it and He willingly and lovingly comfort us. He will lead us and renew our strength.  

 

Psalm 23... A psalm of David.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
² He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
³     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
⁴ Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
⁶ Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

New Living Translation

Nuggets of Wisdom: Hope

I started reading a new book this week. I've barely started it--only 16% of the way through it--and I've already uncovered some incredible nuggets of wisdom.
Perhaps these little nuggets mean a lot to me now because of the stage of life I'm in. I wanted to share just a few of these little jewels with you. I've pulled these quotes from a book called Hope Being Gone: Trusting God in the Tough Times by Cherie Hill.

• When life is going according to our plan, seldom do we ask God about His.
• When there are no signs of victory and your faith is failing, its your shouts of praise through the pain that will bring Light to your darkness. It's by faith that we have hope... and hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5).
• Faith is more than just belieivng in God. It's about trusting Him, even when there is no evidence you should.

I'll leave you with some encouraging scripture from 2 Chronicles 20:15-17. It's the account of Jehoshaphat facing war with his enemies. He prayed and cried out to God for help. The Lord encouraged His people with the following words:

He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”

The story doesn't end there. Jehoshaphat bowed before the Lord and instead of sending out his strongest warriors for battle, he sent the singers. Yes. You heard me right. He sent the singers out ahead of the army to begin praising and thanking God. The Lord gave His people victory over their enemies.

I don't know about you, but praise and thanksgiving is not the first thing that comes to mind when I'm faced with trying circumstances. Yet, over and over the Word tells us that we should be praising and thanking God--even for the difficult times. And as a singer, I don't particularly want to be on the front lines of battle with the rest of the army behind me. Once again I am reminded that praise and thanksgiving is essential. If anyone is looking for me, I'll be out front trying to be brave enough to eek out some praise songs.

Bridges

I don't really like bridges. I'm not fearful of them, but I don't particularly like them. I still remember many nightmares that involved really high bridges that led to nowhere. I still recall a rickety drawbridge from my hometown and being afraid of that bridge until it was torn down in favor of new construction.

I don't fear bridges quite as much as I've grown older. Out of necessity, I've learned to tolerate bridges. Yet, even now when I'm sitting on a bridge full of traffic and a heavy truck goes across, I can feel the bridge shake and I wonder: Will the bridge fall down?

Bridges are actually very helpful. When I was a child, my father built a bridge in our back yard to span a creek that ran through the yard. It was a pretty little bridge that I dubbed "the lady bridge." Bridges allow me to easily cross over a river to visit my home state when I'm traveling. My path to work involves crossing over interstates on bridges. Bridges take me to my destination.

Bridges can be beautiful. Or scary.

Bridges can overlook some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Or bridges can overlook a neglected neighborhood.

You just never know what you're going to get when you cross a bridge. The path along that bridge that can sometimes make us wonder when we'll ever get to the other side of the bridge--our destination. We need to have faith that the bridge will get us to our final destination.

Sometimes our spiritual journey is just like that. We are hoping and praying for a change in our circumstances. God begins to work in our lives and puts us on a new journey. Sometimes that journey takes us over a bridge. The journey may reveal some breathtaking moments. Or that journey may bring out our fears. Either way, God is with us on that journey. We must trust that God has us in the center of where we're supposed to be--even in the midst of fear. If we've asked for this journey of change, we need to trust God and lean on Him.

We can count on God to take us through these faith journeys. If we avoid the bridges, our journey may take a whole lot longer.

This reminds me of the account of Jesus and the disciples as they crossed the stormy lake in a boat. We may encounter some rough waters but Jesus will be there with us. Jesus asked them (us and me)...

“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  (Mark 4:40b)

My faith verse for 2013 is...

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; 

it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1).

A Place of Insecurity

After I started a new job, I began a search to find the best route to work. (You have to do this in a major metropolitan area with lots of traffic!) I tried several routes and then remembered a little-used back road which provided lots of greenery and no traffic for a few miles. Although I'd been on this road many times over the years, it's not one that I used with any regularity and not for quite a while. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this route during my morning commute...for a while. Then one morning something happened.

I was driving along (I'm sure my mind was wandering) when suddenly all I saw around me were trees, overgrown brush, and the road. There were no familiar landmarks and no cars around. It was just me in my car, the road ahead of me, and all these trees. I had absolutely no idea where I was. Panic rose inside me. I became fearful as I looked around and tried to reorient. Where was I? I tried to remain calm and kept driving in hopes that I would eventually remember where I was. Very soon afterward I arrived at a place where the road intersected with two other roads. To my relief, I finally remembered where I was. The whole experience probably lasted no longer than 15 or 20 seconds. Nevertheless, it was disconcerting and unforgettable.

There was another time when I was a child and found myself separated from my family in a store. I don't remember a lot of details about that incident, but I do recall a similar panic coming over me until my family found me. After that incident my mom always gave me a specific place where I could go should that happen again—a place for us to rendezvous. I was assured that should I become separated again, she would always go to that place to look for me. Thankfully I never got lost like that again, but I always remembered the plan and it gave me a sense of peace.

Life can sometimes be like these scenarios. We can be tooling along when all of a sudden panic sets in. How did I get here? I'm all alone! What should I do? Perhaps an unfortunate incident sets off these emotions or we've simply wandered into (or been pushed into) an unfamiliar path. We feel threatened by unfamiliar surroundings. Everything seems cozy when we are in familiar places, but if we're suddenly plucked out of the familiar, insecurity sets in.

Thankfully, as believers, God has already given us a place to rendezvous when we find ourselves in these unfamiliar surroundings. We can go to Him in prayer and we can read His Word. He will be faithful to meet us there. There is nowhere that God is not.

Psalm 139:7-12 tell us that God is omnipresent:

I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
    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.


I'm so thankful that whatever circumstance I may be in, God is always there. I can keep my eye fixed on Him. God is way better than GPS.

Three on Thursday

I want to share a few notes that I took during a sermon a few months ago. The scripture reference was Joshua chapter 5 as the Israelites prepared for battle. Even though this chapter is mostly about a particular procedure/ritual that I won't mention by name here, there is a lot of real-life application to be had in this chapter. I was quite surprised.

Our teacher said that sometimes our battle is fear and doubt rather than the seemingly looming problem in front of us. How true!

Here are three principles which will come in handy before we head into any battle:

1. Make sure you are walking in the clear, revealed will of God. Prepare yourself. If there's any known sin you haven't dealt with, make sure to confess and/or forgive.
2. Remember what God has already done for you. Remember His faithfulness and provision in the past and present. God will be there with you.
3. The presence of God will challenge us. God will give leadership, direction, and provision for the battle. Recognize His presence--even in the midst of fear and doubt! (Read Joshua 5:13-15.)

These are some really sound principles to remember whenever fear or doubt begin to knock on our heart's door.

Strongholds: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

In my Bible reading lately I've run across the word strongholds. Now, typically when I hear about strongholds, I immediately think of something negative--an area of my life where the Enemy loves to work. Places of unforgiveness, low self-esteem, fear, doubt, worry, pride, etc. are all considered strongholds that believers hold onto for one reason or another. I've never really considered what the term stronghold means.


Here's an outline of biblical usage which comes from the BlueLetterBible.org lexicon:

Place or means of safety, protection, refuge, stronghold

a) place of safety, fastness, harbour, stronghold

b) refuge (of God) (fig.)

c) human protection (fig.)

The Bible usages refer to it as a fortified place. The same root word as Fortress (2 Sam. 22:33) and Strength (Neh. 8:10) and Defense (Ps. 27:1) and Refuge (Ps. 52:7) and Helmet (Ps. 60:7) and Protection (Is. 27:5) and Safety (Is. 30:3)

So if a stronghold is actually a place of safety or a refuge, then how has it become associated with sin? I don't think the strongholds mentioned above start out as sin. We worry about finances when times are lean. That's a normal human thought. But it's when we stay in that place of worry--we camp out there--that it becomes a place of sin (a stronghold). That's when we are essentially saying we don't trust God to provide. That's only one example of a potential stronghold.

What I found really interesting is the connection between the definition of stronghold and our (my) own sins. I started thinking about what I turn to for safety, for refuge, for strength for comfort. If it's not God first, has it become a stronghold in my life? Hmmm. Ouch!

"A stronghold is an area of thinking

in which we allow Satan entry.  

Satan cannot force his way into our mind.

It's our private space." ~ Charles Stanley

I don't have a lot of answers here. I'm just sharing my thought process as I grapple with issues. However, I do know that only God's Word can break down those strongholds. Truth defeat lies. So here is a bit of truth to hold onto as we think through this issue. And if you have any thoughts on this subject, I'd love to hear it.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. 
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up 
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive 
every thought to make it obedient to Christ.~ 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Wasting Time

Ever have a problem that just keeps you so perplexed that you spend hours trying to figure out what to do about it? I'm not talking about common issues such as:

What should I serve my guests at the next dinner party? 

or

Should I buy Aunt Mildred a gift certificate or that book she's been wanting?

I'm talking about the types of issues which don't have ready answers, especially the ones which have so many why and how questions attached to them. I usually file these under "life issues." Life suddenly turns into a 1000-piece puzzle and you have no idea what the big picture is.


I tend to be a bit of a detective. I'm also inquisitive and a "fixer." Therefore, these little traits often, okay, always cause me to look for answers to problems and why they occurred in the first place.

During the past few months I've tried to figure out the whys and hows of a particularly vexxing situation in my life. Actually, I wasted a whole lot of time. Now I realize that's exactly where our enemy, Satan, wants me to live my life. He would like for me to spend lots of time and energy fretting and fussing over something I cannot do anything about.

Don't get me wrong: It's definitely okay for me to pray about it and ask God to help or provide clear direction. But when I spend so much time trying to figure things out that it causes confusion, doubt, and other negative emotions, then I've gone too far.

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, 

as in all the churches of the saints. ~ 1 Corinthians 14:33

It's times like this when God wants me to simply trust Him. When I cannot understand what's going on or what I should do next, it's time to trade in that detective's license for that warm shelter of trust in the shadow of His wings. 

Have you ever noticed that weeks, months, or even years down the road from a problem you can look back and see how God worked everything out (probably without your help)? In the midst of that situation it didn't appear that God was doing anything [but He was] and questions were unending!

I saw this quote recently and thought it was appropriate:

Trust always requires having some 

unanswered questions in your life. ~ Joyce Meyer

I believe that is very true. Once I began to place my trust in God to handle my problems in His way and in His time, peace moved into the place where confusion, fear, and doubt had resided. God gave those three an eviction notice! 

Did I get all the answers to my Why and How questions? Nope. But, little by little, God has given me some answers. I am still waiting on the remaining answers but at least I'm no longer fretting over them. I still sometimes get discouraged, but God knows what I need and will give me encouragement through the Word.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart 

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. 

~Proverbs 3:5-6

What about you? How do you handle these issues and unanswered questions? What has the Lord taught you during these times?

We're Not Skaaaid...

"We're not skaaaid (scared), I'm gonna let my light shine."

That was the line from a song the children sang at church recently. The line was sung with a cute accent--the reason for the odd spelling. The premise behind the song is that we need not be scared or fearful when we have Jesus shining through us.

I was listening to Kay Arthur teach on this very topic a few days ago.

Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4: 35-41)

³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

 
The disciples had their focus on the storm instead of Jesus. They really had no need to fear because Jesus was in the boat with them; they would not perish as long as He was with them. However, Jesus did not get mad at the disciples for asking for help. He simply focused His power and attention to the storm, telling it to Silence and Be Still. This is also translated in some versions as Hush or Peace. Jesus was calming the storm.

When we're in the midst of a storm, Kay says we need to stop and hear the voice of Jesus over and above the storm. Storms in our lives may be actual storms, trials, or they may also be doubts, fears, discontent, temptations, etc.

Jesus asks the disciples two questions after he calms the storm. So, in the midst of our storms we should ask ourselves...

1. Why am I afraid? (Jesus is here with me)
2. Do I still have no faith? (I can trust in him at ALL TIMES. See Psalm 62) I should go back and remember the times Jesus has brought me through other storms. Storms have a way of stretching our faith.

I love the following quote from Kay:

In any given situation you can either 

fear the situation or 

you can fear God, 

who is over the situation. 

Remember, fear of God means reverence and trust. God is in control and he has the power to calm the storm.

One of my favorite songs lately is called The Same God by Newsong. A line from that song says,

The same God who led you in will lead you out.  

So take all the fear and doubt, go on and lay them down.

Pressing Past Our Fears

Once again, God' timing is incredible.  I have been watching a Beth Moore series on You Tube called Pressing Past Our Fears.  I'm not sure why I chose this particular topic, but I started watching it yesterday and finished watching it this morning.  One quote I wrote down yesterday from Beth was this:

"Fear is an emotional outburst of unbelief."

Hmmm.  Definitely something to keep in mind when I start feeling fearful. 

Last night I was writing in my journal and decided to thumb through and read some older entries (like a whole decade ago).  I noticed that some of the things I was writing about then are similar to current circumstances (not exactly the same, but definitely similar).  Similar issues and phrases used jumped out at me.  The circumstance I had written about more than a decade ago did not end the way I had hoped.  I began to feel discouraged after reading this.  I began to fear the same thing was happening all over again.  I prayed about it.

So this morning I went back to finish watching the rest of this Beth Moore series.  First thing I hear is, Why am I projecting an old fear on a new day?   Woah!  This is a new place that God has me and I should not be putting these old fears in this new place.  If God has put me here, then He will equip me to handle what He's put before me. 

The next great nugget of truth I hear is, The Enemy discourages me to keep me from proceeding with God's plan.  The root word  here is Courage.  God will give us courage.  The Enemy will obviously want to DisCourage.  Once again, if I am in God's plan then I need to keep at it, to get back up and refuse to quit what God has placed before me.  Fear of the past is not an option.  I must live in the present and trust Him to meet my needs and direct my steps.