Here I am, Lord, Send Me

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Peace With The Lord

You Can Always Have Peace

Satan relentlessly attempts to steal everything God has provided for His children through Jesus Christ. Peace is one of the biggies; it is one of the things he works extra hard to prevent us from enjoying.

Remember, we have peace—Jesus provided it—but we must appropriateit. That means to take it and use it for our own use. Satan does everything he can to keep us from doing this, beginning with deception; he wants us to think that peace is not possible, that it is not even an option.

When we have a challenging situation, Satan says, “What are you going to do? What are you going to do?” We frequently don’t know what to do; nevertheless, Satan pressures us for answers that we don’t have. He tries to make us believe it is our responsibility to solve our problems when the Word of God clearly states that our job as believers is to believe—not solve our problems. We believe, and God works on our behalf to bring answers that meet our needs.

A good example of this is found in Exodus 14. The Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites; all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and army were in pursuit of God’s people. When the Israelites found themselves stuck between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, it seemed hopeless. They could see no way out, so naturally, they became fearful and upset. They began to complain and make accusations against their leader, Moses.

“Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest” (Exodus 14:13-14).

It may have sounded foolish to the Israelites to stand still, hold their peace, and remain at rest, but that was God’s instruction to them—it was their way to deliverance. When we remain peaceful in tumultuous circumstances, it clearly shows that we are trusting God.

Trust in Him
Don’t say “God, I trust You,” if your actions show otherwise. Trust God with your words and actions; rest in His peace, and He will deliver you.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Cast Your Care

Is there something in your life that you could be very worried and anxious about if you didn’t decide not to be? Most people do, and if you don’t have something today, you might have something tomorrow or the next day. That’s not being negative, it’s just saying that life is real and you never know exactly what is going to come your way. But we do know God, and we don’t have to live in fear. He is with us and He’s on our side.

A lot of bad things happened to me in the early years of my life, and I got to the point where I was afraid that bad things would happen. Proverbs 15:15 calls that “evil forebodings,” which means you have this sense that you are waiting for the next disaster. I’ve learned that instead of doing that, I can expect something good to happen in my life and to expect it on purpose.

You can choose your own thoughts. You don’t have to just think whatever falls in your head. You can cast out wrong thoughts and choose right thoughts. Faith starts in our hearts, as a gift from God, but it is released when we think and speak right things that line up with God’s Word. When we have a problem, we can either do what the devil wants us to do and worry about it, get anxious and try to figure things out on our own, or we can do what God wants us to do and think about the promises in His Word.

The Bible teaches us to cast all of our care on God because He cares for us (see 1 Peter 5:7).

Throughout our married life, every time we’ve had a problem, Dave has had one answer: “Cast your care.” It’s not wrong to acknowledge our problems, but we need to tell them where they stand in relation to God. Worry sees the problem, but faith sees the God Who can handle the problem.

Trust in Him
Will you worry and have anxiety today, or will you cast your care and choose to trust God instead?

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Do Not Fear

It’s No Surprise to God

One of the strongest and most persistent fears people experience is the fear that they won’t have what they need. We want to feel safe in every area of life. But we’re constantly attacked with the fear that we won’t have what we need—whether it’s finances, relationships, or the ability to do what God has called us to do.

More than any other command in Scripture, God tells us not to fear. God never promises us a trouble-free life, but He does promise us His presence and the strength (mental, physical, and emotional) we require to get through our troubles.

Several years ago, a friend of mine went in for a routine checkup and learned days later that her doctor feared she might have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the most aggressive form of the disease. More tests were needed, and she was told it might take two or three weeks before a confirmed diagnosis could be reached.

I asked my friend how she got through those weeks of uncertainty and if she was afraid. “Yes, I was afraid,” she said. “But I also knew that whatever the outcome was, it would be no surprise to God.” Then she said something else that might be of help to you. She told me she realized that if she worried for three weeks and then learned she had lymphoma, she would have wasted three valuable weeks of her life. And if she worried for three weeks and learned she did not have lymphoma, she would have still wasted three valuable weeks of her life. “Believe it or not,” she said, “I didn’t lose a minute’s sleep for those twenty-one days.”

When the tests finally came back, my friend learned she did indeed have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She had surgery and endured many months of chemo. I’m pleased to tell you that, ten years later, she’s in terrific health. And she didn’t waste three valuable weeks.

Trust in Him
What are you afraid of? No matter what you are going through, it’s no surprise to God. He’s not unsure of what’s around the corner or unprepared for whatever you’re going through. Put your trust in Him and be confident in His plans for your life.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Emotions

Living Beyond Your Feelings

On any given day, we may feel good or bad, happy or sad, excited or discouraged, and a thousand other things. Although feelings can be very strong and demanding, we do not have to let them rule our lives.

We can learn to manage our emotions rather than allowing them to manage us. This has been one of the most important biblical truths I have learned in my journey with God. It has also been one that allows me to consistently enjoy my life.

If we have to wait to see how we feel before we know if we can enjoy the day, then we are giving feelings control over us. But thankfully, we have free will and can make decisions that are not based on feelings. If we are willing to make right choices regardless of how we feel, God will always be faithful to give us the strength to do so.

Prayer of Thanks: Father, I thank You that I no longer have to let my feelings control me. I am so grateful that I don’t have to wait to see how I feel every day before I know how to act. With Your help, I am going to live beyond my feelings—I’m going to live the joy-filled life Jesus came to give me!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Worry Less, Pray More

Living at Peace

**Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. ***

Peace is one of the most important elements to enjoying your life.

A life of frustration and struggle, a life without peace, is the result of focusing on things you can’t do anything about. When you worry about things beyond your control, stress and anxiety begin to creep into your life.

The apostle Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV).

Once we realize we are struggling with something and feel upset, we need to start praying and immediately turn the situation over to God, thankful He will provide according to His will and offer us peace. You and I are not called to a life of frustration and struggle. Jesus came so we could have righteousness, joy, and peace!

Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am grateful for peace. It is a wonderful gift that You have given me, and I ask for Your help to always be peaceful in every situation.

Whose Ways are Right

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.
Proverbs 21:2 NIV

We all have moments where we think we know best. Some people even think they know better than God. They know what God says is right but do what they think is right regardless if it is within God’s guidelines for us or not. But when we do wrong, God will weigh on our hearts. We will feel that something is wrong, guilty, and lost. Remember, God's way is always right. If you keep that in mind, you can avoid that weight on your heart as much as possible!

Let the Past Be the Past

Let Your Mess Become Your Message

I encourage people to let go of their past, but never to run from it. The only way to gain victory over the pain of our past is to let God walk us back through that doorway of pain and into victory. No one can achieve victory for us; we have to work out our own salvation. Paul explained this truth in his letter to the Philippian church, saying:

"Therefore, my dear ones . . . work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). [Not inyour own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight" (PHILIPPIANS 2:12,13 AMP).

We have to let God take us through things and let Him work in us so our mess becomes our message. Difficult things that we have endured in our past prepare us for God's blessings in our future.