Tag Archive | Isaiah 41:10

Embracing Contentment: Life Lessons in Winter – Part 2

Jun6

Initially as we approach our declining years, we find ourselves at a crossroads. It all sounds a bit overwhelming, doesn’t it, and if we aren’t careful, it will be. Personally, in comparison, the season of winter has been the most trying and challenging.

Until this season there was always the activities of caring and enjoying my family and friends, serving in my church, and teaching school. Without these fulfilling and purposeful activities, I struggled to find my purpose. I was tempted to see the road ahead as dull and unfulfilling! Yet I knew that sort of vision, if it persisted, would lead to major fiery dart attacks. I also knew that God had better plans for me.

However, the word that surfaces most often in my head these days is ‘contentment.’  I’m discovering contentment, while desirable, isn’t all that easy to come by. Nonetheless, that’s what I desire in this season. Therefore, I have persisted in my pursuit to be content. I’m finding, however, it isn’t automatic! It’s not something I can have just because it’s a better option. You know how I discovered that? Well, I direct you to:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 

Did you catch that word ‘learned?’ Well, I didn’t ‘catch’ it until I found myself in short supply of contentment. It just wasn’t happening for me to make up my mind to be content. Ugh! This was challenging. As I returned to that verse again and again, the light finally clicked on. Contentment is a learning process. I had to learn to be content. Day by day, step by step!

I’m learning in this season that every moment is holy because God is present, no matter the circumstances,  He is present with me in all my situations, even if the situations are difficult to bear. God reminds me there is no need for me to fear for He is with me; I do not have to be dismayed, for He is God, He will strengthen me and help me. His presence assures me of this, as well as His word.

While bouts of loneliness, uncertainty, and/or sadness threaten my contentment at times, I’m learning that focusing on truths like Isaiah 41:10, is a game changer. Fiery darts such as these can be conquered when contentment rules. And that is a wondrous thing to learn in the winter season of my life. Yours too, I pray!

Dispelling fear …

Oct14

Are we living in the last days?

One might think so as the war in Israel progresses.

Therefore, we need to get some things clarified.

As Christians we believe not only that Jesus Christ was born, lived a sinless life, went to the cross to satisfy God’s wrath concerning sin, and was resurrected bodily (brought back to life). The reason we can call ourselves Christian is because we not only believe this but we take it personally. In other words, we confess that we are a sinner and understand sin separates us from God. By accepting Jesus’s death as payment for our sins, our relationship with God is restored. Therefore, when we die, we are assured our eternal destination will be heaven. That is, if we are true Christians!

But there is something else we sometimes overlook. The Bible reminds us over and over that Jesus is returning to earth. And for those of us who are Christians and are still alive at that point, we won’t experience death in order to arrive in heaven.

So what’s the point?

Either death or Jesus’s return, will determine our modus operandi into heaven. So, let’s make sure that if we die before or after Jesus’s return occurs, either way we will leave this earth bound for heaven.

Which begs the question, are we sure that we are saved, you know, a Christian? If we claim church attendance, whether sporadic or consistent, as proof that we are a Christian, well, I think we are in trouble. Because since going into a garage doesn’t make us a car, then neither does attending church make us a Christian!

Oh, and by the way, we might even think our baptism is proof solid of our being a Christian. Nope, even that alone isn’t the marker of faith in Christ. Remember the thief on the cross?

I am directing this post mainly to these two groups. Because the enemy, Satan, is diabolically clever in his deception. He can bring temptations to bear upon us in such a way that he can deceive us into believing church attendance or baptism (not necessarily both), are all that is necessary for salvation.

However, the simple truth is that true salvation is marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, guiding and directing the thoughts we think, the attitudes we exhibit, and the actions we display.

Yet, without the presence of God within us via the Holy Spirit, it will be our flesh that guides and directs our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

It comes down to this.

Most church goers will likely concede that we are living in the last days. (Many prophecies have already come to pass.) And how we react to such knowledge is quite revealing. The strongest indicator that we have the Holy Spirit living within us, is we do not face the future with fear and trembling but with hope and peace.

If we do not have the Holy Spirit living within us, then we have no hope. The possibility that we are living in the last days injects fear into our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

For those of us who have the Holy Spirit living within us we cry out to God when our world gets upended. We trust God as we face a crisis.

The present crisis in Israel invokes fear, to be sure. But if the Holy Spirit rules our thoughts, attitudes, and actions, then that fear will eventually be replaced with hope and peace, as we pray.

The mandate from God is to pray for Israel! – not to despair, not to loose heart, not to fear, but to PRAY. If the fear remains, then folks examine your heart. We cannot dispel fear on our own!

Set backs will happen…

Jul8

I’m learning that reaching the final stage, Acceptance, in the grieving process doesn’t mean the road is now clear ahead. The other day, I made a run into town to Hobby Lobby, one of my favorite stores. I suspected this might be challenging. For you see, not only is it my favorite store, it was also Joney’s favorite.

Consequently, as soon as I walked through the door my mind was inundated with memories of the many shopping excursions Joney and I had made there. We never left that store empty handed. As a matter of fact, we often carried out more than we intended to buy! Sound familiar? But as God always does, He went before me and provided a shopping companion for me. My teenage granddaughter accompanied me thus lessening the impact going it alone would have had.

But eventually the time came to return my treasure of a granddaughter to her destination. Then I began the drive home. Once again, I was bombarded with memories. Memories of conversations that ran the gamut from deep spiritual thoughts to hilarious nonsensical thoughts. I could always count on Joney to spark a healthy dose of laughter to make the hard realities of truth easier to swallow. (Sounds like a line from Mary Poppins, doesn’t it)

Yet this time, I heard no ones voice but mine. And the quiet was, as they say, deafening . Loneliness enveloped me. I exerted much effort to block the negative, you know, fiery darts, with God’s Truth thoughts. Truths such as:

 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 ESV

 “My Presence will go with you (He was saying I was not alone), and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14, NIV

However, as strong as these Truths were, the cloud of sadness continued to envelope me. Sadness brought on by the loneliness I was feeling intensified as fear and doubt joined its rank. These fiery darts took advantage of my low spirits by pressing me with thoughts of additional complications I might be facing as I grew older and less likely to manage without help.

Nevertheless, I continued pressing in to God. Psalms 34 became my anchor. God kept saying, I will be with you, I will deliver you from all of your fears, I will save you, to take refuge in Him, and on and on. Words to focus on, to believe in and apply!

It took a few days for God’s words to steady me. But as the cloud slowly dissipated, I’ve come to realize that set backs are a useful part of the healing process. They have a God designed purpose. For when the fiery darts are fired, putting up our shield of faith is necessary, if we want to thwart the attack. By cooperating with God, He will utilize the effects of the set back for our good. The following verse reveals the outcome:

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10 NIV

When doubt threatens our peace…

Feb22

And have mercy on those who doubt; Jude 1:22 ESV

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 ESV

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands Psalm 138:8 ESV

And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Psalm 50:15 ESV

For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 ESV

Doubt can wear away our resolve and threaten our peace. Especially, when the problem we have prayed over for years, remains seemingly unaffected by our prayers. It may take us awhile to allow the truths of the above verses to sink in and route out the thoughts of doubt. Nevertheless, it is what we must do, if we desire to send those doubtful thoughts packing. Thoughts of doubt resist thoughts of peace but then thoughts of peace resist thoughts of doubt!

Truth vs Lies!

Nov12

Lies, Truth

The lies of fiery darts are attempting to place you in bondage.

Hope

But Hope in God’s Truth will release you from its bondage,

Jeremiah 29:11

But you must acknowledge that God is Truth!

How can a country know Truth when they have rejected the source of Truth–God?  Of course, you can’t know Truth apart from God. (John 18:37)  But apparently there are many (too many) who believe that it can be done and down through the ages they have attempted to do so. The results of their efforts have given birth to a definition based on lies.  For those who have rejected God’s Truth, darkness has become a way of life for them. They have become so accustomed to the dark that they see the darkness as light and the light as darkness.  Ooh, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  (Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,…)  And the resulting man’s truth has created a climate of fear and bondage throughout our land.

Unless,

we are willing to acknowledge God as the source of Truth, then and only then will the Light of Truth shine down upon us, exposing the fiery darts that we have allowed to plunge us into darkness.  When we acknowledge the Light of Truth, then Hope, and Faith will return and we will be released from the bondage of the lies and the fear they produce.

Take heart Christians,

in the following verse:

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

I write this post because America is in serious trouble. And because so many of our leaders are blinded to the Truth, we must be careful not to be caught up in their deception. We must not allow the lies of their truth to destroy our Hope. Instead we must dig deep into God’s Word and arm ourselves with God’s Truth.  And in obeying that Truth, we will discover that God is in control and man is not. (Daniel 4:35 and Isaiah 14:27) We will discover there is nothing to fear.(Isaiah 41:10)  We will discover He has good plans that we can place solid hope in now and for our future (Jeremiah 29:11).  We will discover that no matter what may come our way God will cause it all to work out together for our good. (Roman 8:28)  I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point!

So, Keep the Faith.

And remember, that other’s lack of faith in God and their disobedience to Him, in NO way diminishes God’s Truth. 

Until next post,