Preparing For Lifes Battles

Joshua 7:10-12 NIV

In Joshua 7 the Israelites were going through a hard time...one of those times when they thought for sure they would win the battle, but instead they were defeated, and discouraged.  The end result being, Joshua and the elders of the camp, laying on their faces crying out to God.  Let's pick up the reading in vs 10...

The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

First off, I want to make sure to point out that Israel was going to fight this battle, the sin in their camp, was not the reason for the battle.  However, the sin in their camp, kept them from victory!

We all have battles we will face.  God has promised to be with us, and to fight for us.  But there is one thing we tend to do, that causes us to loose the battle.  That one thing is sin.  You see when we choose to disobey God, we forfeit God's help in the battle.  

Our pastor has been talking about repentance,  and what it really is. Repentance is deep godly sorrow for what you have done, confessing that sin, and then turning in the opposite direction, no longer continuing in your sin.

We all sin, make mistakes, but when we choose to continue in them, and not truly repent, we are sure to be defeated in the battles of life. 

I encourage you today,  to ask the Lord to search your heart and mind, to show you where there is sin in your life.  God is faithful, and He will show you where the sin is, just as He did to the Israelites. 

The battles of life are tough, we need God's helping hand, so let us prepare ourselves for battle by making sure we are in right standing with our great defender. 

God is faithful to forgive our sins, by His grace and mercy, then He immediately steps into our situation to fight for us. 

God is so good!

Step Out In Faith!

Do you have a dream,  an idea or just something you need to do,  but for whatever reason, you keep finding ways to postpone and put it off?  Are you waiting for a better time,  when you are better equipped,  or when you have more time?  Maybe,  just maybe,  God has given you that idea, dream, or task for a reason. 

There is a time and place for waiting,  especially if God has spoken clearly asking you to wait, then to move forward without God would be a huge mistake.  

But there are times, when God has not asked us to wait... He speaks a dream or idea into our hearts,  He gives us an assignment or task to do,  and we make the decision out of doubt,  fear,  or uncertainty,  to hold off,  to wait.   If that is you today,  I encourage you to choose today to obey,  to do what you know you should do. 

God knows our hearts,  He knows our abilities and He knows best... it may not make since to our way of thinking,  but God's plans are for good... and His thoughts are not our thoughts,  His ways are not our ways... 

One thing I have learned over the years,  is that if God asks you to do it,  then He will see you through it... bringing about great blessings in your life,  when you step out in faith and trust Him.  

Listen to this promise and step out in faith today!

"Do not remember the former things,  
Nor consider the things of old.       
Behold,  I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43:18-19

Great is the Lord

Great is the Lord, and worthy of glory. Great is the Lord and worthy of praise.  I lift up my voice,  I lift up my voice.  Great is the Lord!  Great is the Lord!

This song is playing over and over again in my head and heart this morning.  The greatness of God is so far beyond anything we can fathom.   I am so amazed and humbled by the fact that God,  even in all His greatness, loves me,  and thinks about me continually.  Nothing I have ever done makes me worthy of His love,  and there is nothing I could ever do to earn it... yet His love never fails,  never stops.  His love continues on, even for all eternity.   What an amazing thing to be loved like that.  

God,  I am so amazed by the love you have poured out on my life.   I look back over the years and I can see how you have always been there,  always holding me in your hands,  always loving me.  There is only one response I can give to this kind of love... to love you with all of my heart,  soul,  and mind.  Thank you for your goodness, faithfulness, and never ending love.   I love you,  Lord!

God's Perfect Design

God's Perfect Design

I found myself thinking this morning as I was blowing my hair dry,  about self image.   Sometimes we put too much stock in what others say or think about us... sometimes we put too much stock in what we think they think.   I know, how it is, to feel like you will never be a beauty queen.  I've had moments in my life, okay more than moments.. more like years of my life,  when I thought no one could possibly find me beautiful.  I allowed those thoughts to cause me to believe that I really wasn't beautiful.  

Over the past ten years or so,  God has been so faithful to point me to some very great truths, from His Word, that speak to us (me) on a deep level about the lies I allowed myself to believe for so long.

 Here is a list of some scriptures that have changed my focus and helped me to see things from God's eyes,  I hope it touches you and maybe helps you to see yourself as He sees you too!



Psalm 139:13-15

13 "For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth."

This scripture tells us that God created us,  pieced us together, He chose our hair, eyes, and body, but more than that, He created us with a style, personality, likes, dislikes, quirks and all.   

Genesis 1:31

31 "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day."

God didn't make mistakes when He first created the world.  He looked at all He had made and saw that it was good.  And God didn't make mistakes when He made you!  God looks at you,  His precious and dearly loved creation, and once again He says, "It is good, very good!"

Ephesians 2:10

10 "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Just think about this verse for a minute... you are God's handiwork.  God created the heaven's and the Earth,  yet when He talks of His handiwork,  He thinks of you. Not only that, but this verse also tells us, He has prepared great things for you before you were ever born.   

Such an incedible thought... God loves us and made us the way we are for a reason and a purpose.   I encourage you to stop thinking of what others think and start listening to what God says, when we see through His eyes,  we will realize that we really were made to shine! 

God truly loves us!  God is so good! 

Iceberg

Iceberg

For the past few months, our church has been having "Encounter Services" every Wednesday evening.  These have been amazing times of coming together in prayer, seeking God, and asking for Him to do great things in our lives and the lives of those in the city of Salem.  

Here are the four main points of prayer we've continued to pray for:

1. Boldness in speaking the Word
2. Healings
3. Signs and Wonders (Miracles)
4. Move of God, the lost saved

These points are found in the lives of the new testament church in Acts 4:29-31

29 "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly."

I am so excited about what God is doing already, but even more excited about what He is going to do! As I've spent time praying and studying God's Word, over and over again, I've come across scriptures that speak so clearly on the power of prayer.  Here is just one example:

Psalm 6:8-10
"Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; 

For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication; 

The Lord will receive my prayer.
Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; 

Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly."

In my study bible, the commentary at the bottom of the page, says this about these verses...

"Vs 7, 8 - As vultures gather around a wounded prey, so enemies gather to rejoice over the calamities of the struggling and take advantage of any weakness.
Vs 9, 10 - Prayer is seen as the prescription that not only heals the body, but strengthens the weakened soul, so that the villains are the ones who become greatly troubled and must flee."

Isn't that incredible!?!?!  When we pray, it not only brings about healing in a physical way, but also heals our mental and emotional pains and issues.  Then to top it off, after bringing about healing, prayer has the power to make those who oppress us - our enemies -  cower and run.

Promises, like the one from Psalms 6:8-10, are great reminders of just how great God is and how important prayer is in our lives.  I had this thought the other day, while reflecting on our "Encounter Services" and it was just so powerful!! 

 "Even though I know that God has done some great things, I fully expect that we have only begun to touch the tip of the iceberg" 

and then the Holy Spirit corrected my thought, 

"No, you can only see the iceberg in the distance, you aren't even touching the tip of it yet!!" 

I am so excited about what God has in store...let's keep pressing in, praying and seeking God...

God is so good! 

The Not-so-Super-Mom

The Not-so-Super-Mom

Last night I was laying in bed trying to sleep, but I was so wide a wake.  My mind was running 100 miles per hour...thinking of all the stuff I did, or didn't do, and what I should have gotten done, during the day.  In the the midst of my mind's running through the day, I started to think about what type of parent I am, and what my girls will turn out like.  I know how I want them to turn out, but I also know that I in and of myself am in no way able to get them to the place where I want to see them.  I make mistakes, huge ones, over and over again.  How am I, in the craziness of this world, supposed to somehow keep my girls on the right path, and protect them from all the evil that surrounds us?  As I lay there pondering all these things, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and I'd like to share it with you today.

Daughter, you aren't good enough, you can't protect them from the evil in this world.  You are not all knowing, ever-present, or all powerful.  You, daughter, are not perfect, you are human, you make mistakes.

But, I know your limits, I know your heart and your love for your children; and I love them more than you are even capable of, and I love you.  Don't fret that you can't be with them everyday to protect them and guide them, because I Am!   I Am able!  I Am all knowing! I Am ever-present! I Am all powerful!  I will uphold you and help you to be the best parent you can be, and when you can't go any further, where you stop, I will make up the distance.  In your weakness I Am strong...trust your little children to Me.  I will be with them, I will guide them and protect them.   Trust them to Me!

As I laid there and these words washed over me, I felt a sweet sense of peace and hope.  

The pressure is off. 

I don't have to be super-mom! 

I can just trust in the Lord...He has got this.  

Let these words sink in... 

Think about it for a few minutes... 

God. has. got. this.

You don't have to do it on your own, in fact it is pretty much impossible to do it on your own...

Trust Him. 

God is so good!