Category: Confidence

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Monsters Under the Bed

Remember when we were little and thought there might be monsters under the bed? As a child, I was plagued with nightmares. The monsters seemed so real; I was afraid to go to sleep and would wake up crying. Mom would show me that I had nothing to be afraid of.

In this day of corona virus, social distancing, limited groceries and all the mayhem that is loose in our world, living in the power of God’s Word is such a comfort and place of safety. It exposes the monsters that are lurking in the shadows and brings them out into the light.

“For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.” Psalm 91:3-6 AMP

The way I see it, the Lord promises to protect us from hidden peril – from the things we cannot see. A bird doesn’t see the trap until it’s caught; plagues come without advance warning. He also protects from disasters that can be seen.

The picture in verse 4 is that of a mother hen or bird that sets herself down over the top of her chicks to protect them from danger. She risks her own life and cuddles her young under her wings. Isn’t that what Jesus did for us? He gave His own life to protect us from the ravages of sin and its effects.

“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? ” Romans 8:31-35 MSG

No matter what time of day or night, the Lord promises to be there and be our protection. When our children were little, Dave and I would pray with them and over them each morning before they headed out to school. We would pray these verses over them then and we still do. Now we’ve added their spouses, our grandchildren and great grandchild.

We have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, literally, in our vehicle without ever having an accident. We’ve been in the presence of danger many times and not even known it until later and then we saw how God’s hand protected us.

We can take these verses as our own and use them to bring a covering of protection for our families as well. God’s word is true; He does not lie!

It doesn’t just come automatically though, we have to appropriate it – we have to believe it. Compare it to the electricity that comes into our homes; it’s there but we will sit in the dark and the cold unless we turn on the switch and put the power to work.

Turn on the switch in prayer and watch the power of God work in our lives!

Let me end with this. God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours – His plan of protection is better than ours. As the rain is higher than the earth and comes down to cover the earth; God’s ways are higher than our thinking and He rains down His protection to cover us.

“Rain and snow fall from the sky and don’t return until they have watered the ground.
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow, and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat. 11 In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do. 12 ‘So you will go out from there with joy. You will be led out in peace…'” Isaiah 55: 10-12 ERV

God’s word will cause our lives to bring in a crop of good fruit – it will cause us to prosper and our lives to be filled with joy and peace. God’s word will drive out fear – no more monsters under the bed!

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Just for the Birds

It was beautiful day, yesterday. The sun was shining, a few clouds in the sky, the fragrance of hyacinths filled the air and it was perfect for sitting out back and enjoying the warmth of a Spring day.

I took my water, my phone and my book. I’m currently reading Max Lucado’s “Jesus, The God Who Knows Your Name”. It’s very good. I chose a chair that had me positioned directly across from the mesquite tree and two of our hummingbird feeders.

They’re back!

One of the things I most look forward to each Spring is the hummingbirds returning. One year we had so many little visitors that I was going through almost five pounds of sugar a week. I could watch them for hours. At one point, I closed my book and just watched as they flitted from branch to feeder. They are very possessive and don’t like to have other birds or bees sharing what they feel is their spot on the feeder’s base and they will dart from the tree to chase off the offending intruder.

The whirl of their wings as they hover mid-flight is a sound I relish and the little chirp or chatter they emit when they are excited is soft but emphatic. Yes, I love watching them!

I hope you’ve had the pleasure of seeing them. Regardless of that, I’m sure you have seen the robins, sparrows, blue jays, dove, cardinals or meadowlarks. Each one has their unique rituals of feeding and nesting. They start and end each day with a song.

Do we?

Do we start the morning with melodious song and end it with a soft cooing or warbling? What do they have to sing about; they live out-of-doors, no roof (other than leaves) over their heads? They eat bugs and face the weather head on. Their recliner is nothing more than a tree branch or telephone wire. Do they “people” watch and wonder why we are in such a hurry to get from place to place? Do they hear us screech or do they think our voices are sweet?

I know I’ve penned these thoughts before but the Lord reminds me frequently that He loves me more than He loves the birds and because of that I, too, should spend my life singing.

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” Matthew 6:25-27 ERV

Since God takes care of the birds we can be confident that He will always care for us, after all, He has adopted us as His own. I think those were probably the thoughts of the songwriter when he wrote:

“I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”

I hope you realize that you have reason to sing this morning. Our heavenly Father is watching over us and that is certainly something to sing about!

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Choose Joy & Pray

Our President has called today, March 15, as a National Day of Prayer. I whole heartedly concur. Pastors all across our nation will be leading their members in a time of prayer, either in small church gatherings or on-line. What a great way to spend the day!

Last night, we watched our pastor on-line, heard a wonderful message from God’s word and joined in prayer. Today I know I will find myself listening to other pastors and joining my heart with those who are listening.

Over the last few days I have found many places where God’s word encourages us during times of trouble.

“He will protect me when I am in danger.  He will hide me in his tent. He will take me up to his place of safety. 6 If he will help me defeat the enemies around me, I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and play songs to honor the Lord.” Psalm 27:5-6 ERV

“The Lord watches over his followers, those who wait for him to show his faithful love.
19 He saves them from death.  He gives them strength when they are hungry. 20 So we will wait for the Lord. He helps us and protects us. 21 He makes us happy.  We trust his holy name. 22 Lord, we worship you, so show your great love for us.” Psalm 33:18-22 ERV

“I went to the Lord for help, and he listened. He saved me from all that I fear. 5 If you look to him for help, he will put a smile on your face. You will have no need to be ashamed. 6 As a poor, helpless man I prayed to the Lord,  and he heard me. He saved me from all my troubles. 7 The Lord’s angel builds a camp around his followers,  and he protects them. 8 Give the Lord a chance to show you how good he is. Great blessings belong to those who depend on him!” Psalm 34:4-8 ERV

Did you notice these words in those verses – Joy – Happy – Smile? When we are trusting God we can have joy in even the worst circumstances. I have one more verse to share with you before I close.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine,  but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22 NLT

Today is a good day for taking the medicine of a cheerful heart! Open wide, swallow big and repeat as often as needed. No adverse side effects.

Trust God! Choose Joy! Pray!

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Do You Prefer Loud or Quiet?

Yesterday we drove up to Phoenix for the NASCAR race. Dave and I are both big fans; he more than me but I do enjoy the races. Go Kevin!

It’s impossible to be at the track and not use ear protection without causing possible damage to your hearing. It’s loud! Even in the concourse of the stadium the roar of the engines is overwhelming…

But this morning all is quiet. I hear the hum of the refrigerator and the cycling on and off of the coffee maker but that’s about it. Quiet!

Would we really enjoy the quiet if things didn’t get a bit noisy from time to time? I think we need the contrast.

I did a search on the word “loud” in the King James Bible. It occurs 76 times. Most of the references are in one book, Revelation. Twenty-two specific verses use loud; most of them refer to loud voices praising God or calling for us to praise the Lord and recognize His majesty. Other references tell of using a loud voice or shout in battle. One incident that is repeated in the Gospels is when Jesus cried out “It is finished”. The voice of triumphant!

Loud intensifies a situation. When we listen to an orchestra and the music comes to a crescendo, it heightens our anticipation. When it’s quiet we become more tranquil, calm and find a sense of rest. We need both!

If life has been pushing you forward, demanding more of you than normal, then you may need the quiet.

“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.” Psalm 23:1-3 NLT

But perhaps you are in a place where you need to take charge and battle through like a good soldier. If so, it might be time for a loud shot, the shout of triumph.

“Gideon said, “When we get to the enemy camp, spread out and surround it. Then wait for me to blow a signal on my trumpet. As soon as you hear it, blow your trumpets and shout, ‘Fight for the Lord! Fight for Gideon!’” Judges 7:17 CEV

Wherever God leads He will provide – by a quiet stream or through a dark valley – we have His promise that we can be free from fear. Shout the victory and then lay down to rest and be restored!

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Don’t Limit God

When I was a little girl we sang a song in Sunday School. The lyrics went something like this: “God can do anything, anything, anything. God can do anything but fail. He can save, He can keep, He can cleanse and He will. God can do anything but fail”. It surprises me that some sixty years later that little chorus is still be going through my mind. Those words are true and they will not change.

God can do anything but fail.

In my reading this morning I came across two different incidences where the Bible said exactly that. The first was in Numbers. The Israelites were complaining, again, that they had no meat. The Lord talked to Moses and said He would provide meat for all of them. Moses reminded the Lord that there were over six hundred thousand men and their families. Here is God’s response:

“But the Lord said to Moses, “Don’t limit my power! You will see that I can do what I say I can do.” Numbers 11:23 ERV

God can do anything He says He will do.

After I read a little while longer I went to the New Testament and was reading in Mark. Jesus had just met the rich young ruler who wanted to become a disciple. Jesus knew he was a good man but there was one thing in his life he trusted more than the Lord; it was his riches. Jesus told the man to sell everything he had and come follow Him. The Bible says the young man left very sad because he had great riches. Jesus told his disciples that it was hard for the rich to commit to following Him.

“The followers were even more amazed and said to each other, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “That is something people cannot do, but God can. He can do anything.” Mark 10:26-27 ERV

Jesus answer was one filled with hope. None of us can save ourselves. Not the wealthy or the poor, the educated or the unlearned. Those born in one country don’t have a greater chance of being saved than those in another. Being saved, becoming a follower of Christ, isn’t based on what we can do, who we are or where we come from. That is something we cannot do but God can.

God can do anything!

He saves us by His grace and not based on our goodness. We simply put our trust in Him.

There is something God won’t do. He won’t lie. When God gives us His promise He will never go back on His word.

“God is not a man, so he does not lie.  He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
20 Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!” Numbers 23:19-20 NLT

God can do anything; we can trust His word!

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A Box of Promises

Were you able to encourage someone yesterday? I had a pretty tough afternoon and I am so thankful for dear friends and family who were there to encourage me. It meant so much.

As I sat here this morning I found myself thinking about my Grama Mac’s kitchen table. When I was a little girl and we would go to visit her and Grampa we never left the breakfast table without one of them taking a card from the Promise Box, reading it aloud and then taking time to pray. Do you remember those little “Promise Boxes”? I didn’t realize it then but she was planting God’s word in my heart.

We found out yesterday that success, true success, in life comes one way!

“Joshua, you must be strong and brave! You must lead these people so that they can take their land. I promised their fathers that I would give them this land. 7 But you must be strong and brave about obeying the commands my servant Moses gave you. If you follow his teachings exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 ERV

Meditate on the Word of God and obey it! It’s a simple instruction. God’s message is consistent. See what he spoke through Moses:

“Always remember these commands that I give you today. 7 Be sure to teach them to your children. Talk about these commands when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads to help you remember my teachings. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ERV

Maybe we should make our own box of promises. Take one promise from God’s word and write it down. Keep it in our pocket read it over throughout the day. Let it bring life to our situation. Moses preached it, so did Joshua, King David, Isaiah, and Jesus did too. After Jesus ascended back into heaven Peter made teaching God’s Word his daily ministry.

“The apostles did not stop teaching the people. They continued to tell the Good News—that Jesus is the Messiah. They did this every day in the Temple area and in people’s homes.” Acts 5:42 ERV

Every day. Day in and day out. Just like breathing, eating and drinking. Every day the Word gives life and causes us to succeed.

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New Passwords

It was a long and tedious day. A day where I had scheduled my time to be at the computer, a day I was not looking forward too but it was a job that needed to be done. I had to change and/or update my passwords! Egad! I would rather clean the toilets or the oven, pull weeds or wash baseboards but there it was on my “to do” list. Change passwords…

Some sites require us to change our passwords more frequently than others and these always seem to be the ones that say you can’t use a previous password. Really? I haven’t used that password since 1927 but no, I can’t use it again. I’ve seen advertising for those password randomizers, I know nothing about them, but I don’t trust them. They would give me a series of letters, numbers and characters that are unrelated to me and that wouldn’t be good. So there I sat, all day, from midmorning until later afternoon.

Was I finished? I thought so but in the middle of the night I realized there were still a few more that needed my attention so I will be back at it again today. There is one thing that gives me hope; there is one site I access often and that password never changes.

“But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:33 NLT

“Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” Jeremiah 33:3 NLT

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” John 14:6-7 NLT

Access to our heavenly Father requires but one, never changing password

J E S U S

Whenever I have a problem or a special joy I want to share all I have to do is use that name and I’m in! Jesus, thank you. Jesus, help. Jesus, take the wheel. Jesus, I’m sorry. Jesus, I need ______.

I am secure! No hacker can enter. No one can counterfeit my personal data or steal my identity. He knows me. He knows my name and the number of hairs on my head. My life is protected and it’s not just for me it’s for everyone but we must all use the same password.

“But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Acts 2:21 NLT

Thank you Jesus!

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Powerful Agreement

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to get things done when you have someone agree with you? It just seems to get done faster and more efficiently when there’s agreement of at least a couple of people. Agreement is built on trust.

When I can trust that you will do what you say you will and you can trust me, we have agreement. Each of us are commitment to seeing things through and contributing all we can to the success of the project. Never enter into a contract with someone you don’t trust. Work relationships, friendships, marriages and our relationship with the Lord are all built on trust.

“I promise you that God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but he will not allow anything you don’t allow. 19 I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.” Matthew 18:18-20 CEV

The ability to work in agreement can be world changing. Being in agreement with the Lord and what He says in His word is powerful.

Many times throughout the Old Testament multiple kings would join together to attack and defeat the nation of Israel. They would make an alliance. Power in agreement. However, there was a stronger alliance that had formed.

“The kings and their armies went to Merom Pond, where they set up camp, and got ready to fight Israel. It seemed as though there were more soldiers and horses and chariots than there are grains of sand on a beach. 6 The Lord told Joshua: Don’t let them frighten you! I’ll help you defeat them, and by this time tomorrow they will be dead.” Joshua 11:5-6 CEV

Joshua also had an alliance, his was with the Lord of hosts. Now Joshua wasn’t limited to mere human strength and ability, he was in agreement with God which gave him and his army a supernatural superiority. He trusted God.

“Joshua captured all the towns where the enemy kings had ruled. That’s what the Lord had told his servant Moses to do, that’s what Moses had told Joshua to do, and that’s exactly what Joshua did…23 That’s how Joshua captured the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes. Finally, there was peace in the land.” Joshua 11:12, 15, 23 CEV

Joshua put himself in agreement with what God had said and because of it he was victorious! He knew God would never lie.

I’m here to tell you God’s word always means what it says. Joshua didn’t stop to see if all the army were in agreement with the way he set the battle plan; he just made sure he was in agreement with God. Many times Jesus went off by himself to pray and after those pray sessions he would work great miracles; he and the Father were in agreement. The early Christians joined themselves in prayer multiple times and saw Peter released from prison, Paul rescued from harm, the sick were healed and lives were changed.

It’s time we realize that the enemy may appear to be greater than the sands on the seashore but when we are in agreement with God and His word, we become an unstoppable force! Miracles will happen, prayers will be answered!

“We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. 15 He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” I John 5:14-15 ERV

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Finding Love in Silence

A cool morning, a warm cup of coffee, a cozy blanket and quiet! Truly an enjoyable way to start the day!

Alone with just the thoughts of my heart and there is peace! I didn’t always enjoy being alone with just my thoughts. My heart would become anxious; I would turn on the tv or the radio – anything to block out the silence, anything not to focus on the unrest and the distress I felt churning inside.

Maybe you’re like that. You don’t want to get up and be “alone” with your thoughts or with the Father. You want to get up and get going right away to keep yourself from pausing in the quiet of the morning.

King David wrote in the Psalms to “be still and KNOW that I AM God”. To know means to be intimately acquainted with, a deep personal knowledge or understanding.

“God is our protection and source of strength. He is always ready to help us in times of trouble. 2 So we are not afraid when the earth quakes and the mountains fall into the sea. 3 We are not afraid when the seas become rough and dark and the mountains tremble. Selah…10 God says, “Stop fighting (be still) and know that I am God! I am the one who defeats the nations; I am the one who controls the world.” 11 The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah” Psalm 46 ERV

This verse says to stop fighting where another translation of the same verse says be still. The psalm ends with the word Selah, which means to pause, reflect, take time to let what you just heard sink in.

I used to hate being alone with my thoughts. They told me I was unworthy, I was alone, I wouldn’t amount to anything. My thoughts pointed out all my failures and my shortcomings. I never measured up so why did I want a quiet time to reflect on all that was wrong with me?

However, when I began reading God’s word and taking time to sit silently and let it sink in, I found God’s love and peace.

“With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

When I come to His throne, in the quiet of the morning, I find grace, mercy, kindness and help. I find Jesus! I’ve had folks ask me why I get up so early – it’s not a chore, I’ve been doing it for years. It’s my place of peace and strength. I can’t imagine starting a day without this time.

In the silence I know that God is with me and He surrounds me with His love!

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You ARE Loved

I’ve not met anyone yet who never felt like they weren’t on their own and all alone at least once in their life. It might be just a moments thought or that thought could lead to depression that lasts a few days/months/years or it could be such a devastating thought that they come to the verge of suicide. I don’t think there is one person who has ever escaped the haunting question of “Am I loved?”.

Let me answer that with a loud and resounding – YES! Yes, you are.

“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!” Romans 8:15-27 The Message

God loves us so much He adopted us; He made us one of His own. We will certainly have tough times, Jesus did too. However, we have God’s promise to go through it with us. He won’t leave us. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God’s love.

“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture…None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” Romans 5:31-39 The Message

This is the greatest Valentine’s message we will ever receive. As it says in the verse above I am absolutely convinced that nothing – absolutely nothing can get between me and God’s love for me. Nothing! These words were written by Paul, the apostle. The same man who arrested Christians and had them taken to their death. He knew first hand that nothing will separate us from God’s love.

I hope Valentine’s Day just took on new meaning. You ARE loved. I was at a low place once and I heard this message, “with God you will never be alone and you will always be loved”. That changed my life forever.

It’s not my responsibility to make myself good enough for God. Only He can do that and He did it when He sent His Son for me and then adopted me into His family.

Who can separate you from the love of God? Absolutely no one or nothing, you ARE loved!

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