Category: Strength

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Standing Guard

Have you ever seen the guards at Buckingham Palace? What about the sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? 

I’ve only seen pictures or videos but they are amazing!

The concentration and determination on the faces of the guards in England is almost mind boggling. How many times a day do they have people trying to make them laugh or a least smile? A wink, a nod, even a twitch would prove that they recognize the existence of the passers-by but nothing. How long do they train for that?

Train they must – what kind of schooling do they go through to keep from reacting? If they felt their gates were truly being threatened I’m sure that they would fight to defend it.

Those soldiers who are assigned to the Tomb of the Unknown don’t take time off because of bad weather. They are on guard in snow and heat; storm or calm.

Would you make a good guard? Or would you be easily distracted by all of life’s little annoyances? Would you scream “Enough is enough”? Would you refuse to show up for duty the next day?

“To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor.Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

14 So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. 15 On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. 16 And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. 17 Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up.” Ephesians 6:10-18 ERV

Don’t become distracted by the devil’s clever tricks. Know your enemy; know the subtle ways  he will use to break your concentration, the ways he will try to get inside your head and get you off track. James says he will use the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. That’s how he brought temptation against Jesus; turn the stones to bread, throw yourself from the pinnacle of the Temple, if you worship me I will give you the nations of the world. (Matthew 4)

Each time Jesus defeated Satan and temptation with the word – it is written!

Each piece of your armor is God’s word; shoes are the Gospel, shield of faith (faith cometh by hearing the word of God), helmet is salvation (call on the name of the Lord and thou shall be saved, Jesus was and is the Word), sword of the Spirit is the word of God.

The distractions, the attacks, the temptations will come but you can be like those guards at Buckingham Palace and while being ready for battle you can ignore the distractions and the temptations. Or like the sentries at the Tomb of the Unknown you can be consistent in your duties regardless of the storms, the heat, the cold. Stay on task.

“ Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

When you’ve done all to stand – keep on standing! Never give up!!

 

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Safe on Stormy Seas

Dave and I like to watch historically factual movies. Over the last few months we have seen stories on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots; a prison ship that sailed from England to New South Wales; a series on the founding of the western frontier; one based on the fur trappers and traders that opened northern trades routes and another on the Revolutionary War.

At some point during each one of these we have made the comment that we certainly have an easy life compared to those who came before us. We had to consider how we would have reacted if we had been alive during those times.

This morning while I was praying and thanking God for the life I have I began to consider these people and their hardships and then I thought of Paul, the apostle. His life was impacted by persecution and peril. I focused in on his strength and resolve. I want you to see his comments. I think you will find hope and encouragement by seeing how the Lord met him in his greatest struggles.

Paul accepted the life of a missionary. He traveled Europe and Asia proclaiming the message of Christ. Each city he went too had converts but also critics. Some of the critics sought to discredit Paul by bragging about their credentials. This is where we find Paul speaking up in II Corinthians 11. The passage I am including is lengthy but please read it. Listen to the words of a man who has faced severe danger and persecution.

“Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Israel? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? So am I. 23 Do they work for Christ? I have worked for Him much more than they have. (I speak as if I am crazy.) I have done much more work. I have been in prison more times. I cannot remember how many times I have been whipped. Many times I have been in danger of death. 24 Five different times the Jews whipped me across my back thirty-nine times. 25 Three times they beat me with sticks. One time they threw stones at me. Three times I was on ships that were wrecked. I spent a day and a night in the water. 26 I have made many hard trips. I have been in danger from high water on rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from the Jews. I have been in danger from people who do not know God. I have been in danger in cities and in the desert. I have been in danger on the sea. I have been in danger among people who say they belong to Christ but do not. 27 I have worked hard and have been tired and have had pain. I have gone many times without sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. I have gone without food and clothes. I have been out in the cold. 28 More than all these things that have happened to my body, the care of all the churches is heavy on me. 29 When someone is weak, I feel weak also. When someone is led into sin, I have a strong desire to help him. 30 If I must talk about myself, I will do it about the things that show how weak I am. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is to be honored and thanked forever. He knows I am telling the truth. 32 In the city of Damascus the leader of the people under King Aretas put soldiers at the gates to take me. 33 But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and I got away.” II Corinthians 11:22-33 NLV

People either hated Paul or loved him. His message was one of life and peace but it was greatly opposed yet he kept going. Where did he find the strength? He tells us.

“8 I asked the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:8-10 NLV

Do you see the answer to Paul’s prayer? “When I am weak, then I am strong”. That’s the same answer that Christ gives to us. When we feel weak, helpless, hopeless, discouraged, misunderstood, pick on or abandoned we can find strength in our weakness because Christ will come to make us strong. Paul wasn’t always saved from the storm but he was always safe in the storm.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

Jesus said, “A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

We have Jesus’ word that He came to provide us with a good life, a life of victory and peace. He promised to give us strength for whatever comes our way. So many times we want a life that is “storm free” and start to cave when troubles come. Remember, Daniel wasn’t saved from the lion’s den but in it. Noah wasn’t kept from the flood but he was safe above it. Jesus wasn’t kept from the cross but rose victoriously from the tomb. Here’s one final thought from the Apostle Paul. One that will give encouragement and hope.

“We are like clay jars in which this treasure (God’s strength) is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8 We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. 9 In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 10-11 We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so that his life can also be seen in us…

17 These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. 18 Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” II Corinthians 4:7-18 CEV

We need to be like Paul, always aware that God is with us. We draw our strength from Him when we face “little troubles”. We get up and go on knowing that God is there to keep us safe on stormy seas.

When we are weak, we are strong in God!

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Like A Spring Bouquet

 

There are days when life would seem so much better if we could enjoy  a bouquet of Spring flowers. The beauty, the fragrance, the color bring a comfort to the soul.

Now I know that none of you have ever been tempted to give up or to complain and quit when you have been waiting for the answer to your prayers but I have been there on occasion. In fact, I dealt with wanting to give up just this week.

However, when that temptation comes to complain or just quit, I have to go back to God’s word and find strength, encouragement and joy, yes, real joy to continue to stand.

“My Christian brothers, you should be happy when you have all kinds of tests. 3 You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up. 4 Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of nothing. 5 If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking. 6 You must have faith as you ask Him. You must not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave which is pushed around by the sea. 7 Such a man will get nothing from the Lord. 8 The man who has two ways of thinking changes in everything he does.” James 1:2-7

When I wait patiently with joy the wait doesn’t seem as long somehow. Do you remember when we were a kid and our folks promised to take us somewhere? Maybe it was for an ice cream, to a rodeo, or on a vacation but we had to wait! Waiting wasn’t easy was it? Oh but the anticipation…how sweet, it was.

We knew what we were going to wear, what we wanted to see first, what we were going to get to eat, etc. The waiting was hard but when we looked ahead to what was in store it was exciting. Well, that’s how it should be as we are waiting on the Lord.

We gain strength as we wait on the Lord knowing He has our best at heart and that He will provide all we need.  Sometimes the Lord uses good friends to remind us we shouldn’t give up. Sometimes a song comes on the radio or a verse comes to mind. He uses all these things to renew our strength.

“He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength. 30 Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.” Isaiah 40: 29-31

On those days, when we feel weak and want to give up or start complaining we need to draw on the strength that God provides. We aren’t joyful because of the wait but we can be full of joy during the wait because God is providing the strength we need.

 “Ezra said to them, “Go, eat and drink what you enjoy, and give some to him who has nothing ready. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

I don’t know if you’ve picked up on it here but we are dealing with two of the seeds we planted in our garden just a few weeks ago, joy and patience. They bring beauty to our lives much like the spring bouquet brings beauty to the room. 

We must keep the weeds of worrisome thought out of our gardens.

So today, count or consider it joy to be patient in trials; wait on the Lord to renew your strength. His joy will provide us with all the strength we need.

 

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Harvest of Healing

Last night I woke up shivering and all my joints were aching. It wasn’t cold in our room so I knew I needed to harvest some of the healing seeds that I had planted years ago.

We first learned the Bible’s scriptures on healing in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. We began to plant seeds immediately. We didn’t have time to be sick nor did our kids. The harvest from these seeds has brought health and healing to our home for many years.

Sometimes return to health has come instantly and at other times it has taken a few days or even a couple weeks. There have been instant healings that have almost been miraculous and others that have been assisted by doctors and modern medicine. No matter what path has brought the healing to our bodies we know that it has been given by God and we praise Him for it.

There are times when the healing comes and it is as sweet as honey. Other times it’s been like a plate of fresh vegetables bring strength and nourishment and at times healing comfort has come like a piece of fresh baked bread with butter. God’s word is food for our souls.

Now let’s plant some seeds.

“For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows. Yet we thought of Him as being punished and hurt by God, and made to suffer. 5 But He was hurt for our wrong-doing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace. He was beaten so we would be healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone the wrong way. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has put on Him the sin of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6 NLV

“I will lift You up, O Lord, for You have lifted me up. You have not let those who hate me stand over me in joy. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to You for help and You healed me.” Psalm 30:1-2 NLV

“Praise the Lord, O my soul. And forget none of His acts of kindness. 3 He forgives all my sins. He heals all my diseases. 4 He saves my life from the grave. He crowns me with loving-kindness and pity.” Psalm 103:2-4 NLV

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He saved them from their suffering. 20 He sent His Word and healed them. And He saved them from the grave. 21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:19-21 NLV

“My son, listen to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them leave your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 23 Keep your heart pure for out of it are the important things of life.” Proverbs 4:20-23 NLV

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Whenever anyone came to Jesus and asked to be healed Jesus granted their petition. He didn’t turn anyone way. And he’s not turning us away either.” Matthew 4:23-24 NIV

“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” Matthew 10:1 NIV

And just one more.

“He never sinned. No lie or bad talk ever came from His lips. 23 When people spoke against Him, He never spoke back. When He suffered from what people did to Him, He did not try to pay them back. He left it in the hands of the One Who is always right in judging. 24 He carried our sins in His own body when He died on a cross. In doing this, we may be dead to sin and alive to all that is right and good. His wounds have healed you!” I Peter 2:22-24 NLV

I hope you make room in your garden for seeds of health and healing. They are a gift from God for all to enjoy.

And just so you know, as I was writing this my fever broke and the aching joints are gaining more mobility. Praise God!

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The Sweet Taste of Joy

By now you’ve probably realized that we are planting a “character” garden. Each of the seeds that grow will produce Christ-like character in our lives.

Do you remember summers when you were a child? The warm weather, playing outside with your friends, the ball games, the picnics, the bar-b-q’s and the watermelon. Oh yes, the watermelon. Big green oblong bladders filled with the most delicious, ripe, red, juicy fruit!

Makes me smile just thinking about it. You barely start the knife to slice it and you hear that crack. You know this is going to be a good one – ruby red inside. You take that first bite and the juice begins to run down your arms and drips from you elbows. You don’t care – this is summer, this is watermelon season.

This is your happy place. Folks all around are laughing and talking and enjoying the fruit of the harvest. There is joy in the air.

Happiness goes with summer fun but happiness is conditional. What we need to plant in our character garden isn’t seeds of happiness but seeds of joy. Joy has deep roots and it is an abiding characteristic that can be present even when happiness eludes us.

It’s important to mention here that when planting seeds, you need to get them from a reputable dealer and that’s why our seeds should always come from the Word of God – those are seeds that are certified pure, weed free.

So before I give you this packet of seeds, let’s take a look at how our garden is coming along.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23

That’s a pretty fine looking garden.  These joy seeds are amazing.

“You have given him blessings that will last forever. You have given him the joy of being near you.” Psalm 21:6

“You have changed my sorrow into dancing. You have taken away my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” Psalm 30:11

“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.” Philippians 4:4

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

As I stated above, joy isn’t happiness. I’m sure that Paul, the apostle, wasn’t happy that he had been beaten and was in a dark prison cell but he was joyful that he was serving Jesus and began to sing at midnight in spite of his circumstances.

Years ago, I was going through a devastating experience! My relationship with Jesus brought me comfort and joy through the heartache and the pain. I even had one woman tell me “I was going to try and comfort you but you have such a look of joy about you, I guess you’re ok.”

Oh, I needed my friends. I needed their prayers, kind words and even their hugs but I was ok because I was depending on God and His word to bring me comfort and joy in a difficult time. My eyes were on Him and not my own circumstances.

I wasn’t depending on people although good friends are invaluable but I was dependent on God! And “in His presence is fullness of joy”.

Plant some joy today – it will sustain you and give you nourishment in the toughest times!

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What Are You Going to Plant

What is it that you’re wanting to grow in your garden? At our house, we seem to focus on a “salsa garden”, that means that we grow was is needed to make a good salsa – cilantro, peppers, tomatoes and onions.

So it would only be natural that we would buy pepper, tomato and cilantro starts and that we would plant onion seeds of bulbs, right? You certainly wouldn’t expect to plant zucchini seeds and get onions or carrot seeds and get peppers. It just doesn’t work that way.

“ You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. 8 If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. ” Galatians 6:7-8 CEV

In life, if we plant seeds of criticism, anger, selfishness, resentment and strife we are going to see those same things grow up and produce a harvest in our lives. Isn’t it better to sow seeds of understanding, love, encouragement, kindness, and joy?  We might not understand exactly how the germination and growing process work but we can be certain of this, we will only harvest what we plant.

“Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like a man who plants seed in the ground. 27 The seed begins to grow. It grows night and day. It doesn’t matter whether the man is sleeping or awake, the seed still grows. He doesn’t know how it happens. 28 Without any help the ground produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. 29 When the grain is ready, the man cuts it. This is the harvest time.” Mark 4:26-29 ERV

This morning let’s plant seeds of faith. The important thing to remember about faith is that it’s not based on us but on God. Faith is simply believing that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He said He could do.

God gives us all “the measure of faith” at salvation. Some people don’t get a larger portion while others get a tiny bit. Paul says in Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Jesus had much to say about faith while he was here on earth. But I guess a good place to start is to know that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  Hebrews 11:6 and that “faith works by love” Galatians 5:6 If we want a good crop of faith then we must fertilize it with love.

We get born again by our faith in the grace of God and that’s the same faith that we should apply to every other area of our lives. Our faith is in God’s grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2: 8-9

The Apostle Paul tells us that our daily walk with the Lord should be just like our salvation.

“ As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step. 7 Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.”  Colossians 2:6-7 NLV

The choice is ours, we can plant seeds of worry or seeds of faith. Worry is faith that the wrong things will happen but true faith is confidence that God is bringing about good things in our lives.

“Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!

29 “So don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it.” Luke 12:27-29 ERV

Plant these seeds and then watch your faith grow. It’s amazing! Start by trusting God will small things and as your “faith” seeds grow you will find you are trusting Him with the larger things of your life as well.

Remember the adage: Don’t spend time telling God how big your problem is; tell your problem how big your God is!

Good harvest!

 

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Through the Looking Glass

Do you remember being a child and using a magnifying glass for the first time? What was it that you were looking at; a bug, a coin, a hair, a crack in the sidewalk or perhaps a picture? I remember my grandmother had a magnifying glass in the top drawer of her desk. I wasn’t able to use it without permission or supervision. I think the first thing I looked at was a postage stamp. Yes, a purplish pink 4c Lincoln stamp. There was so much detail and I was fascinated.

As I’ve grown older I have used a magnifying glass many times. Looking for maker’s marks on old items, looking for splinters in fingers, examining small print on packages and finding tiny imperfections in things thought to be valuable.

Isn’t it interesting, the more we study something the more we see imperfection.

The same holds true when we look through our magnifying glass into the lives of the people we love or work with. When we’re tired we look through the glass and see “I’m the only one who has to do all the work” or “I just don’t understand why they NEVER or why they CAN’T”. Yes, we magnify the imperfections in others while also magnifying our “sacrifices” and “selflessness”.

I know none of you have ever done this but of course, we all know someone who has. There’s another way we can use the magnifying glass – we can use it to overexaggerate the problem and underestimate our self-worth and abilities. I was thinking about the Israelites when they sent spies into the promised land while they were in the desert. They wanted to know what this land that God had promised was like. So they sent in a reconnaissance team of 12 men who were to come back with a report.

“ Find out if the land is rich or poor, and if there are trees in it or not. Then try to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now this was the gathering time of the first grown grapes.

21 So they went up and spied out the land… 23 Then they came to the valley of Eshcol. They cut down a branch from there with some grapes on it. And they carried it on a long piece of wood between two men, with some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of much fruit the men of Israel cut down from there.

25 They returned from looking over the land after forty days. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the people of Israel in the desert of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought news to them and to all the people, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They told Moses, “We went to the land where you sent us. It does flow with milk and honey. This is its fruit. 28 But the people who live in the land are strong. The cities have walls and are very large. And we saw the children of Anak there…

30 Then Caleb told the people in front of Moses to be quiet. And he said, “Let us go up at once and take the land. For we are well able to take it in battle.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go against the people. They are too strong for us.” 32 So they brought the people of Israel bad news about the land they had spied out, saying, “The land we have gone to spy out is a land that destroys those who go there to live. All the people we saw in it are very large. 33 We saw the Nephilim there. (The sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim.) We looked like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:20-35 NLV

Do you see that? They talked about the good things they saw, the fertile land, the fruit, the harvest but they focused on the giants. They magnified the strength of the giants but minimalizing their own value. These are a people who had just seen the Lord deliver them from Egypt, had crossed the Red Sea, had food dropped from heaven for them each morning, drank water that had gushed out of a rock and now were looking at grapes so big that it took 2 men to carry a cluster and they were defeated by their perception of the situation.

How many times have we done the same? I’m too young, I’m too old; I’m not educated; I don’t have enough money; I’m just a Mom; I can’t do another thing. The I can’ts defeat us before we even get started. We put the magnifying glass on our shortcomings instead of on the blessings and opportunities and so we look like grasshoppers in our own eyes.

There’s a simple solution to our situation. Move the magnifying glass!

Caleb heard the report and said “let’s go at once and take the land”. He was looking through the glass at the goodness of the land. Let’s take it! We need that same attitude. We have God’s word that has promised us that we can have peace in a storm, strength when we feel weak, joy in place of sorrow and be well supplied for our needs. We are promised wisdom when we are lacking and protection when we are under attack.

Instead of magnifying the problem, change the focus and magnify the solution.

“My soul will be proud to tell about the Lord. Let those who suffer hear it and be filled with joy. 3 Give great honor (magnify) to the Lord with me. Let us praise His name together. 4 I looked for the Lord, and He answered me. And He took away all my fears.” Psalm 34:2-4 NLV

There was a young girl who could have seen her flaws and inabilities if she had focused on them but instead she chose to “magnify” the Lord. Her name was Mary. The angel came and told her that she was going to have a baby, the son of God. Mary’s heart focused on the promise and not on the problem.

“Then Mary said, “My heart sings (magnifies) with thanks for my Lord. 47 And my spirit is happy in God, the One Who saves from the punishment of sin. 48 The Lord has looked on me, His servant-girl and one who is not important. But from now on all people will honor me. 49 He Who is powerful has done great things for me. His name is holy.” Luke 1:46-49 NLV

Magnify the Lord – magnify His word and the solutions that He provides. When we look through the glass at Jesus we won’t find imperfections or weaknesses. We will see His strength, His abilities and His power.

He will take away all our fears!

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Sit – Stand – Walk – Jump – Run

Good Morning – Time for some aerobics to start your day!

Does that sound like fun? This morning we are going to exercise and the Scriptures are going to be our instruction. So let’s get started…

“Training your body helps you in some ways. But devotion to God helps you in every way. It brings you blessings in this life and in the future life too.” I Timothy 4:8 ERV

Our first exercise is sitting. Yes, it’s an exercise. Back straight, feet on the floor. Deep breath in, now exhale. And repeat. It’s important to have your lungs filled with oxygen, good posture, no slumping, shoulders back and open up that rib cage. Take a look at how profitable sitting was for these two men.

“As they went away from the city of Jericho, many people followed Him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the side of the road. They called out when they heard that Jesus was going by. They said, “Lord, take pity on us, Son of David!” 31 Many people spoke sharp words to them. They told the blind men not to call out. But they called all the more, “Lord! Take pity on us, Son of David!” 32 Jesus stopped and called them. He asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 The blind men said to Jesus, “Lord, we want our eyes opened! 34 Jesus had loving-pity on them and put His hands on their eyes. At once they could see, and they followed Jesus.” Matthew 20:29-34 NLV

Sitting is important. Sitting in the right place is even more important. These aren’t the only ones who experienced miracles by sitting close to Jesus. The multitude on the hillside who came to hear Jesus teach had to sit down before they were fed by the 5 loaves and 2 fish. Mary sat at Jesus feet listening to his words and Jesus said it was a good thing.

After sitting it’s important that we stand. Standing is a strength building exercise.

“God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers 17 and that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. 18 I pray that you and all of God’s people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep. 19 I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.” Ephesians 3:16-19 CEV

When we stand we develop stamina, strength and a firm foundation. Strength! I can hear our instructor telling us – feet apart, backs straight, knees slightly bent – stand!

We’re halfway through this workout – next let’s get those arms pumping, knees raised high as we walk! Walk it out.

“As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step. (walk) 7 Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.” Colossians 2:6-7 NLV

This is true strength training. Do you see that in each of these verses?

Now on to jumping. It’s important that we avoid jumping! I hear some of you cheering at that. No jumping. Most of us jump more than we think – we jump to wrong conclusions and sometimes we repeated through out the day. No jumping!

“They will not be afraid of bad news. They are confident because they trust in the Lord. 8 They remain confident and without fear, so they defeat their enemies.” Psalms 112:7-8 CEV

Finally it’s time to get in our morning run. If you’re like me running was never my way of exercising but done God’s way I will be obedient and run.

“I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you.” Philippians 3:12-15 CEV

Don’t give up – don’t quit – keep running and you’ll be rewarded.

Are you ready for the cool-down? I am. Take a deep breathe, arms raised toward heaven.

“Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth.” Psalms 46:10 NLV

Great job! Now go out into your day knowing that you have the spiritual strength you need.

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Nobody Knows…

Have you ever had one of those pity party days when all you wanted to do was feel sorry for yourself?

It’s a very small guest list; me, myself and I. But before long others start showing up; resentment and hurt feelings come in together, self-pity and depression found their way in and loneliness and anger seem to tag along. Then the band begins to play – it’s a Blues Band. Top 10 on their hit parade are “Ain’t No Sunshine When You’re Gone, Tears of a Clown, Thank God and Greyhound You’re Gone, You’re Cheatin’ Heart and even this oldie but goodie, Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen. Now for the refreshments there’s tears of sadness pouring from the punch bowl and bitterness cake fresh out of the oven of regret.

I hope you’re smiling right now. Done like this it does sound kind of silly but in reality most of us have been there at one time or other. The hurt and loneliness are very real and we truly do feel like no one else knows what I’m going through.

“17 He (Jesus) had to be one of us, so that he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins. 18 And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.” Hebrews 2:17-18 CEV

I try not to get to technical in these morning devotionals but this verse above uses an Old English word in the King James version of the Bible. The word is succor. It has been substituted in more contemporary versions with the word help. According to the Cambridge English dictionary it means “give assistance or aid to.

synonyms: help, aid, bring aid to, give/render assistance to, assist, lend a (helping) hand to;

minister to, care for, comfort, bring relief to, support, take care of, look after, attend to

“the prisoners were succored”

Jesus came to earth to experience life the way we experience it. He faced rejection from his family; problems at work; he knew hunger and exhaustion; he was tempted by power and revenge; he experienced heartache and loss but He came through it all without sin. The reason, so that he could strengthen us in our times of greatest weakness.

“We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him. 15 Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 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 4:14-16 ERV

I can honestly say that since I have begun to apply these verses to my life I have rarely had a “down” or depressed day. These verses have been my strength, my support and my emotional anchor.

Realizing that Jesus went through all he did to be my strength is an amazing thought. He chose to experience the hurt and the heartache, the rejection, the temptations so that He could run to my aid and bring me relief. He came to be my help and my deliverance!

Time to break up this party – send home the guests and throw the refreshments out!

However, a new party has been planned. New guests to invite – joy, peace, forgiveness, love, gentleness, kindness. And the music – heavenly! Location – the court of the king!

“Come through the gates to his Temple giving thanks to him. Enter his courtyards with songs of praise. Honor him and bless his name.
5 The Lord is good! There is no end to his faithful love. We can trust him forever and ever!” Psalm 100:4-5 ERV

Let’s get this party started!

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Strength Training

This day is starting very early!

I woke at 1:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep. I know when that happens it’s time to pray. Stopping in the kitchen to start the coffee, Glory by my side, I came to the living room, cuddled up on the couch with my blanket and began to pray for those who are near and dear to my heart.

Through the years I have learned to be obedient and pray when the Lord is prompting me. I remember years ago when we were farming that a friend and her family came to mind as I was swathing alfalfa. You’ve heard the expression “my heart was heavy”, well that describes perfectly how I was feeling. I began to pray, right there on the swather. And I continued praying until I felt lighter. It took me over a week before I was able to contact her and ask what had been going on. She told me that her young son had gotten terribly ill and had been hospitalized. There in his room she told the Father “I need strength. I need support. I need prayer.” It was at that very time that I began to pray. I know I wasn’t the only one but I’m glad I was obedient.

There have been numerous other occasions like this one through the years. Sometimes I haven’t always known who I was praying for or what the need was but I knew that’s what the Lord was having me do. At times like this I have to trust the Holy Spirit to direct my prayers to the need.

But this morning’s devotional is not on prayer – it’s on strength.

“Surely you know the truth. Surely you have heard. The Lord is the God who lives forever! He created all the faraway places on earth. He does not get tired and weary. You cannot learn all he knows. 29 He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it. 30 Young men get tired and need to rest. Even young boys stumble and fall.31 But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:28-31 ERV

These are verses I learned years ago while we were farming. Our days were tremendously long and physically exhausting. I was the mother of 2 small children, a homemaker and my husband’s #1 farm hand. He needed me to be strong and alert. It could be dangerous if I wasn’t. Many days and many times each day I would read these verses off my index cards, until I knew them by heart, and trust the Lord for the strength that I needed.

Another verse that went right alongside of these was

“I can do all things because Christ gives me the strength.” Philippians 4:13 NLV

Mostly it was physical strength and stamina that I needed. But you all know that when you get tired physically it also affects you mentally and emotionally. I learned that no matter the situation, I could trust the Lord to give me the strength I needed to keep going.

I will be using these verse again today. It’s going to be busy around our house for the next few days, we have guests coming to stay at our BnB. There’s still quite a bit to do and so no time for a nap but I know that I will have all the strength I need.

Maybe you’re feeling weak right now. You’ve been going for days in a row with a child that’s sick or perhaps it’s a project at work that’s had you burning the candle at both ends, you’re exhausted. It could be that things at school are overwhelming. Have you been given the responsibility of caring for an ill and/or aging parent? Have you been battling a debilitating illness? No matter what the situation God promises to provide strength.

“He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 NLV

Today Lord I come to you for strength training – You’re all I need!
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