The Lord promises that He will meet our needs. So, why is it that we often wonder whether He will be true to uphold His promise to us? Continue reading “Will God Meet My Needs?”
Tag: Faith
Growth
I am not a skilled gardener, but with each new growing season I invest a bit more time to educate myself about the process. I’ve begun to study which plants grow well in certain zones (which began with me actually figuring out what growing zone I live in). I’ve actually begun to read and heed the instructions on each packet of seed. I’ve attended online seminars to learn about the pests that are prevalent in my area and have been equipped with strategies to control them and stop their growth. I’ve learned about compost and other natural ingredients that feed and build up the soil. But most importantly, I have learned that the only way to have a successful garden that yields growth and a harvest is to actually spend time in the garden working and nourishing it.
How to Know God’s Will for My Life (Part 1)
One of the greatest struggles that we experience as Christians is discerning what the Lord’s will is for our lives. Oh, if He only left a personalized note, an audible message, or wrote His words using a skywriter or a billboard – how much easier it would be. But alas, God does not communicate with us via those avenues, but thankfully, He does indeed speak to us, and rest assured, if we are willing to wait, follow, and listen, He will show us His will.
Continue reading “How to Know God’s Will for My Life (Part 1)”
Experiencing Peace In Times of Uncertainty
Life is uncertain. Changes and challenges often rattle us to the core with little or no forewarning. Sickness. Brokenness. Rebellion. They’ve all stepped over the welcome mat and entered into our lives as uninvited guests. They provoke us to fear and anger, bring disappointment and doubt, and cause us to fret and worry. Can there truly be a sense of peace and calmness amidst the storms and trials of this life?
A few weeks ago I felt prompted to make an appointment with a cardiologist. With such a long-standing bout of Lyme Disease and the full knowledge of its potential effects on one’s heart, I felt the need to get a baseline reading on my heart health. It’s funny, sickness and testing are not foreign to me. I’ve never experienced true stress and anxiety at the doctor’s office or during testing. However, this all changed the very moment that I opened the door to the cardiologist’s office. I was overcome with such a sense of panic, like none I had ever experienced before. And, if you didn’t realize, there is absolutely no way to mask or hide anxiety at the cardiologist. After my initial visit, the doctor arranged for a whole host of tests to be completed over the course of the next several weeks. One by one I completed the tests, all coming back as normal. The last of the tests was scheduled to be completed at the doctor’s office. This last test did not produce such stellar results. The doctor speculated as to the cause and requested further testing.
This normally strong woman simply fell apart as she left the office. I emerged back home a blubbering mess. For the remainder of the day I felt such a cloud of darkness hovering over me as the tears flowed. I didn’t pray. I didn’t open God’s Word. I didn’t recall the many verses I knew. I didn’t remember God’s goodness. Instead I chose to question, doubt, and allow the seeds of anger to spring to life.
The next day the doctor’s office called asking me to come in again for additional testing in a few days. Once again fear enveloped me and held on with an intense grip. Realizing my weakness, I reached out to a few friends asking them to pray for me.
With a few days to wait for my testing, the Lord laid these thoughts on my heart. I’ll call them “The Six R’s of Resting in God When Life is Uncertain,” and they have served as a good reminder to me.
- Remember
- Remember the many promises of God. Call to mind the portions of scripture that you have hidden in your heart for moments such as this. Rehearse them. Recite them. Reflect on them. Repeat again and again. Our God is a promise keeper. He is unable to do anything less than keep the promises that fill His Word. Here are but a few:
- God is my stronghold, a very present help in time of trouble. Psalm 46:1
- God goes with me. Deuteronomy 31:6
- God cares for me. I Peter 5:7
- God will sustain me. Psalm 55:22
- God gives mercy and grace in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
- God will strengthen me and help me. Isaiah 41:10
- God consoles me. Psalm 94:19
- God will rescue me and protect me. Psalm 91:1-16
- God delivers me from my fear. Psalm 34:4
- Remember the many promises of God. Call to mind the portions of scripture that you have hidden in your heart for moments such as this. Rehearse them. Recite them. Reflect on them. Repeat again and again. Our God is a promise keeper. He is unable to do anything less than keep the promises that fill His Word. Here are but a few:
- Reach
- Reach out to the Lord immediately without delay. He knows our troubles before we ourselves do. He is concerned for us. He is near to us. We need only to call out to Him. Push aside all the other voices of fear, doubt, and anxiety and come before the throne of the Lord.
- “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
- Reach for His Word. Read the familiar promises in His Word, but delve further into the scriptures to uncover new truths and promises that may have previously gone unnoticed. Pray that the Lord would open up His Word to you in new and exciting and comforting ways.
- Reach for trusted friends. Be honest. Take down the facade of strength and ask for faithful friends to uphold you in prayer. Tell them in what ways you are struggling. Share specific requests. Set aside pride and ask for prayer.
- “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. ” I Peter 3:12
- Reach out to the Lord immediately without delay. He knows our troubles before we ourselves do. He is concerned for us. He is near to us. We need only to call out to Him. Push aside all the other voices of fear, doubt, and anxiety and come before the throne of the Lord.
- Release
- We are all human with God-given emotions. Our initial response to hardship is not to celebrate. If you are anything like me, I need to let out one really good and hefty cry. God understands our frame; He knows our weakness. Cry out to Him not in anger or frustration but as a child coming to their parent for comfort. I literally envision the arms of the Lord wrapped around me.
- “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15
- “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15
- We are all human with God-given emotions. Our initial response to hardship is not to celebrate. If you are anything like me, I need to let out one really good and hefty cry. God understands our frame; He knows our weakness. Cry out to Him not in anger or frustration but as a child coming to their parent for comfort. I literally envision the arms of the Lord wrapped around me.
- Reflect
- Think back and remember all that the Lord has already done for you. Look back to past valleys and see how the Lord has walked with you through those times. Remember His faithfulness. Remember His strength. Remember His goodness. Let memories flood your mind. I often marvel at how the Israelites second guessed God and His power. They had gazed upon miracles with their own eyes, yet they doubted God. In my own moments of weakness, I’ve realized how easy it is to forget what God has done. His work at times can become a distant memory. Bring them to the forefront of your mind. Remember and reflect on all that He has done. He has been faithful and will continue to be.
- Resist
- The evil one would like nothing more than to fill your heart with doubt, depression, and despair. We leave these doors wide open when we turn away from our Lord during challenging times. The moment we divert our eyes from our Father, the devil will be quick to catch our gaze and to fill our hearts and minds with blatant lies. We will question the goodness of God, doubt His love, and question His sovereignty.
- “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
- The evil one would like nothing more than to fill your heart with doubt, depression, and despair. We leave these doors wide open when we turn away from our Lord during challenging times. The moment we divert our eyes from our Father, the devil will be quick to catch our gaze and to fill our hearts and minds with blatant lies. We will question the goodness of God, doubt His love, and question His sovereignty.
- Rest
- Find rest and peace in the Lord. He alone is in control. He alone is sovereign. He alone cares for His children as no other could. Hand this over to Him.
- “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3
- “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
- “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
- Find rest and peace in the Lord. He alone is in control. He alone is sovereign. He alone cares for His children as no other could. Hand this over to Him.
So, can there indeed be peace in the midst of the storms and trials of life? Without God, peace will be elusive. But with God, all things are possible.
Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Spaghetti squash is one of my very favorite vegetables. It is incredibly versatile and a great way to enjoy a spaghetti-like meal without the carb overload. So last year I tucked a few seeds away and planned to plant them in the garden this summer. My son and I did just that, and we’ve enjoyed watching that plant grow and grow and GROW! It has spilled over the garden bed and fence and onto the driveway. It has literally taken over the side of my house, as squash plants tend to do. It’s beautiful, lush, and full of blossoms.
The other day my neighbor commented on the abundance and beauty of those yellow blossoms. “You must have so many squash growing in that patch,” she said.
“Not one,” I lamented.
As beautiful and lush and full of blossoms as that patch is to the casual observer, there is something that has gone terribly wrong, for not one squash has emerged. After doing a bit of detective work and research, I discovered that there is likely a problem with pollination. It seems that the local bees are not doing their job. Hmph! So the likelihood of our family enjoying spaghetti squash from our own garden is slim to none.
Of late I’ve been tempted to yank the entire plant out of the garden. It is simply taking up too much space and serves little use other than giving the false impression that my garden is flourishing and thriving. It bears no fruit and has little benefit aside from its outer beauty.
Then there are my green bean plants. I’ve lost count as to how many bowls full of beans we have picked and eaten. The eight or so plants that I have continue to produce a healthy, useful harvest every week. If you were to take a closer look at these plants, you would see plants that are far from lush and beautiful, and to the casual observer, one might assume that these plants are not producing fruit. There are small weeds scattered about, yellowing leaves, dry brown parts, thinness, and evidence of damage from insects. Beauty is certainly lacking.
Yet, when you stoop down and take the time to push aside the leaves and stems and weeds of these plants, when time is taken to look below the surface, a treasure trove of beans awaits. These plants, though outwardly not as attractive as my billowing spaghetti squash vine, have yielded much fruit. Even though one would assume that a beautiful plant would yield a beautiful crop and a homely plant would yield sub par fruit, these plants have shown me otherwise.
Outward appearances can certainly be deceiving.
I suppose this applies to our world today. How quick we can be to make determinations and judgements about people based solely upon what we see on the surface. We often take little to no time to actually look past what we see. We assign good qualities to those with beauty and poor qualities to those with a humble or even rough appearance. Superficiality is the name of the game in our society.
The Lord reminds us that the only way to truly know someone for who they are is by the fruit that they bear. Appearances are of no value to Him, but the heart is. In the busyness and craziness of life, we often leave little time to look at people at the heart level.
I’m thankful for the little reminders that the Lord sends to me through my little garden.
Are You Willing to Let the Lord Write Your Child’s Testimony?
As parents it is natural to contemplate what paths our children will take. We look at their strengths and weaknesses and speculate what the future will hold. We imagine how their lives will unfold. We hope for smooth sailing, straight roads, and few bumps along the way. We pray for health and success, safety and provision, triumphs and victories. Down deep, we hope for ease and often pray for it expecting God to work within our pre-approved framework. Continue reading “Are You Willing to Let the Lord Write Your Child’s Testimony?”
Letting Down Your Guard
Yesterday morning my 14 year old son came down stairs visibly flustered. “There’s a tick stuck in me.” I squinted and strained my eyes to try and decipher what I was actually looking at. This was a speck, no bigger than a grain of sand or the tip of a pin; it could easily be mistaken for an ordinary skin mole or a fleck of dirt. After several minutes I concluded that this little dot was indeed a tick embedded in his shoulder.
Continue reading “Letting Down Your Guard”
Lessons from a Lymie!
Before we start today, let me toss out my little disclaimer: The information found here is not a substitute for medical care. You should always consult a qualified physician regarding any of your healthcare concerns.
Life in the Van 