Between a Rock and a Hard Place

"Is God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  It is God who justifies.  Who is he that condemns?  Christ Jesus, who died--more than that who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."  Romans 8:31-37  

I want to encourage you to read the verse above out loud...slowly.  Let it penetrate your heart and soak into your spirit.  

The phrase, "If God is for you, who can be against you?", is continually being kept in front of me by the Lord.  It is a reoccurring theme for me this summer.  

I am in a hard place.  There are emotions and circumstances in my life presently that are difficult.  I need to know God is for me.  I need to know His love is enough and is never failing.  I need to know He is interceding for me and nothing can separate me from His love.  

As I was reading this scripture the other day, I told my husband..."I am in a hard place."  He asked me lightheartedly (because that is how he is--and a joy to live with!), "So, you aren't between a rock and a hard place?"  Then, it hit me...

Yes!  THAT is where I NEED to be!  I need to be between "THE ROCK" and the hard place.  Or better yet, I need the Rock between me and the hard place.  Jesus is my Rock.  I am not alone.  He is with me in the middle of my circumstances.  If He is for me (and with me), who can be against me?   

If you are going through something difficult today, let the Rock get between you and your hard place.  He is bigger than anything.   

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." 

 

Christmas in Summer

"For in this hope we were save. But hope that is seen is not hope.  for how can one hope for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure."  Romans 8:24-25

We are in a waiting season. 

During Christmas, children are bright-eyed with excitement.  They see all the beautiful wrapped presents and they know there is something good hidden within the colorful wrappings and bows.  They long to peek under the paper to catch a glimpse of the treasures within the decorated packaging.  However eager they are to open the gifts, they have to wait until an appointed time--Christmas morning.  

Like a child at Christmas who knows his parents have something really good for him under the tree, we are waiting with eager anticipation to open the future God has tightly packaged up for us.

We don't know what He has in store for us, but we know it is good (Jeremiah 29:11).

Even though we cannot see what is inside the presents at Christmas, our hearts are full of expectancy of the treasure we know waits inside the box.  That is faith.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1).  We have faith and hopeful expectation that the unseen in the box is a colossal surprise worth the wait!  

We need to be as certain about what the Lord has in store for us when we cannot see all that He has in the box.  He is for us and His plan is good.

Just like we want to give our children presents that will light their eyes up with joy at Christmas, our God wants to surprise us with gifts that will bring joy to our hearts. 

"What man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?  If then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!"  Matt 7: 9-11

We want to give our children what they ask for at Christmas because it brings us such overwhelming joy to see their face shine when they finally get to open the present they have been waiting for until Christmas morning. Do you think our heavenly Father is any different?

What is it you are waiting for?  What is it you have asked for (according to God's will--all God's promises are His will)?  You may not be able to see the answer at this time, and that is because He has it wrapped up for you until the appointed time--Christmas morning {Let's hope Christmas is this summer}.

Father, we know that all things work together for those who love you and are called according to your purpose.  We know your plans for us are for good and not for evil, to prosper us and not to harm us, we know we can trust you to give us the best for us.  Father, help us wait for what we cannot see with hopeful expectation, patience and composure.  Help us to just trust, be still and know You are God.  And if you don't mind, could we just have a little hint or peek of what is under the wrapping paper?  We love you, in Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Running to Find God [Repost]

I have been reading Stressed-Less Living by Tracie Miles with Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies with Melissa Taylor.  Today, we were asked if we would share a time when we were at a breaking point and God intervened, rescued, healed and restored.  I thought this story was a perfect example a time God rescued me. I hope it encourages you today...

It was a Sunday.  The sunlight beaming between the blinds shed light on the darkness of my reality.  Where was I?  I did the thing I told myself I would never do again...again.  No more.

"BUT WHEN HE CAME TO HIMSELF, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants."  Luke 15: 17-18

That morning I "came to [my]self".  I knew I couldn't continue to live in the pit.  I was perishing of hunger.  Only it wasn't the hunger of a physical kind.  I was perishing spiritually and heading down the path to complete destruction.  I reached bottom that day.  I arose and went searching for my Father, my heavenly Father.

The year was 1995 and I was a Junior in college.   It was the beginning of finals week at the University of Illinois.  I ran that morning from church to church searching for someone who could help me.  I ran and I ran.  Church to church to church.  Nothing.  No one.  Church had already let out.  No one was there.  Was there no one who could help me?  Crying in desparation, I asked God, "God, please help me." 

I ran to the farthest church I knew of on campus.  It was close to my Freshman dorm.  I had visited it once while a Freshman.  That seemed ages ago.  I found someone who would listen to me.  They called a senior girl from their college group and asked her if she could talk to me.  It was finals week and I know she needed to study, but I am forever grateful that she took some time out of her studying to talk to me.  I wish I knew her name.

She listened, she advised, and she prayed with me.  I knew I could not keep living in the same self-destructive way I had been living.  I felt so unworthy of love of any kind--God's love or man's love.  She spoke words of truth and grace.  She doesn't know it, but she saved this soul from death by her words of grace.  I hope God will arrange for us to meet in heaven so I can give this girl who gave up a Sunday of studying during finals week to help free a girl from the depths of hell a proper thank you.

She helped lead me back to the cross, back to grace, back to Christ, and back to my Father.   

"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and it alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry."  Luke 15:20-24

Tears are streaming down my face as I read the verse above.  Not only was I running toward God that day...God ran toward me.  He was there with me all along.  He never left me and never gave up on me. When I came to Him, He hugged my neck, kissed me and rejoiced that His daughter had returned.

I felt so unworthy to be called His child, but He said, "Bring the best robe...put a ring on [her] hand and sandals on [her] feet."

He took my old dirty rags full of sin and replaced them with "garments of salvation" and "a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10).  Not only did he cover me with a robe of righteousness, he has since given me the fatted calf as well.  God has restored my life and has done above and beyond all I could ever ask or think.  His blessings overwhelm me.  I know the pit I was in and I weep at the thought of our Father's never-ending love and grace.  Oh Lord, that you would love me even in my sin and rescue me from my pit of destruction!!!  My heart rejoices and I am forever grateful!

Are you in a pit today?  Are you hungry and thirsty spiritually?  Arise!  Run to Him!  You will find Him. He has already found you.  Although you may feel unworthy, God says you are worthy.  He has a robe, a ring, sandals, and a fatted calf await you. 

Mr. Fix It

This week, my husband and I are celebrating our 15 year anniversary in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico!   What is even more amazing is where my husband and I were in our relationship one year ago compared to today!  We are so thankful for his healing and transforming power! The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever! 

We are completely off the grid with limited to no technology.  I scheduled this to post before we left.   I pray it blesses you today. 

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.  Jeremiah 33:3

The word "call" in the verse above is "qara" in the orginial Hebrew and it means " to call out to someone; cry out".

God wants us to "call out" to Him.

The commentary in my Bible says that this verse is:

"The positive assurance from God is that if we will call on Him, He will answer us in ways that will astound us."

It is true.  When we call, God will answer.  He will reveal that which was hidden.

We have some rental property and there have been times that our tenants will "call" on my husband, Chris.  Since he is the owner, he has to be available when they call him for help.  The tenants didn't know how to fix what was broken, so they called someone who would know how to fix it.  For example, he has had to be a plumber, put in shower heads, put in new dishwashers, and fix garbage disposals.  However, there have been somethings he has lacked the skills or knowledge to fix and then he will call a professional.

There may be times when we don't know how to fix something in our lives.  We know something is broken, but lack the skills or knowledge to fix it.  We may not have a leaky faucet or garage disposal that needs fixing.  Our broken need is usually much more substantial and consequential.  The issues we face may not only impact our lives, but also the lives of people we love.   Perhaps we face a broken relationship (marriage or family member),  a broken body (illness), an issue with a child, a job situation, an estranged relationship, etc.  

Whatever it is, God says, "Call to Me and I will anwer you".  He says He will reveal the answer to you, He will reveal that which you do not know.

About one year ago, my husband and I were in need of some major fixing.  We were at a very low point in our marriage.  In desperation, I cried out to God with my whole heart...."God, please... fix it."

He immediately began to work.  He led us, two broken people, on a journey of repair.  We knew we were broken.  We knew we needed Him.  He answered.  

We may not know how to fix it, but God does.  He will answer. He is our Fixer.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, 
And delivers them out of all their troubles.  Psalms 34:18

God doesn't want you to stay living with a leaky faucet, He wants your life to be full of blessings and joy.  He wants to go in and fix your need.  Just call on Him.  

Oh Father, we thank you that we can call on You and You will answer and show us things we do not know.  We thank you that you love us.  We thank you that You long for us to give you our concerns and cares and let you fix the broken areas of our lives.  Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness.  Thank you for your healing power that is available in every area of our lives.  Heal the brokenness and make us whole.  Lord, just fix it, fix us.  We love you. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

God is Never Late {Revisited}

Hi Friends of Living Free in Him!  I am so happy to have you here today.  I wanted to share a post originally written in October 1, 2012.  I pray it blesses you today...

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."  Proverbs 13:12

The word "deferred" above is the Hebrew word mashak and is means "draw out, prolong, or continue".

Last week my heart was beginning to get "sick" with waiting... waiting for a heart's desire.

The desire seemed to be at the top of a slippery rope of hope.  The desire was just out of reach.  Hope continued to show me it was there, but I was unable to attain the grip needed to reach the top of desire.

Fulfillment of the hope was just dangling in front of me saying wait a little longer.  When we can see the hope, but it alludes us, it can be exasperating.

Faith whispered for me hold on to hope. Don't let go of the rope, you will attain your heart's desire!

However, disappointment turned into discouragement...

I prayed...God answered.

This post by Lysa Terkeurst was in my email inbox "The Place Where Disappointment Grows"  It was God speaking to bring encouragement to my worn down heart.  

Then, that night as I was reading the kids their devotional, God spoke again...My eyes overflowed with tears in awe of His presence and love for me.

My kids have Sarah Young's Jesus Calling 365 Devotions for Kids. These words were the words of the Lord printed on the page of September 27...

"I am constantly working in your life, even though you may not realize it. Especially when you are tired or hurt, or the day has had too many troubles, you may not notice Me at all.  But I am there.  

When you are tired, I am the One who is gently urging you on. When you are hurt, I am the One who is softly whispering, 'It's going to be okay.' And when you are overwhelmed, I am the One who is running before you, clearing the path of the things you just can't face today." 

Then, as if that wasn't enough, it suggested reading Psalms 27:14.  Again God spoke to my soul.

"Wait on the Lord; 
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!"  Psalms 27:14

"Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!".  What music to my ears!

 He strengthen my heart that day.   A heart that had begun to grow weary with waiting was made new and strengthened with the encouragement of His Word.  His Word helps us be of "good courage" or encouraged. 

God says those who endure with faith and patience inherit the promise (Hebrews 6:12).  Even when your heart's desire seems continually out of reach, keep waiting, keep believing, and keep hoping expecting a positive outcome.

Be of good courage, and WAIT on the Lord.  He is never late.   

Gifts

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  James 1:7

Today just happens to be my birthday.  : )  As we all know, it is customary for one to receive gifts for a birthday.  I have gotten many wonderful gifts in my life for my birthday and some...umm...not so much.  

The worst gift I can remember was on my 25th birthday when I received a weed eater and an extension cord -- (Can anyone say "hello adulthood!"?)  Not necessarily an ideal birthday gift for a girlie girl. 

The best birthday gift ever was the gift of my son, Luke, who was born 6 days before my 31st birthday.

I love getting gifts.  And God is the best gift giver!  Last night I was making a list of some the gifts the Lord has given me lately.  I couldn't even list them all.  I am so thankful for all the blessings the Lord has given us.  However, since I cannot possibly list all of them, I will only list a few here today to give praise unto Him  (Hebrews 13:15, Psalms 71:8).  (not listed in any particular order) 

Gift #1:  

My husband (who is also a huge gift!)  took me out for a VERY NICE birthday dinner last Saturday at a local jazz club/steak house with VIP reserved seating on the patio with live Jazz music playing while we enjoyed a wonderful meal.  

Gift #2:  

A friend is letting me drive her convertible all week and I LOVE IT!!!  Thank you Kristi!!  


Gift #3:  An opportunity to write for and serve on the Deeper Still Ministry    Team.

Gift #4:  The blessing of serving as a small group facebook leader for Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies with Melissa Taylor.

Gift #5:   

   The gift of three beautiful and wonderful children...Joe, Sarah and Luke.  

Gift #6:  

I am thankful for 15 years with the man I love and the gift of going to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico next week for our 15th year anniversary. 

  Gift # 7:  The gift of a dream being fulfilled of swimming with dolphins while in Mexico!!  My birthday present this year from my awesome husband!! 

God is sooo good!!  His gifts are plentiful and abundant!  And of course, as great as all these gifts and blessings are, the gift of His son, Jesus, is better than them all.  So thankful for Jesus!

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God"  Ephesians 2:8

What are you thankful for today? 

When You Need a Bigger Boat

In 1 Samuel 17, we find David about to face the giant Goliath. Now, Goliath was huge.  He was nine and a half feet tall, and you can bet he worked out!  

When David heard about this giant who threatened the Israelite army, he asked, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"  David showed no fear.  He knew God was on his side.  He had seen how God had helped in the past and knew He would help him in this situation ( 1 Sam 17:35-36).

He faced the giant and spoke to the giant, "The battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands." 

We too have giants we need to face.  They may not be physically nine feet tall, but they can seem just as insurmountable in size.

Like David, we need to know some things before we are ready to face our giants.

What did David know?  What was it that made Him so ready and EAGER even to face this giant with certainty that he would come out victorious?

1.  David knew His God.   He spent many hours in the presence of the Lord.  Before David was a giant slayer, he was a harp player.  He spent many hours singing and praising the Lord in the middle of the meadow.  David had a strong relationship with the Lord, which fed his confidence.

2.  David knew His God was with Him and would help him.  He drew confidence from past victories.  "Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." (1 Samuel 17:36).

3.  David knew who he was.  He knew God was on His side and that he was in the army of the Living God.

We too can get in a position where we can confidently face our giants: 

Spend time in the presence of the Lord in praise and worship and prayer.  

Remember past victories where God has provided and proved faithful time and again.  

Know who you are, that you are in the army of the Living God.  You are a child of the Most High.   

Who is this giant who dares defy the child of the Most High, and the army of the Living God? 

Once you are ready to face the giants, call them out.  David had to identify the giant, call him out and face him.  What are your giants?  Fear? Insecurity?  Pride?  Marriage issues?  Children struggles?  Health?

After you have identified your giants, speak to them as David did.  Speak God's Word.  God's Word is a double edged sword and it will defeat those giants.

For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. (Heb 4:12)

As I identified my giants, I began to speak to them.  I had many scriptures memorized to help conquer the giants.  One giant in particular was bigger than I realized and I knew I needed more ammo.

I thought back to the movie Jaws.  When they went out to face the "giant" shark, it wasn't until they stood face to face with the giant that they realized they might need a "bigger boat."  David only needed one stone, but sometimes we need a "bigger boat".

Get your Bible out and look up verses to speak to your giant.  I found about eight and wrote them on note cards.  Anytime my giants try to rear their ugly heads, I am going to stand like David did and speak to them.  The spoken Word of God is stronger than any sword and more powerful than any giant.  They have to fall in defeat when hit with the ammo of the Word.

Face those giants and speak to them!

Who is this giant that he should defy the armies of the living God. The battle is the Lord's and He will give you into my hands.  Victory is mine!  (Sue paraphrase)  : )