God and Us

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Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

This is a reading I plan on using at my first speaking engagement next month at an area nursing home. Please pray for me. 

God is faithful. He is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. He goes before us into difficult places. He stands beside us when we have to hear harsh news and decisions. You know, the distasteful things of life. He was present when my doctor told me of our new-born son’s birth-defect and what would be done to help him.

God provides for us. He gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want. He provides us with food, shelter, clothes, and friends.

God protects us. He keeps us safe from harm. A few years ago, the house directly across the street from us caught fire. He kept the wind from bringing the flames across our street and into our yard. We had our car sitting next to our house. It would have been a bigger disaster if that fire had moved over to our yard.

God loves us. He loved us before we were born, before we were even formed. He loves each of us as if there were only one of us. He loves us because He made us.

God always listens. He is our best friend. He is always available when we need to talk. We feel we have to rush as we talk to Him. 

The LORD in Our Weakness

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But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

Paul was afflicted with a recurring malady. He never identified it. We know he asked God three times to remove it. He says in the context of our focus verse that this “thorn in my flesh was given to me to keep me from being conceited.”

God chooses to tell Paul that His favor and love is enough for Paul. Paul can endure this condition because God’s power can be seen, and maybe even felt by Paul and those to whom he ministers.

In searching for the focus verse for this posting, I found this passage. I also was trying to prepare for what I call a “Brainstorming” meeting with some friends to help me compose a list of groups I can contact for speaking.

Why this verse stood out to me is simple. My allergy to gluten sometimes shows up in the most inconvenient times. Yesterday, I took a friend out to lunch for her birthday. The young woman who served us at the Chinese cafeteria told me they didn’t use wheat flour in their egg rolls. I believed her. The egg roll was good.

God took care of me as I presented my plan and my desire this afternoon, I will trust Him to take care of this condition as I go through my life.

Dear Father God: Thank You for loving me guiding me. I gave You this meeting and I give you all that will come out of it. I trust You for the precautions I have to take in order to serve You. I give You the praise. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. AMEN

Strength in Times of Darkness

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Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer's;

he makes me tread on my high places.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (ESV)

Habakkuk paints a bleak picture of what his world would look like after a severe drought. It’s pretty sad to read his description. However, he doesn’t stop there.

He chooses to exclaim joy to the LORD, the God of his salvation who is his strength. In every time of personal crisis, if we take the time, we can find some small glimmer of joy and something praiseworthy on which we can concentrate. When we are able to do this, we can, with God’s help, surmount any obstacle the enemy puts before us.

When we seek God’s guidance, He gives us more strength than we can ever find on our own.  We may have times when nothing seems to be right. That’s when we need to really rely on the LORD for all things. When we feel empty inside, we need to ask God to get our bearings straight. He will provide a way through all the murkiness of this world.

Dear Lord: Thank You for providing for our safety, health, and comfort. Thank You for Your presence during times of stress, frustration, and doubt. Thank you for the strength to withstand all obstacles that the enemy puts in our way. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

The LORD Stands by Us

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 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

2 Timothy 4:17 (ESV)

Paul writes these words to Timothy. In the context, He relates how a coppersmith did him great harm. He doesn’t go into detail about It.

In this verse, Paul gives praise to the Lord for being there and giving him the strength he needed. In our world today, we hear of people being emotionally hurt by unfaithful spouses. The victims of this behavior need to lean on the Lord Jesus in order to overcome the hurt. I know of one woman who has demonstrated great strength during the aftermath of her being repeatedly hurt.

In our city, we have had two innocent children suffer physical abuse and lose their lives because of what they suffered. In both instances, the mother and a boyfriend have been accused of these acts and face charges. The community recently witnessed two days of protests of a government agency responsible for the safety of children in our state. I am acquainted with several of those who protested on behalf of those two small children. They demonstrated strength in doing this.

Dear Lord Jesus: I ask that you continue to give Your strength to Your children who suffer at the hands of others. I ask that you encompass them with Your love and kindness. Guide them into the life You want them to have.  Keep our small children safe and healthy. In Your Name, I humbly pray. AMEN

The Reward of Waiting

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but they that wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

When we are impatient, we make mistakes that usually create problems for us. Even when we attempt to fix those miscues on our own, we may act in haste and make conditions or issues worse.

The prophet Isaiah tells us we can wait for God to work out the rough spots. Either He changes the circumstances or He changes us, makes us stronger to where we can withstand what life and the enemy throw our way.

Have you ever watched eagles fly and then glide through the air? Didn’t they look graceful? Have you heard someone speak and make it seem such an easy thing to do?

Waiting has been a learned response for me. I believe it is for each of us. The reward is we gain strength, stability, and even wisdom.

As I compose these words, I patiently wait for God to allow me to begin a new feature and another outlet for my writing ministry. I covet your prayers for these two things.

  

Strength for Our Souls

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I bow down toward your holy temple

    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,

    for you have exalted above all things

    your name and your word.

On the day I called, you answered me;

    my strength of soul you increased

Psalm 138:2-3 (ESV)

I bow down toward your holy temple

David humbles himself before God. As we go to God in prayer, we should also humble ourselves before Him.

and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,

 He thanks Him for his steadfast love and faithfulness. When we are in prayer, we should also thank God for his being there with us during times of stress and difficulties that occur in our daily lives.

for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

He recognizes God has lifted up His name and His Word. As God’s children, we need to be aware that God’s name is above all other names and His Word is likewise elevated above all other thoughts and writings done by man.

On the day I called, you answered me;

David acknowledges that God has answered him. Do we thank Him for the answers He gives us? We always have to remember God can answer in one of three ways, yes, no. or wait. We need to thank Him for whatever answer He gives.

my strength of soul you increased.

God strengthened David’s soul. As we learn to pray in a way that is acceptable to the LORD, He will give us the strength we need to face whatever challenges this life brings our way.

Strength

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The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty, yet the span is but toil and trouble, they are soon gone and we fly away. Psalm 90:10 (ESV)

God gave Moses these words in a prayer. The LORD desires that His children live 70 to 80 years. In our lives here on earth, we have work and difficult times.

Those times of “toil and trouble” build our character and give us the strength to face those later years we are on this earth.

The toil we face can be the way we provide for our family’s needs. I have a friend whose one grandson began a new job last week. That job is a 12-hour day-seven day a week job. It is somewhat seasonal but he will be able to care for his family’s needs better.

The trouble might mean the evil done by men to other men. It can also mean the logical end of man’s own bad choices. Yet another interpretation is the prevalence of disease in our world. Another friend of mine lost her daughter to heaven a few years ago, the daughter was in her late 50’s; she had an inoperable brain tumor. Yet another much younger friend lost her daughter to heaven from brain tumors. This daughter was eleven years old.

We discover that the older we get; the faster time seems to go. Yes, those years soon go into our memory banks. Those memories come to the forefront of our minds when we need them. God uses them to comfort us or to teach us a lesson He has for us.

On a day, usually appointed by God, we go to meet Him and His Son.