There is an age old nursery rhyme from the late 1800’s about “Humpty Dumpty” who fell off his wall, and “all the kings horses and all the kings men could not put Humpty together again.” In our lives today we go through trying and beyond difficult circumstances and feel just like Humpty – there’s no putting us back together. And yet,
We don’t know the timing, we just have to trust God’s time clock.
“If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?” Matthew 18:12
Jesus is very practical in the stories He told. After all, who wouldn’t go looking for this cute little lamb if they were lost and needed help? Yet think about it. This is exactly the way God views you. Scripture says you are precious in his sight. Have you ever stopped to think that,
At the same time He’s leaving the choice up to you whether you want to receive that love or not. God is quietly waiting for you to realize that He is what you are looking for. Turn to Him.
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you.” Psalm 55:22
There is a fascinating promise that shows up in Psalm 55. “Cast your burdens on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” Jesus himself repeats the sentiment in Matthew 11:28 where He says, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” When you think about it, these are incredible promises not to be taken lightly.
The question is, why are we so hesitant to cast our burdens on the Lord? He asked for them with no disclaimers. Whether you have one burden, a dozen, or a thousand, He asked that you give them to Him. Then all you have to do is trust how He will work it all out for you. In reality, the trust is really the hard part for we love to keep control. Perhaps that’s the burden you need to hand to God today. Start by saying, “God, I trust you.” say it a dozen times a day if you have to, but at some point the reality of those words will sink in. Remember, God does not say things He does not intend to fulfill.
The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Judges 6:12
For seven years the armies of Midian were wreaking havoc against the children of Israel, causing them to flee and hide anywhere they could. Gideon was actually hiding out in a wine press when an angel of the Lord came and said to him, “the Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor”. Interesting how even while Gideon was hiding, God called him a mighty man of valor.
Take heart and be of good courage today. You are not who the world says you are, you are who God says you are.
When the going gets tough we give up and throw in the towel far too easily. It’s a natural reaction. We don’t want to get hurt, or disappointed. The problem is giving up means never seeing the view from the side of the mountain. Even if you never fully make the summit,
There was a great chart topping Billy Ocean song in 1985 that said, ‘When the going get’s tough, the tough get going”. Today, take that to heart and keep climbing. He (Jesus) who has begun a good work in you will complete it.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” James 1:2-3
As a child, my favorite television carton character was Wile E. Coyote. I just could not resist watching this self proclaimed “super-genius” try to catch the Road Runner. Check out Wile E. and the Road Runner on Youtube and you’ll see what I mean. Whether falling off a cliff or getting flattened by an Acme road grader, it was all just too much fun to watch Wile E. work his antics. Yet what was fun to watch as a child now hits a little too close to home. For no matter what he did, or what he tried, Mr. Coyote encountered one trial after another. Then I read James chapter one where he says,
Really? The easy temptation would be to say that James must be full of hot air. In reality, he’s not. Neither was Peter when he said, we can rejoice in trials, or Paul when he said that he had learned to be content whether he was experiencing plenty or want. The secret that all of these men held tightly to were God’s promises. They knew that God would never leave them, nor would He forsake them. This same promise is yours. All you have to do is ask Him.
“He calms the storm” Psalm 107:29
Are you going through a difficult time in your life. Does your “storm” look daunting and overwhelming? The good news is that I have the weather report for you. There has never been a storm that did not end. Look closely enough at your storm, through the eyes of faith, and you will soon start to see
Psalm 107 reminds us that God is in charge. Thankfully, you have a direct dial connection to him. Reach out to him and hand your storm to him. Not only will he provide you with the strength to weather your storm, but you will come out stronger than you ever thought possible on the other side. Our God is the Lord of the storm.
“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” Psalm 23:6
My wife was talking to a friend who was worried about something they had said to another person. Their choice of words had not been the best in the moment and they worried about reprocussions. My wife wisely said, “That’s why I pray the 23rd Psalm over my life.” “What do you mean?” the friend responded. My wife said, I pray that, “God will guide me along the right path, and that His goodness and mercy will follow along behind to protect me when I make mistakes.” In other words,
This is what happens when you choose to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight”. Proverbs 3:5
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine..” Isaiah 43:1
Who am I? If you’ve ever asked yourself that question there is a beautiful passage in John 1 that provides the answer. “But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God.” You are God’s child, or you can be very quickly with
God says to us over and over again in scripture, “We are chosen; We are complete; We are beloved; We are redeemed; We are His.” Let this soak in and shake off any mistaken identity. For there is one powerful truth that you need to look into a mirror and say to yourself every single day. “I am not who the world says I am. I am who God says I am.”
Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:5
We love the safety found in familiarity. Shallow waters seem so much more risk averse. In other words, launching into deep waters is not something we do willingly. Launching into the deep takes courage. When Jesus suggested to Simon that he launch out into the deep, his response was instantaneous, “we tried that already”. Then, realizing who he was talking to, hesitantly thought twice about his words and said, okay, because you suggested it,
Simon only needed trust, and believe what Jesus had in store for him. Today, when Jesus asks you “Launch out into deep waters and let down your nets for a catch,” put on your faith hat. A life of overflow is possible. All you need to do is set your eyes on Him believe a new for you is possible.
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