"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall." Isaiah 25:4
The other afternoon I was sitting on our carport shelling peas. All of a sudden a storm began to brew. The wind kept getting stronger and stronger, the thunder kept getting louder and louder, the lightening was getting closer and closer. I had to pick up my peas and move indoors. Even though I was under the carport- sheltered from being directly out in the weather, it still wasn't the "right" kind of shelter to protect me from the lightening-- I was still in danger.
When the storms come, and they will (this is not negative it's reality- Jesus even warned us that while we were in this world we would have tribulation) it is important that we are in the right kind of shelter. Just any shelter will not do. The only true place of safety is found in Jesus. There is an old hymn that has been on my heart for the past couple of days-- "A Shelter in the Time of Storm (I've written the words below). Jesus is that shelter. He's the safe place to hide our lives during the storm. He is the only safe shelter.
Where do you find shelter during the storms of life? Do you seek shelter in the wrong places? In places that seem to protect but don't really? I thought I was out of danger under the carport, but I soon discovered that it was no protection from the lightening. Are you putting your trust in the wrong kind of shelter? There is only one place of safety. Jesus is that safe shelter to us when the storms come. If you are in a storm check your surroundings- check your shelter. Is it truly enough protection? If it's not Jesus it isn't and you stand the risk of being "struck by lightening".
Have a great day. Where do you go for shelter when the storms of life come?
"A Shelter In The Time Of Storm"
The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
"God Doesn't Sleep"
"Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:4
God doesn't sleep or take naps, therefore He never wakes up to discover that a problem has arose while He was asleep. You will never hear God said, "Oh, no, when did that happen? How did that happen? What's going on?" He is constantly aware of what is taking place in the whole universe. He knows each time a sparrow falls to the earth. He knows each time a new star is born in another galaxy. He sees each blade of grass when it withers. He hears each beat of your heart. Nothing gets past Him. Nothing is able to "sneak" around Him without Him knowing it.
Have you ever watched a movie and the person who was suppose to be "on guard" was asleep-- those who wanted to get past him without being detected would wait until they knew he was fast asleep before they made their move to slip past him. Where God is concerned that will never happen. The enemy would be waiting for the rest of eternity if he is waiting for God to fall asleep so he can make his move against us. God does not sleep- even with "one eye opened" like those who have small children do.
In the situation you are going through don't think for one moment that God fell asleep or that the enemy sneaked past Him or that He wasn't watching. He sees everything. He is aware of everything. He knows everything that happens- nothing takes Him by surprise. Therefore, you can trust Him in this situation. He is aware of it and will work in it for your good and His glory.
Have a great day. God never falls asleep or even takes a nap-- He is well aware of what is going on.
God doesn't sleep or take naps, therefore He never wakes up to discover that a problem has arose while He was asleep. You will never hear God said, "Oh, no, when did that happen? How did that happen? What's going on?" He is constantly aware of what is taking place in the whole universe. He knows each time a sparrow falls to the earth. He knows each time a new star is born in another galaxy. He sees each blade of grass when it withers. He hears each beat of your heart. Nothing gets past Him. Nothing is able to "sneak" around Him without Him knowing it.
Have you ever watched a movie and the person who was suppose to be "on guard" was asleep-- those who wanted to get past him without being detected would wait until they knew he was fast asleep before they made their move to slip past him. Where God is concerned that will never happen. The enemy would be waiting for the rest of eternity if he is waiting for God to fall asleep so he can make his move against us. God does not sleep- even with "one eye opened" like those who have small children do.
In the situation you are going through don't think for one moment that God fell asleep or that the enemy sneaked past Him or that He wasn't watching. He sees everything. He is aware of everything. He knows everything that happens- nothing takes Him by surprise. Therefore, you can trust Him in this situation. He is aware of it and will work in it for your good and His glory.
Have a great day. God never falls asleep or even takes a nap-- He is well aware of what is going on.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
"Don't Fear The Enemy"
"And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. " Philippians 1:28
Another translation says not to be intimidated by your enemy. When we face the enemy we have a choice to make, we can either face him/it like the armies of Israel faced Goliath- with fear and trembling. "When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. " (1 Samuel 17:11, 24) Or we can face him like David did- with faith and confidence in the Lord. "And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. " (verses 32, 45, 46)
Is the enemy intimidating you today? Is he making you fearful? Is he "putting you on the run"? Is he stealing from you? Well, don't run from him! Run to the "roar" instead of away from it. Run out to meet the giant, don't wait for him to come to you. Don't flee from the furnace, face it. Stand strong, don't run like a coward.
Your enemy has already been defeated-- Jesus Christ defeated him at Calvary!!! He has already triumphed over him. He has already destroyed his works. He has already given you the victory. In all things you have been made more than a conqueror through Christ. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. All things work together for your good. No weapon the enemy can devise will prosper against you.
Today make the choice to stand- stand having on the full armor, dig your heels in, don't be moved, don't backup, don't let him "see you sweat". He needs to be the one "sweating". He needs to be the one who is afraid of and intimidated by you... by the Christ in you!!
Have a great day. Do not fear the enemy, run to him, not from him.
Another translation says not to be intimidated by your enemy. When we face the enemy we have a choice to make, we can either face him/it like the armies of Israel faced Goliath- with fear and trembling. "When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. " (1 Samuel 17:11, 24) Or we can face him like David did- with faith and confidence in the Lord. "And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. " (verses 32, 45, 46)
Is the enemy intimidating you today? Is he making you fearful? Is he "putting you on the run"? Is he stealing from you? Well, don't run from him! Run to the "roar" instead of away from it. Run out to meet the giant, don't wait for him to come to you. Don't flee from the furnace, face it. Stand strong, don't run like a coward.
Your enemy has already been defeated-- Jesus Christ defeated him at Calvary!!! He has already triumphed over him. He has already destroyed his works. He has already given you the victory. In all things you have been made more than a conqueror through Christ. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. All things work together for your good. No weapon the enemy can devise will prosper against you.
Today make the choice to stand- stand having on the full armor, dig your heels in, don't be moved, don't backup, don't let him "see you sweat". He needs to be the one "sweating". He needs to be the one who is afraid of and intimidated by you... by the Christ in you!!
Have a great day. Do not fear the enemy, run to him, not from him.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
"Speak To The Mountain"
"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." Mark 11:23
Is there a mountain standing in your way this morning? A mountain of fear, of unforgiveness, of pain, of discouragement, etc? The thing about mountains is that they are hard to climb- it takes lots of work, time and effort. They are also too big to find a way around. By the time you do find a way around them you have veered far off your course. So that just leaves one other course of action-- speak to it!
"That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed". We try so many things to get to the other side of the mountain- to no avail- so try speaking to it. Sometimes that's all it takes. Speak to that fear- God didn't give you a spirit of fear. Speak to that weakness- you are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Speak to that condemnation- there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
A mountain in your way will stop your progress- you can't go forward. Therefore, it has to be removed. When you speak to it to be removed, your words/God's word spoken to it in faith are like "dynamite" blasting it out of the way. Once it's removed, you can then proceed unhindered down the path that the Lord has destined for you to travel and you will reach your destination.
Have a great day. If you want to see the mountain removed- then you have to handle it correctly.
Is there a mountain standing in your way this morning? A mountain of fear, of unforgiveness, of pain, of discouragement, etc? The thing about mountains is that they are hard to climb- it takes lots of work, time and effort. They are also too big to find a way around. By the time you do find a way around them you have veered far off your course. So that just leaves one other course of action-- speak to it!
"That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed". We try so many things to get to the other side of the mountain- to no avail- so try speaking to it. Sometimes that's all it takes. Speak to that fear- God didn't give you a spirit of fear. Speak to that weakness- you are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Speak to that condemnation- there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
A mountain in your way will stop your progress- you can't go forward. Therefore, it has to be removed. When you speak to it to be removed, your words/God's word spoken to it in faith are like "dynamite" blasting it out of the way. Once it's removed, you can then proceed unhindered down the path that the Lord has destined for you to travel and you will reach your destination.
Have a great day. If you want to see the mountain removed- then you have to handle it correctly.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
"Watch And Pray"
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray". During Jesus' time of agony before His crucifixion He took His disciples with Him to the garden to pray. What were the disciples doing while He was praying? They were sleeping. Jesus warned them to "watch and pray". Not only was Jesus about to go through His greatest time of suffering- the fulfillment of His purpose for coming to earth was at hand- the disciples faith was going to be sorely tested that night as well. They would see the One they believed was the Messiah taken by angry men, beaten, accused of crimes against heaven, brought before a wicked judge, condemned and crucified. They would be tested as they watched the One they had put their hope in die on a cross. Peter would be tempted to deny that he even knew Jesus. They would be tested as to whether they would remain loyal and follow Him wherever He went- even if it was to death.
The word "watch" means: to give strict attention to, be cautious, active to take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one. The disciples' faith was tried that night- calamity was "rocking" their world- this is why Jesus told them to watch and pray. Had they been doing that instead of sleeping their response during the events of the night might have been different.
We are living in a time that the Bible calls "perilous". End time events are unfolding all around us- calamity, temptations, persecutions, deception, instability in nature, in the economy, in health are coming in greater proportions. This is not a time for us to be asleep. We must heed the warning of Jesus to watch and pray like we never have before. We must make that our motto. We must be constantly on the alert. We must not take what we see happening lightly. It is time for us to wake up and arise from our slumber. As the disciples slept an angry crowd came breathing down their necks to take Jesus. They were abruptly awaken in a state of confusion. The Bible tells us of another group that was awake from sleep and unprepared for what was upon them-- the five foolish virgins.
Are you asleep or awake? Are you watching and praying? Are you giving attention to the events, the reports, the things that are taking place around you? Or are you rolling over and going back to sleep like the disciples did- not giving heed to the warning? Those who are wise will heed the warning of Jesus to watch and pray. Are you one of those wise ones this morning?
Have a great day. Wake up--- watch and pray!
"Watch and pray". During Jesus' time of agony before His crucifixion He took His disciples with Him to the garden to pray. What were the disciples doing while He was praying? They were sleeping. Jesus warned them to "watch and pray". Not only was Jesus about to go through His greatest time of suffering- the fulfillment of His purpose for coming to earth was at hand- the disciples faith was going to be sorely tested that night as well. They would see the One they believed was the Messiah taken by angry men, beaten, accused of crimes against heaven, brought before a wicked judge, condemned and crucified. They would be tested as they watched the One they had put their hope in die on a cross. Peter would be tempted to deny that he even knew Jesus. They would be tested as to whether they would remain loyal and follow Him wherever He went- even if it was to death.
The word "watch" means: to give strict attention to, be cautious, active to take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one. The disciples' faith was tried that night- calamity was "rocking" their world- this is why Jesus told them to watch and pray. Had they been doing that instead of sleeping their response during the events of the night might have been different.
We are living in a time that the Bible calls "perilous". End time events are unfolding all around us- calamity, temptations, persecutions, deception, instability in nature, in the economy, in health are coming in greater proportions. This is not a time for us to be asleep. We must heed the warning of Jesus to watch and pray like we never have before. We must make that our motto. We must be constantly on the alert. We must not take what we see happening lightly. It is time for us to wake up and arise from our slumber. As the disciples slept an angry crowd came breathing down their necks to take Jesus. They were abruptly awaken in a state of confusion. The Bible tells us of another group that was awake from sleep and unprepared for what was upon them-- the five foolish virgins.
Are you asleep or awake? Are you watching and praying? Are you giving attention to the events, the reports, the things that are taking place around you? Or are you rolling over and going back to sleep like the disciples did- not giving heed to the warning? Those who are wise will heed the warning of Jesus to watch and pray. Are you one of those wise ones this morning?
Have a great day. Wake up--- watch and pray!
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