Dealing with Anxiety

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?~ Mathew 6:25-27

I struggle with anxiety.  Some days it takes my breath away.  All the pressures and demands seem to snowball and I am left feeling like I'm grasping for air.  The one thing I have learned over the many years of dealing with this "illness" is to take it to the Lord.  

I reach out to Him honestly and tell Him what I am feeling and then I go to His word.  His word tells me not to worry.  Everything I have need of will be met by Him.  He will show me how to complete paperwork or send someone to help me walk through it.  He will help me to support my children in the way the He knows is best.  

He will give me time to pause in my day to take a breath and remember that He is Lord; He is Sovereign and that He is present with me.  I can meditate on His word and feel His calming presence.  He will walk with me through the shadows and bring me to the clear light.  

Lord I thank You for allowing me to be transparent and open with You because You know all.  Thank You for prayer that gives me access to Your throne because of Jesus.  Thank You for giving me what I need to deal with anxiety when it gets to be too much.  Thank You for the blessing and provision of You.  In Jesus name. Amen

Pause-His Shed Blood

 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ~ Matthew 26:28

Tomorrow is Good Friday.  The only reason why it is good is because of what Christ did for me and you.  He shed His blood so that we might be forgiven.  It's Holy Week and on Sunday I was in church watching the waving of palms, praising God and then Monday came.  I got lost in the hustle and bustle of traveling for a work conference.  Trusting God for traveling mercies and provision, but I took my eye off the main thing Jesus.  

I want to honor Jesus.  I want to praise and magnify Jesus because if not for Him I would be damned; condemned. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 6:23).  I do not want to miss the gravity of what Christ went through for me.  He shed His blood or me.  He died for me.  I know He arose and lives seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 12:2)  Yet, I want to remember His sacrifice.  I want to remember the cost.  It keeps me humble and hungry for Jesus.

The inheritance I have from God is because of Christ Jesus and in Christ Jesus.  This blessed life I live is because of Jesus.  I want to be holy because He is Holy.  I just wanted to pause and say thank You.

Jesus You have blessed me richly.  Thank You.  Thank You for Your sacrifice.  Thank You for Your shed blood that covers me.  Thank You for being God.  In Jesus name.  Amen

He works it Out

  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~Romans 8:28

I was thinking back to a time in my life where their was hardship.  And as I think about it I see all the ways that God was moving to work it our for my good.  My youngest son did not live with me for 6 years.  I initially let him live with his father telling myseld that a son needs to be with his father.  As I dig deeper the real reason was because I did not feel worthy.  I was in a dry season and I had made some bad choices out of rebellion that led to severe consequences, but God was still at work in my life.

He healed me. He had to allow brokeness to enter into my life, but my brother pushing me to confront the realities of my choices.  It forced to me to learn how forgive those who persecuted me.  My brother their when I let the tears flow as God reminded me that I was His child and loved.  God placed a loving husband in my life who was both my support and protector from the harsh brutal verbal assaults from my sons father.  He had the upper hand or so he thought.

God turned it all around.  My son's father fatal flaws would be brought to light and God had set everything up where I had everything I needed to get my son back.  From my parents, brother and sister in-law, husband ,kind lawyers and wise judge the hands of justice moved swiftly.  The man who had tried to keep my son from me would now loose access to him.   From a traumatic event would come healing. My son would come back home to a loving environment and thrive; our relationship completely restored.

God also worked it out where I forgave myself and received His forgiveness.   He moved me from fear to faith.  God set everything in its place in His timing.  I share this very private story because it is a testament to what God can do.  Its been eight years and I see how God turned tragedy into triumph and isolation into restoration of community.  I am blessed.  My son is blessed.  He did it for me. He can do anything you ask of Him ( aligned to His will) for you.

Lord, thank You for working out the good, bad, ugly on our behalf.  Thank You turning it all for our favor and Your glory.  Let us not forget and trust during times of silence.  In Jesus name.  Amen

Don't Forget

 The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.  ~ 2 Chronicles 20:33

In 2 Chronicles the 20th chapter we find the Jehoshaphat was being attacked.  He consulted God; the people prayed and fasted.  God told them that they would not have to fight this battle.  Keep reading and you will see how God gave the people complete victory over their enemies.  

The people praised God and and upon their return worshipped God in the temple and then they went home.  My pastor on Sunday talked about not forgetting.  Jehoshaphat was a good king.  The Bible tells us so, but he let the high places remain.  

We  have to be careful of the high places we let stay in in our lives.  Those idols, things that would try to compete with God can not remain.  Must love God with our whole heart.  It saddens me that the people of Judah after seeing all that God can do, after seeing His great love and protection of His people would not commit.  But if I am honest, I have been in that place once before.  Putting relationships before my relationship with God.

Those high places has to be remove and my heart must be guarded ( Proverbs 4:23).  God has given me victory over depression, disease, financial hardships, and crisis of other kinds.  I can not forget and must remember to set my affection on  Him alone.

Lord, let me not forget the goodness of You.  Let praise for You be continuously on my lips.  Let me cast down anything that would attempt to compete with You.  Forgive for those times that I falter.  Bless your people and let us share our victories and testimonies so that we may be strengthened in the faith together.  In Jesus name.  Amen

I will not turn back

 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.~ 2 John 8

I've come too far to turn back and I still have a journey to tread.  When I read this verse it reminds me not to become complacent.  I am to do more than rely on religious activity.  I am to worship God in sprit and in truth.   I am to hold on.  Hebrews 10: 23 say " Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful"

I serve a faithful God who has brought me through a lot.  I serve a God who covers me.  I serve a God who blesses me and answers prayers.  He is amazing and I could go on and on.  I want to keep my fervor for the Lord. As Paul says I want to continue to run the race.  I want the prize.  The prize is Jesus.  

The prize is having eternal life with my Savior.  No more wars.  No more worries about gas prices and food prices.  No more anxiety,  No more health issues. No more worries about sin. There will be peace.  There will be joy.  There will be unity and harmony.  There will be love.

So I am going to keep my spiritual eyes open and actively wait well.  .  I am not working to earn what was freely given to me by grace.  I am working because of that grace.  I want to hear Him say well done they good and faithful servant.  I am going to keep marching on this Christian journey until my day comes.

Father, I love You.  Let me not take Your gift of salvation for granted.  Let me remain steady on this journey and bring others with me.  Let me keep my focus on You.  You are my reward.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen

When you feel fragile

  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  ~2 Corinthians 4:7

Have you ever felt fragile?  Overwhelmed with the cares of the world that you feel like you just might break?  I have.  I felt like that yesterday and I cried out to God.  I was gripping the reins hard, but what I realized is that I was gripping the wrong thing.  I needed to be grasping God's hand and surrendering it all to Him.  

My friend reminded me that His grace is sufficient for me.   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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.( 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

When I did not think I would make it, I did.  Not by my power, but His.  Jesus gives me victory. It is he who strengthens me.  Feeling fragile was okay because it drew me closer to Him.  I remember just saying 'Jesus do it"  and He did.

Fragile days remind me to walk humbly with God.  They remind me to have compassion for other.  This world is crazy, but I have a Father who rules.  A Father who is not surprised. A Father who holds my hands.  Today is a better day.  Circumstances have not changed, but the promise of God remains.  His strength flows through me.

Lord, I am a jar of clay.  I have cracks, but that allows your light to shine through me.  Keep me humbled and surrendered.  Thank You for keeping me.  Thank You for allowing me to walk in victory.  Thank You for Jesus. Bless all those who may be feeling fragile today. In Jesus name I pray.  Amen 

He's always at work.

 “But Jesus replied, ‘My Father is always working, and so am I.’”

John 5:17 (NLT)

The scripture above was the foundational scripture for a devotion I read today.  Immediately when I read it I felt comforted.  I was comforted because I was reminded that God is always working on my behalf.  Jesus is always interceding.  He is with me in the car granting me traveling mercies.  He is with me on my job, granting me moments to breathe before I begin to tackle the day.  He goes before me  and is with me always.

God cares about me.  My big brother and Savior,  Jesus, loves me.   I am okay, better than okay, because of His grace and mercy.  So whatever circumstances I may dealing with, my God is good.  My God is bigger and my God is working it out for my good ( Romans 8:28). 

Real talk, there is a lot on my plate, but knowing I can go to God; being able to trace His hands brings me comfort.  I am not alone and I do not do life alone.  Thank You Jesus.

Lord, You are God and You are wise in all that You do.  Thank You for working for me and my fellow man.  Thank You for caring about the details of my day.  Thank You for caring about my relationship with You.  I thank You for Your intercession and Your grace.  In Jesus name.  Amen