This blog was started out of a desire to understand the love of God. Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
I hope these post ignite a desire in your heart to seek to know God more!
But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18
Apart from God there is much to fear! We live in an unsafe world! Our constantly changing world is only growing more and more unsafe. Every effort to try to create a sense of safety is futile. Nothing can stand the test of time, nothing except God!
I watched a deer cross the road this morning in front of on coming traffic. The cars slowed and came to a stop as the graceful animal slowly crept across the street to the thick bush. I watched and thought of how many deer have failed to cross the road safely. I thought how brave of that animal and yet how ignorant as well. Isn't that the case with us? We creep and even dart out into our daily routines as if we are untouchable. How bravely foolish we are. There is much to fear in the simple acts of daily life and yet even the deer of the forest seem to be able to shake off fear and march forward into possible danger.
How I struggle with fear. Fear loves to torment! But God the Creator of us all says, "Do not fear!" How are we, how am I to shake off this fear that is ever tormenting me?
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Being tormented by fear is no different than any other plague or sickness of this world! Fear has been over come by our Lord and Savior! What do we fear? Death? He is risen!!! Praise the Lord!
Father how I long to be free from fear! I know God Your words are true because You are truth! God let my heart be made well by Your great love for me! I believe You can save me from these fears! Help me to live Your truth! Lead Your fearful daughter in to Your perfect Love that will cast out all of her fears, in Jesus name AMEN!
And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” (Mark 5:34)
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
I have discovered, as I am sure you have, that it is so much easier to believe a lie than truth! The crazy thing is I think sometimes we prefer the lie over the truth. Why? To be completely honest, as painful as this is to admit, self pity satisfies some fleshy part of us. Believing we are worthless and dwelling on our shortcomings and failures is something we can hold onto and carry through out the whole of our lives if we so chose. Believing the truth that Christ has made us free from the bonds of sin is an attack on our love affair with self pity! But it's time to end this dysfunctional relationship with self pity and accept Christ's love!
Jesus is the way the truth and the life it says in John 14:6. On the reverse of that scripture we see that before we come to know Jesus we are traveling down the wrong path and believing a lie and it leads to death.
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)
Sounds so simple doesn't it? But it is the hardest thing to do sometimes! The act of believing means taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ! Every single tiny miniscule insignificant thought must be taken captive and washed in the light of God's truth! Wow, that is a lot of work! Yep, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Phil 4:13) Do you believe that? Because if you don't believe you can do all things through Christ who strengthen's you then you've already lost the battle!
Trust is hard for us fearful humans to do! I know my own issues with trusting. Pain and heartache in our relationships with other people wear us down. We see how people have failed us and believe the only person we can count on is ourselves. Let me just assure you right now, this is a big LIE! There is One we can trust above everyone, Jesus is the way the TRUTH and the life. He will never lead us astray He will never let us down an HE will never leave us! But we can leave Him... We can chose ourselves over Him. We can create any belief we want to in our own minds and convince ourselves we are right. "Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."
Neil T. Anderson says in his book, The Bondage Breaker, "It is your individual responsibility as a believer to repent and believe the truth that will set you free. Nobody else can do that for you. I can't put on the armor of God for you, believe for you, repent for you, forgive others for you, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ for you." Lets face the truth! WE ARE NOT GODS! We didn't create ourselves and we certainly can't save ourselves, so lets look to the One who can!
Lord You know these spiritual struggles we face everyday! You made a way for us to be victorious in everything we face. You gave us Your Son, You gave us the Holy Spirit and Your Word, help us to put on the whole armor of God as it says in Ephesians 6:10-18. God with You we needn't fear because Your perfect love cast out all fear! Lord Your ways are perfect and good give us the desire to be obedient to believe the truth instead of the lie!
The Whole Armor of God
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Meditate on These Things! Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:6-8)
I know I am weak! I know I fail everyday! I know I am only dust, here today and gone tomorrow!
Lord I have nothing to offer You! Everything I offer You comes from You first! You have brought me here to this place and provided and protect me and my children up to this day! Please Lord be with me still. Keep me always seeking You and Your will! Thank You for loving me!
"Why do I have to eat my vegetables?"
"Why do I have to go to bed?"
"Why can't I have a puppy?"
"Why do I have to brush my teeth?"
What is the most common response a parent will give to the child's question of why? If you're thinking, "Because I said so," is the most common response than you are tracking with me!
Why oh why do we ask why?
My son asks me a certain "why" question a lot. "Mommy, why did dad have to die?"
What does a mother say to her child when she asks the same question from time to time?
"I don't know why."
I do know why people have to die, because of sin. Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:15-17
Just a little side note... the woman wasn't even created when God gave the man this commandment...for all you who solely blame Eve. ;)
Anyways, we have all heard the story of how Eve ate the fruit and gave it to her husband and he ate too and their bad choice led to our falling into this place of disconnect with our Creator God.
So that's why! God said do not and we did! But why can't I eat the fruit God? "Because I said so!"
But even knowing that we still question, why? I wonder if in cases of suffering and pain, that there is more behind the question than we realize? God help us to understand the cry behind the why!
Maybe there is a deeper search inside of each question of why. A missing piece to the puzzle of our lives makes us always wonder, even if we don't come right out and say it. What am I here for? What is all this pain for? Why does it feel like something is still missing? Maybe there is something deeper or perhaps we are just ungrateful children!
The truth is we were created to have a loving and pure relationship with God! We were created to worship God! God loves us and He gave us the whole earth but we rebelled and broke His heart. And instead of admitting our fault and asking for forgiveness we ran and hid ourselves from Him. Typical human heart! We didn't want to see what we had done in the face of love. So out of sight out of mind.
But that God of great love is still seeking us out. He has paid the highest price to win our hearts! Jesus Christ His beloved and perfect Son shed His blood to pay for our sin and to return us to our Creator God.
If you've ever lost someone you love you know the pain that comes from such a loss. God willingly suffered a greater loss for the sake of saving us from ourselves and from the chains of sin and death.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:7-10
What are we here for? To get a good education and find a great job, start a family and go on vacation once a year...hmmm? That to me just doesn't seem to fit anymore! Those things are wonderful gifts that we get to enjoy but certainly not the reason why we are here! What would you do if you found out that the only reason you are alive today is because someone gave up their life for you? How could you go on being satisfied with anything besides devotion to that one by trying to live for them?
What about the pain of life? Bad things happen in this fallen land but; "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
It has certainly been seen through the ages how great men were born out of adversity. What if these sufferings and pains of life were somehow for our good? Can we receive beauty for ashes? I believe it's the only way! When we read stories and watch movies there is always some conflict for the main character's to over come. What would be the fun in a story where no fight no battle no destination needed to be reached or sacrifice made? Why do songs strike the cord of our hearts unless we can relate to the message behind them be it anger or sorrow or love or joy or whatever?
Let's face it, a life of pain and heartache beats watching paint dry! Faith is the key to overcoming this life! We will all be given the free will choice to have faith or to be full of fear. Hardships will either make you better or bitter. Author Randy Alcorn once said, "A faith that can't be shaken is the faith that has been shaken."
Praise the Lord for the chance to live a life full of love!
