I Can Trust Him

Do you ever get totally blindsided by a circumstance you didn’t see coming? Well, today we received some unwelcome news in regards to our business that we weren’t expecting, and we really didn’t want.

In my last post, I wrote about how we can face our future with joy. I encouraged my readers that they could face their future with joy because of God’s goodness to us in the past. He has a perfect track record. He has come through time and time again.

Well, as so often happens after I write something that speaks to my heart and I feel is worth sharing, God decided to put it to the test. He wanted to see if I could practice what I preach and see where my joy level was at.

(Be careful what you preach, because God will test you. He will put you through the fire to see what you’re made of)

After the news, I filled in a couple of hours with errands and jobs around the house, trying not to dwell on the what ifs. But God is so good, and he knows just how to reach down and touch you with his love and fill your heart with wonder. He knew that I needed a token for good.

Psalm 86:17  Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

I don’t really understand this verse as well as I should, but I do know that from my limited understanding, God gave me a token for good. He gave me a little glimmer of hope and light.

I find it so beautiful when God gives you a sign. A token for good. Something to remind you of his presence, his love and mercy.

As I sat down to eat some lunch, my thoughts were troubled. I felt anxious and fearful of the future. I didn’t know how God was going to work this present problem out. It looks hopeless and there is no easy solution in sight, but as I sat there, I looked over to the calendar hanging on the wall. I had made the calendar with some of my favourite photos and quotes, so I could be reminded and encouraged by them each month.

Well, as June was coming to a close, I thought I would turn over to the next month. And here is the quote I read.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God”

This is a quote spoken by Corrie Ten Boom, many years ago. If you know her story, you’ll know that she had a very unknown future. She lived in very uncertain times, and yet she trusted God. And God came through mightily.

As the page of the calendar flipped over and I read the words, my heart leapt inside of me. I let out a silent hallelujah and sent a prayer of praise up to God. I also showed it to my daughter and sent a photo of it to my husband.

How wonderful is it that we can trust our future to God? How beautiful is it to know that God, our creator, sustainer, provider and redeemer can be trusted with every circumstance that comes into our lives? He is never taken by surprise. He is never caught napping. He knows the past and the future and his plans for us are good.

We don’t have to be afraid of the storm. The waves don’t have to overwhelm us. The tempests may blow, and our frail vessel may be at breaking point, but with God in the boat with us, we need not fear. It’s not about the fierceness of the storm, it’s all about who is in the boat with you.

I know my God. I know his character. He is known to me, and I am known to him. I’ve seen him work. I’ve benefited from his victories in the past and I know he’ll come through again and again and again.

My future may be unknown. It may be uncertain. It may be troublesome and there may seem to be no way out, but my God is known! He is bigger than my storm. I can trust him!

I have no idea how God is going to work this present dilemma out, but I have full assurance that he will. It may not be how I expect, it may not even be how I want, but I know that he will do it and it will be just what is needed and not a moment too soon, or too late.

He has never failed me before, and he’s not about to start now. He will always be there. He will never leave me or forsake me. He will always supply my need. He will always be my provider. His will is perfect. His ways are right.

I may not understand the way he works, but I can have faith in knowing that he will work things for my good, whatever that good may be.

I can trust my unknown future to him because I know him. Seek to know God intimately and it will bring you comfort in your time of need. The more you know him, the less you will fear.

 

I can trust Jesus
I can trust Jesus
He never once has failed
To meet my needs
He is my strong tow'r
The strength in my weakest hour
I can trust Jesus
He takes care of me

 

 

 

 

 

Are you facing the future with JOY?

 

As I look around at the faces of the people I come in contact with on a daily basis, I see worry, I see fear, I see anger, I see feigned happiness, but I rarely see joy. True joy. God given, deep, abiding joy.

Our world and sadly, often our churches, are full of despair. They are full of fear. There is not a lot of joy out there. The sad and sorry state that we find our world in, does not inspire joy and hope and love and peace. I want to tell you that you can face your future with joy. You can face your future free from fear.

But how? I was reminded of some ways we can do this while listening to a podcast recently by a well-known author who I am often challenged by.

She pointed out that in order to face our future with joy, we need firstly, to look back.

We have to go back into our past (not to dig up past hurts or find someone to blame our present troubles on) but in order to look back and remember what God has done for us in days gone by.

If we’re going to be able to look ahead with joy in our hearts, then we need to dig into the recesses of our memory and find those times where we saw the hand of the Lord work mightily. We need to remind ourselves of the times where we found ourselves in a desperate situation and God helped us through. We need to remember his faithfulness and goodness to us.  

There are so many times in my life where I knew that it could only have been God who did the work. It was all of him and none of me. In my own strength, I never would have made it through.

We need to look back and remind ourselves that God was faithful then, and he’ll be faithful now. He hasn’t let me down in the past, and he won’t let me down in the present or in the future.

We can face the future with joy, knowing that he has come through in the past and he will come through again.

After we’ve looked back, we need to look to the present. We can’t avoid looking at our current season of life. It’s staring us right in the face.

We need to look at where we are at this present time, look at the circumstances we find ourselves in and then remind ourselves, that no matter what they are, no matter how hard they are, they haven’t caught God off guard. He knows all about them and he knew all about them before we were ever born. He knows everything that is going on in our world and he knows what lies ahead. We will never ever catch God by surprise.

So, if God knows all about it, then don’t you think he can deal with it? Don’t you think that he is big enough to handle your problems?

We can face the future with joy simply because God already knows all about it and he is ready for it.

And finally, we need to look ahead. We can rejoice that the final chapter of our story has already been written. God has already told us our outcome. We know who wins, and it’s not the Devil. No matter how many schemes he has and how many traps he lays before us, he loses! He is defeated!

Sometimes we forget that in the race we run here on this earth, there is a finish line. We forget that although the days are hard and we often get weary, God is waiting there at the finish line to welcome us with open arms, saying, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant”.

We have a home in heaven with him forever. There will be no more tears, no crying, no pain, no sadness, no more fighting and striving, no pain and struggle, only peace. A home in heaven with our blessed Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God!

We can face the future with joy because God has written the final chapter and the hero wins! God, our champion, is victorious!

What this world needs are to see Christians that are joyful. They need to see it in the lives and on the faces of the believer. They need to see true joy. Joy that springs up from a deep well of gratitude to God because of his faithfulness.

They need to see that when things fall apart, we don’t! They need to see that we seek after God. They need to see that we call out to God when times are tough, and we praise him when times are good, bad or ugly.

They need to see that we have a hope. We have peace.

How can we reach the lost world if we walk around with no joy in our hearts? Why would they want what we have if it looks just the same as what they have?

Joy in the Christian walk is not an optional extra. It is a command. We are told to be joyful, over and over again.

Philippians 4:4 KJV - Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 KJV - Rejoice evermore.

Psalm 5:11 KJV - But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Psalm 100:2 KJV - Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Let’s become men and women whose hearts seek after God, who have a desire for his Word and have a boldness that doesn’t shrink back in timidity at the circumstances, but bravely steps out as fearless warriors, with God by our side, trusting in him and facing our future with joy in our hearts and a radiance on our face that only God can give!

 

You have hope! 

Face your future with joy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait at the wharf

“Many a ship passes in the night,

touching at our wharf with the precious freight

which we have been praying for,

but we are not there to receive it.

Many a dove comes to our window from the

weltering waste of waters;

but we are too immersed in other things to notice its light tap.

We pray, but we do not wait;

we ask, but we do not expect to receive;

we knock, but we are gone before the door is opened.”

F.B.Meyer

James 1:6-7 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

How many times are we guilty of praying a specific prayer, then walking away and forgetting all about it? We don't stay at the foot of the cross, holding out our hands expectantly, waiting for God to grant the request with his abundance. Instead, we get discouraged, we doubt God's goodness, his provision, his protection. We go our way and while we're gone, the answer comes, but as the poem says, “we are not there to receive it.”

 Often, we pray, but don't wait. We ask, but don't expect anything to come of it. We knock, then turn away, not expecting an answer. We have little faith.

 Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 The passage in James tells us what we are likened to when we waver in our faith. When we doubt God's ability, we're like a wave of the sea. Now, waves of the sea are beautiful, don’t get me wrong, I love to stand in the shallows, feeling the wet sand between my toes as the water laps at my feet. In, out. In, out. In, out.

But when we pray without faith, we're likened to a wave. The wind drives it. It ebbs and flows. What is the wind in your life that drives you? Is it a wind of doubt? Is it a wind of fear? Is it a wind of anxiety? Is it a wind of peer pressure? What is the wind that drives your prayers and causes your faith to waver?

God says, “let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord”. If we're wavering in our faith and our prayers are half-hearted, and we pray without really expecting anything, God tells us plainly that we won't receive anything.

 Hudson Taylor once said,

 “Ask great things of God

Attempt great things for God

Expect great things from God”

 We don’t have to be afraid to ask big things of God and expect answers to those big things.

 God is waiting and longing to give us the desires of our hearts. He is able to go above and beyond our tiny requests and overflow our lives with blessings.

 Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us

 Then, why is it that we are not waiting at the wharf, at the window, at the door?

 Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

 So where does 'leaving it at the foot of the cross' come in? Some say we should pray for the thing once, leave it at the foot of the cross, and then have faith that God will answer. They tell us that we don’t need to keep praying repeatedly about it.

Well, I don’t pretend to have all the answers and I'm still on a steep learning curve when it comes to praying effectively, but I do know that God wants us to bring our problems to Him and not fret or worry over the outcome, and He also expects us to pray with a heart of faith, expectantly, hopefully and without doubt. He tells us in scripture to pray without ceasing. He wants us to bring our requests to Him continually and pray for the same thing over and over.

 I personally feel that you should keep bringing your request to God until he gives you the peace that it is answered or will be answered or that you are praying amiss and need to change your prayer.

 It is not wrong to pray for something consistently until God opens the floodgates of Heaven and grants our desires and we see the mighty hand of God work and we give Him all the glory.

 How many souls have been saved because a faithful Christian wouldn't give up on praying for that loved one to come to Christ? They weren't content to pray once, and walk away, not waiting for the answer. No, they were ready and waiting at the wharf, continually begging God and interceding on someone else's behalf until God answered.

 I don't want to be so busy in life, that I miss those little answers to prayer. We often ask a small request of God, then don't even see the answer arrive because we're so busy doing other things. We’re not waiting at the wharf. The blessing comes and goes by unnoticed. And because it is unnoticed, it is also not given thanks for.

 I want to be at the door waiting. I don’t want to miss a single answer! And I don’t want to miss an opportunity to give God praise for his exceeding abundant blessings, mercy and love!

 

 

 

 

 

Why Jesus is the best friend you can have

I wrote recently on the subject of letting God meet your emotional needs and how we need to run to him when we feel alone. I want to share some thoughts and verses with you today to remind you that Jesus is the best friend you can ever have.

When we say that Jesus is our friend, are we being irreverent? No. It is true that God is our King, and he will always be our King. But he is also our friend and the Bible backs this up.

John 15:15 KJV - Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

The Lord Jesus is our King and our God, but he invites us to be his friend also. He calls us friends.

We didn’t start out as friends of God. The Bible tells us that we were once enemies of God and that we had to be reconciled to him through faith and repentance. We had to make a choice to become a friend of God and we have to make the choice, daily, to grow our friendship.

Friendship thrives on communication and conversation. We read the Bible and God speaks to us and we respond to him through prayer and worship.

Because of who God is, and what we know of his character, we can take comfort and rejoice in the truth that he will be the best friend we can have.

Our relationships on earth and the disappointment we often face when friends let us down can be discouraging at times, but Jesus longs to be your friend and there are many solid facts found in scripture to prove why he is the best friend anyone could ever have.

Here are just a few verses that encourage my heart on this topic.

Jesus is the best friend you can ever have because:

He gave his life for you-

John 15:13 KJV - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

He accepts you as you are, regardless of your past –

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

He will never bring up your past mistakes -

Isaiah 43:25 KJV - I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

He is a faithful friend that will never leave you –

Hebrews 13:5 KJV - Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

He always listens –

Psalm 5:3 KJV - My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

He is easy to approach –

Hebrews 4:16 KJV - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

He is easy to read, and you can know exactly how to please him –

Ephesians 2:10 KJV - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

He is honest and never lies –

Titus 1:2 KJV - In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

He loves you unconditionally –

1 John 4:9 KJV - In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

He always wants what is best for you –

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

He knows what you are thinking –

Psalm 139:2, 23 KJV - Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. ... Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

He will never lead you astray –

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

As you read over these verses, can you see where human friendships often fail but God never does?

Often when friends find out about your past failures, they leave. Or maybe they’re just not honest with you. Maybe they’re difficult to approach or selfish and not looking out for you, caring only about their own interests and their future. Maybe you just don’t know how to read them and can’t figure out how to please them and be a good friend. Maybe they don’t listen to your heart when you share your passions or deepest longings. Maybe they continually bring up your past mistakes. Or maybe they’re a bad influence and don’t encourage you in your walk with God.

The Lord Jesus never fails us in any area and truly is the best friend we can ever have.

I just love that God knows us inside and out and yet he stills showers his unconditional love upon us, blessing us daily and encouraging us to walk with him, despite our past failings or faults.

He longs to have a deep and intimate relationship with you. He desires your friendship. He wants you to run to him. He waits with open arms. He is always enough.

Now, I am not disregarding human friendships, because they are important, and I believe wholeheartedly that we should make friends and strive to work on and grow our earthly friendships. We need support groups of friends around us, and we need to encourage one another in the faith, leaning on each other and lifting each other up when we fall.

Proverbs 18:24 KJV - A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

But we must always keep in mind, that friends will fail us, and we don’t have to live our lives continually misunderstood, alone or unknown, because we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother. We have a friend that knows us fully yet loves us fully.

He will never leave us. He will never lie to us. He will never misunderstand us. He will always be approachable. He will always listen to us. He will always and I mean always, with not even a hint of fakery, want what is best for you. He always has your best interests at heart. He gave his life for you and there is no greater love than that.

John 15:13 KJV - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 3:16 KJV - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

If you’re struggling today in your friendships, don’t give up on them altogether, remember that they take hard work and a lot of communication, love and forgiveness, but remember you have a friend in Jesus. He is the best friend you can ever have. You can bring anything and everything to him. If you lose all your friends here on earth, you still have him by your side.

He won’t be frightened off by your moodiness, your attitude, your lack of communication. He loves you unconditionally. He will continue to love you even when you are unlovable and disobedient to him. He will never cast you aside. He will never overlook you. You will always be welcome, and he will always be there with open arms.

There may be times where you need to repent of the sin in your life and restore the fellowship to where it once was, but once you become a friend of God, you will always be a friend of God.

John 6:37 KJV - All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Take comfort in knowing that the friendship we have with God is unparalleled, unmatched, unsurpassed, unrivalled, unequalled and incomparable!

 

 

 

Walk Run Fly

Are you going through a weary season right now? Do you know what I mean by that? A season where there is so much to do, so many additions to your to-do lists that you can’t cross one thing off without adding 3 more, so much work and so little sleep, you go to bed so late and wake up so early that you actually pass yourself in the hallway!

Maybe you have little ones, a newborn, toddlers, and lack of sleep and endless mental strain at the demands of child training is wearing you down, or maybe it’s teenagers, or maybe, it’s just plain hard physical labour day after day that never seems to end, but you can’t stop as you need to keep going just to pay the bills and stay on top so that you can pay the tax man once again.

When you fall into bed at night, you’re exhausted, physically, emotionally and mentally. You enjoy your much needed rest, only to get up and do it all again the next day.

Maybe you’ve had days like this, or months or even years. Being caught up in a weary season right now, I began to think about Isaiah 40. I love the comfort that the Word of God brings to a weary soul.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

What I love about this passage, is that although we grow weary and we find ourselves fainting, God never tires. He never faints. He is never weary. The great thing about this is that God is always awake, alert, strong and ready to lift us up.

There is a lot going on in Isaiah chapter 40, we have the gospel, the coming of Christ, the comfort he brings and his sovereignty, but the main theme, as I see it, is God’s greatness and his goodness to his people.

Verse 31 speaks of God’s inexhaustible strength and power. We have to remember who it is that gives us the ability to soldier on, through the weary and long days. It is only through God’s power that we are victorious. We are not able to make it through the weary seasons in our lives without the Lord’s help.

We are told that if we wait on the Lord, if we eagerly and patiently wait and trust and hope, God will renew our strength. He will recharge us and replenish and restore us once again. But we have to wait on him.

When we try and run ahead of God, we just exhaust ourselves and wear ourselves out. We set ourselves up for failure. We have to work on his time schedule, and we have to trust in him, faithfully and patiently waiting on him to give us the power to run and not grow weary and walk and not faint.

Tiredness is a part of life, and although the Bible tells us that God never tires, we read that the Lord Jesus in his human form became weary and had to stop and rest and refresh himself with food and water.

John 4:6 - Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Being weary is a physical sign that we are in need of refreshment, whether physically, mentally or spiritually.

We can’t always control the busy seasons in our lives, as things have to be done and time marches on swiftly, but what we can control is the choice to wait on the Lord and lean on him, seeking refreshment from him.

It’s easy to get caught up in reaching for other things to comfort us when we are tired. Maybe it’s scrolling through social media as a distraction, or binge watching a television series, or maybe it’s comfort eating. There are many things out there that promise satisfaction, only to leave us feeling like we’ve been eating dry Weetbix and we’re left thirsty and parched.

The only one who can give us the power we need, is Christ. Yes, we need food and water, even the Lord Jesus at times was hungry, but we need what I like to call, soul food. We need the water of God’s Word pouring into our hearts and minds, soaking into the dry and parched places in our lives. We need his updrafts of air, lifting us up as eagles and causing us to rise to new heights that we never thought were possible to reach. The eagle doesn’t run from the storm, it uses the storm to lift itself higher. Think about that for a minute.

Although you may be tired and the days are long, take comfort in knowing, that even if the weary season goes on for a lot longer than you planned, God is there ready to give you strength.

Isaiah 40:29 - He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

I experienced this very powerfully in my own life just yesterday. It has been a very busy few weeks and I had thought that I was to have a day off of sorts, as I had finished delivering all the freight that had come in. I was working on my to-do list and mentally formulating my day’s plan, when before I even rose from my bed to start on my day off, 13 pallets of freight came in and my plans were suddenly thrown into chaos.

Now, I don’t tell you what happened to boast, because I want God to get all the glory for his empowering work.

As I realised I had to throw out all my plans and embrace God’s plans for the day, I thanked the Lord and praised him for choosing to order my day the way he saw fit, as I knew that he saw the bigger picture and would have a purpose in it all.

I jumped out of bed, after hastily reading my Bible, and began my day, worship music playing out of my little, somewhat tinny sounding Bluetooth speaker sitting on the dash. I raced around madly all day in my trusty ute, with the wind in my hair and the sweat on my face.

And as the day progressed and my mood stayed upbeat, I marvelled at how God could keep my strength going and my cup overflowing with joyfulness. It had to be him. It definitely wasn’t me. I couldn’t have made it through that day with a song on my heart and a spring in my step without his power enabling me. He gave me power to walk, run and fly. Literally, at times.

And once again, only today, my plans have been thrown out the window and so I sit here writing, as God has given me time and space to sit and study and learn from him.

What an amazing and awesome God!

When you find yourself in a weary season, don’t be continually reaching for those creature comforts, reach for God. Yes, go ahead and eat that chocolate and catch up on your social media feed and reconnect with friends, but don’t neglect the one that can feed your soul and refresh and replenish you.

Wait on him. Trust in him. Rest in him.

Remind yourself of who God is and what he is capable of.

With his strength and his power you can:

 

Walk.   Run.   Fly.

 

 

 

 

 

6 Ways to De-stress 

I recently read a short article written by one of my favourite women authors, Cindi McMenamin (I can’t recommend her enough, if you’re looking for quality content and insight).

She mentioned 6 ways to de-stress, and as I seem to live in a perpetual season of stressfulness, I found it very helpful. I’m not saying I’ve figured it all out, but it was a good reminder to me, once again, on practical ways to de-stress.

So, here they are, the points are hers and I’ve added my own little descriptions, insights and scripture verses.  I pray that it will be an encouragement and help to you as it was to me.

1.    Start your day with a simple prayer

It sounds simple, right? That’s because it is. I’m not saying you need to rise at 4 am and spend 3 hours in prayer, although that would be awesome. No. I’m encouraging you to start your day with a short, simple prayer to the Lord, asking him to bless your day and order it as he sees fit. It can be as simple as, “Lord, please bless my day, I give it to you, please help me to honour you and please you in all that I do. Amen.”

If you make it a habit to pray before you even rise from your bed, you will soon find, that you begin to have so many prayer requests that you need more time to pray, and that’s great, you will just have to get up a little earlier. I truly believe that your day will go smoother when you start it with prayer. I’m not saying that everything will be perfect, because God’s ways are different than ours, but I do think that if we start with an attitude of praise and humbleness and willingness to do his will, no matter what our day throws at us, God will help us see it through without falling in a heap.

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

2.    Get Outdoors

Now, I really love this one! I am an outdoorsy sort of person and would rather sleep out under the stars than under a roof any day, unless of course if it’s raining, then a tarp overhead would be nice. Studies show that going for a walk and getting some beautiful sunshine and wind in your face will not only improve your physical health but also your mental health. And that in turn will help with your stress level.

We live in a world that likes to hibernate. With all our technology we can do most things from the comfort of our air conditioned, or heated, homes. Shopping, socializing and even church. But there is so much benefit in getting out into God’s creation and praising him as you look around you at all he’s made. I have what I like to call ‘rooftop worship’. This is where I climb onto my roof and gaze into the heavens, soaking in the sights and sounds and marvelling at the way God paints the sky with his colourful palette. Sometimes I do this in silence and other times while I listen to worship music. It fills me up.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

3.    Find Your Resting Place

There’s nothing quite as refreshing as finding a few moments of silence. Especially if you have little ones underfoot or you work in a stressful, noisy, environment. Just to be able to have silence and breathe in deeply, lifting up a prayer to the Lord and finding calm. So, look for a place to sit quietly for a few moments. I used to try and do that when the kids were little, by sitting in the bathroom, but the schoolbooks kept getting pushed under the door, wanting to be scored and the tap tap tapping on the door didn’t help the needed solitude. You may have to get creative, but it’s imperative that you do. Find your resting place. Giving yourself a few seconds of silence will help improve your stress level and you might even find yourself more productive after it.

The Lord Jesus spoke on rest many times in the Bible and he made sure his disciples knew the benefits of it too.

Mark 6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

4.    Find your song

Here is another one of my favourites. Praise and worship are found all throughout the Bible and you don’t have to look far to see the benefits of music and especially Godly music in the life of a believer. Practice praising God in song. Whether you sing out loud at the top of your lungs or under your breath quietly, find your song! Listen to good worship music that raises your spirits and lifts your head and heart and mind. The more you sing about God’s goodness, the less stressed you will be. If you come to my place, you might just find me laying outside with my music playing and my eyes closed, worshipping God with my heart and voice.

Psalm 96:2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

5.    Clear the clutter

Now here is an interesting one. Did you know that simply doing something like decluttering actually lowers your stress level? It’s true. We all, in our affluent society, have a lot of clutter. A lot of unnecessary stuff. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Uh huh. Right now, you have some thing or things in mind that could do with a good declutter!

Go through a chest of drawers and do a clothes sort. Look through your kitchen cupboards and donate all the unused items. It’s amazing how freeing it is to live with less stuff. Creating some open space in your home or office or garage, will really help dial down the stress level. More and more I am drawn to the idea of a tiny home. Less stuff. Less space. Less to worry about. Less to clean etc.

And the actual act of giving something away to someone who needs it more than you will help improve your mood.

Proverbs 31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

6.    Limit the List

Ouch. This one really hits home with me. I am queen of the extra-long, impossible to achieve, overwhelming and stressful to-do list! If we want to lower our stress levels, we really need to learn to limit our lists. We have to get serious about prioritizing and rescheduling things or removing them altogether. If you don’t plan some open space in your schedule each day, you will burn out. I know that from experience and yet I don’t seem to learn. Try to focus on the things that really matter in your life. Your relationship with God. Your relationship with your family.

Learn to discern what is urgent and what is important. We are not to neglect our responsibilities, but we have to be careful about how much we try to accomplish at the detriment of other things, or more often than not, people.

There are so many things we pile onto ourselves and fill our to-do lists with that really wouldn’t matter if we didn’t do them. Sometimes I ask myself, “In 10 years’ time, will this really matter?” Yes, there are a lot of things I regret doing when I could better have spent my time.

God gives us our days on this earth, and we are to use them wisely. We need his help to order our days.

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

 

If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, don’t forget who walks beside you and who is there to strengthen and help you. Your heavenly Father cares about you and he wants to see you joyful and full of his peace. Listen to his still, small voice, calling you to him and calling you to rest.

 

Philippians 4:6-8

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

 

 

 

 

You don’t have to walk this life alone

 

Are you alone today? Do you feel alone physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? Loneliness is something that affects each and every one of us at some time or another during our lives.

Sometimes it may not be physical. You may be surrounded by family and friends and yet feel alone. Maybe those around you do not share your passions or your interests and you feel like you’re the only one excited about something you feel is important. You can’t seem to connect with anyone else on an emotional level.

Or maybe you feel spiritually alone. Maybe your spouse is an unbeliever. Or maybe you feel alone in your church! There can be such spiritual apathy in some Christian circles, that if you’re walking close to the Lord and have a fervency about you, you find it difficult to find and connect with another believer who is searching the scriptures and excited about what God’s Word has to say. It’s sad, but it happens. And it may very well be you that is the one who is apathetic and comfortable in their half-hearted Christian walk.

Sometimes we long to have someone to share our deepest thoughts with, our hopes and dreams. If you’re married, I trust and pray that you are able to do this with your spouse. But there are times when this is not possible simply because of physical distance or a difficult day at work and one or the other feeling completely drained and incapable of communicating on a deeper level. Or maybe you’re single and don’t have a good support group of fellow Christians that you can call on at a moments notice to meet a need you have.

Whatever the case may be, I’m here to tell you that there is someone that can meet every one of your needs. Emotional. Physical. Spiritual. EVERY one of them! And that person is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, he is the only one that can meet ALL of your needs. It’s not right to expect your spouse or family or friends to meet all of your needs. They don’t need that kind of pressure from you, and you don’t need that kind of pressure from them.

There was a time, not so many years ago, that I felt frustrated and discouraged that my husband wasn’t meeting all my needs. I felt let down and hurt. Why couldn’t he communicate like I needed? Why couldn’t he say the words I so desperately needed to hear? Why couldn’t he be physically there the minute I snapped my fingers?

But God changed my heart and repentance came. He led me through his Word to see that God and only God was the one who could meet all of my needs. And that any time I felt alone, I could run to him, and he would always be there. He would always be present. 

Hebrews 13:5b ….for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

People will always let you down, but our Heavenly Father NEVER will!

Can I share with you some other verses that will be a comfort to your soul?

The Lord Jesus does so much for us and has given us so much, he is perfect, he knows all things and he knows you inside and out.

He comforts me when I’m hurting

2 Corinthians 1:3 KJV - Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

He understands me and knows my deepest thoughts

Psalm 139:2 KJV - Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

He is always there, even if I try to run from him

Psalm 139:7-10 KJV - Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

He thinks good thoughts of me

Psalm 139:17 KJV - How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

He freely gives me all things

Romans 8:32 KJV - He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

He has a future planned out for me

 

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

These verses are such a comfort and yet, they are only some of the ways God is able to meet my emotional, spiritual and physical needs. There are so many more.

The next time you feel alone, can I encourage you to tell God about it first? Often, we run to our best friend, or put it up on social media, or complain to our spouse. But the first person we should be telling is God. I need to bring it to him in prayer. I need to pour my heart out to him.

There is a beautiful verse in Psalm 62.

Psalm 62:8 KJV - Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

This verse tells us to POUR out our heart to God. Pour it out. All of it. Not just a little. Not half-hearted. Not accidentally. No. Willingly pour it out. We are to trust him, and we know we can, as he is completely trustworthy, and then we are to pour our heart out to him.

Psalm 62:6-7 KJV - He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

He is my salvation. My rock. My fortress. He is the need-meeter, for want of a better word. He is perfectly able to meet all of my needs.

Sometimes as I wait for my husband to come home after a long day of work, I am full of eagerness to ‘pour out my heart’ to him, longing to share with him what is on my heart and mind, only to find myself frustrated because he is weary, hungry and ready to relax and not ready for deep communication. I have no idea of the pressures he’s been under that day and so I can’t predict how he’ll react or how my sharing will come across. Will it sound demanding, or critical, or complaining?

Now, I could go on a rabbit trail on the subject of communication in marriage because it’s a very important topic for me and one I’m very passionate about, but I just want to say one thing. How about pouring your heart out to the Lord first, before anyone else? And then asking the Lord for discernment in what you should say, and how much you should say and when you should say it.

We put so much pressure on those we love, expecting them to meet all of our needs and yet God is there, waiting with open arms, for you to come to him. Come to him in your brokenness. Come to him in humbleness. Come to him with your tears, your fears, your heartache. He is waiting for you.

Do you trust God enough to pour your heart out to him right now?

The Lord Jesus is a protective refuge where you can pour out your heart, without fear of being misunderstood, misinterpreted or pushed aside. We never have to fear that he will turn a deaf ear to us or be too tired, distracted or drained.

Psalm 121:3-4 KJV - He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

He knows our hearts and understands our needs and he is aware of our desires and wants. He sees all the hurt and the pain. And he can heal all our wounds.

Psalm 34:18 KJV - The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

What a comfort it is to know that we never have to be alone.

Learning to bring to God all our needs, requires us to deepen our intimacy with him and learn of him. It means getting to know God better, learning how to communicate with him. It has to go beyond a surface level of bringing our requests to him in a haphazard fashion. We have to have a desire to thirst after God as the Psalmist did.

Psalm 42:1-2 KJV As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

When we take the expectation of emotional fulfilment off our spouse, family and friends, we free them up to become better communicators as they know that we are no longer clingy, longing for attention, unstable and moody, but that we have spent time with the Lord first and the pressure is off them to meet every need we have.

If you’re alone today, don’t waste this season. Don’t waste your alone time. Use it to deepen your relationship with God. And use it to invest in others. There is always someone else who is feeling alone and in need of a friend and an encouraging word. Let it be you who steps up to the plate, even though you’re hurting. Helping others really does lift your spirits.

If you’re struggling with loneliness right now, don’t forget who to run to. Run to the rock. Run straight into the open arms of Jesus and let him fill you up.

 

Tell God first

Trust God fully

Let God meet your needs.