It’s hard, but it’s worth it!

 

Do you ever entertain the thought that working on your spiritual growth and trying to walk the Christian life and grow more like Christ is just plain hard?

I think, we as Christians, need to talk about this more often.

Can I let you in on a little secret? No one and I mean no one, has it all together.

Not your pastor, not your favourite missionary, not your parents, not your Bible study teacher, not your youth director and not you!

And that’s okay.

We are all in different walks of life, different seasons, different levels of growth and none of it is easy.

Letting God change you is hard. Dying to self is hard. Staying quiet when you want to speak is hard. Speaking when you want to stay silent is hard. Waiting on God is hard. Trusting when you’re freaking out is hard. Fighting the daily battle with your flesh is hard.

Walking the Christian life is not a casual stroll in the park. Well, not a beautiful botanical garden type park. Sometimes, it’s more of a Jurassic Park.

But, if you’re going through this process of sanctification, and letting God work, just know that it is worth it. When you reach Heaven and the crowns are handed out, and you let go of them and lay them at Christ’s feet, with utter abandon in a posture of worship, it will all be worth it.

Don’t let the hard discourage you.

(Can I just say here that I see people doing hard stuff all the time. People are running marathons in their 40’s and 50’s and beyond. Others are managing small farms, providing food for their families. Others are learning new skills that take hours of their day to perfect. People are doing hard things. If this is you, then don’t use the excuse that Christian growth is too hard, and you don’t have time to spend with God. You are already doing the hard. You are already spending time doing the hard. You can do the hard)

There are days that you will struggle to make time to spend with the Lord. There will be days when you react rather than respond. Every day you will face the flesh wanting to indulge in pleasures instead of doing what it should.

But, as Christians, we have the Lord on our side and we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, speaking to us and guiding us each step we take.

It’s not easy getting up a little earlier in order to spend much needed time in the Word. It’s not easy to lay our phones down and read our Bibles instead. But, oh how we need to!

Our spiritual growth is entirely dependent on how much time we spend with the Lord, reading his Word, talking with him, listening to him and obeying him.

Yes, it would be a whole lot easier to just let the Pastor preach to us on a Sunday and let that take us through the week. But you know as well as I do that it’s not enough. No matter how good your Pastor is, it will not suffice.

You have to be in the Word yourself! Daily!

And yes, it’s hard.

We often use the excuse, “I haven’t got time”. I know most of us lead very busy lives, but we can’t use that excuse. It won’t wash with God. He gave us all 24 hours in a day, and he knows that we can make time to spend with him in all our busyness, it’s just a matter of priorities.

The next time you want to make the excuse, “I haven’t got time”, try saying this instead, “It’s not a priority”. How does that feel? Yeah. Hurts, doesn’t it?

The next time you realise you need to spend time in the Word but think you don’t have time, say aloud, “It’s not a priority”. See if that changes your perspective.

The Bible tells us that if we seek God first, he’ll take care of the other things.

Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

What things? The preceding verses talk about worrying about food and clothing and how God knows what we need.

We fret and worry and think that the washing and cleaning and cooking is so important, and it is, but what is it we’re to seek first? Christ and his kingdom.

Making time to spend with the Lord is crucial. It should be our highest priority. It needs to be done. If we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and if we are to become the men and women God would have us be, then making time for Him has to be at the top of our to do lists.

It’s plain hard work to get up a few minutes earlier, or stay up a few minutes later, just to have a quiet time with the Lord. I am not speaking from a place of perfection or having it all together.

For many years I failed to put God first, but after years of neglecting what was important, I have found God to be faithful to His Word. When I ask Him to help me in making time for Him a priority, and I do my part, by waking earlier or rearranging my schedule, he answers and gives me those little windows of uninterrupted quiet time in His presence, alone with Him.

We all live busy lives and some more than others, and no, we don’t have time. We have to make time. Make time, as in cause something to exist or come about. It doesn’t just happen.

I don’t have time to sew and bake and take photos and spend time with my grandkids, but you know what? I make time for those things when I want to because I enjoy them. I make the effort to put aside other things in order to do the things I love.

We make time to do the things we love. We make time to do the things that are important. And isn’t spending time with the Lord something important? Shouldn’t our hearts desire to feed on God’s Word and to spend time in prayer and study?

Psalm 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Psalm 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

The Lord knows your needs and what time needs to be given to the things in your lives. He understands that we are not to neglect our families and loved ones and our responsibilities, but oh how much more effective we can be if we make the time to sit in his presence, seeking him first above everything else.

Seasons of life change, and you will find that at different times in your life you’ll have less time and at others you’ll have more time to spend in His Word, but He will bless you with your widow’s mite if given in sincerity.

If you truly desire to grow spiritually and you long for a deeper relationship with Christ, he will help you make him a priority.

And you know what? I have found that the more time you spend with him, the more time you’ll crave to sit with him more. You will soon find that the 5 minutes you set aside to read his Word will not be enough and you’ll need 5 more and then 10 more. It will only whet your appetite and before you know it, you’ll be putting other things aside in order to spend more time with him.

Spending time with God will not only refresh you, energize, strengthen and empower you, it will also have a great effect on your spiritual growth.

Like I said at the beginning, spiritual growth is hard and the reason it’s hard is because we are imperfect humans. And we have a flesh that rages within us, with selfish desires. But, with God’s strength, we can stand up to it, push it down and choose to let God win.

We can’t do it on our own. We have to have the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s not easy, but with God, all things are possible.

We will face trials and hardships; we will struggle to walk close to the Lord and follow his leading. God didn’t paint a picture of flowery beds of ease, he clearly stated that we will have trouble. (John 16:33)

But he also told us that we will have his help.

Matthew 28:20b and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

And even though growing spiritually is hard work, producing the right kind of fruit (Gal. 5:22,23) and walking after the spirit (Gal. 5:16) is not easy, it is necessary in the life of the Christian.

We were not called, chosen, loved, forgiven and redeemed to simply walk through life unchanged, God has called us to be lights to a dark world. Beacons of hope and love. And the only way to do this is by growing in Christ. By being made more like him, so that when others see us, they see him.

Make it your desire and mission to always be growing. Always be learning. Always be studying the Word. You will never exhaust the treasures found in the Bible and you will never reach perfection, but you can push through the hard for your good, God’s glory and for eternal value.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. (Jam. 4:8)

Don’t neglect your growth, even though it’s hard.

Nothing is gained by ease. All is gained by perseverance and steadfastness.

Galatians 6:9 KJV - And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Stop Praying

 

God is still a miracle worker. God still answers the prayers of his people.

I felt I had to sit down and write about the importance of being persistent in prayer in light of some recent happenings.

The past four years have been very difficult for us for many reasons. We have struggled through financial hardship, challenging decisions that needed to be made and a myriad of life’s trials.

Throughout this time, we have continually brought our requests to the Lord, we have pounded the very gates of Heaven, looking for answers, hoping for relief, praying for guidance.

And yet, God was silent. Sometimes it felt as if we were speaking into the air. We were praying expectantly, sincerely, with what we were sure were pure motives and yet God remained silent. The expected relief never came. We wanted a sign. Any sign. A glimmer of hope. Just a glow from a flickering candle, piercing through the darkness, letting us know our prayers were being heard and considered.

And yet, instead of answers, instead of clear leading, we were met with silence.

Don’t get me wrong, God still provided in so many ways but the answers to the big questions remained unanswered.

As a busy wife, mother and grandmother, who wears so many hats and many of them at once, I often crave silence. I love to be alone in my study, pouring over a challenging passage of scripture. I love to sit in silence on the rooftop, staring into the changing colours of the sunset. Yes, I love my quiet, but one of the worst feelings is when the silence comes from God himself.

So, what do we do when we pray to God, especially when we are in desperate need of answers, and we are met with silence?

Do we come to the conclusion that God no longer cares for us? Do we begin to believe that he’s not even listening?

There was a Psalmist in the Bible who knew what it was like to cry out to God and be greeted with silence. And yet, we see him do something that we, as believers, often fail to do.

Psalm 42:11 KJV - Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

From this Psalm, we learn some important ways to approach God when we feel he is silent.

Did you notice I said we “feel” he is silent? Because often the silence we think surrounds us is only imagined. Sometimes we are guilty of filling our lives with so much noise that we can’t even hear his voice because God often speaks in whispers to our hearts.

Like Elijah, the great prophet of old, we have to listen for that still, small voice. (1 Kings 19:11,12) God’s silence did not mean his absence. He was still there. And he was still speaking.

But, back to our Psalm.

If you take the time to read through the whole of Psalm 42, you’ll find the Psalmist speaks about his soul longing after God. He mentions thirsting after God and yet in the next verse we see his tears. It seems that one minute he’s happy and praising God and the next he is downcast and miserable.

Sounds a lot like me some days. Up and down like a yo-yo. It’s not a new thing this mixture of emotions. People aren’t afraid to speak up about it nowadays, and neither was this Psalmist from years gone by.

But what I love about this particular Psalm is that he just kept seeking.

What is your natural reaction when someone gives you the cold shoulder or ghosts you? It’s to draw away. And yet, the writer of this Psalm did just the opposite. He felt God was silent and yet it didn’t stop him from calling on God. He didn’t give up. He kept in conversation with God. He kept the communication lines open, just in case the call came through!

Another thing he did was he remembered what God had done for him in the past. He remembered praising God in the house of the Lord (vs 4).

And lastly, he placed his hope and trust in God and chose to praise him. He didn’t place his hope in his circumstances, as they were dismal, he placed his hope in God.

Psalm 42:11 KJV - Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

You see in this verse the Psalmist having a little conversation with himself. I talk to myself very regularly and so I find it very relatable to see this particular writer asking himself these sad questions aloud and then cheering himself up by reminding himself to hope in God. And that’s not all he did, he made a determination to praise God. He made a choice to rise above his circumstances and choose joy.

Sometimes you just need to have a little conversation with yourself and rebuke yourself for your unbelief or doubt or fear.

So, what can we learn from this Psalm when we feel God is silent?

We learn to:

1.        Keep on seeking God

2.        Remember what God has done in the past

3.        Place your hope in God

4.        Praise God no matter what

In a nutshell, we keep praying! We keep seeking! We keep praising! We keep hoping!

What we know of God’s character, we hold tight to. We let that anchor us until we hear from him again.

God will not remain silent forever.

The Jews experienced 400 years of silence in which the voice of God was not heard. But he was not absent. And the silence ended with the coming of John the Baptist, a pivotal point in history announcing the coming Messiah, Christ.

Now back to my mention of answered prayers. In recent days, God has finally begun to answer some of our prayers and a whole lot more of my own personal prayers. Prayers I thought were going unheard. Prayers I almost gave up praying.

The Bible reminds us to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17), this is a command, it’s not optional. And so, despite the desire to give up, in obedience to God, we continue calling out to him, daily, hourly.

My despair at not getting answers in my time has resulted in answers I didn’t know were possible. And they were in God’s perfect timing. Not my flawed sense of time and action.

Having walked with the Lord for many years, although I am far from being perfect and never will be, and although I have failed in putting him first so many times, I have come to know the character of God in a deeper way and with more understanding as I grow in my relationship with him. And although I don’t always understand his silence, I can always trust his character. He has a good track record. He has proven over and over to be a faithful, loving God.

And although I don’t always sense his presence when I can’t hear his voice, I know that his silence doesn’t mean his absence. He is always with me, and he is always working. Some of his best work is done in the dark.

Keep on bringing your requests before God. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop until the victory comes and peace washes over your soul.

Don’t give up. God will come through. Just like he always has.

If he has done it before, he can do it again.  

Make a choice to keep coming before the Lord and don’t be afraid to bring the same requests to him until you hear his voice, and he gives his answer.

As King David determined in his heart, so should we.

Psalm 55:16-17 KJV - As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

 

DON’T STOP PRAYING!

 

 

 

 

Looking for love in all the wrong places

 

After my last short post, I sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to me and leading me to write a little more on this topic of letting God meet your emotional needs.

This post is more targeted towards women, because we are the more emotional of the species and struggle the most when it comes to being ‘needy’ in this area.

If you are a man reading this, please don’t let this put you off. The so called ‘pink’ passages we find in the Word of God are just as needed as the others. And we can benefit from both. God didn’t choose to hide emotions behind a curtain, you only have to read the Psalms to know this. And he wants us to read the whole Bible, not just the parts we think apply to us.

Also, men, I am sure that you have a mother or sister or aunties or friends that could benefit from what God has taught me and what I want to share with any who will listen. Feel free to pass it on.

So, let’s get up close and personal, and as I share with you my experience, search your heart and ask God to speak to you.  

A few years back I began to feel frustrated with my husband. At the time, I was battling through dark depression, panic attacks, anxiety, fear and worry. I started to feel let down and hurt by my husband’s seemingly indifference to my plight. He just wasn’t meeting all my emotional needs. My tank was sitting on empty and the dregs that lay on the bottom were just not cutting it.

I asked myself, “why couldn’t he communicate like I needed him to? Why couldn’t he just say the words I needed to hear? Why couldn’t he hold me when I needed to be held? Why did he stay silent when I needed comfort and reassurance?”

What I was doing was tearing at the very fabric of my marriage and it wasn’t doing it any good. I was basically asking my husband to be God. Because, only God can meet all of our emotional needs, and by me expecting this of my husband, I was putting unbelievable pressure on him and causing him to retreat even further into his cave, the cave I had caused him to carve out just to be able to cope.

Sometimes I would wait for my husband to come home after a long day of work, eager to ‘pour out my heart’ to him, longing to share with him what was on my heart and mind, needing to unload and have him fill me up, only to find myself frustrated because he was weary, hungry and ready to relax and not yet ready for deep communication.

I had no idea of the pressures he’d been under that day and so I couldn’t predict how he would react or how my sharing would come across. And more often than not, it sounded demanding, critical and laced with an ungrateful spirit.  

I was making his life difficult simply by expecting him to meet all my needs. I wanted and expected him to be there - physically present, emotionally available and spiritually strong.

And you know what? I was disappointed. I was unhappy that my needs were not being met to my standards. Not because he was a failure. No. He really did try to make the best of a bad situation. I expected him to be as perfect and righteous as God. What an unrealistic expectation!

I am glad to say that God changed my heart and repentance came. It took a while, a lot longer than it should have, but I came to realise through soaking my soul in the Word of God, that it was only God that could meet all my needs.

Any time I felt alone, any time I needed to feel loved, appreciated, heard, I could run to him, and he would be there. He would always be present. Physically, emotionally and spiritually.

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

I began to draw on the deep wells of Christ’s love and compassion. I began to rely on him more and more to meet my needs.

When I took my expectation of emotional fulfilment off my husband, I freed him up to become a better communicator. He could see that I was growing in my walk with Christ, and I was less clingy, less attention seeking, more stable and less moody. The pressure was off. He didn’t have to feel like a well that I was running dry by my constant drawing.

He needed time to replenish and renew and refresh so that he could meet the needs he was able to and leave the rest to God.

He knew, better than I did, that what I needed was the Lord. What I needed was to deepen my relationship with God and lean on him. My husband could only do so much as he is human too and has needs of his own. But the Lord is completely whole, without need of any support. He can give us his full attention. At any time.

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 want what is best for us.

Sometimes we long to have someone to share our deepest thoughts with, our hopes and dreams. Our fears and worries. 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 moment’s notice to meet a need you have or help you through a difficult time.

Whatever the case may be, I’m here to tell you that there is someone that can meet every one of your needs. Emotionally. Physically. Spiritually. 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.

Your relationship with him is of utmost importance. It needs feeding, watering, nourishing.

There is an old love song, written many years ago, called, “Looking for love in all the wrong places” and it came to mind as I was writing this.

So many times, we look for love in all the wrong places. We go searching for things that satisfy when all the while, God is standing there with open arms, waiting for us to turn to him.

He watches as we go from one thing to another. Searching and left wanting. He sees us expect too much of our friends and family, hoping they’ll fill the void that only he can fill.

We look to one person, or many, to fulfil us. We are trying to get water from people as empty as us. It’s a never-ending game of ‘rob the nest’ (for those who grew up playing games at Youth Group.) We’re never really satisfied.

The Psalms are full of laments and crying out to God. We read so many times of difficulties, strong emotions, tears, despair, and yet we also read of hope and love and compassion.

As the Psalmist pours out his heart to God, we see God bring comfort. We see restoration. We see renewal and refreshment.

And not from the hands of men, but from the very hand of God.

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 hearts 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.

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. How about asking God to fill you up?

Why pour out your heart to God? Because he is the only one who can meet all your needs.

Take a few moments to read these precious promises to us.

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 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.

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

Set those you love free from your lofty expectations. And trust in God.

Take comfort in knowing that the love we receive from God is unparalleled, unmatched, unsurpassed, unrivalled, unequalled and incomparable!

Embrace the love he offers you, celebrate the life that lies ahead of you, and live for the one who awaits you in Heaven, an eternity in his presence.

Let him fill you up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God can fill the empty spaces

This morning, I read something that stood out to me in the Book of Genesis.

Genesis 29:35 KJV - And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Now, if you read this verse on its own, you may be left scratching your head as to its significance. But in the verses before, we read the story of Leah.

Let me give you a bit of the backstory.

The first mention of Leah in the Bible is found in the story of Jacob. After Jacob tricked his father and stole his brother’s birthright, he was forced to flee to his Uncle Laban’s, where we are introduced to two sisters, Leah and Rachel.

Jacob fell head over heels in love with Rachel, the younger sister. The Bible tells us that she was beautiful, but her sister was less so.

Genesis 29:17 KJV - Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

The Bible doesn’t pull any punches when it describes a woman’s beauty however politically incorrect it may seem.

I did a little study into the meaning of ‘tender-eyed’ and found that there were vastly different views as to its meaning, but I’m going to go with the view that Leah didn’t have quite the ‘sparkle’ in her eyes that her sister did and that in comparison she was quite plain and wasn’t as easy on the eyes as Rachel.

If you know your Bible stories at all, you’ll remember how Laban demanded that Jacob work for seven years for Rachel’s hand in marriage and then tricked him into marrying her sister, Leah and then had to work another seven years in order to marry the one he loved.

I can’t even imagine how Leah must have felt, so unloved, so unwanted and even hated (Genesis 29:31). Her husband was not backward in making her know that it was Rachel he loved.

But the story progresses.

God looked on Leah and saw her pain. He saw that she was unloved and unwanted, and he blessed her by giving her children while her sister remained barren.

Genesis 29:32 KJV - And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

She realised that it was the Lord’s doing, but unfortunately her focus was off. She hoped that in giving her husband a son, he would now love her.

But Jacob’s love didn’t follow. And so, she was blessed with another son, and then another. After her third son, Levi, was born, she was sure her husband would be pleased enough to show her the love she so desperately craved.

But still, he didn’t.

The pain, the anguish, the hurt must have been unbearable. Every day she saw love showered upon her sister and she remained alone.

But then we come to verse 35 and this is where we see the change in Leah.

Genesis 29:35 KJV - And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

After bearing three sons and not receiving what she desired from her husband, Leah’s focus finally shifted. Instead of seeking, unsuccessfully, her husband’s love, she instead looked to the Lord who loved her. Unconditionally. Unfailingly.

“Now, will I praise the LORD”.

She finally came to the realisation that her husband would never and could never complete her. He couldn’t meet all her emotional needs (or any, in her case) and he definitely couldn’t love her like the Lord could.

She chose to change her mindset. She finally gave praise to God. He was the only one that could meet her needs. He was the one that was worthy of her praise.

The name Judah was chosen because it comes from the Hebrew word, yadah, meaning “to praise or to give thanks”.  

Leah named her son after the worshipful attitude that was welling up inside her heart after the realisation that God was all she needed, and God was to be praised.

Interestingly enough, it was through this fourth son, Judah, that God would choose as the bloodline through whom his Son, Jesus, would eventually be born. What an amazing blessing that she hadn’t seen coming!

But there’s more! God blessed her in her motherhood. Her third son, Levi, became the father of the tribe of Israel that was chosen to serve in the Tabernacle and later on, in the Temple.

What Leah lacked in her marriage, God made up for in eternal blessings.

Do you ever feel like Leah? Unloved. Unwanted. Just longing to be cherished or loved for who you are?

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. You can’t seem to connect with anyone on an emotional level.

Or maybe you feel spiritually alone. Maybe your spouse is an unbeliever. Or maybe you feel alone in your church as a single person.

What I want you to know is that there is someone who can and will meet all your needs.

Emotionally. Physically. Spiritually. 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. It’s unachievable. They don’t need that kind of pressure from you, and you don’t need that kind of pressure from them.

People will let you down, but your Heavenly Father never will!

We often 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.

The Lord Jesus is a protective refuge where you can pour out your heart, without fear of being misunderstood, misinterpreted or pushed aside. You never have to fear that he will turn a deaf ear 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 your heart and he understands your needs. He is aware of your desires and wants. He sees all the hurt and the pain. And he can heal all your 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.

You don’t have to win his love. You already have it! Unconditionally.

Just as Leah found comfort in the Lord and learned to trust him and look to him for fulfilment, so can we.

The whole time Leah was trying to win the favour of her husband, she already had the favour of God. What she desired was right there, within grasp, waiting for her eyes to be opened and her hand to reach out and take hold of it.

God’s hand of blessing was there all along.

If you are lonely today, don’t look to the world and its simple pleasures for fulfilment. Don’t look to people to fill you up.

Don’t waste your life chasing soap bubbles. The pretty things in this life may seem worthy of chasing, but they will never satisfy.

Don’t ever expect any one person on this earth to meet all your needs.

Look to the only one who can fill your tank to overflowing.

Jesus.

He is the one to run to. He is the one to cling to. He is the one that will meet your needs.

Give him all the praise. Give him all the glory.

Shift your focus. Set your eyes on him. Let your heart, mind and soul long for him.

Psalm 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

And then say along with Leah, “Now, will I praise the LORD”

 

 

Can you tell the difference?

 

As I sat in the darkness of the small, cold and gloomy room, the enemy’s lies swirled around in my head so loudly that I was sure they were spoken aloud. They pointed out where I was, what areas I had failed in, how I had doubted the God who made me. They screamed worthlessness, pity, scorn and despair. The lies bound me in chains I couldn’t seem to break. The darkness enveloped me and pulled me down into a spiralling vortex of self-loathing, doubt, fear and utter hopelessness and pain. I couldn’t shut the voices out. They were never quiet. Even in my sleep it seemed I was tormented by them. The emotional rollercoaster I was riding had no end and the twists and turns were more than I could bear. I feared I would be thrown out at any time.

I cried along with the Psalmist, How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Psalm 13:1-2

Do you ever hear the enemy’s whispers in your head? Quiet little lines like, “You’re worthless”, “You’re unlovable”, “You’re a failure”. Or maybe, at times, they’re not so quiet, maybe they shout, as mine did.

Did you know that you don’t have to listen to them? Did you know that you don’t have to listen to words of defeat and condemnation?

Can I remind you of a verse in the Bible that backs this up?

Romans 8:1 KJV - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Once you are saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8,9), this salvation cannot be taken away and once God declares you righteous, no one can condemn you. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

When Jesus died on the cross, he took our condemnation upon himself, he took the punishment that was rightfully ours because of our sin and all who believe in him have eternal life and are no longer condemned by God. Because of our secure position in Christ, we have life spoken over us and we no longer need be tormented by the Devil’s lies.

We all know that the lies come, and that negative thoughts overwhelm us at times. But, when the thoughts of defeat and criticism and censure come, they don’t have to stay in our minds. We can reject them. We don’t have to listen to them.

Sometimes, we just sit there and let the enemy whisper or shout at us. We don’t do anything about it. We don’t stop our ears to his voice.

They are lies! They are not the truth! Once we have received God’s gift of salvation, we are overcomers with Christ.

1 John 4:4 KJV - Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Christ is the ultimate overcomer, and because we are joint heirs with him, we now have the strength to overcome. When the Devil speaks lies, we can reject them. Why? Because they are not the voice of our King. We are with Christ and because he overcomes, we overcome.

So, what I want to ask is this. Do you know the difference between the shepherd’s voice and the enemy’s voice?

In John’s gospel, we read some interesting things about our relationship with our Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

John 10:27 KJV - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

When you know the shepherd’s voice, and you willingly obey and follow his voice, you will recognize when it isn’t his voice speaking and you will be able to reject the imposter.

The better we know the shepherd, and the more we listen to God, the better we will be at distinguishing His voice from the other voices in our heads and the less we’ll have to worry about listening to the wrong voice.

John 10:4-5 KJV - And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Look what it says in these verses. The sheep follow the shepherd because they know his voice. The stranger’s voice they flee from.

Do you know why it is that you may not know the voice of God?

One of the reasons is because you are not in the Word enough to know God’s character and how he speaks and what he says about you.

God communicates to us through the Bible, his inspired Word, preserved down through the ages. It is through his Word that we are sanctified and guided. (John 17:17, Psalm 119:105)

The Word of God is the primary way God speaks to us. It is literally God-breathed, and we have to realise that the words of the Bible are the very words of God to us. The thoughts we have need to be brought to the Word of God for comparison and approval. We need to let the Bible be the judge of every thought that crosses our mind.

Do our thoughts line up with the Word of God? If they go against what scripture says, then they are not of God and must be rejected.

Are the thoughts and promptings in our minds confusing or vague? God is not the author of confusion, he brings peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

God never contradicts himself. If he says you are no longer under condemnation, then that word stands. If he says you are declared righteous, then you can hold to that promise. If he says you are loved, forgiven, cherished, his child, redeemed and forever wanted and an heir of God, then that is what you are!

But did you know that it’s not only through God’s Word that we can hear the voice of God?

Some people are wrongly taught that the ONLY way God communicates is through the literal written word. But although it is the primary way, it is not the only way.

When we become a believer, God gives us the Holy Spirit to live within us.

Romans 8:9 KJV - But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

John 14:16-17 KJV - And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The Holy Spirit has many functions some of which are speaking, leading, guiding, helping, comforting and affirming God’s Word and applying it to your hearts. We are told that he is a revealer of truth.

John 16:13 KJV - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

What a comfort it is to know that the Holy Spirit, dwelling in us, reveals the truth to our hearts and blatantly points out the lies that the enemy wants to plant in our thoughts and see us live out.

There is way too much to cover in just one post on the subject of the Holy Spirit, but my main takeaway is that the Word of God AND the Holy Spirit can speak to us.

They go hand in hand. If we want to recognize the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we need to be familiar with God’s Word. Studying the Word of God and being constantly in it, letting it soak into our hearts and minds, can help us to discern whether or not our thoughts and desires come from God or from Satan, the father of lies.

Reading and meditating on the Word of God, and staying in tune with the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives needs to be tied in with one more thing. Prayer.

Never downplay the power of prayer in the life of the Christian.

We are told in the book of James that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God for it. (James 1:5). And we don’t have to come timidly into his presence either. We can come boldly and expectantly. (Hebrews 4:16)

God will speak to you as you come to him in prayer. Listen for his voice. He is your shepherd. He knows you. You are his sheep, and you need to learn to listen to his voice. Get to know him through talking with him regularly and reading his Word.

The more you know the shepherd, the better you’ll know his voice. And the better you know and recognize his voice, the more you’ll be able to hear it over the din of the world and the lies of the enemy.

Just as a baby knows the sound of its mothers’ voice, because of the bond they share, you will begin to know the voice of your Heavenly Father because of the closeness of your relationship with him.  

Staying in tune with God’s will, confessing and turning from your sin, making prayer and Bible study a daily habit will allow you to recognize and hear the Shepherd and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in your lives.

Don’t let the enemy condemn you. Don’t let him speak lies over you. Reject them and combat them with truth. Fight back against them with God’s Word and his promises. Speak truth over your life and let the Word of God wash over you, drowning out the harmful thoughts. You can, with God’s help, be an overcomer. And you can, in God’s strength, destroy the enemy’s attack.

He already knows he’s defeated, but you need to continually remind him of it by walking in close fellowship with God, obeying him, listening to his voice, responding to his perfect will and with as much determination that you can muster up, and through God’s enabling power, shout over the top of the enemy with great confidence, God’s unwavering and unfailing truth.

James 4:7 KJV - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Are you listening to the Shepherd? Do you recognize his voice?

 

“It’s not what you go through that determines where you end up, 

it’s who you listen to.”

 

 

 

 

And the crumbs kept coming

 

This morning, I sent out a short text message about a blessing I received and for some reason it really resonated with the majority of those I sent it to, and so I wanted to share it here and elaborate on it a little more.

I don’t know why it is so, but I am always amazed at the “common mercies” of God. Does anyone else find this to be the case? We really shouldn’t be surprised when God drops little blessings into our laps, after all, he reminds us over and over in Scripture of his goodness and his faithfulness to his children. And yet, we marvel.

Let you share with you the example I shared this morning. For those who’ve already heard it, stay with me as I expound on it a little more.

Tonight, we are having some old friends over for a meal, and one of the favourites in our family is crumbed steak. It is a laborious job of preparation but so very worth it! Shout out to my wonderful mother-in-law for teaching me the skill as a newlywed.

Anyway, I dashed into Woolies to grab a few things for the dinner and dessert and was frustrated to find that there were no breadcrumbs to be had. I knew I had almost a full packet at home, so I hoped it would be enough for the huge mound of steak I was preparing. I was also planning on grabbing a pumpkin, but to my dismay, they were nowhere to be found either.

Grabbing a bag of carrots instead, I carried on my way, making do with what I had, never stopping to ask the Lord to supply what I needed.  

Arriving home, I was surprised to find a very large pumpkin sitting on my kitchen bench and came to find out that a lovely lady at our local butcher, where our daughter used to work, had kindly given it to her. Blessing number one.

This morning, I busied myself in the kitchen, baking a cake, and laying out the necessary ingredients to start my production line of crumbing the steak. (On a side note, I really do miss those days with my daughters as we worked down the line together, pounding, beating, tossing, frying and eating the little testers as we went.)

I decided I would just crumb as much as possible and then go to plan B which would probably include toasting bread and turning it into crumbs. Not a difficult task, but just another thing to do.

Blessing number two. Just as the widows’ pot of oil didn’t run dry until the need was met, my pan of crumbs just kept crumbing, one piece after another was tossed in, crumbed and set aside. And then, as another was added, there was still more. As I crumbed the last piece, I marvelled that I still had some crumbs leftover and wondered if I had had more steak, would the Lord have kept on supplying more crumbs?

This endless supply humbled me. I had not even thought to ask God to provide what I needed and yet he did. And abundantly. Graciously. Lovingly.

It made me think of one of my favourite verses.

Ephesians 3:20-21 KJV - 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, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

God is able to do over and beyond what we ask, but not only that, also what we think, and I might add, what we don’t even think to think!

He supplied what I needed when I didn’t even ask. God saw my need and he met that need.

This wonderful verse in Ephesians is such a beautiful promise. If you look back to verse 14 and following in this chapter, you’ll see that they are part of a prayer by Paul to the church at Ephesus.

Paul prays for the saints at Ephesus that they may be strengthened by the Spirit, that Christ would dwell in their hearts, that they would be able to comprehend God’s amazing love to them and that they would be filled with the fulness of God.

And then, he writes these powerful words that we find in verse 20.

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..

The Greek word used for exceeding, is the word ‘hyper’.  If any of you reading this have a very active child, you will know all about that word hyper. It has the idea of over, above and beyond. Hyperactive children don’t just do things. They DO things! Over, above and beyond what you expect. Nothing done half-heartedly. It’s over the top.

And strangely enough, Paul uses the Greek word again, in the same verse. He uses it for the word ‘above’. So, we have 2 hypers in the same verse! That’s seriously hyper!  I think Paul wants us to really grasp this idea of God giving us so much more than we ask.

Paul describes God as a God who can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

So, God doesn’t just do and give what we ask or think, but He goes beyond. Over and above. He gives exceeding abundantly above.  We can’t even begin to understand what God can do.

Matthew Henry puts it like this:

“There is an inexhaustible fulness of grace and mercy in God, which the prayers of all the saints can never draw dry. Whatever we may ask, or think to ask, still God is still able to do more, abundantly more, exceedingly abundantly more. Open thy mouth ever so wide, still he hath wherewithal to fill it.”

But an even more mind-blowing moment is the fact that it’s not just what we ask, but also what we think!

We don’t even have to ask it, and He sees into our hearts and our minds, and goes over, above and beyond to do exceeding abundantly, to do even what we think and haven’t even verbalised yet!

How many times have you prayed for something small, just a little thing, and God answered, and you thought to yourself, “Oh! I wish I had asked for more”. We pray our small prayers, hoping for a little drop of blessing and God pours out a colossal river of blessing from His vast treasure house and our puny, little bucket overflows, spilling out and filling others’ lives as we share what God has done.  And we’re left wishing we had lifted a swimming pool to heaven and asked for that to be filled!

God answers over and above all that we ask or think. He doesn’t just answer, He ANSWERS! And He doesn’t just bless, He BLESSES! His grace and mercy are inexhaustible. Unfathomable. Immeasurable. Incalculable. Incomprehensible. 

But wait there’s more!

God’s abundance is not limited to only a few. It never runs out! His wellspring of blessing is everlasting. It is unending. Unlimited. Boundless. So, this means, that no matter how many blessings He showers upon other’s lives, there is still enough for me. For you. For everyone. We don’t have to fear that His supply will run out. There’s no need to worry that by the time He comes to us, there is only a drop left.

No! He supplies over and above. EXCEEDING ABUNDANT!

These last 2 verses of Ephesians 3 are the end of the prayer for the church at Ephesus and here Paul sets a good example for us. Notice he is ending the prayer with praise. Praise to an awesome God. In verse 20, he describes God and what he is able to do and then in verse 21 he gives God all the praise.

Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

It’s a good habit to get into. Not only beginning our prayers with praise, but also concluding our prayers with praise. To end our prayers with praise and thankfulness to God will bring glory to His name and have you rising from your knees with a grateful heart and a spring in your step.

Over the past couple of days, God has answered some BIG prayers that I have been praying about for the past 4 years. The answers took their time in coming, but God knew what he was doing, and his timing was in his control and the circumstances were under his hand.

And so, I want to encourage you to keep this verse in your minds and in your hearts and remember that God is able.

It doesn’t matter what struggles you may be facing, what burdens you may be carrying, what trials you may be suffering through, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all!  It doesn’t matter how big or how small your prayers are, He is able.

Take heart. Stay faithful. Trust in His promises. Bring your cares to him.

Wait on him. Watch God work.

And when He does, give Him all the glory.

Revelation 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.