He who trusts in the Lord...

         ...mercy shall surround him!

Some years ago, I was suffering from a setback from a chronic health issue. This particular Saturday morning, I felt just awful. I wanted to crawl back in bed for the day. The trouble was, I needed to take our young daughter to her weekly county horse program, something you simply could not miss. It ran from very early in the morning for half the day. Due to the nature of the program, the parent stayed the whole time, in the barn and out, winter or summer.

This day, my husband could not take her because he had to work. And, it was winter, a freezing cold day, something that could challenge the heartiest of souls in the mostly outdoor horse classes.

I could hardly face the day, yet I had no choice. So in my Bible and prayer time that morning, I really cried out to the Lord. Help! How can I do this? 

As I read, a verse just leaped off the page into my heart:  

“But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.” ~ Ps. 32:10 NKJV 

 

        Mercy! That’s what I needed, big-time. The promise was it would surround me. I could see myself wrapped in a blanket of mercy, the Lord enabling me, helping me feel better, giving me strength. Getting me through this challenging day.

The condition, though, was trust. Did I trust Him to do this? Would He actually come through for me? I prayed and said, “Yes, Lord, I choose to trust You according to this promise. You know my situation and I need Your help. I am going to go out and meet the day, expecting that somehow Your mercy will carry me through. Thank You, in Jesus’ Name, amen.” I felt an expectant faith rise in my heart as I prayed, and sensed God’s reassuring presence. 

We got to the arena and I settled on the freezing bleacher in the cold winter sunshine. I was soon absorbed in watching my daughter’s class go through their drill practice, and before I knew it, a few hours had passed. 

Suddenly, I realized that my body felt just fine; none of the distracting symptoms and weakness were there. He had done it! That cocoon of mercy had simply cancelled the troubles. I enjoyed the whole day with strength, and marvelled for long afterward at the little miracle I had received. It gave me a new confidence in the Lord and a strong lesson for my walk with Him. 

The Lord is so aware of every detail of our lives and is able to provide answers for them all. In case we question that, the Word is filled with promises specific to every need. I encourage you (and myself again!) to step out in faith today for whatever you are dealing with, trusting His Word. He delights in your confidence in Him, and will surround you--in your specific situation--with His loving mercy.

Bible study:  Psalm 32:10, Psalm 52:8-9, 2 Corinthians 1:3, Hebrews 4:16

Photo by Dunys Nevozhai on Unsplash

Don't worry! God's got this

 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:31-34 NLT

As Kingdom people, we have the privilege of knowing our heavenly Father is taking care of every need we have. Jesus actually commands us to not worry about anything. We are the Father’s beloved children by covenant, and as such, he has released us from the burdens of our own care.

Seems too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Sure, we are to be responsible and do our part for the work he’s given us. But our heart’s posture is to be one of faith—trust and dependence on God in everything. We are to have utter confidence in our Father’s love, concern, and absolute commitment to our care. The filter we are to see life through is childlike trust in everything. The flowers and birds don’t have to give thought about where their next meal is coming from because God is in-the-moment always caring for them.

Those 'what-if's'

But it’s hard not to worry. Fearful things keep us awake at night, and each day greets us with needs, some urgent. As if today’s concerns aren’t enough, anxieties about tomorrow also grip our hearts. Nothing seems easier than to follow the trail of what might happen—or what might not happen.

We need to remember a couple of things. First, fear, anxiety, and worry don’t come from God. They come from his enemy, Satan, who uses fear against us as one of his chief weapons. If he can torment us with fearful possibilities or make us doubt God’s love and care, he has achieved his aim. Second, Jesus tells us that the enemy is a liar and the father of lies, that there is no truth in him. Think about that for a minute—doesn’t that imply that we shouldn’t believe those “what-if’s”? 

Seeking the Kingdom of God

God, on the other hand, speaks only Truth. Everything he tells us in his Word is true, a rock we can anchor ourselves on no matter what things trouble us. Jesus promises that as we set our focus first on God and his Kingdom, everything we need—every moment of every day—will be supplied. It’s a given. 

So what practical steps can we take to deal with worry when it sets up camp in our hearts?

• Do what it says in the Bible: Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall (Psalm 55:22). Picture yourself releasing the weight of all your worries on him.

• Read other verses about fear and worry. (Some are listed below.) It’s a good idea to write these down somewhere so you can review them often. They will keep your focus on what is actually true—God knows, God cares, and God is handling it.

• Then, thank and praise him for being your wonderful Father. Thank him you have the privilege of being his beloved child. Praise him for the answers that he is working on, for his love and care, and for the good plans he has for your life. Praise is a mighty weapon that can rout those worries and refocus your faith. 

The next time you find the net of worry capturing your thoughts, remember who you are—a child of the living God! As you put him first with utter confidence and childlike trust, he promises to meet your every need. Remember…he’s got this!

Bible study:  Psalm 27:1, Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 6:25-34; John 8:44; Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Peter 5:7, 1 John 4:18

Image by homecare119 from Pixabay

How to do our Kingdom work

 “Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’” Matthew 4:10 NLT

Jesus left us a clear set of instructions when he left—preach the Gospel, make disciples. This is for all of us, but how many of us struggle to actually share the Good News? Perhaps we don’t have a clear understanding of our own giftings and how to operate in them, or we’re fearful and intimidated to share our faith.

But here’s good news! As we follow the Lord, he promises to show us how to do our Kingdom work. It’s a process, but as we do our part, he will do his. This is his work, and he has a perfect plan for each of us to help build his Kingdom. 

So how do we follow him today?

First, pray. 

• Ask him to give you his own vision for people, his heart for the lost and their need for him. 
• Pray for open eyes and heart to see the people around you and how you can love them. 
• Pray for God to give you opportunities to connect with the ones he has prepared to receive his message.
• Ask him to give you supernatural insight and understanding. 
• Ask him for boldness to share his good news for them.

Second, stay in the Word. Read it prayerfully every day and let it speak to you. This is primarily where God talks with us, instructs us, gives us specific directions for each need.

Third, obey what he tells you. This could be from the inner promptings of his Spirit or from something he quickened to you in the Word. Should you make that call or text to a friend? Should you speak to the clerk at the store? Does your child need help to understand God’s way in their life today? Who might the Lord want you to disciple this year? You don’t have to worry about the results, that his department. Ours is to obey and leave the rest to him.

And last, trust him to lead you. He promised he will show you how to make disciples. As you act on the opportunities he sends your way to share, teach, or encourage others, your confidence will grow. The Holy Spirit was sent to help you in all things, and he will lead you step by step.

We have the amazing privilege of partnering with Christ to tell of his love to a hurting world. Be bold to obey him today and believe that he will show you how to do that.

Bible study: Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Timothy 4:2, 5

Image by Anke Sundermeier from Pixabay

It's a process

“And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided…And the waters receded continually…the waters decreased continually…and it came to pass that the waters were dried up from the earth.” Genesis 8, selected

In the trials of life, it can often feel like the flood is overwhelming us. It seems we will never see day again, nor recover from the calamity. Yet here in the story of the great flood is a beautiful principle of the way God delivers and restores us. 

It’s a process.

In fact, process is the way God most often works. We cry for a miracle of deliverance, and in His love and mercy, He sometimes does that immediate work—and oh how wonderful that is when He does! Most often, though, He has us go through the process, trusting His promise and hanging on in faith.

We should take great comfort in Noah’s story. You can imagine the awesome fear they must have felt to see destruction come on the earth, to see all that they knew destroyed. They floated in that boat for one hundred and fifty days, having nothing but the promise of God to hang on to. When the day came, the rain ceased…and they waited. The water started to go down and the boat finally rested on Ararat. Yet they had to wait longer. They watched the mountaintops appear, the mud begin to dry out, and still they waited.

But the day came when Noah knew it was over. They came out on dry land into a new world and a fresh beginning. The hard time was behind them and God met them with blessing and a new life.

Be encouraged today…and trust His process!

Bible study:  Isaiah 25:9; Acts 14:22; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Peter 5:10

(Photo by Marco Fono on Unsplash)

Power for Kingdom work

"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."  (Act 4:31)
 
Why did Jesus come to earth? He came to call us into God’s Kingdom—to receive salvation and a restored relationship with the Father through him by the Spirit.

He left us an amazing example of how to do the work of the Kingdom. After his water baptism and filling with the Holy Spirit, he preached the Kingdom with such effectiveness that he changed the world. He did astonishing works—supernatural signs and wonders and acts of mercy—and told us that it was all by the power of God.
 
This is what happened throughout the book of Acts. The believers had to be filled with the Holy Spirit to continue Jesus’ work of bringing the Kingdom to the world—supernaturally. They, too, preached with boldness, and did amazing works of power and mercy. They were recognized as ordinary people with no special training, yet they, too, rocked the world with the Gospel.
 
So it should be with us. How do we think we can continue the mandate of “making disciples of all nations”—the work of the Kingdom—without the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit? We can’t. Ours is a hurting and lost world that needs Jesus. The gift of the Holy Spirit was given for power to be his witnesses. So let’s seek his fresh filling every day to be bold in our witness and do the work of the Kingdom in our generation!

Bible study:  John 5:19, Acts 1:8, Acts 4:13

Don't give up!

I was reading in Judges 1 this morning--a disappointing story for the Israelites after the glories of victories under Joshua to take the Promised Land. The tribes of Israel, in one way or another, "failed to drive out" the enemies whose land they were to dispossess and which had already been given to them by God.

What were they missing? They had the promise of the Lord's help and complete victory, and they already had the covenant right of ownership to the land and promise of complete prosperity there. They also knew from their experience under Joshua's leadership that when they fought the battles the way the Lord commanded, they won. But how sad to read of their compromise, their failure to press in until the thing was done. They weakened themselves and failed to receive all the goodness the Lord had promised them. Yes, disappointing!

There's such a strong parallel and message here for me, for us, in the battles of life. We have been given "all things pertaining to life and godliness" through Christ's victory, and have the promise of His prevailing victory in every confrontation. We need to press in and declare our victory in faith, and not back down until we have received our answer in full. How do we "battle"? We have Christ's authority, the name of Jesus, His precious Blood, the Word of God, the gift of prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Our victory is assured!

What is it you need today? Are you tempted to let go because the fight of faith is too hard or too long? Don't give up! Your answer might be closer than you know. To give up now might mean living in compromise--a half-answer or none at all. Remember, the Lord has already "given you the land" and rewards those who stay the course.

Bible study:  Judges 1; 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Corinthians 2:14; James 5:11; Luke 10:19; Revelation 12:11; Ephesians 6:17; John 14:16

Jesus, Our Light - Day 12

Heaven's Light

The call to "walk in the light as He is in the light" (I John 1:7) is the invitation God has spoken to mankind since the beginning when He said "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3). It was never His plan to leave us in the devastation and darkness that sin caused. The good news of Christmas!

The Lord is building a kingdom of light-transformed people who love Him and will spend eternity with Him, enjoying Him and everything they were created for. That little baby in Bethlehem was the Father's promise of perfect and restored life for us.

And the best is yet to come! Listen to what Isaiah prophesied centuries before Christ came:

"The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
and your God your glory."
~ Isaiah 60:19

He was not only referring to Jesus being the Light of redemption, but also the Light of heaven. Just as we see God commanding light to shine at the beginning of the Bible, at the end we see him declaring what our eternal home will be like after the end-times events. The apostle John, in the book of Revelation, describes the new, heavenly Jerusalem:

"The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it,
for the glory of God illuminated it.
The Lamb is its light.
And the nations of those who are saved
shall walk in its light...
There shall be no night there:
they need no lamp nor light of the sun,
for the Lord God gives them light.
And they shall reign forever and ever."
~ Revelation 21:23-24, 22:5

Hallelujah!

Thank You, Jesus, for being willing to come and be our Light, for being our "promised mercy" when we could not help ourselves. We can never thank You enough or praise You enough! Help us to welcome Your Light today as freely as You have given it.

Merry Christmas!