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Face Your Enemy

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I have not posted in a couple of months for various reasons but one of the main reasons is that I was going through a personal storm. I would love to tell you that I had the “right” spiritual response when faced with this storm and that I went straight to the Lord and laid it at His feet. But even though I made a couple of meager attempts at doing just that, I ultimately allowed myself to go into a downward spiral. “Long story short” is that I have been diagnosed with a type of alopecia that is not easily treated (I will blog more about that another time). During this time of searching for answers, getting a diagnosis, and beginning treatments, I was on an emotional roller coaster. There were many valleys and tears but God has given me peace and hope at this point of the journey.

As He always does, God brings the right people and the right Word at exactly the right time.  A dear friend of mine gave me a book to read entitled The Believer’s Battle Plan by Pastor Trey Dickerson. In this book, Pastor Dickerson discusses 2 Chronicles Chapter 20. When was the last time you studied 2 Chronicles? Yeah it’s been a while for me too! But in reading this book and this chapter in 2 Chronicles, God revealed so much of Himself to me.

What are we supposed to do when faced with trials or an outright enemy? When I received my diagnosis, I went straight to the internet searching for answers to figure out how I could fix this. You see, that is what I do a lot of the time. I try to fix things on my own!  When I get backed into a corner unable to fix the problem, THEN I go to the Lord and plead for help. Sad, isn’t it? By this time in my life, you would think that I would know better! God has been trying to rectify this trait in me for years. In another attempt to teach me, He placed this book into my hands through my friend.

In a nutshell, this book taught me that the battle is not ours to fight! When King Jehoshaphat was faced with a group of armies coming to attack his people, he gave us a beautiful example of how we are to face our problems. King Jehoshaphat went immediately to the Lord and he instructed his people to seek the Lord and to fast. Jehoshaphat started to pray and in his prayer he began declaring that God is mighty, powerful, and that He cannot be defeated. He then REMEMBERED how God had worked on their behalf before and RECOUNTED the miracles that God had performed. Jehoshaphat REAFFIRMED his nation’s past decision to stand in God’s presence and to seek Him when trials come their way and then he REITERATED that God will hear them when they cry out and confidently declared that He WILL save them.

God heard his prayer and gave very specific instructions as to what they were to do the next day as the enemy armies encroached upon their land. A very brief synopsis of the instructions are 1) Take your position 2) Stand firm and 3) Watch the victory! It is an incredible story and one that I hope you will take time to read for yourself.

As part of His instructions, God told them two separate times to not be afraid or discouraged and to also FACE the enemy. Facing the enemy takes courage and strength! God does not want us to cower in fear when we are faced with trials but to stand in HIS strength and allow Him to fight the battle on our behalf. He very explicitly tells them that “the battle is not yours”. This is great news my friend and such incredible freedom. So the next time you and I are faced with something that seems will overtake us, our responsibility is simply to seek God and allow Him to fight the battle that He says is His in the first place. Simply take your position, stand firm, and watch God claim the victory!

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17

 

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Healing in the Hem

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She had been suffering for 12 years…. 12 years! Suffering not only physically but emotionally. You see, she had endured a bleeding disorder that made her ceremonially unclean in those days and was shunned by everyone around her. She spent all of her money going to doctor after doctor in hopes that someone could help her… this proved useless. The Bible tells us that she even got worse after seeking their help. But THEN, she heard that HE was near so she went to Him with the intention of just touching the hem of His garment. I suppose she hoped to do this unnoticed as no one wanted to be near her because she might make them “unclean”. But she knew who He was and the power of healing that He possessed and decided that it was worth the risk of being publicly humiliated and shamed. So there she was among the people crowded around Jesus and she stretched out her hand and was able to touch the hem in complete confidence that the touch was where her healing was found.

Feeling the power going out from Him, Jesus stopped and asked who had touched His clothes. The woman fell at His feet and admitted that it was her. Jesus tenderly referred to her as “daughter” and told her that it was her faith that had healed her. Her FAITH! After 12 long years of searching for answers and healing from doctors, it was her faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ that immediately stopped the flow of blood. Just one moment in the presence of our Savior had changed her life. She was immediately healed from her affliction and had an incredible testimony to share with others.

What are you suffering with? Is it a physical need, an emotional need? Have you been searching for answers and help among the professionals that we are taught to trust with our well being? Maybe it’s time to stop the search and go to the One that possesses the ultimate healing. Our FAITH in the Great Physician is where the healing lies….

Father, give me the same faith of this weary, bleeding woman to trust in Your healing!

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Paralyzed by Perfection

 

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My husband and I married 5 years ago after being divorced from our previous spouses for about 10 years each. We blended our families with 3 children between the two of us. Now being a family of five, my children and I moved into my husband’s house because it was the house with enough room for our small “tribe” (as we lovingly call our family).  My husband, being the gracious man that he is, told me that I could change whatever in the house that I wanted to so that it would feel like home to me. He previously (a decade ago….) had his house professionally decorated and there was a lot of stuff and a lot of colors! I didn’t know where to begin or what color or colors to keep and which ones to ditch. I was overwhelmed! I wanted to make it look nice but also to reflect my tastes as well.

So off I go to the home stores and decide that I will look for some new lamps. That’s an easy enough place to start (at least that’s what I thought). So I confidently go to the lamp isle and begin to look for the perfect lamps, the perfect addition to our home. But then the thoughts start circling in my head, “Will that go with the rest of the decor?,  I like that one, but I really need two and I don’t see another one like it, Is that big enough?, Is it too big?, Which metal is in style now?, What if I decide to change something else in the room? Will this still go with the new decor?”.  And on and on the thoughts race through my head until I walk out of the store empty handed and feeling defeated. “What is wrong with me? I can’t even pick out a couple of lamps!” Then that, of course, leads to negative self-talk about how inadequate and what a failure that I am. I was paralyzed by perfection!

This paralysis would show itself in other areas of my life as well. For years, I felt God was leading me to do more, maybe lead a bible study or start some sort of women’s group. But as I would try to take the first steps into making those things become a reality, Satan would remind me of all of the times that I had failed, where I had fallen short. He would say things to me like “With your track record, you are not worthy of teaching others about God” or “If people knew who you really were, they would never listen to a thing that you have to say”. Guess what? I listened to him!! I believed him. I chose to believe him over the truth of what God says about me. God says that I am chosen (John 15::16), loved (John 3:16),  accepted (Romans 5:8), forgiven (1 John 1:9), and that I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) . When God spoke this into my heart, I made a decision. I decided to trust what my heavenly Father says about me over what the father of deceit says about me.  This was not a “one and done” process but a daily renewing of my mind. Each day I continue to remind myself of these truths.

Through this daily renewing of my mind, God has led me to step up and begin to lead little by little over the last few years in different ways. Do I still feel inadequate? Of course I do! But….God is MORE than adequate to accomplish what He wants to THROUGH me. My response to Him as He nudged me forward was to just surrender, surrender to Him and offer Him my life. This life that He chose to create for a purpose. I told him on my birthday of this year that I did not want my life to be in vain and that I wanted to fulfill the purpose for which He created me. I will continue to offer myself up to Him and walk into my purpose of being on this earth all for His glory! I am choosing today and every day not to allow Satan to paralyze me with perfection any longer. I don’t have to be perfect, I just have to be willing to be used by my Creator.

John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

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Green Pastures and Still Waters

It’s a beautiful, warm Valentine’s Day in Weston, FL….. Ummmm where?  Yeah, I had no idea where it was either.  My husband told me we were scheduled to go to Hollywood, FL for a conference that he had been asked to speak.  Still not having a clue as to where we were going, I head to the maps app on my phone. Ohhhhh, it’s near Ft. Lauderdale. Now THAT is a place that I’ve heard of before.  I absolutely love the beach so I was looking forward to a day basking in the sun and listening to the waves crash at my feet.  We fly into Ft. Lauderdale and catch a ride with Lyft to go to our hotel. As I’m watching the map on Lyft, I notice that we are going AWAY from the beach! No, no, no, no…. I hang my head in disappointment. But, at least it’s Florida where the weather is warmer than Georgia!

I get up the next day and go to grab some breakfast, sit by the pool and bask in the sun… (there’s more than just one way to grab that vitamin D…it’s not the beach but it will work!).  After soaking up that golden love, I go for a walk. I begin to ask God what is the next thing that He wants me to share. I don’t want to write for me because let’s be honest, do you really want to follow my daily journey?  Probably not! Nothing too exciting happening here! But, maybe there is something that needs to be penned that someone, somewhere needs to read. So, as I am asking Him what that is, I come across two ducks and two birds that I believe are white ibis.  One duck is lying in the grass with not a care in the world and as cars are zipping by feet away and I walk by just inches away, he remains calm in his green haven. I hear that gentle whisper in my spirit,  “He makes me lie down in green pastures” and the 23rd Psalm starts playing in my head.

These two ducks proceed to follow me down the road for quite a bit and eventually I decided to try to get a picture for this blog. So I stop and allow them to come to me and we spend some fun time together. They are beautiful and colorful and one even wags his tail (do ducks have “tails”? I have no idea but it was tail-like).  They had no fear of me but I had a little for them. We’ve all seen the videos of ducks charging people and I didn’t want to be anyone’s Youtube video of the day!!! There is more to the duck story but I will stop here because I want to explore that most famous Psalm.

In David’s beautiful psalm, he wrote of the Lord being his shepherd. David knew a thing or two about being a shepherd because that had been his job since he was a youth. A shepherd’s job is to care for his flock by providing for them and protecting them. David knew that because the Lord was his shepherd he would not lack anything or want for anything. He knew that God would supply all of his needs and that God would also protect him from danger. In knowing that God was shepherding him, David was free to lie down in green pastures and allow his soul to be refreshed beside the quiet waters.

Today God still shepherds his people! If you will allow Him, he will provide for and protect you too. So often we hold the reins so tightly on our lives that the circulation is decreased in our extremity and the imprint of the reins is left on our hands. We are so afraid to let go and let God…. What if? What if, for once in your life, you took a chance and loosened your grip on those reins and let God take control? His Word tells us time and time again how much He loves and cares for us. He will provide and protect like all good shepherds do but you HAVE to hand the reins over to Him. He will not take them from you.

Your Shepherd is right beside you patiently waiting… will you hand Him the reins on that issue that you have been so desperately trying to control? Your marriage, your children, your job, your health, your addiction, your finances, your insecurity, your hurts, your failures…. Give it to Him today! Take a load off and go sit beside those still waters and lie in those green pastures.  Allow Him to guide you along the right paths and refresh your soul! He’s a good, good Father. You can trust Him…

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2  He makes me lie down in green pastures,
    he leads me beside quiet waters,
3  he refreshes my soul.
    He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
    I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
   You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
   and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

 

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Beauty for Ashes

       What is your ancestry? Do you know the people that are in your family line? Were they good people or did some of them live shady lives? What was their profession; nurse, lawyer, carpenter, mechanic, coach, teacher? Are there multiple ethnicities and countries represented? Knowing your lineage is very “en vogue” right now.

         Have you ever thought about Jesus’ birth line? Surely each person in his ancestry was holy and lived a life that was above reproach, right? Wrong! Tamar posed as a prostitute and slept with her father-in-law. Rahab was also a prostitute and she intentionally lied to hide two men sent to spy in her land. Then there was Bathsheba. She was married to Uriah but slept with King David.  After finding out Bathsheba was pregnant with his baby, David brought Uriah home from war to sleep with Bathsheba to cover up the pregnancy. When that plan failed, David had Uriah killed while at war. (Goodness! That web is more tangled than any Grey’s Anatomy episode ever hoped to be) And THAT is just a few of the WOMEN in the lineage!

         God used regular, everyday, broken people to fulfill His promise to bring us a Savior. From ashes of adultery, prostitution, deceit, and murder, God delivered a beautiful and perfect baby boy sent to save the lost. As I was thinking about that today, I was reminded of how many times my life has been in complete and utter ashes and God has restored beauty back to me. I know I’m not alone. You have your story, too. We have all had times in our life when things were in shambles either because of something we have done or something that was done TO us. When you are sitting in the middle of that ashtray, it is so hard to imagine anything remotely beautiful in your future. While you are there, God collects every tear that falls and places them in a bottle and records every sorrow in His book. (Psalm 56:8) He is keeping track of our every hurt. Oh how He cares for us! 

         Our Father is tender to us during those times but He never intends for you to stay covered in soot. God’s Word tells us that if we cry out to Him, He will deliver us from our troubles. It also tells us that He desires for us to live in freedom. He promises to exchange our ashes for a crown of beauty, our mourning for oil of joy, and our spirit of despair for a garment of praise! (Isaiah 61:3)

         Lift your head and look up, sister. Allow God to cradle your face in His hands and wipe your tears with His gentle touch. He wants to take your mess of a life and all of your past mistakes and He wants to create something beautiful.  What Satan intended to harm you, God intended it for good. He will accomplish it! (Genesis 50:20) Place your feet firmly on your path of beauty and watch the amazing things God will do. 

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Are you Hungry?

On a mild, winter afternoon in Georgia with a large pot of soup, cornbread, chocolate chip cookies, and water, four friends embarked on a life changing expedition. Half of us were experienced at what we were about to embark upon and half of us were fresh-eyed innocents. Ray gave us instructions and off we went! Filled with anticipation, excitement, and a little trepidation we drove around to look for God’s homeless children. They were not hard to find. We found Bob, Tyree, Jason, and countless others walking downtown, sitting in a group, or laying in their makeshift home.  As we saw them, we rolled down the window in our “travelling cafeteria” and asked the simple question “are you hungry?”.  With the exception of maybe 3 people, God’s children answered affirmatively and we either drove up to them or asked them to come to us depending on the location.

God’s children were extremely thankful and gracious. We noticed time and time again how they would look out for each other and were never greedy.  They would call to their friend across the street to come over. “Come here! You will understand once you get here!”, one man exclaimed. “Can I have another bowl to take to my blind friend who is inside?”, another of God’s children asked. When I was asking God’s son down the street if he was hungry and got no response, another son receiving his soup from the back of the SUV informed me that the other man was deaf and mute but then quickly motioned for his friend to come over. After receiving their portion, they each thanked us and blessed us.

Bob was one of the first that we met along our journey. While making small talk with him, he smiled and informed us that he was staying very warm and even at night he sometimes would get hot. His “bed” was off in the distance with his belongings next to it. Bob was content, happy.  He expressed his feelings of being blessed that he was warm even when others were not. As Bob turned to walk away and I said my goodbyes, I opened the door to get back in the vehicle and my emotions flooded my spirit. With tears streaming down my face, I wondered how Bob could feel so content and blessed with no roof over his head and with that thought I became convicted. God forgive me when I am not satisfied!

We continued down a side road and saw two young females with an older man. One of the girls seemed to be an older teen or a younger twenty-something. Ray informed us that the man was probably their pimp. My heart broke in two. My mind began racing, “what do I say?”, “what can I do?”, “how do I rescue these girls?”. But then I realize my limitations and simply offer them the soup and tell them that Jesus loves them. After a short conversation, they walk off into the distance to find a place to rest and eat and all I can do is speak my Savior’s name. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus….

Many were encountered today and many etched a place in my mind and in my heart. But one in particular caused each of us separately and then as a group to start asking questions and wondering what we can to do to help. After brainstorming and tossing scenarios around, Ray went back to talk to Jason. Ray was able to not only get some history of how Jason came to be in this situation but also to witness to him and to discuss with him the possibility of getting him some help. We have begun the process of reaching out to others that may be able to offer guidance and assistance to us as we help him.  Our prayer is that Jason will most importantly come to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior but we also want to help Jason have a second chance. He matters and he is worth it!

Each of these people today expressed “hunger” which Merriam- Webster defines as a craving or urgent need for food or as a strong desire.  I want to ask the question one more time, to you, are you hungry? What are you hungry for? What is it that you desire? What are you yearning for? Search deep to identify that hunger and take your “bowl” to the cross where Jesus and only Jesus will fill your bowl to over-flowing with a soup that will wash away your pain and fill any holes that are there. Allow Jesus to satisfy your hunger today.