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Fear Not: God’s Power and Love Frees Us to Lament

DevotionalsOctober 13, 2019October 13, 2019

Fixating on heartache invites anxiety. But God commands us to fear not. Understanding His power and love frees us to lament in hope.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4, ESV

A great deal of life seems to play out in the valley of the shadow of death. As a matter of fact, I am currently in a season of darkness. Why not throw in the towel? How can I continue to take joy in the God of my salvation, when following Him places me on the front lines of battle?

Hope, for one; but not as an afterthought. Because flippantly telling someone to have hope in the midst of a trial is like telling an exasperated man “patience is a virtue.” Yes, thank you; I am aware…

Fear not…

It would be easy to fixate on my current heartache, but that gives birth to anxiety. However, God’s word has a lot to say in response to fear. Over and over in Scripture, we are told to fear not. But it isn’t dismissive in nature like, why can’t you keep it together? I’m God, remember? No; He commands: fear not, and then tells us why we don’t have to be afraid.

FEAR NOT:

I am with you
I am the One who helps you
I have redeemed you
I am your shield
I hear you
I am working righteousness in you
I fight for you
I go with you into battle to give you victory
I am with you wherever you go
I give victory
Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord

Lament…

Notwithstanding, neither can I ignore or control the incapacitating sorrow weighing down my soul. I must lament. Because the act of lamenting faces me toward God. While in His presence I am able to share honestly all that grieves and worries me.

Within His capable arms, I can say: This is too much! I feel overwhelmed! Remind me of your faithfulness. Open my eyes to see where You are working this for Your glory and our good. Fight for us! Protect us. Help me to stand firm on Your promises.

When we act like we can handle our suffering on our own, we commit idolatry — acting like we are God, capable in ourselves. Lamenting is relearning our humanity. Lamenting is admitting that we can’t handle it, knowing we need God’s power, mercy, and grace. If we could handle our sufferings, we wouldn’t need Jesus, his cross, his power, and his resurrection. Lamenting is how we grieve as those who have hope.
J.A. Medders, Redeemer Church Tomball, TX

Neither can I ignore or control the incapacitating sorrow weighing down my soul. I must lament. Because the act of lamenting faces me toward God. Click To Tweet

Limitless…

Relearning my humanity leads to understanding my limits. Finally, it is there I remember I belong to a limitless God. Furthermore, I can only dream of what God has prepared for the future. But even now, in His mercy, I am seeing collateral blessings rise up out of this dark valley. So I find as I rely on our limitless God, hope is catching like wildfire…

Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort…For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
2 Corinthians 1:7-10, ESV

Adrien Olichon

fear, faith, trust, oath, preparation, prepared, God’s promises, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry, nonprofit

Faith Over Preparation: Can Preparation Get in the Way of Trusting God?

DevotionalsOctober 6, 2019October 6, 2019

Preparation is not a wrong value, but it is when I put it over faith. God has made an oath to His children and He can be trusted. We can have faith beyond our preparation.

Preparation is something I value. But with 4 kids, it can be fleeting. I mean as in impossible…

Distanced Rally

It was 6:30 in the morning. My daughter was texting me that her load of clothes for school had just come out of the dryer with ink all over them.

“Ruined,” she said. “What can I do?” she asked.

“Is your Dad dead?” I asked.

Silence. 30 minutes later she calls…

“You didn’t order my lunch.”

The lunch she has to order because she is at a charter school that only buys enough food for what is ordered and paid for. Yikes. She is realizing this as she and my husband are walking out the door.

Did I mention I am 10 hours away? I’m about to move her brother out of the hospital, into a Ronald McDonald house to stay for 2 months and I am beyond scared. So, what do I do? I panic, and panic for me looks like a ‘rally the troops’ situation. In an effort to fix the problem, I message, Facebook, and text everybody I know in the county. It’s full-blown attack mode. Solve the problem. Find a solution. Plug somebody into the problem. I can’t figure this out.

Preparation’s Oath

Then I get it. I wanted this problem off my radar because the problem with my son was really demanding my attention. But, if I am honest, this whole situation was really revealing a bigger problem. Could I trust God with even this?

See, my husband and I are really good together. He does a lot of stuff and I do a lot of stuff. I can, however, kind of try to overcompensate. Ok, take over. It starts small and before I know it, I just do it all. He doesn’t ask me to. He doesn’t expect me to. It’s really a subtle irony. Rodney is maybe the easiest-to-please-person I know.

But, I’m not. I want to feel productive, prepared, together. I like knowing I took care of things…10 hours away. I couldn’t take care of things. The fear ruling my heart: Would I be able to replace the clothes if they were ruined? Budget is tight. Things are scarce. God had already had people step up and buy these school clothes once. What was I going to do? Trust that if she needed more clothes that He was and is big enough to supply them again.

God’s Oath

As long as I am responsible for the clothes, or my son’s health for that matter, I will be racked with fear. Fear is not a happy place to be. It says it’s up to me. But thankfully the cross says a different story! God’s oath to us:

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. ¹⁹This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
Hebrews 6:18-19, NLT

Jesus tore the veil that stood between God and myself, so I could trust in something greater than the Law. The law, which says I have to measure up and be good enough.

Faith over Preparation

Any time I think that I am about to look less than good enough, I have to remember Who is better than and not just good enough. I think this is summed up beautifully in the hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”:

And though this world, with devils filled
Should threaten to undo us
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us
The Prince of Darkness grim
We tremble not for him
His rage we can endure
For lo his doom is sure
One little word shall fell him.

I know for me, confidence in 3 words is beyond enough. Jesus uttered the words, “It is finished.” Hallelujah! I am grateful that He reminds me over and over. I can trust Him with inky clothes, with a sick child, with being 10 hours away, with my sin, with my future. Thankfully, you can too! Faith over preparation!

Fear is not a happy place to be. It says it’s up to 'me'. But thankfully the cross says a different story! Click To Tweet

Peter Oswald

Broken, brokenness, heart, love, restored, trust, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Shattered: Picking Up The Pieces Of A Broken Heart

DevotionalsJuly 1, 2019July 1, 2019

We will all, unfortunately, experience a shattered heart. People will hurt and disappoint us, but Jesus will always treat us will care. We must learn to trust in His faithful love.

The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

Odds are, we all, at one point or another, have fallen in love. For me, my first love was when I was 16 years old. I was a sophomore in high school. I entered into a new school with new friends and was lucky enough to be picked to be on the JV Cheerleading squad. Everything was going for me. My past had been full of ups and downs, but now, as a sophomore, things were taking a turn for the better. Then I met… him.

Butterflies and Love Letters

Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My love is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
See, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
My love calls to me:
Arise my darling. Come away, my beautiful one.
Song of Songs 2:8-10, CSB

He was popular, with good morals, and full of charm. Everyone liked him, and yet, he had his eyes on me. I didn’t understand why, but I enjoyed the attention. This is the stage in every relationship, at least in my generation, where love notes were written all the time. Back and forth we would express our feelings of what felt like love towards each other. I remember thinking, So this is what butterflies feel like when you love someone for the first time. I had never experienced anything like it.

For a 16-year-old, these feelings were all new and very exciting. I felt like I could do anything with him by my side. We attended church together, had nicknames, picked out our very own song, gave each other promise rings, and even managed to stay together when I moved away because of my Dad’s job. When life was hard, we had each other. When life was good, he was always the reason. Then one unexpected day, my whole world shattered. I found a note…

Shattered and Left Lonely

He attended a private school and was there while I was on break. I found myself over at his house often trying to help in any way I could, since his mom was single and working with much on her plate. While cleaning his room, I found a note on the floor with his handwriting. I picked up the letter thinking he had written it and just not given it to me yet.

After the first few lines, I knew that was not the case. I continued reading and noticed that he was talking to his friend in class about a girl he found attractive at his school. He expressed his interest in her and how he wasn’t sure what to do since he was still dating me. My heart pounded within my chest and the knot in my throat grew enormously in size.

Any girl that’s experienced a shattered heart, unfortunately, knows this feeling all too well. It’s a gut-wrenching, empty feeling in the pit of your stomach that just won’t go away. In that moment, my emotions were all over the place. Fear of the unknown, deep sadness, feeling I had just been replaced. And anger for putting so much trust in someone so young. I was left standing in his room all alone, brokenhearted, as I waited for him to come home from school. The clock ticked and tocked as I sat there counting the minutes of the inevitable breakup I never saw coming just two hours prior.

A joyful heart makes a face cheerful, but a sad heart produces a broken spirit.
Proverbs 15:13, CSB

Blessed and Learning Love

Obviously, the conversation that took place upon his arrival home didn’t go so well. He admitted he had feelings for someone else and that was basically the end of our relationship. It took WAY longer than I’d care to admit to get over that heartbreak. But in time, I finally learned how to move on.

Some of the hardest battles we fight are for love. We will fight hard for someone when we see that they have all the qualities we are looking for. We never forget our High School first loves and will remember those relationships for the rest of our lives. They draw out of us our deep longing for intimacy and connection for another. What I know now, and didn’t realize then, is that this desire for intimacy was meant for my Savior, Jesus Christ and no one else.

I am not saying that we can’t fall in love with people, because clearly we can and I have. However, the deep intimacy I gave my first love is meant for Christ alone. Falling in love with Jesus and making Him our first love has its advantages. This allows us to not place expectations on any other human we fall in love with, because they can not give us what Jesus can; which is an uncompromising, incomparable, everlasting, unconditional, eternal love.

Jesus never breaks my heart. Jesus never hurts my feelings. Jesus never replaces me for someone more desirable. Jesus ALWAYS chooses me. Knowing this truth has helped me learn how to love others and forgive them when they happen to break my heart.

May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance.
2 Thessalonians 3:5, CSB

Prayer For The Broken Hearted

Father, I need your love daily. Remind me that even when people break my heart and leave it shattered in pieces on the floor, you are there to faithfully pick them up and put them back together again. When I think my world is falling apart, give me eyes to see it’s falling into place. Lead my heart to follow you so I don’t fall into the trap of following it. My heart is evil Lord, this I know. Restore it and teach it to love like you. Mend it and use it for your glory and your goodness, God. In my Beloved Savior’s name, I pray. Amen

Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my instruction: do not fear disgrace by men, and do not be shattered by their taunts.
Isaiah 51:7, CSB

Falling in love with Jesus keeps us from placing expectations on other humans we fall in love with. They can not give us what Jesus can… An uncompromising, incomparable, everlasting, unconditional, eternal love. Click To Tweet

Annie Spratt

sovereign, trust, questions, prayer, rest, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

The Potter: Trusting Our Sovereign God to Take Care of Us

DevotionalsJune 25, 2019June 25, 2019

Asking God ‘why’ is natural. But we can rest and trust in God; His decisions, His timing. He is the Potter; Sovereign over us, His children.

The Life-Force is a sort of tame God. You can switch it on when you want, but it will not bother you. All the thrills of religion and none of the cost.
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I wonder, sometimes, if we Christians don’t wish for a tame God as opposed to One who has given us a way in which to live our lives…and actually requires it of His followers. You know, a god who is just nice and loving and gives us what we want. I had to ask this of myself recently when I realized that I was questioning God about a prayer that seemed not to be answered.

The Potter

Oh, I wish it was the first time or the hundredth time I had questioned Him about the way my Father handled things, but sadly, it wasn’t.

Have you ever prayed for a long time for a loved one to come to Christ and they remain unconverted? Or for someone to be healed and they weren’t? Have you asked for (fill in the blank) and it hasn’t happened?

Me too.

But this time, when I began to question God’s working, the Spirit reminded me of an old song called ‘The Potter’s Hand’, from a 1998 Hillsong album. He uses music with me often because it has been such a pivotal part of my walk with Him since the time of my salvation. This, in turn, led me to several scriptures concerning God as our Potter.

Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark; They say, ‘Who sees us?’ and, ‘Who knows us?’ Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall, the thing made say of him who made it, ‘He did not make me’? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’?
Isaiah 29:15-16, NKJV

Why, God?

When I was a hospital chaplain, I often heard the agony of heartbroken family members asking why ‘God had done this’ to their loved one who had a terminal illness, died unexpectedly, or suffered in a prolonged way. At the beginning of my career, despite my training, I wanted to defend God while comforting them.

It wasn’t possible.

And God didn’t – and doesn’t – need my pitiful defense.

But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And we are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8 NKJV

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!…You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
Romans 9:14-21, NKJV

I hope you will find time to read the entire chapter of Romans 9, as it reveals God’s compassion and sovereignty more completely than these few verses.

Historical Familiarity

In my lifetime, we have developed a familiarity with God that generations before us did not possess. Sermons such as Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” would hardly be tolerated today in most churches. Although it is considered the most famous sermon ever preached in American history, I dare say the majority of Christians in the 21^st century have never heard of it or Him.

Somewhere in the ’60s, we decided we liked the soft-sell of the Gospel as if there is one. A loving Father full of mercy was more palatable than the complete picture, which adds a Father who disciplines those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6; Proverbs 3:12).

Do you recognize the peace and love of the 60’s-70’s permeating the church? The Potter, Who molded and created us…well, He was so 1800’s!

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: ‘Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.’ Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?’ says the Lord. ‘Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!’
Jeremiah, 18:1-6, NKJV

And as His children, we, my friends, are no different.

Just Puppets?

Does this mean we can never ask God why? Are we His docile puppets? I believe we know the answer to that.

Let’s frame that in the context of a parent with a child. If you are not a parent, then look back to your childhood. How do you respond when your children ask you questions concerning a decision you have made on their behalf?

What was the motive for your decision? Was it out of anger or love? For their good? Their safety or health? This is vitally important because our Father’s motives are always pure and loving (Hebrews 12:10).

Were their questions for understanding or due to defiance, opposition, or insolence?

Don’t we believe that our Heavenly Father can be trusted to be a better parent than we are/were/had?

He is Sovereign

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
I John 3:1, NIV

Whatever you are living in at the present, trust Him.

Ask, but trust. Rest and trust.

As the beautiful, lyrical song professes, He is Sovereign over us.

We can trust our Sovereign God. It doesn't mean we can't question, but we can rest in His timing, decisions, and goodness. Click To Tweet

Andrew Buchanan

fear, grace, trust, unafraid, surrender, control, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Unafraid: Trusting God to Take Control of Our Lives

DevotionalsMay 15, 2019May 15, 2019

Fear is crippling. We must surrender the reins of control to God. In order to live a trusting and unafraid life, we must accept His grace and mercy, daily.

Trust. Five letters. One simple concept. We utilize it on a daily basis…

We trust that our alarm clock will go off in the morning and wake us up. Trust that our coffee maker will brew the liquid gold that is such a necessity to many of us. We trust that our car will start. Hopefully!

With significantly more certainty, we trust that gravity will continue to keep us pinned to the earth. We trust that the Earth will continue its orbit around the Sun. On smaller scales, we trust for personal, daily needs. On a grand scale, we trust our needs to be continuously supported on this planet we call home.

So, if we so easily trust these small things for our continued existence, why do we find it so hard to trust the One? The One who allows for, and is in control of, all the aforementioned things and more, to happen?

Control

The reason is fear! Four letters. One powerful concept. It has the ability to make us fight, flee, or even freeze in our tracks. Fear is “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.” The key words in this definition are real or imagined.

Fear stems from a lack of control. The more we feel out of control, the more we are afraid, and the more we are afraid, the more we try and take matters into our own hands. In short, the more out of control we feel the more we try and control our life situations and the less we trust.

Let me tell you a secret…

Come close.

Closer.

Right there…

Control is an illusion.

Trust is Peace

We have no control. We think we do because it keeps the fear at bay, but we really have precious little control over our circumstances. This is a lesson the Lord has been trying to teach me over the last five years. But here is another secret, the less I try to control my circumstances, and the more I trust God to take care of me, the more peace I feel.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7, NIV

Fear is easy. Being afraid comes naturally. We fight to keep something from happening or to keep someone or something safe. Or we freeze, unable to do anything. The wonderful thing is we don’t have to fight. The fight has already happened and God is the victor. Because we are His, we have nothing to run from, but Someone wonderful to run to.

‘Fear Not’

Staying unafraid is hard. It is an active choice we have to make almost every minute of every day. The phrase “fear not” is mentioned 365 times in the Bible.

He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV

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Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.
Isaiah 43:1, NIV

» «

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3, NIV

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Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4, NIV

To name a few and store in our memory banks.

Human Nature

God knew fear would be our natural fallen state. He knew we would need a daily reminder of our victory through Him. Even from the moment Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden and were afraid to approach Him, God knew. They had an intimate relationship with Him. They knew who He was and how He felt about them, yet they were afraid and ashamed of their sin. But, they couldn’t bring themselves to look at God.

The fall of Adam and Eve in Eden is the first instance of humans trying to take control. They were the first to feel shame, guilt, and the weight of fearful baggage. It is the first time humans tried to fight for themselves…

We have someone to fight for us. We have nothing to fear. In the absence of fear, there is trust. Psalm 20:7 says: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” When we have nothing and no one to fear, trust comes easier.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1, NIV

I am reminded of the words in Chris Tomlin’s song Whom Shall I Fear, “I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind. The God of Angel Armies is always by my side.” Romans 8:31 says: “More Than Conquerors. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” The Bible and worship songs are filled with reminders of the victory we have through Jesus.

Unafraid

Like being unafraid, trust is hard. We, unfortunately, mix our sinful human emotions and experiences with who God is. We mix our hurt and lack of trust with who God is. He has never let us down. He is not the boyfriend, fiancé, or husband who cheats and abandons. God is not the best friend who betrays trust or backstabs. He is not the mother or father who abandoned a helpless child. He is not the source of anyone’s pain, He is the healer.

We all have these experiences and hurts…baggage if you will…that we carry around with us. He not only wants to carry our baggage but dispose of it so we don’t have to carry it anymore.

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Psalm 55:22, NIV

Trust and being unafraid are active, daily choices. To live a fearless life and to fully trust God, we must allow God to heal us and take the reins of our life.

I am so thankful that the Lord is patient and offers daily renewed grace and mercy.

Grace. Mercy. Two words. Five letters each. Concepts that are life-changing.

Like being unafraid, trust is hard. We mix our sinful human emotions and experiences with who God is. We mix our hurt and lack of trust with who God is. He has never let us down! Click To Tweet

At the age of 12, Rachel was called into ministry and dedicated her life to the Lord’s will. This led her to teach and work at a school in Korea for four years after college. Through the Lord’s help, Rachel has grown because of these experiences. She’s learned to solely rely on God and trust His provision for everything.

trust, path, God’s Word, salvation, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

GPS: Using The Best Navigation Helps Us Find Our Way Home

DevotionalsMay 12, 2019May 12, 2019

Just like we all rely on GPS to get us to and fro, we need Spiritual GPS to keep us from becoming lost. The Trinity has everything we need to make it to our Heavenly home.

I tell you, use the worldly things you have now to make ‘friends’ for later. Then, when those things are gone, you will be welcomed into a home that lasts forever.

Luke 16:9, ERV

GPS – Global Positioning System

GPS, Global Positioning System, is a nifty instrument used to help people everywhere determine their exact location on Earth. When this technology came to my attention, I was certainly the one shouting Hallelujah! Finally! I will NEVER be lost again!

You see, I was always the one that had difficulty reading maps or any written instructions for that matter. Even though I trusted the person writing the instructions, I still found myself not trusting the path. I always doubted each and every turn I’d make.

When GPS came into my life, I found myself heavily relying on it because, quite honestly, it works! I get where I’m going and I always find my way back. Robert L. Easton knew what he was doing when he engineered this brilliant design. He is clearly smarter than I am! I’m just thankful it works! I know I can always trust my GPS will get me home safe and sound. And for that, I’m forever grateful.

I mean, aren’t you, Dear Reader?

God is Global

According to Google, global by definition means relating to the whole world; worldwide; relating to or embracing the whole of something, or of a group of things. God is the Creator of ALL things, which includes our world. I love how the second definition of global uses the word embracing, to give it a just description. God certainly embraces the whole world in His hands.

He is the inventor and maker of it all. He controls all things by keeping everything working in perfect harmony with each other. The Sun has it’s perfect position, as do the planets, the stars, and even you and I, Dear Friend. God is holding it all out of a love we have only scratched the surface to comprehend. For me, knowing this gives me a safe feeling inside. Knowing He’s got everything under control. It gives me peace and rest.

Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:14, ERV

Prophet is Positioning

Again, using Google as my dictionary today, I found it interesting to see that the word positioning means, put or arrange (someone or something) in a particular place or way. Or to promote a service as the fulfillment of that sector’s specific requirements.

Beloved, I pray you receive this today. Jesus is the Prophet whom the Old Testament prophesied would come. The Disciples had been waiting for Him! They knew Jesus was the One.

The people saw this miraculous sign that Jesus did and said, ‘He must be the Prophet who is coming into the world.’

John 6:14, ERV

God sent Jesus to fulfill specific requirements. He came to fulfill the Old Testament Prophesy; to live the life we could not live; to die the death that we deserve; and to resurrect from the grave defeating death itself. He is positioned at the right side of God, in Heaven. Jesus holds everything together with His powerful command.

The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God’s nature, and he holds everything together by his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven.

Hebrews 1:3, ERV

Spirit is Systems

You got it! Google defines systems as being a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network. It even breaks it up into four parts: Physiology – (The human body and organs working together), Computing – (Technology, like computer parts, working together), Geology – (Land and nature working together), and Astronomy – (Celestial objects, like planets orbiting around the sun, working together). This was very interesting to me because that is the divine purpose of the Holy Spirit. To work all parts; mind, body, and soul, together according to the will of God.

In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:21-22, CSB

The Holy Spirit enters our bodies upon salvation and begins re-building our parts to work according to the will of God. Our bodies become the Spirit of God’s dwelling place. That is so neat! It is trustworthy to believe, Dear Sister, that the same God who holds ALL things together, lives in us, holding us together as well. This is such GOOD NEWS! Just like our GPS is an instrument we use to locate where we are and where we are headed, The Spirit within us is the instrument helping us to determine which route to take.

Just like our GPS is an instrument we use to locate where we are and where we are headed, God’s Spirit within us is the instrument helping us to determine which route to take! Click To Tweet

GPS is God – Prophet – Spirit

After reviewing all this, I was compelled by the Holy Spirit to re-write my first paragraph. It looks a bit different now…

GPS, God – Prophet – Spirit, is a nifty instrument used to help people everywhere determine their exact location in life. When this trilogy came to my attention, I was certainly the one shouting Hallelujah! Finally! I will NEVER be lost again!

You see, I was always the one that had difficulty reading the Bible or any written instructions for that matter. Even though I trusted the person writing the instructions, I still found myself not trusting the path. I always doubted each and every turn I’d make.

When GPS came into my life, I found myself heavily relying on it because, quite honestly, it works! I get where I’m going and I always find my way back. I felt like, God, the genius behind this neat creation, knew what He was doing when He engineered this brilliant design. He is clearly smarter than I am! I’m just thankful it works! I know I can always trust my GPS will get me to my eternal home safe and sound. And for that, I’m forever grateful.

I mean, aren’t you, Dear Reader?

Faithful, God’s will, peace, trust, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Tapestry: Changing Our Perspective on the Big Picture

DevotionalsMarch 31, 2019March 31, 2019

Sometimes our lives can feel like a huge jumbled mess of ups and downs. We may not be able to see the whole tapestry, but we must trust God has complete control.

since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

1 Corinthians 14:33, CSB

The lead pastor of my church, JD Greear, has used the analogy I am going to share with you today many times in his sermons. It always gets me thinking and helps to change my perception of things in my life. I pray it will do the same for you…

What Is A Tapestry?

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a tapestry, I think of a large hand-woven blanket that hangs on a wall in an old historic church. They look magnificent because of all the details they display. Anyone looking at one knows the hours upon hours of hard work and love that went into each thread. The completed work is simply amazing. Now, let’s take that same beautiful tapestry and flip it over on the opposite side. Have you ever seen what a tapestry looks like backward?

A complete HOT MESS!!

There are threads going everywhere in all different directions. Colors are all out of whack and there are knots and strings dangling to and fro. The backside of this well thought out masterpiece looks like it threw up yarn all over the place!! If this thing were judged by its backside, no one would buy it, look at it or ever even think of hanging it as a piece of decoration!!

Understanding The Tapestry

Friends, God created each of us to see our lives like the backside of a tapestry. We are born, we grow, we make choices, good and bad. Then we die one day. We can’t always understand His reasons and ways for certain things happening in our lives. We won’t always be able to figure out or comprehend what He’s up too.

Sometimes we look at life wondering why everything around us seems so unorganized and dysfunctional. We go through life trying to find some glimmer of hope to help us understand this confusing threaded mess, but never seem to find a good enough explanation. We assume, panic, pretend, wonder, imagine, ask, pray, and everything else! Anything other than trust this absurd randomness. We forget far too easily that God is in complete control of our lives, holding our completed picture in His hands.

For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13, CSB

Like the backside of a tapestry, hitting a bump in the road of our lives, is actually us running into one of the knots God strategically put there to end one thread and start another. Whenever you feel that BUMP, remind yourself that a new chapter is on the horizon.

We do anything other than trust the absurd randomness of life. We forget far too easily that God is in complete control, holding our completed picture in His hands. Click To Tweet

What A Piece Of Work

I personally stare at the backside of my own tapestry and think “Oh goodness me, that is a lot of mess going on. I’m a piece of work!!” Then, I realize who is designing this ‘piece of work’, and decide to trust the process knowing God’s in control.

Our Father in heaven knitted us with power for a divine purpose.

From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Ephesians 4:16, CSB

He knows every sin and choice we will make before we even make them. God sees our life tapestry on the correct side knowing that we can only see the incorrect side. He did this on purpose as a way to reveal His details and reasons one step at a time.

When we see our sin as a jumbled up mess of black and gray strings, God sees the shadow He was weaving for the beautiful oak tree growing tall in our life. The timing of each placement of thread is impeccable. He makes no mistakes and never has any imperfections in His work.

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Deuteronomy 32:4, ESV

Take A Step Back

We can each see His timing best when we step back and look at our past. Noticing how God used different situations and different moments to work His good and power in our lives is simply amazing. Babies being born, weddings taking place, conversations that arise, new job opportunities. Whatever they may be, God shows us His divine care when we take a minute to look back on where we’ve been.

This helps us become aware of how we arrived where we are today. Somehow, the storyline, in all its chaotic form, still seems to make sense. God is a brilliant and creative storyteller. He is writing your story and supporting you every step of the way. Scripture says it like this…

A person’s steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord supports him with His hand.

Psalms 37:23-24, CSB

The Missing Piece

Trust me when I tell you, friend, He is working something so good in you right now! I promise it will be worth it when you finally see the pieces fall into place. Oh, how marvelous it will be when we one day stand before the throne of God. When we are able to see the completed work of our tapestries for the first time.

Your life tapestry is just one piece of God’s massive patchwork quilt that He has been creating all along. You are a piece to the much bigger puzzle being designed. Don’t ever let anyone steal your rightful place in the bigger picture.

For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose.

Philippians 2:13, CSB

Today Dear Reader, let’s choose to walk faithfully forward and keep trusting the backward tapestry that will one day be flipped over for good!

Prayer For Today

Oh Lord Help Me to see your goodness as I go throughout this day! Thank you for the ability to see glimpses of my front-facing tapestry. Help me to remain faithful as I trust that you are in full control of my life working all things for good. Forgive me when I doubt your abilities to bring to completion the work you started in me. I pray you will teach my heart to desire things above and not of this world. Lord, give me eyes to see the beauty in the backward tapestry knowing good and well it’s not yet complete! I pray these things in my Savior Jesus’ name. Amen.

Fancycrave

beloved, confidence, reflection, trust, God's love, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Reflect: Living A Life That Expresses Confidence in Our Savior

DevotionalsFebruary 27, 2019February 27, 2019

Current Christian culture can tempt us into checking spiritual boxes to feel ‘good’. Our lives are to reflect confidence in a perfect, loving Savior.

Have you ever met a new acquaintance at a function, and she didn’t take a breath, talking about herself the entire time you were together? For maybe 30 minutes? Do you remember thinking, “Dear God, please help that poor woman find a friend. I am not it! Help me to never be that self-consumed!!!”

Well, sister…in many ways, we all are.

Cheap Christianity

Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.

Soren Kierkegaard, a Dutch philosopher and theologian, wrote these words between 1843 and 1855, a period when his pen seldom rested. During these years he railed against Christendom, or rather a cultured and respectable Christianity in which one could mentally check off the boxes of prominent religious mores. Thereby satisfying the need to feel spiritually good about oneself. Kierkegaard expounded:

The tragedy of easy Christianity is that existence has ceased to be an adventure and a constant risk in the presence of God but has become a form of morality and a doctrinal system. Its purpose is to simplify the matter of becoming a Christian. This is just paganism, ‘cheap’ Christianity, with neither cost nor pain…It is like war games, in which armies move and there is a great deal of noise, but there is no real risk or pain—

Interestingly, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote something similar in 1937 in The Cost of Discipleship, but he called it cheap grace.

Culture-Current

I wonder how different we are today. While socially we have made a major shift away from “cultured and respectable” Christianity. Now the siren call is to be culture-current. Almost every evangelical church has a band and screens with the music, words and Bible verses displayed. The pastor wears jeans…and please, don’t forget the aromatic coffee served in the lobby! (I love coffee!)

Some teach pleasant Bible thoughts to live by; some preach expository sermons through entire books of the Bible. I have visited both types of churches. Regardless, the majority offer a great children’s ministry or they don’t survive long; youth ministry is a plus, too…

Self-Conviction

I digress.

Are you asking where I am going with this? I’m just following my heart, my own conviction, really. Bear with me…

What do we think about when we think about our spiritual lives? Or our Christian selves?…or do we think about it at all?

What is my life expressing?

Too often, I think, my own life becomes entangled with what my church culture has told me a Christian is supposed to reflect or reveal as much as Jesus taught. Or perhaps it’s just what I have come to believe myself – or a combination of both or all three!

For instance, I’ve been a Christian for most of my life and I believe I can say that I’m a good, moral person, but to whom am I comparing good? Jesus said no one was good except God, (Luke 18:19). Comparing myself to others and finding myself good is not wise, according to Paul, (2 Corinthians 10:12). Yet, how many of us, whether consciously or unconsciously, fall into this trap on a regular basis? I know I do.

Good and Moral?

And what if I am moral? Seriously. Apart from a relationship with Christ, morality, while good for our culture, is conforming to rules of right conduct. Throughout history, there have been many good, moral men who have not been Christian, (think Socrates, Jewish historian Josephus, or someone you know personally).

Is Jesus calling His disciples to be good and moral? A loud chorus quickly agrees that, of course, this isn’t enough! Christians are to be loving, kind, giving – even sacrificial, humble, patient, or…as my granddaughters would say – all the things!

The trouble is, we can’t…we won’t…we aren’t capable; not really, not every moment. Despite our best and most valiant efforts to reflect Christ, we end up expressing whatever dominates our thoughts. For most people, it’s me, myself, and I, (or my kids, my husband, my ministry, my church, my pastor, my weight, my job, my successes, my busy-ness, etc).

While we each desire to reflect the image of God and the Fruit of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22-23), sadly, too often we instead express – well – US.

Human Praise

Tony Merida, pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, NC, and speaker for Acts 29 Network stated recently: “When we soak up human praise, we rob others of an encounter with God. We choose to promote our own identity because we don’t want to follow God’s mission for us… Misconstrued identity is the atomic bomb of this generation.”

But why is it the atomic bomb of this generation? Was it not also in Genesis 3 for Adam and Eve or chapter 11 when the people wanted to build a tower to God? Neither narcissism nor distrust in our Father is new.

No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! […] And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:8, 11, NKJV

Reflect as Beloved

I believe much of our constant self-focus has to do with insecurity in our identity as beloved children of the Father. Our ears remain open to the whispers of doubt and lies of the enemy and closed to the truths of our loving Father.

When you lose touch with your chosenness, you expose yourself to the temptation of self-rejection, and that temptation undermines the possibility of ever growing as the Beloved.

-Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved

An intimate knowledge of being chosen and loved brings an unshakable confidence, one which does not need to be fed with narcissism or man’s praise. As the Psalmist declared in Psalm 9:10, when we are intimately acquainted with His name, we will trust Him because we will fully understand that He will not forsake us.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior, I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you…
Isaiah 43:1-4, NKJV

This doesn’t sound like Someone Who is going to abandon me. It sounds like Someone Who will love me until the end of time – and beyond – like Someone who always has my back. It sounds like Someone I want my life to express…and reflect.

I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior.
Isaiah 43:11, NKJV

An intimate knowledge of being chosen and loved brings an unshakable confidence. One which does not need to be fed with narcissism. When we are intimately acquainted with His name, we will fully understand God will not forsake us. Click To Tweet

Priscilla Du Preez

love, stubborn, trust, devotion, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Stubborn: The Lord’s Overwhelming, Relentless, Sacrificial Love

DevotionalsFebruary 11, 2019February 11, 2019

The Lord is stubborn in His pursuit of our devotion. His love is relentless and sacrificial. He knows the pain we carry and is waiting for us to trust Him.

“You need to get off the table,” I spoke as calmly as humanly possible. Deep breaths. Preparing for what was to come. We were on day 3 of having our foster son. It felt like day 103.

“No.”

Another deep breath. Stilling my voice. “You need to get off the table.”

With all the defiance he could muster, he flung the plastic tray from the game we were playing onto the floor. It did not have quite the dramatic effect he was hoping for. I was going to simply ignore it. Instead, my younger son – age 7 – demonstrated to me what Christ’s love truly looks like…

Selfless Love

My seven-year-old had been sitting at the table coloring, quietly observing the interaction that was taking place. The tray had been thrown, and he didn’t hesitate. He immediately got up from the table, picked up the tray, and calmly set it back on the table before sitting back down. The tray was thrown again, with even more effort. A second time, he stood up, got the tray, and set it on the table. A third time. A fourth time. Even a fifth time.

Each time he was so calm. Each time, he was showing love to him. I stood there in complete awe. Never before have I seen such a tangible and applicable way to show love the way Christ shows love. Continuous love, resilient love, stubborn love. My son would have kept coming back to serve him in such a simple way as many times as were needed. The Lord does the same for us.

Stubborn Love

After my son picked up the tray five times, and the game pieces following that, I found myself in a final stand-off situation with our foster son. We both had a grip on the next object that was going to feel his wrath. After seeing the example of my son, and praying for wisdom on how to respond, I looked him in the eyes and said, “We will not stop being nice to you.” At that, he let go and got off the table. He then proceeded to go under the table to silently sob.

He is only 4 and a half, Y’all. To have been done wrong so much in his so few years, no wonder he is ticked off and looking for a fight.

I sat down on the floor, his back to me. I said, “I know you’re mad, and it is ok.” Then I asked, “Can I hug you?” He didn’t say no, so I pulled him onto my lap and swayed to the music that was on in the background. He let me hold him like that for nearly 5 minutes. Those five minutes changed everything. Tears were streaming down my face as I held him; my 7-year-old sitting nearby and smiling sweetly at me.

Stubborn love changes everything.

Relentless Love

If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.

Matthew 5:39

Jesus lived this out to the ultimate sacrifice. His oppressors were beating him, ridiculing him, killing him. His response was to advocate forgiveness from the Father for them.

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34

The Lord has been relentlessly pursuing us with stubborn love from the earliest of days. Preparing a way when there was no way. He has been fighting for us, even having to fight us in order to earn our devotion back.

The Lord has been relentlessly pursuing us with stubborn love from the earliest of days. Preparing a way when there was no way. He has been fighting for us, even having to fight us in order to earn our devotion back. Click To Tweet

Sacrificial Love

The book of Hosea is a heart-wrenching, but beautiful love story of how the Lord pursues His people. What a godly man Hosea was! He lived out a true-to-life analogy of what relentless love looks like. He married a woman he knew would be unfaithful.

Repeatedly, she would run off with other men. Repeatedly, Hosea would go and bring her home. The book shows all of God’s emotions in this pursuit.

Expressions of hurt…

“…what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight…” (6:4)

Anger at the betrayal…

“What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me! Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about me…” (7:13)

Plans to fight for us…

“Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go?” (11:8)

Feelings of jealousy…

“…You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior…” (13:4)

Longing to reunite…

The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever…” (14:4)

Through all of it, He had a plan of redemption. A way to restore His people. But in His mercy, He still leaves the choice to us.

Unending Kindness?

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2:4-5

But there is an end, isn’t there? Oh Lady, please hear my heart. I so desperately want you to know the love our Lord has for you. It is not to condemn you, it is to bring you freedom. Life. He knows you are angry, hurt, scared. And it is ok.

I implore you to turn from the lie that God is holding out on you. Run into His arms. Feel the security of His embrace.

Annie Spratt

All scripture is quoted from the New Living Translation.

future, hope, plans, surrender, trust, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Uncertain: Allowing God to Guide Through the Unknowns

DevotionalsFebruary 4, 2019February 4, 2019

We all have the desire to know our future is secure. We fear the uncertain. When we surrender our plans to God, we have an assurance that He works for us and puts things together for our good.

Life is full of uncertainties. I fight against this fact, tooth and nail. I am a planner. Knowing what to expect in situations is important to me. I love predictability. I don’t care for the uncertain and unknown. This may make me boring in some ways. But if you take me on a road trip, you can be sure I will find all of the awesome attractions along the way.

While I may have a desire to know the future and to have confidence in my stability, I am slowly learning this is not how life works. When we over plan and anticipate every aspect of our lives, we steal away God’s opportunity to show up for us. When we are laser-focused on making the uncertain certain, we fail to ask God for help. We fail to fully put our trust in Him.

God’s Certainty

For I know the plans I have for, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11, ESV

We see and hear this verse so much that we may have become desensitized to its truth. God knows the plan for us. He is certain. Nothing is unknown to Him. More than that, the plan God has for us is for our good. It gives us hope and a future.

When we take the time to read this verse and let it resonate in our hearts, we come to realize that the unknown doesn’t have to be scary. This is where faith requires us to take action. We have to offer our future and our uncertainty into His hands. We will never have complete knowledge of what tomorrow brings, but we can be sure it is good and full of hope.

Uncertain Direction

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 32:8, NIV

One aspect of uncertainty is not knowing the right decisions to make. There are infinite amounts of outcomes to any one decision. We want to know that the choices we make are the right ones.

In attempting to make the right choices, a lot of times, we forget to seek counsel from our greatest teacher. The Lord promises He will instruct us and teach us the way to go. He does this because He loves us. We are required to trust in Him and learn to listen to His voice.

When we try to figure things out on our own and ignore God’s teaching and instruction we will make the wrong choices. We know that God will use all things. Nothing we do can change His ultimate plan for us, but if we don’t trust His counsel, our free will can cause it to take longer to get to what God has for us.

God’s Plan

God’s plan is always greater than our own. There are things that are in play that we can not imagine or prepare for. While planning and preparing are good, when we try to over plan and take control of our own lives we miss out on God’s blessings along the way.

‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’

Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT

God’s way is always greater than our own. We can plan and prepare all we want but our best will never measure up to God’s ways. We must surrender our plans and our desires for certainty to Him. For when we do this we have confidence that our future will be bright, hopeful, and beyond anything, we could ever imagine.

God's way is always greater than our own. We can plan and prepare all we want, but our best will never measure up to God's ways. We must surrender our plans and our desires for certainty in the Lord. Click To Tweet

Annie Spratt