Courage and Confidence

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:13

"Believing steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith.  There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test.  Faith is absolute trust in God-trust that could never imagine that He would never forsake us."

Oswald Chambers.

I read an interesting thought in my personal devotions today and thought I'd share.

Jeannie Blackmer wrote, "Often I desire confidence first and assume courage will follow, but what if courage comes before confidence?  I want to be brave, take a leap of faith and THEN experience confidence, and it I mess up, I will just reach out for Jesus."  (Mornings With Jesus, pg. 332, 2022 Zondervan Books)

I liked her thoughts.  Often times I make my decisions based on what I already know I can do, instead of doing what God has called me to do IN HIM.

Do I step out in my own confidence and expect courage to follow?  Or do I courageously step out in faith that will allow my confidence in my Lord to grow?

Have I placed my confidence in me, or in the promises of God?

Arthur W. Pink once said, "But why should we not place implicit confidence in God and rely upon His word of promise?  Is anything too hard for the Lord?  Has His word of promise ever failed?  Then let us not entertain any unbelieving suspicions of His future care for us.  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not so His promises."

Christian, the closer we come to the coming of our Lord, we are going to need courage!

And to have more courage we must place our confidence in what God will do, not what we can do!

"God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing him to do the impossible."  Oswald Chambers

I want to be brave!

    But that's just me!

"We have full confidence in Jesus Christ.  Our confidence rises as the character of God becomes greater and more trustworthy to our spiritual comprehension.  The One with whom we deal is the One who embodies faithfulness and truth-the One who cannot lie.

A.W. Tozer

Seasons

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  Ecclesiastes 3:1

The day after Thanksgiving I will pack up my pumpkins, gourds and scarecrows, for poinsettias, snowmen and jingle bells.  The calendar makes it easy to recognize the season, but when you live in the North, sometimes that's hard to figure out by the weather. We get snow in July, and rain in January.  Retail Stores display short sleeve shirts, sandals and swimsuits during Winter and coats, boots, hats and scarves in the Summer.  We have Christmas decorations up by July, and sometimes they are up all year long.  (Just check out the Clearance aisle)

I appreciate a new season as far as weather is concerned and what each season brings, but often I find myself not appreciating the season as it occurs. I spend more time and thought and energy preparing for the next season.  During the Winter months, I'm already planning my Spring Garden.

I'm not living in my season.  I'm always looking at tomorrow, next week, next month.

But where is my today?  Am I content in the 'here and now', or am I constantly looking for the 'later?'

The season King Solomon is referring to in Ecclesiastes is a whole different type of season.  This season is referring to a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature.  He mentions different seasons in the following verses.  (Verses 2-8) 

I will tell you, that seasons of poor health are not my most favorite seasons, and yet it's during those times when I grow closer to my Saviour.

Some seasons are short, some are long, but whatever the duration, I know the Lord is with me.

So, friend, what season are you in at this particular moment in time?  Are you sad, depressed, maybe battling a chronic health condition?  Maybe you are in a season of joy and happiness?  If your season is tough right now, take heart!  We don't go through anything just to go through it, there is a purpose!  

I am thankful to be in the season of God's choosing, whatever that may be. His plan, His will. 

 

Whenever I was going through a tough time in my life, I remember my mom singing to me in her off-key country lilt, "This too shall pass."  She was right.

    It will for you too-

        But that's just me!

"The seasons change and you change, but the Lord abides evermore the same, and the streams of His love are as deep, as broad and as full as ever."  Charles Spurgeon

Innumerable

"Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it." A.W. Tozer

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah

Psalm 68:19

Every morning before I read my Bible, I pray.  First, I confess my sins, and then I begin to thank Him for everything He has done for me.

An interesting thing happened the other day while I was praising Him for His many blessings.  As I began to thank Him for one thing, it led to another, and then another and then another.  As I named each blessing, I thought of something else to praise Him for!  Most of my prayer that day was a prayer of Thanksgiving!  Throughout the rest of the day, as the Lord showed me other things He has blessed me with, I would simply say, 

"Thank you, Lord."  

I could never thank Him for everything He has done for me in one day.  I could never thank Him for everything He has done for me in two days.

It will take me all of eternity to thank the Lord for everything He has done for me.

    It will take all of eternity for you too, to thank Him...

        But that's just me!

Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts, which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.  Psalm 40:5

"No matter what our circumstances, we can find a reason to be thankful." Dr. David Jeremiah

Sing!

O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

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

Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

Psalm 96:1-4

Driving home from town today in the cold and gloomy afternoon, I reached over to turn on some music.  I heard a new song on the Christian Radio Station and by the time the song had ended, my less-than-full-heart was full and over-flowing!

When I got home, I searched the Scriptures for any verse that included, song, sung, sing, hymns, music and singers!  My friend, there are too many to count!  Our Creator God is The Maestro of Music!

Music will soothe your soul.  It encourages the discouraged, it prepares your heart for worship, and according to 1 Samuel 16:23 when David played his harp, it refreshed King Sauls spirit.

It can refresh yours too.

A simple song, chorus, or hymn.  Music with words, Music with no words.  Even humming a simple, made-up melody causes you to reflect the goodness of God.

There is about a foot of snow on the ground up North, and its hard work for the little birds to find their food, and yet, when I walk outside and listen, they are still singing!  They are still lifting their songs to their Creator!

Maybe you are going through something right now that has removed the music from your heart, your mouth, your lips.  

Just remember the goodness of God, and before you know it, a sweet melody will begin to bubble up from within your soul.

And soon, you can't help but sing!

Oh-and it doesn't matter whether or not you can carry a tune.  When you sing unto the Lord and praise His Holy Name, it's always music to His ears!

    But that's just me!

"Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us."  Martin Luther

 

Fires

I didn't see it coming.

Just when I had gotten back up again, WHAM!  Another direct hit.

Off balance.  I feel myself falling.  I start waving my arms to keep myself upright.  More like desperate pleas of prayer to the throne of grace.

Fiery trials.  You know you will have them; you just don't know when. 

Then you have two choices:

    walk through-

    or get burned.

It's one thing to endure unexpected fiery trials.

It's another thing to willingly walk into them.

I know of three men who willingly walked into the fire.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Instead of worshipping a golden image, they chose the fire.

Could God save them from the fire?  Yes.

Would He?  They didn't know, but they still chose the fire.  This is what they told the king:

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."  Daniel 3:18

Their response so enraged the king, he demanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than it had ever been, and it consumed the very men who led them there.

And yet, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego walked forward into the flames.

And then a glorious thing happened! 

Those watching saw four men in the fire, not just three!

"He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."  Daniel 3:25

Jesus Himself was in the fire with these men!

No matter what my fiery furnace be, Jesus Himself is with me.

If you are a child of God, He is with you too, whether they be unexpected trials, or fiery trials we choose to endure for the cause of Christ.

Isaiah 43:2,3a says, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:" 

When we face the fiery furnace, may we face the fire with faith, not to extinguish the flames, but with faith to transform the lives who may be watching.

    But that's just me!

"We may pass through the fiery furnace, we may pass through deep waters, but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed.  We shall emerge from these trials and difficulties better and purer for them if we only trust in God."  George Q. Cannon

Even If

by Mercy Me 2017

Chorus:

I know You're able, and I know You can,

save through the fire with Your mighty hand,

But even if You don't,

My hope is You alone.

I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt,

would all go away if You'd just say the word,

but even if You don't,

My hope is You alone.

You've been faithful, You've been good,

all of my days,

Jesus, I will cling to You,

come what may,

'Cause I know You're able,

I know You can.

Get Ready!

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night, 

1 Thessalonians 5:2

Our first Winter blizzard is heading our way.  It's still three days out, but you should hear the talk and see all the activity.  Living in the North, the first mention of a blizzard, everyone goes into full preparedness.  You see people in lines at the gas station, not only filling up their cars, but extra gas cans to run their generators.  They make sure their generators are in full working mode, and if not, they are the first ones in line at your local hardware store to see the latest models. While they are there, they will also pick out a new snow shovel, a new hat and warmer gloves.  The lawn mowers have all been put away for the year, and in its place, the snowblower has taken up residence.  The grocery stores are busier than most days, and if you aren't there quick enough, you just might do without some of the bare necessities, milk, bread, eggs, soup, just to name a few.  You can feel the anticipation in the air:  the big storm is coming!

Jesus is coming too!  

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."  Words of Jesus, John 14:3

"And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

Acts 1:10,11

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord."  1 Thessalonians 4:16,17

So, with the promise of Christ's return, I wondering, where is all the talk?  Preparing?  Anticipation?

Are we searching our hearts to make sure we are in The Faith?  Are we going about our Father's work until He returns?

Are we waiting?  Watching?

If not, why not?  

There have been times in the past when we all prepare for the 'big storm' and guess what?  It either fizzles out or moves South, but I can guarantee you that the Lord will return one day.  He promised He will, and His Word is True-

    So, I'm getting ready!

            But that's just me!

"Precisely because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all moments."

C.S. Lewis

Just Another Day in Paradise

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43

"Life, if properly viewed in any aspect, is great, but mainly great when viewed in its relation to the world to come."  Albert Barnes

A couple of weeks ago after what seemed to be a rather frustrating day, a good friend of ours approached us at church.  Because he looked so tired and frazzled, my husband asked him, "How was your day?"

He said, "Oh, just another day in paradise."

Have you heard that expression?  It's a rather funny, sarcastic response.  Living up in the North during the Winter months, you hear it quite often from those whose jobs keep them outside for most of the day.

For those who faithfully read my Blog, you know by now that I love to think on the 'flip side,' so, after we all had a nice laugh over our friends answer, I said, "You know, one day when we are up in heaven, and ask each other how our day went we will be able to answer with great enthusiasm, '"ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE!"' and that will really be TRUE!"

I think we all walked away from this conversation with lighter steps.

Webster defines paradise this way:  Heaven, a place or state of bliss and delight.

My definition of paradise is: Anywhere Jesus is!

Yes, my friend, one day we will leave our earthly lives behind and live with Jesus in the home that He has prepared for us!  (John 14:1-4)

The next time I hear someone tell me it was 'just another day in paradise' I will remind them that one day it will be, and if they look at me with a puzzling expression on their face, I will share Jesus with them!

    But that's just me!

"For the Christian, heaven is where Jesus is.  We do not need to speculate on what heaven will be like.  It is enough to know that we will be forever with Him." William Barclay

Shadows

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.  Revelation 22:5

Our Pastor reminded us recently of this precious verse.  Can you imagine?  No more shadows!  The Light of our Saviour, Who is Light, will permeate every space!

I had an MRI this morning to search for abnormalities, stones and shadows.  As I laid inside this tube, and as I listened to a prerecorded voice that repeatedly instructed me to "inhale, hold your breath, relax", I thought a lot about my life.  There have been many shadows.

Christians are not promised a care-free journey; there are going to be abnormalities, stones and shadows.

As I began to search the Scriptures about shadows, I realized that all shadows are not bad.

In shadows there is:

Restoration-"They that dwell under His shadow shall return;" Hosea 14:7

Preservation, a hiding place in our Lord-"hide me under the shadow of thy wings." 

Psalm 17:8b

Lovingkindness-"How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings."  Psalm 36:7

Help and Rejoicing in His shadow-"Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice." Psalm 63:7

And there is Comfort-"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."  Psalm 23:4

Yes, there will be shadows in our lives, but not for long.

One day we will be in The Light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

No more shadows!

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

When I find myself in a shadow, I won't need to hold my breath; I can just breathe deeply and relax...

    But that's just me!

"To the one who delights in the Sovereignty of God, the clouds not only have a 'silver lining' but they are silver all through, the darkness only serving to offset the Light."  A.W. Pink