It's OK Not To Be Okay

 "Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit." Psalm 143:7

"Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted."

Psalm 25:16

Why do we pretend that everything is Ok when it's not?

Why the pretense?

Why do we insist that we can hold it all together by ourselves?

David didn't pretend that he could handle things on his own; why do we?

"How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death."

Psalm 13:1-3

Do I really help those around me if I pretend that nothing is ever wrong in my life?  

No, I don't.

Does God really want me to handle everything in my own strength?

No.  He doesn't.

When someone approaches me at church and asks me if I'm Ok, and I say, 'Yes.' when I'm really not, how does that help me?

How does it help them?

In the book of Psalms, we learn a lot about the man after God's own heart.  He made a ton of mistakes, he even denied some of them, but in the end, he always repented and turned back to The One Who would ultimately help him in all things.  He didn't pretend to know it all; he didn't pretend that everything was Ok all of the time.  When he needed help, he didn't push God away and say, "I've got this." No.  He poured out his heart and acknowledged that he needed God's help.

God doesn't want us to face our fears, anxieties, trials and discouragements alone.  He doesn't want us to pretend that we are Ok when we are not Ok.

At the end of Psalm 13, David sings: "But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation." 

Did things immediately change for David?

No.

But his perspective did.  

New perspectives will change:

Defeat into victory-

Murmuring into praise-

Make crooked paths straight-

Encourages the discouraged-

Turns sorrow into joy-

It enables us to keep on keeping on and to accept what the Lord allows in our lives to make us more like Him.

Instead of telling God, "I'm Ok, I've got this, I can do this on my own..."

    Let God know, "I'm not Ok, but God, you've got this..."

        But that's just me!

It really is Ok not to be Ok.

"I'm not fine, but God, you've got this!" Valerie M. Bodden

        

Witness and Warn

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

Revelation 20:15

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a powerful sermon by Jonathan Edwards, delivered in 1741, that emphasizes the state of sinners and the wrath of God.  This sermon was preached during the First Great Awakening, a period of religious revival in the American colonies. Edwards, a prominent minister, aimed to awaken his congregation to the realities of the sin and the consequences of unrepentance. The sermon is considered one of the most famous examples of "fire and brimstone" preaching, characterized by vivid imagery and emotional appeals." Wikipedia

In 1978, there was a TV documentary called "Scared Straight." The subject of the documentary is a group of juvenile delinquents and their three-hour session with actual convicts.  It was filmed at Rahway State Prison, with a group of inmates known as the 'lifers.'  In this three-hour session, these inmates would berate, scream at and terrify the young offenders in an attempt to 'scare them straight,' so that those teenagers would avoid prison life.  Wikipedia

I remember watching this documentary.  I remember watching defiant teenagers walk into the prison, and scared teenagers walking out.

Reading the Gospels, Acts, Romans and reading what lies ahead in the book of Revelation, I saw how Jesus and His disciples would witness to the lost.  Truth spoken in love.  The love of God being spread abroad to draw the sinner to the Saviour.  Other times, it took the Holiness of God, His judgment, and the fear of future wrath to get the attention of the sinner.

Witnessing turned to Warning.

I had the opportunity to witness to two life-long Catholics yesterday.  The peace and Liberty God gave me to answer their questions, and to show them that salvation comes through Jesus Christ and Grace, NOT Mary and works, was an eye-opener to them.  I believe I saw a little fear in their eyes.

Sometimes it takes fear to identify Truth.

What will it take for you, Lost Friend, to come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Will it be His love for you, or the reality of future wrath?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

Ephesians 2:8

Whether you are drawn by the love of God...

    or whether it takes the fear of eternal torment to recognize your need for the Saviour...

        I pray you will turn from your sin and turn to Christ for salvation...

            But that's just me!

Instinct

 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1

Day 1- God created light and darkness- Genesis 1:3-5

Day 2-God created the Sky-Genesis 1:6-8

Day 3-God created the dry land and sea-Genesis 1:9-13

Day 4-God created the sun, moon and stars to govern the day and night and to mark Seasons-

Genesis 1:14-19

Day 5- God created sea creatures and birds-Genesis 1:20-23

Day 6-God created land animals and man in His own image-Genesis 1:24-28

And on the 7th day, God rested and sanctified that day.  Genesis 2:2-3

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

Romans 1:20

Instinct-a natural or inherent aptitude, impulse or capacity, to make a complex and specific response to environmental stimuli without involving reason, behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level, infused.  (Webster)

I said all of that to ask this: 

Have you ever had the hair on the back of your neck stand on end because you sensed fear?

Have you ever watched a bumblebee fly from petal to petal on a flower?

Have you ever watched birds gather broken branches to create a nest for her babies?

Have you ever come across the discarded skin of a snake?

Have you ever observed the masterpiece of a web spun by a spider?

Have you ever seen an ant carry a crumb three times its own size across the ground?

Have you ever been blessed to hold a newborn baby in your arms?

Driving home from the store today, I saw a spectacular sight!  A hawk swooped down from the sky into the tall grass along the ditch next to the road.  He was hidden by the tall grass for a split second, when all of a sudden, he took flight once again with a field mouse in his talons.  How the hawk could see his prey from so high in the sky, and with meticulous and graceful ease, retrieve it from its hiding place among the grasses is because of the instinct God placed in His Creation.

When I witness animals in nature, when I look at all of the beauty around me, it all points to my Creator God.  When I think of the intricacies of the human mind and body, it points me to the Majesty and Intellect of my Creator God.

All of His Creation has a purpose, and it amazes me.  I stand in awe of my Creator.

There was no Big Bang...

    Only a Big God...

        But that's just me!

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." George Washington Carver

Christmas In July

 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."  Matthew 1:23

Every year in July, a popular TV Network begins to air their Christmas movies to coincide with their Network Retailer's Ornament Premiere.  It's the kick-off to the Holiday Season that begins five months before the actual Holiday.

I'm a big fan.

As I walked around the store looking at all of the Christmas displays, I came across a Precious Moment's Nativity Scene.  As I looked at the intricate pieces in this set, I couldn't help but think about the waited anticipation of the coming Saviour.

I thought of Simeon in Luke 2:25-32.  The bible tells us that this man was a just and devout man, who waited patiently for the consolation of Israel.  The Holy Spirit had revealed to this man, that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord Jesus Christ with his very own eyes.

That day finally came.  He was in the temple, like he always was, on the day Joseph and Mary entered into the temple with Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law. Simeon knew the moment he laid his eyes on Jesus, that the promise made to Him had been fulfilled.

Vs 28-32, "Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of the people Israel."

Can you imagine how full Simeon's heart was when He saw His Promised Saviour?

Emmanuel!  God with us.  God is here!

The bible tells us of Anna, a prophetess, a widow that had served God with fastings and prayers night and day.  She too was waiting for the Promised Messiah.  (Luke 2:36-38)

Vs 38-"And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."

Emmanuel!  God with us!  God is here!

And what about Mary? Can you imagine what was going through her mind the moment she held Jesus in her arms?  Luke 1:46, 47 gives us a tiny glimpse of her thoughts:  "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."

Emmanuel!  God with us!  God is here!

For me, it was July 5, 1995, when I turned from my sin to my Saviour.

Emmanuel!  God with me!  God is here.

I cannot comprehend how God, who cannot be confined or contained, chooses to take up residence in the human heart of those who choose Him for their Lord and Saviour!

Emmanuel!  God with us!  God is here!  And He promises to never leave us or forsake us.  We are kept until He calls us home to be with him for all of eternity!

Christmas isn't just in December or July...

    Christmas is here...

          Every day of the year...

                But that's just me!

God with Us

Terrian 2019

Be not dismayed, fear not the darkness,

Jesus is here, He walks beside us,

Gracious is He, through all our weakness,

Forever faithful, forever good.

Lift up our eyes, to the Maker of Heaven,

He is our help, forever present,

Faithful is He, He is our constant,

Forever faithful, forever good.

(Bridge) No matter what, what storm may come,

Our God is here, our God is here,

When fear gives in, when darkness runs,

Our God is here, our God is here.

(Chorus) Emmanuel, Emmanuel,

God with us, living inside,

Emmanuel, Emmanuel,

God with us, Living inside,

Emmanuel

"By the light of nature we see God as a God above us, by the light of the law we see Him as a God against us, but by the light of the gospel we see Him as Emmanuel, God with us." Matthew Henry

Ignorant Sins

 "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Words of Jesus spoken while hanging on the cross.  Luke 23:34

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent;"

Acts 17:30

"The Law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." Psalm 19:7

"Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Psalm 19:12-13

When I was a little girl, sometimes I would get in trouble for doing things I didn't know were wrong.

I would do or say something, and my mom would look at me and say, "Don't do that; you know better than that!"  But did I?  Not always. Sometimes I would answer my mom's reprimand and say, "I didn't know that was wrong." But my mom always had a ready response to my excuse, "Maybe not, but now you do."

I found similar words in Leviticus chapter 4. This chapter talks about the sin offering that was made on behalf of ignorant sins.

Leviticus 4: 2 says, "Speak unto the children of Israel saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:" Verse 13 includes the whole congregation if they were to sin because of their ignorance. Verse 22 includes what must be done when a ruler sins in ignorance, and then in verse 27, the Lord also includes the ignorant sins of the common people.

But what stood out to me the most in this chapter, was that, although sins were done in ignorance, they would not be repeated in ignorance, because God revealed it for what it was:  SIN.

Leviticus 4:14a says, "When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known,"

Leviticus 4:23a says, "Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge;"

And Leviticus 4:28a says the exact same thing.

Leviticus 5:17 tells us, "And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity."

God told the Nation of Israel, that even unintentional sins require atonement.

Just like when I was a little girl, I might have done something wrong because I didn't know it to be wrong, but once my mom told me it was wrong...I better not do it again because I now knew better.

God told His children, that there would be times when they sinned against Him because they didn't know it to be sin, but God always revealed their sin to them, so they could make a sin offering and be forgiven, and so that they would not commit that same offence again.

So, how do we know what sin is?  The world has blurred the lines between what is right and what is wrong, but Psalm 119:11 says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

The more we read God's Word, the more He will help us to identify the sin that is in our heart.  He has given us His Holy Spirit to convict and convince us to do right in all things.

When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He paid for them entirely and completely:

Past, Present, Future.

But when God reveals to us that we have sin in our hearts, the proper response is to confess it and to forsake it, and then move on for the glory of God.

Sometimes, I didn't know...

    Now I do...

        But that's just me!

"We are to order our lives by the light of His Law, not by our guesses."

J.I. Packer

The Root of the Problem

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"

Hebrews 12:1

I love to weed my garden after it rains; why? Because I can pull the weed out by its roots.  When the ground is hard and dry, most of the time, I end up breaking off the top of the weed, leaving the root behind.  The result: the same weed, in the same place, only rooted deeper into the ground. The next time I try to pull the weed out, it is more resistant and more difficult.  It may even require some digging!

I have a doctor's appointment later on this afternoon. I'm seeing a third doctor for the same problem.  Why? Because no one knows the root of the problem. I've only been given medications and suggestions for the symptoms.

Our besetting sin works the same way.  When we only deal with the symptoms of our sin, that sin will only get rooted deeper into the soil of our lives. It will continually weigh us down in the race we are running.

Isn't it funny how we will often times go to God and ask Him to deal with our sin symptoms, but we don't ask Him to remove the Root of our besetting sin? That's because we really don't want God to identify our problem, we only want help from the consequences of our problem.

But God wants to deal directly with the root of our problem; call it what it is, SIN.  

Why?

Because we are new creatures in Christ.

Because people are witnessing our race.  

We are to bring glory to God.

Because God has dealt with our sin problem.

Because we have been freed from the bondage of sin through Jesus' blood!

The list could go on and on...

Why carry the symptoms of sin when the root has been destroyed by our Lord Jesus Christ?

Proverbs 28:13 says, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

Remove the root of the problem...

    Confess, Forsake, Surrender...

        We have a race to run, and people are watching...

        But that's just me!

Suffering in Silence

"Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence." Psalm 94:17 

Guzik writes, " This highlights that without God's intervention, the psalmist would have been overwhelmed and silenced by his circumstances."

A friend I've known for over 30 years revealed a heart-breaking secret to me the other day. 

You could have knocked me over with a feather as I listened to her hurt and what she has been dealing with for all of these years.

As I sat there and listened to her bare her heart to me, I couldn't help asking myself, "How did I not know this? How could I have missed the signs?  Have I turned a blind eye; not recognizing a friend who is hurting? Have my ears grown deaf to the silent cries of those who cannot speak for themselves? Have I become so busy that I forget to stop and sincerely ask how someone is doing?"

Suffering in silence brings a person to the point of not having the ability to speak out for help.

How does that happen when we are told to bear one another's burdens? (Galatians 6:2)

Is it pride? Fear of being judged by others? Fear of being exposed? Embarrassed?

Perhaps it's all of those things, but there is another side to suffering in silence; it's reaching out for help and not receiving it.

Her pleas for help fell on deaf ears.

As I held the hand of my friend, I assured her that I was listening and that I would help her, and even now, steps are being made to do so.

But as my friend waited all of this time for the help she needed, she is such a blessed example of our Lord Jesus Christ.  She is a faithful sister in Christ who has the Joy of the Lord in her life. Her testimony is and always has been a reflection of her Lord.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "Our infirmities become the black velvet on which the diamond of God's love glitters all the more brightly."

My friend glitter's God's love...

    In my infirmities, I want to glitter too...

        But that's just me!

Isaiah 40:31

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

-But- We are looking on the flip side now. We are no longer relying on our own strength, but the strength of the LORD.

-The Key? WAIT. That's the hard part, isn't it? But when we remind ourselves that God's timing is always perfect, it will help us to rest in Him.

Let's define some words based on Strong's Concordance.

Renew-Spring up, go on forward.

-The weariness of the world tends to slow our steps, yet God promises that if we wait on Him, there is a spring to our step!

Mount-Ascend, climb, excel, raise, recover, restore! I love that definition!

-The world, circumstances and situations in life want to weigh us down, but, when we wait upon the LORD we will continue to rise above the circumstances and reap recovery and restoration!

Run- Divide speedily, footman, bring hastily.

-I like to think of this term as 'divide and conquer!'

Weary-To tire and be exhausted. 

-When we wait upon the LORD, I'm reminded that the battle belongs to the LORD. When we wait upon the LORD, worldly cares will not slow us down! We won't quit!

Walk-To carry, lead, bear, march, prosper.

-All promises from God when we wait on Him.  We are told in Scripture to be soldiers! (2 Timothy 2:3) 

So, I love how we read the descriptions fit for a soldier in this verse:

-March!

-Go forward!

-Excel!

-Footman!

Faint-To tire or grow weary.

-Waiting on the LORD will allow us to keep on keeping on, no matter what! Waiting on the LORD means we have strength that never tires. It means that when the world wants to bring us down in defeat, the LORD will lift us up in Victory!  

All because of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Waiting on the LORD allows us to rest IN Him...

    While He provides every thing we need in the battle...

        But that's just me!

"There is the Runner, the Running and the Waiting; depending on the strength of the LORD."

Charles Spurgeon (condensed)

Sneaker Waves

"See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise," Ephesians 5:15

To walk circumspectly one needs to live carefully, wisely, and cautiously.  Look ahead, be prepared what is coming around the corner.

 I thought of this verse while I was caught unaware in deeper sea water than I realized.  I spent the weekend at the Oregon Coast with my sister and her husband, and even though I grew up walking the shoreline of the West Coast, my time on the Prairie removed my cautionary skills.  While the tide was out, we were able to walk on rocks that are usually hidden in high tide, and with my head down and my eyes focused on revealed starfish, sea anemones, agates, and algae, I was hit by a sneaker wave.  A sneaker wave is a large, unexpected wave that suddenly appears without warning.  Sometimes the force will cause you to fall down, but in this instance, it just allowed me to lift my head and see that low tide was suddenly becoming high tide, and I needed to get quickly back to shore.  Standing on a rock with water all around it, I weighed the options in my head; get off the rock into the deep water and waves, or calmly wait for the water to recede enough for another rock to be exposed and work my way back to the sandy beach?  I decided to calmly wait for the waves to recede and jump from rock to rock back to the sandy beach.  When I got there, I told my sister that I didn't realize how far I had gone out there, and I didn't realize how fast the ocean was making its way back inland.  To be honest, it was a little scary; I was not looking where I should have been looking.  I was so focused on looking down at all the beautiful distractions, that I did not see that danger had crept in.

Sin will do that too.  The circumstances of life will allow us to focus on the distractions of the world, earthy pleasures perhaps? Then the sneaker waves hit, and they pull you down, suck you in, your head is barely above water.

Funny how it takes getting hit by a wave to readjust your focus!

Paul warns us to live circumspectly.  Live to be prepared for what is coming.

Peter reminds us of the same thing: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1 Peter 5:8

Don't be hit by a sneaker wave...

    remain on The Rock, and be prepared for what is headed your way...

        But that's just me!