“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalms 9:9-10
Man this verse hit deep. Reading it I started tearing up. I always knew that God heard my prayers and that I’m never alone, but sometimes you just need the reminders. He hears your prayers and He always answers them. It might not be a yes or a no, but He gives you an answer. It might not be one you were hoping for either.
When we seek Him, He doesn’t forsake us. He doesn’t put us into situations we can’t handle. If you pray to God and ask Him to open doors that need to be opened and close doors that need to be closed, don’t be surprised when He does things you weren’t wanting or expecting.
But remember that we can handle anything with God by our side. Whether it’s mourning over the loss of a loved one, moving away from your family, or watching your family move away. He’s with us and He will never leave us.
Dear Lord, I pray that you will give us those reminders. The things you put us in and the things we have to go through are for a reason and I pray that we would remember that. I pray that you would use the feelings that we have to make us stronger Lord. And bless the people in those situations you have us go through, that they know that you will never forsake them. In your Heavenly name I pray, amen.
As some of you all know, I am a raider athlete. I play sports for the Lumberton Middle School and soon, Lumberton High School. But one problem I have always struggled with are my bad habits. Dribbling too high, side stepping when I run – guys, it’s a mess!
Plus, some bad habits outside of school I have are picking my fingers, messing with my brothers, and not doing chores. I can go on forever. I know there are so many worse things than what I just listed, but little things turn into big things, and those things become who you are. Even people you hang out with…in scripture, if you’ll turn to 1st Corinthians 15:33, it reads—
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Bad company corrupts good morals! You can’t let the people of this world, the flaws of society, or satan himself allow you to embrace bad habits. Habits turn into choices, and our choices make us who we are. Just as influential as bad habits are good habits… praying, studying, focusing on the Lord, and surrounding ourselves with people we hope to be like. Focusing on these things can become your habits, choices, and who you are.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING”.
Praying to God about our habits and friends is the first step in the right direction. Because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
We have all been like Peter at some point in our lives with dreams and ambitions to walk on the water. We wanted to conquer the world, but here we sit some days barely able to conquer the laundry. And just like the snake he was in the garden, Satan whispers in our ear, “Did Jesus really call you out on the water?” We begin to reason within ourselves that humans were never meant to do that which science deems impossible, tuck away any hope of greatness ever being connected to our lives and resign ourselves to life on the boat.
It’s not that we don’t like the boat…It has kept us safe as we’ve weathered the storms of life, but we’re left wondering what might have been. And just like that, we relegate ourselves to the “curse” of normalcy.
What if I told you it was never about Peter wanting to walk on water? What if I told you it was about Peter’s desire to be where Jesus was and that he was overwhelmed only when his eyes and thoughts shifted to his surroundings, to where he was rather than The One he was with? Peter didn’t say, “If that’s really you, let me walk on water, too.” He said, “If that’s really you, tell me to come to you…on the water.” Peter was really saying, “Jesus! If that’s really you, I want to be where you are! I don’t care if it’s not where everyone else is, just let me be with you!” Peter was so passionate! His faith failed him only when he looked away from Jesus and thought, “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be…”
Here’s the crazy thing: The miracle didn’t stop, because Peter got back in the boat with the others. Jesus got in the boat, too, and THEN the wind died down. Jesus could have stopped the wind and calmed the waves the moment Peter began to sink, but he didn’t. The miracles didn’t happen because of where Peter was. His location didn’t matter. The miracles happened because of WHO he was with, who he followed, pursued, and loved.
Lay down the lie that your identity is found in anything other than being a lover. Your position in the Heavenlies is not determined by whether you are on the waves or in the boat. Your position is found in your proximity to the heartbeat of Heaven.
Today, may you find the mighty in the mundane, the miracle in the moment, and majesty with the Master. You are the beloved.
This past Sunday my pastor preached out of Romans. Two things he said have set heavy on my heart since then and have caused me to reflect heavily on how and what I need to do to remedy this in my own life.
1. We need less distractions.
2. Eliminate wasted time.
So there it is for the day. I hope you too will reflect on these two things and become more Kingdom focused through the process.
“Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Romans 16:19
The thing about a worst-case scenario is that it’s just that – the worst-case scenario.
Here’s the deal – my God is not a worst-case scenario God.
My God is about redemption.
My God Is about victory.
My God is about splitting seas wide open
My God is all about rolling immovable stones out of the way.
My God lived out the worst-case scenario so that we would never have to.
So when fear creeps in, and there doesn’t seem to be a way through whatever it is that you’re going through, open up your Bible and begin reading.
Read about Esther.
Read about Lazarus.
Read about Isaiah.
Read about Jesus.
There’s your hope.
There’s your victory.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”
-Hebrews 12:3
I’ve been thinking a lot about discipline lately. That’s no surprise considering that I teach 6th grade and it’s the end of the school year. But seriously, the topic of discipline comes up all the time in popular culture from everything to raising children to self-help plans. The general consensus seems to be that more of it is a good thing, right?
Recently, I participated in a Bible study on the book of Hebrews. The next to last chapter of this great letter focuses on the topic of discipline, specifically about God’s discipline of His children. It really got me thinking about my attitude towards God when He disciplines me. Honestly, I don’t like it when God disciplines me, so I started to dig a little into my attitude through prayer, study, and discussion with my group. Hopefully some of my thoughts can help you when facing a moment of hardship that you view as discipline from God.
First of all, God thinks about discipline differently than we do. Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us to not take “lightly the discipline of the Lord” because “the Lord disciplines the one he loves.” Sometimes, I struggle with Christian “karma.” You know this idea-if I am obedient, then my life will be fine-no bumps, no hurts, no struggles. But that idea is just flat out wrong. It’s not biblical. The Bible is full of examples of people who followed the Lord but endured many hardships.We don’t necessarily have to sin to experience His discipline, either. Look at Paul’s example. He was preaching the Word but had to endure trial after trial. Prison. Shipwreck. Sickness. Isolation. During a trial have you ever stopped to think about why it was happening to you? What is God’s purpose for your suffering ? I encourage you to keep digging and talking to God during these times. We may want to run from Him during hard times, but that is the moment we should draw near and pour our hearts out! Pray out loud. Sing. Cry. He will speak to us in our most painful moments.
Secondly, God’s discipline grows us in ways we couldn’t imagine. The author of Hebrews goes on to say “He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.” This idea really got me going-Me sharing in Jesus’ holiness? Wow! Jesus is the picture of obedience and lived a sinless life, yet he suffered the discipline of the cross on our behalf to complete God’s plan for salvation. One of our main tasks as believers on earth is to become more Christ-like. God uses discipline to further us on that path. This thought of Christ going ahead of me in discipline changes my attitude because I want to be more like Him.
Lastly, God’s discipline is rewarding. Rewards from pain? Yes. Check out what the author of Hebrews tells his audience in 12:11, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” I don’t know about you but peaceful anything sounds wonderful right now. Our world is so chaotic. People are seeking peace. People are also seeking righteousness. As a result of God’s discipline, I am more patient, less judgy, more faithful. I still have a long, long, long way to go, but looking back at times where I know He was disciplining me helped me to see the “fruit” He is growing in my life. Think about your path. What fruit do you see God growing?
God knows us and loves us. Spend some time in thought and prayer about His discipline.
“It is for discipline that you must endure. God is treating you as sons.” Hebrews 12:7
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.–John 15:12
Let us love one another for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born of God. And knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; For God is Love. –1 John 4: 7-8
The definition of unconditional reads, “absolute and not subject to any special terms or conditions; it’ll happen no matter what else happens.” This past year was difficult for everyone on the planet.
Period!
Being a teacher for over 16 years, I have learned that unconditional love requires an abundance of grace. It requires inclusion, patience and loving others as they are, not as you wish them to be. As a follower of the Christian faith I became increasingly disappointed this year with our response to the pandemic crisis which brought forth division in our country.
This division revealed a need for us to do better at loving one another. My purpose in writing this is to inspire you to do two things; (1) Take a deeper look at how you love others (2) Choose and commit to loving someone unconditionally.
Take a deeper look at how you love others
As we dive into the first commitment in looking at how we love others, let this quote sink in and resonate with your heart.
“You cannot accept God’s grace for your life until you let go of your own righteousness.”
The definition of righteousness is to act in accord with divine or moral law; to be free from guilt or sin. The later part of that definition is where we need to be honest with ourselves. None of us are free from sin. Is there righteousness, judgement or exclusion for those who look different from us or love, believe or think differently from us?
As Christians we don’t get to pick and choose who to love. One of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou reads, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Let us not forget that our job is actually quite simple…to love one another. Everyday we have an opportunity to decide to live with an open heart. To choose to offer a warm hug, a friendly pat on the back or an encouraging word. That is Christ-like love!
Choose and commit to loving someone unconditionally.
As a child I always thought about people who lived in underdeveloped countries. The burning questions in my mind were… “What if no one tells them about God? What if the messenger never arrives? How can they be saved if they don’t know about the savior?”
With age comes wisdom and I know now that the answer is this….God is within us. Not just in some of us but in all of us. God is in every part of the earth, in every living creature, in every soul. So what should we do if we meet someone who is searching for inner peace and looking to nurture their soul? Maybe they are looking for spirituality, a higher power or something to believe in. Couldn’t we become the messenger simply by showing them love?
Providing a long list of all the things they need to do in order to become a Christian is not where we start. It starts with a genuine message that they are loved as they are and from there to model acceptance, grace and tolerance. To be an example not just in our word but in our actions.
We can say we believe that light and love can drive out hate, but are we showing love in action when confronted with hate? Do we show love in everything we do? Or are we stopping to wonder whether or not they are worthy of love? Not just love but unconditional love? I challenge you to choose someone this year to love unconditionally. This person should be someone who is not easy to love. It could be a coworker who doesn’t share your political views, an acquaintance who has a negative attitude or maybe it’s a complete stranger who needs someone to show them unconditional love.
I realized this year that it’s easy to love others when everything is going great but what about when things aren’t so great. Choosing to love is not easy. It requires a disciplined heart that chooses love over hate, light over darkness and compassion over judgement. In times of struggle and division we must realize the importance of being good to people and contemplate what is best for all of us, not just some of us. May we not let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and fearful. But instead let them make us kinder, more open to what could be, to choose wisely how we respond and more importantly…. how to love unconditionally!
As I stumbled to the coffee pot at 5 am I heard the most awful noise coming from the hallway. It was Megatron – the English Bulldog. I’m not gonna go into details but just imagine the worst scenario involving a sick dog and his kennel.
Yup.
It threw off my whole morning routine and apparently followed me all the way to my parking spot at work where I realized my computer was at home on the counter.
Awesome.
Still haven’t had the first sip of coffee.
Went home.
Got the computer.
Went back to work.
Did car duty.
Still no coffee.
I sat down to for a meeting and raised my coffee cup to take that first sip and would you believe my Apple Watch band snapped in half? Like what even?
Alright Monday – I see you.
I see you trying your best to alter my mood. I see you trying your best to make me lose my mind. I see you trying your best to make me behave like someone that I’m not.
I see you.
The thing is it’s not Monday – it’s the devil. And he would love nothing more for me to lose my mind. To lose my witness.
Every single day – every single moment – we get to choose. Who will we let win today?
I hope you choose Jesus.
I hope you choose grace.
I hope you choose laughing when you want to cry. And I hope you choose some Jesus-filled friends that “have been there” and “done that”.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
““Then Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. And he said to them, “It is written, ‘ My house will be called a house of prayer, ’ but you are turning it into a den of robbers!” Matthew 21:12-13
I recently came across a phrase that said “Flip Tables”. I immediately fell in love with the message behind this. But, what does this mean? In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus sees actions going on in the temple that He doesn’t approve of.
What does He do? He doesn’t sit in the corner and judge silently. He doesn’t turn a blind eye and pretend He doesn’t see it to avoid conflict. No, He flips the tables over so these sinful actions cease to continue. Jesus doesn’t do this to cause a commotion or to be seen of men. He does this because the people selling things were going against his Father’s word.
So, how does this apply to us? How can we be like Jesus in this scenario? Well, we as Christians should want to see others succeed, do good, and live in Christ. We can’t do this by sitting quietly and allowing others to live in sin.
No, we need to be bold in our faith and stand up for the cause of Christ. We should love our fellow Christians enough so that when we see a problem, we hold them accountable. Not because we feel we are better than them, but because we want them to spend eternity in Heaven.
We see this in James 5:19-20 when it says, “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
So, “Flip Tables”, love your neighbor, and let’s help one another in our walks as Christians.
Last November, December & January our family suffered the loss of my niece and two uncles. It felt as if grief wouldn’t stop coming, waves on waves. I didn’t have time to get my mind around one loss before another came along. During this time the word that I connected with the most was heavy. I felt heavy. Life felt heavy. The air around me felt heavy. Everything took enormous effort. Then one morning during this time, God gave me the phrase “the gift of grief”.
That’s confusing right? Gifts are good things. I should know, I’m a gift girl. It’s one of my love languages. I love a nice personalized, thoughtful gift. I don’t need expensive gifts, although I’d never turn my nose up at some nice jewelry. But even my favorite jewelry is personalized. I have a bracelet with 6 discs, each disc has handwriting from my most important people – my husband, my 3 boys, my momma and daddy.
So, if my definition of a gift is good, thoughtful and personalized, grief doesn’t fit the bill. Or does it?
Is it good to grieve? I think it is. God created us with emotions. We have to feel our feelings. We don’t have to be defined by them. We can take them to God and He is faithful to walk with us through them.
Is grief personal? A hearty AMEN to this one! There is no one way to grieve, we all do it differently. There may be stages of grief but there are not steps that we all complete one by one in the same order.
How about thoughtful? Death isn’t thoughtful. It’s quite rude actually – uninvited and unwanted. But grief brings with it lots of thoughts, it causes reflection. It arrives with loads of questions. Most of them start with why and they can drive you crazy.
BUT GOD…
But we do not want you to be uniformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13
As believers, we are to grieve differently. We are to grieve keeping in mind the hope we have in Jesus. The gift of God’s love, grace, mercy and eternity with Him. We can take the questions that haunt us to God. He is attentive. He is faithful to comfort us and be near. For me, this meant bringing to mind memories, happy and sad. When the memories were sad and regrets started me spiraling, I had to be intentional about thinking about who God is, His character and what He says about me.
Perhaps grief is a gift intended to draw us closer to God. Perhaps grief is a gift to show us God the comforter. Perhaps I’ve learned to rely on God through my grief. I will never choose grief but when it comes I’ll try to use it to remember the life and impact of my loved one and the goodness of God.
Friend, if you’re grieving today, take it to God. He is faithful to comfort you. It’s not a quick process. Stay with Him, keep praying. Please don’t take this to say that you need to grieve alone with just you and God. I had people around me, listening to me, holding me up, loving me through this grief. And it’s ongoing. It does come in waves and on unexpected days. If you are feeling pulled under by your grief, please reach out to both God and people around you or to me. Grief must be witnessed because love must be witnessed.
Rays of Sunshine inc 