If you have never heard the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, download the Bible app, read Daniel chapter 3, then come back. It won’t take long it’s only 30 verses. 😊
This morning during my prayer time, my mind rested on this story, and something stuck out to me that never has before. These guys didn’t bow to the cultural pressures of their time and were sentenced to death by fire. Not only that, the king declared the furnace made 10x hotter! They declared, “God is able to rescue us, but even if He doesn’t we will not bow.”
If you read the story, you saw that the fire was so hot it killed the men who placed them in the furnace, but somehow they not only survived but came out untouched by the fire. The only thing burned was the rope that bound them.
Holy Spirit nudged my thinking…
“I never rescued them from the fire.”
“What?”
“I was WITH them in the fire, but I didn’t remove them from the fire.”
At first I didn’t understand what He was trying tell me, but during worship we sang a song called “All Consuming Fire” and a light bulb went off in my mind.
The saying goes, “You can’t fight fire with fire,” but that’s not totally true. There’s a term called “fire line” in the world of fire fighting, and sometimes a controlled burn is used to create a boundary to stop the fire that is out of control.
You see, fire cannot consume that which has already been consumed, and because these three were already consumed by the fire of God the fire the enemy meant to destroy could not touch them.
God didn’t have to rescue them from the furnace, because they were already on fire!
Know that no matter what fiery trial you may face or how hot that flame may be, let HIS fire consume you and draw the line. Fire cannot consume that which is already burned.
”Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.“
Isaiah 30:21 NKJV
It’s no secret to people I pray with that God’s faithfulness is my favorite attribute. He is amazing in every way, but when I think about His faithfulness it just wrecks me. Recently He has highlighted Isaiah 30 for me. What a chapter!
He tells how disobedient Judah is. How as a people they put their faith and trust in anything but God. How they will not listen to God speak through His law or through the mouths of the prophets. Stubborn, self-seeking, “we got this attitudes” are just about to do them in. (And will for a time)
But God can not be unfaithful. He tells them there will be a day. A day they turn back, a day He himself will bind up their wounds, a day they hear His voice and obey. A day He will defeat and punish their enemies.
Y’all!!! Because of Jesus that day can be today for us. If I surrender to the Holy Spirit He will tell me right or left. I’m never alone in any circumstance or decision I have to make. He says pray without ceasing because we never cease to need Him and He never ceases to be there 🙌🏻. Hallelujah!!!
He is Omni-everything. He can do exceedingly, abundantly more than I can dream. Why do I not rest in that and just let Him take complete control? Good question Tracy 🤔
Today I’m making that my prayer. Right or left Jesus. You lead and I will follow. Today is the day. How about you?
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about intimacy with the Lord and while scrolling through TikTok (hear me out), a video caught my ear. The girl was talking about how this was a year of “more” and she said, “if you want to receive more, you have to be willing to give more” and that “God wants more of us”. A picture came to mind of something needing to be filled but there was limited amount of space to fill due to a blockage. It wasn’t that this thing was completely full, it just only allowed a certain area to be filled. This is how we can be with the Lord sometimes. We limit Him access to us and by default limit ourselves access to the fullness He desires to give us of Himself. God can and will only fill us as much as we allow Him! He wants more of us so He can fill more of us with Himself!! Intimacy, spending time in His presence, His word, worship, prayer — the secret place — bringing EVERYTHING to Him is so important with the Lord to not only know Him more but to open ourselves up more to Him. The more we know His heart, the more we trust Him because we find Him to be exactly who He said He is so even in moments that aren’t as hunky-dory as that “baby Christian” phase, times we can’t trace His hand, in the midst of transition, we have a well of His love to draw from for strength.
”that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.“
Ephesians 3:16-19 NKJV
When we deny ourselves of His spirit or time in the secret place or being in His word, we are preventing ourselves from living in His fullness. Our everyday lives taking much of our energy, that we forget or simply ignore to spend time in His presence.
Yet the more we let Him in, the more we come to know that nothing could separate us from His love and strengthens us to continue on through hardship, trials, temptations, persecution, or even just the mundane but occasionally exhausting day-to-day life. Personally, for me (and I’m sure many could relate), the more I walk with Him the more I realize I can’t actually do any of life without Him! The more I also realize that nothing is nearly as satisfying as Him. So why do we, as people, deny ourselves from the fullness He wants to pour out to us? The measure of Himself he wants to give us?
May I suggest a challenge to you all — let yourself be more available to the Lord. Open yourself up more to Him, be filled with the Holy Spirit; set aside everything that vies for your attention – INTENTIONALLY – and seek Him. It’s not always going to be easy and you will fail at times but IT’S SO WORTH IT! Come to more knowledge of His love for you. Get to know the fullness of the Lord. Because again, if you want to receive more of Him, you have to be willing to give more of yourself, more of your time. And the Lord wants more of you for He LOVES you!
”For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
I had a black eye for Christmas – yep, I sure did. And,it was a big, bad one, too!
“What in the world happened?” you ask.
Well, during an unfortunate situation with some inner ear congestion, I became close-up and personal with the tile floor in my bedroom. So, I had a huge knot on my forehead, which is STILL somewhat there almost two months later, swelling of my whole eye and forehead, and my entire eye was black – the lid and under the eye. Y’all. I’ve never even had a black eye, let alone one that lasts for two months! But you know me – if I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it BIG! My grandkids were laughing this weekend that they were gonna get me a t-shirt that says,
“It’s been fifty-two days since my last accident.”
As my eye slowly started getting better all throughout the month of December, I kept thinking,
“Surely this eye won’t be black for Christmas???”
But, y’all, it was indeed still black.
If I’m perfectly honest, though; it was actually a very appropriate way to end a year that I hope I never have to relive. It was honestly probably the hardest year ofmy fifty-five years. I’ve dealt with three – count them, THREE – serious illnesses and have been the caretaker for my parents all at the same time, watching them decline quickly. And, that’s very difficult in itself. So, I’ve basically been dealing with four things that, on their own, would be difficult to walk through…all at the same time. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
I mean, it’s just to the point where I sit down and take a fifteen minute coffee break, and a new part of my world starts to crumble. Ever been there? Everyone tells me,
“Remember, this is just a season.” And I’m like,
“Well, is this season like seasons in Texas, where it’s really just hot, less hot, and hotter?”
Because this season feels like it will last forever.
I feel like I can actually identify with King David, before he was king and running from Saul. God had anointed David as king and everyone was so excited and ready to get rid of Saul. I’m sure David’s family threw a big celebration the day after Samuel visited and woke up that next Monday, thinking,
“Today’s the day our boy becomes king! Who would’ve thought it?”
But, as we know from the Bible, that is NOT what happened. Instead of David getting to take the throne, Saul’s reign continued and, even after fighting Goliath, Saul ended up hating David and wanted to kill him. Sofor the next who knows how many years, David ran from Saul, while Saul tried and tried to kill him…day after day after day.
I’m sure David felt a lot like me, during this season. Like,
“God, what is the DEAL??? You anoint me king and now the reigning king is trying to kill me? Won’t You do something, Lord? Wasn’t this your plan for my life? Why is this happening?”
We see some of David’s struggles in Psalm one hundred forty-two, it starts out like this:
I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn,
And, that’s exactly how I am feeling!
As 2023 ended, I wondered what this new year would bring. Like David, I’ve been crying out to God, begging Him for new life, saying,
“God, You’ve given me so many dreams, what happened to those? Are they still mine? Will they ever come to pass? How will they if my life continues this way? Can’t you do something, Lord?”
Finally, after a lot of whining on my part, God spoke to me and said,
“Sherra, you already have new life. I have made you new and am making you new daily. My mercies are new every morning, remember?”
Lamentations 3:22-23 are very familiar verses that remind us of His mercies,
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.
And, honestly, I had forgotten all about God’s new mercies. I just forgot that, no matter what life throws at you – and life WILL throw things at you – God’s mercies are new every, single morning. We can wake up every day to a new day; the issues, thoughts, problems from the day before can stay in the past. God’s mercies, His grace, His counsel, His peace, and His joy are new and available to us every day. All we have to do is ask for it, receive it, and choose to walk in His newness; but it’s our choice to make, every day.
“Well, what if my problems are still there?” you ask.
Oh, I get it; believe me, I get it. But God’s mercies are still there, no matter what is happening and you can still choose newness. Purposefully remembering God’s mercies, changes you and your day from its start. And,remember, too, that this “making me new” thing is God’s process; honestly, it’s part of our refining and maturing as Believers – and sometimes that’s rough. Remembering God’s new mercies daily helps us keep our eyes on Him, no matter what our day brings; it changes our focus from the problem to the problem solver. The rescue and answers may not come immediately, but that’s OK, because we can be sure and certain that God has got us and is making us new. And, we can learn so much during this time and become more like Jesus in the process, too.
Well, David finally got his day to be king. He came out of his season of running and took the throne that God had promised him. The thing I love about David is that he let it all hang out with God – you never really have to guess how David is feeling at the time of writing each of his psalms! But after he has expressed his weariness, his feelings of defeat, his fear, and on and on, he always comes back to remembering God, trusting God with his life, and remembering God’s daily mercies, while watching them play out in his life.
January is a great month to start new with God. Maybe you’re a seasoned Believer whose life is pretty calmand on target at the moment; unfortunately, life’s trials are gonna come for you at some point. Will you choose to remember God’s mercies and rest in them? Or, maybe, like me, you’re in the thick of a season of trialsand weary. I get you, friend. Even though we can’t control what trials come or what season we’re in, we can always remember that God’s mercies – for whatever we’re going through – are new every morning. Remembering and resting in that can help 2024 be your best year ever!
My eye is much better, but still black in some places; make-up helps a lot. But it reminds me of a past I made it through and the new chapter He has for me. While I’m waiting for that new chapter to begin, I choose to believe that God is good, and teaching me a lot; He’s making me new for whatever comes next!
There’s a song called “million little miracles.” It’s really good, go listen if you haven’t heard it.
I was listening to it last night, and I just kept thinking about the miracles in my life. The big things and the little things.
How good is our God?
He is so good.
How gracious is our God?
He is so gracious.
How kind is our Lord to give us those million little miracles?
He is oh so kind.
I hope that something, or someone, came to mind when you think of a miracle in your life.
If so, will you just stop wherever you are reading this right now and pray? Just thank God for His goodness and His faithfulness in your life. And then if it’s a person who came to mind, will you reach out to them? God put that person in your life for a reason, call them. Let them know you love them and are thankful for them. And if you’re like me and you can’t call that person anymore, then take hope, because the Lord hears and sees you.
I pray we can all take hope in knowing the things that God places in our lives is for a purpose greater than ourselves. He has a plan that exceeds our understanding.
”Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,“
Psalm 105:5
Remember His miracles, and remember the greatest Miracle of all, JESUS!
At the beginning of the month, I went to God in prayerful reflection as I sought His guidance in making a New Year’s resolution. In past years, this task has felt exciting and full of possibilities, but this year the assignment felt daunting and overwhelming. The truth is, I spent much of 2023 feeling this way.
Sometimes in life we may find ourselves feeling overwhelmed by the chaos that surrounds us, and anxiety may attempt to rob us of our joy. This realization is what fueled my resolution. So, as I step into the new year, boldly walking into a new season, I resolve to find joy in chaos.
My daughter recently introduced me to the song “Firm Foundation” (He’s Gonna Make a Way). The lyrics serve as a beautiful reminder that when we build our lives upon the solid rock of Christ, true joy and peace can be experienced even in times of uncertainty and chaos.
Firm Foundation (He’s Gonna Make a Way)
Song by Maverick City Music w/ Chandler Moore feat. Bobbi Storm & Wande
I’ve still got joy in chaos
I’ve got peace that makes no sense
And I won’t be goin’ under
I’m not held by my own strength
‘Cause I’ve built my life on Jesus
He’s never let me down
He’s faithful through every season
So why would He fail now?
He won’t, He won’t
He won’t fail, He won’t fail
So how do we find joy in chaos? For me, it begins by recognizing that although seasons change, God doesn’t. There is great peace that comes from asking Him to restore the joy of my salvation. Even in seemingly chaotic situations, there is joy in His presence.
It is also important to acknowledge that joy doesn’t equate to happiness. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is intentional. Joy transcends circumstances and brings serenity.
The Almighty God we serve is far greater than any of our chaos. And when we surrender to our Creator, joy is restored. Like the words of this gospel song convey, we don’t have to let anxiety steal our joy. The surest foundation is The Word of God. And only through Him can we truly experience joy – even in the chaos.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
I recently read Matthew 6:1-21, and verses 19-21 stood out to me. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NKJV)
This is part of the Sermon on the Mount, arguably the most well-known sermon of Jesus. The word treasure in Greek is thēsauros, which we find several times throughout the New Testament, mainly in Matthew. Here are a couple of these verses:
Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (NKJV)
In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus is comparing the kingdom of heaven to a treasure you would give up any worldly possession to obtain.
Matthew 19:21 “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ ” (NKJV)
My Latin teacher used to tell my class, “Latin has no eternal value, so we’re not gonna kick cats, break pencils, or punch
siblings because of it!” This is a comedic example but an important concept. Jesus knows the man He’s telling this to has a heart problem. His treasure is material, but Jesus tells us to store up treasures in Heaven. If you aren’t willing to give everything to be a follower of Jesus, then
your treasure is of this world and therefore, perishable.
Matthew 6:24 tells us, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth).”
The question isn’t, “Is Jesus telling me to give up my worldly possessions?” It’s, “If He did, would I? How hard would it be?” This doesn’t apply to just money- it’s anything you hold higher in importance in relation to your life than God. These can be the things you give the most attention, focus, time, and
energy to into. Throughout today, think about where your treasure is because that’s where you’ll find your heart.
Here are some facts I recently learned about barnacles. Barnacles? Yes, barnacles. I promise, I’m going somewhere.
Barnacles are marine crustaceans related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. While often inconspicuous, barnacles attach themselves to nautical vessels like boats and ships using a fast curing cement-like secretion or glue. Left undisturbed, barnacles will thrive and grow, creating large, heavy colonies on these vessels. This extra weight causes an increase in drag, which in turn increases the amount of fuel being used. So as we can imagine, owners and companies must take proactive steps to manage barnacle growth. Some of the techniques are scraping, power washing, and even putting the vessel in dry dock to remove it completely from the environment that allows barnacles to live.
I considered how, similarly, my personal burdens and challenges can act as spiritual barnacles that can increase the weight I carry. Loss, disappointments, fears, problems in relationships, and all the other things life can toss my way can get really hard to carry and often demand a lot of my energy. Or what about the habits (or the lack of healthy habits) that hinder and slow my progress?
Jesus extends an invitation to you and I— “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). In Christ, we can find relief from the weight of our personal barnacles. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength.” (Psalms 23:1-3).
I read an interesting article about how some ship captains choose to go out of their way up rivers from the ocean to reach a fresh water port rather than an easily accessible seaside one. Why? Because barnacles can’t live in freshwater. It is in these narrow channels that the barnacles fall off and/or easily scrape off. Hebrews 12 tells us “we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete.”
“He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.” (Ephesians 5:26) “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” (Psalm 119:9)
“Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (John 7:38) This living water serves as a metaphor for the spiritual refreshment that only Christ can provide. This water is life-sustaining and transformative to a heavy-burdened soul.
I want to seek the harbor of fresh, living water found only in Jesus. In these waters I am refreshed, restored, and cleansed. Removing the barnacles allows me to be a vessel that is prepared to receive all He has planned for me in this new year.
Full speed ahead in your own journey this new year!
At my first defense, no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.
Rescue by Lauren Daigle
You are not hidden
There’s never been a moment
You were forgotten
You are not hopeless
Though you have been broken
Your innocence stolen
I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you
There is no distance
That cannot be covered
Over and over
You’re not defenseless
I’ll be your shelter
I’ll be your armor
As I was working on school stuff this song came on, and at the same time Daisy messaged to remind me about my time to share. And to be honest I didn’t type out what I had on my heart until after she reminded me because well, life is hectic right now. The feeling of struggling is very heavy. At times, abandonment comes in strong and I’m not always sure where it stems from. I’ve lost people that I love dearly whether to death or just life moving on. At times old hurts and memories that reflect this feeling come up, and it leaves me wondering why. Why does it happen? Why wasn’t I good enough to choose to stick around with? Why did they walk out?
Since moving to Arkansas and working with families who have trauma that is out of this world, some days it breaks my heart to know that they feel these things as well. I have worked hard to be the light for them in their darkest nights and while I know that I cannot rescue them, I know I’m showing God’s light to be the rescue for themselves. This is what God does – He leans down to rescue us. We cannot hide from Him. There is no low or high that we have in life where He isn’t with us. Now, if you’re anything like me some days during the highs and lows you forget He’s right next to you, and that’s okay because He is still covering us. He is our shelter and armor when life is beating us up. But my favorite thing is that He sends people to be there with us when we need more support to rescue ourselves. God is placing you where you need to be with the people you need for this season. Though people may come and go, it does not mean you are unworthy of rescuing or that you are not worth fighting for. God is always fighting for you and towards you.
Lean into God on the days you don’t see yourself where you want to be or where the love for yourself is lower. God is still covering you in love that is as mighty as an ocean where it drowns out all of the fear, shame, abandonment, rejection, and all of the other ugly feelings. Remember God will hear your softest whisper, He will strengthen you, He will bring you safely back to Him, and He will rescue you!
Happy 2024! Another year has come and gone. Were you proud of yourself this last year? Did you do some really hard things? Did you have challenges you faced? Was God with you through it all? Absolutely! He was there with you for all of the good and the not so good. He is proud of you for doing the hard things. He is proud of you for staying faithful through the challenges.
Joshua 1:9 tells us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”.
While we look forward to the new year, we will have plans for what we think this year will look like. Perhaps our new year resolutions look a bit like eating better, exercising more, or spending more time with family. However, our plans for this year are ultimately not up to us. God already has this entire new year planned out for us. He knows the challenges you will face, and he knows the joyous moments you will experience. He wants to walk beside you through it all. Trust in Him, and the rest will fall into place… ALWAYS! The scripture reminds us to be strong and courageous no matter what we are facing and to trust that the Lord is with you wherever you go.
It is easy to make plans for the upcoming year, but the true new year plans we should be making for ourself is to allow our life to revolve more around Jesus and the great plans He already has for us. We have to plan for Him to be the guidance and spirit we need for taking on the new year. Can I encourage you to make your new year resolution to walk closer with Jesus this year? I promise you won’t regret it. As you walk with Jesus and trust in Him, this will be your best year yet!
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Have hope in the Lord this new year to renew your strength to face whatever this year holds for you. By doing so, in trusting in Him, you will run with the Lord’s plans and not grow weary. Have a very blessed 2024! What a blessing it is to see a new year! Make it a good one.
Rays of Sunshine inc 