Uncontainable Power and Love

Uncontainable Power and Love

by | Oct 27, 2023 | Disappointment, God, Prayer

My mom used to say that when we keep our eyes on others, we’ll always be disappointed. However, if we keep our eyes on Jesus, He will never fail us.

God convicted me on this over the last few days.

In reading a chapter in Jesus and Women by Kristi McLelland, I was reminded how important it is to focus my mind and heart on God.

“When we stare at our lives and glance at God, the troubles and problems in our lives can begin to look huge. If we’re not careful, our problems take up most of the space in our thoughts and consequently govern our hearts and emotions.

When we intentionally focus our minds and hearts on God, our troubles take on their proper perspective. God helps us to see them in light of His generous justice, His generous lifting up in our lives.”

Kristi McLelland, Session Six, Jesus and Women

Where is our focus?

The question is . . . is our focus on God or ourselves?

Many times, we try to fight our battles in our own way – instead of placing focus on Jesus and allowing Him to work.

When the King of Assyria’s field commander camped outside Jerusalem taunting the people of Judah, the people were silent (as they had been commanded by King Hezekiah). After Assyria’s attempts at manipulation, Hezekiah’s ambassadors came to him with torn clothes and the words from Assyria.

As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the House of the Lord. 2 Kings 19:1

I love that after Hezekiah hears the word from Assyria, he goes to God. He doesn’t respond to the enemy’s threat. His first stop in the middle of his despair is to go to the Lord.

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it: and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD. 2 Kings 19: 14-15a (Read the full story in 2 Kings 19)

Praying for help

So what will we do

  • When we’re accused?
  • When we’re ridiculed?
  • When we’re tempted?
  • When we question whether the Lord is enough?

Will we lay it before the Lord and pray for help?

Let’s follow Hezekiah’s lead and go to God first. Let’s place our focus on who God is and His uncontainable power and love.

 

God completes what He starts

As I have thought on this, I also came across scripture that reminded me that he didn’t start something in me only to fail to finish it.

One of the most familiar verses in scripture, Philippians 1:6, reminds us that God completes what He starts. Jesus didn’t do all He’s done just to leave us alone. His love is beyond comprehension. His power is uncontainable.

God has a word for us. Set our eyes on Him. Place our focus on Him.

I like how bestselling author David Platt says it.

“Don’t lose heart. Don’t give up. Don’t doubt the passion and ability of God to fulfill the plans of God for you and for the world.  – David Platt

 

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

 

 

 

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Simply Trust

Simply Trust

by | Oct 14, 2023 | Faith, Forgiveness, Trust

“Have you tried checking the breaker?” My friend said over the phone.  “No, I answered” as I realized my oversight. While enduring the heat and humidity — and mosquitos — in the outdoor storage room of my son’s college house, we attempted to fix his dryer by repeating the same steps. Take the electrical cord off. Put it on again. And repeat.

The famous one-liner — insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results — summed up our efforts.

Frustrated and out of ideas, I called my electrician friend. Guess what? Once we flipped the breaker, the dryer worked perfectly.

Some things are just that simple. Although the process to get there may be difficult.

Like trust. Jesus asks us simply to trust.

There are many people in the Bible who demonstrated trust and great faith, even in difficult or trying circumstances.

Demonstrating trust and great faith

Moses’ trust in God led him to escort the Israelites to the Promised Land.

Daniel’s complete trust and faith in God equipped him with the strength and confidence to enter the lion’s den and to walk out unscathed.

David’s unshakable faith in God gave him the boldness to challenge a nine-foot giant.

Esther’s trust in God prompted her to risk her life to save her people.

Stephen’s trust in Jesus supplied him with the courage to share his faith and forgive his accusers.

There are many more. We also know friends and family who exemplify trust.

My friend Laurie spent 214 days in and out of several hospitals. At one point, her family was told she would not survive. But while stuck in a hospital during Covid without family and distractions, she met God. And that changed everything. Her newfound trust in the Lord gave her the courage to forgive and find joy and love again. It gave her the confidence to walk away from lies and hate to truth and the goodness of God.

Flipping the electrical breaker

God can be trusted.

It is simple, but sometimes we make it difficult. We certainly live in a time where we need to place our trust in the Lord. Instead, we often put our trust in ourselves, thinking we alone can solve the problem, fix the issue or change the situation.

Do you need to flip the electrical breaker in your life? Do you need to say no to the lies that bog you down? Do you need a measure of trust for that pending decision? Do you need to trust God for an event in your life? Do you need to let go of a solution that’s getting you nowhere?

The answer is simple.

Trust. Let’s do just that and allow the energy and power that comes from the Lord fuel our days and nights.

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)

 

A Crack in the Concrete

A Crack in the Concrete

by | Sep 30, 2023 | Hope, Joy, Trust

I confidently walked to my parents’ carport door – something I’ve done thousands of times.

However, a small crack in the concrete sent me flying. It was a leap I had not intended to take. In that split second, I thought, “This is not going to end well.”

After my knees, elbow and hip hit the hard surface, I decided to lay there for a bit before attempting to move. I’m not even sure which area hit first, but they all hurt. I’m pretty sure I landed 6 feet from that crack.

Have you been there? Confident and sure of yourself. On a mission. Then, something stops you in your tracks. Out of nowhere, you’re hit with devastating news. Your plans crushed. Faith shattered.

Or maybe you’ve nailed down your schedule for the day, and you’re eager to check things off your to-do list. Then, one small crack takes you in a completely different direction. Or a sliver of doubt lets in all kinds of negative thoughts.

A bold mission

Those cracks in our lives can take on many forms.

I imagine Jairus, a ruler in the synagogue, never thought he’d see his young daughter at the point of death. But when we find him in scripture, he was on a mission to find hope and healing.

We don’t know all the details, but here’s what we do know — his confidence was in Jesus.

Mark 5:21-43 tells us in desperation he broke through a great crowd by the sea to beg Jesus to heal her. He demonstrated great faith, saying “come and lay your hands on her that she may be made well and live.”

In his wilderness season, Jairus cried out to the only one who could save her.

He did not know what Jesus would do that day, but he put his faith and trust in Him.

However, as Jesus walked toward Jairus’ home, the worst happened. Someone from his house came with the devastating news — his daughter had died.

In that moment, did Jairus’ mind jump from hope to despair? Did the news stop him in his tracks? Did it paralyze him with fear?

We don’t know, but Jesus overheard those who came with the news and said to Jairus, “Do not fear. Only believe.”

Jairus got to see the miracle-working power of Jesus. As did many others that day by the sea and in Jairus’ home.

Battle scars

I have a few scars from that fall a few weeks ago, but I did recover. And thank goodness I can laugh about it.

Sometimes I even think I need a keeper.

Wait.

I do have one and He’s the one right by my side when I fall. When I doubt. When I make a mistake. When life doesn’t turn out how I planned it.

These “cracks” have also taught me that you can recover from the twists and turns of life . . . from pain and loss to live an abundant life of joy that is grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ.

No matter what happens in our lives, there is one constant. Jesus Christ is the Truth and through Him, we can not only survive what’s going on in our lives, but we can also learn to thrive again.

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD, my God, I will praise you forever. Psalm 30:11-12

 

Stunningly Beautiful

Stunningly Beautiful

by | Sep 22, 2023 | Beauty, Faith, Trust

Stunningly beautiful.

I read the comment on someone’s social media page. I cannot remember who wrote it or what it referred to — someone’s physical beauty or words written. Maybe it referred to God’s beautiful creation.

It reminded me of a time many years ago when a friend and I visited Niagara Falls. We were in Toronto and drove down for the day. It was breathtaking. The shops and town on the Canadian side of the falls were beautifully decorated with potted and hanging plants overflowing with flowers. The overall experience was one of awe and appreciation.

We decided to see the falls from the U.S. side, so we drove over. In contrast, this trash-littered scene was quite appalling. No quaint streets. No beautiful landscaping. Of course, the falls were equally as beautiful, but the environment around them hadn’t been kept up. It had quite literally gone by the wayside. Abandoned. Not cared for. We saw only trash scattered about.

Those two sides of the most powerful waterfall in the world couldn’t have been more different. (I do not believe this is true today, but the experience absolutely left an impression.)

Pristine or neglected?

What about us? Are our lives in pristine shape? Have we cared for the conditions around us?

  • Our physical health. Is it on the back burner while we focus on other things? (Ouch – that one hits home for me.)
  • Our mental health. What do we allow into our minds?
  • Our spiritual health. Are we reading God’s word consistently?

Which side are you on?

Niagara showcases two views. Both views surround a beautiful phenomenon.

We have the love of God. It is without doubt stunningly beautiful. It is beyond comparison. Jesus Christ is our center, our constant. He is our powerful redeemer.

On the one side, we have complete trust and faith. The other side disobedience and rebellion.

My life has depicted both sides over the years. Can you relate?

But as Christ as our center, let us strive to keep the physical, mental and spiritual chunks of our lives in order so that others can see Jesus in us. Not to be distracted by clutter but that the life we live will point people to Him.

 

When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)

 

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It would be my greatest honor to take your hand, introduce you and walk you through how to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and how to have a personal relationship with Him.

Find out more here.

What Keeps You up at Night?

What Keeps You up at Night?

by | Sep 14, 2023 | Fear, Praise, Worry

I woke up to blessed quiet. It had been many weeks — almost two months — of noises in the attic awakening me or scuffling between my office walls and the outside brick frustrating and distracting me. My sons and I couldn’t determine its identity.

One morning the noises sounded like someone moving furniture. Several days the sound of a golf ball repeatedly dropping and rolling tested my patience.

We set out to find an opening and finally found a hole under an eave in the roof, assuming the squatter must be a raccoon. Upon further inspection, we found the insulation had been patted down by the critter’s many trips across the attic floor. Plus, the air duct was detached in two places! So, instead of cooling my house in the 107-degree Louisiana heat, I had been cooling the attic for our attic resident. I can just imagine him sitting up there in between the two sections of the air duct and enjoying all that cold air.

After patching up the hole, we set a borrowed trap in the attic. After a week and even one instance where the raccoon outsmarted the trap, he unexpectedly took the bait and landed in raccoon jail. Our unwanted visitor was then taken to his new home in the woods.

That attic situation was quite the experience.

So I’m grateful for a quiet house on a lazy Saturday morning. I’m grateful for cool air and a son who didn’t complain even once about checking the trap three times a day.

What’s in your attic?

What’s in your attic? Hopefully, it’s not something wreaking havoc and causing destruction.

However, sometimes, it’s our own thoughts that do exactly that.

What keeps you up at night or awakens you in the early morning hours? What is that constant worry that keeps you in a state of disarray? What is the fear that won’t give you peace? Or the nagging voice that distracts you from your life’s purpose?

Jesus brought calm to the chaos and peace in the storm. He spoke healing to the helpless and provided plenty to the hungry. He spent time with the outcasts as well as the prominent. He made himself available to men and women alike, and cherished children. He taught, he prayed, he wept, he loved.

And he does that for us too. We can rest at night knowing that He is in control and He’s available.

Who fights your battles?

There is an account in scripture that reminds us where to place our trust. It’s an unusual one to discuss trust, but I love what King Jehoshaphat says when enemy armies were about to invade.

2 Chronicles 20:12

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

That is the answer for us too. No matter the pressure you’re feeling in life right now, put your eyes on Jesus. If the walls seem to be closing in, or something is causing destruction in your attic, remember He is there.

2 Chronicles 20:17 also reminds us of God’s provision. When facing a battle, He told the people of Judah not to do anything.

You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, tomorrow go out against them and the LORD will be with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17 (ESV)

And I love their response. They praised and sang BEFORE the LORD delivered them. God caused their enemies to destroy each other. By the time Judah got there, all they needed to do was pick up the spoils. Don’t you love that?

I do not know what battle you might be facing, or what the Lord might require of you, but I do know this. With Jesus by your side, you cannot lose.

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