God Is Good Enough

A sense of our own weaknesses is healthy. But if we use them as an excuse to keep God from using us, we insult HIM. What we're really saying is that God isn't good enough...

Hang In There

Hang In There...it might be tempting to dismiss those words as simplistic.

Hanging In There - the Bible calls it Perseverance - isn't possible through mere willpower. We preserve because God promised, over and over, that He's with us, that He'll give us strength and that He'll accomplish His purposes in our lives.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

What does it take to Hang In There? According to Isaiah, the foundation for hope is God's character. Knowing God's goodness allows us to release our grip on fear so we can cling to the Father and His promise that He will provide what we need each day: Strength, Help and God's Comforting, Empowering and Upholding Presence.

The Main Actor

So the pressure's off. We don't need to fret, compare, work with compulsive energy or feed our many anxieties. God is in charge.

God, I've been paying lip service to You being in charge of my world. It's exhausting and I want to stop doing that. Help me trust You.

Finding A Quiet Life

#Covid-19
#StayAtHome

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.

You should mind your own business and work with your hands so outsiders respect you and you're not a burden on anyone.

Jesus, living a quiet life sounds so inviting, but I know it won't come easily. I ask for the grace to mind my own business, not so I can close myself off from the world, but that I won't add to the noise.

Trust Your Armor

We don't get the impression that David the young shepherd was unsure of himself when it came to wearing Saul's' armour to fight Goliath. He simply couldn't move around in it. David realized one man's armor can be another man's prison. I cannot move in these. So he trusted what he knew. God had prepared him for that moment with just what was needed. The sling and stones were what David was used to, his armor and God used them to bring joy to the ranks of Israel that day.

Have you ever felt unsure of yourself, thinking - if I just had what someone else has, then my life would be different? Consider the gifts or experiences God has given specifically to you. Trust your God-given armor.

Sovereign God, at times it's easy to feel unsure of myself, especially in situations where challenges feel like giants. Help me to trust that You've given me just what I need. You've crafted my life's story.

Growing To Know

Learning is like climbing a sand dune. Sometimes you feel like you're not getting anywhere. But just keep going and you will.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.

Life has its challenges. But as we turn to the One who has overcome the world, we discover not only that He's faithful to get us through but also that nothing matters more than closeness to Him. He gives us His peace, helps us to trust and empowers us to go the distance as we walk with Him.

A Shield Around Me

When doctor's reports are not encouraging, when financial pressures won't ease up, when efforts to reconcile relationships fail, when death has left those we cherish in its wake - may we too be strengthened to say - But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

Heavenly Father, help me to see that though life can be uncomfortable, I can find comfort in You.

Love's Long Reach

God chooses to know us because He loves us. He cares enough not only to observe our lives but also to enter into them and make them new. He drew near through Jesus's life, death and resurrection, so we could know Him in return and love Him for eternity. We can never go beyond the reach of God's love.