What to do with days when things just aren’t going right?

What to do with this day when things aren’t clicking and time keeps ticking?  When things refuse to fall into the designated places you had for them?  When it feels like it’s completely squashed before it starts?  So many plans lay ahead but the weight, the feeling, and the pressure of it all leaves one with a sense of having things unaccomplished and unfulfilled.  To look on the outside, it seems that everyone else is getting on with this day and their doings, but the fight in here, right now, and the press that comes with it, it just doesn’t seem to want to work out.  All the gears for all the mechanics of this day are present, in place, and spinning, but they are just not grabbing correctly to move what we are trying to achieve successfully.

What to do with this day when there seems to be conflict and strain with one another?  When relationships don’t hug the way you want them to hug or love in a way you want to be loved?  When misunderstandings, assuming, and yes, even one’s own personal views on a matter put barriers between the spirit of fellowship and love.  When hurts cause one’s steps to move ever so fragile as if on eggshells, fearing the disappointment and disapproval of someone else?

What to do with this day when rogue feelings break away from the pack you had planned for the day and invade and try to rob you of the potential joy that lay ahead in the hours to come?  Thieves of insecurity.  Thieves of shame.  Thieves of feeling woefully torn.  These thieves come with many hideous and damaging names.  The day was brand new and fresh at the start, but that didn’t stop these unwanted parasitic nuisances from latching on and tainting it with the feelings of mess-ups, adversity, pain, and disappointments from your yesterdays.

So, what to do with these kinds of days when our plans, people, or feelings just don’t want to cooperate with the vision you had set for it?

Give it to God!  That one answer tells us how to deal with it, the proper response to it, and what to do with the rest of it.  This is not some Christian rhetoric or cliche.  It is a solid truth that we can stand on and base our faith upon.  We give it to God.

The real truth is that at any given time on any given day, we will all or have all experienced one or many of the daily upsets listed above (and sometimes even more than these).  It is all a part of life, a part that can really throw us off-kilter if we don’t process it right and deal with it in the right way.

Therefore, when everything is going absolutely bonkers, sometimes without rhyme or reason; when nothing within our power or control is working, we give it all to Him who has all power and control.  Not as a mythical genie creature whose bottle we rub to have things or people turn out how we want them to.  But, as releasing it to His majesty and sovereign will.  It’s saying, “I trust you, God.”  Whether this day turns out how I configured it or not, my plans, my people, my times, my heart, and my feelings are all in Your hands.

God is not only the Creator of all the universe and the Author of all mankind, but He is concerned about your daily needs for each individual day also.  All the areas that need filling, all the upsets that need dealing with, all the plans that need to be taken care of, and all the worries that bog us down – He’s concerned about it all.

But, as we release the day to Him we must also realize His best answer for us may be to not move everything or anything into the places where we see fit.  Sometimes, His best answer for what we are going through with this day is to let us learn from it, experience it, and still maintain trust in Him.  Regardless of how it goes forward, despite what we feel in the process, no matter who we are dealing with and how we are dealing with them – He still sees it all, knows it all, and has it all in His loving and powerful hands.

So, when days like this come, we give it to God, step back, and just trust Him for every part of it.

Here are some verses and prayers to hold in your heart when the days just aren’t going right for you:

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Father God, I acknowledge that I don’t know everything about this day, my future, or even how to properly respond to it all.  I pray for Your leading to show me the right path to walk so that my life might be pleasing in Your sight.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Father God, the end of all things may be vague to me or even remain a mystery.  Help my heart hold on to the very real fact that You knew me from the beginning and You know how my story ends; and that if I am in Your hands, then I am in Your plan.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Psalm 126:6 “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Father God, my tears and confusion for the day, You see it all.  Help me to know that it is not all in vain.  Let my confidence be in You and Your love for me above all else, knowing that for every sadness, there will be joy.  When You restore, for every sorrow sown there will be a reaping of happiness and peace.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

 

 

“An Awesome Love Story”

I am more in love with Jesus today, and each day that follows, than when I first started out.  Through experiences and growth in this spiritual journey, I have come to recognize the sweetness I have found in my Savior.  The more I have gone through, and the more He has brought me through, the more I appreciate Him for holding my hand every step of the way.

In human relationships, there seems to be more excitement at the beginning of this adventure called love.  We can’t wait to see what happens next or cannot wait for the next visit or phone call.  But as I have come to know my Savior over these years, my excitement in Him builds more and more.  Every day brings new revelations of how awesome His love is for me – and as one who sits back in the sun just to hear the birds sing – I sit in the splendor of His radiant presence and enjoy His love that sings over me.

His awesome love story with us is not like any other.  It is complete yet renewing every day.  As a fountain that never runs dry, it is full, yet it is constantly “pouring” into our lives (Romans 5:5, NKJV), uncontainable and overflowing, giving us more and more of Him each day.  His love is not a one-shot deal.  But it’s our covering, our reliance, our safety blanket, the cradle in which we rest in the comfort and care of the one who loves us best.

The awesomeness of His love story toward us was solidified when He was nailed to the cross.  But can I tell you, it’s so much more than that?  He didn’t stop there but chose every day of our lives to be there for us wherever we go – fully caring, fully involved, and fully in love with each of us.

Why?

Because He has a “steadfast love” for us (Psalm 86:15, ESV).  His love is faithful, present, and enduring.  It is not easily swayed or moved from where we are, no matter how ugly it may appear at times.

When people would have given up on us in those ugly moments, He still moves toward us.

Why does He do that? Because He chooses to.

In most relationships, people come to a mutual understanding of love before they move forward.  Jesus is different.  His love for us was never dependent on what we did or didn’t do (remember those He prayed for while suffering on the cross).  He never waited for us to make the first move or come to some mutual understanding of what this love would be all about.  But in the awesomeness of His love, Jesus moved forward in loving us while we were still “sinners” (Romans 5:8).

He has never waited for us to get it right or come out of those ugly shadows before we were counted worthy of His love. As a matter of fact, He showed us love before we showed signs of loving Him back.  In His passion for us, He always made the first move.  The Bible tells us, “We love him, because he first loved us,” (1 John 4:19).

So, if you are in doubt today about the awesomeness of His love story over you, no matter what voices are telling you, I am here to tell you differently.  You and me are all unequivocally loved by Jesus and there’s nothing we can do about it because He already did it all.  His love is constantly pouring into us, never giving up on us, and has already made the first move toward us.  All we can do is accept His love and sit back and bask in the awesomeness of it.  Now, that’s something to get excited about!

If you haven’t already, give Jesus your heart today and accept what He is already willing to give you.  Find a good Bible-based church and experience His awesome love story up close and personal.  He’s waiting for you.

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A Little at a Time

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“And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.”
Deuteronomy 7:22, NKJV

Here we go again. A new idea, a new project, and the excitement within us wells until we are busting at the seams to implement or work it into our already busy lives.

Don’t get me wrong, the wonderful creativity that God has placed in us yearns to be expressed in multiple ways. And thankfully we are always learning about different things or different ways to do the things we are already doing.

The only problem is, our enthusiasm and excitement can get the best of us sometimes.  We can rush ahead and try to take on or accomplish several projects at once, juggling and spinning many plates at the same time, wondering why we are exhausted and overwhelmed while still dealing with what is in front of us daily.

When Moses was preparing the hearts of the Israelites to conquer the promised land, he relayed God’s plan of progression.  God could, no doubt, take on multiple nations and worlds at one time if He wanted to because He is God, the Creator of all.  But for these people, as they entered the land to begin their conquest, they would do it a little at a time.

Our heavenly Father is a wise, gentle, and gracious God knowing how easily it is for our human nature to become overwhelmed by taking on too much at once.

Is this you today? Have you ever stood back and wondered how in the world will you get all of this done, or where do you even begin?

Listen to the wisdom of our gracious God and get to your tasks step by step, one thing at a time, a little at a time. 

Many have taken on the idea of an octopus mentality – arms, ideas, and projects flying in every direction all at once, and we wonder about our feeling of overwhelm, multitasking, often to our own detriment.

Our zeal gets the best of us, and we add another plate to the spinning mess we are already juggling.

Step back, my friend, and reevaluate what you are doing and what is the ultimate final goal you would like to achieve.  What are the most important things for that project, that day, or that time?  What steps need to be taken for the greatest end result?

Now, let’s break it up and take it on a little at a time so as not to frazzle our energies or our minds.

We are not God.  We cannot take on the whole universe at once, but if we heed His wisdom perhaps our days can be a little less hectic, and a little more productive.

Be Patient | Words to Live By

When it doesn’t go your way… be patient.

When it doesn’t fall into place as you imagined… be patient.

When it doesn’t seem fair… be patient.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Everything that is not like God will fade away, but you who endure to the end and remain patiently in hope, will see the reward of your perseverance. “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” James 5:7

Come

The cares of this life can be overpowering, but Jesus says, “Come.”

Through weariness and toil, Jesus says, “Come.”

The help you seek cannot be found in another, so, “Come.”

The tears you are crying are recorded in His holy register and ready to be bottled according to His blessed promise, so, “Come.”

The weightiness of the heart finds the consolation to be lifted and revived – “Come.”

The rest your soul desperately needs will encounter the Savior when you “Come.”

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“Come” is your invitation from the heart and mouth of the Savior to get near to Him.

For the sinner, come and find the source of your salvation.

For the saint, come and find your rest and strength.

None is exempt from the need to come and be where Jesus is. None is excluded from the need for this heavenly supply. As the fervent crowds pushed through the doorway, or as Mary planted herself at the Savior’s feet refusing to be moved for the mundane, “come” is your welcoming address to enjoy and draw strength from the Savior, He who was pushed away and rejected that you would not be an outcast, but welcomed to come near. So, “Come.”

Thank You, Father God, for You rent the veil and tore forever this blockade. You provided the way, and it has been opened wide so we can “Come.” Amen.

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One Day

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One day we shall rise
and meet Jesus in the sky,
put away this humanity
as we step into eternity.

Heaven, at last,
will be our home,
forever in Your presence
we will evermore roam.

No more clouds, sin,
or earthly dismay,
we will be caught up,
raptured away.

The days draw near,
with my heart, I look up,
anticipating fellowship
at the Lord’s dinner to sup.

Eternity is forever,
today is temporary,
through trials and toils,
look up, blessed honorary.

The King will come
to take us home,
His people, beloved,
as His very own.

If you’re not sure
of your future bright,
let not this day pass
without making it right.

Tomorrow’s not promised.
Today is at hand.
Repent and turn
while you still can.

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” ~ Revelation 1:7

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:52

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” ~ Titus 2:13

“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” ~ Mark 13:26, 27

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” ~ Acts 2:38

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” ~ Acts 3:19

Remembering…

“𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒍𝒅…” 𝑫𝒆𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒚 32:7.

As I write these articles and begin the editing process, it will sometimes require me to go through old photos to post with the article. Often, I come across times of family events, vacations, and the like and in my mind, I am allowed to momentarily relive and remember those precious moments.

Today is a good day for reflection.  It may be Monday and the beginning of the week, or it may be a Wednesday, a Friday, or a Sunday, but if we just take a moment to think about God’s goodness and where He has brought us from, oh, the impact that would have for this day!  The remembrance of His holy protection and love that has carried us this far could ignite a fire of passion inside us to do more, to be more, and to come up to where He wants us more.

The status quo goes into these given days’ business as usual.  We can enter with a refreshed spirit and a new mindset because we remember, and our past has already testified that God has been there for us.  So far, we have survived everything we have been through, and it is because of His power, His grace, and His mercy that has been directing and covering us.  No, the path hasn’t always been easy.  But we are here today because of the love of God at work in our lives and the belief that He has so much more in store for us.

Remembering and reflecting on the old days would reassure our hearts and souls that no matter what I am facing today, God is still faithful.  Looking back reminds us, that He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.  Recalling His goodness tells us, that if He did it once, He’ll do it again.  The mindset is our God is able, He has before, and He will again be there for us through it all.

Today has just started, but because of the God in our lives, we can already see a victorious end.  This day might be brand new, but it’s not new to Him.  He has our days numbered.  We are in His thoughts.  He knows all about us, and it is in Him we rest and believe for so much more.  The journey of our soul will keep pushing ahead because we believe God has held us thus far, and He will hold us through today as well.

“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Blessings~

A Sweet Creation

Have you ever witnessed the taffy-making process?  It is a very interesting process to watch for sure.  After mixing sugar and other ingredients together, you are left with this massive blob of sweet goodness lying on the work table.

What can one possibly do with such a non-conformative mess?  You can stretch it and pull it until it becomes a pliable consistency to be used for the sweet creation you had in mind.  Whether by hand or through the use of a machine, eventually the blob will yield to the purpose and intended design, becoming something very useful and delicious to the one who created it.

 My friend, you and I are the sweetness of God’s Creation.  So much so, in the beginning, He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” Genesis 1:26.  There is something genuinely sweet and uniquely beautiful in the reality that the God of all creation wanted a special creature in His “likeness.” 

Sadly, this beautiful, sweet creation has been tainted, corrupted, and susceptible to the dregs of sin this world produces.  But that doesn’t stop the story.  Thank God!

There is something more in the eyes and in the heart of the Father for this lowly being.  He still sees the possibility of all they can become and with His holy hands, He begins His own process of pulling and stretching.  And like the taffy maker, He’s watching, and working, and drawing hearts near for the end result – a sweetness we can never feel, experience, or imagine on this side of glory.

But as with the blob of candy turned treat, there must be a willingness to yield to the pulling and stretching work God wants to perform in you and through you. 

The question is, will you truly let God have His way in your life.  Oh, I know the sentiments we say, the songs we sing, and the prayers we pray – but when it’s all said and done, as uncomfortable and sometimes painful, will we yield our all I holy surrender to become those sweet creations?

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.” Proverbs 19:21

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” Psalm 139:14, and it is truly a sweet thing.

Blessings~

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Are You Willing?

My friend, if you are willing, that means you have a heart prepared to go and do what others may not be willing to do.  You see the possibilities and enthusiastically embrace and receive what may be ahead simply because the Master wants to use you.

Willingness for what?  Ah, my friend, only you can answer that question because only you can know the call you have been hearing or the pull in a certain direction that you have been feeling.  But it is not until the feet of faith have moved to the fulfillment of those things does your willingness shine through.

And shine you will.  For those who respond to God’s drawing in to follow and fulfill – that one, moving in obedience, shines, for “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” Matthew 5:14, 16.

That three-letter word “let” is asking for your permission to be allowed to be used by Him.  It’s asking are you willing?  Are you ready to respond in the affirmative with a steadfast “Yes”?

Second Corinthians 9:7 reminds us that God loves a cheerful giver.  Stretch that possibility beyond the gathering of an offering to be worked out in our everyday lives.  Are we cheerfully giving of ourselves?  Are we allowing the Master to use us as vessels fit for the job, “prepared unto every good work” 2 Timothy 2:21?

Many are agreeable in tongue, but has our willingness reached the point of being ready, pliable, and active in services to our King?  Paul implored the Roman church, and us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” Romans 12:1.

Are you willing?

The Greater Joy in the Morning

He carried so much.  More than “our sins and griefs to bear,”1 He carried the weight, the pain, the inner turmoil, and mental anguish the results of all the by-products of those sins and griefs, upon a heavy-laden heart and mind.  Tears welled inside to the bursting, refusing to fall from the eyes that were singularly focused upon a greater joy.

It was the psalmist who wrote, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” Psalm 30:5, recognizing the temporary hold tears and sorrow have, especially when one’s heart is fixated upon a greater joy to be found in the morning.

For Christ, the illness of sin had made its mark on His body and throughout His person.  Yet, in the heaviness of the load He carried, and the pain His holy vessel endured, we are told, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.

Although the joy was there for what it would accomplish, let us not approach the pain He endured physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in a lackadaisical fashion.  Let us not brush aside what strength of heart and mind this endurance called for.  Let’s not subtract what the man, the person of Jesus felt and suffered at the hands of all these afflictions. 

So heavy it was, and so hard it was, we couldn’t do it for ourselves: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” 2 Corinthians 3:5.

The tarnished state of man could never find in himself the satisfaction this heaviness of sin required, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.  But in Christ, “ God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” Romans 3:25. 

Sin was paid in full.  Joy came at the thought and complete process and plan of the redeemed being ransomed from the clutches of darkness.  But let us not be unmindful or take lightly the night afflictions He suffered through before the day dawned.  In it, there was real pain and real sacrifice beyond the scope of what we can imagine.  All for the joy that we might experience a glory unimaginable, where “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

The weight of what Jesus endured could not dim the glory of the greater joy in the morning. Aren’t we glad about it!

He suffered, 
To save,
His greater joy 
Came to our aid,
And satisfied the debt, 
We could not pay.

His joy is complete,
In the sky
We shall meet,
The blessed Savior
Our sins impaled
Hands and feet.

Absent are tears
Or turning away,
Forever with Him
We shall surely stay.
Accepting His sacrifice
Paved the way.

The affliction of sin
Forever is gone,
A holy transformation
Undergone.
Awakening now
A new, joyous dawn.
©Word for Life Says, 2024

1 ©“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” by Joseph M. Scriven, Charles C. Converse