Tag: devotional inspirations

“You Are the Light of the World!”

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Do you ever wonder why Christians have to deal with so much stuff from people?  Why does it seem the rights of everyone else are important all the while our rights are trying to be diminished by opposing forces?  Why does it seem that we are singled out to be somebody to mess with when the cut-ups of this world get by on a free pass.

I’ll tell you why.

Things are set in motion like that to try to discourage us from our walk with Christ; our belief.  The fact of the matter is our lives are convicting to those who fight against God and His plan for humanity.  God, through His Word, tells of a holy requirement He desires to see played out in the lives of each and every individual.  Those who seek after the flesh and revel in carnality and sin don’t want the same desires as He.  Rather, they fight vehemently against it and anything that resembles it (i.e. Christians).

Once Jesus taught, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid,” Matthew 5:14.  You shine for Him.  You magnify His brightness and glory in the midst of degradation and sin.  You are a beacon to show people the way to this wonderful life in Him through the darkness and disparity of this world.  As a Christian, you look like Him (in character), you talk like Him and that bothers those who oppose Him.

In a life that has been transformed by His renewing power, it becomes a living testimony to grace, mercy, and the power of salvation working itself out in humanity.  Although these wonderful things are available to all for the asking, few choose to look to Him for those wonderful gifts.  They would much rather pursue the things of the flesh than that of the Spirit causing war and contentions with those who walk and talk differently then them.

Nonetheless, I urge you brother and sister in Christ, keep walking the holy walk.  No matter the fighting.  No matter the contentions.  Keep showing this world, through the life you live, what a mighty God we serve.  Philippians tells us we are, “In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world,” (2:15).  By the continual light of Christ beaming from your life, you are helping others to draw nearer to Him; you are helping others to see the hope that is available if they would but turn.

The life we live may cause us discomfort at times, but the reward of having others see Christ in us is immeasurable.  You and I can positively effect change in the lives of others for eternity.  I think, my friends, that far outweighs the opposition we may face today.

And, as we are living, let us always remember we have nothing to boast or be arrogant about.  We are saved today because somebody else stood up as a light for us showing us the way; somebody else’s lives were convicting, pricking our hearts to want to know Him more.  Our salvation is NEVER anything for us to glory in.  We can only glory in our Savior who gave His life that we might have new life in Him.  We are now vessels filled with His grace that we might positively pour into and shine in the lives of others.

“It’s Saturday!”

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The day before Sunday is like no other. It’s the day that comes at the end of the workweek and comes before the day of worship. There are so many possibilities with this day. Sleep in or go out? Veg out in front the TV or seek adventure? Clean or do you say forget it, “I clean every day and today I’m taking a break!” How will you spend your time?

Time. That’s a four little word with great impact. Time is something we can never get back. Time is something that will keep moving forward whether you are ready to go with it or not. Time is precious. Time is valuable. How one spends their time can either add to their life or take away from it.

Time. Extra time is not promised. We can’t buy more time. Rather, we must lay hold of with an iron grip the time that has been allotted to us and make the best use of it for our lives, our families, and our ministries.

Time. What will you do with it? We deserve rest because we worked hard. Take the time. We deserve adventure, something that will heighten our senses because we have stayed the course of the mundane all week. Take the time. Clean? . . . well, we’ll just leave that one alone for now.

Time. As crazy as it seems to us, it goes by in a flash when you don’t want it to and it drags when you wish it would speed up. That’s why every moment counts. Every opportunity should be seized. Every second savored.

Time. We don’t have as much of it as we would like, and yet God blessed us with the amount we need. How we choose to use it is up to us.

What will you do with your time today? There is no right or wrong answer. If you worked hard and want to sit in front of the tv because your brain needs a few hours vacation, then do so. If your body has been stuck in the office all week and you feel a need to stretch and exercise to get it moving, then do so. If you chose to let the house go one day so that you can have time for yourself, then do so. It’s Saturday! It’s your time! Make the most of it for you!

Keep in mind, once this Saturday goes by, it will not come again. Oh, yes, there will be other Saturdays, but not this Saturday. There will be other chances and opportunities, but not like today. Today is for you – it’s your Saturday, what will you do?

Ephesians 5:16 encourages us to redeem the time. Grab hold of today and make the most of it! It’s only here today. So, what will you do with today?

Whatever you do, make today count! It’s Saturday, enjoy “you” on this day!

God bless you and enjoy your Saturday 🙂

 

“Don’t Romanticize Life!”

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Text-Free Image by Barbara A Lane from Pixabay

“Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,” 1 Peter 4:12

“Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we may through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God,” Acts 14:22

One of the best things about being an avid reader is the happy ending that appears at the end of almost every book I read.  When you first dive into a new book, you begin to get familiar with the characters and their life.  Each turn of the page takes us along on their journey, revealing to us their joys and sadness, hardships and pain.  By the time we reach those last few pages, everything has worked itself out.  There’s almost always a reason for celebration and the typical “aww” moment, especially if you’re into romance novels.

That’s the great thing about books.  They allow your imagination to soar, taking you into worlds you may not otherwise get a chance to explore.  Your mind’s eye becomes connected to the writer’s vision for the book, and soon a vivid story begins to unfold before you.  Though there are no pictures, illustrations begin to form, revealing all that is written therein.  Television has its place – oh, but to read a book!

Whether it’s a movie, a television program, or a book, the stories we hear and see transport us, giving us a reprieve from reality.  But when the last page is read or the screen goes blank, it’s back to reality.  And reality isn’t always as picturesque as the stories we left behind.  Sometimes love does not find its way.  Sometimes the bad guy does get away.  Sometimes the hero doesn’t make it home.  Sometimes the disease doesn’t heal.  Sometimes the child does not find their way home.  Sometimes the friend does not stick closer than a brother, and so on.

Sometimes life is just not fun!  I think more so than ever that we have not heard enough about the reality of life.  Instead, we are raising up a generation of rose-colored glasses wearers.  Even from the pulpit of most American churches, the messages of peace, prosperity, and wealth have taken over the reality of life.  Jesus Christ Himself clearly stated that in the world you will have tribulation (John 16:33).  Peace and blessings will come.  Promises will be fulfilled, but our physical being is living in the world right now, and while we are here, we have to face the reality that everything, every day, is not going to be easy.

This philosophy breeds a culture of disillusionment.  Romanticizing life leaves one totally off guard and taken aback when troubling times come.  A hard life is a hard life, no matter which way you look at it, and when one is not ready in the least for it, the residual effects can be devastating.  “We may through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God.”  It is going to be hard sometimes.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,” 1 Peter 4:12.  In other words, the test is going to be hard sometimes.  Tests are not passed with a fly-by-night attitude.  Tests are passed when people are prepared for them.  But the wearer of the rose-colored glasses will have a harder time because the tests seem like a “strange thing” that has happened to them.

Listen, prepared or not, some things in life will just come out of the blue and whip your world around, causing you to say, “What the what?”  It’s inevitable.  The idea behind not romanticizing life is to expect the unexpected.  We don’t want to lose out on those promises God has for us because we have the false illusion that nothing will ever happen to us.

The promises are coming, that’s a given.  In John 16:33, after Jesus warned, “In the world ye shall have tribulation,” He also gave us cause to celebrate.  He said, “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  And after Peter wrote of the “strange thing,” he exhorted his readers with verses 13-14a.  He said, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you . . .”

Oh yes, thank God for the promises.  Every word that speaks of them is true.  But don’t be surprised when we have to go through some stuff today before we reach those promises.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

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

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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 up ahead but the weight and the feeling and the pressure of it all leaves one with a sense of unaccomplishment and unfulfillment.  Taking a look outside and it seems to be that everyone else is getting on with this day and doing 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 accomplish forward 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 the 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 causes 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 up 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, or 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 on.  We give it God.

The very 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 the way 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, my feelings – they 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 as well.  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 to let us learn from it, experience it and still maintain trust in Him.  That no matter how it goes forward, no matter 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.

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 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 to hold on to the very real fact that you knew me from the beginning and you know how my story ends; 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.  That when You restore, for every sorrow that was sown there will be reaping of happiness and peace.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

 

 

“But there is a God in heaven . . .”

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Daniel stood before king Nebuchadnezzar and declared the truth that the king and many others in this world fail to acknowledge: “There is a God in heaven,” (Daniel 2:28).  Although Nebuchadnezzar was searching for an interpretation of a dream, he should have been searching his heart.

Our God is Creator.  Our God is Sovereign over all.  He sits higher in His realm than any king or dignitary on earth.  And He looks low to the smallest of us all to personally see about us and tend to our care.  He knows who is for Him and who is against Him.  He knows the one whose heart is filled with faith and the one who shuns His grace.

He is the very God that called everything into existence, speaking over them and they came to being (Isaiah 48:13; Romans 4:17).  He is the very God that raises up and puts down (Psalms 75:7).  “He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings . . .” (Daniel 2:21, HCSB).

Oh yes, there is a God in heaven . . .

Whether you believe or don’t believe, it doesn’t change the very real fact that He is real.  That He reigns and rules.  He is the one who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and marks off the measurements of heaven using His hand.  He only is the one who can gather the dust of the earth and tell you how much there is, and He can weigh or hang the mountains in His heavenly scales and tell you the balance thereof (Isaiah 40:12).

Oh yes, there is a God in heaven . . .

He does great things in the world, yet He knows every detail of my life.  He has the hairs of my own head numbered (Matthew 10:30).  He calls me out personally by name (John 10:3).  From before my beginning to my very end, He knows all about me (Psalms 139).  The mighty God in heaven is thinking about me out of all the people in the world (Psalms 139:17-18).

He’s there in heaven.  He’s here in my heart.

Oh, that the Nebuchadnezzar’s of the world would search for Him personally.  Oh, that man would open his spiritual eyes and see the truth before him: There is a God in heaven!  There are many false ways that try to deny that very fact (2 Peter 2), but it doesn’t change the reality of it all.  God is real!  God rules!  And, God has the final say!

There is a God in heaven!

 

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“When Jesus Cleansed our Temple…”

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One of the events most etched in people’s minds and history when recalling the events that occurred during this blessed time of the years was the cleansing of the temple (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46).  It is during this time when Jesus had had enough! It was time to get the house of God cleaned up! Unashamedly and without regard for roving eyes and the tsk tsk tsking of the people’s lips, He flips tables over and starts throwing people out to get His Father’s house back in order.  With holy force, He sought to reclaim what was rightfully God’s.

But, can I tell you, His fight didn’t stop there.  He wanted more than a building to reclaim for God, He wanted people that rightfully belong to Him.  He wouldn’t gain that by flipping over tables, rather He flipped over the gates of hell.  He wouldn’t get there by driving people with wrong intents away, but with force, He drove the enemy of our soul away and crushed him under His feet. He wanted to win the temple of people’s heart for His Father and this fight could only be won on the cross.

The whips that were used against Him were nothing in comparison to the sting He was delivering to the enemy.  The ridicule He experienced couldn’t overshadow the words of comfort and the prayers of forgiveness He offered as He hung there.  The thorns that were placed on Him and the sword that pierced His side couldn’t contend with the piercing plea of souls searching for everlasting freedom the cross could provide.  On the cross, He would remain until the victory to reclaim the lost and hurting world to His Father was won.  On the cross, He would stay until the temple of the one who would believe in Him could be cleansed and made new that true worship and true fellowship with the Father could be restored.

When Jesus stepped in the place for us, He cleansed our temples with the only thing that could work: His Blood.  His blood is the only thing that could turn the enemy of our soul upside down.  His blood is the only thing that could deliver from the eternal death to come.  His blood is the only way to reclaim the hearts of the people; the temple of their souls for the Father.

When Jesus cleaned our temple, He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves.  More than a building was rightfully returned to God.  You and I and everyone who believes were won by the cleansing power of the cross.

When Jesus cleansed our temple He did more than flip over tables.  He took who we used to be and made us brand new.  He turned our world upside down and gave us entrance into the kingdom of God, and we are so glad He did.

“Religion says earn your life. Secular society says create your life. Jesus says, ‘My life for your life.” – Timothy Keller

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

“Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us, yet if we withhold ourselves from that blood, we will be unclean forever.” – Aiden Wilson Tozer

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5

“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” – Robert Lowry

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

 

“Do You Have What It Takes To Make It?”

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My Project 513-001

 

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ,” 2 Timothy 2:3, NKJV

Over the last few years I have become extremely sensitive to the plights of our military servicemen and women and their families, being that we became one also. We had one of our own deployed in another country far away. It was an experience like no other.

Nothing prepares you for the sadness that comes when they depart. The heart unexpectedly wrestles with negative thoughts while they are away and sometimes the hopelessness of not being able to help overshadows you when you hear of their hurts and the trials they face.

It takes a lot to be a good soldier! Do you have the makings of it? Let’s find out.

From the first moment one arrives at basic training, Paul’s truth to Timothy becomes a reality: for one to be a good soldier you have to “endure hardship,” 2 Timothy 2:3, NKJV. From that very day, one is conditioned to withstand the fight. Bodies, hearts and minds are tested for staying power. They are trained to defend and protect. That means the task is not easy. One has to be able to endure some stuff that the regular, every day Joe can’t. People that are weak won’t last long at all.

God’s army is no different. It’s not for the faint of heart. We are in a spiritual battle and the gospel needs defending and protecting. Knowing beforehand of the possible struggles ahead can dress one with readiness of mind. It can prepare them for the fight through trials and tribulations. Paul had been urgent for Timothy to know ahead of time that there will be times of resistance, but the need to press is even greater.

Endurance is key for a soldier. Learning how to walk through the muck and the mire of this world takes an exertion of strength. But, the only way to get stronger is to keep pushing through, building up the necessary muscles that it will take to see this to the point of victory.

Secondly, Paul tells Timothy, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life . . .” (2 Timothy 2:4a, NKJV). It detracts the mind from the mission. To be in God’s army you have to be focused. Circumstances will always arise. Situations will always try to push themselves to the forefront of everything, but one has to remain focused and centered on the task at hand.

God has gifted each of us with special things to do for His kingdom, but the distractions of this life often invade and cloud our focus. It makes it hard for us to zero in on what God wants us to do – or, on what kind of soldier He wants us to be. A good soldier has learned how to take stock of everything going on around them, prioritize them, and keep straight on the course where God is leading, working in the gifts that God wants him to.

When we do that, 2 Timothy 2:4b, tells us it pleases, “him who enlisted him as a soldier,” (NKJV). The right man for the right job! God sees the potential that each of us have. Unfortunately, many of us don’t see it the way God sees it. Because of that, we are not so inclined to press through the fight and work in those gifts He has given us.

It “pleases” God when He sees us operating in and fulfilling what He has purposed us to do. He knows we can do it. Now, we need to grab a hold of those marching orders and press forward until the mission is complete. Make Him proud that you have been “enlisted!”

Switching themes to athletic competitions, in order to be one that can make it, 2 Timothy 2:5 tells us that everything has to be done “according to the rules,” (NKJV). Whether in competitions, or military, or with God, we don’t enlist on our own terms. Protocol has to be followed. Once you are enlisted, your way is out the door. The way you used to walk, the way you used to talk, the way you used to stand, the way you used to eat, etc. All of that is done away with. When you joined up, you joined up and took an oath to follow the rules.

We will never see the victory at the end of the battle trying to do this our way. It’s God’s way or no way! “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” (Isaiah 55:8, NKJV). God said that Himself! If you don’t compete according to the rules, you can run all you want, but you still will not get the prize.

Finally, switching themes once again, 2 Timothy 2:6, lets us know that it all pays off after a while. “The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops,” (NKJV). Yes, it is hard! Yes, sometimes you will feel like quitting! But, don’t! Hang on in there and the reward will be yours!

Do you have what it takes to see this through until the end? Recheck that list and note if there are any areas that need improvement. Start today to be even more determined to be a “Good Soldier.” Endurance + Focus + Pleasing God + Following the Rules = a Reward for all your hard work. Are you up to the challenge today? Do you have what it takes to make it?

 

“God’s Heartward Perspective!”

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God has been teaching me a lot lately about how I view people.  For instance, recently I ordered food at the drive-thru of a local fast-food joint.  The voice that came through the microphone was very well-spoken, eloquent, and respectful.  Pulling up to the window to pay for the meal, before me stood a gentleman with green hair, big fat wooden earrings in his ears, tattoos, and so forth.  I mentioned to my husband that I would have never identified that voice with that look or persona (not that any of those things are indicators of anything negative, it was just an observation).

Often we can come across people in our pathway who don’t look the way we feel they should look or don’t carry themselves in a manner approving of our standards, yet in them is a real person with a real soul.

David was judged wrongly by those of his own house.  When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house to anoint a new king no one suspected that the little ruddy boy out in the fields was the one God had in mind.  Even Samuel himself looked at the appearance of the other young men and thought that surely one of these was the one God was seeking after.  God plainly told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him.  For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,” (1 Samuel 16:7).

God has a perspective that we can’t have; He can see the heart of man.  Perhaps instead of making up our minds too quickly about individuals, we can just decide to love them and accept them as God made them and let God be the one to deal with their hearts.  God is awesome like that!  He keeps teaching me and I am still learning, and in the process, I am pleasantly surprised.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

“Take it to the Cross!”

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Every worry and every fear, take it and leave it at the foot of that blood-stained banner that was raised for our freedom.

Every doubt and every hurt, take it to Him who is stretched wide upon those old rugged beams to experience fully the troubles we face.

Every sorrow and ever tear, take it to Him whose nail-pierced hands flow with a life poured out for you and me.  He that endured the pain of the piercing knows of the rejection, and the betrayal, and the indecency of evil we all face in this life.  He knows this and more for in His bearing, He held the crushing weight of all sin upon those beaten and slumped shoulders even as His heart cried out to the Father the agony of separation.

There is nothing we feel that He hasn’t already felt.

There is no experience so unique to us that He has not already carried the weight of.

There is no trouble we face that He hasn’t looked in the eye and gained the victory of it on that cross.

On that cross, He became authority and victor over all.  His kingship may have been inscribed in writing by man: “And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS,” (John 19:19), but God declared Him Ruler over all through His atoning sacrifice of the blood on that cross (Revelation 1:5; Romans 3:25; Matthew 28:18).

Whatever you are facing, take it to the cross and trust Him who was hung there that you may rise to a life of victory today!

Why take it to the cross?

It’s the place where the King would suffer for our healing: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5

It’s the place where reconciliation takes place and hostility is put to death: “He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.” – Ephesians 2:16, CSB

It’s the place where we find the truest form of peace: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” – Colossians 1:20

It’s the place where our sins were blotted out: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” – Colossians 2:14

It’s the place where we are given the opportunity to lay down the dead and pick up a life of righteousness: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24

And, it is the place where we experience true love: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

Take it to the cross today!

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“Put Worry in its Place!”

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“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6, NKJV

Oh, for just one day without worrying.  Just one day without the embossment of what we have to deal with on a daily basis, in the mind.  The frustrations, headaches and disappointments over decisions we have to make today.  Or, the reality of decisions made in the past mixed in with the future prevailing over us.  Oh!  Sometimes we wake up in the morning feeling the weight of the world on our shoulders.  We feel surrounded by all the what-was-done, and all the what-has-to-be-done, and all the what-will-be-done.

Chaos!  Will this be done right?  Will that one make the right choice?  How far will this go before it rights itself?  Questions running rampant causing the mind to be worked up into such frenzy that we can’t help but do anything but worry.  All those who’s, what’s, where’s, how’s and why’s of the day waiting for our minds to process and find a solution for.  No wonder so many people are so stressed out.  Why even those who profess Christ feel like all this worrying has caused them to reach their limits.  “I’m done.  I can’t take this anymore!” becomes the cry of the battle.

That’s far from the victorious battle cry that God wants to hear from His people.  No wonder stress, worrying, fear and such are spoken of so often in the Bible.  These things are opposed to you getting where God wants you.  It repels you away from drawing nearer to Him and His goal for your life.  Proverbs 12:25 declares, “Heaviness in the heart man maketh it stoop.”  It’s feeling so low almost every day because the load is just too much to bear.  The weight of it all makes one feel that they are trudging up a muddy hill while pulling a cart behind you.  It’s too much!

Keeping in mind the many adverse things one can face in a single day, Paul taught the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing.”  On a daily basis, issues seem to flow from every area of life, yet Paul says, “Forget about it.”  How can this be?  It goes against human reasoning not to get worked up about all this stuff I have to deal with.  But, Paul says, “Chill.  You are carrying unnecessary trouble because you want to; because you refuse to let go, and let God.”

“But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”  “In everything!”  There is absolutely no area in your life that God doesn’t want you to trust Him for.  He is concerned about all of it.  If it bothers you, it bothers Him.  If the waves are churning in your life, He says to give it to Me, I’ll make them behave.  I, for one, am so grateful that He is not a far-off God.  He’s up close and personal, and He cares.  So, how do you handle this?  Take it to the Lord in prayer.  Many don’t heed this very simple advice.  We have heard it so much yet have never made it applicable to our lives.  But, this is the sure-fire method you need – pray!

“Let your requests be made known unto God.”  Here is something I have never noticed before until now.  The word “requests” has an “s” on the end making it plural.  Now, I don’t know about you but I have plural problems to deal with every day.  So, when you tell me to make my “requests known” I have a laundry list of stuff that tries to overrun me.  The “s” on the end means that God can handle it all and he wants you to give Him it all!  He cannot be overwhelmed with what you are going through so why not let Him have it.

There’s an “s” on the end!  Rejoice, because you don’t have to carry it all alone.  Every trial and heartache, all the way down to every disappointment and decision, we can take it all to Him today and put worry in its place so that we can be free.