Category Archives: Fear & Doubt

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

March 3, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Prayer, Trusting God

YAHWEH YIRAH – THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

Abraham looked around and saw a ram caught in a bush by its horns. He went and got it and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham named that place “The Lord Provides.” And even today people say, “On the Lord’s mountain he provides.” [Genesis 22:13-14 (GNT)]

It’s not easy for us to trust God’s provision; yet, when we trust, He provides. Abraham trusted God to provide and the ram replaced his son as an offering. God provided manna and water in the wilderness for forty years to the Israelites, food for both Elijah and Elisha, wisdom to Solomon, victory to Joshua, and dinner for thousands on a hillside. Why do I have trouble believing He’ll provide me with what I need when I ask?

In this day of fast food, streaming movies, instant messaging, microwaves, and being able to do my shopping from my desk with a click of a computer mouse, I seem to expect God to provide me with my needs as quickly and easily as Amazon. God’s provision, however, like everything else He does, goes according to His time frame, not ours! Moreover, God’s provision requires our trust in it!

It’s not easy to trust God to provide what we need, especially if we’re running on empty! For example, if I’d been the widow in yesterday’s message (“Would You Have Trusted?”), I would have been more likely to trust Elijah if there had been a few days’ supply of bread and oil rather than only enough for one meal. My trust would have waned with a bare cupboard.

Yesterday, I was running on empty and I desperately needed another devotion. I’d sat at my computer and written word after word to no avail. I was left with several half paragraphs, incomplete thoughts, disjointed Bible verses, and a sense of anxiety. “Where are the words for the next message?” I asked. Satan poked me with a dose of fear and doubt and I even wondered if I should discontinue this mission. “Lord,” I cried, “Provide! Please give me guidance and words!”

My fear and that prayer reminded me of the story of Elijah, the widow and God’s provision. My fingers raced over the keyboard and yesterday’s message nearly wrote itself. As I composed it, I realized how little I actually trust in God’s provision; those thoughts brought me to today’s message. See: He really does provide! We just have to stop running around in circles in a panic, pray and trust. Just pray and trust, and understand that God will provide, in God’s time and in His wonderful way.

God’s divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. [2 Peter 1:3 (GNT)]

 

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

March 2, 2015

Posted under

Bible Stories, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Miracles, Trusting God

WOULD YOU HAVE TRUSTED?

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. [Philippians 4:19-20 (NLT)]

In a time of famine, the prophet Elijah went to a poor widow and asked for bread. She told him that she had none and had only enough flour and oil to make one last portion of bread for herself and her son. This would be their final meal; after it was gone, they would surely die of starvation. Elijah, however, persisted, telling her to make bread for him first, and then bread for herself and her son. He assured the woman that there would be enough flour and oil left for them all until the famine was over. The widow didn’t try to reason with the prophet and suggest, “If what you say is true, how about my son and I eat first and then I’ll feed you?” She simply did as Elijah asked. She trusted him and they continued to eat for many days. Just as Elijah promised, there was always enough flour and oil left for another meal. It was a miracle.

What a story of trust this is. The widow trusted Elijah completely. She fed him first with no guarantee that there would be anything left for her or her son. Because she trusted, the Lord provided. Without trust and the widow’s simple act of faith, there would have been no miracle. Had it been me, I wonder if a miracle would have occurred. Would I have trusted in God’s provision? How difficult is it for us to take that first leap of faith and trust in the Lord that He will provide.

They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. [Psalm 22:5 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 27, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, God's Plan, Prayer, Trusting God, Worry

ONE BITE AT A TIME

2-28-15elephant 2-cropWEB2
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. [Matthew 6:34 (NLT)]

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! When that elephant is on our dinner plate, however, that advice can be difficult to remember!

It was snowing and we were skiing in knee-deep power on an unfamiliar mountain. Totally lost, we ended up on a double-black diamond. With no alternative trail, we stared down a narrow steep run covered with ferocious looking moguls. Powder, steep, narrow and moguls: any two of the four pose no problem and three out of four are a possibility. Doing all four in one run? No way! All I could do was look down at the end of the trail and concede defeat. Defeat, however, wasn’t an option unless I planned on staying frozen in place until the spring thaw. I had to continue forward. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit intervened and reminded me of words spoken years earlier by a ski instructor: “You can get down anything if you take it one turn at a time.”

Too often we see the big picture when, in fact, we should look at the little one instead. We can become overwhelmed by both goals and challenges if we look too far ahead. We end up conceding defeat without even trying. “How will I ever get through the terrible twos?” cries the frustrated mother. “One temper tantrum at a time,” is the answer. “How will I ever get this huge Bible read?” asks the new Christian. One page at a time. How will I get through several months of chemo-therapy? One session at a time. How will I put together a 1,000-piece puzzle? One part at a time. How will I become a published author? One word at a time. How can I ever climb to the top of that mountain? One step at a time. How will we get to the Promised Land? One mile at a time. How will I get through a lifetime of sobriety? One day at a time. How will I endure this incredible pain? One hour at a time. As insurmountable as any challenge or goal may seem, it is merely a succession of small manageable bits and pieces. How do we do it? We do it one prayer at a time.

God will give us what we need for the moment and that’s all we really need. We don’t have to become anxious about getting to the bottom of the ski run or to the top of the mountain. We just have to manage to make the next turn or take the next step. We won’t be alone; He’ll be right there with us. When we tire, we can rest in His presence until God strengthens and restores us enough to make the next move. Our progress may not be fast or graceful and there may be a few stumbles or setbacks along the way. If we’re following God’s plan, however, He will get us where He wants us to be, one turn (or one bite) at a time.

God is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry. [Deuteronomy 31:8 (MSG)]

People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing. [Isaiah 26:3-4 (MSG)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

January 26, 2015

Posted under

Challenges & Difficulty, Church & Worship, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, Holy Spirit, Knowing Him, Salvation: A New You

THE EVOLUTION OF FAITH

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. [John 1:12-13 (NLT)]

When we’re born again, we come into God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ. This spiritual birth is a new beginning, but for some of us, it seems like we’ve had several new beginnings in our lifetimes! In my infant Baptism, my sponsors dedicated me to God and promised that I would be raised in the Christian faith. At my Confirmation in eighth grade, I made a public affirmation of those same promises and accepted Jesus. My teen years were rather troubled and I briefly lost my way. Once in college, I found my way back and once more accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Accepting Christ, however, is not quite the same as walking with Him. When my children were quite young, I again lost sight of the Lord. Serious doubts even briefly kept me from taking communion. God led me back and, once again, I ate at His table. Several years later, perhaps because I got too busy, comfortable and overconfident, I grew lax in my prayer life until a series of crises brought me back to Him.

There were times in my life when I floundered spiritually and others when I walked confidently with the Lord as my shepherd. Whenever I lost my way, once I turned back to Jesus, the Father welcomed me back into His family with open arms. Each time, I’ve been reborn in my faith and each time my faith has become stronger. I can only hope and pray that this time my faith is great enough to keep me firm and strong in my belief until my dying day.

We are so incredibly blessed to have a loving and patient Father in Heaven. Like the father of the prodigal son, He forgives us when we wander off and He patiently waits for us to find our way home to him again.

We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found! [Luke 15:32 (NLT)]

Being born again is a new life, not of perfection but of striving, stretching, and searching — a life of intimacy with God through the Holy Spirit. There first must be an emptying, and then a refilling … It is a highly personal and subjective experience, possible only if we are searching for greater truths about ourselves and God. This experience is challenging, even painful at times, but ultimately deeply rewarding. It provides answers to the most disturbing questions about our existence, the purpose of life, and how to deal with sorrow, failure, loneliness, guilt, and fear. In it, we come to know that our gifts from God are not earned by our own acts but are given to us through his grace … For me, it has been an evolutionary thing. Rather than a flash of light or a sudden vision of God speaking, it involved a series of steps that have brought me steadily closer to Christ. [From “Living Faith” by Jimmy Carter]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

January 24, 2015

Posted under

Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, God's Plan, Thanks & Praise, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God

GUIDING LIGHT


DSC05658aawebSNo longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. [Isaiah 60:19 (NLT)]

Lord, thank you for your light that guides me through the dark times of life. Help me remember that it is light you offer and not a crystal ball that will tell me what the future holds. I’m going to have to trust you for tomorrow. Help me stay in the here and now, following your light, trusting that, when tomorrow comes, your guiding light will continue to be there!

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. [Corrie Ten Boom]

Lead, kindly light, amidst th’encircling gloom, lead Thou on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home, lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet, I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me.
[“Lead Kindly Light”  by John Henry Newman, 1833]

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. [John 1:4 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

January 16, 2015

Posted under

Fear & Doubt, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Knowing Him

UNWORTHY

I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. [Jacob’s words in Genesis 32:10a (NLT)]

 Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. [The Romans officer’s words in Matthew 8:8 (NLT)]

Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal. [John the Baptist’s words in John 1:27 (NLT)]

For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. [Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:9 (NLT)]anemone (rue) - MHSP24 (2)WEB

When people say they love us, sometimes we worry that we’re not worthy of their love. “If they only knew!” we think. If they only knew our past, our secrets, our weaknesses, our faults, our fears, or our failures then they’d stop loving us. Jacob knew he was unworthy, so did the Roman officer, John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul. They were all unworthy of God’s unfailing love and mercy. So are you and so am I! That doesn’t matter because God loves us anyway! He can peer into the deepest part of our hearts and minds; He knows everything about us and yet He continues to lavish his unfailing love upon us. We didn’t earn it and we certainly don’t deserve it but it’s there for us, just the same. Thank you, Father Almighty, for your extravagant and unwavering love.

I’m so unworthy, but still you love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great you are.
[“Cannons” by Phil Whikham]

The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” [Exodus 34:6-7a (NLT)]

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! [1 John 3:1a (NIV)]