As I sit here today, I am experiencing adversity in a large way and needing the arms of Jesus to get me through.

I’ve tried in my own power to fix the situation at hand many times over and it’s just not working out the way that I thought that it would or should!  So, from my heart, God is sharing truth that I will now share with you and hopefully it will comfort us all and teach us His infinite wisdom that will take us through our adversity to the other side one day, where peace will prevail and panic will cease.

God tells me in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; Never will I  forsake you.”

That’s a great promise!   Never is without end!!!  Do I trust His words?  I claim as a Christian that I  believe the Word of God is truth.  Why then, when things happen, am I and so many others like me afraid and why do we resort to our own means of solving issues as if He doesn’t exist at all?

It’s called “living in the flesh” and not “walking in the Spirit”. It’s a battle we face on a daily basis, just as Paul described in Romans 7.

As we try unsuccessfully to control situations and people without consulting God, we leave them untouched by God’s hand and, most of the time,  worse than they were before we became involved. Through our humanity and our good intentions, we can prolong lessons God is trying to teach us and other people.  By stepping into God’s plan for our life or another person’s life without the Spirit guiding us, we swerve things off course, and do a disservice to the kingdom of God.

Even if we are trying to alleviate the pain others may face, it’s wrong to step in uninvited by the Savior!

Even if we are trying to alleviate the pain others may face, it's wrong to step in uninvited by the Savior!
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Solomon is a great example.  1 Chronicles 28:9 says, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”

We see in the life of Solomon that His own wisdom apart from God was destructive, but when he utilized God’s wisdom and followed in His truth, he was richly blessed.  We are blessed that, unlike Solomon, we have the grace of Jesus, so we do not live under the penalty of our sin – but that is no excuse for continual sin in our lives.

After we recognize the wrong of our right, what should we do?

Ask for forgiveness.  The Bible tells us in 1 John 1:9 –  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Next, we need to remember the old saying: “without pain there is no gain.”  Trials come for a reason, and it is through the pain that we and other people we love learn hard lessons and grow in the faith.

God never promised an easy road.  He promised comfort, and strength to face our adversities.  He promised wisdom, guidance and an eternity with Him one day – in a much better place.

Through these trials, our hope is in His truth:

Psalm 34:19 says, “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.”

Romans 8:28 says, ” And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”  All things means the good and the bad, the pleasant and not so pleasant!

Our lives, out of love for our Savior, should be an outpouring of the truth that is within us because of the Spirit that indwells us.  It’s a hard road in our flesh, but through the Spirit that indwells us, it’s not impossible.

I am encouraged today by the Lord and His truth that He has revealed to me.  And I trust you are too!  Let’s stand strong together in our faith and cry out to our Father who wants to comfort our hearts, guide our steps, and grow our hearts toward Him.

 Phillipians 4:6-7 (NLT) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

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The post Living with Adversity in the Arms of Jesus appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

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Why Can’t I See Gods Purpose 12.03.14

Passage: Isaiah 40

Key Verse: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28

A father loses his job. Again. An airplane falls, killing a loved one. A young mother loses her baby. A fire assails a home where a couple and their three young children sleep. The children escape, but their mother dies.

“I don’t understand the purpose in this. Do you?”

A dear friend asked me this very question recently.  This sweet and godly woman has gone through unimaginable pain and suffering for the past several years. Her honest question echoes in the hearts of all of us when life doesn’t make sense. When it feels like God has forgotten us. When we can’t find the purpose behind the pain.

Whether we voice it or not, the question remains: “What’s your purpose in this, Father?”

“No, I don’t understand it. I don’t. But I have to trust that God has a purpose. We just can’t see it yet.”

Her question caught me off guard, but I answered her with strong conviction. I have walked with Jesus for long enough to know that He does have a purpose for every suffering He allows in His children’s lives. Indeed, I have experienced His purposeful design through pain and loss; and I can affirm that He does make all things work together for our good and for His glory. I’ve proven this truth. I believe it.

But that does not ease the pain when we’re going through the valley. When life doesn’t make sense and seems to be getting worse instead of better.

As I continued talking to my friend, Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 came to mind:

“Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

Among all New Testament characters, the dear apostle knew pain like no other follower of Jesus at that time. He was blind, beaten, scorned, persecuted, shipwrecked, imprisoned and tempted. Even so, he responded with steadfast faith throughout each trial: “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Therefore it seems only fair that God would remove this one issue that plagued Paul. He seemed to have had enough when he pleaded with the Father to remove the thorn on his flesh, whatever that was. And yet, even though we never see this giant of faith ask for relieve before, God told him he should just accept it.

That would have been a tough pill to swallow, had God not explained why the “thorn” had to remain: so that God’s power (and purpose) would be perfected in Paul’s weakness.

We have a tendency to see things in a one-dimensional level.

It’s hard to look past our pain. Indeed, it’s humanly impossible to understand how a disease or a death in the family can work together for our good. Only when we look back in our lives can we understand the higher purpose beyond each valley we crossed:

Like the people who are impacted by the way we respond; silent witnesses that draw strength from our testimony. We may not see them, but believe me: They’re watching.

Like the unnecessary things that we end up leaving behind in the valley: Materials possessions that we used to value become unimportant; little things that we used to sweat over gain new perspective. Shackles of pride crumble.

Like the Fruit of the Spirit, which grows in us as we allow God to shape us in each valley, where we find ourselves growing in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22).

Like the pockets of rest that we find in the most unusual, unexpected places… things we used to take for granted: The smile of a loved one. The encouraging words of a friend. The pleasure of laughter. The importance of a loving touch.

Like God’s divine provision for our material needs, or for just enough strength to keep on keeping on.

All these things are a reflection of His love and supernatural power, being perfected in us as we walk through our desolate places.

But there’s one more thing. One of the most important gifts in the valley:

Fireproofing our faith.

You see, it’s easy to trust God at His Word when we don’t have to prove it. When life is all roses and no thorns.

Yes, singing His praises is a piece of cake when life is easy.  Reciting His Word is natural when the sun is shining outside.

But when the storms assail us… when our loved ones leave us, when our health fails us or our financial stability disappears…

When there is no hope… and yet, we find hope against all odds and we can still find the strength to thank Him and praise Him…

Then and only then, can we say that our faith is true – tested and proven.

It’s when our everything runs out that we can prove Him enough.

It’s through the trials and valleys that His power is perfected in our weakness… that His love is reinstated and our faith, refurbished.

You may not see it today, my friend. But you can trust that there’s purpose in your valley. One day you’ll look back and you’ll see the faces of the people you’ve impacted…

… And the birth of new purpose because you chose to trust and walk, one step at a time, even though your flesh begged you to give up.

Stay in it… with Him. He’s transforming you and others around you. He’s preparing you and the circumstances needed to accomplish His plan for you. Moreover, He’s ahead of you, on the other side of this valley, where you’ll see the result of your trust and patience.

Because we never leave a valley the same way we entered it. Neither does God intend for anything we learn in the valley to be wasted.

Verses to Meditate Upon:

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord,

And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth

Does not become weary or tired.

His understanding is inscrutable.

 He gives strength to the weary,

And to him who lacks might He increases power.

Though youths grow weary and tired,

And vigorous young men stumble badly,

Yet those who wait for the Lord

Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary.

Isaiah 40:27-31

The post Why Can’t I See God’s Purpose In This? appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

A second health care worker in Texas is diagnosed with Ebola. ISIS allegedly has control of chemical weapons. Border security agents are struggling to maintain enough manpower to contain the influx of undocumented immigrants from Mexico. Is it any wonder that worry is permeating our society as never before?

The harmful effects of anxiety are well known to the medical community. In the U.S. alone, 40 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders. When our bodies are under stress, our nervous system responds with a reaction known as “fight or flight.”

There are times when this physiological reaction is a healthy defense mechanism, such as when a person feels threatened by imminent danger. This reaction tells us when to move out of an unsafe part of town, or it incites us to run when spotting a poisonous snake on the ground. We were born with this important trigger to help protect us from threats.

However, the fight or flight response was never intended to be an ongoing reaction to our problems. Indeed, chronic worry and emotional stress breed terrible health problems. Continuous fight or flight responses cause our body’s nervous system to release stress hormones such as cortisol, which can boost blood sugar levels and triglycerides. These hormones cause harmful reactions such as dizziness, increased heartbeat, fatigue, insomnia and headaches. Needless to say, the long-term effects can be devastating, including suppression of the immune system, digestive disorders and heart disease. In other words, it’s not stress that’s making us ill. It’s our response to stress that is killing us.

I wish I could say that worry and anxiety stopped at the door of our sanctuaries. But we all know that’s not true. If anything, many people of faith are fretting more than ever. Entire websites are dedicated to disaster preparedness and to tracking events around the globe linked to end-times prophecy. As a Christian, I have studied these prophecies and believe them. But I don’t think this is a time for panic, worrying or fear.

Rather, I’m reminded that one of the most popular commands found in the Bible is “Fear not.” It’s found in almost every one of the books of both the Old and New Testament. Fear Not. I’ll never leave you. Fear Not. I believe these words. Through my hardest trials I’ve experienced them to be true. I know it won’t be different now.

There is no question that we should be concerned about our society. We cannot pretend that Ebola is not here, or live as if nothing bad will ever happen. We are not immune from terrible harm or unspeakable evil. We’ve seen it. We know it. We should certainly be vigilant, but we should not allow our spirits to be on constant fight or flight mode. Either we believe that God is in control … or we don’t.

I’m speaking with the authority of a recovering worrier. I’ve experienced firsthand the bitter effects of worry and anxiety. I don’t want to tread that ground again. What I’ve learned is that worry is a choice. Therefore I deliberately choose to turn off the fight or flight mode for things that I cannot control. I choose to turn to God instead, for direction, protection and peace. I choose to pray and trust. I choose to Fear Not.

The post Ebola, ISIS, End-Times Events – An Anxious Church?? – My Weekend Column for the Atlanta Journal appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.