Is Anything Too Difficult for God?

My husband is the handiest man I’ve ever known. He can just about fix anything. He can make broken things run again. He can repair just about anything, from broken toys to broken vehicles.  We’ve had motorcycle blow-outs and he’s plugged the hole and gone on. We’ve had alternators quit and he figured out a way to get us home. 

One day I called him when I arrived home first.  We had no electricity. I looked in the neighborhood and everyone else had their lights on.  I knew I had paid the bill, yet I was doubting myself. I was torn up! I called him and found out that he was on his way home.  He got out of his car, went to the side of the house and checked the main power switch. With a simple flip all power was restored!

Last night I heard him vacuuming the car. I wanted to go out to thank him and laugh with him, “It’s not gonna do much good with all the trees dropping their blooms.” But before I had a chance to get out there I heard the leaf blower.  Sure enough he was blowing away all those as well!

God says to you this morning, Is your heart broken? I can fix that! Is your faith sight failing? I can correct that.  Are you wondering if you can get through the next hard circumstances looming before you? I can get you through that.  Everything that needs fixing in your life – from church to faith to work to home to anything else you can name as a problem or a trouble – God says to you this morning “I can fix that!” His name is I AM and because of that, He is I AM for every situation in life. He says to you daily that I AM the one who loves you, I AM the one who provides for you, I AM the heart mender, the circuit repairer and the fellowship restorer. I AM your all in all – so that when you come to Me you never have to wonder if you’ve done something wrong, forgotten to do something right or messed up. Even when you mess up I AM with you. I AM here for you, I AM able to meet all your needs, bless all your life and fix all your problems.

You may say you are all alone, you have no one to help, but God is always with you and He is always the answer to life’s problems and He holds the answer to your problems in His heart. Trust Him, go to Him and let Him be your everything, for He always says I love you and I am for you and that’s all that really matters.

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

Exodus 34:6 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.

Psalm 75:3 When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I AM the one who keeps its foundations firm.

Isaiah 43:11 I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.

Jeremiah 32:27 I AM the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for Me?

Psalm 37:5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.

What's That You're Holding in Your Hand?

There’s something quite special and magical about the first child in a family. They have everyone to themselves and you have all the time to devote to noticing all the precious things about them. If you are a family of three or more, check out the baby books. Seriously, first baby has every little detail listed, written about and adored. Second baby has most everything written in the book. Even though they are adored as much as the first baby, there’s just less time to devote to the baby books. By the time baby number 3 arrives, well, let’s just say – good intentions but very little time to write all the details – although again each one in succession is loved and valued for their individual wonderfulness.


Our oldest daughter was a typical first born. She was independent, strong willed and intelligent to a fault! She could spell and count and do all kinds of cute things. She could ride her tricycle and even tried to ride it to my aunt’s house down the highway about 3 miles! (yes that’s when gray hair first appeared on my head)

As with oldest children, we bought things a little early. She got frustrated when at less than 2 years old we bought her a tricycle. Of course she insisted she could do it herself! We got her a swing set when she was just two with a ladder that was just a little high for a tyke her size. But she did love her swing set. She would sit on the bottom of the slide or push on the swing on her tummy.

One day she was out sitting on the swing set and suddenly she came running in the house, crying her eyes out! She told me she had caught a butterfly. Only it was a bumble bee! Of course as little hands do, she had squeezed it tightly and it stung her. It had lightly landed on her hand while she was swinging but she had not wanted it to fly away. So she grabbed it.

There are things that I want to hold onto. I would bet there are things you are trying to hold onto as well. There are many things that can cause us problems if we hold on too tightly: hurts, anger, worry, fear, people, loved ones, money, possessions, friendships, habits, safety, etc. No matter what it is we try to hold onto, if we hold too tightly we’re going to get stung. We must hold loosely in our hands everything that comes to us for it is all in God’s Sovereign plan that they pass through our lives.

Oh beloved, run to the Lord this morning and let Him see what’s in your hands. He may let you keep it close to your heart. He may ask you to turn it loose and let it go. Whichever He does you can be sure He can be trusted for He always has your best in mind. He will never ask you to relinquish anything unless He has something better in mind. Relax and rest in His decisions for He loves you whole-heartedly and He’s for you absolutely and that’s all that really matters.

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. Amplified

Philippians 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.

Romans 12:9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

2 Timothy 1:13 Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.

Who's Opening Doors for You?

One of my cousins was talking about selling books in Kentucky in the 60’s. One summer he went out there to walk door to door and sell Bibles, reference books and more. He talked about one particular town where every single door he knocked on refused to greet him. On the sidewalks of the small town, every merchant cussed him and tried to run him out of town. Eventually he decided there would be no selling books there, so he left for the next town. He had been warmly greeted in the previous town and greeted kindly again at the next town but that town was completely closed to him.


Have you ever had a door closed in your face? Maybe you weren’t selling anything, you were in a relationship with a friend or loved one and it all went south. You didn’t do anything and yet they shut the door and walked away. Maybe you did something wrong and tried to make amends but the door remains shut.

Oh beloved, I’m here to encourage you today! Rejoice! God is with you no matter what! He is with you when you are greeted warmly and He is with you when you are given the cold shoulder. He’s with you when men speak highly of you, He’s with you when you’re cursed and pushed away. He’s with you when things are going wonderfully and He’s with you when it all goes bad. He is with you!

Today, regardless of your circumstances, you can rejoice, for God is your Sovereign Father and He has appointed the right place for you to be. If He has allowed a relationship to be broken, He is certainly able to restore heal and make it new. If He has allowed a door to be closed, whether it’s a job or a ministry or a friend or family member, He is going to work it all for His good because you are called according to His purpose. You may do your best to open doors or make things right, but ultimately it is God who does the work. His appointment for you is solid and you do not have to be concerned for He goes before you all the way.

It may be hard, I truly understand, for there have been times I have felt the cold winds blow as relationships falter, but I also know that God and only God is the restorer of everything. And as you look to Him and only Him you will never be disappointed, for He is your maker, your husband, your friend and your guide forever! Never despair for God is the One Who is the Door Opener and the Door Closer. No one can do a thing without His sovereign purpose being fulfilled in your life. You can be assured of this because He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters.

Revelation 3:8 I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed My word and did not deny Me.

Isaiah 43:616 I AM the LORD, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea.

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Isaiah 48:17 This is what the LORD says--your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I AM the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.

Psalm 23:3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name.

Are You Struggling With Changes? Hide in the Shelter of His Word!

With the arrival of good rain and under 100 degree temps some of my flowers are blooming again.  Among them are what my mother called surprise lilies. You know the red spider looking flowers that produce first then the leaves later.  One stood alone and apparently was not going to open all the way. The rise and fall of temps must have stunted it. It looked like a surprise lily, it was the same color, but never produced a full flower.

Have there been lots of changes lately? Are you struggling with issues as the heat of the day pounds your life? Maybe you’re experiencing the chill of loneliness, misunderstandings or depression.  You want to bloom where you’re planted but the atmosphere is in upheaval and you’re wondering when things will settle down.

Oh beloved, run to the One Who is sun for growth and shade for rest! The Lord has everything you need for Christian growth and His ways will help you produce beauty in your life!  Beneath His tender watch and care you will bloom completely and produce fruit for generations as you trust Him, listen to Him and let Him guide you.  He loves you and He’s on your side as He helps you grow in grace and the knowledge of Himself!

Psalm 84:11 NAS For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  

Psalm 48:14  For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and He will guide us until we die.

John 15:4  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.

Colossians 2:7 Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

2 Peter 1:2  May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

In the Shadow of His Wings I Take Refuge

We are all watching what may be the worst hurricane of the season. Friends and family along the Gulf Coast have battened down the hatches. Memories of childhood storms come back to me. Often we would leave Houston altogether and go north until the storm subsided. Back in the 60’s my father was on a barge in the gulf when a hurricane hit.  My mother didn’t know the condition of those men out there until after the storm had passed.  We watched the news and just like people are doing today, we kept our eyes glued for any information.  It’s an odd thing about hurricanes. They are incredibly fierce and yet inside the eye, the center of that storm, there is complete calm.  While the storm whirls about wreaking destruction everywhere else, inside the eye no havoc, no chaos, no trouble.

Oh beloved, you may be in the storm of your life. It may have been raging for quite a while and you’ve tried to hang on, hunker down and keep going. It’s hard I know. I too have weathered storms in my life. And, because I made it through I can encourage you as well. You will make it through; you will come out the other side. But more than that, you can rest in the center of the Father’s will knowing that He will keep you from the havoc, the chaos the damage. Regardless of what you are going through, His Word is your Storm Shelter. His Word is Your Guarantee. His Word is His Bond. Trust Him this morning for in the center of His Will is love, peace, purpose and strength.  He loves you and He’s for you so He will see you through!

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him.

Psalm 57:1 Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.

Hebrews 6:18 So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

 

The Lord's Greatest Delight is our Relationship not Our Performance

She was trying so hard to get her daddy’s attention. Tugging on his hand as he towered above her, she saw that he was busy talking with someone. Occasionally he’d shake her off and motion with his hand, but he never looked away from the conversation he was having. She jumped and said his name a little louder. She must have been desperate to talk to him. Frantic, knowing no other way to get daddy to respond, she began to pirouette and tip toe. Other folks noticed the little princess and began to applaud as she performed. The performance grew greater as the crowd ooh’ed and ah’ed. This was great! She was loving the performance and forgot all about her daddy. As her daddy looked the way of the commotion, he smiled and walked over to her with obvious pride. She stopped as their eyes met and she realized she hadn’t even noticed his attention.

Aren’t we like that little child? Often we pray, we seek God, we live in His light. After a while we get

desperate and because we may not have heard from Him, we resort to performance. We don’t know what else to do. After all doesn’t our Abba Father love us more when we’re doing things? Acting right? Behaving? Ministering? Before long performance has taken the place of relationship and we’re so busy that we don’t realize He’s been with us all along. Finally we stop and see that our Abba Father's greatest delight is always the relationship, the intimate fellowship, the love songs we sing.

Oh beloved, Maybe you’ve been seeking God and you haven’t heard His response. It could be that in your desperation you’ve traded relationship for performance and it feels great! Run back to your Daddy God this morning and keep seeking His face, for it’s only in that intimate time with Him that we find our way in this world and our place of service. He promises that He always has time and He will never shake you off! He loves you, He always listens, He always answers and He’s on your side!

John 6:29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one He has sent.”

Genesis 6:9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.

I Chronicles 16:11 (Amplified) Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!

Do You Need a Fresh Start? You can have One!

It’s the first day of school and many households are re-learning getting up and getting going. Summer break is over and children are putting on new clothes, new shoes and donning backpacks. Some are riding the bus and others are being carried in the family car.  Old friends will be hugged and new friends will be made. Some students will cry, some mothers will cry.  The cafeterias will be baking and the playground equipment will be full. It’s a fresh start kind of morning.

Oh beloved, do you need a fresh start? Is it time for a change? In your attitude, in your demeanor, in your outlook? Today, like school children all across America, you can have that change. You can put on a new look and walk a different walk. I know things have been bad for a long time. Maybe someone’s tried to help point the way for you but you’ve rejected all help. You may be angry, tired, frustrated, hopeless, dejected, miserable.  There is One Who will pick you up and take you where you’ve never been. It’s never too late to let God teach you in His School. Run to Him this morning and open His Study Guide. It’s more than a book – it’s God Breathed! God’s Word is True and it’s written just for you. Because He loves you He can take all your misery, all your mistakes, all your futility and restore your faith, your joy and your hope. Try Him today! He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that matters.

 Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.

Jeremiah 17:14  O LORD, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!

Psalm 6:2  Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.

Lamentations 3:22-23 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.

The Lord Says You are Wonderful and You Are Important!

In the movie “The Help” Aibeleen is the maid of the Leefolts, who have a 3 year old daughter named Mae Mobley. The mother mostly ignores the child so Aibeleen is the one who in essence raises her. Every day Aibeleen tells Mae Mobley “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”  

Mae Mobley’s mother remained aloof and uncaring throughout the movie. We all know that children need love and affection to blossom and grow into emotional and spiritual adults.  We adults need love and affection as well. We thrive on kindness, generosity and we feel most fulfilled when love is given and returned in kind.  Our confidence is boosted when we feel our needs are met by someone else.  People throughout history have spent their entire fortunes looking for love and affirmation.  Although the movie never lets us see how Mae Mobley turns out, we all feel that Aibeleen’s continual verbal support must have done wonders for the lovelorn child. 

Oh beloved, the Lord wants to hold you close and speak words of affirmation into your life this morning.  He speaks the Truth to your heart and says to you that you are beloved! Not only that, He says that you are important to the Kingdom of God, you are bought with a price and you are one of a kind! Maybe no one ever told you how wonderful you are, but God’s Word is full of His wonderful thoughts about you. Maybe you have heard God’s Word but you’re not confident that He’s speaking to you personally.  Keep reading, keep believing and it will become second nature to you.  Each one is written especially for you! Let God hold you close and let Him love you!  Open up His Love Letter daily and let Him speak Truth into your life! With God’s affection we don’t have to look to a person to give us fulfillment. Instead, we will walk in fulfillment and be able to share the Truth with others. Oh how He loves you, oh how He’s passionate about you, oh how His plan for your life is ready to unfold!

 Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be His own people.

Jude 1:1 I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.

Hosea 14:8  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.

Isaiah 43:4 Others were given in exchange for you.  I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.  You are honored, and I love you.

You're life is Amazing when Given to Him!

The first time I laid eyes on Danny was after I had car trouble.  I was walking to my aunt’s house to get help and he was sitting at his pasture gate in the old panel wagon he drove.  He was sitting there with huge headphones on listening to music.  As I walked by I didn’t have any particular revelation of the future. How could I have known I was walking past the man who would be my husband? How could I know that one day we’d be living for the Lord and be ministers of the Gospel together? If you asked people who knew us then, they wouldn’t have believed it either.

Oh beloved, you can’t know your future. You may be living for the moment. You may even be enjoying your life and have things all planned out. For some of you things may not be going so well. Your plans have all failed and you fail to see anything that might turn out right.  God has a wonderful plan for your life! Yes, in spite of the hard things, in spite of your best laid plans, in spite of everything, His plan is working out for your life! His plans will turn out, His blessings will come forth, His eternal purposes cannot be thwarted for He Alone is God, the Sovereign King of Heaven and Earth! Why not go to Him this morning and lay your life before Him? He won’t turn you away but instead He will take you into His arms and grant you great and wonderful things! Let Him show you from His Word all that He has for you waiting for the day you say Yes to Him! He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters.

Psalm 33:11  The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

 Proverbs 16:1  We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.

Proverbs 16:9  The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

 Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

 2 Timothy 1:9  For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time—to show us His grace through Christ Jesus.