There is Help in the Midst of it All

A few days ago one of our friends posted that he was in his office early in the morning and heard a rumble and felt the house shake. His daughter, who had been asleep, was suddenly up and fearful. They weren’t sure what had happened.  Turns out it was an earthquake! We hear lots of horror stories from California and other countries but Arkansas? They happen occasionally but a magnitude of nearly 3.0 makes for quite a shaking.

While the shaking of their house was only momentary, they’ve been in a shakeup of a much bigger magnitude. His beloved was ill for some time and she was called home to heaven just a few months ago. A huge gap has been left in their lives. Our friend knows the Lord and He knows where she is, but the shaking of his life still has tremors. It may be a while before things settle and probably only when he gets to heaven will he feel completely steady again. But he knows where his strength lies and we pray daily for him to hang onto that strength.

There are all kinds of earthquakes that come into our lives.  Just as we can’t predict the geological kind, we cannot predict the appearance of the shakeups that we endure. We cannot fully prepare for how we will feel during the shakeup either.  When we are in the middle of the sensations of trouble we feel that we will be thrown to the ground. We wonder if the roof will fall in or if we will be overwhelmed. After the initial quake, there often comes a tidal wave of emotions. What do we do? Where can we go? Why did this happen? Who will help? Will it ever end?

God speaks to our hearts. He speaks words of love and affirmation to us as He steadies our hearts in the midst of the panic. I AM the one who will see you through. Not just this quake, but all tremors that want to send your heart into your throat. Your panic is my opportunity to speak peace into your life.  I have no desire to ruin your life. My only desire is that each time you feel the earth move and hear the rumble of turmoil you will turn to Me.  Life is temporary and often it holds hard times that want to shake the foundation of your faith. But I will never let you be destroyed.

Oh beloved, some of the things that we go through have huge magnitude on our lives. They are literally earth shattering. And yet God’s promises remain unshaken.  Precious one, if you will look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, and put your hand in His, He will walk you through the quakes and beyond the rubble.  Just as earthquakes don’t last forever, neither do hard times. You cannot let your earthly circumstances disable you spiritually. Trust God no matter what. Run to Him for He is your only place of ultimate safety. God will not only get you through, He will make you stronger. And your strength will help others through the earthquakes they go through. Speak often of God’s redeeming grace and rehearse His promises in the midst of the overwhelming tide.

God loves you and He’s for you. And His promises can be trusted as you stand in the midst of whatever happens in life, knowing that God will never let anything overtake you. You are safe in His arms always.

Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 40:17 Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

Psalm 94:17 If the Lord had not been my help, My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.

Isaiah 41: 10 Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Psalm 46: 1-3,11 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Been Through the Wringer?

My Aunt Ruth and Uncle Bill lived in a small house on the property with the fire tower he worked at.  The house didn’t have running water until I was about 8 years old.  She had one of those old gyrator washing machines which sat outside. No electricity was needed and it also had a set of rollers on top. You’d put the clothes through after you’d rinsed them to squeeze out the excess water.  As I think back about that old washer I am amazed at how much work it was to use the thing. Now we just plop our clothes in, set the machine and close the lid.  Back then it was work. But the wringer sure got all the water out of those clothes. They’d roll through and water would pour out the back as they were squeezed.  One always had to be careful not to get their fingers caught in the roller as you had to hold the clothes and wind the rollers at the same time.

God speaks to my heart: I’ve been through the wringer. I would imagine you have too.  Hard times, unfavorable outcomes, hurt feelings, rejection, sorrow, pain all make us feel as though we are being squeezed until we can hardly breathe. We want relief but it seems we’re relentlessly rolled through.

It looks to us that we’re going to die. It looks that way to the observers as well. People are watching and we’re unable to stop the roll.  It’s too much. As the problems roll over us, we’re mashed flat.  

Except that God is with us. He’s with us as the storms of life put us through the gyrator of heartache. And He’s there when we are being wrung out and even when it looks like we’re hung out to dry.

In fact, while others and while we ourselves think it’s the death knell of our life, our ministry, our calling, our heart, our mind, God says it’s just a momentary thing. It’s really going to be okay. It’s not deadly, it’s not going to kill us. In fact, to God this squeezing of our life is just the removal of unnecessary weight.  All that’s going to get through the times of testing and trials is us. There’s nothing else that can get through the pressure.  And even then, when others think we’re done, we’re just moving on.

God will set us out in the breeze of life and pin us up for the world to see our beautiful life.  He will use us to help others to get through everything we’re going through, if we will just keep our eyes on Him.  No one else really matters. We might try to blame the offense on a person, a circumstance or a trouble. But ultimately it is God who has put us through the wringer and it is God who is allowing the excess stuff to be wrung from us.  And it is God who is holding out His hand to pick us up, shake us out and display us for His glory.

Oh beloved, there’s no way to minimize the wringers of life. I know it’s hard. God knows it’s hard. God knows you feel like dying.  He knows you must go through it. But He knows that you will come out better for the situation. He looks at you with love and He asks you to look at Him with the same trusting love.   Life’s situations aren’t always fair, right or pretty. But once you’ve been through it, and once you give it all to Him, He will make you sweet smelling, worshiping, growing and better.

His greatest desire is that you let Him have everything, the good, the bad and the ugly. He’ll wash you with the water of the word and together you and He will have a greater testimony of faith for you will know how much He loves you and how carefully He is for you and that’s all that really matters.

I Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,  casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm 62:8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

God Wants To Take You on the Trip of a Lifetime!

 

We’ve ridden the motorcycle many miles this week. We’ve driven in the heat and the cool. We’ve driven in the dry and the rain. We’ve driven on smooth roads and rough roads. We’ve driven along new highways and road construction.  We’ve seen accidents, police blocks, radar guns and wildlife. We’ve dodged tree limbs and road gators (pieces of tires).  We drove behind slow tourists. We’ve been passed by faster motorcycles. 

There’s no way to travel without finding something wrong, something you’d rather avoid or wishing to miss it altogether.  Since we love to travel and since my hubby loves motorcycles, we just pack our bags and go.

It requires a watchful eye to look ahead to what might be in the road so you don’t hit something that might throw you or cause a problem.  Danny’s also watching the side of the road for any animal that might want to come out in front of us.

Some might say, just stay home! It’s a lot of trouble and motorcycles are scary. Go in the car. Don’t go at all. There is merit in staying home I guess, but then we’d miss the beautiful sights and sounds and the opportunities to meet other people.  For us it’s worth it. If we avoided all the troubles, all the hazards and all the bad weather we would also miss the blessings.

Every blessing of God has your name written on it beloved. Every rainbow at the end of the storm is for you. Every smooth mile after the construction is put there for you to enjoy. Every beautiful scene and all of creation is given to you as a reward for perseverance. God’s radar is there to keep you safe – His word is your help not your demise. Even though hazards in life exist, God promises to keep a keen eye on the road He ordains for you so that you will be blessed and be a blessing.  But you have to be willing to go and you have to be willing to stay the course even when life hands you troubles.  In the midst of the storm He promises to find you a shelter. In the heat of the day He promises to give you shade. In the tiring tedious moments of life He promises to give you rest.

Oh beloved, God will take you on the trip of a lifetime! He will show you the heights and get you through the valleys. He will give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of and oh so much more.  He will give you new dreams and fresh vision to live for Him.  You may have had your own trip planned, but if you will stop and let God repack your backs and rebuild your itinerary and mark out the course He wants you on, you will go beyond your wildest dreams! God has something far greater and more glorious for you than what can be found in the fulfillment of your own ideas.  

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth letting Him have your dreams, your plans and your life today!

 Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

Psalm 121:8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.

Connect to God's Presence!

When I arrived at the 4H Center for inservice training yesterday evening, the first thing we found out was that the internet connetion was not working. That meant that neither my laptop or my phone could connect to wi-fi. It was frustrating and I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get on to check emails or facebook.


I realized as well that I couldn’t call my husband! Not only was I gone for a couple of days, I might not be able to talk with him.

I made a quick calculation on how far it was to the nearest fast food restaurant. I knew if I got up early enough, I’d be able to run into town and connect. But I wanted to talk with my hubby and I sure didn’t want to wait until morning.

My roommate and I tried a couple of different things and finally she could connect her kindle. I tried the laptop and I too could connect! We were both thrilled. I could call and talk with Danny and we could do the things we need to do on the internet.

This age of instant connection makes for a whole new kind of stress. We want things to be instant, we don’t want to be disconnected and many folks can’t go for even a day without connecting. I’m not sure I can.

I do know that I miss my husband and want to be within range of speaking with him any time I need to. When I travel alone, which is rare, I often will call him to ask for directional help. I just feel better being able to hear his voice whenever I feel the need.

Internet connection is awesome. You can find information quickly, seek out answers within moments and even learn where the best places to eat can be found. But within a moment you can be disconnected through no fault of your own. But absolutely nothing can be found without the connection. You can’t seek, you can’t talk, you can’t do anything. If internet connection were all we had to make it in life we’d be in real trouble every time there was an issue with service. Our fear and worry levels would shoot through the roof whenever the internet was down.

Thankfully we have a connection that is beyond this world! All our questions can be answered, all our fears can be put away and all our needs can be met. Even when we can’t talk with those people we love, we can talk to the One Who gave us life. With God, He is always available, ever present and right on time. There’s no lag, no wait and no disconnection. The more you connect to the Holy Spirit, the more of God’s presence you will carry. The more of His presence you carry, the more power you will have.

Oh beloved, run to the One Who has everything you need! His Word is your connection to all the power, knowledge, wisdom and faith you will ever need. He will walk you through your problems, speak softly to your heart and grant you riches beyond your wildest imagination! He says to you this morning, I AM the One Who woke you up this morning. I AM the One Who has given you purpose and meaning. I AM with you always and you will always have your every need met completely when you connect with Me.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s all the connection you will ever need.

Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Zephaniah 3:17 For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

Psalm 116:2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.