You Don't Have to Hide in the Graveyard

A few days ago I felt God speaking to my spirit. “You were never meant to live among the sepulchers.” I almost called someone thinking it might be an encouragement for them. But now I believe it’s a message God is speaking to each of us. 

The flu and bronchitis along with some type of stomach virus has been going around our community. While we all want to stay well, if you move around in town, go to church, visit with friends, eat at a restaurant or go to the store you’re liable to catch something. Unfortunately viruses are everywhere. The only alternative is to stay home, hunker down and don’t let anyone even breathe on you. And who can do that? Who wants to?

If you’re going to have a life you’re going to be exposed to some of the less happy things that go on in your life. Viruses of rejection, animosity, dismissal, humiliation, and more are all over the place. The only way we can remain untouched by any of these things is to stay in our own world, become a hermit and don’t even let one person get close to you.

Christ offers us life and even goes on to say we’ll have life more abundantly. So how do we deal with the viruses of life? How do we react to the hurts and fears and worries and rejections that we are inevitably going to be exposed to? If we live a full life, then we know it’s going to happen. Sometimes we react as though Christ Himself is our virus. We may follow Him with our whole heart, but then something in life goes wrong and we can’t find the way to overcome it. Instead of remaining in Christ and sticking close to Him we can become discouraged and keep our distance, even from our Savior.

God speaks to our hearts: You weren’t meant to live among the sepulchers. The tombs, the graves, the crypts are no place for a believer. The graveyard holds no living thing, but you can’t live there either – not really. That’s not living. Don’t shy away from life. Your life and the abundance of it with Me is not over. I AM with you. I AM your shield and your shade. When the sun of adversity is beating down and you feel sick about it all, I AM there. My promises and My antidote are your only cure. My Word will vaccinate you against the ill effects of things that come your way so that you can live abundantly and victoriously no matter what you are exposed to. Walk with Me and let Me go before you into all you have to face. There are good times and productive days ahead. There will be disappointments, but there will be delights as well. I will give you the power to overcome, to forgive, and to be immune even to things that hurt your heart and mind. I AM your only way through and I AM with you always, even to the end of your life.

Oh beloved, there is a way to overcome the viruses of life! God never means for you to be a recluse and keep your distance from life. He has every remedy for what ails you. Yes, you will hurt, yes, there will be pain. Yes, there will be loss. But Christ is always with you. Even when you are trying to coil up and recuse yourself from life He is making intercession for you at the right hand of the Father. Not only is intercession being made, but a way through the whole encounter is being made. Don’t stop living just because times are hard. Don’t settle for hiding in the cemetery. Don’t stop praising the Lord. Don’t stop walking forward, even when you feel you are in a fog or the fight of your life. God has a handle on everything you’re going through. He intends for you to walk through it all. God loves you and He’s for you and His answers are your answers for the best of your life.

Psalm 106:24 Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe in His word.

Psalm 57:7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!

Isaiah 26:3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

2 Samuel 22:3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.

I John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.

God's Care Plan for you is Out of This World

We’ve had our car serviced a couple of times already. With our 10,000 mile service we got our tires rotated and the oil changed as well as the usual maintenance checkup. Danny discovered when he returned home that the technician had failed to secure the skid plate beneath the car, so it scraped the 70 miles home on the interstate. When he began looking he also discovered that black soot from the dangling part was all over the wheels and the sides of the car. Looking to make sure they had really changed the oil he found oily black fingerprints all over the hood and the door handle.

The shoddy workmanship made for a lack of trust. If they didn’t do that right, what else did they fail to do well? Upon calling them Danny was told that it was an “accident”.  I was reminded of my dad’s words, “accidents don’t just happen, they are created”. We’ve talked with the dealership several times and they will make things right for us. They have promised to.

We were treated very well when we made our purchase. Wined and dined so to speak. It was nice to be treated with respect and dignity. It was nice to have them go the extra mile on our behalf.

But here we are in the maintenance end and find that we’re not so appreciated. It’s quite disappointing to think that we thought we had a relationship with a company that would keep showing the same quality in their maintenance as they did in the sales. I kind of felt like the honeymoon was over and I’m just another number.

Maybe you started out well in a relationship. Lots of promises were made from undying love to unquenchable care. You were wined and dined and treated like royalty. But now that you’re well into the situation you find that there’s not that real care and treatment you thought you would have.  Words are great, but they’re just words. Now you have to live with the consequences. You feel betrayed and uncared for.   It started out great, but in the moments of need you are left without help, without hope, without encouragement.

Oh beloved, the Lord Himself can be trusted! When you enter into the covenant relationship with Him it’s because He gave Himself up for you. But the walk up the hill with your sins on His back isn’t the end of it. His grace, mercy and peace are yours all the way to the grave. They continue on to the resurrection and the life.  They are continually revived for you by His intercession at the Father’s right hand. Not only that, you have a lifetime warranty – the Holy Spirit – who takes up residence, keeps up the maintenance and gives you all the extras that normal life never does. God Himself has signed your everlasting warranty with the Blood of the Lamb! Because He is Perfect Love, He is trustworthy.

God loves you and He’s for you forever and ever, and that’s the best care ever!

Psalm 111:2-4 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them. Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. He causes  us to remember His wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

1 Peter 5:7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. AMP

Jude 1:1 This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. 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.