No Need to Despair

In the building where I work, there are two nice rugs at the door for wiping feet so that mud doesn't get everywhere. Sometimes the rugs get missed and there’s a mess to clean up. Other times the rug itself gets quite messy, as it’s been pretty muddy around here.

My dad loved the quote, “if all I ever do is look down, all I’ll see is feet and mud”.  

The woman who manages the building has to keep it clean, so she has to clean those muddy messes up and keep those rugs looking ready to use.  No one really knows how much everyday cleaning she does to keep things looking good and keep us from having to walk through the mud. Without her to clean them pretty soon we’d all be tracking dirt and leaves everywhere.  We probably take her for granted because it’s always done for us – all who work in the building and all who come in to conduct business in the offices inside our building.

Life can get messy. We can get bogged down in it. Pretty soon if we’re not careful all we’ll see is the mess – feet and mud. Our countenance begins to show our discouragement and we can’t get our eyes off the mess.  We may try to clean up our own mess. We try to wipe our feet and leave it all behind. Not possible. We’re not made to clean up our own junk. We don’t have the right tools or the right equipment.  We’re destined to remain downcast and full of mud if we don’t look to someone who can clean it all up for us.

That One is Jesus.  He came specifically to clean up our messy lives. He begins with giving us a new heart, which in turn gives us a new outlook.  All our sins are not just swept under the rug but swept entirely away.  But we live in a real world, with continued exposure to mud.  We can’t eliminate it entirely for even if we keep ourselves clean others bring mud around us. We get hurt, we feel pain, and great disappointments shovel themselves in our paths.  It becomes a mound of dirty stuff and we can’t get over it on our own.  Jesus comes in and sweeps those hurts away. His Word is His broom and mop, shovel and pail.  We call on Him and He sends His Word and His Spirit to help us.

God is even more wonderful to us. We see that pile of muddy situations as a distraction and so much interference.  But God sees it all as an opportunity for us to grow in faith, grow in knowledge and grow in grace. Even the messiest of situations can be refurbished into magnificent moments of God’s loving care.

Oh beloved, whatever you are facing this holy season remember that Jesus is with you. He walks before you clearing the pathway, He goes behind you keeping the enemy at bay and He surrounds you with the Holy Spirit who will guide you and refresh you every single day.  Don’t take this for granted, but take it all as opportunities to give Him praise and glory. He loves you and He’s for you and that, precious one, is your greatest gift, not just at Christmas but all through the year.

Psalm 42:5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.

Psalm 44:3 They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was Your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from Your face that helped them, for You loved them.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit

Colossians 2:14 Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross. (Amplified)

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Good News in Spite of the Headlines

My brother visited us again over the week-end. We had a wonderful visit! We laughed and reminisced and watched old and new movies. We ate and fellowshipped and napped! I even watched a basketball game with him!

One thing my brother enjoys is watching news. He has his favorite channel and we watched that some. It didn’t take long to realize that most of the news is pretty negative about the future of our country and its economy. No one has real answers for what plagues us. For a country that espouses government of the people, by the people and for the people we are surely far from that these days.

There is much going on that brings chills to my heart and I’m sure many of you feel the same way. More and more rules are being written and less and less freedoms are being protected.  The news paints a bleak picture, even among the more conservative groups.  Each group says they have the answer and yet none of it sounds like a good prospect for the average citizen. More taxes, more laws, and less liberty. That scenario equals something I don’t even want to think of.  I found that by only watching a couple of hours of news that I was becoming more discouraged, worried, frustrated and insecure.

What is our hope for change?  Where can we go? Who has the answer? Who do we look to for help?

There is hope! There is help! There is an answer! While we can’t fix all the woes of the world in a day, we can begin with ourselves. In God’s Word is everything we need! We must go back to His Word and live by His precepts! We must return to the God of our childhood! We must fall on our faces before the Only One who can do anything!

Oh beloved, today is the day to call upon the Name of the Lord! You woke up this morning so that’s proof that God has a plan for your life! He is all you will ever need for living on this planet and for living in the light! Run to His Word quickly while there is still time and take it all in – find your reason for living, your way to live, your hope for redemption, your strength in the hardships, your manna in the wilderness, your shelter in the storm, your deliverance from captivity, your water from the rock, your light in the darkness, your help when you feel completely helpless and more! 

Trust Him today and give Him your whole heart, for His Name is Faithful and True. He loves you and He’s for you and that’s the very best news!

Job 42:2 I know that You can do all things, and that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained or thwarted.

Revelation 19:11 After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True, and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness). Amplified

Hebrews 12:28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.

Deuteronomy 4:7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on Him?

Psalm 91:2 This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him

All Hope is Not Gone!

Saturday mornings when our kids were little were full of preparation for fun. We rarely ever had a bad Saturday. We were either all outside working and playing in the yard or headed to see family or taking a leisure ride to the lake or to hike. Sometimes it would be rainy or bad weather and we’d have to stay inside but even then we played and watched old movies and cartoons. Saturdays were pretty much just great leisure days.

For the followers of Christ, this particular Saturday in History was not so much fun.  The believers who had followed Jesus into Jerusalem just the week before were now disconsolate.  The ones who had spoken of undying devotion were nowhere to be found. Everyone who had believed was faced with the Lord’s absence. Those who had been healed, delivered and set free were wondering if they would have to return to life as it was before. I’m sure they were thinking that if Jesus, the Perfect One, could be arrested, tortured and killed - it might happen to them as well.

He told them it would happen and He told them not to fear. He told them He would come again to get them and that He would send them a Comforter to help until He returned. But He was gone now. As far as they could see with their eyes, it was indeed finished. Their hope was gone.

Oh beloved, God knows your situation. He understands that you may be having a bad day or a bad month or a bad year. He had a very bad day one Friday, as He was made to take the place of the guilty prisoner. He was mocked for His belief, He was denied His rights, He was pronounced guilty even as He was forgiving the world.

Run to the Lord this morning and let Him give you an awesome Saturday! No matter what you are facing, it’s all been taken care of through the Blood of the Lamb! Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to go alone. Rejected? Fearful? Mourning? He’s with you! Discouraged? Downhearted? Lonely? He’s there for you! He promises that if you put your trust in Him, He will make good out of bad, triumph out of failure and joy out of sorrow.

Let Him give you all His love for His Name is Love and your name is Beloved! Let Him care for you for He is your Comforter always, even unto the ends of the age!

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.  He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed.

Matthew 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—

Isaiah 61:3 To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.  In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for His own glory.

In a Battle? God WIll Give You Victory!

On a recent trip we decided to take a tour a civil war battlefield.  We entered through the arched monument with excitement. High atop the Mississippi River bluffs, this park meanders through rugged gullies and deep ravines. There are monuments to all soldiers who fought there, as well as generals and dignitaries. There are also monuments for each state that battled there.  Some states’ monuments are huge, with elaborate details. Others are simple but each one carries a message - some of hope, others of sorrow.

At this battle, soldiers of one side were cut off from supplies and food. The siege lasted more than a month, but surrender was imminent. Without supplies and nourishment, no group of soldiers can last forever.  They had been promised help, but word eventually came that they were also sick and starving and had lost their strength to fight as well.

By the time we were halfway through the tour of the park, I was done with it. The excitement of the entrance gave way to the horrors of war. Seeing the 30 pound cannons facing off against one another and the cemetery with its row upon row of white stones told the truth of war.  Seeing on one state’s monument that brother fought against brother made me sick to my stomach.  We found an exit and headed on home. 

Don’t you know those soldiers, many of them so very young, with rosy cheeks and gleaming smiles, were quite excited upon their entry into service?  They were willing to fight for their truth. They were there to defend their side and to win the war. But by the time they’d seen the casualties and felt the gnawing hunger in their stomach and seen the stench of it all, I know they were like me- ready to go home.  Some of them never made it back, others ran away and a few lived to tell the story of the ravages of combat.

We’re like that aren’t we? We ask Jesus into our heart and we’re gung ho for the life! We are ready to tackle anything, give up all and fight the good fight of faith. Admittedly it’s pretty easy at first, loving Jesus and learning about Him. But believers are bound to get into the fray – eventually the enemy of our souls will call us to battle. While the onslaught can last a while, we get weary. Without the supplies and nourishment needed for a believer, some will succumb to the fight.  Others will want to run away.

Oh beloved, run to the Commander and General of the Lord’s Army! He knows you’re in a battle. He’s seen the troubles in your heart, the things that have come against you. He’s also seen your hands folded in prayer. He knows you are tempted to give up and give in. He knows you may feel cut off from others and in this fight alone, but we are never alone when God is on our side! His Word is your battle guide! The Scriptures are your nourishment and supply for everything and anything that comes against you!  No battle lasts forever.  You may be tired of the back-biting, the discouraging ambushes, the unloving assaults, but God has promised that He will fight for you and you will be Victorious.  Just as there must always be a winner in earth’s wars, there is always a winner in the heavenly realm. And, beloved, God says you win!  Don’t give up today, don’t give in. Call on Jesus, call on His Word and remember that God loves you and He’s for you and that’s a win-win situation every time!

Deuteronomy 20:4  For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and He will give you victory!

Exodus 14:14 The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.

2 Samuel 22:40 You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued my enemies under my feet.

1 Chronicles 5:20 They cried out to God during the battle, and He answered their prayer because they trusted in Him...

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.

Ephesians 6:13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.