I Started Something I Couldn't Finish

 

Since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too.  For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.  1 Peter 4:1

Have you ever been asked to do something or set out to achieve something but felt like giving up?  I know that I certainly have felt this way on many occasions and there are still things that I regret that were never completed. 

When God calls us to a task, we should never give up.  Not only would you miss the blessing of finishing and reaching your goal, but not trusting God's promise may result in some sort of loving discipline from Him as well.

Just because God wants or asks you to do something does not mean that it will be easy.  The more important the task, the higher degree of difficulty it will often become.  Don't give up when the going gets tough.  Keep moving forward in faith; God is good to His people and will always answer the call to help!

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

 

I look up toward the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth!  The Lord is your protector; the Lord is the shade at your right hand.  The sun will not harm you by day, or the moon by night.  Psalm 121:1-2, 5-6

Have you ever wondered why we sometimes experience unrest when we are alone?  Some people, out of desperation, move in and out of relationships to fill the void of emptiness.  Others fill the void with substances like drugs and alcohol.  In my journey, I have been guilty of both until I began to realize that I was created to be in fellowship with God.  In fact, all of us are created to be in fellowship with our loving Father.

Simply put, God did not create us to go through this life on our own; He wants us to have relationships with other people, but the number one relationship He wants us to enjoy is one with Him.  

When we attempt to have our needs met apart from God, our efforts are futile and lead only to major disappointment and despair.  God is the only One who is capable of filling the emptiness of the human heart.

Only God can meet our deepest longings and needs for the love that we all need.

Too Much Time On My Hands

 

You were wearied with the length of your way in trying to find rest and satisfaction in alliance apart from the true God, yet you did not say, there is no result or profit.  Isaiah 57:10

We have a close friend who always seems to complain about not having enough time to do all that they want to do.  I am occasionally guilty of feeling that way too, especially when there are deadlines to meet and what often feels like there are not enough hours in a given day.  

It's not that we don't have enough time, it's just that our simple lives have become too complex in doing trivial things that eat away at our schedules.  How or when does life move away from being simple to something so complex?  I believe that it is relative to where we are in our journey....

I remember thinking how stressful my life was during college; having to make an appearance in class in between Widespread Panic and Phish shows, going out four and five nights a week, waiting tables, and working as a disc jockey on a local FM radio station.  (Looking back, I really had it made!)  I didn't have the pressures of performing at work like I do now and I certainly did not have a family to support.  Then again, I wasn't exactly walking the straight and narrow path either, but that's another story for another day.

The above verse from Isaiah states "You are wearied out through the multiplicity of your ways."   It is widely accepted in today's society that more is always better, but at what cost?  Are we truly following God's will for our lives when we are so busy filling our days with our self-centered agendas and schedules?  I believe the answer is a resounding "NO."

Instead of making everything difficult and centered around ourselves, we should simplify and enjoy the peace and satisfaction that comes from following God's plan for our lives.  During this time of social distancing, let us use this time wisely and simplify our complex lives...

"Fear, mismanaged, leads to sin. Sin leads to hiding. Since we've all sinned, we all hide, not in bushes, but in eighty-hour workweeks, temper tantrums, and religious busyness.  We avoid contact with God." -Max Lucado

C'est La Vie

 

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage-I have conquered the world.”  -Jesus Christ (John 16:33)

If you are at all like me, then you like to work things out before their respective times have come.  It’s human nature to think ahead and plan for such; it’s ingrained in much of our thinking as we are all taught this by the world. However, we must learn to live in the present day, as difficult as it is, and learn to accept the limitations of each day.  These past few days have been challenging, difficult, and scary, no doubt about it.  If I have learned anything in self-reflection during this time of quarantine and social distancing, it is that God is still good and He's still in control of this world, despite this terrible pandemic that we are all dealing with.  

We must focus on the agenda for each day, taking one day at a time, and this requires us seeking our loving Father to know what is part of His plan for us-remembering that there is a time for everything.   

A life focused on God’s Presence is not complicated; it’s one that is full of peace knowing that Jesus has overcome and conquered this messy world that we live in.  Thanks be to God!

Your Time Is Gonna Come

 

Dear friends, never take revenge.  Leave that to the righteous anger of God.  For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.  Romans 12:19

I am big fan of AMC Series “The Walking Dead.” (Never dreamed we would be living life in quarantine or social distancing when I started watching this series!) As this season winds down, it got me thinking a lot about one of the reoccurring themes on the series, revenge...

Seeking revenge is a basic instinct of our sinful nature.  Whether we are cut off by someone in traffic or treated unfairly by a coworker or neighbor, our gut response is seek revenge.  God makes it clear that vengeance should be left to him alone.

He promises to make all wrongs right and to rid this world of evil on Judgment Day.  For a moment, think about Jesus as He hung from the cross, dying an excruciating and brutal death.  Imagine how the disciples that witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion first hand must have wanted to seek revenge.

Jesus gives us all the best example of responding to injustice by responding with patience and kindness and leaving the punishment and judgment to His Father.

Solitude Is Bliss

 

Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow within him.  John 7:38

Time is such a precious commodity and one that we simply do not have enough of. Our weekends are normally filled with multiple items: sports (basketball, flag football, lacrosse)  birthday parties, live music, visiting with friends and family, church, and multiple trips to either the grocery store or a restaurant or both. With such an action packed schedule, it can sometimes be hard to find some down time, let alone, quiet time spent with our loving Father.

As weird as it may sound, some of the only waking moments I have to myself are either spent jogging or working out in the early mornings, and it is during those times that I often talk to God.

The truth is that those few moments I spend in conversation with God are the most important of every day. When we spend time with God, His blessings flow into our lives like the streams of living water mentioned in today's passage.

By making time every day to spend with God, we glorify Him by delighting in His presence. We must learn to enjoy Him now and forever!!

Anything Is Possible

 

With God's help we will do mighty things.  Psalm 60:12

When I look back on problems that I have faced or trials that were extremely difficult, I have never felt like there was a single moment that God was not with me every step of the way.  To be brutally honest, losing my mother has been the most difficult and heart-breaking event of my entire life.  While I am blessed that she was in my life for 40 years, I miss her every single day and would give anything to just be able to pick up the phone and hear her voice again.  I have come to the realization that I cannot make it on my own and have leaned on my faith more than ever the past few years...

Despite some insurmountable odds, the problems we face may seem too large for us to handle on our own.  The good news is that there is no problem, circumstance, crisis or situation larger than our Loving Father.

While impossible situations make you understand how limited your resources truly are and exhaust your strength, they set the stage for God to do the unimaginable-all by using His supernatural power to work miracles,  show His love, offer forgiveness, meet needs, and change lives.

Some situations seem impossible, but with God, anything is possible.