November 5, 2024

Give Me Faith

August 30, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I need You
To soften my heart and break me apart
I need You
To open my eyes, to see that You’re shaping my life

All I am, I surrender

Give me faith to trust what You say
That You’re good and Your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give You my life

And I may be weak but Your Spirit’s strong in me
My flesh may fail, but my God, You never will

Elevation Worship
Matt Brook, Chris Brown, London Gatch, Wade Joye

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

He said to them, “…For truly, I say to you,
if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’
and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20 ESV

When things are going really well, it is so easy to have faith.  When there’s money in the bank and food in the pantry,  it is easy to believe that God is with you.  But what if things are not so easy?  Jesus tells us that as long as we have faith like a mustard seed then we can tell a mountain to move and it will!  Do you know how small a mustard seed really is?

Sometimes God allows us to go through things so that we can help someone else who is going through the same thing.  In this song it says “…soften my heart, break me apart.”  I wonder if we really mean this…when the only way for this to happen is for us to go through trials of our own!  In those trials, I hear myself saying this,”I need You..to pierce through the dark and cleanse every part of me…all I am…I surrender.”

When we are at our weakest, He is strongest.  When we fail, He never will. We need Him in so many ways and we need to have the faith to believe that He is who He says He is.  That God is great and God is good.  And most of all, He is crazy in love with YOU!

What are you believing Him for today?  Or are you in a place of just trying to find Him and believe Him for something that seems impossible?  Nothing is impossible with God.  Nothing.  Believe in Him and know that He is on your side.  I leave you with one more verse.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

Dear Lord, You are amazing and awesome.  You promise us that when we call, You will answer.  That no matter how big the problem, Your answer is enough.  Lord, I pray that You comfort those who are hurting today and having a hard time finding You.  Reveal Yourself to them today in special ways that only You can.  And when it is hard, I pray that we remember the words to this song, and pray it to You as a prayer… “Give me faith to trust what You say…You are good and Your love is great. I give You my life.”  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Give Me Faith

May 1, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I wanna feel the strength David felt
With a rag and a rock, knowing that he couldn’t fail
And I wanna trust that would lead me up a hill
To give my only son, if I knew it was Your will
I want a faith like that, God give me faith like that

To speak Your word and mountains move
To reach beyond all I can do
‘Cause You’re doing things I cannot see,
So I’m gonna trust You and believe
You are all I need, give me faith

When my heart’s about to break
Don’t know how much I can take
And my soul is like a ship, overtaken by the waves
I need the courage to walk on the water and be strong
Like Peter in the storm until I fall into Your arms
I want a faith like that, God give me faith like that

I believe You’re strong enough to save
I believe every promise You’ve made
And when I just don’t understand,
You hold my world inside Your hands

I’ll speak Your word and mountains move
I’ll reach beyond all I can do
‘Cause You’re doing things I cannot see,
So I’m gonna trust You and believe
You are all I need, give me faith

Royal Tailor
written by: Tauren Wells, Blake Hubbard, David Cox, Jarrod Ingram

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

I play music in my car almost constantly. And while most of my selections create a sense of peace and calm in the mornings with an uplifting beat as we began our journey, there are times when some songs do more than this.

Over the past few months faith has been at the center of my thoughts and prayers.  I have cried to God asking Him to give me strength, asking that He open my eyes to situations that will require me to walk in faith.  I read stories of heroes and heroines of the Bible walking in their faith…and great things happening!  But here I was—I felt faithless, helpless.  I didn’t know how to be like David, or like Peter.  I felt as if I did not have even an ounce of faith to stand on.  It was a scary place filled with what feels like very little hope.

I was talking to my husband and he reminded me that all God asks for is faith the size of a mustard seed.  I went and googled what a mustard seed looked like; and realized that a mustard seed was truly all I had.  I realized that I could be like David and tackle the Goliaths of my own life, and I could walk up the mountains in my life, move them, making the sacrifices necessary, all because I did have faith like that little mustard seed.  And slowly (and not without days of questioning) I realized that God was all I needed.  Some days my faith was shown by simply saying the name of Jesus when I did not know what to do.

All this week I have been seeking direction in finding a song to share in this blog. I wanted something different—something that spoke not only to my own heart but one that would speak to the heart of the women who read these words.  While driving I heard this song but kept missing the title.  Finally I caught it and pulled up the lyrics.  These words mirrored what I have been feeling, what I have been praying about.  They shared my fears, concerns, and shortcomings, but they also gave me hope.  The last nine lines of the song express what I want to and can tell myself daily.  These are truths I am making an intentional choice to stand on.

I believe You’re strong enough to save
I believe every promise You’ve made
And when I just don’t understand,
You hold my world inside Your hands

I’ll speak Your word and mountains move
I’ll reach beyond all I can do
‘Cause You’re doing things I cannot see,
So I’m gonna trust You and believe
You are all I need, give me faith

These words are my mustard seed.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith.
Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You that mustard seed!  You can do great things with something so small…this fact amazes me daily.  Forgive myself and others who have allowed our fears, our shortcomings, our life in general to hide the truths in the words of this song.  You are enough, and because You are enough, we are enough.  Because You stand by Your promises, we can move mountains, whatever they may be.  You are all we need Lord!  You and our mustard seeds.  In Jesus Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Success

April 28, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him]
and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist],
because He who lives in you
is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 AMP

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Each of us has dreams.  All of us want success.  Yet so many times we get bogged down and frustrated.  Why?  We forget to let God lead.  We forget He is always with us.  We forget He is greater than anything we could come up against.  (Plus, we often expect it to happen instantly.)
In Matthew 17:20 (NLT) Jesus tells us,

I tell you the truth,
if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed,
you could say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’
and it would move.
Nothing would be impossible.

We read that and assume it will happen instantly.  But, what if God wants us to hang in there as He helps us move that mountain bit by bit…?  Matthew 17:20 doesn’t mention a time frame.  It does tell us that nothing is impossible because, as 1 John 4:4 reminds us, God is greater than the things of this world.  God will help us overcome that mountain.  He gives us success.  His way is perfect.  He is greater than all of our enemies put together.  (BTW, enemies aren’t always people—pride, fear, doubt are enemies as well.)

I did a Biblical word search on ‘success‘.  These are just a few of the verses I found:

…the Lord has made my journey a success.
Genesis 24:56 HCSB

…the Lord was with him, giving him success in everything he did.
Genesis 39:3 NLT

…for it is He who blesses you…and gives you success in all your work.
Deuteronomy 16:15 NLT

He will ensure my safety and success.
2 Samuel 23:5 NLT

The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success.
Nehemiah 2:20 HCSB

He stores up success for the upright….
Proverbs 2:7 HCSB

{And my favorite one:}
And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.
2 Chronicles 26:5b NLT

Who brings about our success? God
Why? Because we seek His guidance and leadership
How? Because God is Greater than he who is in the world

WooHoo!!!!
Doesn’t that just make you want to shout
and do a happy dance?

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, I am so very thankful You are greater than the One Who controls this world. Remind me to seek Your leadership and guidance. When I do, You will ensure my success. And all glory and honor will be Yours. In Your Holy name I pray, Amen – It Is So!!!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Life’s Healing Choices – Weekly Review Chapter 3

January 25, 2013 by

Weekly Review

 

Realize I am not God

Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, that He has the power to

help me recover

CONSCIOUSLY SCHOOSE TO COMMIT ALL MY LIFE AND WILL TO CHRIST’S
CARE AND CONROL

O

V

E

R

Y

Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5: 5

Wow—what a week!!  I have to admit, I was trying to review the week, got through the Scripture and got stuck.  First, I was dealing with my 11 year old all week—if there are any of you with 12 year old’s, please explain to me how you survived. 🙂

Then I was sitting down to write my blog and couldn’t get the computer to work.  Went through all the motions and commotions to reset, restart, and reboot—only to find out my 11 year old had been in the closet moving things in his “hideaway” and unplugged the internet.  Well, I asked God – “Really? What now? I haven’t a clue.”  His answer – GUESS what He said!!  You’re right, He said ‘Give him to Me.’ Hmmm.  Okay, lesson learned.

Here I was in the middle of week three, committing ALL my life and will to Christ and was still hanging on to the control.  So, as I saw the picture of the rope over the water and was reminded of the saying not to just tie a knot, but to tie a knot, hang on and swing—I was also reminded of John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Imagine, swinging on this rope, LETTING GO, and dropping into the river of living water.  As you are immersed in this water, imagine the overflowing love and care He has for us.

This week, Leslie talked with us and asked the question: What is holding you back from surrendering your problems and your life to the care of God?  Is it pride, guilt, fear, worry or doubt?   She opened her heart to us in how she was able to give her hurts and resentments to the Lord for His care.  “In the beginning, I did not think He could change me, but God did. He was going to set me free!”  Her faith in God, no matter how big or small, was setting her free. She was plunging into the river of living waters.

 “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20

Then Kim then took us on a walk, and cheered us on as we contemplated some tough questions. Kim’s poem reminded me of the definition of insanity—doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Isn’t that what we are doing when we walk the same road, expecting to find a different destination?  We must first believe in Him and His will for us, that His word is true in every sense and understand that He has given us the power to change our direction to the path He has chosen for us. Don’t you love the Scripture of Jesus standing at the door knocking?  All we have to do is open the door and He steps into our lives.  Look at the end of that scripture—we will share a meal as friends.   Ponder on that for awhile; truly amazing.

 “Look. Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal as friends.”  

Revelation 3:20

Yesterday, Amy opened up her heart and described how she stepped out of her comfort zone and through the encouragement of others, her letting go of doubt and relying on His strength and by letting go and taking the plunge, she was able to finish the race that was set before her.  Her experience gives us encouragement that no matter what challenge we may face, “God may not be physically visible & touchable in our lives.  But He is still there giving us the encouragement, the strength, and the ‘YOU CAN DO IT’ that we need.”

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

This scripture is a promise that, when we do totally surrender and allow Him to take the care and control of our lives, He will give us rest.  We serve a King who stepped out of heaven for us.  Who because of His unfathomable love for us, came to earth and suffered, so we would not have to.  Sure, we will have trials, troubles and fall, but we can get back up every time just as Proverbs 24:16 says “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.“ 

It is not an easy task to turn over ALL care and control.  In our human nature we want to make sure things are done right.  Remember the saying, ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself?’  But aren’t you tired of being tired all the time?  Being that Little Engine That Could and having to chug all the way up the hill time and time again?  Are you ready to tie the knot, swing, and plunge into the rivers of living water?

***************

Let’s Pray:

Father, we come to You today with humble hearts.  We have tried for so long to do things on our own and are asking now for Your help.  Guide us and direct us down the path that You have chosen for us; help us not to stray or fall.  If we should fall, Lord, we know that Your word says that a righteous man may fall but will rise each time.  We thank You for that, Father, that we can rise each time with Your power that is within us.  Father, we do commit our lives to You, we lay our burdens at Your feet.  Father, I thank You for each one that has opened her heart to You; protect us, teach us and I ask that each one feel Your unfailing love as they step out of their comfort zone and plunge into Your living waters.  In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen!!

Your Assignment:

After reading this blog, hop over to our Facebook page and let us know if, after week 3, you have been able to admit, believe and commit.  Each one of us is at a different step; and part of this study is to share how God is working in your life and what is difficult for you.  We are here to encourage each other! Remember, comments made here are public. You do have the option of commenting anonymously.

***************

If you are interested in joining us for the online Bible study, click HERE.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send a private message to Laurie in regards to this blog, please email her at Laurie@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

 

Filed Under: Victorious Healing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Life’s Healing Choices: Week 3 “The Commitment Choice” – What’s Holding You Back?

January 22, 2013 by

I have a question for you this morning: What is holding you back from surrendering your problems and your life to the care of God?

Today we are going to talk about five things that keep us from making this choice: Pride, Fear, Guilt, Worry, and Doubt.  

This has been, and to this day still is, a battle for me in a few areas in my life. I found it painfully hard to fully acknowledge to myself those painful feelings of guilt that I tried to push down deep inside that would continue to pop up and hurt. Satan loves to try and ruin our day by bringing up past scars. He loves to see us reliving that pain and being pushed bit by bit away from God. His desire is that the pain will always be there and we will not ever be able to heal.

Everyone has feelings of pride, fear, guilt, worry, and doubt from time to time. But God wants us to stop, let go, and give Him these feelings and hurts that cause destruction in our lives and to those we love. He simply wants to take care of our hurts; all we have to do is hand them over to Him today. For many, this is not easy. In fact, this was so very hard for me to do. I would like to share a situation in which I had a very hard time giving up control and putting my love and trust in God.

Due to the lack of male figures as a child growing up, I had trust issues and I yearned for male attention. I had my heart broken many times as a young child and I truly felt very sorry for myself and very angry toward men, but on the other hand, I wanted their love so badly. When I was 14 years old, I was raped by my boyfriend. He pressured me to be with him because he “loved” me. Although I wanted that love so bad, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to give myself to him.  At the last minute, I decided not to go through with it, but he chose to continue…without my consent.  Afterwards, he threatened that if I ever told anyone what he did, or tried to break up with him, he would let everyone know what I had done with him; that I was no longer innocent and pure.

As time went on, anger, hurt, love, and trust turned into major resentment toward every man I came in contact with. I was not about to trust a man with my heart. I would be the one in control, and I would not have to fear rejection. I started using my body as a way to control that overwhelming need for love. I used sex lying to myself calling it “love.” I would now become the rejecter. Although, reality was that sex became disgusting to me because it was filth and not love that I always yearned for. That was when I decided I would be the one who would cause one to feel sad, hurt, and unloved. I wanted men to “want” me, because this is what I thought love was. I learned great ways to manipulate them with my eyes, the way I moved my body, the way I did things to cause them to feel jealousy so they would stay with me. This was (in my mind) justifiable behavior. I had been treated that way, so why shouldn’t I treat men that way. Isn’t that how love works?

After this, I turned very selfish and could not offer real intimacy and pure love to anyone, even with my devoted husband who truly loved me. I just never believed that love was real. I had never received it in any other male relationships before, so I thought how would my marriage be any different. That boyfriend I had, said he loved me, but look how that turned out. I believe this is my reason for having a hard time putting my trust, not only in my husband, but mostly with the Lord. How on earth could my Heavenly Father really love me that way?

Finally I woke up and decided to quit playing the victim. I chose to give this hurt to the Lord along with the control, pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt. In the beginning, I did not think He could change me, but God did. He was going to set me free!

“I have swept away your sins like a cloud.  I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.  Oh return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.”  — Isaiah 44:22

Today, love is changing between me and my husband. I am “learning to trust” him and even more, trusting God in all things. God is calling out to all of us “This is the Lord, trust me, let go, and I will catch you.” (Baker)

How about you? Are you willing to lay down your pride and surrender? Are you ready to stop being tormented by your hurts that have controlled you for so long? Are you having doubts right now even though you want to believe? Ask God right now to help you with your unbelief. As John Baker says, “Jesus said, that’s good enough.” All you need is faith as small as a mustard seed. If you put that faith in our Big God then you will get results. (Baker)

Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

So what are you waiting for? Let go and give Christ control! He wants a loving relationship with you more than anything!

 

_____

Let’s Pray:

Lord, Thank You for Your love for us. You tell us, Lord, to come to You with all things and You will give us rest. Lord, we want to do this and surrender our problems and care over to You; but it’s not easy. The pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt get in the way. Lord, we ask You to help us right now to let go and surrender our problems and lives to the care and control of You. Lord,we need help. We need You in our lives. All this we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Your Assignment: 

Write down and explain which of these things God is showing to you about yourself such as: pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt that is holding you back from making a decision to surrender and give Christ control of your life. Remember, comments made here are public. You do have the option of signing in anonymously.

_______________________

If you are interested in joining us for the amazing online Bible study, and would like to join our private Facebook Discussion Group, click HERE to sign up. Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send Leslie a private email in regards to this blog, please email her at: Leslie@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

Filed Under: Victorious Healing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Life’s Healing Choices: Chapter 3 – “Letting Go” – The Commitment Choice

January 21, 2013 by

Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

Matthew5_5

Good morning ladies, we have admitted we are powerless to control our lives and that we are not God.  We also acknowledged God exists, we matter to Him and that He has the power to help us recover.  His word says, “ Come to Me, ALL who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.  I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30.

So, WHAT’S HOLDING US BACK?  What is keeping us from letting go and letting God? What is stopping us from receiving that peace that surpasses ALL understanding?  His Word says that even the winds and the sea obey Him.  He healed lepers, caused the blind to see and the lame to walk. When His beloved Peter kept his eyes on Him, he walked upon the water.  The grass grows, trees sway in the wind, waves hit the shore and mountains reach into the clouds.  So – again, WHAT’S HOLDING US BACK?

In Life’s Healing Choices, John Baker talks of five things that keep us from making the choice to surrender total care and control to the One True God:

  •       Pride
  •       Guilt
  •       Fear
  •       Worry
  •       Doubt

Let’s take one at a time:

Pride, what a powerful word.  When  I see the word pride, the scripture that comes to mind is Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  It is often times we think we can do things on our own, we don’t need help.  I know because I continued thinking I could walk away from the lifestyle I chose on my own, only to fall within a few days – sometimes hours.  When I surrendered completely to Him, humbled myself and realized without God I could do nothing, He took the desires away.  He restored relationships I had destroyed and showed me His unfailing love.  I would like to share a song He used to bring me into the reality of how awesome He is – that as we turn to Him, he runs to us – still amazes me today!! http://youtu.be/NBzcOGydUaA    – we only need to seek Him.

Guilt and shame can break our spirits.  John Baker asks the question – have you tried to make deals with God?  Have you asked for His help so many times, you may be embarrassed to ask again.  Maybe you think if you don’t ask for help, He won’t know you need it.  I have done all the above – actually tried to hide things out of guilt.  Like He didn’t know what was going on.  He knows ALL!!  He wants to forgive us and take away the shame – His desire is for us to live a life of abundance.  “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 – we only need to seek Him.

How many of us have stood in paralyzing fear?  Fear that our children would not recover? Fear that we could lose our job? Fear that we didn’t know where our next dollars would come from? Fear of someone coming into our home that was not invited? Fear of finding our way home safely? Fear, fear, fear!!!  We live in a world of fear – economy, safety and health.  I know in my life, I feared that people would ‘find me out.’  That they would see who I really was.  I thought I had control, yet lived in fear every day.  When we place our belief in the One True God, He promises to take those fears. “I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 – we only need to seek Him.

Worry is a word that was often used within my family.  I grew up with a mom, grandmothers and sisters who all worried from one day to the next what was going to happen.  As I sit here and think of that, I look at a sign my mom had in her living room for years – “One day at a time.”  Oh, I know that is a popular saying, but how many of us actually do live one day at a time.  Again I will take you to His word, in Matthew 6, Jesus was speaking to the multitudes about worry.  He tells of how God takes care of the birds of the air, the lilies of the field – that we should not worry of what we eat, drink or wear.  “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow…” (Matthew 6: 32-34)  He is willing and DOES care for us and provides all that is necessary – we only need to  seek Him.

Is my faith too small?  I have asked myself that question.  Do you doubt why God would help you?  Why would the Most High, Omnipotent God look at me and say – “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move: and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)  Jairus went to Jesus with a request that any one of us as mothers would ask…”Please heal my child”.  Jairus had doubts, he asked for help with his unbelief.  What was Jesus’ response? “Do not be afraid; only believe” (Mark 5:36) and the girl was restored to life.  We only need to seek Him and believe.  Lord, help us believe!!

______________________

Let’s Pray:

Most gracious Father, You have given us so many promises to grab hold of.  Oh that we would believe whole-heartedly.  That we would be able to go through each day knowing You will care for every little thing in our lives.  Your Word says You do, it is us that falls short.  Father, I ask that each one in this study would seek You and feel Your presence, that we would all lay down the pride, guilt, fear, worry or doubt that we have throughout our lives.  Let us make the decision to open our lives to Your total care and control.  Although we don’t see where You will take us, we know this is the right thing.  Give us the strength and faith, even as tiny as a mustard seed, to take one day at a time with You, knowing we matter so much to You and that Your love for us is unfailing.  We give You all the glory and honor – In Jesus’ Name, Amen!!

Your Assignment:

Let us know what is keeping you from turning total care and control over to Him?  What does living one day at a time mean to you? Remember, all comments on this blog are public.  You have the option of signing in anonymously.

___________________________

If you are interested in joining us for the Life’s Healing Choices online Bible study, click HERE.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send a private message to Laurie in regards to this blog, please email her at laurie@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

Filed Under: Victorious Healing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Life’s Healing Choices: The Commitment Choice

January 20, 2013 by

Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Matthew 5:5 (TEV/NIV)

During our second week of the Life’s Healing Choices study, I was confronted in several areas of my life where I must have control.  When I don’t feel like I have the desired level of control, the world spins around me and anxiety reigns in an ugly way.  Conflicts arise in my relationships with my kids & my husband, and the anxiety just grows and grows.  And, gaining my perceived level of control doesn’t make anything better because those around me are already irritated and annoyed with my actions.  So when I read the first page of Chapter 3, I knew this week is going be even more hard-hitting for me.

John Baker writes, “We take desperate measures, trying to keep our life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits up in the air so they don’t come crashing down around us.  We try so hard to keep up a good front- pretending that everything is okay – when in reality, we’re struggling with real pain and real issues that we desperately try to ignore.”  He continues, “we start feeling guilty about our behavior … I should be able to change.”   Yep, once again, I admit … that’s me.  Juggling everything for everybody, hoping nothing comes crashing down, yet I’m crawling inside with anxiety, worry, and fear that my lack of control will be found out.  I should be able to do it all!  I should be able to change the world around me!  I should … I should … I should.

Ah, but there’s where the problem lies.  I was never designed to do it all, or be all.  Especially not in my own power, strength, and energy.  We saw last week how we must plug in to God’s power to overcome our past experiences, and daily strive to become closer to Him.  This week’s lesson will be on letting go. 

_______

Choice 3: Consciously choosing to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

We will learn the things that keep us from making this choice, how to move forward & toward Him more, and how God will be with us every step of the way.

Remember, God never told us that life would be easy.  But He did promise that our load would be lighter and easier to bear if we allowed Him to walk alongside us.  Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us…

Matthew11_28thru30

When I read that verse, I think of my idea in 2011 to participate in the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati.  I’m not a runner, but I can walk.  I walk every day … from the parking lot to my office building.  I walk with the family … at fairs, festivals and activities on weekends.  I can handle walking for 13.2 miles … without formal training … because I walk every day!  Pretty crazy, isn’t it?  Well, that was my thinking at the time.  But I showed up, and started walking before dawn that gray, rainy May day.  I saw friends at the 3 mile mark that had come to cheer for our group of walkers.  By the time I saw mile 6, I was near tears.  I did not expect the hills and inclines during the walk, and started doubting my ability to finish.  I condemned myself … “What were you thinking?  Whatever made you think you could do this?  You’ll never finish!”

So, what did I do?  I called a girlfriend in Virginia who had participated in long walking events and cried.  She encouraged me, told me she was proud of me for trying, and said to keep going.  I sent text messages to my mom, and received periodic messages asking where I was in the walk.   I reached out to those who could help me move forward, and 4 hours 7 minutes after I started, I actually finished the half-marathon.  I had blisters on one foot, pain in my hip & ankle from shifting my gait to avoid more blisters, but I finished.  My sister, who had completed the route as a runner, met me at the finish line and told me she was proud of me. While my Encourager’s may not have been with me physically, they helped bear my burden of doubt, provided encouragement, and kept me moving forward … one step at a time.

God may not be physically visible & touchable in our lives.  But He is still there giving us the encouragement, the strength, and the “YOU CAN DO IT” that we need.  Will you turn to Him for whatever challenges you face this week?

 

 Reading Assignment for Week 3: Chapter 3 of Life’s Healing Choices
Monday: Laurie will discuss Principle 2: The Commitment Choice
Tuesday: Leslie will discuss Beginning to Move Forward
Wednesday: Kim will discuss Stepping Across the Line
Thursday: Amy will discuss Make The Choice & Action Steps
Friday: Laurie will bring it all back home with a recap of our week

 

Let’s Pray:

Lord, we have all tried to manage our lives on our own, and we’ve failed to do it in ways that fully honor You.  Show us through the week’s study how we can fully turn over all areas of our lives to You.  Your Word promises that we have already been given ALL blessings, so help us recognize daily where You have shown mercy on us.  You will give us the power, strength and desire to do all that’s before us, but we need to surrender to You first.  Thank you for loving us with a love that knows no end.  Amen.

 ************************

Power Verses for Chapter 3:

Romans 10:9

Matthew 17:20

Matthew 11:28-30

Psalm 37:5

Psalm 25:5

2 Corinthians 1:9

Psalm 143:10

Proverbs 3:6

 _______________________

If you are interested in joining us for the amazing online Bible study, and would like to join our private Facebook Discussion Group, click HERE to sign up.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send Amy a private email in regards to this blog, please email her at: Amy@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

 

Filed Under: Victorious Healing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,