December 23, 2024

Let It Go

May 1, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

I am of the opinion that there is no comparison
between the pain of this present time
and the glory which we will see in the future.
Romans 8:18 BBE

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Spring seems to be a time of deep cleaning and emptying out the places that only you can really see.  You know the ones, right? Everything seems to be in order on the outside, but if we really go into cabinets and drawers, there’s stuff that needs to be thrown away and papers that need to be shredded…and so on and so on.  ‘Organized clutter’ that’s what I used to call it.

Same with our lives sometimes.  There are so many things we are holding onto and our minds are so cluttered that we have a hard time just enjoying the present. And if you are sentimental, like I am, it is hard to let it all—the good and the bad— go.  When we think of the phrase ‘let go and let God,’  we tend to lean toward thinking about letting our past mistakes and sins go, and  not to dwell on them…and that is definitely right!  But…we also need to let go of the days that we loved so much, the awesome times that we cherished, so that we can truly enjoy the life that is ahead of us.  For me that means the house that I loved so much—the one where I strolled my babies around the lake, and had picnics in the park.  It can still be a good memory but it cannot be what I dwell on and long for.

God has so much more for us here and now.  Our lives are full of purpose and meaning.  We are His children and every day of our lives is His beautiful masterpiece.  The past is the past.  The future is the future.  And today? It is the “present”…the gift that unwraps minute by minute, so full of His blessings and joy and opportunity to share Him with so many.

I have lost a lot in the past and for a while I truly yearned and mourned for those things; so much so that I couldn’t even look at pictures from that time.  God heals those broken places and redeems them with so much more than we could ever imagine or hope for!

And we know all things work together for good
to them that love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

My prayer for us today is that we don’t want what we have lost so much that we miss what we have.  And that we will always see the blessings in each day as well as all the ways He loves us today. What do you need to let go of?  Is there pain in the hidden places?  Or maybe there are so many good memories you long for that you can’t see the beauty in today?

God knows your heart and He is willing to help you in anyway you need.  He is the Healer of our hearts and the Lover of your soul.  He is so good at helping us clean out the clutter so that we can see more clearly and hear His voice above all.  If anxiety is haunting you today, here are some verses for you to claim:

When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
Psalm 94:19

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Matthew 6:34

Trust in Him at all times,
pour your heart out to Him,
for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:8

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And if you don’t know Him, and you want Jesus to be your Lord, would you pray this simple prayer with me?

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I need a Savior. I believe that Jesus is Your Son and You sent Him to die for me and to forgive my sins.  Thank You for what You are about to do in my life.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

January 31, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own.
Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:34 AMP

I don’t know about tomorrow
I just live from day to day
I don’t borrow from the sunshine
For it’s skies may turn to gray
I don’t worry o’er the future
For I know what Jesus said
And today I’ll walk beside Him
For He knows what lies ahead

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know Who holds tomorrow
And I know Who holds my hand

Ev’ry step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb
Ev’ry burdens getting lighter
Ev’ry cloud is silver-lined
There the sun is always shining
There no tear will dim the eye
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky

Songwriter: Ira Stanphill ~~~ Singer: Alison Krauss

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One Day At a Time

January 29, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Do not worry about tomorrow for will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

This Scripture reminded me about a song I know (and I know most of you know it)…

♫ ♪ ♫  One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That’s all I am asking from You
Help me today to do everything that I might do
Yesterday is gone, sweet Jesus; and tomorrow may never be mine
So, for my sake, teach me today, one day at a time   ♫ ♪ ♫

This is very encouraging.  As God knows everything we need and so we need to know that He won’t deprive us.  And the Word says “And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?” (verse 27).  So this shows we need not worry.  Fear makes us worry whilst faith makes us believe and trust God even the more for His provisions.

Look at verses 28-32…. God is just showing us that in His splendor and majesty He provides all things.  All we need to do is trust Him for the provisions.  Remember, without faith we cannot please Him (Hebrews 11:6).  Only having faith in the Lord will be a guarantee for our provision.

Look also at the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

Our Father Who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it it in heaven
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

So it is an issue of daily provision.  And daily provision can come through our daily prayers and through our daily faith and belief.  Without that don’t expect anything.

I am encouraged always by the Word of God through our devotionals this month of January; everyone is writing and emphasizing that we need to have faith in the Lord.  I therefore also write this devotion reminding us, sisters in Christ, without faith we cannot please God.  All those challenges in our lives can come to an end as long as we have faith.  Mark 11:24 says “…whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”  It is a matter of desiring and applying faith to the Word.

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Oh Lord, our Father and our God, we worship you!  You are so great! Blessed be Your holy name in all the earth.  You are our Father and our King.  We praise You.  We thank You, Father, for Your faithfulness in our lives.  You have always stood with us when we pray guarding Your word in Jeremiah 33:3 that you shall show us great and might things.  Be blessed for Your Word is true and it shall accomplish what it came for.  Thank You for You gave us all the measure of faith that we need to grow as we hear Your Word daily.  We give You all the praise and honor in Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN!

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Not Worrying Doesn’t Mean Don’t Plan

January 28, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.
Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 6:34

Worrying refers to negative thoughts about something that has not yet happened.  We often use our imaginations to sift through all the possible outcomes.  And we usually attempt to come up with solutions to things that have yet to happen—and may never happen.

I feel to some extent worry can be healthy.  Worry can draw attention to areas in our lives that may need some attention.  For example, if you constantly worry about money, then you should take a look at your finances:  Are you handling your finances in a godly way?  Are you worried about your future?  Have you stopped to consider and talk with God about what He would have you do?

Worrying often comes from us depending on ourselves instead of the Lord. If we are depending on the Lord in every area of our life, then there is no need for us to worry!  Planning, on the other hand IS something we can do.  Here’s an example:  if you know that you make “X” amount of money each week and you have “X” amount of bills to pay each week, then making a budget for the upcoming weeks is not worrying; it’s called planning.

Planning is essential to our well-being.  God said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you…”  God thought it was a good idea to have a plan for us; so we, too, should have plans in our lives.

Notice I didn’t say “plan our lives”…I said, “plans IN our lives.”

Only God can plan our lives. The Bible says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

Planning IN our lives can be as simple as setting an alarm to go off in the morning.  Setting time aside to read your Bible or do the dishes.  Planning is opening a savings account (and using it).  In the past week, the weather has been rather cold.  I know my car does not like the cold.  My dad has told me time and time again to make sure that I start my car everyday when it is really cold outside.  This isn’t worrying…it is planning.

You might even say that planning goes hand-in-hand with common sense. Something else I have noticed is that worrying can be a result of LACK of planning.  Oh, you know…you start to worry if you will finish your 9 page paper on time because you waited until the night before to start it.  With a little planning, the worry could have been avoided.  Procrastination is worry’s best friend. (And I know this from experience.)  Don’t be afraid to make plans.  Ask the Lord where He would lead you.  Just…don’t worry!

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Lord, help us to plan in our lives for the days to come and to be able to balance this planning so that it does not turn into worrying.  Let us hold our lives loosely knowing that even the best of plans are subject to change when You grab hold of them.  Let us not be so stubborn as to refuse to waver from the plans we have and to willingly follow where You would lead us. Amen.

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Staying in the Presence

January 27, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow,
because tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34 HCSB

One of my favorite quotes is…
“Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do,
but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”

We look at the past and worry about what has happened.  We look to the future and borrow trouble worrying about what will happen.  Neither is helpful…and neither gets us anywhere.

How many times have you heard the phrase “One day at a time…”? Hundreds, maybe even thousands?  It sounds trite but it is exactly what we need to do—take one day at a time.  But HOW do we do that?  By staying in His Presence. Philippians 4:6 gives us the best advice and provides step-by-step instructions for staying in His Presence.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

When we quit worrying—and instead—tell God everything, we shift our burdens to Him.  Psalm 55:22 (NLT) reminds us to “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.”  He will take care of us.  He is in control.  All we need to do is ask.  That is where telling Him what we need comes in.  John 11:22 (AMP) says “And even now I know that whatever You ask from God, He will grant it to You.” (BTW – God already knows what we need, but He likes to hear us ask.  It opens a conversation with Him.)

As we begin to thank God for all He has done, it causes us to reflect back on our life.  Psalm 77:11 (NLT) encourages us to recall what He has done and remember the miracles He has performed in our lives.

But then I recall all You have done, O Lord;
I remember Your wonderful deeds of long ago.

In reflection, we can see all the times God has been there for us…we see His mighty hand at work…we recall His great grace, His faithfulness, and His unending love.  Then we know with assurance Who holds our future.

Psalm 85:9a (AMP) states “Surely His salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him….”  When we remain in His Presence, we have no need to worry.  He knows the plans He has for us…plans that give us hope (Jeremiah 29:11).  So let’s stop the worry and enjoy this day in His Presence.

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Tomorrow Is Another Day

January 26, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

“Tomorrow is another day!”  For those of us who have watched Gone with the Wind (…watched it several times), how often do we remember hearing Scarlett O’Hara utter those words?  Whenever she is faced with a problem she can’t solve right then and there, she says she will think about it tomorrow.  She pushes it off until the next day.  She refuses to face it right then and there.  She knows that she has other problems to face during the rest of the day, and that tomorrow is another day.  It must be nice to put things off until tomorrow.  Scarlett was always putting her faith in what the next day would bring.

We should be thinking about what is in front of us today.  We should not be putting it off until the next day.  We are not promised tomorrow.  Our last moments could come at any time.  Our unfinished problems become someone else’s to handle when we don’t take care of them ourselves.  We have enough to worry about in one day.  We should not pile today’s worries onto tomorrow.  That will only make tomorrow, which should be a better day than the one before, worse.

Scarlett, however, is a fictional character.  A character in a book and a movie.  She can place her worries on the next day and the next and the next.  Through the words on the page and pictures on a screen, she will never die.  Yet, we are mortal.  We will die one day.  Worrying about tomorrow does not help us enjoy life.  Trying to shove our worries for today onto tomorrow will only makes the problem worse and dampens the next day.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

For those of us with strong faith in God, we do not have to worry about today or tomorrow.  God has everything in control.  We cannot see what tomorrow will bring.  We do know what will happen tomorrow if we have an appointment or something else scheduled.  However, we do not know what will happen around those planned parts of our day. We cannot control what will happen during the day.  Only God can.  Through faith we know that tomorrow will be there. Through faith, we hope and pray that we will see tomorrow. Faith gives us the certainty that what we can’t see or touch really does exist.  Unlike Scarlett, we do have to live in the here and now.

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Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for worrying about tomorrow for us.  Thank You for being our Rock and Foundation.  With You we can tackle whatever is thrown at us today and prepare for the next day.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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