“Now when [Jesus] got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”
Matthew 8:23-26
Are you experiencing a storm or storms in your life? Are you weary from battling the storm? Are you fearful the storm will destroy you, your family, or your career? Do you wish there was someone…anyone that could calm your storm?
In this incredible biblical story the disciples literally feared for their lives when “suddenly a great tempest arose” and threatened their boat. That word, “tempest,” literally means, “a shaking, a commotion, or an earthquake.” And notice it hit “suddenly.” The disciples were caught off-guard, and reacted with swift panic, crying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But what was a surprise to the disciples was no surprise to Jesus. Not only did He know the storm would hit before they ever stepped foot in the boat, but He also had the power to calm it.
You see, God uses storms in our lives to shake us. We like to be in control, but storms remind us that we are not in contro and challenges us to, no matter what happens, trust Him in the storm? He wants to stretch our faith, to get us outside our comfort zone, and to demonstrate His power in our lives. Sometimes we can see the storm coming, and sometimes we can’t. But we must always remember that Jesus is in control, not us. Storms do not surprise or intimidate Him. God’s love is a perfecting not a pampering love as many teach today.
Today, Jesus has the power to calm every storm in your life. In those moments when you feel overwhelmed by the waves crashing around you, and the winds blowing against you, trust Him to bring a great calm in and around you. The only way out of a trial is living through a trial.
As I’ve been thinking about trials we all face, it has occurred to me that God says it is not possible for any man to be at complete rest until he is aware that all things are happening according to a divine plan. It’s like looking at a tapestry from the thread side instead of looking at the picture. Looking at the picture makes sense, not the threads. It is like that with all of the tangled patterns of life for the one who has been called according to the divine plan. When we know this fact we can be at peace with the world around us because we are at peace within our own souls; and we are at peace within our own souls because we are at peace with our Heavenly Father. Then and only then can we count it joy and begin to learn the secret of contentment. When our world is falling apart, He keeps us grounded. He is the anchor that keeps us from drifting.
If you are not going through a storm today, guess what, one is coming. And if you are in the middle of a storm the question is the same for both situations: Do you trust Him…in the storm and with your life?
To learn more about trusting Jesus, I reccomend reading God’s word, the Bible first, but the following resource could also help you. Enjoy!
It is supposed to be a Happy New Year, but many of you are not really Happy or upbeat about the coming year at all…are you? What are you feeling? Disappointment? Discouragement? Depression? Disillusionment? Loneliness? Fear? Anger? Pain? Uncertainty? Frustration?
The world is full of problems and pressures that can cause us to feel any or all of these ways. For example, I was just released from my position at work after 12 years. The leadership of the organization made a decision to go in a different direction and the new plan did not include my position. We all know what the economy is like right now, so many would say that I have a reason and maybe even a right to have all those feelings. But, I do not. I am actually very excited and looking forward to the journey that lies ahead of me. I have an incredible sense of freedom and hope as I look forward to what God has to teach me during this time and what he has planned for the next season of my life. I know and believe God is my provider and that he will never leave me nor forasake me. Don’t misunderstand me; I know this will not be easy, and will likely even be difficult at times, but I plan to abide closely in God and trust him to guide and direct me to my next assignment for him. This faith in God provides me peace, hope and freedom, and these feelings trump the others! Why do I know and believe this; because God tells me so…
“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:31-32
Here are some Truths That Set Us Free:
1. God is good (Ps. 119:68; 136:1).
2. God loves me and wants me to have His best (Rom. 8:32, 38-39).
3. I am complete and accepted in Christ (Eph. 1:6).
4. God is enough (Ps. 23:1).
5. God can be trusted (Isa. 28:16).
6. God doesn’t make any mistakes (Isa. 46:10)!
• Everything that comes into my life has been “filtered through His fingers of love.”
7. God’s grace is sufficient for me (2 Cor. 12:9).
8. The blood of Christ is sufficient to cover all my sin (1 John 1:7).
9. The cross of Christ is sufficient to conquer my sinful flesh (Rom. 6:6-7).
• I don’t have to sin (Rom. 6:14).
10. My past does not have to plague me (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
• My past failures can become stepping stones to greater victory and fruitfulness.
• If I will let Him, God will cause everything that has happened to me to work together for my good and for His glory.
11. God’s Word is sufficient to lead me, teach me, and heal me (Ps. 19:7; 107:20; 119:105).
12. Through the power of His Holy Spirit, God will enable me to do anything that He commands me to do (1 Thess. 5:24).
• There is no one that I cannot forgive (Mark 11:25).
• There is no one that I cannot love (Matt. 5:44).
• I can give thanks in all things (1 Thess. 5:18).
• I can be content (Heb. 13:5; Phil. 4:11).
13. I am responsible before God, for my behavior, responses, and choices (Ez. 18:19-22).
14. I will reap whatever I sow (Gal. 6:7-8).
15. The pathway to true joy is to relinquish control (Luke 1:38; 1 Peter 5:7; Matt.16:25):
• of my life
• of my husband
• of my children
• of my circumstances
16. The greatest freedom I can experience is found through submission to God-ordained authority (Eph. 5:23).
• The husband is the head of the wife (Eph. 5:23).
• The wife is to reverence and submit to her husband (Eph. 5:22, 33).
• “The heart of the king is in the Lord’s hand . . .” (Prov. 21:1).
17. In the will of God, there is no higher, holier calling than to be a wife and mother (Titus 2:4-5).
18. Personal holiness is more important than temporal happiness. (Eph. 5:26-27).
• Happiness is not a right.
19. God is more concerned about changing me and glorifying Himself, than about solving my problems (Rom. 8:29).
20. It is impossible to be godly, without suffering.
• Suffering is a tool in the hand of God to conform me to the image of Jesus (1 Peter 5:10).
21. My suffering will not last forever (2 Cor. 4:17-18; Ps. 30:5).
22. “It’s not about me; it’s all about Him!” (Col. 1:16-18).
“Oh Come, Oh come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appears. Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel, shall come to you, Oh Israel.”
One of the favorite traditions of the Christmas season is to turn on the Christmas tree lights and light up the night. Who doesn’t love decorating the Christmas tree, then turning out all the other lights in the room to enjoy the ambience of the twinkling lights? Even a single candle burns brightly against the backdrop of darkness.
This tradition is well suited to the real celebration of the season. John 3:19 says that when Jesus Christ was born, the light came into the world. In fact, more than two hundred times in the Bible, God is described as light. Figuratively and literally, whenever God appears, light appears. It happened in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, and it will happen at the end of time; the book of Revelation tells us that in hell there will only be darkness and in heaven there will only be light.
Have you ever been in some pitch-black place when you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face? That’s what life is like without Jesus. You can’t fully appreciate the light until you feel the weight of the darkness.
If you feel lost, alone, and trapped – searching but not finding – Jesus Christ is the light.
If you feel cruelly crushed under the wrongs done to you, Jesus Christ is the light.
If you feel perplexed by an issue or circumstance that you can’t figure out, Jesus Christ is the light.
Maybe loneliness, despair, fear, and confusion describe you. If you want to know the way out, you first have to admit that you’re in darkness. You may not be ready to die, but you’re also not fully living. You don’t see any purpose or meaning to life, and you don’t see any hope worth trusting. But all that can change right now.
Like any other genuine follower of Christ, nothing made sense to me either before I turned to Jesus. I couldn’t sort out anything in this mixed-up world. But since receiving Jesus as my Savior, I understand what’s going on. Although life still isn’t perfect, and never will be until eternity, I realize what my own sin does to my life. Suddenly Christmas is so much more than a stale exchange of gifts and some silly guy in a red suit. At Christmas those of us who know Him celebrate the forgiveness of sin that can be found only in Jesus, the gift of Christmas.
Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel, shall come to you!
Suggested reading: A Max Lucado 3-in-1 special: Come Thirsty, Traveling Light, Next Door Savior
In Come Thirsty, Max Lucado encourages you to visit the well and drink deeply, to receive Christ’s work on the cross, the energy of his Spirit, and his lordship over your life, and his unending, unfailing love.
Using the illustration of weary travelers in Traveling Light, Lucado invites us to release the burdens of our excess baggage that we were never intended to bear–with the Twenty-third Psalm as our guide.
In Next Door Savior, master storyteller Max Lucado presents the life of Jesus Christ in stunning contrast, revealing the irresistible human qualities and the undeniably divine characteristics of Jesus. Lucado describes, as only he can, a Savior who is as approachable as a next-door neighbor, yet mighty enough to save humanity.
The following wonderful and challenging message is from Os Hillman.
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend.
Psalm 55:12-13
“You will always be attacked in the place of your inheritance,” said the man sitting across the breakfast table. “God has called you to bring people together and to impact other people’s lives as a result of this anointing in your life. You must make sure that you seek to maintain righteousness in all of your relationships.” Those words came from someone who had the wisdom and authority to speak them to me.
I have had a number of close relationships that ended in betrayal. I am very loyal to my friends and those with whom I have covenant relationships. Yet there are times that no matter how righteous you are, when someone means to betray you, he will do it. Loving those who betray you is “graduate-level Christianity.” The religious community and one of His closest friends betrayed Jesus. Those who were closest to David betrayed him. Joseph’s own family betrayed him. Loving our enemies cannot be accomplished by mustering it up. It can only happen when we have come to a death in ourselves so that Christ can love through us. It is truly one of those acts of identifying with the cross.
If you are a leader, you can be sure God will allow you to experience betrayal. It is one of those courses in the Kingdom that may not be required until God has seen that you have successfully passed other tests. It is the most difficult and most gut wrenching of all tests. A godly response goes against all that is in us. Our natural response is to protect, retaliate, and retain unforgiveness and bitterness. Our natural response is satan’s most powerful weapon; to overcome it requires much grace from God. Ask God to build His nature in you now so that when such attacks come, you will be aware that it is a test and you will respond in righteousness.
A suggested resource to go along with this exhortation is “Real Love In The Workplace” by Greg Baer M.D.
Giants. When you hear that word, what do you think of? Yes I know, if your a sports fan, you think of the football or baseball Giants. But, outside of that reference, we typically think of scary, exceptionally large beast that we are powerless to fight or overcome.
Giants have been around since the beginning of time. Giants are even mentioned in the very first book of the Bible. Genesis 6:4 says “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward…” The word, Nephilim is a picture of someone who is of great size and physical height, and who is exceptionally strong, fierce, and warlike. The word also carries the meaning of “fallen one”. Some propose that they were called fallen ones because men’s hearts would fail at the sight of them. Some suggest that it was because when they fell, the ground shook, causing others to fall too.
Are giants around today? You bet they are. Maybe not physically, as described above, but giants do still exist and attack us as we endeavor and dream to be successful and happy in life and at work.
Who are the giants of today who bully us and wage war against us; preventing us from becoming all that God has created us and called us to be. They are the same giants who kept God’s people, the Israelites, out of the promised land; the land of milk and honey. The same giants who through intimidation caused the people of God to give up, to decide that water and bread would be enough for them, and to ultimately settle for less than God’s best for their lives.
Do you recognize any of these Giants?
Fear
Discouragement
Loneliness
Worry
Guilt
Temptation
Anger
Resentment
Doubts
Procrastination
Failure
Jealousy
People, hear me when I tell you that God does not want you to settle for less than his best. Read what God told Israel and what what he is telling you!
Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. The people are strong and tall—Anakites (who were part of the Nephilim)! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?” But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you. (Deuteronomy 9:1-3)
Which giant is keeping you from experiencing all that God desires for you; keeping you from being happy in life and at work? Well guess what, it does not matter because God is bigger and more mighty than them all! He wants to go ahead of you to help you gain victory over your giant(s) and send you into a wonderful new land.
Read the passage from Deuteronomy again; stand tall and with God by your side face the giants in your life. Please do not be afraid. God promises all of us that he will never leave or forsake us, that he will never give us more than we can endure, and that his power will be with us. With God on your side, you have what it takes! Don’t believe me. Grab your Bible and read about Joshua, Moses, Abraham, Daniel, Isaiah, David, and the apostles.
In addition, I highly recommend “Slaying The Giants In Your Life” by David Jeremiah.
I remember having a lot of questions growing up, and I recall doing many things I should not have done and getting into allot of trouble because of the choices I made. As a teenager and young adult, I thought I knew it all; ends up I was wrong about that! Because I thought I knew it all, I rarely, if ever, went to my father for advice or counsel. As I got older, I realized that my dad was, in fact, a vault of wisdom, and that had I sought his guidance earlier in life, I could have avoided a lot of grief and pain. Some might say I was “stuck on stupid”.
Now I realize that making mistakes and going through those tough times, taught me some good lessons, but as they say “we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way”. My point is that there are times when our “unhappiness” is brought on because we think we know it all and charge ahead without getting good counsel and advice from those that have been there before. You may have heard that “a smart man learns from his own mistakes, but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others”. I can attest to the truth and accuracy of this statement.
So, if you desire to experience happiness in life and at work, I encourage you to seek counsel as you face key decisions in your life and at work. And, just as listening to the counsel of our fathers is important and helpful when we are growing up, so it is important to seek the counsel of our Heavenly Father, the one who created us, loves us immeasurably, and has a wonderful plan for our lives. Emmanuel, God with us, promises to never leave us nor forsake us, so you can count on him to be there for you; turn to him and trust him, especially when the going gets tough.
I know that, just as it is/was often hard to approach your dad about life issues, it can be uncomfortable to approach God, your Heavenly Father. So, How do you turn to him? God says:
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
(He is there, he will respond, and he wants to be your friend, spend time with you, and help you.)
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21)
(If you turn to him, God promises to change your heart and your life; he will lift you up and bring real peace into your life.)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:4-6)
(Go to him, talk to him (in prayer) like you would to your earthly father or trusted friend, share with him your heart, your struggles, your pain, and your fears, and ask him to help you, to give you direction, strength, courage, and hope.)
If this is new to you, and you desire “a peace that passes all understanding”, ask God to reveal himself to you and to help you know that he is real. Acknowledge to him that you hurt and are unhappy and that you know you have done some things that have contributed to your own unhappiness (sin). Invite him into your life and into your heart. Put your trust in Him and his son Jesus, who died on the cross so that you and I can personally know and have a real, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. He yearns to be involved in our lives. Ask him to change you and your life, to give you the peace and joy that you desire, and to direct the steps of your life going forward.
Here are two simple acronyms to help you as you pray:
PRAY
Pray for God’s leading Respond to God’s direction and calling Ask for and express thanks for God’s provision Yield to God’s will
ACTS
Adoration (praise your Heavenly Father for who he is; let him know how much you love him) Confession (seek Your Heavenly Father’s forgiveness for the things you have done that keep the two of you apart (sin)) Thanksgiving (express your gratitude for the many blessings your Heavenly Father has provided you) Supplication (let your Heavenly Father know the desires of your heart)
Leave me a comment to know what God does in and through your life. God bless!
And, to better understand the power of prayer for you and your family, consider the following resources:
Ever find yourself suffering or hurting and feel like you’ve done nothing to deserve it? I know I have had, and I remember being angry and thinking or even saying “that’s not fair!” and asking “why me?”
I can be fairly hard headed, so it took me a long time to figure out that life isn’t always fair, infact there are many times when it can be very unfair and downright hard. But, what I have learned is that rather than asking “why?” I shoud be asking “what?” and “how?”.
What is God trying to teach me as I go through this trial?
How is God trying to grow me as I face this tough situation?
You might say that I needed a “check up from the neck up”. My attitude was all wrong, and my poor attitude was preventing me from discovering my own greatness and stealing my joy.
I think this short 3 minute video will encourage you to push through the tough times, go the extra mile when faced with adversity, find greater pupose and joy, and continue to be happy in life and at work.
There is a season in everyone’s life of walking through the valley. It is lonely, dark, discouraging, and exhausting. Have you been there? Are you there now? Do you know someone who is there right now? Even though it is in our nature, as human beings, to want to fix things, sometimes all that is needed or desired is our presence. If you are in your mourning booth, I hope you have someone who understands that you might just need their presence and nothing more. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone and let them know that you need them by your side. If you know someone who is in their mourning booth, realize that although they might understand and apprecitate your advice, encouragement, and humor, it is possible that all they really desire and need is your presence…to know someone cares enough to stay by their side as they walk through the valley.
A very dear friend of mine, after reading the November 11th post, Happy Life and Work Through Sowing Tears, sent me the following message of encouragment from Os Hillman. It is the perfect follow up to the November 11th post; I hope it encourages you to be Happy in life and at work!
“The second son he named Ephraim and said, ‘It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” Genesis 41:52
When Joseph was elevated to rule over the Egyptian kingdom, he revealed some profound truths gained from the experiences of his years of adversity. He named his first son, Manasseh for, he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household” (Gen. 41:51b). His second son was named Ephraim because, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
Whenever God takes us through the land of affliction, He will do two things through that affliction: 1) He will bring such healing that we will be able to forget the pain, and 2) He will make us fruitful from the painful experiences.
God does not waste our afflictions if we allow Him the freedom to complete the work in us. His desire is to create virtue that remains during the times of testing so that He can bring us into the place of fruitfulness in the very area of our testing. He has never promised to keep us from entering the valleys of testing, but He has promised to make us fruitful in them. He is the God who turns the Valley of Achor (trouble) into a door of hope (see Hos. 2:15).
If you are in the valley of affliction, now is the time to press into Him. When the time comes to bring you out of this valley, He will heal your memories and bring fruit from this very time.
Sugessted resource:Fear Fighters by Jentezen Franklin
Will you live in FEAR? Or will you live by FAITH? Fear has the deceptive ability to influence and affect our daily lives and the world we live in. What do you fear most in life? What are the greatest threats facing you? Crime? Violence? The economy? Failure? Death? Eternity? Fear Fighters will help you identify and defeat the very source of fear that threatens you from living in peace and joy. This incredible book will open your eyes, build your faith, and empower you to reach out to those around you with the light of truth and hope.
“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” - Psalm 126:5
Psalm 126 describes an interesting process that goes against our natural tendencies when we are taken into a difficult period in our lives. Whenever we are hurled into a crisis that brings tears, our tendency is to retreat or recoil in fear and hurt. However, there is a better way that God tells us to handle such times of travail.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:5-6). God is telling us that if we will do what is unnatural for us in these circumstances, He will make sure that what we sow in tears will return in joy. This is one of the most important lessons I have learned when faced with difficult circumstances. Rather than sit back and allow self-pity and discouragement to consume us, we should plant seed during this time. Reach out to a person who needs a friend. Invest in the life of another. See where you can be a blessing to someone. Give of yourself.
The psalmist acknowledges that we are doing this while we are in our pain. However, during this time we are to sow seed. That seed will return to us in another form. Here is what will happen when we do this. “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” We will receive joy and fruit from the seed that we plant during this time. Sheaves represent the fruit of a harvest. We will actually get a harvest from this seed.
“You must not let the circumstances destroy you! Too many in the Kingdom are counting on you to come through this because of the calling on your life!” Those were the words spoken to me by a friend one time when I was in the midst of a very difficult business and personal circumstance that was threatening to destroy me emotionally. This person saw what God was doing and the fruit that God wanted to bring from these circumstances. Sometimes we need others around us to push us through the difficult times. If you find yourself in a difficult place today, see where you can sow some seed. Soon you will be reaping songs of joy and be Happy in life and at work.
Suggested resource The Upside of Adversity by Os Hillman.
Can God actually use prolonged difficulty in our lives for good? Os Hillman says yes! After a seven-year journey filled with disappointement and adversity in his personal and work life, Os went from the pit of despair and unhappiness to operating an international speaking and teaching organization for workplace leaders that has taken him to more than 20 countries. Like the Joseph of the Bible, Os let God use a long string of personal calamities-what he terms his “Joseph Pit”-to form him for leadership, influence and service and bring real happiness and joy into his life and work.
I remember having a lot of questions growing up, and I recall doing many things I should not have done and getting into allot of trouble because of the choices I made. As a teenager and young adult, I thought I knew it all; ends up I was wrong about that! Because I thought I knew it all, I rarely, if ever, went to my father for advice or counsel. As I got older, I realized that my dad was, in fact, a vault of wisdom, and that had I sought his guidance earlier in life, I could have avoided a lot of grief and pain. Some might say I was “stuck on stupid”.
So, if you desire to experience happiness in life and at work, I encourage you to seek counsel as you face key decisions in your life and at work. And, just as listening to the counsel of our fathers is important and helpful when we are growing up, so it is important to seek the counsel of our Heavenly Father, the one who created us, loves us immeasurably, and has a wonderful plan for our lives. Emmanuel, God with us, promises to never leave us nor forsake us, so you can count on him to be there for you; turn to him and trust him, especially when the going gets tough.
If this is new to you, and you desire “a peace that passes all understanding”, ask God to reveal himself to you and to help you know that he is real. Acknowledge to him that you hurt and are unhappy and that you know you have done some things that have contributed to your own unhappiness (sin). Invite him into your life and into your heart. Put your trust in Him and his son Jesus, who died on the cross so that you and I can personally know and have a real, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. He yearns to be involved in our lives. Ask him to change you and your life, to give you the peace and joy that you desire, and to direct the steps of your life going forward.
