Press Delete & Start Over

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Great is His faithfulness, His mercies are new every morning! I work in accounting and there have been times I was working on a reconciliation of some sort and for whatever reason I couldn’t get it to balance. I would review the numbers over and over again looking for typos, missing information or some other hidden error but I couldn’t find anything. I kept coming up empty. After sometimes spending hours of fighting with the reconciliation, or recon as we affectionately call it in accounting,  I would just decide to delete the whole thing and start over, which I honestly hated to do. However miraculously once I get rid of the old recon and rebuild the new recon things begin to work out perfectly! Every thing balances and I feel a sense of freedom, I’m free to move on to the next thing I need to accomplish. What I had just spent hours trying to fix was now resolved. The funny thing is that I never did figure out the root of the problem, it was somehow hidden from my sight. Our human nature usually wants to fully understand our problems and have all the answers but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. Some things are hidden from our sight or beyond our understanding. We just have to learn to simply trust God as we put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

These verses in Lamentations remind me that in life as we put our trust in God He offers us the relief we need. His mercies are new every morning. Every day He gives us a fresh, new start. We can repent and start over regardless of the difficulties or sins that we encountered the day before. What is it that you need to start over with today? What past sins do you need to repent of and receive God’s mercy and strength to continue on into all he Has for you? What guilty feelings or struggles do you need to let go of? Beware of spending countless hours, days, months, or even years trying to figure out something that God has already worked out if you would just trust Him to make your wrongs right and bring you the healing you need.

Today rest in the comfort of His never-ending love and find peace knowing that He is faithful. Accept His free gift of new mercy as you go through this day. Don’t be afraid to let go of your worries and struggles and definitely don’t be afraid to just press delete and start over.

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He’ll Show You The Way

Psalm 34:17 (NIV), “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

A couple of days ago I was speaking to a friend of mine whom I had not spoken to in quite awhile. She shared with me some of the trials that she was in the midst of. She was pressing her way through many spiritual, emotional, financial, relationship, and even mental battles. She said the enemy was attacking her from many different directions. But as she spoke she never stop professing her faith and trust in God. She said she knew that in Him she would be victorious and that she would not accept any of the negative reports that the enemy was trying to throw her way. I was inspired by her strength and through her testimony I was reminded that regardless of what we maybe facing we can still make a firm decision to believe in the faithfulness of God. We can settle any doubt in our minds by meditating on the truth of His Word and we can encourage ourselves by proclaiming what it says. We can’t rush God or His plans but we can call out to him any time of day or night and He promises to hear our cries for help and give us exactly what we need in that moment. That’s one of the many things I love about the character of God, He always knows exactly what we need and when we need it. His ways are perfect and the decisions He makes for our lives are flawless.

Before the convenient GPS days, did you ever end up driving through a neighborhood looking for a particular place and end up a little turned around or maybe even completely lost? Then you turn down a particular street hopeful that you will be able to finally find your way out of the maze only to discover the street you turned down leads to a dead end. This can be frustrating to say the least. Because now, not only do you have to turn around but you also have to start over and search for another way out. It’s the same way with life, we may at times find ourselves searching for a way out of a difficult maze that has come our way. The “maze” maybe, health problems, relationship problems, emotional problems, financial problems, the list can go on, but just remember that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). In Him we are equipped with all we need and He has promised to direct our paths if we trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). Even when we feel we have come to a “dead end”, we can rest assured that Christ knows the way out and He will guide us safely to our destination. His love is always present with us wherever we go.

Father,

Thank you for leading us everyday. You Word says you guard the course of the just and protect the way of your faithful ones (Proverbs 2:8). When we find ourselves at a “dead end”, help us to recognize it as another opportunity to trust You more while being confident that you will never leave us and that you will open the right doors for us at the right time.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

Psalm 89:13(NLT), “Powerful is your arm; Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.”

I’m not sure how old I was, but I know I was just a little girl as I sat on the floor and looked up to my Daddy and asked him this question, “Why are your hands so big?” I can still hear his voice in my mind as he answered me, “I guess because I’m a big man”. I remember briefly examining my Daddy’s hands once more, before deciding I was satisfied with his answer to my curiosity. For years I’ve managed to remember our short dialogue about his hands. Daddy always worked really hard.  He made a living working at a shipyard as a welder, or as he would always say, “a first class welder.” I can still hear the sound of his car starting up early in the morning as he would leave home to drive to work. But even outside of his normal career, he could build and fix things and he was great at repairing cars. He also enjoyed working in the yard. Our grass looked like a nice, plush, green carpet and everyone admired it. My favorite thing that him and I did together is when we would spend time listening to gospel quartet groups like the Mighty Clouds of Joy and the Gospel Keynotes. I still listen to some of those same songs today and instantly it makes me feel close to him and remember the good times we shared. I would prance around joyfully without a care in the world as the music played. There was something special about being in my Daddy’s presence and spending time with him. As a little girl, I didn’t realize it then, but now I know this experience was a forerunner to the much higher joy I have now when I worship in my Heavenly Father’s presence.

Looking back, I can reminisce on the things that my earthly Father’s hands were able to accomplish. He passed away many years ago but I’m truly thankful for all he did. However, my earthly Father’s hands were human hands and human hands have limitations, but oh the strength, the power, and the glory in the supernatural hands of my Heavenly Father! His abilities are unlimited. His love is unmatched. In Isaiah 49:16 (NIV) God the Father says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” He sees us every time he looks at His hands. And furthermore, our elder brother Jesus says in John 10:29, that no one can snatch us out of His Father’s hand. His Father is our Father and our Father’s love gives us life. I can’t breathe without His love and I’m glad I don’t have to go one day without it. He extended His love before we were born through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Every day I can sense Him watching over me, like a good father always does with his children. No matter how old we are, Daddy God is always there. Most of us have experienced some type of hurt in life, but His Spirit penetrates even the deepest places of our hearts and He heals wounds that we sometimes didn’t even know existed. Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

I pray that you will rest in His arms, while letting Him heal any wounds you have, and find peace knowing He watches over you every day and has you engraved in the palms of His hands.

Father,

Thank you. I feel safe knowing that Your powerful arm and strong hand carry me always. I’m comforted because I can live each day knowing Your love never ends.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Guilty But Innocent

Romans 12:16 (NIV), “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

Innocent but charged as guilty. Locked behind bars and confined to a jail cell for a crime you did not commit, perhaps even serving a life sentence. Maybe it’s a case of mistaken identity, but still the verdict remains the same…guilty. Can you imagine the agony of that? No matter how loud you scream out that you are innocent, you are still considered guilty and are treated as such.

There have been times driving down the street that I have passed a group of police cars with a person standing there in handcuffs, and I was overwhelmed with both compassion and gratefulness. I felt compassion because although they may deserve to be arrested, I cannot help but wonder what went wrong in their lives that caused them to end up where they are. I felt gratefulness because I am thankful that God has allowed my life to work out the way it has.  I realize things could have turned out differently for me, and a few wrong choices could have landed me in the same spot with the same fate, trapped behind bars.

We must be careful to realize that no matter how much success we have, it’s all a blessing from God. Every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). His mercy, grace, and favor have kept us and caused us to experience His goodness in the life we live here on Earth, as well as the one we will forever enjoy in eternity. Although many of us may not have committed any crimes to land us in a physical jail, spiritually we were in bondage and guilty of sin against the God of heaven. Can you see yourself going to jail in the place of a man or woman who is guilty so that they can go free? Or even more extreme, can you see yourself dying for the sins of the world, dying for every man or woman that ever lived? That’s what Jesus did for us. He was innocent, but chose to take on a guilty sentence and pay the price for our sins. He paid the price for crimes He never committed. He was willingly arrested, charged, and put to death for our sins. He gave up His home in glory to come and die for us.

As we live together, we should live in harmony. We must be quick to abandon pride and realize how good God has been to us, while being willing to associate with all people regardless of their status. Let us pray for one another that we would stay on the path that the Lord has laid out before us and not go astray (James 5:16).

Father,

Thank you for sending us your Son to be the ultimate example of humility and the sacrifice for our sins. Help us to abandon pride and always realize it is Your goodness that has kept us and blessed us. We pray for those who have experienced misfortune in their lives such as being imprisoned. However we have all sinned and fallen short of Your glory, so teach us to stay humble as we live our lives.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

jail cell.

Abundant Life is Yours

John 10:10 (KJV)

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

So phenomenal, so fascinating, and so beautiful.  Beauty that never ceases to intrigue me, and every time I see it, it feels like I’m seeing it for the very first time. It will often appear out of nowhere and catch me by surprise. Other times I realize that conditions are favorable for it to appear, so I gaze up at the sky, looking in every possible direction until I can hopefully find the image that I am searching for. Once I see the colorful, sprawling rainbow in the sky, I never want to let it out of my sight. If at all possible, I keep my eye on it until it fades away and can no longer be seen.

I wish I could reach out and touch it, but according to the laws of science, that can never happen. Why? Because it’s all an optical illusion. Sadly, since a rainbow is not a physical object, no one can get to it and it can’t be touched.  No matter how real it may seem, it can only be admired from afar. A rainbow they say is nothing more than a “distorted image of the sun” caused by raindrops bending the sun’s light. It’s a simple process that creates a stunning display. So based on this knowledge of what a rainbow really is, we know the sun is the real source of what we see. However this breathtaking, brightly colored arch stands in full view, capturing our attention and effortlessly stealing our hearts. I for one, can honestly say that when there is a rainbow on display across the blue sky, the sun is not the number one thing on my mind. What about you? When you see a rainbow, do you dismiss its beauty and redirect your attention to the sun?

I heard that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but I guess we will never know since we can’t make it to the rainbow to find out. Even if there was a pot of gold resting at the end of the rainbow, chances are it too would be an illusion that cannot be touched.

Have you ever felt this way about life? Have you ever felt that there are some things you cannot seem to get to no matter how hard you try? I know I have been in that place before where I found myself pursing something that was all an illusion. It seemed right at first, but the closer I got to it the more I realized it wasn’t real, and for one reason or another it would never work for me. Or after putting forth energy and time, the thing I was hoping for all of a sudden begins to fade away right before my very eyes, until it has completely disappeared, just like a rainbow. Sometimes in life we can want something so bad that we imagine we can have what it is we want and the “pot of gold” to go along with it. So we run hard after that thing, hoping for the best and never taking the time to pray and ask God if it is really His will for us before we start the race. God has a purpose for each one of us. We must stay close to Him to walk into all He has for us, but we must also stay in His Word to understand how he thinks and works so that we will not be lead astray by “false images”.

Whenever I see a beautiful rainbow, I will not hesitate to admire it’s beauty. I will also let it be God’s reminder to me to pursue only the things that are His will for me, and not to be enticed to go after what He never meant for me to have. The enemy attempts to get us off course and distort our lives by presenting an alternative path that appears perfect, but it is in fact a counterfeit. He wants us to chase after “rainbows” that are not real. He wants us to go after beautiful illusions that we can never get to that will eventually disappear right before our eyes. Remember, only what is truly real has staying power, everything else will fade away.

The devil comes to steal, to kill, and destroy, BUT JESUS….He came that we may have life, and have life more abundantly. Why not run after Him, the one who can give you what is best for you? No tricks, no gimmicks, and no illusions. His love is real.

Always focus on the true source. Jesus Christ is the True Source. The life we live should be a reflection of His Light. Stay alert and keep your gaze fixed on Him! He is the Author and the Finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).

 

Father,

Thank you for being real. You never deceive us or lead us astray. Teach us by your Holy Spirit to stay true to You and Your Word. Keep us from counterfeit paths that are meant to bring destruction and pain to our lives. Help us to stay on that narrow path that leads to life. (Matthew 7:13-14)

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Genesis 9:16 (NLT) When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.“

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