An Attitude of Gratitude

Life is certainly quite consistent with its hills and valleys, isn't it? Mixed in there are a few mountaintop experiences, and some moments or seasons that feel more like the pits of hell. 

In those latter times, it is hard to remember to praise God, to worship God, to "in all things, give thanks."

In the more difficult times, focus tends to be more on questioning everything and solving problems even as answers continue to elude.  

"What is there to be thankful for NOW?" we might wonder. 

It is exactly at those times when we need most to find something for which we are genuinely thankful. It is amazing what one heartfelt moment of thanksgiving can do for the human spirit in an otherwise dismal time. In that brief moment, a glimmer of hope comes through in the present moment of darkness. A pinpoint of light shines through the darkness giving us hope for the next moment.

In those seasons of life when it appears that all is stripped away, as the lyrics to one song say, how it must bless the heart of our Lord when we simply come to Him longing just to bring Him  something that's of worth that will bless His heart. Jesus sees our heart. He knows our heart. It blesses His heart to hear us thank Him for the many blessings He has already bestowed upon us. 

When you and I are in the midst of a dark season, every day - EVERY DAY - find Something for which to be thankful. And in that moment of gratitude, our own hearts can begin to worship and praise God for that gift for which we have just thanked Him. It lets us remember that He did not forget us when He bestowed the gift, and reminds us that He is still with us now. This present painful season will pass away as have others, and in the illumination of our moment of gratitude, everything appears brighter again. 

So, what am I thankful for this day? 

I am thankful for lunch with a wonderful friend.

"Today, LORD, I am grateful for an Attitude of Gratitude. Thank You, Jesus."

Amen.

Trust in the Lord with All of Your Heart

Does anyone else struggle with this thing of trust like I do - or do I quiver alone with this whole issue of trusting? Even right down to this verse of Scripture: trusting in the Lord with ALL of your heart? Gosh, I become so discouraged with myself when my trust is not deeper than it is - even while loving the LORD with all of my heart. Anyone else sailing in this same boat with me?

Round and Round, Back and Forth, I go - doing this crazy dance with fear vs. trusting. Afraid to do this! Afraid to do that What do I fear? What do you fear? What do we fear which keeps a portion of ourselves bound in shackles of emotional bondage?

Some fears are good; they protect us from real and present dangers and harms. Other fears keep us from living our lives to the fullest in good and wholesome ways.

I ask my Lord and myself: "How can I love You, Lord, with all of my heart when I don't trust You with all of my heart?" 

Driving the interstates with its crazy and reckless drivers; boarding a plan that may crash; spiders ... right down to the very smallest of those critters - why? WHY?

At a Women's Bible study yesterday, some of us identified with a lack of courage and a tendency to cowardice. WHY?

Right down at its core, we fear danger, harm and death. If not death itself, the painful transition just prior to death. We fear PAIN! And no one likes to hurt - to be in pain. Pain and hurt is a part of life in a fallen world. We will experience pain and hurt time and time again as we live out our lives. And we tend to pull away from potential threats that would cause us to experience more pain and hurt. We want to protect ourselves, and protect those whom we love.

As I continue to fight my own battles over my own fears, always aiming for a higher level of trust in my Lord, I use the Scriptures over and over again that speak to this whole issue of fear vs. trusting.

Over and over again, the Lord speaks to us through His Word. He will never leave us nor forsake us. I meditate on these verses, praying for trust and courage to increase and fear to decrease. It is a quest and a journey for me.

Some good Scriptures (among the many) you might wish to check out on your own:

Psalm 27:1

Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41:13

2 Timothy 1:7

Hebrews 13:5-6

I will leave you with one of my favorites:

Psalm 56:3-4 ~

When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? (NIV)

For all of us who are locked up with fears, I pray for trust, courage, and an ever-deepening faith in Him Who gives us His Courage, His Protection, His Strength in the moments of our own weaknesses. 

May all glory be unto You, Lord Jesus.

~ Amen ~

The Lord Disciplines Those Whom He Loves

"I love you, son!"

Have you ever sat or knelt under the Lord's discipline? I have. Not fun, is it?

For awhile, I sat licking my wounds, not at all happy about the place in which I found myself. Even so, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.

Often, the Lord's discipline is compared to a loving human father and his son. When the son is found in error, out of love, the father disciplines the son that he may learn, correct his behavior, and profit from the whole experience.

The problem with this analogy, however, is many who walk with the Lord today did not experience a loving father/son relationship, and when discipline was meted out, it appeared much more like harsh punishment and its basis did not appear to come from love. Somehow, it tarnishes the reality of God's love when He disciplines us.

Making the transition from what we experienced with our earthly fathers to our Heavenly Father can be a difficult process. That is where we make a decision to choose by faith that God's word is truth. He says what He means and He means what He says. He carries out the reality of His love when He disciplines us.

On the other side of discipline, unpleasant though it seems, we have learned valuable lessons. Hopefully, we have profited by what we have learned and made some necessary changes. If so, we can now look back to our times of chastisement and enjoy the fruit that comes from the Lord's loving discipline.

~ Amen ~

"Speak, Lord, for Your Servant is Listening."

"Lord, I am listening!"

"And the Lord came and stood and called as at other `times, Samuel! Samuel!! Then Samuel answered, Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:10 AMP)

Among our Christian brothers and sisters, many wonder how we "hear" God's voice when He speaks. I wondered the same for years.

Here are some steps to help:

1. Desire to hear from God.

2. Schedule quiet time with God daily and show up!

3. Pray to hear God's voice when He speaks.

4. Read a selection from God's Word.

5. Meditate on God's Truth from Scripture.

6. Listen. Wait. Listen.

Distractions Come! Expect Them! As much as it is up to you, separate yourself from all else during your quiet time with the Lord. Discipline Yourself to ignore these "other" voices.

In time, you will begin to hear God's whispers from within your spirit. You will begin to know His voice in much the same way a flock of sheep know the voice of their own shepherd. They are able to distinguish their shepherd's voice from any other they may hear.

Recognizing God's voice comes with some practice. With repetition, you come to know when it is God and when it is not. Not only in sound but in content.When God speaks, He never violates the Scriptures. As you become more and more familiar with God's Word, you will be able to discern truth from error, and the ability to discern voices based on the message you have heard.

Begin your journey today! Spend some quiet time with Jesus - and - Listen!

~ Amen ~

"Here I Am, Lord"

"QUIET YOUR HEART"

If you are quiet, your heart can listen

"QUIET your heart and simplify your life, My child. Always begin with Me - and ask. Then, indeed, follow as I lead you. What you look at as necessity isn't always so. I will filter not only your needs, but also the needs of others, and you will end up with just enough to do and not become overwhelmed." 

Guide our footsteps this day, O Lord. Help us with balance in our lives. Help us to do Your will, Jesus ... to follow You in all things. Help us to follow You, and not ask that You follow us. 

~ Amen ~

"

"As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, 

'I will follow You wherever you go.'" 

(Luke 9:57)

"NEVER GIVE UP!"

She was young. Yet, there was a sense in which she was already very old having never known a season of youth. She was young - and utterly defeated; her yesterdays a series of repeated failures. She desperately wanted to give up.

Her mother refused to give up on her, and refused to let her give up on herself. She would take her daughter's face into her hands, look deeply into her eyes and speak the words that forever became etched in the younger woman's mind, heart, and soul:

"Never Give Up!"

Why do people want to "give up?" Why the need to even speak these words?

Here are some common reasons why people give up:

• The goal is too hard or it takes too long.
• They have experienced too many failures along the way. Too many painful yesterdays.

BUT ... Yesterday is Gone Forever! Let It Go! 

Consider the Apostle Paul - responsible for the persecution of those who followed Jesus. Paul could have given up, sick with remorse over the things he had done in his yesterdays. Yet, this is what Paul said, and further, lived what he spoke: 

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

We all have our yesterdays. Every one of us! Paul did; the young woman above did. 

By God's Grace, Paul did not give up regardless of his yesterdays, nor did our contemporary above. They both continued on!

Yesterday IS gone! Whatever YOUR Yesterday, please choose to Never Give Up! Pick yourself up from the shambles of your struggles and failures and move on.

Today is a New Day! 

Your Part is to Start Fresh! God will do His Part.

God has a good plan for you; a plan and a purpose to prosper you and not to harm you. A plan and a purpose to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

Shall we take Him at His Word?

"Never Give Up!"

HURT AND DISAPPOINTED

As we sat in the quiet church, I asked the hurting young woman beside me: 

“What has been troubling you lately? You have not been yourself.”

Eventually, the tearful words emerged: “I have been so hurt and disappointed by someone.”

Later, recounting our exchange, my thoughts asked:

Is there even one soul who cannot relate to being hurt and disappointed by another person? Haven"t we all known this painful sting?

No doubt about it – disappointment hurts! It sears the soul with hot irons and strangles the heart with deep and penetrating emotions. Oh, how it hurts when people disappoint. 

Further, the wicked enemy of our souls knows how to use disappointment to cripple us and plummet us to defeat.

Here is what can occur within us when left unchecked:

• disappointment
• discouragement.
• disillusionment.
• depression
• defeat.

Disappointment with people can fester in our soul; the pain is that penetrating. 

What can we do to stop disappointment from eventually becoming defeat?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us:

"Give thanks in all circumstances."

Like a wounded animal, we may lick our sores for a time. Yet, ultimately – even as we deal with our painful emotions, in order to stop the cancerous progression in our spirits, we must again look up - and hard as it may be, we begin to give thanks. It helps us rise from the dust and ashes of our stricken hearts.

We intentionally remember the One Who will never leave us nor forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

In those moments when our hurt smarts so severely, we hold on closely to the One Who will never disappoint.

Yet I am always with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel,

and afterward You will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And earth has nothing I desire besides You. (Ps. 73:23-26)

~ Amen ~