Help!

Have you ever felt like you can’t handle or fix a situation that you’re facing? Some people respond by ignoring the whole thing in one way or another and stuff all their emotions down deep inside. Others explode and everything comes out all over everyone, or whoever is closest.

This past week, especially the beginning of the week was a hard one for my family. As the week went on it improved; Monday, however, was very hard. I couldn’t do anything about the situation myself, actually none of my family could. I found that the only thing I could do that would actually help in anyway was to completely rely on God and pray. God was the only one who could intervene in the situation…and He has and is at work in the situation!

[Added note: I am very grateful to all the people that have and are standing with me and my family in prayer in this situation.]

There was another situation recently where I felt so inadequate- completely unable to do what was before me to do. Have you ever felt like that…totally inadequate, unequipped, useless in the situation, ready to give up and let someone else take over, maybe even that you’ve already messed up the situation. I felt like that.

As I thought about the situation and began to cry out to God that I was unable to do this without Him and how I felt like I’d messed things up, He spoke to me. It wasn’t an audible voice, but He spoke all the same. At the time I was in the kitchen. We have random pieces of tile with pictures of different things on our backsplash…and as I cried out to God I looked down and saw this one tile that is a picture of clusters of grapes. The picture sparked something in me and God reminded me of some verses in the Bible, and I looked them up:

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves as true followers of Mine. I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me]. If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love.” (John 15:5-10)

In my Bible there is a comment by Joyce Meyer about these verses, I’ll include part of it:

“God wants us to depend entirely on Him. He wants us to lean on, trust in and rely on Him. Actually, that is part of the definition of faith. We are partners with God, and that means we both have responsibility. But we must lean on Him in order to do the things that are our part. God called me into the ministry and He anointed (enabled) and gifted me to do what I need to do, but I still have to trust Him and remember how much I need Him at all times….When the Lord says we can do nothing apart from Him, He means things will not work properly in our lives unless we invite Him into everything. His presence can eliminate much of the struggle we experience in life. It makes impossible things possible, hard things easy and frustrating things peaceful. Do not ever be afraid to say, ‘Help, Lord, I can’t do this without You.’” (The Everyday Life Bible p1716)

After reading that I looked over at the cabinet door and saw this on a piece of paper:

“Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.” (Ephesians 10:35-36)

Through these verses I saw the answer to my situation. Really, it’s true, I can’t do the things that are before me on my own. I need God. I must abide in Him, completely rely on Him, to be able to accomplish anything meaningful. My confidence must be in God alone. He will keep me from tripping as I go along this journey.

If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to do, or things look overwhelming, call out to God. He is waiting for you with arms open wide to receive you. He loves you and accepts you. He has the answers you need. He is the answer. Abide in Him. Call out to Him. Throw yourself at His feet in complete dependence on Him. He is able to do amazing things in your life.

I’ll leave you with this:

“May He [the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ] grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth of it]; [that you may really come] to know [practically, through experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the rich measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]-” (Ephesians 3:16-20)

If you didn’t understand this post reading it the first time, try reading it again. If you have questions, leave a comment and let me know. I’ll do my best to explain.

Longing...

There is a longing in the heart of God…and it’s for you!

All Prepared

Have you seen My bride?
Has she come by here?
I’m ready.
The place has been prepared.

Are you ready, My bride?
My heart longs for you.
I desire to be with you.

Are you ready, My bride?
I can’t wait for our wedding day to come.
All has been made ready.
Are you ready, My bride?


Jesus Christ is longing for His bride. Do you take the time to stop and feel your heart aching for Him? That really is the deepest cry of your heart, whether you recognize it or not. It sometimes seems like a desire for something else- food, friends, music, or entertainment- really any number of things. Yet, the real cry of your heart, if you take the time to hear it, is for God.


Aching for You

I look into the clear night sky,
and I yearn for You.
I see the trees silhouette,
and I yearn for You.
I gaze at the moon,
and I yearn for You.

My heart is aching,
and when I’m still I feel it.
I’m aching for You.
There’s no place I can go,
no place to fill this desire,
only in You, I am satisfied.


God really is the only One who can fill the deep longing of your heart. Only He can fill your deepest desire. Do you feel the longing? Let it out- cry out to God and let Him fill you and satisfy that longing. He is waiting and longing for you too.

Injustice cries out...

These writings come from a heart broken for the children:


“Whose child is this laying in the trash heap, covered in the blood of her birth? Why was she left here? How long can she survive? Who will love her? Will anyone save her? Death is approaching…will you stop the approach? Do you hear the cry? It is getting weaker. Does anyone care? Does anyone hear? Why do you walk past and do nothing? Are you deaf to the cry? Is your heart hardened by the suffering? Soften your heart. Reach out in compassion. Do something of value.

The heart of God is crying. He is the Father of the fatherless. Will you be His hands extended?

How many children die everyday because they’re abandoned? How many world changers never have a chance?

Do you see her? She is precious in God’s eyes and she is precious in my eyes. Her pain was great, but now she is loved. Her eyes sparkle. She knows she is loved. This is my child, my daughter. She was lost, but now she is found. The Father of the fatherless cares for her. He led me to her.”
-(April 28, 2006)


Injustice

“You see the injustice;
it breaks Your heart.
You weep,
I weep with You.

You love justice,
for You are good.
You love justice,
for You are Just.
You love justice,
for You are God.

You see pain,
You sent Jesus.
You see pain,
You sent us here.

In the midst of the injustice,
You are Just
and You are love.”
-(July 13, 2006)


"Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;" (Isaiah 49:15-16)

I died...

Strange title I know…let’s just dive in and explore the following quote a bit:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

I understood this quote from the Bible in a whole new way this week than I have previously. I’ll do my best to get it across to you. Read all the way through so you can get the whole idea. There is probably more that I don’t understand yet, but this much just became so clear to me that I have to share it with you.

Basically, in short, I died.

That reminds me of a quote from “Finding Nemo”, where Marlin says, “I’m dead I’m dead I’m dead I’m dead I’m dead I died I’m dead.” (He of course was not dead, but I am.) Okay, let me try to clarify: I’m not a ghost or anything like that. My body is still functioning. My brain is still active. I still have emotions and so on. Looking at me you probably couldn’t tell anything is different- unless I act or talk differently. I could say the change is more unseen.

I guess the change is partly in the way I look at life, and how I respond to it. For example, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about me. I don’t have to be intimidated by anyone or anything because it’s not me and it’s not about me.

Instead of me living my own life however I want, it is Jesus Christ that lives through me. It’s not about me; it’s about Him. I can be completely surrendered to God. (Though there may be some other things I’m not aware of right now, I have surrendered everything I know of…and when God shows other areas to me, I’ll surrender those areas too.) I can do whatever God says because it’s Him in me. It’s His power giving me the ability to do what He says.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

It may sound strange, but it is amazingly freeing to completely give up control to God. It’s not up to me to figure out how I will do what He tells me to do. I can just trust Him. For example, if God told me to pray for you to be healed, it’s not about me nor is it my own power that would heal you. It is God’s power flowing through me. When I’m completely surrendered it’s like I’m a water pipe that is clean- nothing blocking the water flow- and God can just flow through me. (My pastor has been mentioning this idea a lot in his sermons lately.)

All this, my dying and Christ living in me, didn’t really happen this week. I wasn’t crucified with Christ this week. I just understood it so much better this week. It really all happened long ago. When Jesus was crucified, I was too. When I was born again I died and was born into the Kingdom of God. (You can find out more about being born again in “The Bride” post.)

Why am I telling you all this? Well, this was so monumental to me that I want to share it with you. You can completely surrender your life to Christ and experience His life in you too. I’m not at all suggesting that you commit suicide. Please, don’t even consider it! God has such an amazing plan for your life! What I’m talking about it completely different. I hope you can see that from what I’ve written. If you haven’t COMPLETELY surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, join me, and many others, in this new life of Christ living in you.

“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27, emphasis added.)

If you’d like to go deeper into this topic or if you have questions, let me know.