Lamentations 2:19 Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord! Lift up your hands toward Him…

The waves of turmoil and torment are great, but He has provided a way. Think of Jesus calming the storm, or of Him walking on water to calm His disciples, of Peter walking on water to meet him and then sinking but…Jesus reaches out and holds him up.
I will be Peter today, and when I start to sink – I will look up to Jesus and know He will save me.

Pour out your heart like water before the Lord
Look up to Jesus, your salvation
Know that you are in a storm, but victory is at hand. Be steadfast, Hold fast
My heart is fixed on Thee Oh Lord, my heart is fixed.

Study these verses:

• “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33), but “do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27),

When life is dark and dim and it feels as though the sun will never shine again, know that there is hope in Him and in Him you will dwell in safety.

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Psalm 107:28-30 When they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, the Lord brought them out of their distress. He calmed the storm and its waves quieted down. So, they rejoiced that the waves became quiet, and He led them to their desired haven.

Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makes me dwell in safety.

Those with anxious hearts experience terrors and distress of conscience and pass through deep scenes of trouble on their Christian path. In answer to their cries, the Lord turns their storm into a calm and causes their trials to end in relief and peace.

Most search for goodness in the world, and outward good which, in the end, is not worth the cost and serves to turn them from the Lord. A soul aware of God’s grace and committed to His holy will, finds comfort and peace in His safe haven.

Lord, I pray for Your favor, and let me know I have it. Let me be satisfied with Your loving-kindness, and happiness will follow. Put grace in my heart, and I will have great joy. Make Your path straight before me, and I will dwell in safety.

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James 1:4 You must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

God uses complex relationships and suffering to accomplish significant and meaningful growth. In Psalm 23 we learn that the way to joy is through sorrow and the way to growth passes through barrenness. The way to green pastures is through dark valleys.

So, during hard times and trials, instead of asking “why is this happening to me?” ask “how is God using this in my life?”

1 Peter 1:6 says You greatly rejoice in this, even though you have to suffer various kinds of trials for a little while.

2 Corinthians 1:4 The merciful Father and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our suffering, so that we may be able to comfort others in all their suffering, as we ourselves are being comforted by God.

Remember today, Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God, that is, for those who are called according to His purpose, all things are working together for good.

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1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I’m reading a book called “Getting Past What You’ll Never Get Over” by John Westfall. In the chapter on Anger he says:

“When the unfairness of life, the meanness of people, the pain of rejection, or the shock of tragedy threatens to overwhelm us, anger is God’s gift for self-preservation. It can help us stand up and step forward toward our good future. But unconfessed, it can undermine our relationships, destroy our health, blind us to reality, and hold us back from living in freedom.”1

Joseph in the Bible is a great example of someone who embraced the bigger picture of his life and became a vessel for the glory of God. He let go of past affliction and thoughts of revenge for a path through the cross to a fruitful end.

Am I willing to be more than a spectator of the cross by letting my grievances die with Christ that I may enter into my destiny and experience fruitfulness? Thank God for His revelation through Joseph. I am determined to cultivate a lifestyle of glorifying God even under trial.

I am amazed at how God shines light on a dark spot in my heart but doesn’t’ just leave me there to die in guilt. He gives direction out of that pit after confession and cleansing.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Westfall, John F.. Getting Past What You’ll Never Get Over (p. 144). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition1

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1 John 5:4

Because everyone who is born from God has overcome the world, our Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

I desire to have this Faith that overcomes “the will of the flesh” which dwells within me; whose workings make it painfully manifest in my inward conflict with the carnal mind (the mind of the flesh)
I desire victory over the flesh working within me, the profanity and sin and treachery working all around me. Victory can only come by Faith – by believing God in what He has said as to “things to come.”

In the absence of Faith, one will find themselves mourning, groaning, murmuring, depressed and distressed. Why?
Because we are looking at “the things which are seen.” Because we don’t see “the Invisible,” it’s as if we are in the dark shade of a tower when we should be looking down from its height, seeing the big picture.

I have stayed with affliction, abided with my commitments, and looked to God for help in each circumstance. I have lived in hope, even though it always appears to be dashed. Faith puts me on the high tower, looking down instead of in its shadow, unable to see at all!

This Faith overcomes the world and gives me victory.

1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our Faith.

If I believe what I have heard from God about Jesus Christ, His Son, it ought to make me the happiest of beings. It should be like water to a thirsty plant. It should make my joy grow exceedingly.

-Give yourself to a life in the service of love.

-Bless others as a servant of all.

-Live only so that the love of God may work through you.

-Love will constrain you to speak, to give, and to pray.

-Overcome the working of “the will of the flesh” in the worship of God.
In no other way can it be overcome.

-Have Faith in His word – past, present, and future

The Word of the Lord will stand forever!

Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

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Matthew 13:45-46

Life can be a long, arduous path to hell and back so many times.
But now, what I want more than anything is to find rest. Rest spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I want to need nothing more than the love of God and to be filled with His Holy Spirit constantly.

There is a parable in Matthew 13 which speaks of a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he found a precious pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:45-46) What is this Pearl of great price? Eternal life and the love of God through Jesus Christ. Once this is found, any more searching is unnecessary. Our greatest needs are then fulfilled, and our longings satisfied. We are made whole and clean, and our hearts become calm and quiet with His hope for our future. The great price was paid by Christ for our redemption on the cross – shedding His precious blood to pay the penalty for our sins.

So to obtain my desire of needing nothing more than the love of God and being completely satisfied by that, nothing more than His affirmation and accolades, I must be prepared to yield myself to be led by the Lord Jesus. I must forsake and sacrifice everything for this Pearl of great price.

Pray continually, coming before God fervently. Seek Him, and He will be found (Matthew 7:7-8).

Andrew Murray says the following about True Prayer1:
Nothing searches and cleanses the heart like true prayer. It teaches one to ask such questions as these:
-Do I desire what I pray for?
-Am I willing to cast out everything to make room for what God is prepared to give me?
-Is the prayer of my lips the prayer of my life?
-Am I willing to wait on Him, in quiet trust, until He gives me this supernatural gift—His own Spirit?

So When I become low because I’ve made a mistake or have done well and not been recognized for it, when I’m feeling insignificant in the eyes of the world,
I look up to God and ask to be filled with His Holy Spirit.

1Murray, Andrew. Experiencing the Holy Spirit (Kindle Locations 131-135). Start Publishing LLC. Kindle Edition.

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Isaiah 61:3

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He might be glorified.

I’ve been concerned about a besetting sin that plagues me most days: the desire for constant affirmation and self-worth. I look for these things in the wrong places – – outward beauty, physical performance, and mental focus – but it is not satisfying. There is always someone more beautiful or capable than me, outwardly and inwardly. So, from where does my worth come? If I could hone in on that idea and resolve it, I would have victory over that difficulty and live a more peaceful life.

Jesus says in John 15:5 Apart from Me, you can do nothing.

2 Corinthians 3:5 By ourselves, we are not qualified to claim that anything comes from us. Rather, our credentials come from God

Philippians 2:13 For it is God Who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him.

So if I were to get down to a simple fact about this, I would see that I am absolutely nothing without God – filthy rags and ashes, but because of Him and His sufficient grace – He makes beauty from ashes and clothes me with white robes. Anything good about me is because of Him.

C.S. Lewis said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”

The truth of God’s grace humbles people without degrading them and exalts people without inflating them.

Some religions have weakened and removed vitality from people in the name of humility. Humility is not exalting yourself – it is exalting our God! Any beauty or worth of a creature brings honor to The Creator. I am created in God’s image and His likeness. Whenever I demean myself, I talk badly about the Artist and the Model. The truth is that the beauty of creation gives glory to the Creator.

My prayer today is – Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my hand, Lord, and lead on.

2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness.

I will happily boast about my weaknesses so God’s power may rest upon me.

I ask myself often, “What are you doing for Christ’s-sake?”

I cook, clean, and do all the seemingly menial tasks of being a wife and mother. Spiritually, I pray! and I pray and pray and pray. Because just as I sensed an urgent need in my days as a young mother to find the Lord, I now feel an urgency to pray for my prodigal children to find their way back to God. I also have a keen sense of running out of time. I’m begging the Holy Spirit to make Himself real to them now – – to bring back to their remembrance all of the “deposits” of scriptures they memorized when they were at home. I cling to verses about training up children so that when they are old, they will not depart from it. I teach those still at home to pay attention to what’s happening around them. Learn from others’ mistakes and know that all actions have consequences.

Working, praying, teaching, I still don’t feel it will ever be enough – – praise God that He will intercede for me in my weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I will live for Him and no other.
I will seek Him daily and know that He is made strong in my weakness. His grace is sufficient
for me.

So I encourage you this day to:
Pray daily. Pray against indifference, discouragement, and compromise.
Take every thought captive. Thinking of the past allows the enemy to break down what you’re trying to rebuild. Leave no gap for the enemy. Pray with “your eyes open.” and Expect attacks.
Face obstacles courageously and trust God to help you overcome them. Pray and keep on working. Do not compromise and stop the work.
I vow and pray that God, by the Light of His Spirit, will show His loving and almighty will concerning me so that it will be impossible for me to be disobedient to His heavenly vision.

Oh Lord, my heart is glass, and you can see right through me. But I know that Your grace is sufficient for me, for, in my weakness, You are strong. I am humble before You and ask for Your strength to be compassionate to others this day. Allow me to see burdens transformed into blessings.

Please help me to be a godly visionary who sees the invisible, chooses the imperishable, and does the impossible. Help me measure my problems by the greatness of God, not by my weakness and inexperience. Please help me to stand by faith like Nehemiah and change my world.

Psalm 16:11
Thou wilt show me the path of life. In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand, there are pleasures forevermore.

Knowing God makes an incredible difference in our responses to challenging situations; the choices I have made do not fit with what would be expected in our day; in fact, they might even be called insane. But many years ago, I gave Jesus my life and asked Him to let it be consecrated for Him. (Psalm 16:11) I don’t choose my path; He does. I don’t choose my own justification; He does. Not my ways, His, not my thoughts but His. (Isaiah 55:8) That’s how much I trust Him with my life. The Bible has been my guidebook to life. It is my direct communication from Him, and considering how alone I am spiritually in this world, it satisfies my every need.

Scripture allows us to know God and explains His will so we may grow spiritually. It provides answers to questions about our origin, purpose, and destiny. By studying God’s Word, we can understand His purpose for our life. The fullness of joy comes from following His path for our life (Psalm 16:11)

My first experience with a small group Bible study was 40 years ago in Tucson, Arizona. I was a very young mother with 2 small children and was 2000 miles away from home. My husband, just out of college by a year, had landed a great job there, and we set off for one of the most amazing adventures of our lives.

At the time, I wouldn’t even call myself a lukewarm Christian but a completely cold Christian. As my children grew, I sensed an urgent need to seek help from the Lord. There was no way I could do this alone. We found a wonderful church with Bible studies, and I signed up immediately. My first study was called “Behold Your God.” I learned the attributes of God, how to study the Bible, and fellowship with other like-minded women. Amazing Blessings! This one study set me on a path of finding out and experiencing just how important Knowing God really is. It’s funny to read now, but this is what I wrote in my early years of following God’s path:

Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11

When we come to the Lord Jesus, we tell Him that we are willing for Him to choose our path in life because He knows best. That means that whatever happens in our lives (illness, sorrow, or disappointments) shouldn’t cause us to grumble. We will know that He is close beside us, and we shall be happy because happiness doesn’t depend on what we’ve got or where we are. Real, lasting happiness comes from living close to the Lord and being like Him.

There is no better or safer path for us to follow than the one laid before us by God Himself!

I praise God for this first small group because, over these 40 years, we have suffered through illnesses, sorrows, and disappointments but carried our knowledge of God’s character every step of the way.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

If I am a new creature in Christ – what does that look like?
If we look back to the previous verses, 14 through 16, we see that Paul tells us that all believers have died with Christ and no longer live for themselves. Our lives are no longer worldly; they are now spiritual. That “death” is the old sinful nature which was nailed to the cross with Christ, buried and raised up with Him to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4)

Because the love of God holds me, I live to persuade others of the love of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:14) It is only through God’s holiness and power that I can be caring and compassionate to those in need. Christ enables me to convey a genuine, respectful, open, and warm attitude allowing a hurting soul to trust me enough to open the door from the inside out.

God desires all to know Him and to understand and rely on His presence and power. (Daniel 11:32) His Word will provide guidance in resolving life’s problems with sin and suffering and can help keep the Christian from sinning (Psalm 119:11). Believing the truth of God’s Word is the beginning of healing.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if we are in Christ, we are new creatures… all things have become new. Change is possible! If we turn away from sin and turn to faith in Christ, change will come by the grace of God. Healing will come when there has been repentance, godly sorrow, and forgiveness. To deny is to deny the power of God.

There is so much encouragement to find in scripture. A deeper relationship with God will transform your life and your relationships with others.

So on this New Years’ Day I have some resolutions for you to consider:
Love life and see good days
speak kind words
Seek peace and pursue it
Take every thought captive
Think true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and good things
Pray without ceasing
Forgive much – love much

O Lord, Rain down Your Word upon us and renew and revive our spirit. I thank You for Your abundant grace and mercy that You have bestowed upon us. Give us confidence in our walk with You so that nothing else matters, not what others think or their approval.
I pray that we will praise Your name and be a vessel overflowing for You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen