Tag: Inspirational

Red Light, Green Light…

The other day I was reminded of a game we played when we were children called “Red light, Green light”. It was one of those outdoor games we would play in the evening before the street lights came on. (Surely some of you know what the street lights coming on meant!) To start the game off one person would be chosen as the leader to call out “red light, green light, yellow light, stop” to the others who were lined up on the opposite end of a field, playground or even a street with little to no traffic coming through.

Once the leader of the group started to call out “red light, green light” those of us in line were preparing ourselves to either go, stop, or slow down based on which light the leader chose to call out. Sometimes the calls were done very quickly so there was hardly any time to move forward before we had to stop or sometimes the calls would give us enough time to make several steps towards the leader. Now if you got caught moving when the leader yelled stop, you had to go back and start all over. Sometimes you would start over by yourself or there may have been others who had to start over with you. The ultimate goal was to see who would cross the finish line at some point to get to where the leader was waiting.

This game I played in my childhood made me think of how life can be. In our journey through life, we may start off with a certain group of people, but lose connection with some of them along the way. For example, there are those you may have started with in kindergarten. Some made it all the way with you, some may have finished a year later, and there may have been a few who skipped ahead of you. And then there were some, who did not go all the way to the 12th grade; mainly because they fell so far back they dropped out. Perhaps the idea of continually starting over again was too much pressure. We may not always get to finish where we started or with those we started the journey with, but we should still continue on the journey.

As we played this game, when we heard “green light”, we could run or walk fast. Hearing “yellow light” was a sign we needed to slow down. When we heard “red light” we were supposed to stop. If you played this game, did you always listen for the command to come from the leader in front of you or did you try to figure out for yourself what the leader was going to say next? Now take some time to think about who or what was leading you at a particular time in your life. In other words, did you go to God in prayer for Him to lead you or did you try to make it on your own? Did you let fear, pride, unforgiveness, shame or failures slow you down?

As I mentioned before, the ultimate goal of the game was to get to the finish line where the leader was waiting on you. The leader would wait and continue to call out instructions and our mission was to move according to what we heard. I believe the point of me recalling this particular game was not only to focus on how we move during certain life circumstances, but more importantly, how we should listen to God’s voice giving instructions to each of us. God gives us instructions in His Word. He allows us to hear His voice. He gives us chance after chance, even when we don’t respond correctly.

“Red light, green light, yellow light, stop”. Listen! That’s God being our Good Shepherd. That’s Him leading us in the paths of righteousness. That’s Him being our Way Maker. Even when we experience darkness in our lives, He is with us. It is His grace and mercy that follows us all the days of our lives.

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Father, thank You for being our Good Shepherd. Thank You for always leading us in the right direction and showering us with Your wonderful love. Thank You for ordering our steps and being with us every step of the way. Bless us to hear You when You speak to us. Give us discernment and give us clarity to know when we should move, pause or stand still. Father, remove all stumbling blocks out of our way and make every crooked path straight. Forgive us for trying to go our own way and lead us to the way everlasting. If we ever feel like giving up, because of the challenges we face, please revive and restore us. We pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen!

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Isaiah 48:17 “This is what the LORD says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. (NIV)

John 14:4 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (NIV)

Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (NIV)

Proverbs 20:24 “A person’s steps are ordered by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way.” (NIV)

Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct thy paths.” (KJV)

Isaiah 40:31 “but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” (KJV)

Posted on in Encouragement, Faith, Inspirational

Beyond The Reflection

As I look in the mirror these days, I see the physical changes that have been taking place in my appearance over the years and especially in the past few years.  I see the increasing number of gray hairs on my head and in my eyebrows.  I see the additional weight and the changes to my skin.  For me, aging gives a whole new meaning to moisturizing, making better food choices, resting and exercising.  A few things I took for granted in my younger years have now become necessary priorities. 8AA8921D-05FD-41FF-B537-CA5F5F80F364

As I look beyond the reflection I see in the mirror, I see a woman who has had to press her way through some tough times.  I see a woman who has had to muster up smiles when there was hardly any peace or joy within to make her smiles real.  I see a woman who has fought back tears as she tightly held on to any hope she had left.  I see a woman who has been betrayed and mistreated by some she loved all the while believing they loved her.   I see a woman who was once an innocent little girl who has endured much over the years, but has held on because God gave her the strength to endure.

I know God has carried me through these years and I know He will continue to do so.  These days I am spending more time growing in my relationship with God.  I have more time to study His Word and more time to pray. I have more time to just be still in His presence.  My time in His presence is what moves me to look beyond the reflection in the mirror. There is more of me to see and more of me to become just as there was more of me to see in other stages of my life. There was more of me to see when I was a teenager becoming a young adult.  There was more of me to see as I became a wife and a mother.  There was more of me to see from when I got my first job after college and then choosing to retire after 30 plus years with one company. There has always been more in my reflection, and now I am looking beyond the reflection wondering what is my “next”.

As I wait for further spiritual guidance, I am enjoying my quiet time with God.  I enjoy having my cup of coffee with Him in the morning.  I enjoy reading and studying His Word daily.  I enjoy listening for His voice.  I am looking beyond my now and peering into my “next”.  I am looking beyond and looking deeper within myself.  As I look deeper within myself,  I am seeking Him more.

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Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for blessing me to see another day. Thank You for always caring for me and protecting me.  Father, I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made by You.  Father, as I look beyond my reflection in the mirror I am blessed because You kept gladness in my heart.  I am glad You have never left me or forsaken me.  I love spending time in Your presence and sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Please continue to bless me as I look deeper within myself and as I draw closer to You.  It is in Jesus’ name, I say “amen”.

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       For You have been my Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.  From birth I have relied on You; You brought me from my mother’s womb. I will forever praise You.  Psalms 71:6-7 (NIV)

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, “the LORD is my portion, therefore I will wait for Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV)

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.  Proverbs 27:19 NIV

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.   Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Psalms 16:7-8 (NIV)

I Heard Him Say…

This morning as I was sitting outside on the patio, I felt led to be still and hear from God before starting any activities of the day. I had already said my morning prayers, but I was wanting more time with my Father. It had rained some yesterday and it is expected to rain some more today, so I knew I would not be outside for very long. I have mentioned in a previous post that I enjoy my time on the patio. A portion of the patio is open and another small portion is covered. Due to the dampness from the rain, I had to sit in the covered portion this morning. My view is pretty much the same no matter where I choose to sit.

It was so very quiet and peaceful. Maybe because it was so early. I didn’t hear any birds chirping; I didn’t hear any noise from lawn mowers and, I didn’t hear any cars driving on the streets nearby. I said God, I am listening for You. As I sat there, I heard a noise coming from the left of me and I saw a squirrel. Because of how quiet it was, I could hear the squirrel climbing a pine tree on the property next to my house. I could actually hear the sound its little paws made as they tapped on the bark of the tree for it to climb to the nearest branch. Then a male cardinal landed on my fence and it rested there for a minute or so before flying away. It is not unusual for me to see cardinals in my backyard, but each time, I feel so blessed to see such a beautiful bird. After the cardinal flew away, something caught my attention to the right of my yard. It was a small rabbit and as it hopped closer to the fence, I noticed how much its color blended in with the color of the wooden fence. I must have made a noise or movement, because this little creature appeared to freeze in that spot for the longest time. It was still for so long I was beginning to wonder if I really saw it. As I stood up just to make sure I wasn’t imagining that it was there, the little rabbit dashed off between the fence posts and was no longer in my yard.

As I sat there listening for God, it started to rain. It was a light rain. I noticed the rain drops as they landed on the patio table. I noticed the rain drops as they landed on the potted plants and the plants in my garden area. I could hear the rain drops fall. It was then that I thanked God for talking with me and blessing me to hear Him. I heard Him in the steps of the squirrel climbing the tree. I heard Him in the landing of the cardinal on the fence and I heard Him with the rabbit being still in the grass. And, I heard Him in the rain drops!

I heard Him say I Am your Creator, I Am your Protector and I Am your Provider. I heard Him say I will never leave you or forsake you. I heard Him say be still and know that I AM God!

It is so amazing what we hear from God when we actually take the time to be still and listen.

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Father, thank You for waking me up to see this new day. I thank You for allowing me to hear how You care for me in so many ways. Thank You for being mindful of me. If you take care of the squirrel climbing the tree, the cardinal landing on the fence and the rabbit being still in the yard, why would You not take care of me? If you send the rain to water the plants, why would You not take care of me? Thank You for blessing me with food, shelter and clothing. I thank You for Your constant watch and care over me, my family and my friends. I thank You for keeping me safe from dangers seen and unseen. I praise You for being my Creator, my Protector and my Provider. I thank You for being all I need! In Jesus’ name, amen!

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Psalm 111:4-5(GNT): “The LORD does not let us forget his wonderful actions; he is kind and merciful. He provides food for those who honor him; he never forgets his covenant.”

Psalm 8:3-4(GNT): “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

Psalm 139:14(NIV): “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Psalm 46:10(NIV): “He says be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

John 10:27-28(NIV): “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one shall snatch them out of my hand.”

Posted on in Encouragement

You Are Loved!

Happy Mother’s Day!

This morning as I was finishing up my prayer time, I heard the LORD say be still a minute. As I stayed on my knees, what I heard in my spirit was these 3 words, “You are loved.” This brought tears to my eyes because as Mother’s Day approaches, for some of us, it is not always a day of joyous celebrations. A feeling of heaviness has been tugging on my heart most of this week, because I’ve been through some disappointments or known others dealing with so many different emotions that try to hinder us from celebrating this particular holiday.

As the day approaches and plans are being made for Mother’s Day, some are dealing with the loss of a mother or the loss of a child, whether it is a recent loss or years ago. This past week I’ve seen numerous social media posts of friends wishing their mothers or children were still here with them to celebrate Mother’s Day. There are some women who are dealing with not being able to conceive a child or not being able to carry a child full term. Others are dealing with growing older and not being able to start a family. Some are dealing with children who have distanced themselves from their families. Some are dealing with children who constantly get into trouble. Some mothers are wondering, if they will receive a call or text just to acknowledge it is Mother’s Day! And, some are even dealing with broken relationships with their own mothers.

So many different emotions can be triggered on Mother’s Day, and as with any holiday, this day can be a bittersweet day. So if you are struggling with any sadness or disappointment on this Mother’s Day, be encouraged. Be encouraged, because God wants you to know that “you are loved!” On this day and every day, He blesses us with His love because He is love. He loves us in spite of our circumstances and He loves us in the midst of our sadness and disappointments.

You are loved by your Father in heaven and He celebrates you and comforts you on this Mother’s Day.

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Father, we thank You. We thank You for protecting us through the night and waking us up to see a new day. We thank You for this Mother’s Day and we trust You to guide us through the day. We thank you for mothers who are joyously celebrating this day and we pray for those who are dealing with bittersweet emotions. We thank You for all mothers. Father, we look to You to comfort our hearts and give us peace. Heal our hearts and help us to forgive; wipe away every tear that falls. Father, we look to You to protect our families and to restore relationships. We can’t thank You enough for your precious thoughts towards us. Father, thank You for reminding us that we are loved and most importantly that no matter the circumstances, we are loved by You! In Jesus’ precious name, Amen!

John 4:16 NIV: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

Psalm 136:26 NIV: “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.”

Zephaniah 3:17 GNT: “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Psalm 139: 17-18 NLT: “How precious are your thoughts about me, God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”

“You Are Loved”

At The Right Time, The Door Will Open

This morning I got up a bit earlier than I had planned. Imagine wanting to sleep in on a Saturday, but you get up earlier than you normally do on Monday through Friday! As I was trying to decide what playlist of worship music I should listen to this morning, I opened the back door that leads to my patio and I could hear birds already singing for me. I let the screen down on the screen door as a way to “turn the volume up” to hear the birds! It was too early and too dark for me to sit out on the patio and I had not had my 1st cup of coffee.

A few minutes later, although it was still dark and I had not turned the coffee maker on, I decided to open the screen door and step outside anyway. As I grabbed the door handle to open the door, the handle fell onto the floor! At this point I am trying not to panic, because I realize I can’t open the door to get outside. I am thinking it is too early in the day to start off like this! Panic was about to kick in, because I felt like I was locked inside from getting to my patio.

This is the time of the year I enjoy sitting outside throughout the morning just listening to the birds, watching the clouds and talking to God with my cup of coffee near by. So now my thoughts want to really race with this situation and I start to think what if I was sitting outside when this happened? How would I get back into the house, because there is a fence around my property. The gate is locked and I don’t have my house key to get in through the front! As I said, panic was about to kick in!

Now you may be wondering why didn’t I just pick up the door handle to put it back on the door. Well, I did, but still being in near panic mode, I was not processing what I needed do. I kept thinking I can’t open the door and who will I need to call to fix the door and how much will it cost? I took a deep breath and started to put the door handle back in place to connect with the door. It took me a couple of tries and then I was able to adjust it so the door would open and I was able to tighten the handle in place as well. All of this activity with the door lasted less than a few minutes. Truthfully, it has taken me longer to explain it here than it took for me to put the handle back on the door.

So at this very moment, the sun is out and I am sitting outside on my patio. I am enjoying my morning coffee as I listen to the birds sing and as I watch the trees sway with the wind gently blowing on what is a beautiful Saturday morning. As I think about my situation earlier with the door, I am reminded that when God has an open door for you, no man or no thing can shut you out, lock you out or keep you out. You may think you have missed out on an opportunity or you may feel you have been locked out or excluded from plans others have made, but when God has something for you, it will be yours! You may have to make some adjustments and continue praying, but when it is time, God will make sure the door opens for you! I thought I was in an unwelcome and unexpected situation this morning, but I am also reminded to be anxious for nothing!

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Father, thank You for this new day and the tender mercies You grant us each morning. Thank You for blessing us to see and hear the beauty of nature around us. Father, we thank You for opening doors of opportunities and blessings that no man or no thing can shut. We thank You, Father, for designating the right time and the right circumstances to open doors for us. Father, we also thank You for doors that have been shut, because they were not our doors to open and the time was not designated by You! It is in Jesus’ mighty name, we say amen and amen again!

“…At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.” Isaiah 60:22 NLT

” I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8 NIV

” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Posted on in Encouragement

Go Back and Say Thank You!

In the story of the 10 lepers, we are told that Jesus healed all 10 from leprosy, but only one returned to say thank you.

In the book of Luke, chapter 17, the Message version, it reads as follows: “11-13 It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”14-16Taking a good look at them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.17-19Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.

When you take the time to reflect over situations you’ve been in where do you stand? Are you part of the 9 or did you go back and say “thank You”? As the world continues to see so much sickness, disease, death, chaos, devastation and violence have you thanked God that you are still here? If you are reading this, you have survived all that 2020 threw at you and you have survived a good part of 2021. Have you remembered to say “Thank You”?

“Be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life union with Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (GNT)

I want to encourage you, that if you have not taken the time to tell God “Thank You, that it’s not too late to go back and tell Him.

Heavenly Father, we are coming back to say Thank You. Thank You for waking us up today. Thank You for protecting us and providing for us. Thank You for Your unconditional Love. Thank You for Your Grace and Your Mercy. Thank You for all the things You have done and especially for those things where we failed to show gratitude. Father, please forgive us for not coming back to say “Thank You”. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

He is My Rock!

Have you ever felt like you just wanted to crawl under a rock and hide? I know that is just a figure of speech, but have you ever felt that way? You just feel like you need to be by yourself or you need to take a break from all the noises and distractions going on around you. Do you have some decisions to make and you just want to spend time alone with God in order to seek His guidance? Perhaps you are dealing with some issues that are hard to put into words and/or share with others and you just want to hide under a rock. Do you just need to rest and get closer to the Rock who saves you?

I must admit I have felt like crawling under a rock many times. Even during the pandemic and time of quarantining at home, there were times I just felt like too much was going on and I needed to crawl under a rock! I found myself trying to focus on too much and being distracted all at the same time. Thankfully, when I feel this way, I know where to find my Rock in order to steal away for awhile. God is my Rock. He is the One that I can take all my troubles to and lay them down at the foot of the cross. He is the One I can go to when I am feeling overwhelmed with everything that concerns me. He is the One I ask to take captive of my thoughts and to calm my spirit. He is my Rock!

Here are a few verses out of Psalms that you can pray whenever you may feel overwhelmed or feel like you may want to crawl under a rock:

“In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. For you have been my hope. Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.” Psalm 71:1-5 NIV

“I love you, LORD, you are my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior, my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18:1-2 NLT

“He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.” Psalm 64:2 NLT

“But the LORD is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide.” Psalm 94:22 NLT

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Father, I thank You for being my Rock. I thank You for being my place of shelter and refuge. I thank You for being the Rock that gives me peace, hope, joy and love. I thank You for the strength I find in You to keep going. You are my Rock. In Jesus’ name, amen!

What Have You Learned?

As I was coming out of a deep sleep this morning, I heard this question “What have you learned?”   I had to completely wake up to really start processing what I heard, but the question was clear.  Well, I’ve had my morning coffee and I’m still processing how to answer the question I heard.  I’ve tried to capture part of my answer in this blog post.

In the past few months we have learned and/or heard so much about COVID-19, a pandemic, social distancing, and racial injustices, just to name a few.  In a time when we should become more unified, it appears we are becoming more divided.   As I start to put together my answer, I do know this, God is God and He knows how to get our attention. There have been past events that have impacted different parts of the world before, but these recent events of 2020 have captured the attention of the whole world and impacted all of us.

However, in all that has taken place, I don’t think God was necessarily telling me to look at the whole world, as much as He was telling me to look within. Then, He wakes me up this morning and I hear the Holy Spirit asking ” what have you learned?” The teacher is silent and the question is before me waiting on a response.  I read II Chronicles 7:14 -15 in the NIV Bible which says “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

This was one of the first scriptures I was drawn to read once everything started to spiral in late February and early March of this year.   If  I’ve learned anything, it is that as one of God’s people that I must look within first.   I must look within my own heart to remain humble. I must talk to God daily and I must seek Him in all parts of my life.  I thought I was doing this before, but it seems different now.  Perhaps this is why I heard the question. The scripture in II Chronicles then goes on to say turn from wicked ways, which means I have to get rid of what is unclean and unrighteous in me.  I have to seek God’s forgiveness.  It doesn’t say I should try to fix others in their uncleanliness first.  It says that as one of His people, I have to turn from my own wicked ways.  Psalm 139 is one of my favorite Psalms and I often pray verses 23 and 24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is anything offensive in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

I’ve learned to ask God more to keep me humble, to hear my prayers and to forgive me of my sins.   I believe we are in a season where we have to make our relationship with God even more personal than it was before; we have to seek His face.   II Chronicles 7:14 to some, can be a suggestion; to some, words of warning, and to some, words of instructions.  I’ve learned to use them as daily instructions for me because I want God to hear me from where He is in heaven.  I want Him to forgive me and I want Him to heal every part of me and to heal this land we all live in.  This land He created just as He created each one of us.

I will definitely continue to pray for others and ask God to help them just as He helps me. However, there has been such a shift in what is going on in the world today that I have to take time to really focus on who I am in Christ and what He wants me to do.    He wants me to humble myself, AND pray AND seek His face AND turn from my wicked ways.  He wants me to call myself one of His people so that when I speak, He will hear me.

So I ask you the question I heard this morning, “What have you learned?”

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Dear Lord, we need You more than ever before.  Somewhere along the way we’ve made a mess of things, we’ve missed the mark and we’ve fallen short of what is Your perfect will and perfect way.   We ask now that You will help us to stay in a posture of being humble.  We pray for You to hear our prayers as we seek to draw closer to You.  We pray You forgive us of our sins and You cleanse us from within.  We pray Your ears are attentive to our prayers; we pray You hear us, and we pray You heal our land.  Thank You, Lord, that Your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Please have mercy on us and show us the way.  We pray this as people who are called by Your name, and we ask this in the mighty name of Jesus!

 

Why? What has He done wrong?

In my quiet time the past few days, I have chosen to read chapters in the Bible that lead up to Resurrection Sunday. These are the final chapters that take us through revealing the plot to kill Jesus and then to The Resurrection.  This morning, I have been reading Matthew 27 which tells the story of when Jesus was handed over to Pilate.

As I was reading the part where the shouting crowd chose to release Barabbas over Jesus, Pilate’s 2 questions to them in verse 23 resonated from the page.   Pilate asked the crowd “Why?”  And then, He asked “What has He done wrong?”   These questions seemed to incite the crowd more and they shouted “Crucify Him!”, yet they never answered Pilate’s questions.

In Luke 23:34 after Jesus was on the Cross between the 2 criminals,  Jesus said “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”   When Jesus said to forgive them, He answered Pilate’s questions.  In my spiritual mind,  Jesus answered the questions in reverse order.

Pilate:  What has He done wrong?

Jesus:  I have done nothing wrong.

Pilate:  Why?

Jesus:  They have done wrong!  I am doing this for them.

Jesus’ dying on the Cross is the answer to what the people did wrong back then and to what we do wrong now.  On the day He was crucified, it was not about the wrongs that just occurred on that day.  Jesus’ death on the Cross was about our sins: the wrongs of our bad choices, the wrongs of our unclean thoughts, the wrongs of our sinful activities, the wrongs of our bad behavior and the wrongs of our bad attitudes.  Our sinful nature is the answer to the question Why?

Pilate’s questions were for that particular moment in time.  However, the reason the crowd did not respond with an answer was because Jesus had to get to the Cross for the answer to be revealed.   His answer was for all of eternity.   John 3:16-17 says “For God so loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  (HCSB)

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Dear Heavenly Father,  thank You for Your Beloved Son, Jesus!  Thank You for the love You have shown us over and over again.  Jesus, we thank You for the precious blood You shed for each one of us.  I pray that as we prepare to celebrate Resurrection Sunday, that lives will be changed and souls will be saved as we give remembrance unto You.  I pray there will be a true understanding for many to the question as to Why You died on the Cross.  I pray more people will come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Please forgive us of our sins!  It is in  His mighty and precious name, I say Amen!

Posted on in About, Encouragement, Faith, Inspirational, Prayers, Spiritual

What Now, God?

It’s been well over a year since I published a post on this blog.  Many things have occurred in my life since I wrote ” Moving Forward”.  I have moved to another state, gone through a divorce, become an empty nester and most recently, I celebrated my 55th birthday!  Over these months, I have thought about writing, I have wanted to write and I have been blessed with many topics to write about. However, for some reason, I have not been able to write. Even when I have tried to write, I could get no further than a few sentences.  In fact, I am in awe right now that I have finished a complete paragraph.  Praise God!

I have been asking God when do I get to write again?  I have been asking, what now, God, for so many areas of my life which also include continuing with writing this blog. Over and over again, I kept hearing, “be still” or “not yet”.  I have been spending quite a bit of time alone talking to God and trying to declutter my own thoughts so I could clearly hear Him. From my own spiritual perspective, I felt like I was stuck! I’ve been reading the Word of God, listening to message after message, reading devotional after devotional, playing worship music and trying to utter prayers in hopes of moving things along. As much of this as I have done, I kept feeling like I was stuck, like I was not really moving forward.

So today, the question, “What Now, God”, arose in my spirit again. After I left church service and thought about the Word that was ministered to us today, I kept asking “what now?”  This was not the theme of today’s message at church, but as I thought about some of the things the pastor said, I kept thinking what now, God?  And now, this evening as I powered on my laptop, and I started to draft this post, I started to read 2 Chronicles, Chapter 20 verse 12 when Jehoshaphat said “we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You”!  Jehoshaphat was surrounded by his enemies. He was stuck, but yet He knew something had to be done.  He felt powerless, but yet he knew he could go to God and ask, what now?  (Of course, that’s not quite how he phrased it.)

And the Lord answered him with don’t be afraid or dismayed at how great the multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s!

Are you feeling powerless? Stuck? Is your back up against a wall? Heavy burdened? If so, it’s ok for you to ask, what now, God? Then, listen for His voice to say, my child, you don’t have to feel stuck, you don’t have to feel like I have left you alone, you don’t have to think that I brought you this far to leave you!  The Lord is saying to you, stop thinking that you won’t be healed, or you won’t overcome the depression or you won’t be delivered from the addiction or you won’t be set free from the shame or guilt.  Stop looking at how  the enemy has come at you with health issues, bad thoughts, family troubles and financial burdens.  Don’t let the enemy make you feel like you can’t finish school, or that you won’t get the job or the promotion. Let God work all of that out for you, let Him fight the battle for you!

In verses 16 and 17, God gave Jehoshaphat clear instructions about the next day. God said, tomorrow go down against them, you will see them coming up against you. God said, but you don’t have to fight, just position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!

Did you get all of that?  When you feel surrounded by the attacks on your life, when you feel overwhelmed by your circumstances, when your flesh is getting weak, ask God “what now” and get in position for your breakthrough! Your enemy is not prepared for your “what now” prayer!

God says, He is going to ambush those attacks coming against you. He is going to move you from that place of being stuck to victory!  He is going to defeat your enemy and scatter your naysayers.  You need to start praising HIM this evening for what HE is going to do tomorrow!  In verse 21,  Jehoshaphat appointed some to sing  for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of His holiness.  Their praise was “give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love endures forever.”

This is your notice, you have been appointed to praise Him!  Tomorrow is your day of victory!

When we ask, what now, God?   He answers with  “This is not your battle, this is the Lord’s battle and God will fight for you!”

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Dear Lord,  I thank You for my “what now” moment and that I can look to You for guidance, protection and a strategy for my circumstances. I thank You for letting me know this is not my battle, but Yours.  I thank You for getting me out of this place of being stuck and surrounded, and for ambushing my enemy!  Lord, I am going to praise You right now for the victory!  Lord, because You are fighting my battle for me, I have a great expectancy for tomorrow!  In the mighty name of  Jesus, Amen!