Give It to God…

SURRENDER 

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Matthew 11:28-30 –  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Reflections: The other day, after averting crisis number 1,892 :), I realized that I tend to follow a pattern, of sorts, when unexpected challenges pop up in my life. First, I may experience a brief moment of panic as I realize what’s happening, and then I get this laser focus as I set about trying to find a solution to the problem at hand…in my own power. Oh, yes, I may mumble an offhand, “Please, God!” as I go about this process; but oftentimes, it’s not until I hit a wall in my own efforts that I stop, find my center, and turn my focus and attention to the one who promises to take all my burdens, handle all of my cares, and assuage all of my fears.

In that moment, any remaining panic or frustration is replaced with a sweet peace, as I FINALLY seek God in the midst of my storm. As I begin to surrender my problems to Him, it becomes so much easier to accept my limitations and trust God to work it out and see me through. And you know what? He ALWAYS DOES! EVERY time! WITHOUT fail! Sometimes He is subtle with His solutions, and other times, He works in ways that are nothing short of amazing! It makes me wonder why I insist on going through this habitual process instead of just seeking God in the first place. 🙂

If you, like me, tend to try to solve your problems in your own power before tapping into the Power of God, maybe it’s time to adopt a new approach (I know I’m giving it a go!). 🙂 We’d save so much time, energy, and STRESS if we would lean on God instead of relying on our own strength, if we would focus on Him instead of our circumstances, and if we would trust Him to guide, direct, and see us through whatever problems we may face instead of thinking that we can do it all on our own. Who really wants to do that anyway? 🙂 He’s our Way Maker, and He promises that if we surrender our cares to Him, He will give us peace, clarity, and rest for our souls.

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Shine Your Light!

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Falling into Freedom

FREEDOM

Galatians 5:1 ­ – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Reflections: Freedom. Christ’s gift to us, through salvation, is freedom. We can be freed from sin, from strongholds, from unhealthy behaviors, situations, and relationships, IF we choose to accept this gift. But how many of us cling to the habits, people, and circumstances that keep us bound instead of releasing it all and falling into freedom? I know I am guilty. Even though my heart truly desires to be free in every area of my life; on occasion, I will look up and find myself making the same old mistakes. It’s actually really frustrating, and I tend to be pretty hard on myself when it happens.

But I have a close friend who always encourages me to look back and see how far I’ve come. He reminds me to be encouraged by my progress and helps me remember that God knows my heart. As I continue to seek Him, and the freedom that He promises, I WILL find Him…And I will find His peace.

So, the next time that you turn around and find yourself slipping back into old habits, don’t beat yourself up. Acknowledge and learn from the mistake, then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep pushing toward the mark—the goal of total freedom in Christ Jesus. It’s yours for the taking! Just keep pursuing Him with all of your heart, and one day, you’ll look up, and you will be free of that yoke forever.

Thoughts or reactions? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Like FIRE in My Bones!

FIRE

 Jeremiah 20:9 – “Your Word in my heart is like a fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding back, and I could not.”

Reflections: This scripture really resounded with me today, because I realized that I’ve experienced exactly what he’s talking about. In the story, God is calling Jeremiah to do a great work, but Jeremiah is daunted by the calling, feels ill equipped, and just can’t see how it could possibly come to pass. (Man, have I been there!) But despite Jeremiah’s protests, he cannot deny the Word of God! It begins moving and working and building in him, until it feels like fire in his bones. He tries to ignore it, he struggles to contain it, but it’s no use—God’s Word will never return to Him void!

I was having a conversation the other day about a difficult situation, and how it differed so drastically from where I’d thought God was calling me to be. I was pretty discouraged at the time, but as I spoke about my current circumstances, this feeling began welling deep in my Spirit. I began to see flashes of the vision God had given me, and with each flash, I felt this overwhelming sense of joy! The feeling grew until I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or shout! I completely forgot what I’d been talking (okay, complaining) about, and I just started declaring God’s vision with conviction; because suddenly, I had no doubt that it WOULD come to pass. As the fire of His Word built within me, it became impossible to deny, and it no longer mattered to me what other people said, or what my circumstances would lead me to believe. I choose to trust God and to believe His promises; and so I will wait, anxiously, for the fulfillment of the vision.

Are you feeling doubt today about the Word God has spoken into your Spirit? Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. He is always moving, always working, even when we can’t see it. It may not happen the way you are expecting, and it may take longer than you’d like, but He will finish the work He started in you; and in time, His Word will be fulfilled.

Shine your light! 🙂

Thoughts or reactions? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!