At wits end?

At wits end? ... Pull out that Bible and start standing on God's promises for your life! 

When kids aren't listening or misbehaving... "And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children." Isaiah 54:13. 

When the bills start piling up and work is minimal to none... "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22. 

When health is failing... "Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me;..." Psalm 6:2. 

When the enemy starts to attack your mind... "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8 

Faith in Christ + Trust & Total reliance upon His Word = peace in your life!

Every one of these verses pertains to something I'm personally dealing with! The Lord is faithful even when we are least deserving! He is seeing me through, my family, our business, our health, every aspect! The enemy loves to see chaos, panic, anxiety and enjoys playing tricks on our minds. 

If he can take our focus from Christ and put it on our situations, he knows we will not stand against Him with Truth, with the Word, in prayer and in praise! 

Ready for that "perfect peace", hit them knees and stand strong in the Word!

The struggle is real

"The struggle is real", a common phrase these days. Honestly, we all see it, we all experience it.

One day my son came up to me with a wrinkled sheet of paper. I asked what he was making. He says, "Oh, I'm trying to make a paper airplane." I asked him if he still had his instruction book. He thought a moment and said I think I do. I replied wouldn't it be easier to get it and know how to do it the right way? He said, ummm, no. I want to do it my way. 

Real life application: The longer we ignore instruction, the harder we will struggle. 

God in His infinite love has given us an instruction manual too... His Word!

He says in Psalm 38:8 "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."

 Key question is: Will we struggle in our own way or trust Him, believe Him, and obey His instructions?

Clear Cut & Concise ... Truth

Jesus Christ said,

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34

Think of this sword a moment, once it separates, its final. Let's consider a few basic but important things.

Right vs. Wrong, Our ways vs. God's ways, God's purpose and plans vs. the flesh, truth from error, righteousness vs. wickedness... honestly the list can be quite lengthy. 

In no way ever did He desire us to be confused. "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace..." 1 Cor. 14:33 As a matter of fact, a few verses later we are told, "Let all things be done decently and in order." (vs 40)

So, let's consider our ways as we journey through these last days. The enemy has created a cesspool of confusions. May we seek the face of the Prince of Peace who will lead, guide, direct, protect and strengthen us in every situation we face.

He is the God of order, let's trust Him with His clear cut truths regardless how man may misconstrue His words and teachings. Do you have His discernment?

Calming waters due to other's chaos

When Jonah fled the presence of the Lord, others were severely affected. Have you ever experienced this?

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them." Jonah 1:11-13

Have you ever known someone that carried about their own stormy waters wherever they went? So much so that your life is or was affected by their choices? What did you do to bring peace to your world again? These men on the boat with him not only threw Jonah off the boat, but they also cried out unto the Lord God! 

Many of us have been on both sides of the Jonah experience, whether giving or receiving, however we can see that seeking the Lord and our obedience to Him is key to peace and reprieve! Can you see this 2-step solution? We must continually seek the Lord and willingly obey Him!

If you're going through tempestuous waters, are you seek the presence of the Lord with an obedient heart? 

Discernment is vital!

Notice too, after Jonah gave them instructions to cast him overboard, they refused? They did! They put more effort into rowing harder against the stormy waters. If the storm you're experiencing is due to someone else in your life, how long will you endure it before casting away the one who is responsible? There are times we have to heed the Lord, even when  we don't want to and walk away from these people. Are you willing to obey the Lord as He leads?

Sweet sleep

The other night my daughter was stalling to say her prayers at bedtime. Something I've noticed she's been doing lately, so after we talked with God, I decided to ask her why.

I love her innocence!

She said, "Well I'm not tired before prayers, but after I'm always sleepy."
"Ahhh, I replied, do you know why?", I asked.
She gave a sheepishly quiet "Nooo".

I prayerfully thought a moment and I told her, "When we thank God and give Him our praise, needs & troubles, He gives us His peace. We trust Him. He knows what He's doing and in His peace we can rest. Our minds quiet down and our bodies relax."

After that she cozied herself into her bed even more and I could see she had His peace. I did too! We were both ready for sweet sleep.

Our conversation reminds me of one of my favorite verses.
"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Proverbs 3:24

How often do we truly surrender our cares to Him entirely? Racing thoughts of daily things or that of our needs and the needs of others around us can keep us awake longer than we should. We hold on to them not even realizing it!

I hope our little chat will encourage you to completely let go and truly let God. May His peace grant you sweet sleep too!

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

My prayer for you, in Jesus name...
"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Letting Go

What's one to do when the weight of this life makes one weary and weak? Oh Lord, I need Your comfort and peace! Please give me words to speak!

Lord, help me let go- help me let go! I lay them down at the foot of Your Throne.

When I'm weary and worn from the strength of this storm. Your arms embrace me so gentle and sweet. You say, "Come unto Me, rest my child, for here is the reprieve you need."

Lord let it be Your Love that refreshes me. There's no other place I'd rather be than safely tucked beneath Your wing. Oh Lord embrace me- embrace me.

All these burdens and strife that bring tears; they expose my weakness and add to my fears. Father God You're the only One who hears.

Lord, help me let go- help me let go! I lay them down at the foot of Your Throne.

Your love is all that I need to let go, grant strength and Your peace to fulfill every need. No more burdens to bear, nor am I alone, I've laid these troubles down in the midst of this storm.

Lord, help me let go- help me let go! I lay them down at the foot of Your Throne.

You've calmed the wind and the rain that nearly wiped this child away. No more weight nor dreadful fears, You've touch my face and wipes my tears. Nothing compares to the peace found in You, I've let go of all pain at the foot of Your Throne.