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“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” Psalms 94:19
Sometimes when we are challenged with something, difficult we move forward cautiously. There may become a time when we get to the point of no return. We doubt our ability to succeed and worry feeds our heart.
I see doubt and worry like driving into a tunnel. It can be dark and scary, you may question whether or not you’ll make it. And then you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then you know you can make it to the end.
Jesus is like that light at the end of the tunnel. We may worry about the future. We may fear what is in the shadows. We may question our ability or the motives of others. We may even begin to doubt Gods presence.
But when we look to Jesus we find the comfort we need to move forward. When he was on earth, Jesus constantly reminded us that he would be with us always. He promised us a comforter in the Holy Spirit who empower us through the difficult times.
In the dark shadows of a tunnel, focus on the light at the end. He’ll see you through. He won’t take the darkness away, but he will assure you that you will make it through.
“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” Psalms 143:8
If you are like me, one of the first things you enjoy in the morning is a good cup of coffee. Nothing seems to get me going better than to be able to sit down to a good warm cuppa Java! It tends to start my day out right.
There’s one thing that is even more important than coffee to get my day started right. The Psalmist writes “let me hear of your unfailing love each morning.” Each morning he reminds himself of the fact that God‘s love for him is brand new.
Remember when you first fell in love? The excitement that was within you? The joy you felt? The way that new love made everything seem better. It may have seemed like your troubles all disappeared because of that new love. That’s the kind of love God has for you. Every single morning you can wake up and realize his love is fresh and exciting and powerful.
But the Psalms tells us something else about God’s great love. God‘s great love guides us each step of the way. Sometimes our emotions can get the best of us. Sometimes the situations that we come across during the day can discourage us or disappoint us or make us fearful. But God‘s love guides through those times and reminds us of his great power and mercy.
Coffee can be good to get our day started out right, but more importantly, reminding ourselves of Jesus love, and asking him to help us in the decisions of our day, are the most important way to get a fresh start every day.
It may be hard to realize sometimes, but the creator God of the universe loves us and is intimately interested in each and everything we do. Before your feet hit the floor in the morning, before you reach for that first cup of coffee, remind yourself that God loves you today. Ask him to guide your steps. Thank him for in advance for his guidance, because he wants to see you succeed!
““O Israel,” says the Lord, “if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more.” Jeremiah 4:1
Back in the 1970s, a comedian named Flip Wilson did several comedy sketches built around the phrase “the devil made me do it!”
While there was a lot of humor in those sketches, the reality is that many of us continue to play the blame game when it comes to our struggles.
We blame our spouse for relational issues. We blame the boss for an unhealthy work environment or our inability to pay our bills. We blame the pastor for our lack of spiritual growth. We blame the government for… well, everything. We may even blame the devil himself!
Make no mistake about it, Satan is powerful; he is deceitful; his intent is to destroy us. The apostle Paul teaches us that Satan is at the root of all our battles. The last thing the devil wants us to do is to follow God and live in the peace and freedom that God wants us to be in and that we have available to us through Jesus Christ.
The reality is, because of Jesus’ death on the cross, and because of his resurrection, we have the Holy Spirit living within us when we are his followers. We did not receive a spirit of fear but a spirit of power.
The message God sent to Israel is the same message he sends to us today. Nothing in our past and nothing in our current circumstances can keep us from turning to God if we truly want to. He wants us to come home to him. He wants us to experience his love. He wants us to know the joy and peace we can have in him through Jesus.
But the choosing is ours. We have to want to change first and then ask God to help us begin the journey to living a God pleasing life. Satan wants to destroy you. God wants to build you up and empower you. But the choice begins with you!
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 