Weeding Out Fear

 

 

Elizabeth Veldboom, author, cbn.com

Often in life, tiny worries quickly get blown up until they are more than just possibilities, but reality. Being a worry-wart, I have done this many times.

One night, my family and I noticed police cars scouring the road across from us as if they were searching for something or someone. Since we live only a couple miles from a prison, it was a plausible theory.

As I was preparing for bed, I passed my window and noticed the lights were on in our detached garage. This was unusual. I slowly crept closer, my heart beating faster. As I stared, I was sure I could see a man in a trench coat leaning against the side of our garage.

You’re going to look really stupid if you’re wrong, so make sure, I warned myself. But he was there! I knew he was! Then he turned his head to look at me. I ducked, and ran to my parent’s room.

“Mom,” I whispered frantically, trying not to wake my dad. “I think there’s a guy standing by the garage. Will you come look and make sure I’m not seeing things?”

We huddled together at her small bathroom window and peered out. Pretty soon I had her convinced too.

“Should I wake up dad? Or call the police?”

We decided on waking my dad from a sound sleep.

“Dad, there’s a guy standing by the garage in a trench coat!”

Three of us now peered out the window.

“Where did you say you saw this guy again?” My dad asked. “I know there’s a weed on that side of the garage.”

“It’s not a weed! He turned his head and looked at me!”

Without another word, Dad grabbed his flashlight and started outside.

“Be careful!” I admonished.

Mom and I didn’t leave our post at the window for a moment. We heard Dad go out, but didn’t see him. And the figure against the garage didn’t move.

In a few minutes, we heard Dad climbing back up the stairs. I rushed from the bathroom and met him as he placed his flashlight on his dresser.

“Well?”

“Just the weed.”

I could have melted into the floor I was so embarrassed. I was going to call the police — for a weed?

A twinkle came into my dad’s eye. “But it was a very scary weed.”

For a moment, I stared at him in shock. He wasn’t mad I woke him up? He wasn’t thinking about what an idiot I was? But his smile held no condemnation. I slowly returned it.

We do something similar in life. Just as I ran to my father when things looked scary, so we also have the opportunity to run to our Heavenly Father. But I wonder: how often do we run to him in terror of a few weeds in our life? How many times are we pleading with him to send an arsenal of angels for an immobile plant? Jesus says it this way,

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Matthew 6:27 (NLT)

And later,

“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” Matthew 6:30 (NLT)

The more we dwell on fear, the more it becomes reality. The trick is learning to recognize when we’re starting to take things out of proportion and stop before making it bigger than needed.

I imagine God, too, sometimes says, “See? I told you. It was just a fear.”

And with a twinkle in his eye, “But it was a very scary fear.”

When you bring your concerns to God’s throne, you can bring them without any fear of condemnation.

Perhaps, when they are brought to Christ’s light, you may just find them to be what they really were all along: weeds on a dark night.

Death Denied

 

By: Esi Mathis, cbn.com

I had just cheerfully entered my dentist’s office for more extensive repair work. It started like the other dental visits. But this time, as I hoped, while Mercedes, his dental assistant prepared me for the work, Dr. Azarbal asked about the source of my joy and positive demeanor. I had only been a patient for a few months, and he and his staff seemed perplexed that my disposition was consistently favorable and upbeat – not that of the typical dental patient.

“Doc”’ often commented to his assistants that I meditate while he works on my teeth. Mostly, I pray, focus on scripture verses or sing to myself, to divert my attention away from discomfort and the dreaded drill.

“You always seem to be in a good mood – how do you manage that?” he asked.

Anxiously anticipating the opportunity to share my testimony, I responded instantly, “I don’t have any bad days, because every day is a gift from God to me. I am a bona fide miracle. Less than two years ago, I was dying after a brain aneurysm. By God’s grace, I survived brain surgery, my memory has been restored, and my healing is nothing short of miraculous!”

As I completed my statement, Mercedes’ swift retort pierced my heart, pinning me to the chair. “My Mom didn’t make it.”

Her words, so matter-of-fact, stunned me into momentary silence.

Certainly, I could not expect her to share my joy, but I sensed the Lord wanted me to connect with her sorrow.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15 (NIV)

“Oh Lord, I thought, what can I say to her?” Taking a few deep breaths, I turned my face to meet her eyes and asked, “Can you talk about what happened?”

My own gratitude and enthusiasm on hold for a moment, I listened as she spoke easily and freely, recalling the events of her mom’s last hours, following a brain aneurysm. I marveled at the calmness of her voice as she shared that her mother’s friend was present when her mother collapsed, yet panic paralyzed her, delaying a lifesaving 911 call. It had been seven years since she lost her mom, her best friend.

“I am so very sorry; this has to be extremely difficult for you,” I offered. Then I asked if she had been able to open her heart to release forgiveness to her mother’s friend.

After a pause, she stated, “I was angry with her for many years because she wasted precious time calling family members when she should have called the paramedics…but I have forgiven her.”

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Matthew 6:14 (NLT)

Hers was not the first incident shared with me about a family member who succumbed to the very affliction I had survived. Yet, each story amazed me, further confirming the unexplainable sovereign move of God. The more stories I heard – Felicia’s younger brother, Diane’s mother, Cynthia’s older brother, Mildred’s sister, a 17-year-old student, and many others – the more awed I became of God’s bountiful grace to me. While I have no answers for why so many lost loved ones, I can encourage them to do the difficult, yet necessary, healing work of forgiving.

Lord, losing a loved one is one of the most difficult, painful experiences to understand. Sometimes that pain has caused me anger as I searched for answers. When I am honest, I realize I am most angry at you for not healing them. Help me to trust your sovereign wisdom, releasing all bitterness and unforgiveness. Lord, help me to rejoice with others whom you choose to heal. Amen.

El Shaddai

 

Leah Adams, author, cbn.com

The story is told of a very wealthy man who was asked the question regarding his money, “How much is enough?”

“Just a little bit more,” was his reply.

Our culture is replete with messages trying to convince us that we can never have enough…never enough money, fame, food, control, love….never enough. You don’t believe me? Turn on the television or open a magazine. Advertisers seek to lure us to purchase their products by trying to convince that we need more. We need something bigger, better, more expensive and the product they are selling is that “little bit more” that will bring us real happiness.

Let’s delve into one of God’s names that speaks of His sufficiency, His enough-ness. Whenever we hear God speaking of Himself in the Bible as ‘God Almighty’ we are hearing the Hebrew name El Shaddai. As we join Abram in Genesis 17:1-9 (NKJV) we hear the Lord proclaiming this name to the patriarch.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.”

In this passage of Scripture, the covenant that is being enacted relies almost completely upon God. No less than eight times, the Lord tells Abram something that He will do for him. The only thing God asks of Abram is to keep the covenant; walk before God and be blameless. If Abram walks in obedience, there is great blessing ahead for not only himself, but all his descendants.

Notice in this passage that God does not inquire if Abram is able to do what is being asked. Rather, God begins by proclaiming to him that He will be Abram’s sufficiency and if Abram will walk before God, He will be enabled to keep the covenant. God would be sufficient for Abram’s every need. He would be Abram’s El Shaddai.

God never calls us to walk before Him and then disappears, leaving us to map out the best path to take by ourselves. Through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, El Shaddai provides everything we need to walk the path which God is taking us.

Perhaps there is a place in your life where God is saying, “I am your El Shaddai; walk before me and be blameless. I am enough for everything that I will ask of you. Trust Me, walk before Me and see the blessing that I will bring to you.” Friend, He promises to be sufficient for anything that He allows in your life. Do you trust Him? Will you, in faith, walk before Him, believing that He is enough?

Soap Bubbles for the Soul

 

 

By; Katy Kauffman, cbn.com

I walked onto the beach and stood in awe. It wasn’t the whitecapped waves that captured my attention or the small flock of pelicans that flew nearby. It was the soap bubbles.

The ocean was edged with soap bubbles, or what looked like them, as if God were cleansing the waters. White foam stood at attention along the beach, a reminder of what “clean” looks like. I played tag with the waves, and then stepped into a foamy mound. My toes didn’t feel it as much as my heart did. Clean. A sense of being made new, washed, set right. “Clean” is a refreshing word, a reality usually achieved through hard work and care. It takes hard work to keep a house clean. How much more our hearts.

Just as it seems impossible to keep an entire ocean clean, it can seem impossible to keep our hearts pure all the time. Yet Jesus adds “pure in heart” as a condition for happiness and blessing.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NKJV)

Blessed are those who are “free from wrong thinking, corrupt desires, and impure motives.”1 Happy are those who are free from the stain and misery of sin. The blessing they receive is seeing God Himself—understanding more of who He is because they learn how to think as He does, in purity and holiness. Drawing close to Him without any sin or guilt reminding them that they can’t. Knowing Him like never before and walking life’s road with Him.

Just as the waves continually lap onto shore and retreat into the ocean, bringing with it sand and shells, the word of God rushes into our hearts when we study it and pulls away the gunk and grime of everyday living. The Lord who spoke the sacred words of the Sermon on the Mount is the same Lord who today cleanses His church with the truth. With the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26 NKJV), Christ keeps His bride pure.

When we obey the truth, our souls are purified (1 Peter 1:22). Staying clean is no longer an improbability in a world filled with sin, guilt, and shame. It can be a reality as we stay close to the Cleanser of our souls and Renovator of our hearts. It can be a daily reality of continual cleansing. “Pure in heart” makes us clean lanterns through which God can shine His light of love and truth.

As God renovates our hearts to be more like His, He not only cleanses away the bad, but He replaces it with the good. He instills in us the right way of thinking, feeling, and acting—His way, in His likeness—so that what we give out is not self-centered but God-centered. “Pure in heart” is a heart centered on God, fueled by His own character, mindful of His purposes in the world. Pure hearts are needed today to direct people’s attention to the quality of God’s love, to the strength of His character and goodness.

Whatever deadlines and schedules call for our attention, whatever temptations pull at our hearts, let’s take time each day to be in God’s word and talk with Him. Let’s allow His truth to wash over our souls and cleanse them from the dirt we’ve accumulated by walking in the world. Just like the waves that continually wash over the beach, God’s “waves” of truth and lovingkindness cleanse us day by day. Then purity won’t be an ideal that’s out of reach, but a reality that we possess and treasure.

Life Is Full Of Detours

Shadia Hrichi, author, cbn.com

If there is one Bible verse that really bugs me, it is Genesis 12:1 when God says to Abraham, “Go … to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1 ESV). Not only does it poke at my need for control, but I get lost … a lot. The Bible teaches that God determines the time and place that each of us is born (Acts 17:26); I sometimes wonder if God waited until the invention of GPS before sending me into the world.

Nevertheless, there are times when a detour is actually a part of God’s plan. Take Abraham and Sarah, for example. When God asked Abraham to leave his homeland, Abraham and Sarah packed up their little family and began the journey. However, just as they were starting to make some headway, a famine struck and the couple suddenly found themselves detouring into Egypt. But the curious thing is that when they left, Scripture says that they traveled right back to where they started.

“…to the place where his tent had been at the beginning…” (Genesis 13:3 ESV).

Abraham did not gain a single inch of ground. So what was this detour all about? Well, a few chapters later, we are introduced to Sarah’s Egyptian slave named Hagar. Could it be that God was watching over Hagar and that He decided to remove her from Egypt and its pagan gods? Did God Himself have His eye on Hagar, desiring to bring her out and introduce her to Himself?

What if God orchestrated this little detour into Egypt, not because He needed to send Abraham and Sarah in, but because He desired to bring Hagar out? After all, God could have prevented the famine; He could have rained down manna from Heaven. But with God, everything has a purpose – even the detours. Even the difficulties. Even the desert roads.

Later, when Abraham and Sarah’s misguided schemes to conceive a child distress Hagar to the point that she flees into the wilderness, it is God Who pursues her; it is God Who meets her there.

Ever been in a wilderness? I have. At the time, we may only see dust and despair beneath our feet. To our right, we see a wasteland …to the left, only emptiness. But if we look up, we will find God has been there all along, watching, waiting.

Why? Because only in the wilderness can we come to recognize our complete dependence on Him. Maybe that’s why God allows us to go there. To reach the point where our hearts cry out to Heaven, “God, do You see me?”

Oh yes, dear one. He sees you.

Hagar may have felt completely alone, but she was never alone. She may have felt unseen, but she was never out of God’s sight. She may never have felt more unknown and unloved than in that moment, but it was right then – right there in the barren wasteland – where she heard a voice, “Hagar.”

And it is there – on the desert road – where we get our first glimpse into the amazing plan God has for her life.

How about you? What if God wants to use the desert roads—the detours, the struggles, the heartaches and tears—to form and fashion you for His great purposes? Will you trust Him? Even in the detours?

“Go … to the land I will show you …” (Genesis 12:1 ESV) But don’t be surprised if you encounter some detours along the way.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19 ESV)

Spiritual Progress

 

 

By: Pauline Hylton, cbn.com

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2 (NIV)

You don’t have to remind me that Christmas is over. It’s the day after New Year’s and I don’t have any days off for a good while. But it’s worth glimpsing back to the Wise Men of Christmas in order to press on in this new year.

Some believe these men traveled for over two years to see the Christ Child. They were committed to finding the King. I wonder that about myself. How committed am I to seek after Jesus this year? But that is my desire.

The first way I desire to seek Him is in prayer. I want to be devoted to prayer. It’s a privilege that is often ignored or taken for granted. At least it is by me. I have access to the God of the universe, and often I count on my puny self to get me through the day.

Jesus said in Matthew 26:41,

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (NIV)

Since I understand that I am weak, I am asking the Lord to help me stay alert in prayer. That is one way I will seek Jesus this year.

Another way I will seek Jesus this year is in His Word. I’m reminded of the time in John when several of those who followed Jesus turned away. Jesus asked the disciples if they would leave too. Peter said,

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68 (NIV)

Often Peter said the wrong thing at the wrong time, but this time he was spot on.

Immersing myself in God’s Word is life to me. It’s just that I often settle for the junk food of this world instead of the wholesome Word of God. I’m seeking God through His Word by belonging to a Bible Study at my church. We meet almost weekly. This gives me accountability in my study. I also take notes in church and attend Sunday School with others my age. Together we gaze into God’s Word and grow.

What is your plan for this year? Don’t get side-tracked with this world. Don’t fall asleep like the disciples.

You’ve heard the saying, Wise Men Still Seek Him?

That is my desire for me and for you this year.

Happy and Blessed New Year!

A Year of New Things

 

 

By: Dianne Neal Matthews, cbn.com

“See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

Thanks to Christmas, we all end the year with new things—new toys for the kids, new clothes (not always the right color or size, but still new), new pounds on our bodies. We start the year off with new things, too—a new calendar on the wall, new bills to pay, and new resolutions for the days ahead.

Everybody likes new things, including God. He’s called the Ancient of Days, but He says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” God begins His book with the story of His creating a new world; He ends it with His plans to make a new heaven and new earth.

Our heavenly Father wants to do new things in the lives of His children. He desires to teach us new truths about Himself, provide new opportunities for ministering to others, take us to higher levels of worship and deeper levels of trust. But too often we’re like the Israelites when they were traveling in the wilderness.

God promised to provide for them by raining down bread from heaven six days a week. He instructed them to gather only enough manna for each day, except for the day before the Sabbath when they were allowed to store up two days’ worth. When some of the people disobeyed and tried to hoard extra manna, it became rotten and full of worms by the next morning.

I’m like that sometimes. God wants to do new, fresh things in my life and in my ministry for Him. But often I try to hold on to yesterday’s stale manna. I don’t want to let go of what is comfortable and familiar—some old way of thinking, a certain way of doing things, my usual area of service to Him. I may miss new and exciting things God has planned for me if I don’t fully trust His guidance, even when He seems to be leading me down unfamiliar paths.

One of the best ways to keep our faith fresh and new is to develop a habit of daily Bible study. God’s Word is timeless—old and new at the same time. Just as God’s “compassions are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23), a daily dose of His Word can give us new understanding, fresh insights, and renewed strength.

We can drink in the Psalms to help us “sing to the Lord a new song” (33:3 and others). We read in Ezekiel about God’s promise to give us “a new heart and a new spirit” (chapters 11, 18, 36). We rejoice along with Paul as he declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Studying the letters of Colossians and Ephesians reminds us that we have taken off our “old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:9) and are to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” Ephesians 4:24 (NIV).

If we need motivation to live like a new creation, God has provided two keys in His Word. It’s important to look backward to the New Covenant, the source of our salvation. We can meditate on Hebrews and thank God again that the sacrifice of Jesus made “a new and living way” for us to enter His presence Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV). And we also keep looking forward to our future by reading Revelation. We can find comfort in thinking about the time when God will right all wrongs, heal all hurts, and give us a new name and a new home.

A good way for a child of God to celebrate the New Year is to let go of anything that has gone stale or rotten. Then we’ll be free to live each day expecting new, fresh things from the One Who promises, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:5 (NIV).