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Yes You Can

Has God ever asked you to do something that absolutely terrified you?  That is exactly what happened to me a few days ago.  I received an email asking me to speak at a women’s tea.  Immediately, I thought ”No, there is just no way I can do this.”  My comfort zone is behind a pen, behind the screen of this impersonal computer where I have time to construct my thoughts and if I am judged I do not see the reaction of disagreement, boredom, or displeasure.

As I remembered the vivid picture of tunnel vision and feelings of nausea during each speech in college, God gave me a scripture that quickly eased my fears and gave me peace.  2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, just willing!  That verse says His power is made perfect through our weaknesses not our own abilities.  But if we refuse to do what he asks until we feel fully prepared, then the moment He needed us may have been passed.

What keeps us from stepping out in faith?  Fear is probably what causes most of us say, “I just can’t do that”.  We prefer to do things that are safe, but playing it safe causes us to miss many blessings that God has to offer.  The moment you step out in faith and trust God, He will provide strength.  Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” You CAN’T do it alone, but you CAN do whatever God calls you to do through His strength!

What’s holding you back from being completely obedient to God?  There are three things you should do before saying “no”.

  • Trust – Place your trust in Him rather than your feelings.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding,” (Proverbs 3:5).
  • Pray – Seek God’s direction – “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths,” (Proverbs 3:6).
  • Proceed – Go wherever God leads you and do whatever He requires. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” (Isaiah 55:8).

I have to admit that God has asked me to do other things that terrified me.  And believe me when I say that there have been things I absolutely refused to do and later regretted.  But when I’ve been obedient, things were much easier than I expected because God’s power was made perfect in my weakness.  I also found those were the times that have brought some of the greatest blessings in my life.

When God asks us to do something, it will often be out of our comfort zone.  If we are confident in our own abilities, His power gets stifled by our confidence, and it becomes OUR project instead of HIS.  But when we choose to allow Him to use us despite our weaknesses, HIS power shines through instead of our own.  When you make yourself available, you will be amazed at what God can do through you.  Through His strength, you CAN do it, so say “yes” with confidence in His power!

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What Is There To Worry About

I awoke this morning worried about the circumstances today might possibly present.  Circumstances which are out of my control and depend on the choices of another person.  I found myself questioning “what if” and wondering what I could do to prevent an undesirable outcome.  God quickly reminded me of the following verses which I read just last night.

Mark 8:17-19:  “Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, ‘Why are you so worried about having no food?  Won’t you ever learn or understand? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?  You have eyes – can’t you see?  You have ears – can’t you hear?  Don’t you remember anything at all? What about the five thousand men I fed with five loaves of bread? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?’”

Although the disciples had seen Jesus take care of situations that seemed impossible, they still worried if they would have enough food on this particular day.  In these verses, Jesus reminded them of times he had provided not only enough but an excess amount of food to feed those present with baskets of leftovers. How often are we guilty of behaving like the disciples and worrying about things which God can handle without our advice or help?  We have seen example after example in the bible.  We have seen personally and heard from others what God has done and how He has provided in what appeared to be impossible situations.  Yet, like the disciples, we become overwhelmed by the circumstance and grow worried about details that God already has under control.

“If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is,” (Anonymous).  Worry keeps us from recognizing how God is at work.  “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus,”  Philippians 4:4-7. Regardless of what happens, we can rejoice in the fact that God is in control!

Today, and those that follow, I must remember how Jesus fed five thousand men with only five loaves of bread and the disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers.  I must remember the times I have personally experienced God’s provision and not let my heart grow hard with worry.  I must remember the choices that cause me to worry are not even my choices to make.  The situation is out of my control, and the choices made are between God and that person.  I must keep my focus on Him instead of worrying and allow God to work rather than concern myself with how I should try to manage the situation.  Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

“I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn’t need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about.” Henry Ford

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A Long and Difficult Journey

The journey of life is often long and difficult.  There are many obstacles in our way that cause discouragement, grumbling, and questions. Our circumstances may leave us feeling like the Israelites as God led them to the promised land.  God had promised something better than the life they were leaving, but they faced many struggles along the way.

Exodus 13:17 says, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter.” Why not? The Israelites were finally free from slavery, and God was leading them to the Promised Land.  Why would He make them go the long way?  As we read on we see that travelling the  shortest route would result in being attacked by the Philistine army.  God knew if they faced a battle, they might turn and head back to Egypt. They simply were not ready. So He protected them from an immediate battle to prevent the Israelites from becoming discouraged and giving up. Ultimately, He knew what was best for them.

Eventually Pharaoh decided he had made a mistake and gathered his army to capture and bring home the Israelites. As they approached the Israelite camp to force them all to go back to Egypt, the people began to panic and cried out to God for help.  When trouble appears in our life, we often respond in the same way.  We panic and cry out to God to help us get through it.  Then they turned on Moses, complaining about his leadership, and wishing they had never left Egypt.  They feared the worst thinking they would surely die there in the desert.  They didn’t even wait for God to answer their cries for help before they began to fear the worst.  Satan uses fear to distract us from trusting God, and we begin to question why He is taking us down this path in life. In Exodus 14:13, Moses says, “Don’t be afraid be brave and you will see the Lord today.”  Moses had faith that God would be with them.

Then in Exodus 14:14, Moses says, “The Lord himself will fight for you.  You won’t have to lift a finger in your defense.”  Hmm…so if we encounter difficulty while travelling the path God planned, He will fight the battles for us!  He doesn’t even need our assistance or advice.  As long as it’s His plan for our lives, He will ensure that things don’t go awry.  There may be difficulties along the way, but ultimately God will protect us every step and nothing will happen that is out of His control.  What a comfort to know that whatever battles come our way, God has it under control!  All we need to do is be still and allow him to work.

At this point the Israelites appeared to be trapped between the wilderness and the sea as the Egyptians approached.  Then as God instructed, Moses held his staff over the water, and a pathway opened across the sea.  The Israelites walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground as water stood like a giant wall on both sides.  The waters closed up behind them and the Egyptians, their chariots, and horsemen were all swept into the sea. God had rescued them from what appeared to be an impossible situation.  There seemed to be no way to survive, but God not only protected them but also removed the threat completely!

Exodus 14:31 says, “And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.”  They saw the lengths that God would go through on their behalf to achieve His will in their lives. They began to sing the following praises:  “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.  The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.”  (Exodus 15:2-3)

Our lives are like the Israelites journey to the promised land.  God has promised something better (heaven), but it’s often a long journey, and there are many difficulties along the way.  Difficult times help us to learn to trust Him, and our faith and relationship with Him will grow stronger.  Although we may grumble and get discouraged going through it, we can trust that He is with us, He has a plan, He will fight for us, and in the end we will see His power.

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Debt Paid in Full

Have you ever been punished for something you didn’t actually do? Maybe you were rejected and punished even though you tried to do the right things. Maybe you willingly took the blame to prevent someone you cared about from suffering the consequences of their actions or choices.  We often stand up for ourselves refusing to take the blame, but there are times in which we willingly accept the blame to protect those we care about. Whether by choice or not, it’s not easy taking the blame or punishment for something you didn’t do.  But your love for those involved causes you to understand the consequences involved if the truth were known, so you accept their punishment.

That’s exactly what Jesus did for each of us.  “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquitites; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).  He took the punishment for all of our sins.  He suffered a cruel death on the cross even though He never sinned.   Hebrews 9:28 says, “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”   Through his death and resurrection we are healed and can accept the gift of eternal life.

Why would He be willing to endure the floggings, the crown of thorns, and the horrible crucifixion?  Love. An old hymn says sums it up perfectly: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!”  Jesus is the most caring and loyal friend we could ever find.   He could have chosen at any time not to accept the punishment we deserve, but He loved us so much that He became a voluntary substitute for each and every one of us.

Jesus took the blame and punishment for every sin anyone has ever committed or will commit.  He knew the consequences we deserve, but He loved us so much that He was willing to suffer for our sins.  Mine, yours, every single person ever born.  It’s difficult for us to take the blame for something we didn’t do, yet Jesus, who was perfectly holy and pure, Jesus who knew no sin, bore the sins of the entire world.  No matter what we’ve done,  He paid the price.

He paid a debt He did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay.

 I needed someone to wash my sins away,

And now I sing a brand new song, Amazing grace all day long.

Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay. – Author unknown

Related posts:  GPS for Life, Brag Book

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God’s Unfailing Love

Psalms 13:1-6

1 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?

2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

3 Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the light to my eyes, or I will die.

4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love.  I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

6 I will sing to the LORD because he has been so good to me.

Do you ever feel as though God has forgotten you?  Does it seem that He looks the other way as your life crumbles around you?  You’ve tried so hard to do the right things, yet your life is full of anguish. David was struggling with feeling deserted by God, sadness in his heart, and attacks of enemies. Yet he ends this Psalm with praise and thanksgiving for God’s goodness.  From the desperation in verses 1-4 to the shift of attitude in verse six, David’s situation did not change, but his perspective did.  Instead of focusing on the problem, he has turned his attention to God’s love and other times God rescued him.  His honesty displays a truth that sometimes we feel defeated even to the point of depression.

Faith comes easy when things are going well, but the true test of our faith is determined by the trials that seem to tear us limb from limb. In those moments, when it seems there is no hope, remember these tips:

1.  God loves you and His compassion never fails. Remind yourself of this truth daily, or hourly if needed.

2. Reflect on God’s deliverance in the past.  From what situations has he delivered you previously?

3.  Talk to God.  Pray often and be honest about your feelings and questions.

4.  Talk to a trusted, christian friend or pastor. You don’t have to suffer alone.

David reminds us in this Psalm that even when we struggle through the sorrows that come in life there is one thing of which we can be sure.  God’s love! It never fails.  He has rescued you in the past and will rescue you again.  Keep singing and praising His name in the midst of your trouble.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

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