Monday, January 9, 2023

The Fiery Storms

 So many times I've questioned certain circumstances and things I could not understand. Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision, and my frustrations get so out of hand. It's then I am reminded, I've never been forsaken; I've never had to stand one test alone; As I look at all the victories, the Spirit rises up in me; And It's through the fire, my weakness is made strong. He never promised that the cross would not get heavy, and the hill would not be hard to climb; He never offered, our victories without fighting, But He said help would always come in time; Just remember when you're standing in the valley of decision, and the adversary says give in; Just hold on, our Lord will show up, and He will take you through the fire again.

I know within myself that I would surely perish, but if I trust the hand of God, He'll shield the flames again, again; He never promised that the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb; He never offered our victories without fighting, But He said help would always come in time; Just remember when you're standing in the valley of decision, and the adversary says give in; Just hold on, our Lord will show up, and He will take you through the fire again."
This song by The Crabb Family reminds us that when the fiery trials of life come upon us, all we have to do is Hold On, and God will take us through the fire time and time again! No matter what comes against us, when all hope seems gone; if we just hold on to God's unchanging hand, He will bring us through victoriously, without fail! There is nothing too difficult for Him to handle; no storm too great He cannot calm! The words of the psalmist, filled with confidence writes, “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed” (Psalm 107:29), then in Mark 4:39 we find Jesus being awakened by the disciples, fearing they would drown as the stormy waters were overtaking their boat; so Jesus arises and rebukes the storm, telling it to be quiet; and the winds subsided and the waves became calm, stilling the storm to a mere whisper! Wow!
Our God is always on time, supplying the perfect answer to our need, and as we really see the way He answered, in His time and in His way, we find that we were made stronger through it all. So don't be afraid of life's storms that arise in your life, but simply learn from them. Allow your storm to become a lesson that helps to grow your faith! Call on God for help in your time of trouble; any time, any where, and in any given situation. You will find He is ever present and ready to calm every storm and bring you peace with calm assurance. Psalm 46:1 reminds us "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." As God's children, it is His desire to 'Father us'; to watch over us, and to pour out His love upon us as only He does best, as we trust in Him. Jesus reassures us in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
So when your standing in your valley of decision and the storms attempt to take you under, just reach up and take hold of God's unchanging hand. I assure you that He will latch on to you and never let you go. You can rest assured, be secure, in the safety of His hands. He will keep you safe, even if He has to scoop you up in His arms and carry you until that storm passes by! It's in those valleys of decision that we learn to trust God and to rest in Him as He restores our soul, refreshes our spirit, and revives us from deep within. Trust God to calm the storms of your life and enjoy a wonderfully blessed day, dear friend. God loves you and so do I~~

PEACE BE STILL

 Thank You, Lord, for Your unfailing love. I praise You for Your fresh mercies that are new to us every morning. No matter what has come our way, I know beyond a doubt that You are right there with us; never leaving nor forsaking us. You whisper Sweet Peace as Your Love embellishes our very being. When the storms of life seem to overwhelm us, You are there to pick us back up and cradle us in Your comforting arms until our storm has passed. Even during the fiercest storms in our life You remain forever faithful as our Protector and our good good Father!

The words of the psalmist David are filled with confidence and hope as he prophetically wrote, “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed”(Psalm 107:29) and we see it fulfilled as Jesus calms the sea in Matthew 8:23-27. Think about that for a moment; "Jesus stills the storm to a whisper and the waves of the sea were hushed... just by speaking "Peace, Be Still!" Can you fathom that very moment?... Jesus calming the storm.... Such Peace, Such Calm, Such Amazement in the disciples eyes; WOW! That had to be awesome to witness first hand; Jesus Speaks...And the storm is Hushed!
Many of us have been experiencing life's storms that have tried to pull us under as tidal waves continued to bash upon us mentally and physically, until we cried out to God......And then we saw His Hand move or His voice hush the storm in a miraculous move of divine interventions! God was right there to deliver and hold us up with His victorious and righteous right hand(Isaiah 41:10). God, in all His glory, is there with us through stormy weather speaking peace to our troubled soul.The calmness of His peace overshadows doubt and fear and instills peace like nothing we could ever imagine possible ... "Peace, Be Still" and all is calm when the Master speaks!
Don't hesitate to call upon Him, anytime-anywhere, in any given situation, because It is His desire to Father us and protect us as only He does best. The storms of life will surely attempt to surround us, but we have His assurance that when they rise up around us, He will be there to carry us through! So as storms roll in and its tides begin pulling you under, just reach up and grab hold of His hand, dear friend! HOLD ON to God's unchanging hand; He won't let go! Trust God, Rest in Him, and Watch as He calms your storm and speaks forth His Peace. Enjoy a wonderfully blessed day, dear friend. God loves you and so do I~~~

Monday, January 2, 2023

Let's Sparkle

 As I sat drinking my coffee this morning, looking at my Christmas tree with its lights off and yet its dressings still in place, I saw there was no sparkle; no inner glow; and it reminded me of the life without Jesus, the life who has every thing man could want; all the wealth and fortune, the finest array, the best of it all; but without the Light of Jesus abiding deep within; there was no light, no sparkle to their life.

Man can have all the wealth and fame the world has to offer and be adorned to the fullest, but unless he has received Christ Jesus into their hearts, it profits him nothing. He is never satisfied with his state of affairs, there is no status quo, no glow, no light reflecting from within and he's always searching for more to satisfy his desires.
I pray that as we begin this new year, we realize that only Jesus can satisfy our soul; only He can bring us peace and make us whole. Let's invite Jesus into our hearts and share this year with Him walking beside us, hand in hand working within us. Let's shine for Jesus and sparkle with His glorious Light deep within, shining forth into this world needing Hope; Our Hope lies In Christ Jesus!
So as the lights and sparkle from this glorious season come down and is put away; please don't put away the Hope and the Light in Christ Jesus, but let It shine for all the world to see. Let's make a difference in this world that is desperate for positive changes. Let your Light shine and Sparkle for Jesus while sharing the Hope that He loves you and so do I~~