Peace

Are you a worrier? Do you live with fear and anxiety? These verses are for you...

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

No fear. No wringing your hands over an empty bank account. No more late night crying sessions over children that have lost their way. No more feeling the dread of upcoming evaluations… or examinations… or loss. You weren’t sent here to fear. You weren’t designed to live in denial. You weren’t meant to spend every day grasping for control of situations that you can’t possibly bend to your will.

You were meant to trust.

You don’t need more faith. You need to live out the faith that you already have. Even if all the faith you’ve got left is the size of a pebble… God can move mountains with it. Take the two verses from today’s devotional and write them down on index cards. Keep those cards with you everywhere you go… purse, wallet, dashboard, vanity, mirror, etc. And when the enemy tries to take you down by buckling your knees, stand strong in the power of these truths from our Heavenly Father.

Life’s coming at you… and because of these verses, I can assure you that you’ll be ready… not in your own strength, but through the One who walks with you in the valley of uncertainty and challenge. He’s more than enough and He’ll never let you go.

Keep Climbing

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”  James 1:2-4

“…For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

A little boy was leading his sister up a mountain path and the way was not too easy. “Why this isn’t a path at all,¨ the little girl complained. “Its all rocky and bumpy.¨ Her little brother kept on up the mountain, pausing just long enough to call out, “Sure, but the bumps are what you climb on.”

Ever faced a bump in your path?  We all do.  Many try to go around it... thinking that if they didn’t have it to deal with, they would be better off.  Not so.  Refuse to see challenges as inconveniences or barriers... they are tough but necessary steps leading you onward and upward toward a stronger faith and a fulfilled life.   

The troubles you faced in the past were tough... but you made it through them.

The troubles you are facing today are hard... some will tell you that what you want to do or where you want to go is impossible.  

God says nothing is impossible.  

Keep climbing… pushing yourself beyond what’s comfortable and easy… 

Stretch yourself to the point where fear gives way to faith… Be ready to take on the world not based on the opinions of others but on what God’s word says.  

And when you get to the peak of that mountain you are trying to climb... moving up and over all of those challenges... the view will be breathtaking.   

God, Where Are You?

  This morning as you wake up... things may seem pretty bleak.   In fact, you may wonder if this will be just another day of treading water... staying afloat...surviving.  You don’t have a vacation on the calendar, your back still hurts, and the bill collector will be calling at dinnertime just like he always does.

Another 24 hours... another 7 days... another month. 

The dream you once had seems all but dead.  What little heartbeat it has seems distant now.  Things have skidded to a stop with a spouse that seems uninterested and a life that is far from the one you used to tell the kids at school you’d have when you grew up.

You ask:  When am I going to feel better?    When will it stop hurting?  When is it my turn?  What am I going to do? 

God, where are you?

Sound familiar?  If this is you.. or even someone you know.  I have great news on this Wednesday.  

The Bible talks about Jairus... the leader of a local synagogue crying out to Jesus to heal his very sick daughter.  Jesus agrees and walks with the man when He is stopped mid-way to heal a woman who touches His robe.  In the few minutes that transpires with the old woman.... something very profound happens... let’s pick up the story in Mark 5:36

“While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”  

Mark 5:35-36

Jairus’ life was spiraling out of control.  He was doing his best at the synagogue but he knew that each day that he returned home, he’d find his daughter deteriorating.  He’d prayed... he’d begged... he’d pleaded... he felt hopeless, helpless, and hurting.  The dream he’d had about experiencing life with his daughter was rapidly fading away...just as his daughter’s heartbeat began it’s slow decrescendo to its final beat.  

Jairus’ life was not what he thought it would be... He, too, asked the same questions...

When am I going to feel better?  When will it stop hurting?  When is it my turn?  What am I going to do? 

God, where are you?

Then He learned where God was... He was on a boat heading his way across a lake.  Jairus had heard about Jesus... had learned of His ability to do the impossible... and ran with everything he had toward hope. 

Jesus was his only hope.   Jesus was his daughter’s only hope.  (Jesus is our only hope)

Believing in Christ’s power... Jairus reached out to Jesus and begged Him to save his ailing daughter.  

(...To save your broken dreams.  To save your wounded heart.  To save that failing marriage.  To save what seems un-saveable.) 

When word came that Jairus’ daughter was dead... hope seemed lost.

(...When word came that your dream was hopeless... when divorce seemed like an inevitability... when the only choice you thought you had was to give up...)

But hope wasn’t lost. It came to Jairus (us) in six little words.

“Don’t be afraid, just have faith.”  

Ever been afraid of what’s coming?

Ever been afraid of what’s been?  

Ever been afraid of losing control?

Ever been afraid that God won’t be there?

Make no mistake, God will be there.  In fact, He’s there now.  He’s working in your life where you can’t see Him... and He’s mending the cracks in your armor.  Jesus will never allow one day to pass where your faith goes unnoticed or unrewarded.   

God comes through every single time.  Every single circumstance.  

His ability to heal lives is nothing new...and it’s not exclusive to leaders of synagogues.  When we have faith... when we reject fear... when we put our trust in Him... things change for the better.

Jesus Christ is forever faithful... and your life, in Him, will only get better.  

Removing Air

Speaking to a large audience, D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." 

How would you do it?  What would it take to get all the air permanently out of the glass?Vacuum?  Cover the top with your hand?    What if I told you that the air in that glass represents the fear in your life...  How would you get it out?  

If you’re like most people... avoidance.  When something makes them scared...they run.  Tough conversations?  Sharing Jesus?  They can’t.  They’re fearful of rejection.  Get that cough checked out by a doctor?  Not them.  What if it’s something life-threatening?

If avoidance doesn’t work for fear....there’s always denial.  People ask them how things are going...  They’ll just tell them the obligatory “fine”.  Scared to go home because of the verbal abuse from an angry spouse?  They’ll just tell the world “I brought it on myself... I deserve it”

If the first two don’t remove the fear... the last resort... worry.  Fretting, sweating, crying, pleading, and begging.  Surely one of these will make them fear less... right?  If they just keep chewing on it and losing sleep... God will notice and make things different won’t He? 

Let’s find out how D.L. Moody removed the air from the glass...

After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed."   He knew it wasn’t what needed to come out... but what needed to be put in.  

If you are scared today... it isn’t about avoiding, denying, or worrying.   Removing the bad in your life isn’t the plan.  Promising not to sin... making deals with God... running and hiding in the darkness... avoiding the uncomfortable... All ineffective tactics.  None of these get the air out.  No matter how hard you try, there will be things in your life that will scare you.  Fear happens.

Remember, it’s not what needs to come out of your life.  It’s what needs to be put in.

For the next couple of minutes I want you to try something.   Think about your heart like the glass in the story above... full of worry, doubt, and especially... fear. 

I’ve copied some of my favorite verses about how God sees and deals with fear below.  Read each of them... several times if you want to...  and as you do, allow God to fill your heart with their meaning.  Visualize the fear leaving and these promises taking their place...

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”  1 John 4:18

“So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:6

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4

“Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”  Psalm 27:1

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

These verses were written for you.  Claim them.

Stop trying to run from or remove what scares you.  Instead, stand boldly on these verses and allow Him to replace paralyzing fear with His comforting presence.  I’ll be praying for you as you do.

Godzilla

I read a story of a young boy who was being terrorized by a dog.  Not a German Shepherd or Pit Bull… but a Chihuahua.  The dog’s name?  Godzilla.

He would run around the house and the dog would follow him.  The boy played and the dog stared.  In this little boy’s mind, Godzilla was stalking him…waiting for his moment to pounce.  While we know the dog just wanted to play… to this boy… the fear was real and unrelenting.  He was convinced that he was being hunted by a beast that wanted to hurt him.  

Guilt is a lot like that dog.  

Something we’ve done, said, or thought is sitting in wait.   But our guilt is no tiny chihuahua... it’s bark is much larger... and more menacing...  It’s pinned us in a corner and made us doubt the size of our God.  It has chased us through counseling, good advice, and numerous readings of scripture.  It torments our dreams and drops in every now and then throughout our day to remind us that we shouldn’t feel good about ourselves. 

You know what you did.

You know who you were.

You can’t overcome it.  You won’t change.  

And just when it seems like we get away... it sniffs us out again.  The chase continues.  

We’re tired of running.  

So how do we handle that overwhelming feeling of guilt?  We invite another big dog into the hunt... worry.  Guilt and worry... both crushing emotions in their own right.  Together they’re simply terrifying.  They’ve been known to cause sleepless nights, hopelessness, and an overwhelming dependence on our own strength.  

So why do we do it?  Why do we allow what we did to define what we’re becoming?  Why is guilt so powerful?  

We don’t believe this verse.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”  Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

If you are in relationship with Jesus... and He is your Lord and Savior... there is nobody holding your past over your head except you.  Scripture tells us that when we confess our sin... when we tell God what we’ve done... He sends it away forever.  Forgotten and over.  That is so hard for our minds to comprehend... that something that once defined us is now voided?  Something that once paralyzed us with worry and fear was one confession away from the feeling of freedom?

We don’t have to fully understand it for it to be true.  God’s thoughts are different than our own (Isaiah 55:8).  He loves us unconditionally, wholly, and without reservation.  When we ask for freedom from the chains on our thought life, Jesus gives us the keys of confession to unlock them.  Today’s the day to breathe without burden... shed the shackles of the past... and leave the guilt where it belongs... with the old you.    

Those dogs... guilt and worry... they’ll stop chasing you with one simple command.  

“Be still...”

God said it to your heart in Psalm 46:10  “Be still, and know that I am God!”

Today can be the day you stop running and be still.  Guilt-free.  Burden-lifted.  Heart deep in love with God again.

I came across a paragraph by an 85 year old woman that I think sums it up best. She wrote, 

"If you live to be 75 years old you will live over 657,000 hours. Did you know that? That’s almost 2/3rds of a million hours that you’re going to live. That’s too much to be anxious about all the time. So don’t worry.  God, if I had my life to live over, I would relax & ramble around and be sillier than I had been on this trip. I would take fewer things so seriously and I would take more chances. I would take more trips and I would climb more mountains & swim more rivers.

"I would eat more ice cream and less prunes.  I would perhaps have some actual troubles but I’m sure I would have fewer imaginary ones. You see, I’m one of those people who have lived sensibly & safely, hour after hour, day after day.  Oh, I have had my moments. And if I had it all to do over again I would have more of them. Just moments one after another instead of living so many years in a big chair, acting like all those persons who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, or a parachute.

If I had it to do over again I would worry less. I would laugh more, & I would pick a lot more daisies."

Good insight from a burdened life.   Your life can be different.  The last paragraph of your story doesn’t have to say.... “If I had my life to live over...”   Shedding the guilt and worry, you will have lived it to it’s fullest without the weight of “what if.”

Make today the day that you begin to release your guilt and worry through confession... start enjoying freedom... and live the long and purposeful life you were created to.  I’ll be praying for you as you do.

One Full Day?

Have you ever tried to go one full way without worrying?  I have and it isn’t easy.  I’d like to tell you that I give it all to God and never take it back.  Or I stay calm under very stressful situations without trying to fix the problem all by myself.  But I can’t.  You know why?  I’m human.  We worry from time to time… or at least most of us do.  As I was studying for a weekend, I ran across this interesting story about a woman with an extremely rare condition…

So rare, in fact, that only 400 cases have been reported worldwide.  It causes her to speak without hesitation… jump when others pull back… boldly face danger… and do it all with a smile.  Her condition?  Urbach-Wiethe syndrome… also known as “no fear” disease.

This woman lives with absolutely no external fears.  No sweaty palms.  No elevated heartbeat.  No worry.  She still logically senses incoming danger…  for example, if a car is heading toward her, she knows to get out of the way.   She is able to face external stresses with no fear.  But the internal ones?

Still there. 

Isn’t it interesting that this condition blocks her from being afraid of what she can see… but still allows the mind to process fear on the inside?   The mind is powerful… and if we let it, it will paralyze us in worry and strife.  It causes us to fear externally and internally… spending our days stuck in neutral waiting for things to change.  But did you also know that you don’t need a rare condition to numb you to worry and stress.  In fact, God has already given you the plan.

A plan for you, the worrier.  A hope for you, the stressed.  A peace for you, the burdened.  His plan?  He wants you to get up everyday and internalize these two verses:

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

“So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

No fear.  No wringing  your hands over an empty bank account.  No more late night crying sessions over children that have lost their way.  No more feeling the dread of upcoming evaluations… or examinations… or loss.  You weren’t sent here to fear.  You weren’t designed to live in denial.  You weren’t meant to spend every day grasping for control of situations that you can’t possibly bend to your will.  

You were meant to trust.  

You don’t need more faith.  You need to live out the faith that you already have.  Even if all the faith you’ve got left is the size of a pebble… God can move mountains with it.  Take the two verses from today’s devotional and write them down on index cards.  Keep those cards with you everywhere you go… purse, wallet, dashboard, vanity, mirror, etc.   And when the enemy tries to take you down by buckling your knees,  stand strong in the power of these truths from our Heavenly Father.  

Life’s coming at you… and because of these verses, I can assure you that you’ll be ready… not in your own strength, but through the One who walks with you in the valley of uncertainty and challenge.   He’s more than enough and He’ll never let you go.  

Shadow

As you read this today... you might be worried about something.  It’s kept you awake... taken over your thoughts... and made prayer time with God seemingly impossible to get through without distraction.  In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul tells us how to deal with these types of burdens:  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Is worry casting a huge shadow over your life?  Pray and don’t stop until you have an answer.  Be honest... blunt... straightforward with your requests.  Pray specifically and unceasingly... and when God comes through (and He will in His own perfect way and time)... give thanks for what He does.  Worry is destructive and never works.  Give your burdens to God... leave them there... and experience a peace like never before.

What is Filing Your Heart?

Speaking to a large audience, D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." 

How would you do it?  What would it take to get all the air permanently out of the glass?Vacuum?  Cover the top with your hand?    What if I told you that the air in that glass represents the fear in your life...  How would you get it out?  

If you’re like most people... avoidance.  When something makes them scared...they run.  Tough conversations?  Sharing Jesus?  They can’t.  They’re fearful of rejection.  Get that cough checked out by a doctor?  Not them.  What if it’s something life-threatening?

If avoidance doesn’t work for fear....there’s always denial.  People ask them how things are going...  They’ll just tell them the obligatory “fine”.  Scared to go home because of the verbal abuse from an angry spouse?  They’ll just tell the world “I brought it on myself... I deserve it”

If the first two don’t remove the fear... the last resort... worry.  Fretting, sweating, crying, pleading, and begging.  Surely one of these will make them fear less... right?  If they just keep chewing on it and losing sleep... God will notice and make things different won’t He? 

Let’s find out how D.L. Moody removed the air from the glass...

After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed."   He knew it wasn’t what needed to come out... but what needed to be put in.  

If you are scared today... it isn’t about avoiding, denying, or worrying.   Removing the bad in your life isn’t the plan.  Promising not to sin... making deals with God... running and hiding in the darkness... avoiding the uncomfortable... All ineffective tactics.  None of these get the air out.  No matter how hard you try, there will be things in your life that will scare you.  Fear happens.

Remember, it’s not what needs to come out of your life.  It’s what needs to be put in.

For the next couple of minutes I want you to try something.   Think about your heart like the glass in the story above... full of worry, doubt, and especially... fear. 

I’ve copied some of my favorite verses about how God sees and deals with fear below.  Read each of them... several times if you want to...  and as you do, allow God to fill your heart with their meaning.  Visualize the fear leaving and these promises taking their place...

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”  1 John 4:18

“So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:6

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4

“Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”  Psalm 27:1

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

These verses were written for you.  Claim them.

Stop trying to run from or remove what scares you.  Instead, stand boldly on these verses and allow Him to replace paralyzing fear with His comforting presence.  I’ll be praying for you as you do.

Click

      Harry Houdini, the famed escape artist issued a challenge wherever he went. He could be locked in any jail cell in the country, he claimed, and set himself free quickly and easily. Always he kept his promise, but one time something went wrong. Houdini entered the jail in his street clothes; the heavy, metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took from his belt a concealed piece of metal, strong and flexible. He set to work immediately, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock. For 30 minutes he worked and got nowhere. An hour passed, and still he had not opened the door. By now he was bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation, but he still could not pick the lock. 

Harry Houdini was trapped.  The clock was ticking....and he was genuinely scared.

The mind is a powerful thing.  For some of us, we’ve been trying to figure out how to be happy... how to break free... for a long time.  Every time we think we have it solved, we struggle with the lock... and hear the sound... 

click.  

We try something new... we beg God... we act nicer... we treat people a little better... all trying to somehow impress God so He will lift the burden of the prison we’re in.

click.  Still locked.

Anger, frustration, and doubt all begin to replace what little hope we had left.  We are in prison... and it seems that it is where we are bound to stay.  That bad decision, word that was said, past discrepancy... all gatekeepers to a cell that seems permanently sealed.  The lock won’t budge... and whatever happiness we may have once had is a memory. 

Is there a way out?  What will set us free? 

What does God suggest we do about it?  

Before we discover that... let’s go back to our story of Houdini:

Finally, after laboring for 2 hours, Harry Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock. But when he fell against the door, it swung open! It had never been locked at all! But in his mind it was locked and that was all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of the jail cell.

Houdini escaped the cell because he stopped struggling with the lock on a door that wasn’t locked to start with.

We do the same thing every day.  Our mind holds us prisoner in a cell that isn’t locked.  

God tells us to handle it this way: 

Psalm 46:1 “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’”

Be still.  Hardly our first reaction to being locked down...beaten up... or shaken.  

Ever used a finger prison?  Those gags where you put the tips of your index fingers into the ends of a braided paper cylinder.  When you tug on them, you can’t get your fingers loose.  The trick?  Don’t tug.  Relax and slowly remove each finger individually. 

When we quit struggling... when we stop pushing... when we cease trying to force it... when we let God be God... He reveals that what is holding us back isn’t our circumstances, it is our perception of the power of the lock.  

In fact, if you look closely at the lock, you can see the manufacturer.  Can you see it?  It isn’t Master or Yardley or even Black & Decker.

It says Satan on it... and he wants you to think it’s the strongest lock ever made.  What you did is unforgiveable... who you are is unchangeable... what happened is irreversible.  

Not true.  

God wants to be God in our lives.  He wants us to relax...refocus...and realize that He is working ahead of things... that Grace is for us too... and that He is key to our happiness.

When Christ resurrected, the door to every cell in every prison in every mind sprung open.  Don’t focus on the lock of your circumstances... push on the door.  It’s open.  God made sure of it.  If you’ve been bound... stop struggling.   Give those heavy chains to God and gently push against what seems to be permanently holding you in.

Trust me... that door will open and you will be released.

Released from pain, guilt, inadequacy, low self-esteem, past failure... Does the pain go away?  Not immediately, but the only way to start the process...the first step to true freedom from what has held us in... is the release from the unlocked prison.  

I can hear doors swinging open all over the world.  Let the healing begin.  

Spiders

I've never been a big fan of spiders.  We get them once and awhile in the house (as most in South Florida do…) and they give me the creeps.  People tell me that they are actually good to have around as they like to eat problem insects… but I still don’t like them too much.  The other day I read a report that a Seattle man accidentally burnt his house to the ground after trying to kill a spider with a cigarette lighter and a can of spray paint. The man later told police that the spider had been lurking in the laundry, and he had accidentally lit the wall on fire with his makeshift flame thrower.  Just a few weeks earlier, Ginny Griffith of Hutchinson, Kansas, lit her laundry on fire after seeing a spider crawl into a pile of towels. The fire quickly got out of hand, and her home went up in flames. She's been charged with aggravated arson.

A makeshift blowtorch to kill a tiny and very scared arachnid.  Unnecessary force in a manageable situation.  The result?  Catastrophe.  

Sounds a lot like what many of us do when problems erupt in our lives.  Something rears its head and instead of a calm and appropriate reaction… we go off.  Raised voices… flailing arms… blood pressure creeps up and tolerance levels drop down.  We overreact.  It’s common but it’s not Biblical. 

The Scriptures tell us in the book of Proverbs 17:27… “A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.”   This verse tells us that it’s the truly wise person who sees challenging circumstances as an opportunity to grow in good judgment and gain an understanding of God’s will for their lives.  

You don’t need a sledgehammer to kill a fly.  The next time things start to heat up in your corner of life… take a deep breath and think.  Just think.

Allow your mind to play out the scenario of what might happen if you discharge an impromptu blowtorch on cotton towels… or what might happen to your relationship… or to your reputation as a follower of Christ.  If you are a Christian, people are watching.  Do they see even-temperedness and control in time of stress in your life?  Or are they calling the fire department because you couldn’t control your reaction to a spider?   Think first and act (not react) second.   And if “ready, fire, aim” is your standard… be bold enough to make a change today. 

Shadow

There’s a Swedish Proverb that states:  “Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow”

As you read this today... you might be worried about something.  It’s kept you awake... taken over your thoughts... and made prayer time with God seemingly impossible to get through without distraction.  In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul tells us how to deal with these types of burdens:  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Is worry casting a huge shadow over your life?  Pray and don’t stop until you have an answer.  Be honest... blunt... straightforward with your requests.  Pray specifically and unceasingly... and when God comes through (and He will in His own perfect way and time)... give thanks for what He does.  Worry is destructive and never works.  Give your burdens to God... leave them there... and experience a peace like never before.

The Remedy

In December of 2005, a team of Australian scientists confirmed what many long suspected.  There is a direct connection between emotional stress and the body’s ability to fight illness.  They discovered that when someone is dealing with anxiety, it releases a hormone that battles against the natural immune system.  In other words... worry can make us sick.

Fortunately, God has already remedied this condition... Proverbs 4 tells us that if we listen carefully to what He says... and let His promises penetrate our heart... we will experience healing and life.  So what is the antidote to stress?  God’s word.  Throughout the Bible we are told to depend on, focus on, rely on, count on, and lean on God when times get tough.  When we really start to believe that He is enough... our blood pressure goes down and we move forward to walk in His strength.   Next time you’re feeling sick... spend some time reading the Bible and claiming God’s promises... they are sure to cure!

Sleepless?

In August of 2010, Ron S. of Brewester, Massachusetts had a problem.  Doctors discovered an “ominous dark spot” on one of his lungs. They feared the worst.  Multiple tests were run but all came back inconclusive.  There was only one thing left to do... surgery.  The mass was removed and sent to the labs.  After a couple of days it was concluded that it wasn’t cancer at all... it was a pea that had somehow worked its way into his windpipe and then his lung.  The moist environment of the lung had caused it to sprout.  

How much time do we spend dreading those “ominous dark spots” in our lives.  We work ourselves up... preparing ourselves for doom and gloom... only to find that what we dread isn’t what comes to pass.  Over 90% of what we worry about never happens.  9 out of 10 sleepless nights are pointless.   We allow the unknown to grow in the dark damp environment of our minds..holding us prisoner to fear and worry.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has plans for us... He knows what’s coming... and He’s already ahead of us preparing the way.  No need to doubt, dread, or waste time wondering where the next “dark spot” may come.  Take time to trust!   When we do so, life gets easier and our faith grows stronger!

Don't Fear Godzilla

I read a story of a young boy who was being terrorized by a dog.  Not a German Shepherd or Pit Bull… but a Chihuahua.  The dog’s name?  Godzilla.

He would run around the house and the dog would follow him.  The boy played and the dog stared.  In this little boy’s mind, Godzilla was stalking him…waiting for his moment to pounce.  While we know the dog just wanted to play… to this boy… the fear was real and unrelenting.  He was convinced that he was being hunted by a beast that wanted to hurt him.  

Guilt is a lot like that dog.  

Something we’ve done, said, or thought is sitting in wait.   But our guilt is no tiny chihuahua... it’s bark is much larger... and more menacing...  It’s pinned us in a corner and made us doubt the size of our God.  It has chased us through counseling, good advice, and numerous readings of scripture.  It torments our dreams and drops in every now and then throughout our day to remind us that we shouldn’t feel good about ourselves. 

You know what you did.

You know who you were.

You can’t overcome it.  You won’t change.  

And just when it seems like we get away... it sniffs us out again.  The chase continues.  

we’re tired of running.  

So how do we handle that overwhelming feeling of guilt?  We invite another big dog into the hunt... worry.  Guilt and worry... both crushing emotions in their own right.  Together they’re simply terrifying.  They’ve been known to cause sleepless nights, hopelessness, and an overwhelming dependence on our own strength.  

So why do we do it?  Why do we allow what we did to define what we’re becoming?  Why is guilt so powerful?  

We don’t believe this verse.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”  Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

If you are in relationship with Jesus... and He is your Lord and Savior... there is nobody holding your past over your head except you.  Scripture tells us that when we confess our sin... when we tell God what we’ve done... He sends it away forever.  Forgotten and over.  That is so hard for our minds to comprehend... that something that once defined us is now voided?  Something that once paralyzed us with worry and fear was one confession away from the feeling of freedom?

We don’t have to fully understand it for it to be true.  God’s thoughts are different than our own (Isaiah 55:8).  He loves us unconditionally, wholly, and without reservation.  When we ask for freedom from the chains on our thought life, Jesus gives us the keys of confession to unlock them.  Today’s the day to breathe without burden... shed the shackles of the past... and leave the guilt where it belongs... with the old you.    

Those dogs... guilt and worry... they’ll stop chasing you with one simple command.  

“Be still...”

God said it to your heart in Psalm 46:10  “Be still, and know that I am God!”

Today can be the day you stop running and be still.  Guilt-free.  Burden-lifted.  Heart deep in love with God again.

I came across a paragraph by an 85 year old woman that I think sums it up best. She wrote, 

"If you live to be 75 years old you will live over 657,000 hours. Did you know that? That’s almost 2/3rds of a million hours that you’re going to live. That’s too much to be anxious about all the time. So don’t worry.  God, if I had my life to live over, I would relax & ramble around and be sillier than I had been on this trip. I would take fewer things so seriously and I would take more chances. I would take more trips and I would climb more mountains & swim more rivers.

"I would eat more ice cream and less prunes.  I would perhaps have some actual troubles but I’m sure I would have fewer imaginary ones. You see, I’m one of those people who have lived sensibly & safely, hour after hour, day after day.  Oh, I have had my moments. And if I had it all to do over again I would have more of them. Just moments one after another instead of living so many years in a big chair, acting like all those persons who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, or a parachute.

If I had it to do over again I would worry less. I would laugh more, & I would pick a lot more daisies."

Good insight from a burdened life.   Your life can be different.  The last paragraph of your story doesn’t have to say.... “If I had my life to live over...”   Shedding the guilt and worry, you will have lived it to it’s fullest without the weight of “what if.”

Make today the day that you begin to release your guilt and worry through confession... start enjoying freedom... and live the long and purposeful life you were created to.  I’ll be praying for you as you do.