Category Archives: Faith

When God Takes It Away

11 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by in Despair, Faith, Future, Grief

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So God took the thing you most loved and you’re never going to get it back.

Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband died; and she was left with her two sons.  Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.  Ruth 1:3-5

Bereft goes beyond grief-stricken. Bereft includes a deep sense of deprivation and irreparable loss.  (Paraphrased from vocabulary.com)

I started playing the piano in third grade and fell in love with it. It was soul-satisfying.  It became part of me.  As opportunities came my way, playing the piano became my God-given ministry. It was a way I loved God and gave of myself to encourage others to love God.  I felt God’s pleasure as I played.

But then God took it away.  I was bereft.

Seven years later, I still don’t understand why God allowed this to happen. It has been a long difficult journey for me as I have grieved this loss and come to accept it as from the hand of God. But God has been with me every step of the journey.  And because of the journey, I am more in love with God today than I ever have been. I enjoy Him more deeply. Perhaps this alone is reason enough.

If you are grieving, seek refuge under the wings of God Almighty. He will love you through your grief.  Ruth 2:12  Do not lose hope. God is with you. God is for you. Nothing can separate you from His love.  Romans 8:31-39

We cannot see the end of our journey but we can see the end of Naomi’s journey. God gave Naomi a son.  Ruth 4:17  He may give me another opportunity to play the piano for His glory and only He knows what He has planned for you!

 

 

 

I want more for my friend!

01 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in Choice, Faith, God's Will, Plans

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I want more for my friend than she wants for herself. I want her to be happy.  I want her to be all that God designed her to be.  I want her to live an abundant joy-filled life.

But her own choices are preventing her from becoming all that God hopes for her to be.

Why can’t she see that God’s plan is always the best?

Why can’t she see that His plan is not some religious mandate to be obeyed just for the sake of obedience but that His plan is the way for her to have richness of life?

And then I think about my own life…  Why do I sometimes refuse to do life God’s way? Why can’t I see that God’s plan is always the best for me?

The answer is the same for all of us. In these situations, we think we know more than God.  We think we know best.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.  Proverbs 3:5-8

If you want your best life, ask yourself these four questions:

  • Am I being deceived by sin and my own fleshly desires?
  • Am I being proud, stubborn and self-willed?
  • Do I believe God really knows what is best for me?
  • Am I willing to do life God’s way?

Trust Him and choose wisely!

Become rooted and grounded in His love and watch Him do abundantly above all you can ask or even think in your own life!  Ephesians 3

 

 

 

Are you kidding me?!?!

29 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Anger, Choice, Faith

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Sometimes I am so bewildered by the things other people do.  I just don’t get why they do the things they do!  And I don’t understand why they make such stupid choices!  And to top it all off, these things have a huge impact on MY life! And I wonder if these people ever even thought about how their decisions might impact those around them, especially ME!

When these times come, they are hurtful!

When these times comes, they are scary!

When these times come, they are discouraging!

When these times come, what then?

  1. First, tell it ALL to Jesus (as often as you need to).
  2. Second, choose to forgive and pray for those ‘stupid’ people (even if you don’t feel like it).
  3. Third, keep on trusting God:
    1. Trust that He is ultimately in control of all things (even if it doesn’t seem like it).
    2. Trust that He has your best interest at heart (even if others’ don’t).
    3. Trust that He is at work and He will work this for your good (even if you can’t possibly see how).
  4. Fourth, keep your eyes on Jesus (not on those around you).
  5. Fifth, keep on doing what God has called you to do (and forget about all the other stuff).

But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us!  Romans 8:37

Philippians 2:12-14, Romans 8:18-39

Too Good to be True? Not This Time

28 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by in Faith, Gift, Gospel, Heaven, Hope

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I was so happy I couldn’t even fall asleep. I had just shared the message of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone with my friend. As I watched her amazement at such a message, I was reminded of the first time I really heard the gospel message. It was shocking!

How can it be that all I have to do is believe in the redeeming work of Christ? How can it be that simple?  Yet, it is. Christ has been God’s plan from the very beginning, even before creation.

The message is simple, yet astounding!

  • God is holy and just, unable to overlook your sin. He is also Love so He provided a way for you.
  • You are sinful, never able to meet God’s standard of holiness, guilty, unable to save yourself.
  • Christ,the sinless Son of God, the only One who could meet God’s standard of holiness, was willing to pay the penalty for your sins by his death on the cross. His sacrifice once and for all removed the sin barrier between you and God.

There is no debt for you to pay.  Christ already paid it.

There is nothing you must do to earn your salvation.  Christ already provided it.

The only requirement for you to be saved is to believe. You must rely on the fact that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross took care of your sin problem in the eyes of God. The moment you believe, Christ’s righteousness will be credited to your account!

Believe in Christ today! It matters not if you are a good person or a bad person.  No one is good enough to save themself and no one is too bad for Christ to save!  Christ alone is the hope of salvation!

John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2;4-9, Galatians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

 

 

 

 

Life stinks!

11 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Endurance, Faith, Grumbling, Truth

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Life can be so disappointing!  So hard!

As the Israelites left Egypt to go to the Promised Land, did they think their hardships were over?  If so, can you imagine how disheartened they must have felt when  the Red Sea was in front of them and the Egyptians were hot on their trail? And how did they feel when their stomachs started rumbling from hunger and their mouths were dry and parched from lack of water?  Life challenged them and most of them failed the challenge.

Why? How is that God was not well-pleased with most of them?

  1. Their expectations were faulty. They expected it to be easy.  They didn’t realize their struggles were common to all men.
  2. Their theology was faulty. They didn’t think God was faithful. They didn’t see His daily protection and provision.
  3. Their commitment was faulty. They grumbled and complained against God. They wanted to go back to Egypt.

If you’re in a hard time right now, let me encourage you to:

  1.  Adjust your expectations.  God never promised you an easy life here in this broken world.  But He has promised to be with you every step of the way.  He will make a way for you to endure this hardship.
  2. Check your theology.  God is always good and always faithful.  Do you believe that? Can you cling to that with all your heart?
  3. Examine your commitment. Do you want to follow God even if it means hardship and heartbreak? Fully give yourself to Him, heartbreak and all.  He can handle it!

Caleb was not like the other Israelites.  He was different.

God says of Caleb, “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land…” Numbers 14:24

1 Corinthians 10

 

I Have Doubts- Don’t Tell God!

04 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Doubt, Encouragement, Faith

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Dark gut-wrenching times leave you feeling defeated and alone.  Doubts creep in and cause you to question things you never thought you would question.  I know.  I’ve been there.

Jesus’ crucifixion left the disciples feeling defeated and alone.  They had doubts.  Yet they worshiped Jesus when they saw Him.

When you have doubts, don’t run from Jesus.  Run to Jesus.  Worship Him by presenting  yourself to Him, doubts and all.  Let Him speak truth to your doubts.

Jesus spoke truth to the disciples’ doubts. He reassured them of two fundamental things:

  1.  All authority is Mine in heaven and on earth. (I am in control. You are not defeated.)
  2. I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (You are not alone.)

If you’re in a dark doubting place today, believe again that God is in control and that He is with you. Then move forward and do the work God has called you to do.  Matthew 28:16-20

 

 

 

How Dare You Call Me Lazy!

02 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in Choice, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, Gift

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I don’t think of myself as lazy. So when I was reading a parable in Matthew this morning, I was struck by the master’s response to the slave who had buried his talent. The master said, “You wicked, lazy slave…”  Matthew 25:26

What was the slave’s excuse for not using the master’s talent?

He said, “I was afraid… ”

I am afraid, too – afraid to go all in, afraid of failure, afraid to pursue my God-given dream of full-time women’s ministry, afraid to boldly pursue speaking opportunities.

Fear paralyzes.  Fear causes us to do nothing. Fear leads to laziness.

So how do we address this fear?  We do something!  Something is better than nothing!

Paul told Timothy to get busy- to be disciplined and use his gift.  In so doing, he would demonstrate that the spirit from God is one of power, love and discipline.  2 Timothy 1:6-7

So today I choose to go all in.  Today I choose to be disciplined and do the work.  I want to hear the Master say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

How about you?  Where do you need to exercise discipline over fear?

Impossible Dream of a Nobody

14 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Faith, Hope, Uncategorized

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I feel like it’s an impossible dream –  for lots of reasons.

  • I am not remarkable.
  • I am too old.
  • I don’t have anything unique to offer.
  • I don’t have the right connections.

Yet, the Lord’s small quiet voice is relentless.

“Dale, you know what I want you to do because I have placed a deep desire in your heart to do it.  And that desire is only growing stronger with time. So why aren’t you doing it?”

I humbly answer, “Lord, if I’m honest with myself and with you, I have to admit that I don’t really believe you can use me this way.”

Do you have doubts, too, that God can use you to accomplish His purposes?  We must come to realize that it is about God’s purpose for us. It is about God’s enabling power.  We bring what we have to Him and allow Him to work with us and for us to accomplish His purpose.

When Gabriel spoke to Mary about God’s plan for her to become the mother of the Son of the Most High, Mary was perplexed and asked,

“How can this be, since I am a virgin?”Luke 1:34

Gabriel said, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Mary believed and said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”   Luke 1:38

Elizabeth said of Mary, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”  Luke 1:45

That dream you have – the one you believe is from God – is not impossible. You may have questions and wonder how it will ever happen.  But if you take God at His word and step out in faith, He will accomplish His purpose in you, for you, and through you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Envy is Killing Me!

25 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Envy, Faith

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For Pilate knew that because of envy the chief priests and elders had handed Jesus over. Matthew 27:18

  • Envious people plot to destroy others – Matthew 27:1
  • Envious people twist and bend the truth – Matthew 26:61-66
  • Envious people are accusatory – Matthew 27:11-14
  • Envious people make bad choices – Matthew 27:21
  • Envious people do not listen to the voice of reason – Matthew 27:23

For where Jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. James 3:16

Envy is evil.  Envy wants what someone else has.  Envy is earthly, natural, demonic. James 3:13-15

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With a burning desire to speak to women about the things God has laid on my heart, I often find myself battling envy.  I see others doing what I want to do -speaking to women and having impact for God – and if I’m not alert, envy quickly fills my heart, followed by discouragement and doubt.  Envy is destructive.

Envy must be dealt with quickly.  James 4 and I Peter 2 tell us how to deal with envy. Envy must be put aside quickly.  Have nothing to do with it!  Get rid of it!

  1. Admit that you are envious.
  2. Agree with God that envy is evil.
  3. Humble yourself before your God.
  4. Surrender your selfish-ambition.
  5. Thank God for His plan for you.
  6. Thank God for His plan for others.
  7. Ask God for His help in this area.

God gives grace to the humble.  James 4:6

Envy erupts so easily within us. We can even envy things that are wonderful in and of themselves. Our eyes look at others and we want what they have and we want it now! This is another reason we must keep our eyes on Jesus.  He will give us what He wants us to have and He will give it to us when He wants us to have it.  Can we trust that He knows best?

The Best Thing I Can Say About Myself

22 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by in Change, Encouragement, Faith, Fear

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The best thing I can say about myself is, “I’m learning to trust God today.”

Every day is a faith walk!  This is how God intends it to be.

If you’re like me, you may find yourself longing for just one day without concerns, difficulties and struggles.  This day will come but not until we see Jesus face to face.

Difficulties encourage us to fix our eyes on Jesus instead of trying to do life without Him.  It is for this very personal relationship that Jesus died.

What do we know about faith?

  • Our relationship with God begins with faith – faith in Christ alone.
  • Our relationship with God continues and grows by faith – faith in Christ alone.
  • Faith pleases God.
  • Faith is a fight – a good fight.

Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith.  He walked by faith when He endured the cross for us, giving us an example of faith in action.  He kept His eyes on His Heavenly Father. Hebrews 12:2

Are you facing a difficult situation today? Is someone you love in trouble? Are you in the midst of change?  Are you feeling anxious?  Are you afraid?

Fix your eyes on Jesus! He is willing and eager to help you. Put your faith in Him – not in your own strength, not in your circumstances, not in your bank accounts, not in other people – but in Him alone. Fight the good fight of faith!

I am fighting the good fight of faith.

  • I have walked away from my career as a CPA to follow God’s call on my life.
  • I am trusting God to guide me.
  • I am trusting God to provide opportunities of service.
  • I am trusting God with my future.
  • I am fixing my eyes on Him.

file000551198693 (1)Faith is assurance of the unseen! Hebrews 11:1