Say So!!

It’s amazing what a little rest will do for your perspective! Some of us have allowed ourselves to become so bogged down by the battles of this life, some of which aren’t even ours, that we can’t see the difference between good and bad. We get weary and forget that the Word tells us to “cast our cares on God and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22 NIV) Our vision becomes cloudy and our faith gets shaky and we take our eyes off of God. When I was lying in the bed this morning, I heard one phrase…Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! Woooooo….that resonated in my spirit, y’all! I have heard people casually throw those words around all my life but this made my spirit leap. You know when a Word kind of slaps you in the face…that’s how I felt!

Psalm 107 is a chapter that is filled with thanksgiving for deliverance! It starts out with a praise for God’s enduring mercy and then it goes straight to the point in verse 2!  “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.”  We forget that God has delivered us from the enemy! Jesus Christ died on the cross and took back the keys of death. With His resurrection, we were given the power over principalities, death, and disease! He stacked the deck on our behalf! We have already won the battle. We forget that when it seems like we are surrounded by sickness and lack, but it’s time to refocus! It’s time to stand up with your chest out and your head up and declare as the redeemed of the Lord that you have been delivered and then walk in that deliverance!

I love how this chapter is set up. Look at verses 10 -16. “Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons—because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!  For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two.”  The writer talks about the trials and the hard places that we face but then he says that key phrase – then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and He saved them out of their distresses! God is willing and able to take your dead situation and give it new life. The question is - are you willing to cry out to the Lord and let Him do the saving?

Once you have accepted Jesus Christ, you are the redeemed of the Lord! So you have authority and power! It’s time out for letting Satan turn your world upside down. You may be facing a sick or dying family member and you feel helpless and upset. Pray the Word and then speak life to them and let God do the work. Your finances might be all jacked up and you are stressed out. Remember that God is more than enough. Pray and ask God to break the backbone of every spirit of scarcity in your life and let Him do the work.  God is our Jehovah Mephalti, our deliverer! Psalm 18:2 says “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

I challenge you today to speak as the redeemed of the Lord, confident that He will deliver you out of your troubles.  Sometimes you have to take a day or a couple of hours, whatever it takes to be refueled by the Lord. It’s so easy to fall into a dark place and stay too long, especially when you are a person that many people depend on.  Get up and shake yourself off, look in the mirror and speak a Word of encouragement to yourself! “I am the redeemed of the Lord and He WILL deliver me out of all my troubles!”  Recognize that sometimes the delivery that God gives you is not what you planned for yourself but He has it all under control. Look into the trial and see the victory! “Whoever is wise will observe these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.” (Psalm 107:43, NKJV)

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! AMEN

The Refiner's Fire

Lately, I have been talking with God about some of the challenges I've been facing. I’ve been feeling a little like Elijah in the cave waiting for the “still small voice”. I asked a friend yesterday if she could ask God to raise the volume up a little bit for me! LOL! I say this to say that even as Christians we sometimes get caught up in the why mes and stay in the pity party a little too long. We listen out for every voice except God’s and wonder why we are still suffering. So I found myself this morning in 1 Peter 1 and it truly blessed me. It reminded me about why we go through trials and circumstances in our lives.

Peter is talking to God’s people that are living as pilgrims in various countries and reminding them that they have been chosen by God and sanctified by the Holy Spirit and to continue to be obedient to Christ. He is encouraging them and in doing so, encouraging us! “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:6 & 7 NLT)

Isn't that good news?! There is a reward for holding onto your faith through the valleys of life. We are being refined by the Great Refiner that we might come out as pure gold. I know you’ve heard the saying that “the anointing ain’t free”. Well it’s not just a saying, it’s the truth. Our testimonies come out of our tests. If we never go through anything, how can we be transparent with someone that is not saved and help them understand that they can make it? You can’t help with what you don’t understand.  It can be a hard pill to swallow but you often have to go through something to go the next level. I can’t remember any scripture that says life will always be easy but I do know that God says “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV)

The world often assumes that Christians don’t or shouldn’t go through anything. There has been a misconception that being saved means all issues end but we know that to not be true. As we go through the refining process, we have to live in a way that is pleasing to God. After you survive a trial, take the lessons and move forward. Verse 14 -16 says, “So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” (NLT)

We are now responsible for what we have learned. God called us to be a peculiar people, set apart for His glory. So even as we go through the refining process, we can’t handle it like the world. I noticed that whenever I am struggling with something, God always sends someone to me for encouragement with the very thing I am dealing with. I have to speak the Word to them and in turn, I encourage myself. It’s all a part of the process and that’s where you will find your blessing.

“You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.  The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1: 8-9, NLT) This is what you can always go back to whenever your faith needs a boost. There is a great reward in trusting a God that you have never seen. Jesus himself said, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”(John 20:29) When it gets too hard and the still small voice seems quieter than a whisper, remember that God is refining you for His glory! And when you come out of the fire, it will be as pure gold!

Be blessed! AMEN...

Perfecting Me...

I wondered this morning if I should write my entry. I was struggling with some things and I felt like I was a little shaky. The enemy seems to have me on his list right now and it was really tough. I had a Habakkuk moment and asked God how much longer. I looked around and all I saw was walls. In the natural, I wanted to give up. But He sent 3 people to speak life into me and encourage my spirit. He showed me through them that He sees and hears my prayers. Through the Holy Spirit, they built me back up. It’s interesting for me to write that because I know the Word and what God has promised but sometimes even dedicated Christians need a word of encouragement.  So God said “Write and tell somebody that it’s okay. There is nothing impossible for Me.” So here I am to remind someone that there is a dawn on the other side of the darkness and victory at the end of that battle. So I am being obedient and asking God to lead me. This is not for everyone but if this is for you, come with me.

I want to encourage you today ,that if you are struggling or trying to rebuild your faith, to find rest in the Lord. Recently, I’ve begun to soak in His presence. Whether its 15 minutes or 30 minutes or an hour, I will turn on some instrumental worship music, lie down and let the Lord minister to me. For someone like me that’s always on the move, to consciously take the time to stop and just listen has been a revelation. In doing so, I can feel His presence covering me and restoring me. Often, I will hear a word or see a clear vision or sometimes I will fall in a deep sleep but when I get up, I know that He’s been with me. Psalm 138 came to me this morning and when I read verses 7&8, I knew that God heard me. “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” (NKJV)

No matter what is going on, God will work out the plans for your life. It’s hard when you don’t understand why something is happening but sometimes it’s not meant for us to. Romans 11:33 says “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!” We have to remember that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. As hard as it may be, we have to let God do the working and “…know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Think back to some of the situations in your life. Can’t you see how God’s hand guided and directed things to work out for your good? He hasn’t changed! He’s still watching and working. “Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly…” (Psalm 138:6)

God is faithful and He knows. Rest in Him and meditate on His word. He will answer even if it’s not the way that we expect.  AMEN!

Hope for the Journey...

I love the writings of the apostle Paul. He was real. He didn’t paint himself as this holier than thou figure that was untouchable and perfect. He talked about his issues and his past and how God’s mercy spared him and set him on the right path. He talks about the difficulties that we face on this Christian journey but also gives us the hope to continue. I was first introduced to him by my mother. I remember growing up that her most profound sermons would come from his writings. Even when I didn’t understand who he was, she spoke so highly of him that it resonated with me. I’m not doing a Mother’s Day topic but I had to take a moment and shout my mama out because she gave me the gift of the Word at an early age.  She didn’t beat me over the head with it but she lived it. She’s similar to Paul in that she will keep it real with you because of the things that she has experienced but you know that it’s coming from a place of love. I didn’t always understand but I’m seeing the fruit now.

This week, I was reminded of some of those lessons as it seemed that I talked with quite a few people in my life that have been struggling with various circumstances. I, myself, have had attacks on my faith and I had to go in my prayer closet and encourage myself. Even as I sat down to write this entry, I asked God why it seemed like all of my entries were about struggle. But He led me to one of my favorite of Paul’s writings, 2 Corinthians 4 and I understood. Sometimes it’s hard for us to see God in our hard places.   Maybe it’s a job that we don’t like or our money is funny or we are lonely.  You may even be a prayer warrior, know how to fast, and can quote a scripture in a heartbeat but sometimes the silence is deafening and the response seems slow. But Paul reminds us in verse 8 that we when we are one of God’s children, we always have hope.  “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” (NLT)

As I thought back over some of the conversations that I have had this week and even looked at my own situation, I asked God to give me a word that would touch the hearts of my readers and encourage them. You never know what a person is going through. A lot of us are good at putting on the brave face and calling it faith but our insides are torn up. I really believe God led me to this chapter of scripture to make sure I remind myself and you that He sees and cares. When it gets really hard, go back to Paul’s words in Romans 8: 28 and remember that these troubles will not last forever. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”

A wise woman told me earlier this week that sometimes we are going through things and are quick to say it’s the enemy but it’s actually the Lord preparing you for the work He has for you to do. Sometimes we can’t see past our present situation but we will see in the future how God took our struggle and turned it into our testimony. I can tell someone in the future that they can make it because I made it. “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Cor. 4:16-18, NLT)

Be encouraged! AMEN

We need the rain...

This morning when I sat down to write, I went online to read the scripture of the day and my eyes were drawn to a little blurb for a commentary about 1 Kings 17: 7-24. It’s a familiar story about the widow at Zarepath and the prophet Elijah. As I went to the verses, it struck me that they had included verse 7 when the story really gets started at verse 8. Sitting here, I have now probably read this verse 10 times. I can’t seem to get away from it. “But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.” Have you ever been tired? I mean bone tired? Tired of the devil and all of his tricks, tired of your family and all their drama, tired of the circumstances that you find yourself in? Sometimes, we even find ourselves tired of the church and what that means. Our brooks are dried up and there is no rain in sight. Wow…what a place to be in! Sometimes these droughts come upon us suddenly and sometimes they are a buildup of all the “stuff” that we allow to bog us down. But I love the God that I serve. He always has a cup of water available to refresh us if we will be obedient to His Word.

I have always really looked at this story as one of provision and obedience. If I do what the Lord says even in the midst of a dry situation, He will provide for me. But today, the Lord showed me that it’s also an analogy for our life journey. Some of us are in a dry season right now. It could be in the area of finances or jobs, maybe in your marriage or spiritual journey. Whatever it is, your brook has dried up. But God has sent me today to tell you that if you don’t give up and trust Him, He will keep you and maintain you until He sends your breakthrough. The widow was afraid, she was in the midst of famine and drought and she had determined that death was the end result. But God sent Elijah to encourage her in verses 13 & 14. “But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son.  For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!” (NLT)

I find great peace in knowing that God sees me in my situations. I am not just out here alone. Like, the widow, He knows what I’m facing and sends encouragement, provision, and peace just when I need Him to. God reminds us of that very fact in Isaiah 46:10. “From the beginning I told you what would happen in the end. A long time ago I told you things that have not yet happened. When I plan something, it happens. What I want to do, I will do.”  (NCV) God knows the end from the beginning and is working things out for your good.

But just when you find your peace, doesn’t it seem like an attack comes? The widow’s son became very sick and died. The enemy sends someone crazy in your path. You lose your job. Your marriage takes a hit. You get an unexpected bill that throws everything off. You look around and wonder what more. You thought you had overcome and survived the worst and yet something else appears. Elijah didn’t even understand why this was happening. But he sought the Lord in prayer and He heard and answered. God is faithful and will keep you and refresh you in the dry times. Sometimes you give your very last and He asks for more faith but keep trusting and pressing into His presence and He will honor you. It may not be on your timeline but look back over your life at the dry seasons and I bet you will start to see how God had His eyes and His hands on you.

Be encouraged today! God is present and watching even when it feels quiet! Keep trusting and standing on His word, the rain is coming!  And when it does, fruit will follow.  Don’t believe me? Read the word of the Lord! “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” (Isaiah 55:10,11 NLT)

AMEN