Sunday, May 28, 2017

A friend sent this to me (posted with her permission):

“For the past month, I’ve found an excuse every Saturday morning to skip my workout to exercise videos. This morning, I decided to mow the lawn for my exercise. As I walked out on the lawn, I felt raindrops, and my first thought was to go back inside. Then I reminded myself that I just ate, so could not do my ‘regular’ exercise. I was determined to get some exercise today, so I made a decision to mow until the raindrops turned to shower. For the 50 minutes that I was outside there were intermittent raindrops, but no shower. The thought occurred to me that so many times, we ask God to provide showers of blessings, when all along he’s been providing raindrops of blessings. I thought the raindrops began as soon as I stepped outside, but it had been going on long before I got outside, and I just couldn’t see. Lord, please help me to be thankful for the raindrops, while you hold the showers for a later time.”
Isn't that good?

Saturday, May 20, 2017

You have known me to say, "Circumstances do not change the promise."

One day this week, God set me up.

I was preparing to take my morning prayer walk, and I felt God pulling me to go ahead and "read the red" before my walk. (If you normally read my blog, you know that I read a verse or more of the words of Jesus at morning and bedtime.) The verse that I read was Mark 5:39: "Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth" (KJV). The New King James Version reads, " 'Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.' "

What I did not know was that the moment I stepped out of my house I would step into circumstances that challenged God's promises to me and the overwhelming evidence that He has been answering prayers. My normal response to such evidence is to panic and worry that things are worse than I thought. I would usually go into intense prayer, begging God and trying to manipulate Him into doing things my way to make things "better."

A few seconds into my working into a frenzy, I remembered the verse and God's preparing me. Why was I extremely close to making a commotion? I have prayed and prayed, and God has answered in more ways that I know. I KNOW that He has this, that He is Faithful, and that I can trust Him.

There is no reason to panic! Our prodigals are "not dead, but sleeping!"

That particular morning, I was reminded that we do not have to panic, we do not have to beg, and we do not have to manipulate. We simply have to ask. God is our Father. He loves us, and He has promised to give good gifts to us!

"Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping."

Thursday, May 11, 2017

"Do not be afraid; only believe" (Mark 5:36).

These words have increased my faith.

In verse 22 of Mark 5, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came to Jesus to ask healing for his little girl. He actually fell at Jesus' feet and begged Him. So Jesus went with Jairus to his house.

On the way, Jesus was delayed by the woman who touched the hem of His garment, and while He was talking to her, someone from Jairus' house came to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" (Mark 5:35).

Does this sound familiar? Does satan lie to you saying there is no need to pray, that your prodigal is too far gone away from God, that he or she can never be saved, that you are wasting your time when you pray for him or her?

When Jesus heard those words, He said to Jairus, "Do not be afraid; only believe."

We've prayed. Jesus has been invited to work in the lives of our prodigals. When our faith is low, we just have to remember these words: "Do not be afraid; only believe." That is what Jesus said.

That is what He says to us. Do not be afraid; only believe.

When Jesus arrived at Jairus' house, there was a commotion, as we would expect. He said, "Why make this commotion and weep?" (Verse 39). Why do we trouble ourselves and fret when Jesus is on the job?

We know what He did next. He told the little girl to arise, and SHE DID!

I believe the LORD is saying that to all of our prodigals: "ARISE! Come back to life!"

And they will.

But in the meantime, do not be afraid. ONLY BELIEVE!